pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 137
1.03M
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.671995
| 0.671995
|
Linda Miller’s singing career began in Toronto, where she graduated from University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. Early appearances included Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Handel’s Messiah prior to her winning first place in the Vocal Category of the Canadian Music Competition. Following that victory, she sang with Ottawa’s Opera Lyra performing excerpts from 19th century Canadian Opera. Her Toronto operatic debut the role of Constanza in Mozart’s Entfurung aus dem Serail for Toronto Operetta theatre was followed by Bertrade in Massenet’s Griselidis for Toronto’s Opera in Concert.
After winning the contract to sing in the Martin Scorsese film, Age of Innocence, Ms. Miller sang in concert at Toronto’s Glenn Gould Theatre and was heard on various television and radio programmes. Her interview with Peter Gzowsky on CBC’s Morningside remains a highlight.
After returning to Calgary, Linda sang for Alberta Ballet in two productions of Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder, the first with renowned choregrapher Rudi van Dantzig. Alberta Ballet brought her back for Orff’s Carmina Burana, and on the reprise of the Strauss she also sang excerpts from Carmen.
Ms. Miller has sung numerous times with the Calgary Philharmonic under the baton of Hans Graf. These performances included Mozart Concert Arias, the role of Alice Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff, Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Her performance of Clärchen’s Lieder from Beethoven’s Egmont was broadcast on CBC.
Since her return to the stage in 2016, Linda Faye Miller has performed with twice with Calgary Concert Opera Company, most recently in the role of Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata.
Miller is delighted to collaborate in concert with Flamenco Dancer, Anastassiia La Musa and violinist Jonathon Lewis in Tierra de Luz, an extraordinary dance and music event in which they combine classical Spanish opera and song with traditional and modern Flamenco. The concert culminates with a performance of Barcelona, written by Freddie Mercury which he sang with Spanish soprano, Monserrat Caballé to open the 1988 Summer Olympics in Spain. Calgary’s Robert Antonius Voltaire (R. A.V.) joins Linda for this tour de force meeting of rock and opera.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line841
|
__label__cc
| 0.737155
| 0.262845
|
20th Century Fox, VHS, Released in 1982,
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1982-1984 VHS)
May 27, 1982 (rental)
September 1, 1982 (individual sale)
T-160 (Standard Play, NTSC)
Hi-Fi Stereo
The Empire Strikes Back (1984 VHS)
Originally released on May 27, 1982 for rental only and on September 1, 1982 for individual sale from 20th Century Fox Video, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was re-released with Hi-Fi Stereo sound (with Mono compatibility) and closed captioning on November 13, 1984, two years after CBS/FOX Video was founded.
The biggest box office hit in the history of motion pictures, Star Wars is an elaborately spectacular film that represents the ultimate in cinematic entertainment. Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with lovable robot duo, R2-D2 and C-3PO, to rescue the beautiful princess and restore justice in the Empire. Winner of six Academy Awards.
Star Wars made its VHS debut in this country on May 21, 1985.
1984 VHS cover
Star Wars (1976) • The Empire Strikes Back (1980) • Return of the Jedi (1983) • The Phantom Menace (1999) • Attack of the Clones (2002) • Revenge of the Sith (2005)
A New Hope (1982) • The Empire Strikes Back (1984) • Return of the Jedi (1986) • Star Wars Trilogy (1990/1995) • Special Edition VHS (1997) • Special Edition VHS (2000) • Original Trilogy DVD (2004/2008) • Blu-ray Disc (2011/2013)
The Phantom Menace (2000/2001) • Attack of the Clones (2002) • Revenge of the Sith (2005) • Prequel Trilogy DVD (2008) • Blu-ray Disc (2011/2013)
Retrieved from "https://medialibrary.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_IV:_A_New_Hope_(1982-1984_VHS)?oldid=52087"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line844
|
__label__cc
| 0.716923
| 0.283077
|
I Challenged Some White People And Men To Check Their Privilege For Lent. And It’s Happening.
Andre Henry
Anti-Racism for Lent
Lent was not a big deal in the denomination I grew up in but, on the weekend before this year’s Ash Wednesday, I found myself making a list of 40 ways white Americans could be less racist.
At around action item 28 I realized two things. First: making a list of 40 ways to antiracist is a lot of work. Second: it wasn’t my work to do. We don’t expect sex slaves to end human trafficking worldwide; so why do we expect for black people to do most of the heavy lifting in pursuing racial justice?
I posted to Facebook:
In response several people have taken the challenge and have been posting thoughts, articles, videos and resources to show how their neighbors can confront white supremacy in their lives. A group of seven individuals even started a Facebook group called “Repenting of Racism for Lent” where they’ve developed prayers and spiritual practices for those participating in #AntiRacism for Lent.
It is difficult for me to capture what seeing the response to #AntiRacismForLent has meant to me so far. Although many involved have already been actively involved in pursuing racial justice, I’ve seen some who are otherwise not very active in confronting racism become advocates. Some of them have even started hashtagging #AntiRacismForLife. It gives me hope and that is an understatement.
Men Are Cancelled For Lent
As for me, I felt compelled to do something similar to what I challenged white people to do.
The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements had stirred up a lot of conversations, not just about sexual assault but about masculinity in general, that had been causing me to reflect for sometime.
Dr. King once said of white people:
Whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a similar mass effort to re-educate themselves out of their racial ignorance. It is an aspect of their sense of superiority that the white people of America believe they have so little to learn.
I realize that the same is true of me.
I realize that as a man that I am not aware of the everyday threats and challenges that women experience. I realize that I have a cursory knowledge at best about the historic struggles for women’s empowerment. I realize that in many ways — some of which that I’m not even aware of — I am a part of a group that generally causes another group a great deal of pain, but I have not — before now — committed myself to knowing the details of the everyday injustices that women face, and how I might be personally complicit in their social pain. I felt that for Lent I needed to begin to address this.
So, this season I’ve pushed the male authors and male-centered media I’ve been consuming into the margins in order to prioritize listening to women. I’ve postponed the release of the final entries of my series on the book of Exodus until after Easter. And I’ve invited men to join me in doing this in their own way. We’re sharing articles, videos, and prayers, and thoughts in a closed Facebook group called #MenAreCancelledForLent.
The Type of Fast the Lord Wants
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I posted something on the Internet and somebody had an opinion about it, but I have been surprised that I’ve received some backlash for putting these challenges out there.
Of course, some people came out the woodwork saying “Lent isn’t about…” and “We need to focus on spiritual things…” blah, blah, blah.
But the words of the prophet Isaiah are in my head:
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isaiah 58:6–7)
Since we understand Lent to be a time of fasting, these words couldn’t be more relevant to the season. It’s great to give up chocolate or social media if that’s what one needs to do that. But we would do well to remember that the type of fast that God is looking for includes justice. So it’s totally appropriate to the season for people to pause and consider how they may be complicit in the societal injustices in their world and to repent.
If you appreciated this entry and want to make sure you don’t miss any. Get the latest delivered directly to your inbox by clicking here.
Theologian contending for the world that ought to be. | New article every weekend
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line848
|
__label__cc
| 0.552543
| 0.447457
|
Justin.tv's Android App Lets You Broadcast Live Video Anytime, Anywhere
By Jolie O'Dell 2010-09-01 12:46:27 UTC
Imagine streaming video from your Android phone to the web at the click of a button — no Wi-Fi needed, no painful upload times, no maneuvering back and forth between a handful of apps to shoot and share your video. Today, Justin.tv is making all that possible.
Its Android app is available for download right now (an iPhone app is in the works) and lets users stream live video recorded on their Android devices directly to the Justin.tv website. Facebook and Twitter sharing are built in (and opt-in for each video). The app works great on a 3G connection, so you won't have to wait for Wi-Fi to get your videos live online.
Each video that you stream will be recorded and saved forever at the same URL as your live broadcast, and the video is live and saved online as soon as you hit the app's red recording button, regardless of what might happen to you or your device during the shoot.
The app's creators see it as a great tool for average users who want to be able to take the power of mobile video with them anywhere they go and upload that video at any time. The Justin.tv team imagines this app will be used, for example, for recording your child's first steps as much as recording a political protest.
Finally, the team focused a lot on quality and framerate. Even if you migrate into a lower-quality connection during recording, though the quality may decrease, the framerate will remain smooth. And once you're back to a strong connection, the video quality will increase again.
Here's a sample video we shot in our San Francisco office with a Motorola Droid:
The app is a breeze to use compared to other products in the same space. The videos are better, the interface is more stable, sharing is simpler. Although Justin.tv may not have been the first player in the live-video-from-mobile game, in our opinion and experience, its product is still the best available to consumers right now.
If you're ready to start playing with the app, go download it here, or just use this handy QR code:
What do you think of the new Justin.tv app? Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Android, justin.tv, live video, Mobile, Video
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line851
|
__label__wiki
| 0.971545
| 0.971545
|
Top Blogger Andrew Sullivan Wants Your Cash
By Chris Taylor 2013-01-02 18:56:36 UTC
Washington's fiscal cliff crisis may have been deferred for a couple of months. But if you're a fan of Andrew Sullivan's popular political blog The Daily Dish, you've got less than a month before you hit another, less dramatic cliff — one roughly the size of a paywall.
Sullivan announced Wednesday that the Dish would be leaving its current home at the Daily Beast and implementing a $20 a year fee, starting Feb. 1. Crucially, the site (at Andrewsullivan.com) will have no ads — unlike the Beast itself, which is also said to be considering a paywall.
"If this model works," says Sullivan, "we'll have proof of principle that a small group of writers and editors can be paid directly by readers, and that an independent site, if tended to diligently, can grow an audience large enough to sustain it indefinitely." The Dish has around a million regular readers and a staff of seven.
Sullivan, a British conservative commentator who moved to the U.S. nearly 30 years ago, has forged a strongly independent voice over the last decade on the Dish. Alone among political bloggers, he has shown a constant desire to rethink and reverse his positions — as he did on the need to go to war in Iraq and on the presidency of George W Bush. The Dish's one constant tagline, a George Orwell quote, says it all: "To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle."
As with the porous paywall at the New York Times, Sullivan will offer a certain number of stories for free, and the content will still be freely available via links from other blogs and from social media. He describes the model as "a freemium-based meter" rather than a paywall. (The only fully restricted part of the site: Sullivan's regular segment "View from Your Window," in which readers are invited to guess which country a particular view hails from.)
In other words, the move is an appeal to his readers' moral conscience. But since conscience is the subtext of virtually every entry in the Dish, and Twitter is already filling up with proud boasts of paid-up readers, we're guessing he'll do just fine.
Sullivan says his bosses at the Daily Beast are fully supportive of the move. Previously, the Dish was available via the websites of the Atlantic, a Mashable publishing partner, and before that, TIME magazine.
Would you pay $20 a year for ad-free blog content? Does this business model have a future? Let us know in the comments.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
Topics: BLOGS, Business, Media, paywall
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line852
|
__label__wiki
| 0.762833
| 0.762833
|
Calvin Klein has no interest in Kendall Jenner's Calvin Klein ads
Image: mashable composite. calvin klein.
By Tricia Gilbride 2016-04-15 22:00:00 UTC
How does Kendall Jenner wear her Calvins? Calvin Klein doesn't really care.
The designer had nothing to do with casting the celebriteen in his namesake brand's ad campaign, and isn't really psyched with the choice.
SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber unapologetically flaunts his junk in new Calvin Klein ad
Fashionista reports that Klein discussed Jenner and her squad of Instagram models during an interview with Fern Mallis, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
He's not into the idea of booking models based on their social media following. Klein is, however, a Belieber.
"You know, I'm really not that familiar with it. I'm honestly not," he answered when asked directly about Kendall Jenner's ads. "I'm sure she's a lovely young woman. It's not the kind of thing I would have done, even today. Justin Bieber, yes."
Music + fashion, together: Calvin Klein has partnered with @justinbieber on his #purposetour. #mycalvins Photographed by @tobinyelland.
A photo posted by Calvin Klein (@calvinklein) on Mar 10, 2016 at 4:15pm PST
Klein sold the label in the pre-social media era back in 2002. His hands-on involvement with the label he started in the '60s is limited, but the designer still has strong opinions about the company and how the industry is changing.
"Now, models are paid for how many followers they have. They're booked not because they represent the essence of the designer, which is what I tried to do — they're booked because of how many followers they have online," he explained.
@kendalljenner smolders in the Modern Cotton bralette from Calvin Klein Underwear. Photographed for @thelovemagazine by @studio_jackson. #mycalvins Available now. Link in profile to shop [US].
A photo posted by Calvin Klein (@calvinklein) on Mar 13, 2016 at 5:22pm PDT
For Klein, it's not a numbers game, but how the whole thing comes together.
"However, if you take really exquisite photographs of the right people in the right clothes in the right location, and you put it online, that's fine," he said. "Just putting any old clothes on Kim Kardashian, long-term, isn't going to do a thing."
The Kardashian/Jenners will persevere after this rejection, though. They still have Balmain.
Topics: advertisement, Entertainment, Fashion, kendall jenner, Photography, Television, Culture
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line853
|
__label__wiki
| 0.816972
| 0.816972
|
Tag: Drew Ann Wake
Traveling exhibition sparks conversation
December 21, 2014 September 7, 2016 Posted in EducationTagged Berger Inquiry, Canada, CBC, Drew Ann Wake, Education, Environmental Protections, History, StudentsLeave a comment
Drew Ann Wake, a CBC reporter and museum curator, is traveling the country educating students about a 40-year-old government inquiry that is now seen as a watershed moment for Canada. But some are worried that recent legislation could undermine the inquiry process. “The Inland Waters Act was changed a year ago. It takes all kind of waterways across Canada out of the public investigation and public inquiry process,” Wake says.
In 1974, the Canadian government commissioned the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, led by Justice Thomas Berger. Berger had a history in politics, having been elected to the House of Commons at age 29 and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia at age 34. Yet it was his role as a Supreme Court of British Columbia Justice and Royal Commissioner for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, commonly referred to as the Berger Inquiry, that he best known for.
The Berger Inquiry marked a crossroads in Canadian history as the federal government sought to understand the environmental, social and economic impacts of a proposed pipeline tracking through the Mackenzie River Valley, an area inhabited by over thirty, primarily aboriginal, communities.
Three years after the Berger Inquiry was commissioned, Justice Berger released the first volume of his report and the second a few months later. It concluded areas along the proposed pipeline route were likely to suffer significant environmental damage. The economic benefits touted by supporters of the pipeline were deemed undesirable because short-term, low-wage jobs were likely to undermine the traditional economic activities such as fishing and hunting. Finally, the social impacts of the pipeline could be disastrous for aboriginal communities. Justice Berger officially recommended a ten-year moratorium so land claims and conservation could be properly addressed.
At that time, Drew Ann Wake was a young journalist living in British Columbia. Recognizing a story of great importance developing, she travelled the Mackenzie Valley, reporting for the CBC. Now, 40 years later, Wake is still telling the story of the Berger Inquiry in the form of what she calls a teaching exhibition. In the past five years she has brought her teaching exhibition to over 30 destinations across Canada with over half the stops in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. The exhibition has been to major universities across the country and a visit to Dalhousie University is planned, which will mark the first time the exhibition has been to the Maritimes.
The spark that ignited Wake’s university tour happened in 2009 when she found a cache of audio recordings on cassette tapes. The tapes featured the voices of aboriginal elders talking at various Berger Inquiry consultations.
“Some of them were tapes from the formal hearings and community hearings, but others were interviews. I knew nobody else had the interview materials, so I said to myself ‘I have to do something’. The original instinct was to get them into the archives in Yellowknife so that people could listen to them as part of the historical record,” Wake says.
But there was a problem. Some of the voices on the tapes were unknown. Wake and photographer Linda MacCannell decided to see if they could identify the voices by traveling to the communities along the Mackenzie Valley. Along the way, MacCannel captured portraits of people involved in the Berger Inquiry. “As were doing that, we realized that we had enough material to build an exhibition,” Wake says.
The exhibition’s large format photographs, signage and booklets provide the setting for an educational, participatory process normally centered on student debates. However, in September, a group of journalist students at Calgary’s Mount Royal University experienced the exhibition in a novel way. The student journalists played the role of 1970s reporters directing questions to Justice Berger, who was on site to answer questions.
No matter the format of the exhibition, Wake thinks the educational goal is the same. “That’s what has been so fascinating. I say, ‘so what does this experience say to you?’ It’s almost invariable that young people say, ‘well, it makes me question the current process. We no longer have inquiries that are this detailed and this careful in their assessment’,” Wake says, adding, “So I think of this as a dialogue between generations.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line854
|
__label__wiki
| 0.589143
| 0.589143
|
Randomz
Explore Manga
Alternate Name(s): The God of Poverty Is!, The Poverty God
Author(s): SUKENO Yoshiaki
Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, School Life, Shounen, Supernatural
Type: Manga
Status: Complete (Scan), Complete (Publish)
Sakura Ichiko is a 16-year-old girl who leads a charmed life and is blessed with beauty, brains, and health. She has an abundance of "happiness energy", which can make people happy, but at the cost of absorbing all the "happiness energy" from her surroundings. She has caused the energy balance of the world to become unbalanced and because of this, she becomes the target of a poverty god named Momiji. Momiji's goal is to remove Ichiko's power of absorbing other people's happiness energy and to return all the energy she has taken to its rightful place.
Begin Chapter 0
Round 73.5 07/31/2013 Round 73 07/31/2013 Round 72 07/22/2013 Round 71 07/02/2013 Round 70 06/30/2013 Round 69 06/30/2013 Round 68 06/24/2013 Round 67 06/20/2013 Round 66 06/03/2013 Round 65 06/03/2013 Round 64 05/31/2013 Round 63 05/26/2013 Round 62 05/23/2013 Round 61 05/19/2013 Round 60.6 11/07/2015 Round 60.5 11/07/2015 Round 60 05/19/2013 Round 59 05/15/2013 Round 58 05/12/2013 Round 57 05/07/2013 Round 56 04/26/2013 Round 55 04/26/2013 Round 54 04/26/2013 Round 53 04/26/2013 Round 52 04/26/2013 Round 51.6 04/26/2013 Round 51.5 04/26/2013 Round 51 04/26/2013 Round 50 04/26/2013 Round 49 04/26/2013 Round 48 04/26/2013 Round 47.5 04/26/2013 Round 47 04/26/2013 Round 46 04/26/2013 Round 45 04/26/2013 Round 44 04/26/2013 Round 43 04/26/2013 Round 42 04/26/2013 Round 41 04/26/2013 Round 40 04/26/2013 Round 39 04/26/2013 Round 38 04/26/2013 Round 37 04/26/2013 Round 36 04/26/2013 Round 35 04/26/2013 Round 34 04/26/2013 Round 33 04/26/2013 Round 32 04/26/2013 Round 31 04/26/2013 Round 30 04/26/2013 Round 29 04/26/2013 Round 28 04/26/2013 Round 27.5 04/26/2013 Round 27 04/26/2013 Round 26 04/26/2013 Round 25 04/26/2013 Round 24 04/26/2013 Round 23 04/26/2013 Round 22 04/26/2013 Round 21 04/26/2013 Round 20 04/26/2013 Round 19 04/26/2013 Round 18 04/26/2013 Round 17 04/26/2013 Round 16 04/26/2013 Round 15 04/26/2013 Round 14 04/26/2013 Round 13 04/26/2013 Round 12 04/26/2013 Round 11 04/26/2013 Round 10 04/26/2013 Round 9 04/26/2013 Round 8 04/26/2013 Round 7 04/26/2013 Round 6 04/26/2013 Round 5 04/26/2013 Round 4 04/26/2013 Round 3 04/26/2013 Round 2 04/26/2013 Round 1 04/26/2013 Round 0 04/26/2013
Home Contact Privacy RSS
Copyright © MangaSee 2016
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line857
|
__label__cc
| 0.673345
| 0.326655
|
*The Tyranny of Experts*
by Tyler Cowen February 25, 2014 at 10:11 am in
The author is William Easterly and the subtitle is Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor.
This is Easterly’s most libertarian book, self-recommending. It is due out March 4.
prior_approval
February 25, 2014 at 10:41 am Hide Replies 1
'This is Easterly’s most libertarian book, self-recommending'
Why yes, self-recommending is one of the most libertarian things one can do.
Well, except for mining bitcoins.
Luckily, Amazon uses another form of payment for affiliate links.
triclops41
Comment made me laugh. Good one.
john personna
Sounds good, though I am disappointed that the title gives impetus to the general decline of expertise. We don't believe our doctors, our architects, our scientists like we used to. Perhaps they were all dragged down by the soft sciences.
Wikipedia killed the expertise star.
msgkings
February 25, 2014 at 1:02 pm Hide Replies 5
Now THAT was funny. You can be entertaining when you keep it short and non-creepy.
As an aside, having read "Tropical Gangsters" by Robert Klitgaard, I am unsurprised by the premise.
I'm not so sure people believed their doctors, architects and scientists in the past any more or less than today. In the 19th century there was plenty of carping from science about the prevailing witchcraft. The fact that it came from people preaching scientific socialism and eugenics should probably give all of us pause. The history of science is the history of wrongness.
Skepticism is not a bad thing.
I guess I should thank you for that splendid example of anti-intellectualism. In fact, genetics does not imply eugenics. That is the typical stumbling block that science faces with the under-informed and morally undeveloped, of course.
February 25, 2014 at 12:15 pm Hide Replies 8
Do you have a reading disability or are you really this stupid? You should think about putting yourself on listen mode and refrain from commenting.
You definitely went from "The fact that it came from people preaching scientific socialism and eugenics should probably give all of us pause" to "The history of science is the history of wrongness." Wear it.
February 25, 2014 at 12:28 pm Hide Replies 10
(The correct answer is to treat science as science, and to mistrust anyone who does say science implies a narrow social solution to any given problem. It is the translation out of science, to policy, that might be viewed with suspicion. First, make sure such policy mavens have their science right. Second, make sure the policies they promote are actually the best, most humane, efficient, and etc.)
shorter: anyone who drops the "eugenics" bomb probably doesn't understand where science stops and politics begins.
But you can't deny that science often implies policy. It is a very short walk from "humankind is affecting the climate adversely" to "we should do something about that."
February 25, 2014 at 1:09 pm Hide Replies 13
I see your answer is "both."
The history of science is indeed the history of wrongness, and more specifically, a history of trying to overcome wrongness to get to something better.
Maybe we need some good (better) examples, Ricardo. We know genetics, for instance, and don't think it implies eugenics. Even that most electrical subject today, anthropogenic climate change does not imply a particular solution. In fact, a scientific recognition of ACC only opens the door to a multitude of possible responses.
It may well be that we do not believe our scientists (I will leave architects and doctors out of this) today as much as we did in the past. But it does not follow that we respect them less. It may well be that we do not believe them today as much as we did in the past because the general public now has a much better understanding of uncertainty. It is like I do not believe the weather forecast, but it is not because I do not believe the forecasters; it is because people today have a much better appreciation of uncertainties.
Society may also have higher expectations today about what constitutes acceptable information. Again, wrt the weather forecast, in the 1970s I may have been willing to accept a forecast that said in the 30s. Today, I want a forecast to the hour within +- 3 degrees.
5-7 day forecasts are awesome now, at least where I live (possibly a well covered market).
Brian Donohue
I dunno. Harris Telemacher was nailing extended forecasts for Southern Cali a long time ago.
Hell, I can do it. 70 and sunny, give or take.
@don't believe doctors, architects, or scientists,
Decades ago we tended to do more of our own medicine and building (and vocationally "sciency" stuff like set up our own irrigation system or dye our own clothes). You called in the experts when you needed an expert, and then I suppose you trusted him because it was demonstrable that he was smarter in the field than you were (since you wouldn't have called him if you could have done it yourself).
Today you have to pass every little thing past the "experts" -- you can't build a garage or buy an antibiotic without them -- which means 1. we need a lot more of them, per capita, so many aren't going to be very good at what they do; 2. we see them mess up a lot more, because when they make mistakes we recognize the mistakes, it's not out of our league; 3. you get a lot more bluster out of the "experts" because they have to bolster their credibility with marketing, and that makes the mistakes seem larger by comparison with the claims; 4. there's a resentment when you have to go to someone who might be less intelligent or less informed than yourself as a gatekeeper for a service you can do for yourself, just because he/she is licensed, credentialed, whatever -- that creates more cynicism.
I suspect the soft sciences did play into this, in part because of this same interface -- parenting and experts in early child development is a great example, when a parent of 8 gets told she has to defer to the 25 year old with no kids who isn't comfortable even talking to a child because he has his PhD, and is an expert, that drags down your opinion of everyone who is called an expert.
That's where I go with the title, and I don't think that's anti-intellectual. I think it's harkening for a (possibly imaginary) time when intellectual, or expert, automatically meant something real.
To give the example that really drove it home for me, I said "my doctor wants me on statins." To my shock, the near unanimous response from lay folk was "don't do it." Now, I understand that statins (like all medicine) are a double edged sword, but we certainly pay MDs to study and consider risks and benefits. Lay folk should know that they have a superficial understanding of the problem, gleaned from headlines and perhaps the first 3 or 4 paragraphs of a newspaper article. There should be a little more recognition of non-expertise attached to "don't do it" ... and "they just like to prescribe drugs" and the like should be viewed immediately and self-critically as possible canards. Irrational behavior.
Hmm, well, I can't speak to a blanket "don't do it" -- that seems just as reflexive as saying "just do it", certainly no better and probably worse if their opinion is, indeed, based on the latest Today Show story.
However, the older I get and the more people I know the more frequently I hear credible stories of medical error -- both understandable (no one can get everything right) and inexcusable. Stats put iatrogenesis as killing a quarter of a million Americans a year. It's not that I think my lay opinion is just as good as or better than that of a true expert; it's that my judgment based on my experiences tells me that not every supposed expert is a true expert.
I know several doctors I'd take a bullet for, so I'm not anti-every-doctor. You have to take them one by one. I'd guess this applies to all manner of "expert".
February 26, 2014 at 7:04 am Hide Replies 11
It's also apparent that the quality of studies using human subjects tends not to be very good, for some obvious reasons, so one becomes wary of taking advice based on them. In the case of statins, the consensus has migrated from, "Take them like vitamins" to "Take them for primary prevention, but not secondary prevention, and be more careful about taking vitamins, too."
Plus, a la Ioannides, the sheer amount of fraud and incompetence in scientific literature is dismaying.
February 25, 2014 at 11:07 am Hide Replies 24
The Kindle version wont be available until March 4, but hardcover is available right now.
Eric Falkenstein
'self-recommending': not interesting enough for me, but I want to appear helpful.
I was wondering if "self-recommending" is literally true, i.e. chapter 1 begins, "You should buy this book. It is very lucid and packed with worthwhile information."
I wonder also if "self-recommending" suggests that Tyler does not, in fact, recommend it.
Is William Easterly not an expert?
Obviously Tyler is. He's an economist.
One can be an expert without being a technocrat or believing technocratic solutions are the best approach to global poverty (or to governing in general -- c.f. Seeing Like a State)
Afrophile
What's really interesting (IMHO) is if you follow the link to the Amazon page, you'll see that among the people who have written positive blurbs for the book is Paul Romer, who says the following: "Easterly's new book shows that the expert approach to development rests on an engrained but unexamined premise: that people in poor countries cannot be trusted to make their own decisions. As this wide-ranging and compelling account shows, this assumption is doubly flawed. It's morally offensive and a sure guide to bad policy." I repeat, this is a quote from Paul "Charter Cities" Romer!!!
I don't see a discrepancy. Charter cities are all about giving poor people in those countries freedom to make decisions. Decisions that the existing institutional regime is preventing for whatever reason.
Charter cities are about putting governing decisions in the hands of an unaccountable board of foreign technocrats
Jayson Virissimo
There are already at least two books with a title of "The Tyranny of Experts"; one by Morris E. Chafetz and the other by Jethro K. Lieberman.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line859
|
__label__wiki
| 0.546656
| 0.546656
|
College of Public Health and Health Professions
HSC Jacksonville Campus
Shands
Animal Airwaves
Health in a Heartbeat
Facility Names
HIPAA Guidelines
Join Media List
Leadership Biographies
Patient Condition Reports
UF researchers taking part in project to examine Florida’s farming communities
Published: Oct 18, 2018 By: Anna Suggs Hoffman Category: University of Florida, UF Health, College of Nursing
Two University of Florida researchers and a community leader are about to embark on a three-year journey around the state to delve into mental, physical and economic well-being of farmworkers, an essential but under-examined segment of Florida’s population.
Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, an associate professor in the UF College of Nursing, part of UF Health; Gülcan Önel, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the food and resource economics department of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; and Antonio Tovar, Ph.D., a community partner from the Farmworker Association of Florida, have been selected for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program.
The overall goal of their research project, titled, “A Rural State of Mind: Addressing Mental, Physical and Economic Health of Farm Communities in Florida,” is to advance the understanding and promote the well-being of farmworkers and small farmers using multicultural research strategies and social network analysis.
“Despite their contribution to the economy and sustainability of food production systems, little attention has been given to the unique social, economic and political circumstances impeding health equity and well-being of rural farm communities in Florida,” Önel said. “These underserved groups face significant, yet distinct, socioeconomic issues that have been overlooked in previous health and well-being studies.”
For the next three years beginning this fall, the team will engage with various rural farm communities and diverse stakeholders throughout the state. During the first year of the project, they plan to develop and strengthen relationships with growers and Hispanic and Haitian farmworker communities to learn their concerns and perspectives on health issues, create trust and develop an approach for effective communication throughout the project. Community-based participatory research will be used so that the community can be active and engaged in the research development and implementation.
“The end goal is to cultivate a sense of community and connectedness between farmers and the farmworkers, who otherwise may have opposing social views and policy priorities,” Tovar said. “The objective of the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program is to bring about a culture of health within one’s communities. We aim to make well-being a common cause among Florida’s rural communities.”
Designed for teams of two researchers and one community leader, Interdisciplinary Research Leaders supports engaged research, crafted and conducted by innovative teams to explore a problem and apply a solution in real time, making an immediate positive impact in their home communities. Stacciarini, Önel and Tovar make up the first group of researchers and community leaders from the state of Florida to be selected and the third overall cohort for the program.
The trio all have diverse and complementary research and community engagement skillsets and a strong commitment with rural communities. They have worked together as a team on smaller projects before applying for the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program.
Stacciarini’s program of research has focused on social health determinants of mental well-being in rural Latinos and has included community-based participatory research and mixed methods in the United States and internationally. She is committed to understanding the needs of minority communities, and throughout her career, she has developed innovative research strategies and collaborations to help address psychosocial determinants of mental health within rural communities.
Önel is a research economist whose main research area is agricultural labor markets, focusing on how the legal status of workers and federal immigration policies affect the availability and wages of farmworkers and their rural livelihoods. She is also a data analyst with expertise in statistical modeling of structural changes in agricultural markets.
For the past 12 years, Tovar has been with the Farmworker Association of Florida, a statewide grassroots membership organization serving Central and South Florida. His work with the association focuses on advocacy, including informing local, state and federal policymakers about issues facing farmworkers, including occupational health risks and issues related to immigration.
The Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program supports and connects leaders who are committed to bringing about meaningful change and building a national culture of health. Participants build the interdisciplinary skills and relationships necessary to extend their influence and impact, break down silos, address health disparities and make communities healthier. The program provides participants with annual support of up to $25,000 and a one-time research grant of up to $125,000 per team.
“This team is equipped to look at socioeconomic determinants of rural well-being and equity,” Stacciarini said. “We bring various perspectives on the complex socioeconomic causes of health inequity in rural Florida, and we are ready to pursue research for developing a novel framework of rural well-being that has the potential to improve the livelihoods of farmworkers and small-scale farmers in the rural areas of our state.”
Anna Suggs Hoffman
Director of Communications, UF College of Nursing
Anna Hoffman is the director of communications for the University of Florida College of Nursing. Anna is responsible for management and oversight of the college’s strategic communications, public relations and...Read More
Florida Blue Foundation grant fuels UF nursing, dental colleges’ project to help underserved patients
Diversity program provides national model for undergraduate nursing schools
UF nursing researcher’s findings upend routine feeding procedure for pre-term infants
UF Health joins research network developing a data repository on infectious diseases
UF Health researchers identify nine noncancer drugs with the potential to improve cancer survival
UF Health patient first to receive new gene therapy for neuromuscular disease since FDA approval
UF Health unveils innovative new facility to treat debilitating neurological conditions
UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital nationally ranked in five specialties, makes big gains in three
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line860
|
__label__wiki
| 0.911056
| 0.911056
|
AP Photo/File
Here’s what Jackie Robinson had to say about the national anthem
By Bill BaerSep 24, 2017, 4:00 PM EDT
For a lot of people, athletes expressing their political viewpoints by protesting the national anthem is a relatively new concept. But the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Jackie Robinson is celebrated every year across baseball on April 15, marking the day he broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Robinson was an activist well beyond that momentous occasion, highlighting issues black athletes face as editor for Our Sports magazine. He openly criticized then-GM of the Yankees George Weiss on television for the lack of diversity on his team. He helped spur restaurants and hotels to serve black people by criticizing their segregation publicly. Robinson became the first black vice president of an American corporation when he joined coffee company Chock full o’Nuts, and he became the first black baseball analyst when he joined ABC’s Major League Baseball Game of the Week. Of course, Robinson was also the first black member of baseball’s Hall of Fame.
Robinson had an issue with the national anthem as well. As Deadspin’s Lindsey Adler pointed out, Robinson wrote about the anthem in his memoir, I Never Had It Made.
There I was the black grandson of a slave, the son of a black sharecropper, part of a historic occasion, a symbolic hero to my people. The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind. It should have been a glorious moment for me as the stirring words of the national anthem poured from the stands. Perhaps it was, but then again perhaps the anthem could be called the theme song for a drama called The Noble Experiment. Today as I look back on that opening game of my first world series, I must tell you that it was Mr. Rickey’s drama and that I was only a principal actor. As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made.
Robinson is referring to systemic power that has entrenched whiteness and ostracized blackness. Robinson may have ascended as one of the greatest players of all time and he may have broken the color barrier, but the league was still owned and run entirely by white people, which is what he meant by referring to himself as a “principal actor” in Branch Rickey’s “drama.” Rickey was the white executive who signed Robinson and supported him as the color barrier was broken. Robinson could not have done what he did without the aid of white people like Rickey who have the ability to leverage their systemic power.
Without question, Robinson would have supported the protests of Colin Kaepernick and many others who want to bring attention to the unfair ways in which black people interact with the police and the justice system. And it makes one realize that the people who purport to admire Robinson and his many accomplishments would have said the same things they say about Kapernick et. al. now to Robinson back in 1947. And to Muhammad Ali. And to John Carlos and Tommie Smith. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line865
|
__label__wiki
| 0.96447
| 0.96447
|
Trapshooting
About Minnesota West
Athletic Academic Retention Program
NJCAA Eligibility Corner
Legacy of Champions
Daily Globe
FM 104.3 "The Party"
Bluejay Villas
Pitcher/Player of the Week
The Drill: Darrius Johnson a valuable hitter for Minnesota West
By Doug Wolter Today at 5:50 a.m.
48Share to TwitterShare to RedditShare to EmailShare to Copy Link
WORTHINGTON -- Darrius Johnson, who made a name for himself at Jackson County Central High School as both a football player and a baseball player, determined at an early age that the ball and bat game was for him.
"I always remember as a kid watching the Minnesota Twins on TV, and I always remember going to the high school baseball games when I was very young. And it always intrigued me, and I knew I wanted to play baseball when I got older," he said.
After completing a fine baseball career at JCC, Johnson didn't have to go far to continue in the sport. He landed at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, where he became a valuable hitter for head coach TD Hostikka. He loved baseball so much, in fact, that after he graduated with an agriculture degree there, he decided to take 12 more credits so he could continue playing baseball with the Bluejays.
At JCC, Johnson helped the Huskies football team to deep runs in the section tournament. The baseball teams didn't do quite as well as that, but Johnson was able to achieve success with the Jackson Bulls amateur baseball team last year, helping them get to a state tournament in the summer.
In his spare time, Johnson enjoys being outdoors, especially near water with a fishing pole in his hand. When he's finally finished with Minnesota West, he plans to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, to major in agronomy with perhaps a minor in ag business.
For now, his business is baseball. And his bat is alive with the Bluejays.
The Globe found Darrius Johnson at a West baseball practice recently and queried him about baseball and more for a Drill episode. You can see the video online at www.dglobe.com. Here's a sampling of the interview:
QUESTION: How have you improved as a hitter?
ANSWER: "I would say that one thing that's made me become the hitter I am today would be driveline balls. They're weighted balls that we hit when we're inside or even when we're outside. It just consists of four different weights of balls and three different weights of bats. You start with the heaviest of each and you work your way down. And then do a different bat again. And do the same balls, going from heaviest to lightest."
QUESTION: How would you describe your approach at the plate?
ANSWER: "I would describe my approach to the plate as being aggressive. I'm not afraid to jump on that first pitch fastball, as some people say that's the best pitch you're going to get."
QUESTION: What, in your estimation, is the most valuable advice you're received in your athletic career?
ANSWER: "Some of the most valuable advice I've received is that when a coach isn't yelling at you, he doesn't care about you."
Minnesota West Community & Technical College | 1450 Collegeway Worthington, MN 56187 | 1-800-658-2330
Minnesota West Community & Technical College is a member of Minnesota State. An equal opportunity employer/educator.
Minnesota West Community & Technical College is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line866
|
__label__wiki
| 0.939058
| 0.939058
|
Five Church Leaders in Sudan Arrested after Refusing to Cancel Worship Service
Government harasses, questions more pastors in effort to take over denomination.
October 23, 2017 By Our Sudan Correspondent - Leave a Comment
Sudanese Church of Christ building in Omdurman previously demolished on Feb. 17, 2014. (Morning Star News)
JUBA, South Sudan (Morning Star News) – In an ongoing bid by the government of Sudan to take over leadership of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC), police on Sunday (Oct. 22) arrested five SCOC church leaders after they refused to comply with an order to refrain from worship, sources told Morning Star News.
Police officers arrived at the SCOC-Harat church in the Hai Al Thawra West area of Omdurman and ordered the Christians to cancel the worship service. Omdurman lies across the Nile River from Khartoum. When the church leaders refused, police arrested them, the sources said.
One source told Morning Star News that they were charged with disturbing the public before they were released late last night. Angry police spoke harshly to them during the arrest, threatening that they would not be released, the source said, but after questioning they were released at 11 p.m.
Three pastors were detained – the Rev. Ayoub Tiliyan, SCOC moderator; the Rev. Ali Haakim Al Aam, pastor-in-charge of the block 29 congregation; and pastor Ambrator Hammad, sources said. Two evangelists, Habill Ibrahim and elder Abdul Bagi Tutu, a member of the SCOC presbytery, were also arrested, they said.
The harassment came after police in Sudan detained and questioned another church leader in Omdurman last month and, in August, seven other church leaders were arrested, interrogated and released on bail. Elder Mahjoub Abotrin of the SCOC was arrested from his home in Omdurman on Sept. 22 and was interrogated before he was released. Sources said he was arrested because of his refusal to hand over SCOC leadership to government-appointed leadership.
The current leadership expires on March 2018. The SCOC constitution calls for a general assembly every three years to appoint church leaders.
On Aug. 23, seven church leaders were arrested, jailed for six hours and interrogated for refusing to comply with a government order to hand over church leadership to the government’s committee. The leaders were released on bail after authorities told them to comply with the government order, which they roundly rejected.
The Rev. Kwa Shamaal (also transliterated Kuwa Shamaal), SCOC head of missions, and the Rev. Ayoub Mattan, SCOC moderator, were among the church leaders arrested. Pastor Shamaal was previously arrested on Dec. 18, 2015 and acquitted on Jan. 2 this year of charges ranging from spying to inciting hatred against the government.
Pastors Mattan, Shamaal and the others are still members of the legitimate executive committee of the SCOC.
Another SCOC pastor, the Rev. Hassan Abdelrahim Tawor, had received a 12-year sentence earlier this year after being charged with spying and trying to tarnish Sudan’s image, but he was freed along with Abdulmonem Abdumawla of Darfur on May 11 after receiving a presidential pardon.
He had been arrested along with Pastor Shamaal in December 2015. They were convicted on baseless charges of assisting Czech aid worker Petr Jasek – pardoned and released on Feb. 25 – in alleged espionage, causing hatred among communities and spreading false information, according to their attorney.
Foreign diplomats and international rights activists took notice of the case after Morning Star News broke the story of the arrest of pastors Abdelrahim Tawor and Shamaal. Their arrests were seen as part of a recent upsurge in harassment of Christians.
Most SCOC members have roots among the ethnic Nuba in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan’s South Kordofan state, where the government is fighting an insurgency. The Nuba along with other Christians in Sudan face discrimination and harassment, as Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir has vowed to introduce a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) and recognize only Islamic culture and Arabic language.
In its campaign to rid the country of Christianity, Sudan has designated 25 church buildings for destruction, and on Aug. 2 it demolished a Baptist church in Omdurman. On May 7 Khartoum state authorities in Sudan demolished a church building in the Khartoum suburb of Soba al Aradi, which began as a refugee camp for south Sudanese. A bulldozer sent by Jebel Aulia locality and the Ministry of Planning and Urban Development destroyed the SCOC building.
Authorities had notified church leaders of the impending demolition just a week prior. The government reportedly claimed the churches were built on land zoned for residential or other uses, or were on government land, but church leaders said it is part of wider crack-down on Christianity.
Harassment, arrests and persecution of Christians have intensified since the secession of South Sudan in July 2011. The Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments announced in April 2013 that no new licenses would be granted for building new churches in Sudan, citing a decrease in the South Sudanese population.
Sudan since 2012 has expelled foreign Christians and bulldozed church buildings on the pretext that they belonged to South Sudanese. Besides raiding Christian bookstores and arresting Christians, authorities threatened to kill South Sudanese Christians who do not leave or cooperate with them in their effort to find other Christians.
Sudan fought a civil war with the south Sudanese from 1983 to 2005, and in June 2011, shortly before the secession of South Sudan the following month, the government began fighting a rebel group in the Nuba Mountains that has its roots in South Sudan.
Due to its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations, Sudan has been designated a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. State Department since 1999, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended the country remain on the list in its 2017 report.
Sudan ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christians face most persecution.
Filed Under: Spotlight | Regions: Sudan
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line869
|
__label__cc
| 0.576414
| 0.423586
|
A Motley Vision
Mormon literature and culture
About AMV
AMV Projects
States of Deseret anthology
Dark Watch and other Mormon-American stories
Monsters & Mormons anthology
Mormon-themed t-shirts
Contact Us/Follow Us
Mormon Easter Eggs and Mormon Veins of Goldin Pariah Missouri
As this post appears, you have less than one day to get into the Pariah Missouri Kickstarter, so open that in a new tab now, so’s you don’t forget.
You may recall that I’ve mentioned this comic before, but that was before I’d read it. Now I have and I’m ready to talk about its Mormon elements.
The first thing to know is that all I can discuss at present of the story’s first two volumes as the third and presumably final volume is the Kickstarter’s raison d’être. Therefore I will not be attempting any sort of Meaning of the Work as a Whole or analyzing its Mormon elements with that sort of goal in mind. Rather, my interest today is comparing the Mormon aspects of the two books available now. After all—that’s what the author challenged me to do!
(The author, Andres Salazar, sent me review copies gratis.)
First, some generic comments that I might bring up if this were a more typical comics review (I’ll alternate positive and negative):
The art is awesome!
So much of the characters’ motivations is buried beneath the surface that sometimes it’s hard to figure why they do what they do.
Not only the pencils and inks which are beautiful and breathe, but the coloring is fascinating—love that limited palette.
Some of the dialect is inconsistent and sometimes the lettering slips from its balloons.
The writing and art both are propulsive and filled with energy.
Okay. Enough of that. Let’s get Mormon.
Book One: Answering the Call
Book One has Mormon elements, but they really amount to no more than winks and asides—Easters eggs, if you will. Characters with names like Hiram and Kane and Buchanan and Pratt. A teenage boy who uses a seerstone to find treasure. A civic leader who looks a lot like Brigham Young. A fellow who casts spells with magic words like ADAM ONDI AHMAN and MAHONRI MORIANCUMER. And, more importantly, a map that places Pariah just north of Independence, and characters talking of nearby Clay County.
But that’s really all that Answering the Call has to offer. And it has similar winking references to The Simpsons and Beat poets, so I’m cautious to draw too much significance.
Book Two: The Promised Land
The primary element introduced in Book Two is conflict between two preachers. One who, we learn, has driven out previous evils including the Mormons, and one who’s just come to town.
This is some ambiguous stuff, if you’re trying to do a Mormon reading of the text. For instance, Elijah, the old fellow who’s been in town a while, he engages in a lot of activities that, for a Mormon audience, would usually be markers of not merely not Mormon, but also crazy and dangerous and evil and the dark side of religion—dancing with vipers and turning people into zombies, for instance.
At the same time, he’s collecting spiritual wives. Which would seem to be a Mormon marker, if an icky one. The same can be said of him namedropping blood atonement. Mormon? Yes. Pleasurably so? Ah, no.
But that’s just one element of Book Two that’s upping the Mormon game.
This time, instead of Easter eggs, there’s a vein of Mormonism to be mined running through the text.
(Incidentally, I think this next bit is an error, but I like to think that the change in location Pariah makes from Book One’s map to Book Two’s map is symbolic of this Mormony increase. Pariah leaps across the Missouri River, according to these two maps, East to West—almost as if it’s leaving our abandoned Zion and directing itself to our new home in the mountains. This is also fitting as the location of Pariah in Book Two is frequently equated both to Zion and to a mysterious land, both important and cursed according to the native, displaced people who once lived there. Just where is Pariah? And what importance does that hold beyond the geographic?)
Something difficult about recognizing Mormon veins is distinguishing them from merely Christian veins. For instance, when Elijah is quoting scripture—the Bible—is that Mormon-specific enough to count, so long as the author is LDS? I dunno.
The most interesting thing we find when following the Mormon markers, however, is the balance built between two of Elijah’s ideas: the United Order and Outer Darkness.
The latter is an opium den and both a place where his followers sort of lose their souls and sort of prove their worth in a confused manner appropriate to such a place. The story’s heroes (whom Elijah labels “THE HARLOT, THE BEAST, THE CURSE OF HAM AND THE SODOMITE”) are “UNWORTHY OF OUTER DARKNESS” and thus fated to be sacrificed upon the Stone of Golgotha, after which his congregation is named.
This does not come to pass (there is a Book Three on the way, after all), but a Blood Atonement had already been executed upon the new preacher in town, whose final words are Joseph Smith’s final words and whose fate is a more gory crucifixion and whose blood is drunk by the congregation.
Even though Elijah is the character dropping most of the Mormon markers, he does not engage in the most Mormon/Christian/Christlike of acts—he kills for power rather than dies for others.
Which is how the balance with the United Order comes in. Elijah talks about everything being everyone’s, but it’s a satanic vision. His vision and his agency are the only ones that matter among the Golgothans as he slowly saps them of choice, family, even identity. He’s in cahoots with the city-running protomobsters—perhaps with the hope that all that’s theirs will also be his, but instead they charge him double tithing to stay and work his craft.
The best example of Elijah’s evil Order may be comparing him to Jasper, the new preacher in town. Jasper comes to salve souls. Elijah praises him and tries to make him an underling. When someone else compliments the effect of his preaching, Jasper attributes its success to the Holy Spirit. Jasper is slow to judge and takes his time to pray and to receive revelation. Elijah is too busy rushing from power grab to power grab. It’s not clear if Elijah knows what supernatural forces he is in league with—or that he cares, so long as his power grows. Jasper is more careful to understand what is before him.
The comparison between these two preachers then can be read a complicated and ambiguous examination of the first of Terryl Givens’s paradoxes: “Authority and Radical Freedom.”
Elijah demands authority and claims radical freedom only for himself. Jasper assumes everyone has freedom and must choose the proper authority for themselves. Elijah is lynched when his authoritarianism clashes against more powerful men’s. Jasper is sacrificed to an evil god when he asserts his freedom against Elijah’s authority. Recursive circles of freedom and authoritarianism.
This notes are just a first-read response. I suspect I may not even be following the most fruitful veins.
The final question for me, however, is, in the end, are the Mormon elements of Pariah Missouri just window dressing for people in the club? or do they add layers of meaning that can matter to a careful reader?
What we see in the first two volumes is moving from one answer to the other. I’m curious to see if the trend continues.
Author thmazingPosted on 08/29/2016 Categories Comics, Criticism, Historical Fiction, Speculative FictionTags Andres Salazar, Pariah Missouri
Previous Previous post: Art & Belief
Next Next post: Reading The Devil Is Due in Dreary as a Mormon text
Archives Select Month November 2017 (1) October 2017 (3) September 2017 (2) August 2017 (1) June 2017 (3) May 2017 (4) April 2017 (2) March 2017 (2) February 2017 (1) January 2017 (1) December 2016 (2) November 2016 (1) September 2016 (3) August 2016 (3) July 2016 (5) June 2016 (4) May 2016 (1) April 2016 (3) March 2016 (4) February 2016 (5) January 2016 (4) December 2015 (4) November 2015 (3) October 2015 (3) September 2015 (2) August 2015 (2) July 2015 (4) June 2015 (3) May 2015 (4) April 2015 (3) March 2015 (10) February 2015 (4) January 2015 (14) December 2014 (9) November 2014 (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014 (2) August 2014 (7) July 2014 (3) June 2014 (6) May 2014 (5) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (12) February 2014 (8) January 2014 (4) December 2013 (10) November 2013 (18) October 2013 (12) September 2013 (7) August 2013 (7) July 2013 (10) June 2013 (5) May 2013 (14) April 2013 (16) March 2013 (16) February 2013 (18) January 2013 (18) December 2012 (17) November 2012 (23) October 2012 (20) September 2012 (20) August 2012 (17) July 2012 (15) June 2012 (16) May 2012 (16) April 2012 (20) March 2012 (25) February 2012 (22) January 2012 (24) December 2011 (14) November 2011 (8) October 2011 (6) September 2011 (9) August 2011 (6) July 2011 (6) June 2011 (15) May 2011 (16) April 2011 (13) March 2011 (15) February 2011 (11) January 2011 (8) December 2010 (6) November 2010 (13) October 2010 (14) September 2010 (18) August 2010 (18) July 2010 (20) June 2010 (13) May 2010 (13) April 2010 (14) March 2010 (23) February 2010 (18) January 2010 (15) December 2009 (17) November 2009 (13) October 2009 (15) September 2009 (16) August 2009 (16) July 2009 (24) June 2009 (20) May 2009 (29) April 2009 (24) March 2009 (27) February 2009 (14) January 2009 (14) December 2008 (13) November 2008 (15) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (19) August 2008 (11) July 2008 (11) June 2008 (9) May 2008 (15) April 2008 (10) March 2008 (8) February 2008 (9) January 2008 (5) December 2007 (7) November 2007 (5) October 2007 (7) September 2007 (6) August 2007 (5) July 2007 (2) June 2007 (4) May 2007 (6) April 2007 (9) March 2007 (6) February 2007 (4) January 2007 (11) December 2006 (10) November 2006 (7) October 2006 (7) September 2006 (8) August 2006 (12) July 2006 (13) June 2006 (10) May 2006 (4) April 2006 (13) March 2006 (15) February 2006 (4) January 2006 (7) December 2005 (3) November 2005 (14) October 2005 (15) September 2005 (19) August 2005 (4) July 2005 (1) June 2005 (2) May 2005 (6) April 2005 (6) March 2005 (8) February 2005 (13) January 2005 (7) December 2004 (6) November 2004 (7) October 2004 (10) September 2004 (7) August 2004 (10) July 2004 (11) June 2004 (22)
Affiliated Blogs
Wilderness Interface Zone
Dawning of a Brighter Day
Receive the AMV quarterly newsletter
(we still may post to the blog from time-to-time, but the newsletter is the sure-fire way to hear what's up in the world of Mormon literature)
On the Problem and Promise of Alex Caldiero’s Sonosophy
You’re looking for a book
An conversation with Melissa Leilani Larson about Third Wheel and the writer’s life
“An Open Palm and a Consecrated Life”
Steve Trageser on Avoiding Randy Bachman Syndrome
Ken on Avoiding Randy Bachman Syndrome
Deann Allen Clark on Most Prolific Composer, Rowan Taylor, Dead
Norm Solomon on Mormon Lit: Who Was Samuel W. Taylor?
Rachel Helps on Science fiction “invested” in Mormonism: FIVE FICTIONS
A Motley Vision Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line871
|
__label__wiki
| 0.871423
| 0.871423
|
Movieweb
‘Labyrinth 2’ Script Is Finished
Labyrinth 2 Script Is Finished
Jeremy Dick
— October 25th, 2018
Released in 1986, Jim Henson's Labyrinth has become a beloved cult classic over the past few decades. The fun fantasy film might have underperformed at the box office at the time, but its continued popularity over all these years suggests there's now more money to be made with the property. This has led to the production of an upcoming Labyrinth revival film, which will serve as a modern-day direct sequel to the original movie. Last year, Fede Alvarez was attached to the project to direct and co-write with Jay Basu, and the filmmaker has revealed that the screenplay for the film has been finished.
"It is basically a direct continuation of the first movie many years later, and I can't tell you much more about it... but we have a script, and we're very excited about it so we'll see where that goes. Like always, it takes time and effort to put those movies together because they're larger than life."
In the original film, music legend David Bowie starred as Jareth, the Goblin King. Challenging him is Jennifer Connelly as 15-year-old Sarah, who's on a quest to rescue her baby brother Toby. To save the infant, Sarah must traverse through Jareth's maze in twelve hours, otherwise little Toby will be transformed into a goblin forever. While Jareth and Sarah are portrayed by human actors, the rest of the characters in the film are mostly puppets, the handiwork of Jim Henson's Creature Shop. It gives the film a unique visual appeal in addition to the intriguing story and performances of both Bowie and Connelly.
It seems to be a great time to do this kind of movie, as direct sequels to classic films are rising in popularity. With so many film remakes failing to capture the success of the movies which inspired them, story continuations seem to be another story. The new Halloween film serves as a modern-day sequel to the 1974 original from John Carpenter, and the movie is already the most financially successful entry in the series at the box office. Similar projects are also in the works, which includes an upcoming Terminator film which brings back Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. Making a sequel set in the same universe instead of just another reboot is likely the right course of direction for this upcoming film.
Alvarez has put out some amazing work so far, impressing audiences with 2013's Evil Dead reboot and the 2016 thriller Don't Breathe. His next movie, The Girl in the Spider's Web, will be released in U.S. theaters on Nov. 9, 2018. A talented filmmaker, Alvarez will hopefully prove to be the right man for the job of resurrecting Labyrinth for modern audiences. Also serving on the project as producers are Jim Henson's daughter Lisa Henson and David Bowie's son Duncan Jones.
Related: Labyrinth 2 Gets Don't Breathe Director Fede Alvarez
There's no official release date yet attached to the Labyrinth sequel. Hopefully, the completion of the script means that a production start date isn't too far off. There will be a lot of pressure to do the original justice, but all of the right names are here to help make that happen. This information comes to us from Fandango.
Topics: Labyrinth
Pretty brains, lightning fingers. Find me at @HorrorGeekLife.
More Movie News
Jennifer Connelly Didn't Know Labyrinth 2 Was Even Happening Until Last Week
Labyrinth 2 Director Explains Why He's Doing a Sequel, Gives Script Update [Exclusive]
Johnny Depp Accused of Assaulting Crew Member On Set of New Movie
Jim Henson's Labyrinth Is Returning to Theaters This Spring
Labyrinth Comic Reveals David Bowie's Goblin King Origin
Labyrinth Visual History Book Trailer Goes Behind the Classic | EXCLUSIVE
Storm Area 51 Raid Will Be Live-Streamed So You Can Join the Party
James Bond to Be Black & Female as Bond 25 Passes 007 to Lashana Lynch?
Tom Holland Wanted for Disney's Atlantis Live-Action Remake?
The Conjuring House Is Still Haunted and Opening to the Public Soon
U.S. Air Force to Area 51 Alien Hunters: Stay Out, or Else
Spider-Man 3 to Introduce Kraven with a Big Black Panther Twist?
August's Must See Movies
Midsommar Director Ari Aster Talks Bears, Extended Cut & Swedish Horror [Exclusive]
Super Size Me 2 Trailer Goes After Fast Food Chicken
© Watchr Media •et; All rights reserved
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line872
|
__label__wiki
| 0.883806
| 0.883806
|
NAF To Supply Oxygen To Govt Hospitals In Adamawa
By Sunday Isuwa, Abuja
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has disclosed the plan of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to supply oxygen to government hospitals in Adamawa State.
He made the disclosure while commissioning the new Liquid Oxygen (LOX) plant at the NAF Base in Yola today, 10 July 2017. The idea of building the LOX plant was mooted in 2016 by Air Marshal Abubakar to solve the perennial difficulty being experienced in supplying LOX for use by NAF fighter pilots, who require it especially for high altitude operations.
The plant in Yola has the capacity to produce liquid and gaseous oxygen, in addition to nitrogen, another gas needed for the maintenance of aircraft.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the CAS stated that the LOX plant had the capacity to produce 1,000 litres of oxygen every 8 hours, which is in excess of the NAF’s requirements for its air operations and for use in its medical centres across the nation.
Accordingly, the CAS has directed appropriate officials to work out the modality for the supply of the excess oxygen to government hospitals in Adamawa State, including the Federal Medical Centre Yola. Air Marshal Abubakar seized the opportunity to appreciate the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, without which the project would not have become a reality.
A statement issued by the NAF’s director of public relation and information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya stated that the guest of honour at the occasion, the governor of Adamawa State, Sen Umaru Jibrilla Bindo, expressed joy at the siting of the project in the state.
He was also full of praises for Air Marshal Abubakar, who according to him had added a lot of value to the Adamawa society. Senator Bindo further stated that he was in awe of the legacy being left by the CAS through the numerous projects being commissioned to enhance the operational capability of the NAF.
The Lamido of Adamawa, his royal highness, Dr Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musadafa as well as heads of military and paramilitary/security agencies in Adamawa State, also witnessed the ceremony. The LOX plant has already commenced production.
Niger Gov Invites Ex-Govs, Deputy, Ministers For Critical Interface
2019: We Are Not Partisan – ACF
Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has declared July 30th every year, starting from 2019, as a public holiday for...
Unilorin To Partner US Firm On Renewable Energy Solution
The University of Ilorin has expressed readiness to partner with a US based company, Venturi Renewable Energy, to enable the...
UNN Non-Teaching Staff Join Nationwide Warning Protest
The Non teaching staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), on Tuesday, joined the nationwide warning protest declared by...
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Enugu Field Office has sealed five petrol stations in the state for adjusting their...
Deadly Monsoonal Floods In Asia
Monsoon flooding and landslides continued to cause havoc in South Asia on Tuesday, with the death toll rising to 78...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line875
|
__label__cc
| 0.507696
| 0.492304
|
Leading the Line
Football History, Culture, Interviews and Opinion
Real Madrid Feminino, Finally.
Chris Marshall June 23, 2019 Spanish Football, Women's Football
It’s long been a point of debate. How can the richest club in the world (as published in the most recently collated Money League by financial services firm Deloitte) not have a women’s football side? Especially in a country where world attendance records have been set (This season Atletico Madrid took on Barcelona at the Wanda Metropolitano in front of 60,739 fans) and at a time when your two historical rivals have been dominating the domestic scene. When, in March 2018, Manchester United announced their intention to introduce a women’s side for the 2018/19 season, something which they acted upon a couple of months later it left only Real Madrid, the thirteen time European champions, as the only side in Deloitte’s top ten without female representation in the game. It looks though as if this is about to change.
The reasons as to why Real Madrid haven’t made a foray into the world of women’s football have been speculated upon for some time. As much as the word “brand” is frowned upon by football purists, Los Blancos are perhaps the most prestigious brand currently operating in world football. They are as synonymous with success as they are for being the best, having the best players (as evidenced by the return of the word Galactico in association with the purchase of Eden Hazard from Chelsea), having the best stadium (work estimated to cost around 600m euros is due to start to redevelop the Bernabeu, a stadium which already has the highest FIFA grading possible and is, as anyone who has visited it will tell you, still jaw-dropping) and in general being the envy of every other club in the world, especially their long time rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
However in a women’s football context Real Madrid aren’t even minnows they are, at the time of writing, nothing. So how could Perez and co. protect brand Real Madrid knowing that to reach the top they would have to probably start from the bottom? Their first attempt to circumnavigate this pesky concept of meritocracy was rumoured to have happened back in 2014, when stories started to circulate that they were set to purchase La Liga Femenina side Madrid CFF, with the San Sebastian de los Reyes based outfit even changing their kits to the all white strip favoured by their potential new overlords. The move never happened and as Real Madrid continued to ponder their next move with Perez again announcing his sides intention to form a women’s squad, both in June and October of 2017, their traditional rivals Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao were dominating the La Liga Feminina scene, with their city counterparts claiming the last three titles.
The idea surfaced again in February 2019 when former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz told Marca, “Real Madrid will end up having a women’s team, because all the clubs have one. Until now, they haven’t done it because it has not been presented in a way that it could have been done.” The clamour for a Real Madrid women’s side even gained unlikely support from Catalonia when Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre suggested in May of this year that a Clasico would be “an immense attraction for women’s football.”
It now seems that Real Madrid have been presented with a way and are finally set to join the La Liga Iberdrola ranks for the upcoming 2019/20 season with news surfacing that they are about to complete the purchase of CD Tacon a club who themselves are only four years old and who have only gained promotion to the Primera for the first time in their short history this May. This shortcut to the top has been the kind of in that Los Meringues have long been waiting for and the fact that the takeover is set to cost them no more than half a million euros, a sum that can no doubt be brought together from the red card fines Sergio Ramos alone accumulates over the course of a season, means that the opportunity appears too good to turn down.
Real Madrid’s announcement also comes in the same week that Spain made the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup for the very first time and the RFEF announcing a €20m investment into women’s football along with a plan to show all La Liga Feminina games and at least three more Segunda matches per week over the coming season. The timing not only seems right for Real Madrid but also for the whole of Spanish women’s football to take the next step in their journey.
So should the purchase be completed, and at this point there is nothing to suggest that it won’t be, what will Real Madrid’s strategy be? Will they spend big in the hope of instant glory and gratification? American star Heather O’Reilly was quick to react on Twitter to the news that a Real Madrid women’s side was imminent with a single fingers crossed emoji, and it’s unsurprising to see that this is the realm that the Madrid side could almost instantly operate in such is their draw. They will take on the women’s football infrastructure of CD Tacon because as it stands they themselves have none but you would have to assume that in itself would need investment to make it worthy of the name Real.
Could we really see Real Madrid with their ever growling list of financial commitments decide to build their women’s side from the ground up, with modest signings and a homegrown approach? I doubt it. The purchase of their Madrid neighbours has been done to supercharge the launch of Real Madrid Feminino. They have an in built fan base that will expect success, not just at home but in Europe too.
Whilst you can debate the morality of buying their way into Spanish football’s top table there is no doubt the creation of a Real Madrid women’s side will generate interest and in a game still growing surely that can only be a good thing, even if at some point in the future we will no doubt bemoan the relentless nature of their pursuit for success.
Remember you can follow the latest flights of fancy from Leading the Line on Twitter @MFPTasty.
football, futbol feminino, real madrid, spain, Spanish Football, Women's Football
Previous Embracing Scotland’s Women: The Tartan Army at Home
Next #WU19EURO Opposition Focus: France
Published by Chris Marshall
Editor of Leading the Line and piehopping site Meat Filled Pastries. A communications graduate from Glasgow Caledonian University, he also acquired accreditation as a Radio News Journalist whilst studying at The National Broadcasting School based out of the University of Sussex. A willing traveller currently based in Glasgow who has also lived in Madrid embracing the food, football and culture of Spain's largest city. Part Glaswegian, Part Madrileño. A city boy with a love for the beautiful game. View all posts by Chris Marshall
Pingback: Pie 172: The Linlithgow Rose Steak & Haggis Pie « MEAT FILLED PASTRIES
#WU19EURO Opposition Focus: France
Embracing Scotland’s Women: The Tartan Army at Home
LTL Meets: How’s Your Touch
The Women’s World Cup Got, Got, Need to Know Preview: Pack #6
European Football (2)
Football Culture (3)
Football Opinion (6)
Leading the Line Meets… (2)
Reports and Reviews (19)
Scottish Football (61)
Spanish Football (11)
The LTL Number Crunch (8)
Bobby Moore Fund: Bowel Cancer Awareness
Ko-Fi: Support Leading the Line
Meat Filled Pastries
Outside Write – Football Travel, History and Culture
Scottish Women's Football Home
The Grambler
The Team on Tour – Groundhopping in Madrid
Subscribe to Leading the Line
Don't get left on the bench, keep up to date with all the latest Leading the Line news.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line876
|
__label__wiki
| 0.583319
| 0.583319
|
PDF2 PDF |Add To My Favorites | Version: 09/21/18 - Chaptered 08/31/18 - Enrolled 08/21/18 - Amended Senate 08/09/18 - Amended Senate 08/06/18 - Amended Senate 05/15/18 - Amended Assembly 02/16/18 - Introduced
AB-2913 Building standards: building permits: expiration.(2017-2018)
Current Version: 09/21/18 - Chaptered Compared to Version: 09/21/18 - Chaptered 08/31/18 - Enrolled 08/21/18 - Amended Senate 08/09/18 - Amended Senate 08/06/18 - Amended Senate 05/15/18 - Amended Assembly 02/16/18 - Introduced
Assembly Bill No. 2913
An act to amend Section 18938.5 of, and to add Section 18938.6 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to building permits.
[ Approved by Governor September 21, 2018. Filed with Secretary of State September 21, 2018. ]
AB 2913, Wood. Building standards: building permits: expiration.
A provision of the California Building Standards Law specifies that a local ordinance adding or modifying building standards for residential occupancies, published in the California Building Standards Code, applies only to an application for a building permit submitted after the effective date of the ordinance and to plans and specifications for, and the construction performed under, that permit, unless, among other reasons, the permit is subsequently deemed expired because the building or work authorized by the permit is not commenced within 180 days from the date of the permit, or the permittee has suspended or abandoned the work authorized by the permit at any time after the work is commenced.
This bill would instead provide that a permit would remain valid for purposes of the California Building Standards Law if the work on the site authorized by that permit is commenced within 12 months after its issuance, unless the permittee has abandoned the work authorized by the permit. The bill would also authorize a permittee to request and the building official to grant, in writing, one or more extensions of time for periods of not more than 180 days per extension. The bill would require that the permittee request the extension in writing and demonstrate justifiable cause for the extension. The bill would also make conforming changes to the above-described provisions.
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
Section 18938.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
(a) Only those building standards approved by the commission, and that are effective at the local level at the time an application for a building permit is submitted, shall apply to the plans and specifications for, and to the construction performed under, that building permit.
(b) (1) A local ordinance adding or modifying building standards for residential occupancies, which are published in the California Building Standards Code, shall apply only to an application for a building permit submitted after the effective date of the ordinance and to the plans and specifications for, and the construction performed under, that permit.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to any of the following:
(A) A city or county that has been subject to an emergency proclaimed pursuant to the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(B) A permit that is subsequently deemed expired because the building or work authorized by the permit is not commenced within 12 months from the date of the permit or the permittee has abandoned the work authorized by the permit.
(C) A permit that is subsequently deemed suspended or revoked because the building official has, in writing, suspended or revoked the permit due to its issuance in error or on the basis of incorrect information supplied.
(c) No model code made applicable to any additional occupancy shall apply to any project that has been submitted for a building permit prior to the effective date of that model code.
Section 18938.6 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
(a) Every permit shall remain valid for purposes of this part if the work on the site authorized by that permit is commenced within 12 months after its issuance, unless the permittee has abandoned the work authorized by the permit.
(b) A permittee may request an extension of a permit. The building official may grant, in writing, one or more extensions of time for periods of not more than 180 days per extension. The permittee shall request an extension pursuant to this subdivision in writing and demonstrate justifiable cause for the extension.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line879
|
__label__wiki
| 0.896556
| 0.896556
|
Rutgers‒Camden professor receives $1M award for scientists, engineers
By: NJBIZ STAFF
Jinglin Fu, an associate professor of chemistry at Rutgers University–Camden, has received a $1 million Early-Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (ECASE-Army) from the Army Research Office.
The five-year award recognizes researchers who pursue innovative science and technology discovery and engage in scientific leadership, education, or community outreach.
“This is an important award to support my lab’s research of biomimetic systems as well as exploring new directions in biomolecular assemblies and functions,” said Fu, who is also a member of the Rutgers‒Camden Center for Computational and Integrative Biology (CCIB). His research will aid the development of adaptable platforms on which biocatalysis, biofuel production, and biosensor devices can be integrated, activated, and regulated.
One of the applications of the technology could be potentially applied to engineer smart biosensors for molecular diagnosis and point-of-care tests.
“In line with Army goals, this will harness new capabilities to enhance war-fighter protection and performance,” Fu said.
The ECASE‒Army award funds a graduate student and a postdoctoral student to conduct research in Fu’s lab, and provides paid summer research internships for undergraduate students on the Rutgers‒Camden campus.
ECASE awards are the highest honor bestowed by the Army Research Office to outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.
A resident of Cherry Hill, Fu will present his research at an Army Research Office symposium in 2020. Fu earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Arizona State University in 2010. He earned a master’s in analytical chemistry degree in 2006 and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2003 from Zhejiang University in China.
12:06 pm Thu, April 18, 2019 NJBIZ
David Hutter
follow NJBIZ
Write to the Editorial Department at editorial@njbiz.com.
The College of New Jersey School of Business MBA Program
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line880
|
__label__cc
| 0.511937
| 0.488063
|
No1 The Laurels
Book Now bookings@no1thelaurels.co.uk
No1 The Laurels Beautiful Village
Close Attractions
The Bluebell Railway
The volunteer-run Bluebell Line was the UK's first preserved standard gauge passenger railway, re-opening part of the Lewes to East Grinstead line of the old London Brighton &South Coast Railway in 1960. Since then it has developed into one of the largest tourist attractions in Sussex, yet it still remains true to its objectives of the preservation for posterity of a country branch line, its steam locomotives, coaches and goods stock, signalling systems, stations and operating practices.A steam train ride on the Bluebell is one of the top things to do with kids on holiday for a day out in Sussex (the line crosses the border between East Sussex and West Sussex, and is not far from Surrey). This heritage railway is close to Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport, Uckfield, Brighton and Lewes, in the Ashdown Forest/Mid Sussex area of England. Your children will love to take our vintage steam rail trip during your vacation.
Website (Click here)
The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead, was the dream and brain child of one man - Douglas Bunn. Now run by his family, the showground remains one of the premier equestrian venues in the world. Almost every great show jumper, horse and rider, has competed at Hickstead since we first opened our doors in 1960.
In 2010, The All England Jumping Course celebrated its 50th anniversary as the home of international showjumping in Great Britain. Since then it has undergone £1million-worth of refurbishment works, including the complete renovation of the famous International Arena.
Horsham is a historic market town in West Sussex offering much for visitors and locals alike.
Visit Horsham is the official Horsham Town Centre Directory and Visitors' Guide connecting businesses, residents and visitors.
Iconic Attractions
From the exotic Royal Pavilion to the new British Airways i360, Brighton has a wealth of attractions to enthral all ages. The Royal Pavilion is a palace like no other with an Indian styled exterior and a Chinese inspired interior. From Regency splendour to 21st Century wonder as British Airways i360 is a feat of modern engineering gliding visitors 450 feet into the air.
A day at the seaside is not complete without a visit to Brighton Pier with its rides and activities as well as plenty of food &drink options and free deckchairs to relax &enjoy the view in. Next door is the Victorian aquarium, Sea Life Brighton where you can learn about the creatures of the deep and watch a shark swimming over your head in the underwater tunnel.
As well as places to visit there are lots of things to do in Brighton from beach sports, both in the water and on land, to bike rides and walking tours. For those that like to get active you can try your hand at sailing, kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding as well as classic beach sports such as volleyball or Frisbee.
Alternatively why not hire a bike and explore the city limits or even on into the beautiful countryside of the South Downs? Walkers are well catered for with themed tours such as Ghost Walks and foodie &history tours.Iconic Attractions
The Festival of Speed offers enthusiasts an unrivalled opportunity to get close to the action, and to meet the great champions who gather at Goodwood each summer.
It has been running since 1993 on the same stretch of the March family's driveway. While the location has remained the same and Lord March continues to lead the creative direction, the main aspect that has evolved is the scale. With the enthusiasm and investment of the wider motoring and motorsport community, FOS has become an internationally celebrated, sell-out occasion.
Chichester Festival theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK’s flagship theatres, renowned for the exceptionally high standard of its productions as well as its work with the community and young people. Situated in a cathedral city in West Sussex between the South Downs and the sea, the Festival Theatre’s bold thrust stage design makes it one of England’s most striking playhouses;a studio theatre, the Minerva Theatre, sits nearby.
The annual summer Festival season runs from April to October, during which productions originated at Chichester reach an audience of over 200,000. Year-round programming continues through the winter with the Theatre presenting high-class touring productions, as well as a traditional Christmas show mounted by the renowned Chichester Festival Youth Theatre.
Recent West End transfers from Chichester (as originating producer) include Half A Sixpence (Noël Coward Theatre), Young Chekhov (National Theatre), Running Wild (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Savoy Theatre), Taken at Midnight (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Gypsy (Savoy Theatre), Stevie (Hampstead Theatre), Private Lives (Gielgud Theatre) and Sweeney Todd (Adelphi Theatre). Christmas 2015 saw the first television broadcast of Gypsy with Imelda Staunton, shown on BBC4. Filmed during its West End run at the Savoy Theatre, the broadcast was watched by over half a million viewers and is now available on DVD.
Rooted firmly in its community, the Theatre runs a Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP) programme that is a beacon of excellence and inspiration to its local audience, as well as being home to one of the country’s largest youth theatres with over 800 members.
Daniel Evans and Rachel Tackley joined the organisation in the summer of 2016, appointed with a mandate to build on the success of the past and take the theatre into its next exciting chapter. Festival 2017, the first season under their leadership, continues Chichester's tradition of epic productions in the Festival Theatre and compelling, intimate dramas and world premieres in the Minerva Theatre, alongside an exciting musical in each house.
The Downs Cycle Link
This is basically an off road route, via the Downs Link, that initially follows waterways, then tracks and paths and finally ends on roads in Brighton.
The South Downs are a fantastic place to walk your dog, so there's always somewhere near to you where you can enjoy this amazing countryside throughout the year. There’s plenty of space to let your dog off the lead and there’s lots for them to explore, including farms, heathlands, forests and historical sites.
Romantic ruins, intimate gardens, and internationally recognised plant collections against a backdrop of Wealden woodland - Nymans is a garden lover's paradise.
Petworth House
Petworth House in the parish of Petworth, West Sussex, England, is a late 17th-century Grade I listed country house, rebuilt in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and altered in the 1870s to the design of the architect Anthony Salvin.
Standen ( N. T )
A welcoming home
As a guest of Mrs and the Miss Beales, see the house as the family might have used it. Read letters and diary entries to find out about their lives. Discover more about the Arts &Crafts movement through our beautiful collection of furniture and embroideries, many completed by Mrs Beale and her daughters.
Morris and Webb
Standen was designed by Philip Webb, a close friend and associate of William Morris, so it was only natural that the house would be decorated with Morris &Co. textiles and wallpaper.
The Beale family
The Beales were originally a non-conformist family from Birmingham, with seven children and many more grandchildren. Standen became a real family home, wrapped up in idyllic childhood memories.
Borde Hill
Set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with spectacular views over the Sussex Weald and the Ouse Valley, Borde Hill’s grounds extend to over 200 acres across the garden, woodland and parkland. The 17 acres of formal garden are designed in a series of outdoor ‘rooms’, each with its own distinctive character, colour and scent. From the exotic ‘Garden of Allah’and the beautiful Azelea Ring, to the traditional Rose Garden and peaceful Italian Garden, Borde Hill is a treat for the senses. Our historic Garden is constantly evolving with new plantings and designs to add to variety, colour and interest throughout the year.
Country Retreat
Martyn Close
BN5 9RQ
bookings@no1thelaurels.co.uk
© Copyright 2019 - Hotel Website Powered by Queensborough Group
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line881
|
__label__cc
| 0.596803
| 0.403197
|
RPGs, Tabletop Games
July 1, 2019 Tavendale
The vast majority of the available material for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons is set in one place: The Forgotten Realms. That has been the major setting since the third edition and it’s the only show in town in the current iteration of the game. Oh sure, there’s some mention of some Greyhawk content in the Ghosts of Saltmarsh book, and the Curse of Strahd book takes you to the classic Ravenloft setting, but beyond that, it’s Faerun all the way. There’s even been a Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide for players looking to play in the most famous region of this most famous D&D setting.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. It makes sense to take the popular, well-developed setting and run with it. For many people, it doesn’t really make a difference and it may as well be any generic fantasy world. For many others, they love the setting and are always happy to see it expanded on or further elaborated. That’s most of your D&D customer base covered in those two groups.
And even to me, I’m not really interested in covering more fantasy settings. I could not care less about Dragonlance or the Points of Light setting developed for the fourth edition. I care not a single jot for Greyhawk or Lankhmar. They all had interesting quirks and I’m sure they have their own rabid fanbases, but I can see why Wizards of the Coast would not necessarily put out another fantasy world when they already have one that is well-developed and supported.
So how, then, to introduce new settings without detracting too much from the overall Forgotten Realm-centric release schedule? Well, I think the approach already taken, of single-book releases, is the way to go. We’ve already had the Curse of Strahd book and the Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica, both of which explore new settings – Ravenloft and Ravnica/MtG, respectively – and both of which have only been single-book releases.
In the case of Strahd, this was an adventure book. It had a set story and a clear set of events, locations and objectives. But it also set the players up in a sandbox – one that could be used as a jumping-off point for your own adventures. It very much gives you the setting. Ravnica, on the other hand, is a more traditional campaign setting sourcebook, giving you lots of information about the setting, character options specific to the setting, guidance for creating adventures (rather than an actual adventure in itself) and statblocks for setting-specific NPCs and monsters.
I’m happy with this approach.
The four settings I’m going to suggest for a similar treatment will come as no surprise for a seasoned D&D fan as they are very much the “standard answers”. They are the settings that will be yeared for by most fans of some of the older, weirder content that TSR used to put out.
Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?
Eberron
Of my four settings, the is the one that is both the most recently used by WotC and the one that we know will make an appearance in the near future. There’s been a PDF-only sourcebook put out, but it’s one that I’ve yet to read and – call me old fashioned – I’ll care when there’s a hardback sitting on my shelf. Perhaps this is an unfair statement, but it’s true. The majority of players will likely not purchase a PDF book and will wait for a nice hardback book.
My old copy of the original campaign setting book is well read, as I found the setting to be incredibly interesting and engaging. I have read it cover to cover and back again. I embraced the ideas and love the aesthetic and themes. Warforged are my favourite D&D race and my current character in my Ravenloft campaign is, as a burly Warforged paladin, something of a curiosity in Barovia. So much win in this book!
I’m told that Wizards have suggested that a hardback book is coming. I do hope that this is true and I very much look forward to diving headfirst back into this world.
Because of the broad themes and wide potential for this setting, it’s also worth mentioning that this is the book that I feel needs the Ravnica treatment. This needs to be a pure setting book, with lots of setting info, character options, spells, NPCs and monsters. Other settings might work well as adventure books, but this needs a little bit less focus and should just work to set out the world as clearly and as widely as possible.
It should tell you how closely I followed the fourth edition of D&D that I didn’t actually realise until researching this post that there had been a Dark Sun release for fourth edition. Woops! That does actually fill me with a bit of hope, though, that this might be revisited in the next few years.
Dark Sun is a darker, grittier setting for Dungeons & Dragons, taking place on a magic-ravaged desert world that is incredibly inhospitable. The desert is scattered with city-states, each more corrupt than the last and villains of the setting are often magic using sorcerer-kings who use magic to keep their underlings in line. The people are desperate and as harsh as the land in which they live. Metal is also a rare commodity, meaning that weapons and tools are often made of wood or bone. This can mean that your weapons are not particularly durable, adding another risk to combat encounters.
Dark sun, unlike Eberron, is one that I would be quite happy to see released as a Curse of Strahd-esque adventure. If WotC were to take a similar approach in setting up a sandbox style setting and weaving an adventure around it, I’d be quite happy. Maybe a quest of vengeance, or for power and control over one of the city-states? Maybe both! Throw in a few character options for races and some variant classes and you’ve got a solid book on your hands. The adventure could be an epic tale, much like Curse of Strahd, but by setting up a sandbox, the book would also be useful for the DM looking to run their own adventure in the setting.
I just want a really brutal, unforgiving and, dare I say, cruel D&D setting. It shouldn’t be the default, but it would be a very nice option.
Spelljammer
I really like the concept of Spelljammer, but I hesitate on calling it my favourite setting only because of the incredibly high quality of some of the other settings. I’ve enjoyed no other campaign as much as I have my Ravenloft one, and I’ve always been in love with Eberron, but Spelljammer…
Well, Spelljammer offers things that no other setting offers. It takes place in space, but it’s definitely not a sci-fi setting. It’s very much space-fantasy. Players travel in ships through space, but not an empty void like the space that we know. This is the phlogiston, the unique element that makes up the great ocean among the stars and fills the space between the crystal spheres.
The crystal spheres each contain a planetary system, several of which house the other campaign settings that feature in D&D. This is a feature that could stay or could go, depending on how Wizards want to run their cosmology these days.
I’ve run a little bit of Spelljammer with an after-school group. I gave them a choice of settings and I really did not expect them to go with Spelljammer. It’s very much a product of the 80s and I didn’t think that would appeal to them. I was clearly wrong and we had a lot of fun on the Rock of Bral.
Given that there’s a nearby locale called Braal, we adjusted the name appropriately the sake of local flavour. It definitely added to the fun. The group took really well to the setting and the campaign featured a lot of swashbuckling, campy action and daring adventure. I found they got into this setting a lot more than they did with the Forgotten Realms. I think they saw Faerun as a generic fantasy setting – perhaps unfairly – but really dug the unique properties of Spelljammer.
I’d love to run more of this campaign and I think this, like Eberron, deserves the Ravnica-style setting book treatment. There’s enough variety in player races, new concepts, bestiaries and locations that such a book would be the obvious way to go. I’d love to see sections on the Phlogiston, the spheres, ships, ship combat and more. I know I buy all the 5e books, but this would be a firm preorder and I’d pick up so many of the accessories and things that come with these releases. Miniatures, DM screen, cards… all for me!
Planescape
Finally, a fan favourite among fan favourites. I think for many people their first experience of the Planescape setting was not through the tabletop game, but rather through the video game, Planescape: Torment. The was an absolute classic and remains a very popular CRPG. It’s actually one that passed me by until recently and I’m playing through it for the first time at the moment. I am very much enjoying myself with it.
The setting consists of a multiverse of different planes and sees you, the player, travelling between them, exploring and adventuring. It’s quite a complex setting and I don’t feel that I am informed enough to really describe the guts of it, but it’s that complexity that also fascinates me and makes me want to delve deeper.
A major element of the setting is the city of Sigil, also known as the City of Doors. It’s the centre of the setting and has a high concentration of planar portals. It’s also what I’d base any book around. I think that, given the complexity of the setting, I’d do the Strahd approach on this one. I’d establish the setting through a set adventure. Again, the sandbox would be established in a limited way where the rules of the setting and the key locations are established through a sandbox-style campaign and DMs can run this adventure or use the resources from the book to come up with their own adventures. There’s a lot of scope here.
As I mentioned at the start of the article, I don’t think the four settings here will come as much of a surprise. These are the four settings that most people would give when describing the settings they’d love to see revisited. Of the four, the one I am shakiest on is Planescape, but it’s my lack of knowledge, coupled with my awareness of the depth and complexity of the setting that really makes me want to play it.
These settings are all also different, each providing a unique experience for the player, rather than just throwing fantasy setting after fantasy setting at them. Each of these settings would establish a genre in their own right. I know that some people will disagree on my approval of the Strahd-style adventure/campaign approach to these books, but I think it’s an approach that would work by giving a focus to settings that need it. Of course, I’d be delighted to get a straight setting book, but the Strahd approach would work for these settings – I stand by this.
What about you? What setting would you like to see? Perhaps you’d like to see a new, original setting? If so, what style would you like to see used for such a setting?
Tagged D&D, Dark Sun, Dungeons & Dragons, Eberron, Games, Planescape, Planescape: Torment, Roleplaying, Roleplaying Games, RPG, RPGs, Spelljammer, Tabletop, Wizards of the Coast, WOTC
Published by Tavendale
View all posts by Tavendale
Previous postHumble Bundle: 5E Beast of a Bundle
Next post5 on Friday: 05/07/19
1 thought on “D&D Campaign Settings in Need of a 5E Update”
Pingback: 5 on Friday: 05/07/19 – No Rerolls
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line884
|
__label__cc
| 0.730355
| 0.269645
|
Millennials and Bipolar Disorder – Why so High and so Low?
There has been a startling rise in the incidence of what is known as “Bipolar Disorder” (formerly known as manic/depression) in Millennials. The search is on for the probable causes and best ways to prevent and effectively treat this crushing and debilitating condition. The question arises whether unbearably elevated levels of emotional and financial stress and social conditions beyond their control could be causing this condition characterized by wildly fluctuating emotions that many sufferers describe as “being on an emotional rollercoaster.”
According to a new study through Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Workplace Benefits discussed in an article in Time Magazine (amp.timeinc.net June 1, 2017) 67% of millennials report being under financial stress which is twice the rate of 32% reported for “Baby Boomers” (“Boomers” are those born between 1946 and 1964). In addition, 68% of millennials in this study indicated that financial stress had a negative impact on their physical health as compared with similar reports by 51% of Boomers. It is certainly probable that this unbearable stress which is leading to physical illness is also causing mental instability and thus leading to the increased levels of Bipolar Disease.
Another study which backs up the Bank of America findings was conducted in 2016 by the New York City Controller’s Office (controller.nyc.gov April 16, 2016). This study found that millennials living in New York City earned an average of 20% less than previous generations and entered the work force facing the toughest economy since the Great Depression. Many with bachelor degrees were found to be underemployed and underpaid with young people in the 5 Boroughs of New York City tragically found to owe 14 billion dollars in student debt. Could the way millennials use their lack of earning power, their frustration at working in jobs they are over qualified for and their insurmountable debt and unaffordable housing costs to have a lack of hope and a rise in fear and anger be creating a mental disequilibrium that is causing a rise in mental health conditions of all types including Bipolar Disease? Could they be using what they see wrong in society to give themselves the right to separate themselves from the workforce and to feel alienated and disenfranchised?
Instead of simply castigating all those in the Millennial age group as “lazy,” “self-involved,” and “selfish,” it appears that a far more sensible approach would be to understand how difficult their lives are in the current economic environment and try to help ease their tensions and anxieties. This can be done by changing economic policies and increasing economic fairness while encouraging them to see all the deficiencies in society in a way that is for their integration, strength and mental health.
Bipolar Disease is widespread affecting approximately 5.7 million Americans and 29 million people worldwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health there are four basic types of Bipolar Disease. In “Bipolar 1” the manic episodes last for at least 7 days with depressive symptoms lasting for 2 weeks. “Bipolar 2” is characterized by a pattern of depressive episodes and “hypomanic” but not “full blown” manic/depressive episodes. Type 3 is called “Cyclothymic Disorder” and is associated with numerous episodes of hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms lasting at least 2 years. Type 4 is more general and encompasses “Other Specified and Unspecified Bipolar and Related Disorders.”
Symptoms of a patient’s manic phase include: a feeling of elation, having lots of energy, increased activity, feeling “jumpy” or “wired”, insomnia, talking fast, drifting of thought, agitation, irritability, racing thoughts, feeling “invincible” and high-risk behavior such as spending a lot of money frivolously and engaging in “reckless” sexual behavior.
Symptoms of a depressive phase includes: feeling sad, “down” or empty, low energy, decreased activity, insomnia or sleeping too much, inability to enjoy anything, worry, problems concentrating, forgetfulness, eating too much or too little, fatigue and thoughts about death or suicide.
Demi Lovato Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
How you see is how you feel. For example, it is useful to associate a well-known millennial who has had success in her life and who still experienced this increasing mental health problem. Could the cause be in how you see what is not yourself and what you do about it?
Popular American actress and singer Demi Lovato wound up in rehab in 2011 where she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disease. She described in an article in Women’s Health Magazine how she felt during one of her manic phases. She said she would stay up all night until five o’clock in the morning and write seven songs in one night. She described how she felt “invincible” and that her mind “would go all over the place.”
Demi’s descriptions of how she felt during her episodes turn out to be quite typical of other patients with her condition.
Another Type of Patient
As a third- year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, one of my most interesting rotations was in Psychiatry at the Bronx State Mental Hospital.
One unforgettable patient unlike the successful or stressed out millennial was an African American male who we will call “Aubrey.” Aubrey had been admitted as an inpatient in a locked ward because his behavior had become outrageous and he was totally “out of control.”
Aubrey’s mood would wildly fluctuate from being extremely depressed to being wildly manic. In his depressed state, he had repeatedly tried to commit suicide and was a “danger to himself.” In his manic state, Aubrey would go on spending sprees that could last for weeks.
During one episode, Aubrey stole his sister’s credit cards and decided to go on a “spending spree.” When his sister returned home after several days away, she was astounded by what she found in the house. Aubrey had purchased six or seven washing machines, nine TVs, five or six refrigerators and several dish washers. In addition, he had bought a new car and had taken an expensive trip to Las Vegas to go gambling. He had piled up thousands of dollars in bills and expenses and felt horrible about doing this to his sister once his mood stabilized. This, of course, is an extreme case but represents the poor judgement of someone in a manic phase.
According to a new psychosomatic approach to mania as expressed by Eli Siegel in his major work “Self and World” we have two generalized impulses in us: one towards the broad and comprehensive; another towards the narrow and concentrated.” He goes on to define mania as “imagination fiercely narrowed is equivalent to mania.” It is certainly possible that if millennials were better able to like the way they see the world and people that they could better achieve a state of balance in their lives and “mental homeostasis.”
Treatments for Bipolar Disease traditionally include psychotherapy and drugs such as lithium and atypical anti-psychotics which help stabilize wild mood swings. It is also certain that achieving more fairness in employment, wages, student debt and housing could only help millennials be more balanced and less frantic about their futures. More research is needed to help understand how we can better balance the drives towards expansiveness and the drive toward a “diseased concentration” on ourselves which we all battle.
Like this post:
By James D. Okun, M.D. 0 Comments
Tags: mental health, BIPOLAR DISORDER, DEMI LOVATO, HEALTH ISSUES, MENTAL STABILITY, James Okun
James D. Okun, M.D.
James D. Okun, MD is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University and a graduate of the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. He is the co-author of Erasing Scars: Herpes and Healing and of The History of New Innovations in Modern Medicine.
Your Secret To Sexy Skin Starts In The Stomach
Is Poor Gut Health Ruining Your Social Life?
Reply your comment Cancel Reply
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line885
|
__label__cc
| 0.590809
| 0.409191
|
by Hyunjae from San Diego
(en.wikipedia.org)
"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" (The Bible). This wise maxim from the Bible was vividly portrayed by Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. However, Lincoln did not start his life with wisdom and riches. Lincoln was born on the Kentucky frontier in 1809 to poor and illiterate parents. Despite this setback, Lincoln climbed his way up from the bottom and emerged victorious as one of the most renowned and well-known Presidents of the United States. Nevertheless, during his time in office, Lincoln faced many challenges and difficulties as the U.S. was rapidly splitting and its residents were tearing each other apart. Lincoln courageously persevered through this troublesome dilemma, and at the end showed mercy to everyone in the nation; even the "enemies," justifying Lincoln as a true hero.
Lincoln giving his inaugural address (www.smithsonianmag.com ())
Abraham Lincoln persevered and did not back down from all the criticism and hate that he received from the south during his inauguration. Rather, he made various attempts to appease the South and unite it back with the Union in his speech: "'A husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country can not do this'" (Lincoln). Lincoln's analogy with the divorced husband and wife clearly portrayed the nation's divided state at the time. However, despite this nationwide predicament happening under Lincoln's nose, he did not capitulate and allow the U.S. separate; he made every attempt to keep the Confederates happy and remain with the Union. Never giving up when all hope seemed lost, Lincoln held his firm belief in reuniting the nation until no more could be done. When Civil War eventually broke out, Lincoln also displayed his perseverance during the war; he withstood the criticism received from the countless abolitionists and black leaders for not freeing the slaves quickly: "Lincoln, they argue, 'would not let his personal feelings determine his political acts.' Fredrick Douglass, renowned black spokesman for equal rights, apparently concurred. In Douglass's estimation Lincoln was 'preeminently the white man's president'" (Douglas). Lincoln had been forced to hear these black spokespersons cry out against him in fury for not freeing the slaves. However, Lincoln remained true to his ideals about uniting the nation first, and evidently turned a deaf ear to the harsh words spoken to him by the abolitionists and black leaders as he only freed slaves at the time when it was necessary; not the time he was begged to. Clearly, no one else's thoughts were of more importance to Lincoln than his own; never buckling under the pressure of critics. Lincoln truly demonstrated the quality of perseverance during the most troubling times; also utilizing his courage to help carry out his difficult decisions.
Lincoln with General McClellan at Antietam (kikoshouse.blogspot.com ())
Lincoln had been courageous through his entire presidency, never backing down from danger and doing what needed to be done to reunite the U.S. After his inauguration, a Confederate Governor demanded that Lincoln remove Federal troops from South Carolina:
After his inauguration, Lincoln sought to keep control of all federal property in the Confederate states. This goal was challenged by the South Carolina governor's demand that Lincoln remove the military troops from his state. Lincoln chose instead to resupply the men of Fort Sumter in Charleston. He warned the Confederate commander of the supply ship's approach and told them not to interfere (Robertson)
Even after being threatened by the Confederates to remove troops from Carolina, Lincoln did not relent and give the Confederates complete power; he courageously did what he thought was right, disregarding the opinions of others. Lincoln warned the Confederate Commander to not interfere, showcasing his true bravery and unwillingness to step down to anyone. Even while being in danger of completely tearing apart the Union, Lincoln had been undaunted. He would not take orders from anyone, and clearly portrayed his thoughts of the Confederates by downright refusing to remove troops from Fort Sumter. Lincoln also demonstrated courage in his inclination to do whatever was necessary so that victory would be achieved; even if it meant costing many people their jobs. "It fell to Lincoln to raise an army and find good generals to lead it to victory. This became a slow, trial-by-error process, for which Lincoln received much criticism. He appointed and dismissed several generals" (Robertson). In order to successfully reunite the nation, Lincoln first had to win the Civil War that was driving the country apart. However, Lincoln's many incompetent generals were hindering the progress of the war for the Union, forcing Lincoln to take drastic action. He had known that he would have had to dismiss all generals that were not meeting his standards, and that was exactly what Lincoln had done, at the same time risking his reputation amongst his own people. Lincoln jeopardized his standing even with the Union when the South already seceded, but he had know that firing generals was what needed to be done so that the Union may win the war and eventually be united with the Confederacy. Lincoln's courageousness to both stay true to his own ideals and to do whatever needed to be done sheds light on more of his heroic qualities, such as compassion for others.
Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse (www.britannica.com ())
Lincoln had shown true mercy and clemency to the Confederates who were seceding and turning against the Union. When most of the southern states seceded after Lincoln's inauguration to form what would be called the Confederacy, Lincoln did not go off in fury and anger. His response was actually quite to the contrary, as shown in his first inaugural address:
We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature (Lincoln)
Lincoln pleaded with the South to remain united, despite their differences. Lincoln wanted nothing more than for the South and the Union be one again, and remained focused on achieving this near-impossible goal; not being furious that the south would dare to secede. He evidently felt as if there had been some good in the South yet, as he described them as having "angels" in their nature. Lincoln even showed the same leniency when the South surrendered; after thousands upon thousands died in the War: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan" (Lincoln). Complete forgiveness had been given to the South after the War despite the amount of deaths and tragedies that have occurred. Only true compassion may allow one to be willing to simply forgive such a disastrous incident as the Civil War. Lincoln truly displayed this commending quality of compassion during and after the war. His ability to show complete redemption to the Confederacy proves his mercy.
Lincoln inspires us even today in Mount Rushmore (www.catholicismusa.com ())
Abraham Lincoln had many qualities that defined him as a hero: Perseverance, mercy, and courage being only three of them. However, what matters most is not the number of redeeming qualities one possesses. What matters is how well one lives up the definition of that quality; how well one defines that quality with their lives, morals, and ideals as Lincoln had done. Â He persevered through the most troubling times, he courageously defended his own ideals, and he showed mercy to all who needed it, no matter who they may have been. Lincoln inspires people to this day, through his lasting ethics of mercy and compassion: "I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice" (Lincoln). Lincoln's innate ability to be merciful teaches many of us here and now that strength and power are not always what will prevail. To be successful, one must think beyond their own desires and look into whatever must be done so that a goal can be achieved. As a house divided on itself cannot stand, a house leaning on itself; supporting itself with a strong foundation; that is what will stand. This is what Lincoln's persistent, courageous, merciful, and heroic lifetime taught me.
"Abraham Lincoln." American Civil War Reference Library. Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom. Ed. Lawrence W. Baker. Vol. 2: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2000. 265-278. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
"Abraham Lincoln." The Presidents: A Reference History. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996. Biography in Context. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.
Barber, James. Presidents. New York: Dorling Kindersley Pub., 2003. Print.
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address." Civilwar.org. Civil War Trust, 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
"Lincoln, Abraham." UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Sonia Benson, Daniel E. Brannen, Jr., and Rebecca Valentine. Vol. 5. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 906-912. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation - More information on Abraham Lincoln
The White House - Factual info on Lincoln from the White House itself
Abraham Lincoln Online - General information on Abraham Lincoln's life, important dates and events, and secrets
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line888
|
__label__wiki
| 0.632948
| 0.632948
|
Kurz and Allison's romanticized illustration of the Battle of Franklin, part of a series of prints distributed in the 1880s.
Kurz and Allison’s romanticized illustration of the Battle of Franklin, part of a series of prints distributed in the 1880s.
On December 1, 1864, the 800 or so people living in Franklin found themselves surrounded by 10,000 dead and dying soldiers. The carnage was overwhelming, and it was a surprise. The town had less than a day’s warning before the front line of the Civil War moved there.
Franklin was supposed a relatively safe place. It’s where mothers took their children to live with aging grandparents while dad was off fighting, where girls could keep going to classes at the Female Institute. People didn’t quite know what to do when Union soldiers flooded into town, setting up defenses. And they certainly didn’t know how much would change in a matter of hours.
“We felt great uneasiness of mind…”
Fannie Courtney was a Union loyalist, although her brother chose to fight in the Confederate army. She later remembered hearing the first sound of artillery while sitting at the dinner table around 3:30 in the afternoon. She remembered running outside to see what was going on, then soon afterwards hearing the high-pitched rebel yell as the Southerners made a charge. In just a few minutes, she said all was “perfect confusion,” with bullets flying thick through the air and neighbors running to whatever safety they could find.
Mary Alice Nichol, 8 years old at the time of the battle, lived at her Grandfather Carter’s house during the war. Their home was surrounded by some of the worst of the fighting. Credit Hal Jesperson via Wikimedia
Hardin Figuers was just a boy at the time, with a child’s curiosity and bravado. He climbed to the roof of an outbuilding and the top of a tree, trying to get the best view of the fighting. Below him, most townspeople were taking shelter in underground root cellars. Figuers finally decided to go inside just as a Northerner standing across the street was shot.
For hours, the residents of Franklin huddled underground and tried to guess at what was happening by the sounds they could identify. There were gunshots, booming cannon, and the groans of wounded men. Figuers described potatoes sizzling as they were hit by bullets. Mary Alice Nichol recalled footsteps overhead as soldiers charged through her grandfather’s home.
At one point, there was a lull. Figuers couldn’t resist darting into his house. He found it and all of the neighbors’ houses full of injured Confederates. The boy ran across town for the doctor, begging the man to help. “I shall never forget his reply,” Figuers later wrote. “‘If they are as bad off as you say, I could not do them any good, and it is too dangerous to risk going up there.’ I was ashamed of him then and am ashamed of him now.”
“…such a sight we saw I can never forget.”
Eventually, the fighting stopped. Around one or two in the morning, the townspeople emerged from hiding to find their homes, their farms, their entire town, covered with the dead and the dying. Parlor carpets were soaked with blood. In some places, the ground was strewn so thickly with bodies that people couldn’t walk through without treading on torsos or limbs. Voices called out from the carnage, men repeating their own names in hopes that a friend might hear, men begging for help.
One image seared into Mary Alice Nichol’s memory was that of black men raking up piles of bullets, then burying them in the ground. She also recalled a sad-looking man sitting outside in a chair. That, her grandfather told her, was Confederate General John Hood.
Hardin Figuers describes being disppointed by the sight of his hero, General Hood, ‘riding down through the streets of Franklin with his one stump of a leg and his long tawny mustache and whiskers.’ Image via Library of Congress
Hood was the man who’d devised the Southerners’ Tennessee campaign. He wanted to seize control of Nashville from the Union, which was using it to supply Sherman’s march to the sea in Georgia. The previous night’s fighting in Franklin happened because Union soldiers had been sent to slow Hood down. Once they felt they’d done enough damage for the night, the Federals moved on to Nashville.
That morning, Hood tried to put a positive spin on the slaughter. In a statement to his men, Hood called the fight a victory.
While we lament the fall of many gallant officers and brave men, we have shown to our countrymen that we can carry any position occupied by the enemy.
But that had to be hard to believe. After all, six of his generals were laid out in state on a farmhouse porch. By some counts, more Confederates had died than in any other single day of the war.
Even before the battle, Hood’s men had known Franklin would be a heavy loss. Chaplain James M’Niell remembered afterwards how so many had tried to give him letters and prized posessions to send home for them. He declined, reminding them that he would be in the midst of the fighting, too. Not one who made that request survived the battle.
Like the Federals, the Confederates soon moved on to Nashville, leaving only a remnant behind to help the people of Franklin. There were thousands to bury and even more mangled men left alive—and a cold front was moving in.
“…the most terrible spell of weather I ever knew.”
In a rush to deal with the corpses before the ground froze, Union bodies weren’t even moved to a mass grave. They were simply covered with dirt where they lay. At the same time, homes, churches, even barns became hospitals. Three were reserved for Northern wounded; injured Confederates filled 41.
A woman named Carrie McGavock turned a portion of her Carnton Plantation into a graveyard for the carefully-buried Confederate dead. Credit Boggartslayer2 via Wikimedia Commons
Hardin Figuers remembered the next days as being some of the worst weather he’d ever experienced, with near continual snow, sleet and ice. Food became increasingly scarce. He went out into the countryside, searching for whatever food he could find. Fanny Courtney and her mother cooked meals in their home to then take to the Presbyterian Church, where they tended to Union men. For more than two weeks, men, women and children worked like that around the clock, preparing food, tending to wounds, wondering when their part of the battle would finally end.
“It was on Saturday, December 17th when the advance of cavalry of our troops entered the town,” Courntney recalled, describing the joy of the federal troops when they saw their own men and knew that their side had won in Nashville.” What shouts were given by those who were able to creep to the door!”
The Southern troops left town in a rush, so quickly that they left their wounded behind. A few days later, Union trains carted away the last of the mangled men. The town’s residents were finally able to rest and make sense of what had happened.
The Daughters of the Confederacy erected the monument more than thirty years after the war’s end. Credit J. Stephen Conn via Flickr
The Battle of Franklin left an indelible mark on the individuals who witnessed it, but as a community they tried to let the memory die. A monument to Confederate soldiers was eventually erected on the courthouse square, but it’s generic one, with no mention of the thousands who died right there.
Thanks to Kyle Gordon, Sarah Chang, Betsy Bahn, Tom Ashley and Grant Farmer for voicing the written words of Figuers, Courtney, Nichol, Hood and M’Niell in the audio version of this story.
Correction, 12/2/14: The headline of this story has been changed. A previous headline inferred that there were 10,000 corpses after the battle of Franklin. We meant to say that there were 10,000 ‘casualties’, a statistic that includes those killed, injured or missing.
Why Nathan Bedford Forrest Is The Civil War Officer We Still Fight About
Sacrifice, Not Battle, Made Tennessean Sam Davis The Confederate 'Boy Hero'
Battle of Stones River
Fort Negley and the Hope of Freedom
Civil War Sesquicentennial: Nashville's Occupation
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line891
|
__label__wiki
| 0.795522
| 0.795522
|
The U.S. Military Loses Its Emissions Exemption in the Paris Climate Deal
By Arthur Neslen
The U.S. military and armed forces of countries around the world will no longer be automatically exempted from emissions-cutting obligations under the UN Paris climate deal, the Guardian has learned.
Although the U.S. never ratified the Kyoto Protocol, it won an opt-out from having to fully report or act on its armed forces’ greenhouse gas emissions, which was then double-locked by a House national defense authorization bill in 1999.
Under the Paris agreement, countries would not be obliged to cut their military emissions but, equally, there would be no automatic exemption for them either.
U.S. officials privately say that the deal adopted on Saturday has no provisions covering military compliance one way or another, leaving decisions up to nation states as to which national sectors should make emissions cuts before 2030.
“If we’re going to win on climate we have to make sure we are counting carbon completely, not exempting different things like military emissions because it is politically inconvenient to count them,” Stephen Kretzmann, Oil Change International’s director told the Guardian. “The atmosphere certainly counts the carbon from the military, therefore we must as well.”
The U.S. military is widely thought to be the world’s biggest institutional consumer of crude oil, but its emissions reporting exemptions mean it is hard to be sure.
According to Department of Defense figures, the U.S. army emitted more than 70m tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year in 2014. But the figure omits facilities including hundreds of military bases overseas, as well as equipment and vehicles.
Activities including intelligence work, law enforcement, emergency response, tactical fleets and areas classified as national security interests are also exempted from reporting obligations.
The U.S. military requested the original Kyoto exemption on national security grounds. While the Obama administration is not looking to the military for emissions cuts before 2030, U.S. republicans argue that future presidents, such as the socialist candidate Bernie Sanders for the Democrats, could.
“Lets face it, vast swathes of our military are big carbon emitters—tanks, Jeeps, humvees, jet planes—and of course much of our navy is not nuclear-powered, so [the Paris agreement] could be used as a trojan horse,” said Steven Groves, a senior research fellow at the U.S. think tank the Heritage Foundation.
He added: “This might be a good opportunity for people concerned with national security to go to congress and get some type of legislative exemption in the same way as was done during the Kyoto time period.”
One of the first advocates of the House double-lock on the Kyoto exemption was Dick Cheney, according to a book called ‘The greening of the US military’ by Terry Lee Anderson, a senior fellow at Stanford University. Cheney argued that the Kyoto clause would not cover U.S. unilateral actions in a letter, which was also signed by other former security officials.
The Iraq war was responsible for 141m tonnes of carbon releases in its first four years, according to an Oil Change International report. On an annual basis, this was more than the emissions from 139 countries in this period, or about the same as putting an extra 25m cars on to US roads for a year.
The paper found that projected U.S. spending on the Iraq war could cover all global investments in renewable energy needed to halt global warming trends in the period to 2030.
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration.
paris climate 2015, Climate Desk, Climate Change, Climate, Environment, Pentagon, American military
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line894
|
__label__cc
| 0.664671
| 0.335329
|
Prime Minister expresses sadness over loss of lives at Irreecha
Elias Tesfaye
Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn extended condolences over the death of people because of violence occurred at the thanksgiving festival of the Oromo people, Irreecha, today.
The Prime Minister expressed sadness over the loss of lives at the festival that promotes peace, stability and tolerance.
Hailemariam expressed sorrow over the death of 52 people at the festival, which was going smoothly until the violence started. He said this shouldn’t happen at a festival that signifies tolerance and unity.
Noting that spectators were converging on Bishoftu since early in the morning to take part in the observance, Hailemariam said the festival was peaceful.
Here is the Message for Ethiopian People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSBqDjxNKI0
But, the peaceful celebration has turned into a violence that took the lives of many people, because of the violence instigated by anti-peace elements, he added.
Instigating violence on the day that the Oromo people thank their creator is an activity against the principle of the Oromo and an act that undermines identity of the people, he added.
Saying the government will bring the perpetrators of this act into justice, the Premier called on the Oromo people to stand with the government.
Noting that the government has exerted maximum effort to control the situation peacefully, he appreciated the police for the work they have done. ENA
Bishoftu Hospital confirms stampede, suffocation caused Irrecha deaths
Ethiopia declares mourning for loss of lives at Irecha Festival
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line895
|
__label__wiki
| 0.702508
| 0.702508
|
Home >> Business >> Plans Underway To Shut Down ‘Google Plus’ Following A Security Breach
Plans Underway To Shut Down ‘Google Plus’ Following A Security Breach
Google has announced it would shut down Google Plus, the company’s social media platform, after it discovered a security vulnerability that exposed the private data of up to 500,000 users of the service.
In a blogpost by Google on Monday, when the company’s technical staff discovered the bug in March, they decided against disclosing the issue to users because they hadn’t found anyone that had been affected.
In the blog post, Google said its “Privacy & Data Protection Office” decided the company was not required to report the security issue. Google looked at the “type of data involved, whether we could accurately identify the users to inform, whether there was any evidence of misuse, and whether there were any actions a developer or user could take in response. None of these thresholds were met in this instance,” wrote Ben Smith, a Google vice president of engineering..
Up to 438 applications may have had access to the vulnerability, but Google said it had found no evidence that outside developers were aware of the security flaw and no indication that any user profiles were misused.
The incident could face additional scrutiny because of a memo to senior executives reportedly prepared by Google’s policy and legal teams that warned of embarrassment for Google similar to what happened to Facebook earlier this year if it went public with the vulnerability.
The decision to shut down Google Plus was part of a broad review of how much user information Google shares with third-party developers. Google, a unit of Alphabet, also said it is limiting the apps that can work with Gmail, the company’s email service, and constraining the amount of data that developers can access through Android, Google’s smartphone software.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line900
|
__label__cc
| 0.521486
| 0.478514
|
An Infidel in Paradise
by S.J. LaidlawS.J. Laidlaw
Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn't enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate.
Susan Laidlaw has twenty years experience as a teacher and counselor in schools and clinical settings around the world. She has published articles on parenting and has led workshops for parents and professional educators on a diverse range of topics related to raising and working with third culture children. When she isn't backpacking through Asia or birdwatching around her island home in Honduras, she can be found writing stories. Susan Laidlaw currently resides in Indonesia.
Gr 9 Up—Sixteen-year-old Emma, daughter of a Canadian diplomat, has moved from country to country all her life, but after her parents' rancorous divorce, she is forced to move from the Philippines to a diplomatic compound in Islamabad, where her mother has been posted. Emma resents the numerous restrictions, the loss of her friends, and the dullness of life in Pakistan, and is angry about her father's desertion and her mother's constant work-related absences. She alienates other students on the first day at her new school when she gives an honest answer to the question, "How are you enjoying Pakistan?" but she eventually makes some tentative friendships and tries to address some of the poverty-related issues around her. However, political tensions and her own ill-advised attraction to a handsome Pakistani classmate lead to trouble, and on one horrifying night, Emma is trapped outside the diplomatic enclave in the middle of a riot. She is attacked and nearly raped before being rescued by Pakistani soldiers. However, the novel ends on a hopeful note with Emma reaching out to her family and new friends. This is an honest and realistic story about being an outsider in another country (much of it is based on the author's own experiences). Emma could have easily come off as whiny and unsympathetic, but the author shows that she has legitimate reasons for her grief and pain. Laidlaw does not hold back from depicting some of the less-attractive aspects of Pakistani life, but she also conveys a sense of the beauty and wonder of this culture.—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
Winner – IODE Violet Downey Book Award
Nominated – Snow Willow Award
Selected – OLA’s Best Bets List for Kids and Teens
Selected – VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers
“Laidlaw, a globetrotting social worker, puts her firsthand knowledge of faraway lands and cultures to good use in this exciting tale of a Canadian teen’s encounters with some of the best and worst features of a radically different society. Emma’s first-person, present-tense narration is realistic and compelling”
—VOYA Magazine
“This is an honest and realistic story about being an outsider in another country (much of it is based on the author's own experiences)…. Laidlaw does not hold back from depicting some of the less-attractive aspects of Pakistani life, but she also conveys a sense of the beauty and wonder of this culture.”
“An Infidel in Paradise is a very well-written evocation of both a tormented teen and the exotic setting she finds herself in … teen readers will relate to Emma’s struggles and learn much from this excellent portrayal of culture clash.”
—Quill and Quire
“Laidlaw has created a rich and layered text. Readers see Emma and her world through multiple lenses: teenager, diplomat, Canadian. Her descriptions of both the very rich and the very poor communities of Islamabad are carefully and respectfully drawn. Seeing this world through the eyes of a teenager gives the reader the opportunity to explore the differences in a very engaging way…. Highly recommended”
—CM Magazine
“S.J. Laidlaw could have imbued An Infidel in Paradise with the same resentment that is implied in the scathing indictment of ‘Infidel!’ leveled against Emma but she does not. Instead, she plays with the idea that the safety of ‘inside,’ whether it be the compound, one's comfort zone or culture, and the danger of ‘outside’ is not always the case. It has more to do with perception and broaching that transition with caution in an effort to make both territories manageable. Even Emma is able to find herself accepting her new life as An Infidel in Paradise.
—CanLit for Little Canadians
". . . I hope every teen reads this book, and that everyone who knows a teen reads it. An Infidel in Paradise was a pleasure to read (even if it did make me cry more than once), and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more work by S.J. Laidlaw."
“…Laidlaw, a globetrotting social worker, puts her firsthand knowledge of faraway lands and cultures to good use in this exciting tale of a Canadian teen’s encounters with some of the best and worst features of a radically different society. Emma’s first-person, present-tense narration is realistic and compelling, providing entertaining contrasts between her thoughts and her actions.”
— VOYA
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line905
|
__label__cc
| 0.744322
| 0.255678
|
Are All Textbooks Actually Required?
Buying and renting textbooks at the beginning of each semester is perhaps one of the most stressful and tedious aspects of college life. Before classes start, students are able to log on to their WebAdvisor account to view the list of books needed for each course and whether or not they are required or only recommended by the professor.
While The Outlook staff understands the educational value of text books, most feel that they are unnecessary.
Because the University encourages both students and faculty to utilize the various online outlets that are provided such as eCampus, where professors have the ability to upload assigned readings, The Outlook feels as though it would be a lot easier and cheaper if professors just posted all of their readings online. In fact, one editor expressed that the college textbook is irrelevant because of all of the web-based tools that exist today.
The University library also provides online databases such as Ebsco Host that make scholarly articles, journals and other publications available to students and faculty free of charge. Some of The Outlook staff believes that professors can find the same or similar information in these databases as they can in expensive textbooks.
Other editors explained that it is not the purchasing of textbooks that is troublesome; it is the amount of times the textbook is actually put to use. "I don't want to carry around 20 pounds of dead paper weight all semester," said one editor. "If we're going to use the book more than a few times then it might be worth it."
Another editor expressed the same opinion, saying that the worst part of spending hundreds of dollars on books is when they are never used during class. They explained that a specific book was deemed required for a particular class, but even after the professor made students purchase the textbook it was never used once during the entire semester.
Not only is the process of buying or renting textbooks frustrating for some students, but returning and selling books back can be an even more discouraging experience. If for some reason a student drops or adds a class in the very beginning of the semester, textbooks rented from the University bookstore can be returned up until the end of add/drop week, with the original receipt.
However, the textbooks that come with either a special edition CD-ROM or online access code can only be returned if the plastic wrapping remains untouched. If the plastic that is used to protect these books when they are first issued to students is removed or ripped, the bookstore will not take it back. One editor experienced this personally after attempting to return a book with a little tear in the plastic.
A handful of professors at the University also write their own textbooks that they require students to purchase or rent for their classes. Not only is attaining these books a hassle, mostly because they can only be found in the University bookstore, often for more money than books from online sellers, but selling back these textbooks is also an inconvenience for many students. One editor purchased a book that was written by the professor and was only able to sell it on Chegg.com for $5.
Much like the textbooks written and assigned by professors, books that students must acquire in a certain edition also cause some controversy. Quite a few professors ask that their students purchase a specific edition of a book at the beginning of each semester and this can be a struggle in terms of both buying and selling back these particular textbooks. One editor said, "People spend so much time and money to write these books and then there is just another created the next year."
Overall, The Outlook staff understands that textbooks, when used properly and efficiently, act as important aids in the process of learning. However, the expensive prices, the difficulty that students face when it comes to selling them back, and some professors' decisions to hardly ever implement readings from the books they assign all lead most Outlook editors to wearily accept the idea of using textbooks in the classroom.
Editorial: Articles By Volume
All articles appearing in the Opinion/Editorial section of The Outlook are solely the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the views of The Outlook’s editors (unless otherwise noted) or any and all advertisers. Opinion articles are run unedited and the content is the sole responsibility of their authors. All students and faculty are welcome to respond to any opinion piece that appears on these pages, and everyone is encouraged to submit an article for consideration. The Outlook reserves the right to withhold any articles deemed inappropriate or otherwise unfit to print in the Opinion/Editorial section. Due to legalities, The Outlook will no longer print anonymous articles.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line908
|
__label__wiki
| 0.743559
| 0.743559
|
Subscribe to the Sports Section RSS Feed!
The Gun Show || Business of the Sport: A Look at the Impact of the NBA's Lockout on NCAA Basketball
Written by DAN GUNDERMAN | STAFF WRITER
As the basketball season approaches, it’s hard not to focus on the lingering problem centered in professional basketball right now. The National Basketball Association, currently in a lockout because of conflicts between the league and the player’s union, has a lot of repercussions in NCAA basketball. First off, a significant amount of media attention will be jolted at the NCAA because of a lack of NBA developments. This is a dream come true for college fans looking for broader national media attention.
It’s presumable that many CBS televised college games will be the center of the sports world this year. With the NBA season approaching and still no deal cut and both sides clearly far apart on the issue, college basketball is looking at a hugely profitable season. But this week’s piece centers in on more of an inside look at a facet dealing with both the college and professional sides: impact of the lockout on recent graduates and draftees into the NBA.
Two rounds of draftees, or 60 college athletes just gave up career aspirations and possibly the remainder of a college education to enter the professional sports world. Many without their bachelor’s degree and most barely 21 or 22 years-old, were plunged into the business side of the profession. Shortly after having their dreams come true and being drafted onto a NBA class roster, the player’s union and league officials drifted apart in terms of division of revenues, length of agreements and salary cap.
Now all the money these players would (and should) be making is stalled as some have not signed contracts or whose contracts involve on court bonuses. These pros, or what you can also call recent students, have forgone significant income possibilities in the work world, giving up a further career path to join a basketball squad.
Men’s Soccer Wins Back-to-Back Games in Shut Out Fashion
Written by MAGGIE ZELINKA | STAFF WRITER
As the soccer season dwindles to an end, the men’s team continues to show their dominance over the conference. The Hawks hosted two opponents this weekend: the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Friday and St. Francis College on Sunday. With both games being conference games and the playoffs approaching, the team did not hesitate to start off the games in complete control.
The men began Friday’s match up with a fighting fever. Monmouth was able to shoot off 10 shots in the first half alone while Quinnipiac could not even manage a single shot. Monmouth did have eight fouls but they were overshadowed by freshman Kalle Sotka’s goal 35 minutes into the first half. Junior Ryan Clark and senior RJ Allen were awarded with the assist.
Quinnipiac became more intense during the second half after realizing that Monmouth was not going to ease up after scoring one goal. Quinnipiac had a total of seven shots in the second half while Monmouth had nine. The Bobcats were able to take four corner kicks which is double the amount Monmouth conducted. Although Quinnipiac brought a tougher game in the second half, they also became physically tougher. In a span of three minutes, they received three yellow cards; one card penalized the whole team. As a whole, the Bobcats were given four yellow cards while the Hawks restrained their selves and came away with their hands clean. Within the 53rd minute of play, Monmouth was able to increase their goals by one as freshman Andres Penfold found the net off of sophomore Joseph Schmid’s corner kick.
The game’s final score was a 20 win in Monmouth’s favor. MU’s goalie, Alex Blackburn, recorded another shutout along with six saves. With this game as a confidence booster, the team was prepared to host an 832 St. Francis College.
Soccer Team Defeats FDU in Double Overtime, but Falls to Sacred Heart
Written by MAGGIE ZELINKA | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Sometimes things are worth the wait. This statement proves to be true in the men’s soccer team match against Farleigh Dickinson on Friday.
Monmouth immediately attempted to overcome their opponent early on in the game by keeping the ball on FDU’s side on the midfield. It was clearly seen that this early pressure began to intimidate FDU as they had six fouls by the 30 minute mark of the first half.
Although Monmouth attacked viciously early, FDU did not hesitate to retaliate. For most of the game, the teams were evenly matched in skill level.
Three minutes into the second half, senior midfielder Max Hamilton received a yellow card, but besides that, the second half resembled the first half: shot after shot but no net found. The Hawks were applying every tactic against FDU’s players. They were crossing the ball, used headers, and even did some brief moves but it was not enough.
At the end of the second half, the score was still tied sending the game into overtime. Overtime consists of 10 minute periods in soccer and the winner is determined by sudden death. The first overtime period was completely dominated by FDU who only allowed Monmouth to take two shots.
Meanwhile, Farleigh Dickson took three shots, two corners, and received a yellow card with two minutes left in the period.
However, when the buzzer sounded to end the first overtime period, the score remained 00. The second overtime period began and Monmouth dominated this time with two shots and a corner kick while FDU had nothing to show.
Football Team Ends Two Game Skid by Defeating Bryant 40-35
Written by ED MORLOCK | ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
The Hawks went on the road and picked up a win in a high scoring affair against Bryant, 4035. Monmouth improves to 33 on the season, and 21 in NEC play.
Monmouth is now tied for third in the NEC. Albany and Duquesne are currently ahead of the Hawks. Both of these teams have to come into West
Long Branch later in the season for games that could decide the winner of the conference. The Blue and White opened up a large lead in the second half, 3313 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. The lead almost slipped away, but the Hawks made the plays they needed when the chips were down.
MU Head Coach Kevin Callahan said, “Early on we generated some positive momentum with the three turnovers and the safety.” He continued, “Unfortunately, late in the third quarter it began to slip away from us but the players responded. I was really happy with the way the players stayed with it, fought and played hard.”
For the Hawks on offense, Julian Hayes and Neal Sterling had huge games. Hayes carried the ball a whopping 32 times for 89 yards and three touchdowns. Sterling tallied 11 catches for 102 yards and a fourth quarter touchdown to put the Hawks up 12 with only seven minutes remaining in the game.
Kyle Frazier also had a good day running the ball. Having only three carries, Frazier was able to gain 67 yards and a touchdown. Most of the yards came on a 50yard run by the quarterback.
Frazier had to leave the game with a knee injury. Craig Peterson came in and didn’t miss a beat. Peterson completed 7 of 11 pass attempts for 70 yards and the game winning touchdown to Sterling.
Field Hockey Extends Winning Streak to Six Straight Games
Written by GAVIN MAZZAGLIA | STAFF WRITER
The field hockey team added two more wins to their record this past weekend, improving to a record of 124(40).
The Hawks hosted Quinnipiac University on Friday afternoon. It was Monmouth who got on the board very quickly, when Patricia O’Dwyer scored just 33 seconds into the game. About 12 minutes later, she took it to the hole and scored again, notching her ninth of the season. “The midfielders did a lot of work on the possession, setting up my opportunity to score,” O’Dwyer said.
The Hawks were off to a very fast start, but Quinnipiac responded only a few minutes later. Quinnipiac’s Kaitlyn Notarianni scored two consecutive goals, tying the game up at two. Both of her goals were unassisted.
A rain delay for over an hour at halftime held the match up for a while, but the teams got back on the field eventually. “With a delay, it can go one way or another, but it did let us regroup mentally and physically,” Coach Carli Figlio said.
The game remained knotted at two until Michelle Pieczynski scored off a deflection in the 57th minute. It proved to be the game winning goal, giving the Hawks their 11th victory of the season. The Hawks also dominated in shots on net, 179 and led on penalty corners, 63.
On Sunday, the Hawks hosted Sacred Heart University. It was a quiet game overall, but Monmouth got on the board in the 19th minute when Michelle Pieczynski received a pass from O’Dwyer, who then fired it in the back of the net.
The Gun Show || Freshman Task: Silence the Critics
An Inside Look at Freshmen in College Football
Barely three months out of high school and already your number’s being called. The lights are cast down, the pressure is set on your shoulders and the beaming eyes of 80,000 spectators monitor your every move. Third and long…better hope coach draws up a play that will get the first down, if not there will be some hell to pay as a media frenzy ensues and immediately questions about talent level arise. What could possibly be the scenario?
True college freshmen, most 18 or barely 19 suit up, put on pads and enter an extremely structured, professional like surrounding. Following the binding pressure of being named starter, these freshmen are immediately cast into the spotlight and pressured to perform. In a 2011 season where more and more roster vacancies seem to appear, these freshmen teenagers are bound to the largest commitment of their lives up to that point.
A true inner test…the football season can become that for the freshman, tested in nearly everything he’s learned up to that point in life. NCAA Division I football and its brutal, topnotch and highly competitive atmosphere is a breeding ground for showcasing talent but also can be home to something far more severe. This is, watching a life’s worth of talent fickle out into the shape of a quarterback no one will remember in two years, or a defensive lineman whose dedicated lifestyle got him only as far as four years of ball could.
Today’s question is analyzing and describing the life of the true college freshman in NCAA football, and their impact on the game as a whole. All these players, from all positions embody the future of their programs but also show us what true talent is about, and on a scope far more broad and demanding than what they knew in the past. To perfectly display this topic, the brief careers of Braxton Miller and Gary Nova will be relayed.
“MAC Madness” Set to Fire Up Fans for Upcoming Basketball Season
Written by BRETT BODNER | MANAGING EDITOR
With the fall athletic season more than halfway over, winter sports have begun practice and are gearing up for the upcoming season. This winter, the University will see the debuts of two new head basketball coaches for both the men’s and women’s team, in King Rice and Jenny Palmateer. Since there is no 6:00 am game this year, the University will be hosting “MAC Madness” on Friday October 21 at the Mac.
“MAC Madness” is a University-wide event to celebrate the beginning of the basketball season.
All students, faculty, and employees are welcome to attend the two hour event, which will run from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
The event will consist of free food from local restaurants, free Monmouth gear, and there will be several giveaways and prizes as well. Students will have the opportunity to participate in “Minute-to-win-it” events, as well as a few games of knockout. Additionally, the first 100 people in attendance will receive free MAC Madness t-shirts.
Not only will attendees be able to compete in events for prizes, but both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be competing in various events as well. They will be taking part in a three-point contest, a 20 minute mixed men’s and women’s game. The game will work as an all-star game, as there will be opportunities for double points, 50 point shots, and most likely some trick shots and dunks.
Edward Occhipinti, Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing, Advertising and Promotions, says the overall goal is to get people pumped about the upcoming basketball season. “We want this to be an entertaining event for all of those who are in attendance and we are gearing towards growing attendance for the games. Our goal with this event is to do a lot of stuff in a short amount of time to raise excitement on and around campus,” Occhipinti said.
Football Teams Suffers Second Straight Loss at the Hands of Colgate University
The Hawks lost their second home game in a row this week against Colgate, falling to 23 on the season.
Everything was set for a great day at Kessler Field. The weather was beautiful, 75 degrees and sunny, with 3,452 fans in attendance providing a great atmosphere. Ex-Monmouth wide receiver Miles Austin was even on the sideline for the game.
It looked like the great day was going to continue, as the Hawks took a 146 lead with 3:09 remaining in the first half. From this point on, the day turned sour for the Blue and White and their fans.
Colgate has one of the top running backs in the country, Nate Eachus. Eachus lived up to the billing in this contest, carrying 27 times for 139 yards and a touchdown. He also had three catches for 29 receiving yards.
One reason for Monmouth’s poor showing was time of possession, and Eachus played a big role in that, grinding out the clock late in the game. Colgate had an 11 minute advantage here.
Along with Eachus, third and fourth down conversions kept drives alive, kept the MU defense on the field, and the offense on the sidelines. Colgate converted seven of 15 third downs, and all three fourth downs they attempted.
The defense is going to make mistakes when they spend over 35 minutes on the field. Monmouth safety Jose Gumbs said, “We weren’t wrapping up, we weren’t tackling. They were making big plays, converting third downs.”
Field Hockey Team on Four Game Winning Streak
The field hockey team added two more wins to their slate this past weekend. The Hawks had two road matchups against Bryant University and Siena College.
The Hawks traveled to Smithtown, Rhode Island on Friday night to take on Bryant. It was the conference opener for Monmouth.
Monmouth got to a very fast start, as they scored four goals in the first half. Michelle Pieczynski finished with a goal and two assists while Patricia O’Dwyer added a goal and an assist. Goalie Teresa Mathews had six saves, only allowing one goal. The Hawks scored their first goal in the 17th minute when Pieczynski found Kayleigh Kalamar who connected to the left corner of the cage to score her second goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, Pieczynski fired a pass to O’Dwyer who connected for the Hawk’s second goal of the game. It was O’Dwyer’s seventh goal of the season. With a little under 10 minutes left in the half, this time Pieczynski was the one on the scoring end. She used a backhand shot to sink the ball, and she was successful. It was her team-leading 12th goal of the season.
MU scored again two minutes later, as Kimmy Baligian passed the ball to Ashley McPeek on a corner who then pushed it over to O’Dwyer who gave it to Alex Carroll who struck for the fourth goal of the game. The strong team effort proved how dominant the Monmouth offense has been all season. Bryant scored their first and only goal with just under two minutes left in the first half.
The second half shared no action from either team, but it was good enough to preserve the 41 win for the Hawks. Monmouth controlled shots 1911 and penalty corners 159.
Men’s Soccer Knocks Off Bryant With a 2-0 Victory
The Monmouth Hawks men’s soccer team has improved their overall record to 83 with a win over the Bryant Bulldogs this past weekend. Just like the men have been doing for most of the season, they once again dominated the field early on in the game.
Eighteen minutes into the first half, freshman midfielder, Derek Luke, was able to put the Hawks on the board with a quick shot finding the back left corner of the net to make the scoreboard read 10. The assist was awarded to senior Christian Nogueira. Freshman Kalle Sotka scored the second goal shortly afterwards at the 36 minute mark by finding the left corner just like Luke was able to do; Sotka was assisted by junior standout Ryan Clark making the score 20 Monmouth.
With the theme of both goals being scored to the left of Bryant’s goalie, it could be assumed that the men noticed trends in their opponents play. “We do a balance of both [focus on their own skill as well as the opponents weakness] but try not to focus on the opposition too much. We don’t go crazy with scouting of other teams.” Coach McCourt continues, “We may find one or two weaknesses our opponents have and go with that but we try to focus on our own strengths over scouting the other team.” McCourt also commented on the freshmen’s play by stating, “The freshmen stepped up that game and are having a good season all together.”
Beginning the second half much like the first, the Hawks took complete control over Bryant right from the opening tap. The most noticeable difference in the teams’ play was the physical aspect of the sport. It appeared that both teams had less precautions about receiving a card and were mainly concerned about finding the goal. In a span of five minutes, Bryant managed to receive four fouls. Three of Bryant’s players were handed yellow cards while Monmouth stayed clean. Bryant finished the game with 19 fouls while Monmouth had 13 fouls.
The Gun Show || The Twelfth Man to Monmouth: Light Up Kessler Field
The time and place are set, the plans are made, just need the finishing touches and soon your group of friends will be going out to watch a sporting event. The setting is a Saturday evening on a warm day in fall and the occasion calls for an intriguing football matchup.
The only problem…this whole situation is completely unattainable. The reason for this disheartening statement: no lights on Kessler Field. No sporting events or social gatherings will be occurring there past sun down as the field can accommodate only day games.
In the bold move over the summer, lights were installed on the Great Lawn for our prestigious soccer program, a strategy that is sure to bring fans out at night to enjoy a ranked soccer team take on an NEC opponent. Or they will be able to witness the girls soccer team do the same, an increasingly popular site as the team is rising in NEC ranks.
But as the move is sure to draw crowds, still not too far away at Kessler Field, the facility does not employ night games. A football game, drawing much larger crowds than soccer, justifiably needs these lights for a change of pace and a new touch to the Monmouth athletic outlook.
As the stands are filled during our day games, with fans of all ages, even more would be able to be drawn to a night game. Following any daytime activities and or obligations the Monmouth fan would be able to enjoy the night game and unwind as the Pep Band cheers on Hawk fans and the players vie another win.
It’s clear-cut common sense at this point that the installation should occur. Becoming moments to mark off on the calendar, the night game could become another illustrious addition to the Monmouth resumé.
Sports: Articles By Volume
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line909
|
__label__wiki
| 0.549912
| 0.549912
|
Four Challenges for Open Data
2012-09-18 by Jeni Tennison
We've seen an amazing growth of interest in open data within the UK and worldwide over the past half-dozen years, but in my opinion there are still some challenges ahead if we want to get to a situation in which open data is being used to its full potential, by government and businesses and individuals. No doubt there are others that you can come up with now, and that will emerge as we move forward, but these are the four that are top of my list.
Free is not Always Open
There has been a welcome push recently to make data, particularly government data, freely available to whomever wants to use it. But making data freely available is only the first step in making it open for all to reuse. There are layers of barriers between information that anyone can get and data that anyone can use. I'm not just talking about licenses, or the format issues addressed by the five stars of open data, or even the community involvement tackled by the five stars of open data engagement, but barriers around comprehension and access and reliability. For example:
The COINS dataset released by the government several years ago is a good example of freely available data that is essentially closed to anyone without the time, resources and expertise to comprehend it. (Fortunately there are some people who do!)
Datasets that are only available as batch downloads raise barriers for those who are only interested in a portion of the dataset; those that are only available through an API make accessing the entire dataset for global analysis difficult.
When organisations want to build businesses on top of open data, they don't just need the data itself, but also guarantees around persistence, reliability, accuracy and general ongoing maintenance that enable them to invest in it without being concerned about the world shifting beneath their feet.
The star schemes and checklists for open data serve to highlight places where we have found that open data publication hasn't achieved the outcomes that we were hoping for, and ideas about what to do to address that. Which leads on to the second challenge.
Open is not Always Free
Raising the standard of open data releases, to lower the barriers for reusers of that data as described above, can be costly, and organisations are rarely motivated by benefits that come to other people. If they are going to be publish open data, they need to find an incentive to do so that is closer to home. I wrote recently about Open Data Business Models that help public sector and third-sector organisations save money and deliver on their primary task, and for-profits make money, by publishing open data. Open data does not have to be all burden and no benefit for publishers.
In addition, where resources are limited, organisations need to choose where to invest in increasing the quality of the open data they publish. Theories about what generally makes open data useful may be "true but useless" in the context of a specific organisation. Data owners need to connect directly with current and potential reusers, to understand what they need and focus on those requirements. This doesn't preclude unanticipated reuse, but it does help ensure that effort isn't wasted in development work that only might be useful.
Analysis is not Always Easy
Open data, and the plethora of tools that make it easy to visualise, can lure us into a false sense of comprehension. We can take a list of areas with associated numbers of cancer deaths, throw them into a map and pick out the lightest and darkest areas as being best and worst. But all too often we do this without thinking about whether the differences between the figures are either statistically or practically significant.
This matters when people make decisions based these kinds of analyses: how much money should be assigned to each area, what traffic calming facilities should be introduced, which head teachers should be sacked. Statisticians have known how to handle figures responsibly for more than a century; as open data grows up, we need to embed that rigour into the analyses and visualisations we produce.
Open Data is not Always Good
The final challenge for our aspirations for open data is that open data is purely a tool: it is not good in and of itself. Open data can help people make more informed decisions, but it can equally mislead people into making poor decisions, or enable individuals to make good decisions for themselves that, in aggregate, lead to a more divided society.
I recently read "Everything is Obvious" by Duncan J. Watts. He talks about the Music Lab experiment, in which users of an online music store were able to rate and download music tracks, and others see the aggregated ratings of each track. As expected, some tracks were vastly more popular than others. The twist of the experiment was that it was run in eight parallel networks, each with exactly the same songs, and in each world the final ratings of the songs were vastly different: each world had a different track that was vastly more popular than all the rest. Users would choose to listen to songs with higher ratings, and rate those more highly themselves, leading those same songs to get even better ratings, and so on, a feedback cycle leading to a popularity measure whose relationship to the actual musical quality of the track was almost non-existent.
It doesn't seem much of a stretch to imagine that the same pattern applies to making data available about pupil attainment, say:
parents make decisions about what school to send their children to based on pupil attainment scores
those who can afford to move house to have more of a chance for their children to attend a good school
these richer parents spend money on tutoring, on school trips, on extra-curricular activities and so on; the school has more resources to spend on the children
the children do better at school
the school's pupil's attainment marks go up
Run the cycle a few times and some schools blossom while others nose dive. We don't have the luxury of running this in eight parallel worlds, but it's not hard to see how initial minor deviations between schools can be exaggerated through this feedback cycle.
Open data can be a powerful force for social, environmental and economic change, but we shouldn't be blind to the fact that it can lead to bad outcomes as well as good -- or even no changes at all! We need to be clear about the goals that we want to achieve when we release open data, and monitor the impact of open data towards those goals, preferably experimentally, to build our evidence base.
Meeting the Challenges
With these challenges on my mind, I am really delighted to be taking up the position of Technical Director of the Open Data Institute. I am looking forward to addressing the challenges by
studying and spreading the word about open data successes and failures, to help us all learn from each other
helping data reusers to innovate around open data to drive good decision making
helping data owners to publish their data in ways that maximise the benefits to themselves, the reusers of their data, and society as a whole
contributing to the development of tools, services and standards to support this work
Most of all, I am excited about working with the open data community to magnify the impact of their extensive work on the individual concerns of new and existing businesses and public-sector organisations. We are as yet a small team at ODI, but it's one that I'm already proud to be part of.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line917
|
__label__cc
| 0.587128
| 0.412872
|
July 12, 2019 By Zola Zeester 4 Comments
“No more walks in the wood;
This is the aftermath
Of afternoons in the clover
Fields where we once made love
Then wandered home together
Where the trees arched above,
Where we made our own weather
When branches were the sky.
Now they are gone for good,
And you, for ill, and I
Am only a passer-by.”
— John Hollander, An Old-Fashioned Song
The Life and Loves of a Tree
We start loving trees as children because they are so much fun to climb and offer endless playtime adventures and hiding-out opportunities. As we get older, explore and learn more about trees, we find more to love and cherish.
Trees do many good things for the world — like cleaning the air, providing oxygen, and protecting us against a changing climate (to name just a few), and trees have incredible healing and restorative powers along with an ability to spark creative and spiritual inspiration. Just a short walk in the woods can lift your spirits. And, take a look around along the way. You may be surprised at what’s really going on among the trees.
A forest is actually a lot like a community of social beings. Yes, that’s right — trees in the forest are social, sharing, caring and also smart, having evolved to live in cooperative, interdependent relationships through communication and collective intelligence. And, all this extraordinary interaction among trees is happening underground, just inches below the surface.
Suzanne Simard, a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences in Vancouver, studies the below-ground fungal networks that connect trees and enable their underground “inter-tree” communication and interaction. In her TED presentation How Trees Talk To Each Other, Suzanne describes her field research (which included some tense moments with a bear) and the exciting discoveries during 30 years of study. [Ted Talk, courtesy of TED, CC BY–NC–ND 4.0 International]
Peter Wohlleben’s international best-seller The Hidden Life of Trees (2015) fascinated readers to the many wonders of the forest. In a new, illustrated edition, beautiful images provide the perfect complement to the original book, with striking close-ups of bark and seeds, panoramas of vast expanses of green, and a unique look at what is believed to be the oldest tree on the planet. [If you purchase a book via the link here to Amazon, Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase
FOREST THERAPY
Go To The Woods – Breathe Deeply – Be At Peace
In Japan, shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), is the practice of spending time within a forest to benefit from its therapeutic powers as well as to enjoy being surrounded by nature. Introduced in the early 1980’s as a Japanese national health program, it has become a popular healing practice throughout Japan and around the world.
Forest bathing activities may include relaxation techniques such as mindful meditation, yogic breathing (yoga deep breathing exercise) and aromatherapy as well as walking or simply standing in a forest absorbing it all through the five senses (sight, touch, smell, sound and taste). For the best experience, participants are encouraged to select a safe, secure forest and relaxation methods that best fit their needs and preferences.
Forest Bathing – Forest Therapy Society (Tokyo, Japan)
Association of Nature & Forest Therapy – find a forest bathing guide, workshops and programs
Technical Recreational Tree-Climbing, a style of tree climbing requiring special equipment and techniques, continues to grow in popularity as an enlightening outdoor experience with therapeutic benefits as climbers ascend into the crowns of tall trees and canopies of forests. Basic training is essential to learning how to use the ropes, saddles, and techniques safe for both the climber and tree.
Once a year, Tim Kovar, an adventurous arborist and tree climbing instructor, takes a few people on a climb up one of the tallest trees in the world — an 850 year old California redwood called the Grandfather. It’s a summit Tim says less people have attempted than Mt. Everest.
Go Tree Climbing – The Global Organization of Tree Climbers provides information on training, climbing programs, and safety. Tree Climbers Rendezvous 2018 is a tree climbing event open to all levels of experience, scheduled to be held in Costa Rican Cloud Forest August 24-28.
Tree Climbers International – promotes tree climbing as a safe recreational activity for people of all ages, and offers recreational tree climbing courses from basic to advanced.
Do Trees Talk to Each Other? by Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine (March 2018)
Alternative Healing, A Walk in the Forest by Catie Liebeck, Pulitzer Center (April 25, 2016)
How Trees Calm Us Down by Alex Hutchinson, The New Yorker (July 23, 2015)
Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
When You Give a Tree an Email Address, by Adrienne LaFrance, Atlantic Monthly (July 10, 2015) The city of Melbourne assigned email addresses to trees so that citizens could report problems with a specific tree. Instead of reporting problems, people wrote thousands of love letters to their favorite trees.
Find a Forest Near You – interactive map & online search tools to help you find forests in US and Puerto Rico
10 Incredible Forest Walks To Add To Your Bucket List by Richard Madden, The Telegraph Travel/Tours (August 7, 2017)
Want to get involved and help trees? Our world can certainly benefit in many ways with more trees. Here’s a list of just a few of the organizations dedicated to planting trees and restoring and protecting forests around the world:
National Forest Foundation – Nonprofit partner to the US Forest Service (chartered in 1993) that promotes health and enjoyment of America’s forests with community involvement, tree planting programs, collaborative research, funding grants, and information resources
Arbor Day Foundation – Nonprofit conservation and education organization that provides information and support for the planting of trees in cities and communities and restoring forests around the world. [Search for Arbor Day celebration dates across America and around the world → here]
Tree People – A nonprofit organization that inspires and supports the people of Los Angeles, California to plant and care for trees, harvest the rain, and renew depleted landscapes.
3 Ways To Get Involved – Crowtherlab – Includes a global interactive map and list of organizations to help you learn more about tree planting and forest restoration and find a project you’d like to support.
Feature photo is courtesy of Spring Fed Images/Unsplash CC0
Gordon Hempton is a ‘sound tracker’, traveling the world in search of vanishing sounds, including silence. He found a quiet spot in the Washington Hoh rainforest, and takes us there in the short video documentary, Preserving One Square Inch of Silence.
Filed Under: Insight, Nature, Science, Video Tagged With: Environment, Exploration, Planet Earth
Saving Our Ocean
June 15, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
The global Ocean covers 72% of the Earth surface, and it does more than its share to sustain life on Planet Earth. It feeds us, and is the source of the water we drink and the air we breathe. It provides precious minerals, metals and energy resources, and generates revenues and jobs in marine-related industries. Yet, we have failed miserably in protecting the Ocean from harm.
In fact, for too long, humans have exploited natural resources and misused the environment in such disdainful, foolhardy ways that as much as 40% of the world oceans have been severely affected by pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats, and the escalating damage now threatens the survival of future generations. *Some sad facts:
6.5 million tons of litter enters the world’s oceans each year, and 50% is long-lasting plastic that will drift for hundreds of years before it is degraded.
80% of marine pollution comes from land-based sources.
Human health suffers from the contamination of coastal waters. [250 million/year cases of gastroenteritis and respiratory disease; 50,000-100,000/year deaths caused by eating infected shellfish]
60% of the Pacific and 35% of the Atlantic coast shorelines are eroding at a rate of one meter each year.
About 30% of the world’s reefs are seriously damaged and 60% could be lost by 2030.
75% of fisheries worldwide are fully exploited or overexploited. If habitat destruction and over fishing continue, the world’s seafood populations could collapse by 2048.
BIG, powerful (sometimes dangerous), and a beautiful BLUE, humans have a strong affinity for the Ocean. We love to play and explore at, in and near ocean waters as well as sit, walk and drive on a beach for hours. The sounds, smells and just the feel of the sea air seem to trigger a sense of peace and calm in the human brain, and there are also feelings of awe and joy in being so close to nature and wildlife. Unfortunately, the Ocean and sea life are suffering after many decades of human abuse and neglect, and there won’t be much left for future generations unless we stop the destruction and make big changes in how we live and care for this critical life force.
RIGHT NOW LET’S DO BETTER
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact in the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. —Dame Jane Morris Goodall
♥ Each and every day, Be Mindful about energy consumption at work and at home. Teach children about the importance of energy saving alternatives, and enact eco-friendly company polices.
♥ Choose seafood that is sustainable. Express your concern should you notice a threatened species offered by a seafood supplier, on a restaurant menu, or at a grocery seafood counter.
♥ Try to reduce/eliminate plastic containers, straws and bags from your life. Reuse and Recycle when possible. If you live or work in an area that does not provide recycling pick-up services and/or has not yet adopted a plastic bag ban ordinance, get things going by voicing your concern and the community’s needs. [Check out Emma Nelson’s 5 clever ideas to reduce the plastic in your life]
♥ Appreciate and Respect the Beach. Don’t litter. Clean up after yourself. Don’t interfere with wildlife. Don’t remove rocks or coral.
♥ Be Responsible when enjoying water sports and recreation. Brush up on ‘Ocean Etiquette’, and follow water and boating safety rules. Never throw anything into the Ocean. If you’re planning a cruise holiday, research to find the most eco-friendly options.
♥ Don’t sell or purchase products made of materials that harm marine life, such as coral, tortoiseshell, sharkskin.
♥ Be an ‘Ocean-Friendly’ pet owner. Look for sustainable seafood ingredients on pet food labels. Allow your dog only on designated dog beaches, never leave your dog unattended at the beach (keep on leash or under voice control), and if there is an accident, clean up the doggie poop. Never flush cat litter down a toilet. Avoid stocking aquariums with wild-caught saltwater fish, and never release aquarium fish into the Ocean or any other body of water.
♥ Support organizations working to protect the Ocean by giving financial support, joining campaign efforts, and/or volunteering Ocean Conservancy The World Ocean Network Green Peace The Ocean Project World Wildlife Fund O’Neill Sea Odyssey Sea Shepherd Sea Legacy
♥ Influence Change in Government. Research the ocean protection policies and voting records of public officials and platforms of political candidates before you vote, and let your representatives know you support laws that protect our oceans, beaches and sea life.
American voters: Click here to view environmental record of all members of Congress → National Environmental Scorecard Contact your state and federal representatives to let them know you support ocean conservation projects, and ask them to do the same (find your US congressional representatives → HERE
Australian voters: The Open Australia Foundation – Did I really vote for that? Discover voting records of politicians in federal parliament and official register of interests
Canadian voters: Keeping Tabs on Parliament – Find your MP, see what your representative is saying and what laws they are proposing
UK voters: They Work For You Search Parliament and Assemblies by name, party, position, and topics of debate
You’ll be surprised to see what lies
beneath the waves – Art Underwater
The “Underwater Discoveries” On2In2™ video collection
allows you to swim through the unique beauty of sea life,
without the dive gear. FREE to watch, on-demand
“Saving our Ocean” is an edited version of an article originally published on the “Zblog” by Zeester Media LLC
*Information/Statistical Sources: Ocean Conservancy, The World Ocean Network, and The United Nations (World Oceans Day)
⇒ June 8 is World Oceans Day Find an event & join the celebration of the world’s oceans→ HERE
⇒ International Coastal Cleanup Day is celebrated annually the third Saturday in September.
(Save the Date: September 21, 2019)
Nearly 800,000 volunteers collected more than 18 million pounds of trash during the 2015 International Coastal Cleanup project. (In 2016, 18.4 million pounds were collected). This graphic from Ocean Conservancy lists the top ten category items collected in 2015. Top of the list– at #1 is cigarette butts. Then, it’s plastic, glass and some metal: 2) plastic beverage bottles; 3) food wrappers; 4) plastic bottle caps; 5) straws/stirrers; 6) other plastic bags; 7) glass beverage bottles; 8) plastic grocery bags; 9) metal bottle caps; 10) plastic lids
How to turn plastic trash found on the beach
into a work of art → Art Transforming Trash
• The beautiful blue Ocean wave photo is courtesy of Emiliano Arano/Pexels CC0
• Ocean Heart photo is courtesy of Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash CC0
Filed Under: Enlighten, Experience, Insight, Nature Tagged With: Environment, Ocean, Planet Earth, Wildlife
Art Underwater
June 5, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
“For Art may err, but Nature cannot miss.” — John Dryden, The Cock and the Fox
Underwater public arts projects created by the visionary Jason deCaires Taylor are not just unique exhibition spaces for divers and snorkelers to enjoy. They’re also examples of successful marine conservation efforts as the sculptures serve as habitats for all sorts of sea life which transform Taylor’s work into living, constantly evolving art that inspires an appreciation for the natural beauty of the mysterious world underwater. This video takes you there.
He had a very big idea — create giant cement sculptures and place them on the ocean floor in areas with barren sea beds. Then, in 2006, Jason deCaires Taylor founded and created the world’s first underwater sculpture park off the west coast of Grenada in the West Indies. It was a great success, and has been listed as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic. In 2009, he co-founded an underwater sculpture museum, Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), that includes a collection of over 500 of his art works in the waters of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc, Mexico. More underwater sculpture gardens followed in the Bahamas and Spain, and he’s currently working on a new project in the Maldives. In this TED Talk, Taylor shares his story and breathtakingly beautiful photography.
Jason DeCaires Taylor talk is courtesy of TED, CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International
Gallery: The sculpture garden at the bottom of the sea, by Kate Torgovnick May, Ted.com blog article (December 23, 2015)
Locations Map of the underwater sculpture exhibits around the world (Jason DeCaires Taylor Projects)
Underwater Sculpture Park – Granada, West Indies, Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area
(listed as one of the Top 25 Wonders of the World by National Geographic)
Bahamas Reef Environment Education Foundation (BREEF) Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden (Included in the sculpture garden is, Ocean Atlas, a young Bahamian girl who appears to be holding up the ocean, and at 60 tons/18 ft tall, it’s the largest underwater sculpture in the world.)
Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), Museum of art under the waters of Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc (Viewing via glass bottom boat, scuba and snorkeling)
Museo Atlántico, Located near the south coast of Lanzarote, in the Bahía de Las Coloradas, Spain
Alluvia, Sculpture lies at bottom of the river Stour running through city of Canterbury in Kent, UK
Pemuteran Temple Garden (statues of Buddha, Ganesha, Turtles behind an ornate Balinese gateway, constructed as one of three Bali Reef Foundation/Australian Aid funded projects)
Dive In2 deep waters and explore the otherworldly beauty of ocean life Watch: Underwater Discoveries, an On2In2™ collection of short videos, Free-to-Watch, On-Demand
BIG, POWERFUL (sometimes dangerous), and a beautiful BLUE, the Ocean does more than its share to sustain life on Planet Earth. Saving Our Ocean
Feature photo is a screen shot taken from the Jason DeCaires Taylor Ted Talk video
Filed Under: Insight, Nature, Video, Visual Arts, Water Tagged With: Art, Ocean, Planet Earth
May 2, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
When Earth is viewed from the vantage of space, the experience is awe-inspiring. It’s called “The Overview Effect”, described by astronauts as an overwhelming feeling and realization that our planet is beautiful, fragile and an “interconnected whole with one destiny”. Seeing Earth from space is also the best place for scientists to learn about our planet, and the ability to fly into space satellites that continuously gather data and images has provided an important tool to our understanding of the Earth and its environment. Watch these videos for a short ride above the the Earth and see for yourself.
Time-Lapse Earth is a short video produced by Bruce W. Berry Jr. using sequences taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbited Earth. ISS makes the trip about once every 90 mins at a speed of 27,600kmh/17,150mph and altitude of 400km/250mi.
NASA’s The Earth: 4K Extended Edition offers ultra high definition views of Earth captured in 2016 by NASA astronaut Jeff Williams during an ISS mission. You’ll see the French Riviera and the Sahara Desert, cross North America from Texas up to Canada, and more as the camera orbits Earth from 250 miles up.
In this December 6, 2017 Gravity Assist podcast, Jim Green, Director of Planetary Science at NASA, is joined by Tom Wagner of NASA’s Earth Science Division, to talk about the Earth, it’s sea ice and volcanoes, and how studying planets like Venus and Mars helps provide clues about the future of our home planet. Just click/tap the play button ▶ to listen to the audio recording.
Want to see more from outer space?
It’s free to watch the Cosmos video on demand channel, a collection of On2In2™ selected ‘out-of-this-world’ short videos.
Take a look at these incredible views of the Universe
—- Mysteries of a Galaxy
Feature photo courtesy of NASA, sourced from Unsplash CC0
Filed Under: Cosmos, Playlists, Video Tagged With: Documentary, Exploration, Planet Earth
The Overview Effect
April 21, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
The iconic Earthrise photo was taken in 1968 by NASA astronaut William A. Anders during the Apollo 8 mission, the first manned spaceflight to orbit the Moon. Never before had a human observed the Earth rising, and Anders’ amazing, first-ever color photo of our stunningly beautiful planet emerging from a lunar horizon still takes your breath away.
“We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.” — William A. Anders
To See The Earth As It Truly Is*
[su_quote cite=”Frank Borman “]It was very, very sobering to see this little blue marble in the middle of all that darkness. [/su_quote]
The awe-inspiring effect of seeing the whole Earth from the vantage of space (known as “Earth gazing”) is most often described as an overwhelming sense that Earth is an “interconnected whole with one destiny”. An understanding that’s key to our survival. Of course, we can’t see it and feel it firsthand (only 24 humans out of 7.3 billion world population have had the experience) until space travel becomes practical for the general public, but innovative technology continues to provide us with more and better information and visuals.
The short documentary Overview (from Planetary Collective) explores a cosmic worldview with reflections from “Earth gazing” astronauts and philosophers as well as beautiful space imagery. Watch and be inspired by the “unity and oneness of all life on Earth”.
Earthrise: Remembering Apollo 8. Launched on December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to reach the Moon, orbit it and return, and its crew became the first humans to see and photograph the Earth emerging from behind the lunar horizon. Watch as the Griffith Lab All Space Considered team recalls the lead up, events and discoveries of this historic mission in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
*”To see the earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold — brothers who know now they are truly brothers.” Archibald MacLeish (1892 – 1982) American poet
Take a virtual ride on a satellite for awesome views of Earth
Moonwalk (December 13, 1972) NASA
Want to see more of what’s out there in space? The short video documentary, “The Last Steps” will take you to a ‘back to the future’ moment in time with original film footage, photographs and audio recordings from Apollo 17, NASA’s final Apollo program mission, and the last time a human walked on the moon. Watch more “out of this world” videos via the “Cosmos Channel“, free to watch, on-demand.
A retrospective look at discoveries and images of Saturn
captured during the 20 year Cassini Mission, plus some
info on when and how you can see Saturn in 2017
“The Overview Effect” is an edited version of an article originally published on the “Zblog” by Zeester Media LLC.
Earthrise photo credit: NASA
Filed Under: Cosmos, Enlighten, History, Insight, Science, Video Tagged With: Documentary, Exploration, Planet Earth, Space Travel
March 13, 2019 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments
[su_quote cite=”Edward Whymper, Scrambles Amongst the Alps “]Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. [/su_quote]
Avalanches are not rare or random events. Most common during winter and spring, avalanches can occur any time of the year, and they are among the most threatening natural hazards to life and property in mountainous terrain.
Spontaneous avalanches result from either a weakening of a snowpack and gravity or an increased load on it due to precipitation. Avalanches are also triggered by disturbances from skiers, snowmobilers, animals, and seismic activity. A loud noise or shouting, however, is not a trigger as commonly believed unless the sound comes from an explosive device (frequently used to prevent avalanches in at-risk areas by triggering a small avalanche to remove instabilities in a snowpack).
If you ski, board or ride in the backcountry, live in or travel through snow covered mountainous terrain, the threat of avalanches must not be ignored as the dangers are very real.
This too real video by TahoeChappy captures the frightening experience of a backcountry skier as he triggers an avalanche, is buried and miraculously dug out in 4 minutes/28 seconds. He got very lucky. Not everyone gets that kinda luck.
In North America, 42-45 people on average are killed by avalanches (more than 150 worldwide), and hundreds more are injured. Most are snowmobilers, skiers, and snowboarders. Sobering reminders that whether you’re a backcountry expert or newbie, don’t venture out without understanding and preparing for the dangers. The good news — there are many resources available to help you learn how to reduce the risks.
Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center – non-profit organization based in Bozeman, Montana USA supporting avalanche awareness and education – find forecast, information and events
Colorado Avalanche Information Center and Utah Avalanche Center – backcountry avalanche forecasts, observations, accident reports, and education
Avalanche Training recommended by American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) for both recreational and professional backcountry adventurers
What You Can Do? – Avalanche Awareness Tutorial
The Power of Training – Avalanche Canada
European Avalanche School
What To Do If You Get Caught in an Avalanche, by Kate Baggaley, Popular Science (May 16, 2017)
EPIC SKIMO – Free-to-watch ski mountaineers take on extreme challenges of the mountain with a world record & personal goals in mind
A Skier’s Journey A free-to-watch, on-demand video series that follows adventure skiers as they travel the world, discovering great beauty and dangers in the mountains.
Feature photo is courtesy of Flickr user, Prasan, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Filed Under: Adventure, Snow & Ice, Video Tagged With: Planet Earth, Skiing
Kīlauea
January 31, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
[su_quote cite=”US National Park Service “]During a volcanic eruption, we are reminded that our planet is an ever-changing environment whose basic processes are beyond human control. As much as we have altered the face of the Earth to suit our needs, we can only stand in awe before the power of an eruption.[/su_quote]
Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, NOAA and ESRI® Data & Maps (Public Domain)
The “Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain” is a vast undersea mountain range interspersed with islands, underwater mountains (seamounts), atolls (ring shaped coral reefs encircling a lagoon), shallows, banks, reefs and more than 80 volcanoes, that extending across the Pacific Ocean for 3,728 miles (60,000 kilometers) from the Hawaiian islands to Alaska and Siberia. The chain has been forming during the last 70 to 80+ million years by volcano eruptions and movement of the ocean floor (the “Pacific Plate”) over a volcanic region known as the “Hawaii hotspot”. Closest to this hotspot is the Hawaiian archipelago (aka Windward islands) that includes eight main islands: Hawaii (aka ‘the Big Island’, the Island of Hawaii & Hawaii Island to distinguish it from the US state of Hawaii), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe, a number of small islands, atolls, and seamounts, extending 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the Kure Atoll to the Big Island, the southernmost point of the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain.
The formation of the Big Island is the result of sequential and simultaneous eruptions of five ‘shield’ volcanoes (low profile, circular, slopping shield shaped volcanoes) over a period of about 300,000 – 600,000 years, and at 93 miles (150 km) across and a land area of 4,028 sq. miles (10,430 km²), it’s the largest of the Hawaiian islands and still growing because of the lava flow from currently active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kīlauea.
In accordance with beliefs and practices of the traditional Hawaiian religion, summits of the five Big Island volcanoes are revered by native Hawaiians as sacred mountains, and the powerful, passionate Fire Goddess, Pele, is believed to live within the Halema’uma’u crater located at the summit of Kīlauea. Pele’s domain, however, includes all volcanic activity on the Big Island, and she has the ability to cause lava to erupt from the ground at any time. She’s been a very busy goddess.
Kilauea at Night, NASA photo
The Kīlauea Volcano
The name ‘Kīlauea’ is translated to ‘spewing’ or ‘much spreading’, referring to frequent lava flows originating from the volcano. The name is well-deserved as there have been 61 separate eruptions from Kīlauea since 1823, making it one of the most active volcanoes on planet Earth. Most of these eruptions have been relatively moderate and have occurred within one of its ‘rift zones’ with lava flows moving downslope. [A rift zone is an area of ruptures on the surface that allows lava to erupt and flow from the flank of a volcano instead of its summit.] However, Pele does periodically create havoc with explosive and sometimes deadly eruptions that expel molten rock and gases across the landscape.
Kīlauea’s most recent major eruption (dating back to January 3. 1983) is the longest period of volcanic activity in its documented history with lava flowing almost continuously for 35 years from the volcanic cone, Puʻu ʻŌʻō (‘high point on the skyline’) located within Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone. [Volcanic cones like Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō are formed by the ejected magma rocks piling up around a vent.] The collapse of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō on April 30, 2018, resulted in the iconic eruption site and surrounding lava flow fields becoming devoid of lava during the rest of 2018. The absence of surface activity for such a long period of time makes it unlikely that lava activity will resume within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō; therefore, scientists have determined the eruption has concluded. It’s important, however, to remember that Kīlauea remains an active volcano that will erupt in the future, and hazards have not changed as a new eruption can quickly cause dangerous conditions. For status updates, check out the Report from USGS – Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (daily updates and warnings).
Video: Story of Kīlauea Volcano’s summit lava lake, and the eruptive history of Halema‘uma‘u. Credit: US Geological Survey
In the video documentary 100 Days: 2018 Kilauea Eruption, photojournalist Andrew Richard Hara chronicles his emotional observations of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
Also, see lava flow from Kīlauea up-close in HD. Two short videos, Dawn of Fire and River of Fire, (filmed and produced by Tyler Hulett) capture flowing molten lava as it moves toward the Pacific Ocean from Puʻu ʻŌʻō during daylight and night. It’s an incredible sight to see.
Visiting Kīlauea
[su_quote cite=”William Ellis (1794-1872), describing the first sight of Kīlauea”]A spectacle, sublime and even appalling, presented itself before us. We stopped and trembled. Astonishment and awe for some moments rendered us mute, and, like statues, we stood fixed to the spot, with our eyes riveted on the abyss below.[/su_quote]
The first western visitors to Kīlauea were two missionaries in 1823, William Ellis, an Englishman, and American, Asa Thurston, and after the building of hotels on its rim in the 1840’s, Kīlauea became a tourist attraction. Today, it’s protected within the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and visited by 2.6 million people annually. The park offers visitors dramatic volcanic landscapes of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, archeological sites, historical places, and a look at rare flora, fauna and wildlife as well as hiking, biking, touring and camping. Popular stops are the Kilauea Visitor Center and the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum & observation deck.
References/Information Sources:
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Find Kīlauea vistor information, including eruption/emission/lava flow updates, hiking & safety tips, photos & video
USGS – Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Kīlauea history, status reports, updates & information
Wikipedia: Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii (Island), Kīlauea, List of volcanoes in the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain, Hawaiian religion, Pele
Scientific Study: In January 2017, a NASA-led science team began exploring Kīlauea and Mauna Loa from the air, ground and space to better understand volcanic processes and find ways to mitigate the hazards.
US National Parks: There are more than 400 US national parks available to everyone, every day. Most are free to enjoy, and the 117 that charge an entry fee (e.g., Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park) offer fee-free days throughout the year.
Find Your Park ← Use the search tools on this website to find the perfect place to visit.
Feature photo credit: Puʻu ʻŌʻō, courtesy of GE Ulrich, USGS (Public Domain). [Note: Puʻu ʻŌʻō is a volcanic cone that allows lava flow eruptions from the eastern flank of the Kīlauea summit. It has been erupting since January 3, 1983.]
Image: Map of Hawaiian Islands, United States Geological Survey, Public Domain
Image: Simplified map of Kīlauea Volcano (2000) by J. Johnson, USGS, Public Domain
Photo: Kīlauea at Night is courtesy of NASA
Filed Under: Adventure, Experience, Nature, Science, Travel Tagged With: Environment, Exploration, Hiking, Planet Earth
Monarchs on the Move
September 27, 2018 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment
A UNA MARIPOSA MONARCA (To a Monarch Butterfly)
by Homero Aridjis (translated by George McWhirter)
Tu que vas por el día
como un tigre alado
quemándote en tu vuelo
dime qué vida sobrenatural
está pintada en tus alas
para que después de esta vida
pueda verte en mi noche
You who go through the day
like a winged tiger
burning as you fly
tell me what supernatural life
is painted on your wings
so that after this life
I may see you in my night
Don’t know why exactly, but there is something special about a monarch sighting. Maybe it’s the mystery of where it’s going, where it’s been, or the mystical legend of monarchs as returning spirits of deceased loved ones. But, to watch thousands of monarchs flying en masse………..well, you just have to see it!
The Wings of Life – Monarch Butterflies is a short video from Disneynature studio that captures in spectacular time-lapse/high speed/macro cinematography many thousands of monarchs wintering in Mexico, with close-up views of these amazing butterflies in action. The video documentary was directed by award-winning nature filmmaker, Louie Schwartzberg, and narrated by Meryl Streep.
Monarch Migration
–One of the most remarkable natural phenomena on Earth–
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is an iconic pollinator species native to the New World where it can be found from southern Canada to northern South America. Monarchs can also be found hanging out in other parts of the world: Caribbean, Hawaii, Cook Islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, the Philippines and North Africa, and they make an occasional visit to the UK as an ‘accidental migrant’ (displacement is caused by storms, high winds, swift currents). Bright orange coloring with black and white markings make monarchs easy to spot, but they are commonly misidentified as the smaller viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus), another North American butterfly with similar pattern and coloring.
A monarch’s life is spent on the move, and it’s complicated. Each year in late summer to early autumn, millions of monarchs migrate thousands of miles south from central and northern US states and southern Canada to Mexico, Florida and the coastal areas of southern and central California where they make a winter home in large clusters of colonies high within trees. Taking advantage of air currents and thermals and traveling only during daylight hours (roosting in clusters to stay warm at night), the trip takes about two months, covering 50-100 miles a day at a flight speed of about 5.5 mph (9 km/hr). In spring, they make the journey back north.
During the spring migration northward, the travel itinerary is quite different as monarchs mate and produce four generations along the way. The first three generations have life spans of only 2 – 6 weeks, but each continues mating and moving north. The fourth generation lives 6 – 8, sometimes 9 months, and is the generation of monarchs that will migrate south for the winter. No one really knows how these later generation monarchs navigate their way to a winter home they have never before visited. Clearly, they must rely on instincts rather than learning as the last generation with knowledge of the route is long dead. Some experts have determined that monarchs must be genetically programmed to migrate long distances and use some sort of biological sun and magnetic compasses as orienting tools.
No other butterfly is known to make an epic round-trip migration as the monarch does every year. While this makes the monarch extraordinarily unique, the long journeys also cause monarchs to be particularly vulnerable to climate conditions and human activities that disrupt and destroy their habitat. Consequently, their numbers have decreased significantly during the last 20 years (a decline of more than 80 percent over the past two decades), and there is great concern that monarch migration is at high risk of failure. Conservationists, scientists, and federal, state and local organizations in the United States, Mexico and Canada have begun efforts to stop the destruction before it’s too late, and yes— everyone can do something to help monarchs and have fun doing it!
• Create a Monarch Habitat Make a special spot for monarchs. Maybe it’s just a small pot on your front steps, patio or balcony, a backyard garden, pasture, farm or ranch land. Plant milkweed and nectar plants that are native to your area and free of pesticides, insecticides and neonicotinoids.
• Help Scientists Study Monarchs
• Get Involved as a Community Join forces with friends, neighbors and colleagues to develop ‘monarch friendly’ landscaping at schools, businesses, community parks and gardens, and urban green spaces with native plants and wildflowers for monarchs.
• Garden Organically Using organic methods in your garden will reduce your impact on monarchs, their food plants and other pollinators.
• Support Conservation Efforts
• Spread the Word about Pollinators, Conservation, and How to Help It’s easy to get started with this one — Share this article with your friends!
Monarch on a Thistle, Lake of the Ozarks, by Sean Stratton/Unsplash CC0
References/Information Sources [To learn more about helping monarchs, check out these selected resources]:
Monarch Butterfly Basic Facts, Defenders of Wildlife website
Monarch Migration, University of Minnesota website, Biology & Research
Migration and Overwintering, USDA Forest Service website
Monarch Butterfly Migration Interactive Map It’s fun to keep track of monarch migration. This interactive map has the best up-to-date info on Spring 2017 first sightings (January – July). Check it out, and report your sightings, too.
Monarch Migration Could Collapse as Population Remains Low, Center for Biological Diversity (March 5, 2018) More milkweed needed! The count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico (released 3/5/18), shows a decrease from last year’s count, and “confirms the iconic orange and black butterfly is still very much at risk”.
The Monarch Butterfly is in Trouble —You Can Help! US Fish and Wildlife Service
“Monarchs Still Need Your Help” (Open Spaces, US Fish & Wildlife blog, 2/14/2017)
How to Build a Butterfly/Pollinator Garden in 7 Steps, US Fish and Wildlife Service (May 18, 2016). Regional Milkweed Planting Guide –The Xerces Society website
Study Monarchs: Citizen Science Opportunities. How to help scientists count and track monarchs.
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve Located within rugged forested mountains about 64 miles (100 km) northwest of Mexico City, researchers first discovered monarchs overwintering within the area in 1975. It was designated a federal reserve in 1980 by presidential decree and a World Heritage Site in 2008.
WWF Monarch Butterfly Tours – Ecotours of central Mexico provide an opportunity to observe and photograph large colonies of monarchs at their remote winter roosting sites in the highlands of central Mexico. “The Kingdom of the Monarchs” 2018 tour dates are scheduled January thru March.
Myth and Mystery in Mexico’s Monarch Kingdom, Good Nature Travel (October, 2009)
“Migration: The Biology of Life on the Move” by Hugh Dingle (Oxford University Press, 2014)
Nature is full of extraordinary sights to experience and explore, and talented photographers bring it all to life on your screen. You’ll be amazed!
Watch and discover Natural Beauty via On2In2™ selected videos.
Free to Watch – On Demand
Feature photo of monarch butterfly is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0
Filed Under: Gardening, Nature, Science, Video Tagged With: Documentary, Ecotourism, Planet Earth, Wildlife
The Endangered
September 4, 2018 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
‘Why should we care?’ With everything going on in the world, it’s a fair question.
All living things (including humans) are part of what is called the ‘biosphere’ (aka the zone where life dwells on Earth). It’s the name used to describe the entire network of countless ‘ecosystems’ around the world. Each ecosystem is a community of all the living and non-living things within a specific geographic area, and there are two major types, terrestrial (forests, mountains, deserts, grasslands) and aquatic (marine and freshwater), also many sub-ecosystems of all sizes and variety.
An example of a terrestrial ecosystem is the Amazon Rainforest in South America with 427 mammals, 1,300 birds, 378 reptiles, more than 400 amphibians, and around 3,000 freshwater fish (to name a few!), and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is an example of an aquatic ecosystem (one of the 7 natural wonders of the world with 1,625 species of fish, more than 600 hard & soft coral, 215 species of birds, 30 species of whales & dolphins, 6 of 7 species of turtles, 133 varieties of sharks & rays, and 14 species of sea snakes). Located within the northern Rocky Mountains, northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and including Yellowstone National Park, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is “one of the last remaining large, nearly intact” ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of planet Earth.
Gray Wolf photo: M Zanderling/Unsplash CC0
The Effect of Species Extinction
No one knows exactly how a species extinction will affect the other life within its ecosystem, but it’s clear that the elimination of just a single species can set off a chain reaction that is harmful to other species. This is especially true for what is known as a ‘keystone’ species as its loss can dramatically change the species composition of an ecosystem or destroy it altogether. An example of a keystone species is the Gray Wolf.
In the late 1800’s, wolf packs roamed Yellowstone National Park, but by the end of the 1920’s, they had been hunted down and eliminated. At the time, people considered the Gray Wolf a dangerous menace, and were happy to be rid of them. However, there was an explosion in the elk population without the Gray Wolf in Yellowstone, which in turn caused severe soil erosion and damage to brush and trees because such large numbers of elk were grazing within the park. In 1974 the Gray Wolf was added to the list of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, and in early 1995, the first wolves were brought to Yellowstone from Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. Since that time, the vegetation and trees have recovered, creating much needed habits for beaver, migratory birds, moose and other species, and the bear population has also been positively affected as bear as well as other species scavenge off wolf kills. But, it will take decades more research to understand the full extent of the Gray Wolf ripple effect in Yellowstone.
Turtle Undercover, Delfi de la Rua/Unsplash CC0
Protecting Endangered Species
“Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.”
— Stewart Udall (1920-2010), 37th US Secretary of the Interior
[su_dropcap]A[/su_dropcap]lthough extinctions of a species are a natural occurrence, the trouble we’ve got now is the rate of extinction is much higher than in the past, and there’s nothing ‘natural’ about it. A natural rate is about one in five species lost every year, but some estimates show the world is losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times that rate, with dozens going extinct each day. If that doesn’t scare you, think about this — as many as 30-50% of all species are thought to be heading toward extinction by mid-century. Doesn’t leave much for future generations.
Compared to other countries, the United States has probably the greatest diversity of ecosystems within its borders, including more than 200,000 species. However, approximately one-third of its plants and animals are considered at risk today, and biologists have estimated that since the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, more than 500 species, subspecies, and varieties of America’s plants and animals have become extinct. If you think back to your childhood, these numbers should not be surprising. I have happy memories of watching fireflies (we called them ‘lightning bugs’) blinking away on summer evenings, migrating Monarch butterflies returning in the spring, and the prehistoric-looking horny toads running about the backyard, and it’s disheartening to know there’s little chance to see these creatures again in such abundance, lucky to spot just one.
Recognizing the threats to the nation’s wildlife and plants, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (‘ESA’) was passed with bipartisan support, and it’s become America’s “first line of defense against extinction” as well as “one of the world’s most effective laws for preventing and reversing the decline of endangered and threatened wildlife”.
ESA allows individuals and organizations to petition the federal government for a species to be listed as endangered (in danger of extinction) or threatened (likely to become endangered). These petitions are examined and evaluated based “solely on the best scientific and commercial data available” to determine whether a species should be protected. (Currently, there are about 2,300 species listed as endangered or threatened.) If listed, the law requires the development and implementation of a species recovery plan and protection of critical habitat areas. Populations are monitored, and the species is removed from the list when it is considered recovered.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Service share responsibility for implementing ESA. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for endangered and threatened marine and anadromous species (fish born in fresh water, but live in the sea and return to spawn in freshwater, e.g. salmon, striped bass) while the US Fish and Wildlife Service handles terrestrial and freshwater species as well as several marine mammal like walrus, sea otters, manatees, and polar bears. The two agencies share jurisdiction over several other species such as sea turtles and Atlantic salmon.
Since its enactment, the ESA has helped dozens of species avoid extinction, and has an impressive 99 percent success rate. Under the protection of the ESA, the California Condor, Grizzly Bear, Okaloosa Darter, Whooping Crane, and Black-Footed Ferret have been brought back from the brink of extinction. Many other ESA protected species were removed from the list of endangered and threatened species after successful recoveries, including the Brown Pelican and the Bald Eagle — the bird chosen as the national symbol in 1782.
The Recovery of the Bald Eagle
“It’s just always an exciting sight to behold.” — Michael Pappone (Massachusetts birder)
From an estimated 300,000 – 500,000 in the 1700’s, Bald Eagle numbers got as low as 500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states of US. In 1978, the Bald Eagle was listed for protection under ESA, and that triggered the bird’s remarkable recovery. By the late 1990’s, breeding populations could be found throughout North America, and the Bald Eagle was removed from the endangered and threatened species list in 2007. Recent estimates: 5,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states, and approximately 70,000 Bald Eagles in the whole of North America (Including Alaska and Canada).
Can we prevent extinction? No, not entirely. But, we can slow it down — get back to a ‘natural’ rate, and help preserve and protect life on this planet, including our own and the lives of our descendants. So, maybe the better question is — ‘Why wouldn’t we care?’
Photographing Endangered Big Animals Above and Underwater: Amos Nachoum from Big Animals Global Expeditions shares his inspiring adventures along with photography tips for capturing images of endangered wildlife. This includes Polar Bears underwater; Leopard Seals in Antarctica, Great White Sharks, and Nile Crocodiles. To watch the presentation, just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the media player below ↓
The Extinction Crisis, The Center for Biological Diversity
United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) 2019 Report – One million species are at risk of extinction
Endangered Species Conservation, NOAA Fisheries
ESA Implementation Overview, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Boxscore – Summary of listed species populations and recovery plans, Environmental Conservation Online System (as of March 19, 2018, US Fish and Wildlife Service)
Animal Fact Sheets, Defenders of Wildlife
Wildlife Guide, The National Wildlife Federation (get to know the wildlife in your backyard and beyond)
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Species List, The World Wildlife Fund (endangered, vulnerable and threatened animals)
Species and Ecosystems, Nature Serve Network (where rare, threatened, and vulnerable species and ecosystems are found)
So What Is the Biosphere? Young People’s Trust For the Environment
Types of Ecosystem, ecosystem.org
Wolf Restoration, Yellowstone National Park
The Bald Eagle Population is Soaring, by Elizabeth Gillis (WBUR News, February 16, 2018)
The Future of Birds in Our National Parks, National Audubon Society (“New research underscores the need to safeguard and manage protected lands for birds and wildlife in a changing world”.)
Article by Alejandro E. Camacho and Michael Robinson-Dorn (The Conversation, January 11, 2018) Why turning power over to the States won’t improve protection for endangered species
[su_document url=”https://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/Why_Save_Endangered_Species_Brochure.pdf” height=”800″]
Bald Eagle feature photo is courtesy of Patrick Brinksma/Unsplash CC0
Filed Under: Insight, Nature Tagged With: Planet Earth, Wildlife
August 27, 2018 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment
While most glacial ice is located in Antarctica and Greenland, there are actually glaciers on almost every continental landmass, covering approximately 15 million square kilometers (5.8 million square miles)– that’s 10% of Earth’s land surface. Artist Zaria Forman captures the massive, but fragile beauty of these amazing ice and snow formations in her work, and reminds us how important glaciers are to every living being on Earth, now and in the future.
Zaria Forman video courtesy of Ted Conferences LLC, CC BY-NC-ND
Seventy-five percent (75%) of the world’s fresh water supply is stored within glaciers; therefore, it’s impossible to overstate their importance to our survival. And, learning just a few basics about glacier formation and loss helps in understanding the urgent need to protect glaciers from melting away.
There are two primary types of glaciers:
Continental: These are enormous masses of glacial ice and snow, known as “ice sheets”, that flow away from a central region and are mostly unaffected by underlying topography. Found only in Greenland and Antarctica.
Alpine or Valley: Glaciers in mountains that flow down valleys. When two glaciers meet and merge at the base of mountains, the new glacier is called a piedmont glacier. If the piedmont glacier flows into the sea, it’s called a tidewater glacier. A cirque glacier is confined by a valley forming in a “cirque” (semicircular bowl-like basin at the head of a valley). Valley glaciers (aka alpine glaciers) form in a mountain valley when more snow falls on mountain peaks during a year than melts during the summer, creating a snow pack that builds up, thickens, compresses, turns into ice, grows and moves slowing downhill (Mer de Glace and Exit Glacier are examples of a valley glacier). An Ice Field (also spelled ‘icefield’) is an extensive area of ice and interconnected valley glaciers that usually form over high altitude basins and atop plateaus. Ice caps cover mountain tops.
Map of world glaciers, NASA
Glacial ice is formed by the accumulation and compression of snow and ice over a period of years, often 100 years or more. It’s not quite as dense as ice formed by freezing water because of tiny air bubbles trapped inside, and this unique composition allows light reflecting as white to be absorbed while blue light is transmitted and scattered, resulting in the distinctive blue color of a glacier.
Formation and survival of a glacier are affected by environmental and geological factors such as the slope of the land, amount of snowfall, temperature and winds. The surface area of a healthy glacier is covered more than 60% by snow at the end of a melting season and produces good flow. This requires a delicate balance of variable circumstances, and that’s been continually disrupted in recent history.
Muir Glacier, 1941 – 2004, NASA Climate 365
Since the early 20th century, glacier retreat and mass loss have accelerated and become more prevalent. In fact, several glaciers, ice caps and ice shelves have completely disappeared, and approximately 400 billion tons of glacial ice were lost each year since 1994. Many other glaciers are shrinking so rapidly they’ll likely vanish in a few more decades. Just one example is Muir Glacier in Alaska. From 1941 to 2004, it receded about seven miles and lost more than 2,625 feet in depth.
Wikipedia (Glacier, Glacier mass balance)
“All About Glaciers“, National Snow and Ice Data Center
Glaciers (terminology, notes and comments), Eastern Illinois University
Some of the Oldest Ice in the Arctic is Now Breaking Apart by Christopher Joyce, NPR Science (August 23, 2018)
“NASA Mission Takes Stock of Earth’s Melting Land Ice” (February 8, 2012) Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA Global Climate Change (Glaciers) – Interactive Global Ice Viewer
Common Questions and Myths About Glaciers, US National Park Service
“Steps to Prevent Glaciers from Melting” (February 19, 2016) The New Ecologist
Artist bio, works, shows and exhibitions, Zaria Forman on Artsy
Mer de Glace Crossing, 1902 – 1904
The history and exploration of France’s Mer de Glace (‘Sea of Ice’) is fascinating, and it’s become an important fresh water source as well as a popular tourist destination. Sadly, it’s also disappearing.
·Feature photo is a still shot taken from the Zaria Forman Ted Talk video
·Glacier Map, courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory, is a visual depiction of world glacier study and catalog by the Randolph Glacier Inventory (2014)
·Graphic: Dramatic Glacier Melt (Muir Glacier, 1941/2004), NASA Climate 365
Filed Under: Create, Enlighten, Insight, Nature, Visual Arts Tagged With: Art, Glacier, Ocean, Photography, Planet Earth
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line919
|
__label__wiki
| 0.582904
| 0.582904
|
jurisblogger
a blog on law and society: beyond court rooms and the corporate world
About J.B. | À propos de J.B.
CML3351 ILC – CML3651 CDI
Pierre Cloutier de Repentigny
Colonial Sentencing: Incarcerating Aboriginal people – Part II
2. Sentencing of Aboriginal Peoples
A. Sentencing Law in Canada
As succinctly demonstrated, Aboriginal over incarceration is a complex problem with various consequences on our society. Part of the problem and solution comes from the Canadian sentencing regime. Before exploring how the regime could be modify in hope of diminishing over incarceration, it is important to understand how it currently works. Sentencing is the last step of the criminal justice process and happens after a finding of guilt by a trial court or a plea of guilt.[1] When the accused pleads guilty as the result of a plea bargain, there is often a joint submission by the defense and the Crown on the appropriate sentence.[2] If not, there is a sentencing hearing where a judge determines the appropriate sentence after hearing both parties. Both parties can appeal the sentence to a court of appeal if the sentence was not predetermined by law, such as for murder where a sentence of life imprisonment is mandatory.[3] Sentencing courts hold a lot of discretion when determining sentences, and are usually limited by only a maximum sentence and in certain cases a minimum sentence or a mandatory sentence.[4] Judges are however not completely free to determine a sentence as they must follow broad sentencing principles as established first by common law and subsequently codified in the Criminal Code. The overarching principle of sentencing is proportionality, meaning that a “sentence must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender.”[5] Other principles include the consideration of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, sentences should be similar for similar crime in similar circumstances, and the least restrictive appropriate sentence should be impose.[6] Sentences should also fulfil the following goal: denounce unlawful conduct; deter the offender and other persons from committing offences; separate offenders from society, where necessary; assist in rehabilitating offenders; provide reparations for harm done to victims or to the community; and promote a sense of responsibility in offenders, and acknowledgment of the harm done to victims and to the community.[7]
Sentences for adult include imprisonment, fines, absolute and conditional discharges, suspended sentences and probation, conditional sentences, restitution, and forfeiture.[8] Restitution consists of giving back stolen property or compensating damages to the victim(s) or his/her family, while forfeiture involves giving up proceeds of a crime.[9] Conditional discharges, suspended sentences and probation, and conditional sentences are sentences served in the community and associated with conditions and limits on liberties imposed by the judge.[10] Sentences served in the community tend to be more restorative in nature and are usually considered more beneficial for the reintegration of the offender than imprisonment. Imprisonment is generally recognized as a sanction of last resort.[11]
Sadly, the ability to impose a conditional sentence has been significantly limited by Bill C-10. This is due to explicit limitation on the imposition of conditional sentences for alleged serious offences and by increasing the number of offences subject to a mandatory minimum sentence.[12] These limitations will likely limit the possibility of Aboriginal people to obtain such sentences and therefore contribute to the over incarceration of Aboriginal people. Mandatory minimum sentences can also contribute to this fact as many of the new minimums are associated with drug offences and firearm offences, offences that are in high proportion amongst Aboriginal people.[13] Furthermore, minimum sentences, when disproportionate to the offences and its circumstances, have been determined to be cruel and unusual punishment and thus unconstitutional pursuant to s 12 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[14]
B. Aboriginal People and Sentencing
Since the problem of over incarceration of Aboriginal people has been recognized for a long time, Parliament decided to adopt, in its reform of the sentencing provisions of the Criminal Code, a section geared toward remedying the situation. Paragraph 708.2(e) of the Criminal code reads: “all available sanctions other than imprisonment that are reasonable in the circumstances should be considered for all offenders, with particular attention to the circumstances of aboriginal offenders” (emphasis added). This provision was subsequently interpreted by the Supreme Court in R v Gladue and most recently in R v Ipeelee. In Gladue the Court confirmed the remedial nature of s 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code and the need to interpret such provision in a large and liberal manner. It also specifically indicated that such provision was adopted to deal with Aboriginal over incarceration which is partly caused by the bias of the criminal justice system concerning Aboriginal offenders.[15] The Court recognizes that the consideration of Aboriginal people’s circumstances will sometime means that the relevance of other sentencing principles will be diminished, such as deterrence. S 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code is an indication that restorative justice should play a primordial role in the sentencing of Aboriginal offenders. Importantly, the Court affirms that judges have to take judicial notice (information retrieved by the judge instead of being presented by the parties) of the “systemic or background factors and the approach to sentencing which is relevant to aboriginal offenders.”[16] The offender can also induce any relevant evidence on those factors at the sentencing hearing. In summary, the provision requires that
“When sentencing an Aboriginal offender, a judge must consider: (a) the unique systemic or background factors which may have played a part in bringing the particular Aboriginal offender before the courts; and (b) the types of sentencing procedures and sanctions which may be appropriate in the circumstances for the offender because of his or her particular Aboriginal heritage or connection.”[17]
Paragraph 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code and Gladue had a mitigated success.[18] Some of the common errors associated with Gladue were even addressed in Ipeelee where the Supreme Court reaffirmed the growing importance of s 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code. The Court clarified that there was no need to prove the existence of a causal link between the background factors and the commission of the current offence.[19] It also expressly characterised the remedial nature of Gladue as a response to the effect of colonization on Aboriginal Peoples.[20] Finally the Court stated that Gladue was applicable to all offenses, even to violent or serious offences, and that more importantly courts should refrain from comparing an Aboriginal offender with a settler one in determining the appropriate sentence.[21] Nevertheless, these rectifications do not address one of the biggest problems with sentencing of Aboriginal people: the cultural gap between the white-western justice model and restorative Aboriginal justice (including racial bias and continued colonialism).[22] Our criminal law is a poor tool to regulate the behaviour of Aboriginal people who often see it as illegitimate and as imposed on them. It is disconnected from their values and thus in many occasions the offender has difficulty viewing his conduct as wrong, his punishment as deserved, and that he needs to change.
Part III.
[1] Trials are heard by either a provincial court or a superior court. Provincial courts hear cases with a judge alone, while superior court may hear cases with a jury, which makes the factual findings including guilt, if the accused wishes it. Summary conviction offences are dealt with by the provincial courts, indictable offences can be dealt with by both provincial and superior courts except for the most serious offences which are the exclusivity of the superior courts. For most offences, the Crown has discretion to decide if it wishes to proceed by way of summary conviction or indictment. Youth offenders are tried by youth courts. See Roach 2012, supra note 5 at pp 28-30.
[2] Roach 2012, ibid at p 472.
[3] S 687 of the Criminal Code; and Roach 2012, ibid at p 474.
[4] Roach 2012, ibid at pp 469-470.
[5] S 718.1 of the Criminal Code; and R v M (CA), [1996] 1 SCR 500.
[6] S 718.2 of the Criminal Code.
[7] S 718 of the Criminal Code.
[8] Youth sentences vary from adult sentences and are governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, SC 2002, c 1. Youth sentences are not explored in detail in this essay. For more information see Nicholas Bala, Youth Criminal Justice Law, 2nd ed (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2009).
[9] Roach 2012, supra note 5 at p 493.
[10] Laura Barnett et al, Legislative Summary – Bill C-10, (Ottawa: Library of Parliament, 2012) at pp 25-26 [Barnett]; and Road 2012, ibid at p 489-492.
[11] Clayton C Ruby, Sentencing, 8th ed (Markham (ON): Lexis Nexis, 2012) at pp 507-509 [Ruby]; and Karen Hindle & Philip Rosen, Restorative Justice – A Complementary Approach to Resolving Criminal Justice Issues, (Ottawa: Library of Parliament, 2004).
[12] Barnett, supra note 34 at pp 26-28 & 59-60; Submission of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association on Bill C-10 to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 41st Parliament, 1st Session, at p 14-16; Submission of the Canadian Bar Association, on Bill C-10 to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 41st Parliament, 1st Session, at pp 15-18, 22, 24 & 26; Submission of the government of the Northwest Territory, on Bill C-10 to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 41st Parliament, 1st Session; Submission of the government of Nunavut, on Bill C-10 to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 41st Parliament, 1st Session; and AFN Submission, supra note 4 at pp 9-10.
[13] AFN Submission, ibid at p 8-13; and Larry N Chartrand, “Aboriginal Peoples and Mandatory Sentencing” (2001) 39 Osgoode Hall LJ 449 [Chartrand].
[14] S 12 of The Constitution Act, 1982; R v Smith, [1987] 1 SCR 1045; Barnett, supra note 34 at pp 26-27; and Chartrand, ibid.
[15] R v Gladue, at paras 61-65; R v Williams, [1998] 1 SCR 1128, at para 58; and AFN Submission, supra note 4.
[16] R v Gladue, at para 83.
[17] R v Ipeelee, at para 59.
[18] Kent Roach, “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Gladue at Ten and in the Courts of Appeal” (2008-2009) 54 Crim LQ 470; Renée Pelletier, “The Nullification of Section 718.2(e) – Aggravating Aboriginal Over-representation in Canadian Prisons” (2001) 39 Osgoode Hall LJ 469; Adam Vasey, “Rethinking the Sentencing of Aboriginal Offenders: The Social Value of s 718.2(e)” (2003) 15 Windsor Rev Legal & Soc Issues 73; Ruby, supra note 35 at pp 661-663; and Pfefferle, supra note 6.
[22] AFN Submission, supra note 4; Hadley Friedlan, “Different Stories: Aboriginal People, Order, and the Failure of the Criminal Justice System” (2009) 72 Sask L Rev 105; Elizabeth Adjin-Tettey, “Sentencing Aboriginal Offenders: Balancing Offenders’ Needs, the Interests of the Victims and Society, and the Decolonization of Aboriginal Peoples” (2007) 19 Can J Women & L 179; and Law Reform Commission of Canada, Aboriginal Peoples and Criminal Justice: Equality, Respect and the Search for Justice, (Ottawa: Law Reform Commission of Canada, 1991).
This entry was posted in Aboriginal Peoples, Criminal Law, Judicial System, social justice and tagged aboriginal, canada, criminal law, decolonialism, incarceration, Indigenous, law on 30 July 2013 by jurisblogger.
← Colonial Sentencing: Incarcerating Aboriginal people – Part I Colonial Sentencing: Incarcerating Aboriginal people – Part III →
2 thoughts on “Colonial Sentencing: Incarcerating Aboriginal people – Part II”
Pingback: Colonial Sentencing: Incarcerating Aboriginal people – Part I | jurisblogger
Pingback: Colonial Sentencing: Incarcerating Aboriginal people – Part III | jurisblogger
Farming the Sea, a False Solution to a Real Problem: Critical Reflections on Canada’s Aquaculture Regulations
The Value of Fish: Changing the Purpose of Fisheries Regulation in Canada
Calling Out Fascism: Reflections on Trump and Pathways to Resistance
Of Diversity and Balancing of Rights: TWU v LSUC
The Need for Solidarity: Black Lives Matter and Pride
Archives Select Month January 2019 November 2017 April 2017 August 2016 July 2016 March 2016 November 2015 September 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 February 2013 October 2012 August 2012 June 2012 March 2012 February 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011
Categories Select Category Aboriginal Peoples Activism administrative law Climate Change Constitutional Law Criminal Law Death penalty education Environmental Law Ethics fisheries law food law Health Law Human Rights International Courts International Criminal Law International Law International Relations Judges Judicial System law school LGBTQ National Security Philosophy Political thoughts politique quebecoise Privilege public interests Public Law racial justice Reflection Refugee RSAnimate Separation of Powers social change social justice sociology university USA Video Reflections
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line923
|
__label__cc
| 0.548692
| 0.451308
|
Exceptional Engagement: Protocol I and a World United Against Terrorism
Texas International Law Journal, Vol. 45, 2009
Vanderbilt Public Law Research Paper No. 09-30
54 Pages Posted: 21 Dec 2009 Last revised: 22 Dec 2009
See all articles by Michael A. Newton
Michael A. Newton
Vanderbilt University - Law School
Date Written: December 16, 2009
This article challenges the prevailing view that U.S. “exceptionalism” provides the strongest narrative for the U.S. rejection of Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The United States chose not to adopt the Protocol in the face of intensive international criticism because of its policy conclusions that the text contained overly expansive provisions resulting from politicized pressure to accord protection to terrorists who elected to conduct hostile military operations outside the established legal framework. The United States concluded that the commingling of the regime criminalizing terrorist acts with the jus in bello rules of humanitarian law would be untenable and inappropriate. In effect, the U.S. concluded that key provisions of Protocol I actually undermine the core values that spawned the entire corpus of humanitarian law. Whether or not the U.S. position was completely accurate, it was far more than rejectionist unilateralism because it provided the impetus for subsequent reservations by other NATO allies. More than two decades after the debates regarding Protocol I, the U.S. position provided the normative benchmark for the subsequent rejection of efforts by some states to shield terrorists from criminal accountability mechanisms required by multilateral terrorism treaties. This article demonstrates that the U.S. policy stance regarding Protocol I helped to prevent the commingling of the laws and customs of war in the context of the multilateral framework for responding to transnational terrorist acts in the aftermath of September 11. In hindsight, the “exceptional” U.S. position was emulated by other nations as they reacted to reservations designed to blur the distinctions between terrorists and privileged combatants. U.S. “exceptionalism” in actuality paved the way for sustained engagement that substantially shaped the international response to terrorist acts. This article suggests that reservations provide an important mechanism for states to engage in second-order dialogue over the true meaning and import of treaties, which in turn fosters the clarity and enforceability of the text.
Keywords: terrorist, combatant, war, humanitarian law, Protocol I Additional, Geneva Convention, exceptionalism, treaty interpretation, reservations
Newton, Mike A., Exceptional Engagement: Protocol I and a World United Against Terrorism (December 16, 2009). Texas International Law Journal, Vol. 45, 2009; Vanderbilt Public Law Research Paper No. 09-30. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1524301
Mike A. Newton (Contact Author)
Vanderbilt University - Law School ( email )
HOME PAGE: http://law.vanderbilt.edu/newton
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line933
|
__label__wiki
| 0.749294
| 0.749294
|
How Johnny Cash Stayed So Cool, According to Brad Paisley and Alan Light
October 30, 2018 – 1:07 PM – 0 Comments
By M.B. Roberts Parade @roberts_mb
More by M.B.
Jessica Springsteen on Her Love of Horses and Olympic Hopes
Jill Biden’s Deeply Personal New Book Where the Light Enters Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes
The 16-Year-Old Founder of Hannah4Change Says ‘Plastic Pollution Is Threatening My Future’
(© 2018 John R. Cash Revocable Trust)
When he stepped onstage, Johnny Cash used to introduce himself in his low baritone by saying, “Hello. I’m Johnny Cash.” The irony, of course, was that the legendary Man in Black needed no introduction. He was unique, one-of-a-kind and remains a beloved musical icon 15 years after his death.
The new book Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black celebrates the man and his music—which, according to Brad Paisley, who wrote the foreword, are one in the same.
“Johnny Cash may be the best example of a performer who had no line between the music and the man,” writes Paisley. “The songs he sang sounded like him and embodied him in every way.”
The acclaimed music journalist Alan Light, who had the opportunity to interview Cash many times over the years, wrote the text to accompany the gorgeous, largely unpublished family photographs featured in the book. Light recently spoke to Parade about Johnny Cash and why he means to much to music fans everywhere.
You interviewed and wrote about Johnny Cash many times over the years. Can you share a bit about spending time with him towards the end of his life?
I did one of the later interviews with John at the cabin in Hendersonville (Tennessee). I’ve been fortunate to write a lot of great stories and work with a lot of great people, but there’s a handful of things that you know you’re going to remember for the rest of your life and that was absolutely one of them.
Just the chance to sit with him then, in that spot! He was clearly struggling physically. We would have to do about 15 minutes at a time and then he would need to take a rest and get his strength back, but he was absolutely as sharp and present and super-focused as ever. Whatever his body was going through, his mind and his attention were still all the way there. And it was such a remarkable period of renaissance and of creativity and exploration for him.
This was when he was working with producer Rick Rubin on the record American IV: The Man Comes Around.
Right. And at that time, we didn’t know what that particular album was going to do, what that version of “Hurt” was going to become. This was before the video [for the song “Hurt”] was shot. We talked about why he chose the song and why they did it and what he wanted to do with it. But to then think about the way that song and video and moment became such an epitaph for him and became a way that so many people discovered him, or got some sense of what he was about, it was an exceptional moment.
So many people love Johnny Cash. But have you noticed that kids—really young kids—seem to really love his music? Brad Paisley wrote about that in the book’s foreword.
The music is so timeless across however many generations. I don’t know if it’s the low voice and the very clear image or what he sounds like. I think that in the end, the sincerity and the honesty that always defined him, I think you pick up on that. I think the reason that he always stays cool is because there was nothing that was dated. There’s nothing that he was chasing to be timely, or to try to keep up. I think as much as anybody, there’s always the sense that he was absolutely himself. He was absolutely Johnny Cash. If that was in style, then fine. If it wasn’t, then fine. I don’t know what that magic is.
He stayed cool.
There’s no embarrassing Johnny Cash phase. There’s no time where he went disco, or where he had some ridiculous haircut or whatever it is. There were peaks and valleys in what his popularity was and in what his cultural residence was. But you got that sense that people would come to him. Or they wouldn’t, and he was going to remain true. And again, I think that’s what you’re left with when you look across the work and when you look across his life.
Bono had a great quote about Cash, that he managed to be extraordinary and ordinary at the same time. How does someone pull that off?
You look at somebody like a Johnny Cash and you think, “I could write like that.” It’s not fancy, it’s not complicated. And of course, that’s the hardest kind of writing there is to do.
To be as simple and as clear and yet as evocative as those songs are, but it isn’t language that you wouldn’t use. It’s just the command that he had over that. You think, I could be a guy like that. Even if maybe you really couldn’t.
There have been many, many books about Johnny Cash. What was the goal with this one?
For me, just be able to provide context and framework for these amazing images. That’s the stuff that’s new, these family snapshots and diary entries and things from his childhood. That’s the place where this is breaking new territory or showing something that people haven’t seen before.
Was there something you learned about Cash while working on the book that you didn’t know before? Maybe when you went to his childhood home in Arkansas with his daughter Rosanne?
I have to say, to stand on the back porch of that house and look out across empty cotton fields for as far as you can see and have that sense of what it must have been to have that dream, to have that ambition—it’s a long way from there to seeing another house, much less seeing a future that would take you out to the whole world and to be able to touch so many people.
That part of the country hasn’t changed a whole lot. They’re still driving on dirt roads. You come to the end of his street, you take a left at the cotton gin to get to the house. Those are still the driving directions.
Will we ever see the likes of Johnny Cash again?
You never know who’s around the next corner and obviously the next version of him—the world is a different place, so it isn’t going to be somebody who has the same experiences as he did.
If you look at Nashville now, and there are country artists who I absolutely love, but there’s a lot of the current artists who went to college and they have marketing degrees. Or they come from the suburbs. Or they interned at a record label. And not to say anything bad about any of that at all, some of those are fantastic artists, but that connection to rural, Depression era, to that time in this country’s history, to that time in the history in the South. The things that he was drawing on. The folk traditions. Obviously the religious traditions and the religious texts and songs. The things that he was still able directly to touch and then translate and communicate to the world, we’re not going to see that again.
He had an audience in the 1960s that spanned rock and roll hippies and churchgoers and right-wingers. And he was able to speak to all of them. Man, again, if we were ever in need of somebody who had that power and that ability to communicate. Where are you, because now is the moment where we need you.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line934
|
__label__wiki
| 0.636113
| 0.636113
|
Dreams Come True: A Parsiana Editorial
Posted on October 22, 2014 by arZan • 0 Comments
Parsiana Editorial Viewpoint on New Zoroastrian Centers in the Diaspora
In the 1970s as more formal Zoroastrian associations sprung up in North America (NA), the notion of having centers of their own was highly improbable. Most of the immigrants were professionals who found their way to the West as students. They were beginning to buy homes, pay mortgages, raise money to see their children through college.
As Lovji Cama, who came to the USA in 1960 with the help of a Tata scholarship and completed a doctorate in chemistry from Columbia University, noted in an article in Parsiana (“Westward ho,” August-September 1974), “When I first came here there were perhaps 20 to 25 Parsis in the (New York) area, mostly students and on Pateti and Jamshedi Navroz someone would invite friends and have a party at home.” As the numbers grew to over 50 five years later, “a few of us decided to get together and rent a hall at the International House,” a residential center for graduate students. A Parsi meal was cooked and everyone in the vicinity was invited.
With the relaxation of the immigration laws, “the number of Parsis increased to about 180 adults in 1971 and the nature of our population changed from a mainly student population to families. The need for a Zoroastrian association was now felt and in 1973 the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY) was formed.”
Writing in the August-November 1975 issue of Parsiana (“West side story”) Ervad Pervez Patel of New York wrote, “The need for an agiary or a prayer hall is felt by most of our coreligionists here (but) real estate prices are too high.”
ZAGNY made a plea in June 1974 (“The gift of Guiv,” Parsiana, March-May 1976): “We feel that such a place is a necessity and without which it will be extremely difficult and perhaps impossible to maintain our identity in this country… In the tradition of Zoroastrian charity let us all contribute… The goal we have set for ourselves… seems at present like a dream.”
Cama, then secretary of ZAGNY, wrote in the same issue of Parsiana, “After a year we had $ 1,500 (Rs 91,500) in our special fund. That was just enough to buy one square foot of land in Manhattan.”
All that changed in 1975 when Iranian philanthropist Arbab Rustam Guiv committed US $ 100,000 (Rs 61,00,000) for the acquisition of a center. By 1977 the first North American Darbe Mehr was established. Guiv and his wife Morvarid went on to finance other centers in the continent and thereafter the Zartoshty brothers, Faridoon and Mehraban assisted, both in NA and London.
These farsighted Iranian philanthropists realized the Zoroastrians in NA were struggling to create an identity for themselves but lacked the financial wherewithal to create centers. They also knew that the Iranian Zoroastrians of yore owed a debt to the Parsis of India who had funded schools and orphanages in Iran, worked for the uplift of the community and convinced the Islamic rulers to abolish the dreaded jizya tax.
With the Islamic Revolution of 1979 many Iranian Zoroastrians sought refuge in the West. In earlier times they had turned to the East but living conditions in India could not compare with those in Europe and NA. The Iranians added to the diversity of the Zoroastrian diaspora in NA which till that time comprised largely Parsis from the Indian subcontinent.
The differences in the two cultures created impediments. The Iranian Zoroastrians parted ways from ZAGNY and formed their own association, the Iranian Zoroastrian Association. US based journalist Porus Cooper wrote on “The ZAGNY split” (Parsiana, June 1985) noting “cultural differences magnified by personal incompatibility appear to have been the true catalyst for the split.”
Over the years Parsi and Iranian Zoroastrians have learned to live together, share in each others’ festivities and work together for the betterment of all. The second and third generations raised in North America share a common cultural background. They have either moved away from Gujarati and Persian and adopted English and/or are bilingual. They have grown up in a democratic society where freedom of speech is ensured, where discrimination on the basis of gender or race is illegal and where people can openly practice their religion, convert to another faith or profess atheism.
The new comers have been told what counts is largely merit and effort. Your antecedents are secondary. The North American Zoroastrians have brought to bear modern management techniques to community issues, to raise funds, to hold congresses every two years, to form the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), a truly representative pan North American federation. They have learned to work together.
The newest darbe mehr built by the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Incorporated is a joint effort by Iranian and Parsi Zoroastrians. The Kamran Dar-e Mehr (see “Worship at Washington,” Zoroastrians Abroad, page 21) is added to the list of around a dozen already in existence in the span of 37 years. By any yardstick this is a remarkable achievement.
The FEZANA website features three PowerPoint presentations that demonstrate the speed and thoroughness with which three North American Zoroastrian associations have from scratch built or are building institutions in the 21st century. The Zoroastrian Association of North Texas was formed on March 14, 1989. A building fund was created on August 5, 1995. Total funds collected by 2009 were $ 1,250,000 (Rs 7,62,50,000) including $ 200,000 (Rs 1,22,00,000) pledged by the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton and Macao. Land was purchased in February 2006. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in February 2009. Construction was completed in May 2011.
The Zoroastrian Association of California (ZAC) was formed in 1974. Eleven years later they opened The Arbab Guiv Center in Westminster. When a larger center was required, Purin Boman pledged $ 150,000 (Rs 91,50,000) in 2004. A year later a committee of around 10 people was appointed to raise funds and locate a plot. The Center was opened in June 2010. ZAC has now completed phase one of its Atash Kadeh (prayer hall), a half a million dollar project that will develop on a 1,972 square foot, stand alone building, “complete with a kebla, urvisgah (place for higher liturgical ceremonies), priest’s room, etc.”
For ZAGNY’s new, four-and-a-half million dollar (Rs 27,45,00,000) darbe mehr a committee was formed in 2010. The project was unveiled to the community in May 2011. Final site plan approvals were obtained in March 2014. A ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony was held in March 2014. The building is expected to be completed by late 2015. Three-and-a-half million dollars have been raised. One million dollars is left.
For the benefit of other aspirants ZAGNY has listed 10 tips or “rules of the game” for new darbe mehr projects. These are: a dream team, to lead by example, take a flying start, communicate, ask unabashedly, prioritize, just do it, map and measure, learn and improve, and finally be entrepreneurial.
In India even though the will and vision is there the same tempo cannot be maintained due to the bureaucratic red tape involved. Still Bardoli did reconstruct its agiary, Mahuva refurbished its hall, Maneck Baug was constructed in Poona’s Sir J. J. Agiary compound, the bhoomi poojan of the New Bombay agiary took place on Dussehra (October 3, 2014). There are several other success stories. But there are also failures. Existing assets are neglected, underutilized or encroached upon. If we cannot keep pace with the North American Zoroastrians, let us at least emulate the local anjumans that have served their members well.
COURTESY: PARSIANA –http://www.parsiana.com/
Parsiana is the premier print magazine serving the community in India and the global diaspora for the past 50 years and more. Subscribe to the magagine
Filed Under: Diaspora
← The Traditional Parsi Hadvaid
Soprano Meher Pavri: In Conversation →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line936
|
__label__wiki
| 0.564056
| 0.564056
|
‘The Madisons at Montpelier’ at this week’s IRP - University College
‘The Madisons at Montpelier’ at this week’s IRP
The Feb. 18 session of the Institute for Retired Professionals (IRP) will host Ralph Ketcham, professor emeritus of history, public affairs and political science at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
Ketcham will reflect on James and Dolley Madison, the restoration of Montpelier, their home in Virginia, and what has been learned about their life during his retirement years.
Ketcham is the author of several books, including “The Idea of Democracy in the Modern Era” (University Press of Kansas, 2004); “Framed for Posterity: The Enduring Philosophy of the Constitution” (University Press of Kansas, 1993); “James Madison, A Biography” (American Political Biography Press, 1971, 1991), and most recently, “The Madisons at Montpelier: Reflections on the Founding Couple” (University of Virginia Press, 2009).
Ketcham received a Ph.D. from Syracuse University and is an expert in American political thought, the American Revolution, public policy and comparative political cultures.
The Institute for Retired Professionals, established by University College of Syracuse University, provides opportunities for retired people to stay intellectually active, to expand interests and make new acquaintances. Presentations are made by SU faculty and specialists within the community.
Meetings are held the first and third Thursday of each month from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 E. Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville. Several times each year, members may take part in special activities such as day trips, tours and luncheons.
For more information on this program, call University College of Syracuse University at (315) 443-4846 or visit www.yesu.syr.edu/IRP.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line937
|
__label__cc
| 0.603197
| 0.396803
|
Managerial Leadership and Team effectiveness
As managers transition into leading and managing teams, it is important that they re-examine their styles of managing people and work in order to remain effective. This programme facilitates the process of questioning and realigning participant competencies to such career transitions.
From: 25-11-2019
To: 29-11-2019
INR 85000
Don't Have an account? Register Forgotten Password ?
Institute Description
The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) was established as the first national institute for Post-Graduate studies and Research in Management by the Government of India in November 1961 in collaboration with Alfred P. Sloan School of Management (MIT), the Government of West Bengal, The Ford Foundation and Indian industry. During its initial years, several prominent faculty formed part of its nucleus, including Jagdish Sheth, J. K. Sengupta, among others.Over the years, IIMC has grown into a mature institution with global reputation, imparting high quality management education. It has been playing a pioneering role in professionalising Indian management through its Post Graduate and Doctoral level programs, Executive Training Programs, Research and Consulting Activities.Today, the institute serves as an autonomous body, continually evolving to meet its goals in an ever-changing business environment.The vision of the Institute is to emerge as an International Centre of Excellence in all facets of Management Education, rooted in Indian ethos and societal values. Over the past four decades, IIM Calcutta has blossomed into one of Asia's finest Business Schools. Its strong ties to the business community make it an effective mechanism for the promotion of professional management practices in Indian organizations. Today, IIM Calcutta attracts the best talent in India - a melting pot of academia, industry and research. The best and brightest young men and women pursue its academic programs.The residential experience is a foundation of the IIMC culture, which includes teamwork and the building of lifelong relationships. Students and partners live on or near campus, making social events and shared activities a way of life.From our core curriculum of general management skills to advanced electives and seminars, our students have exceptional access to a preeminent faculty of thought leaders, all of whom teach in the MBA program.To our students, we offer intellectual de
Middle,senior level managers in public & private organizations
The broad objectives of the programme are: • To help participants develop themselves as more effective leaders • To be a more effective at managing teams and team dynamics.
You can apply/nominate your personnel by clicking on the “Apply Now” link corresponding to the particular MDP, as appearing on our online calendar available at: https://iimcal.ac.in/mdp/mdp-calendar Kindly fill in this online form mentioning full details of the participant(s), sponsoring authority/ organization, and other specifics. Upon submission of the online form, you will receive an auto generated acknowledgement mentioning a tentative date by which you may expect to hear from us regarding your selection. The nomination(s) will be forwarded to the Programme Director(s) for her/his/their necessary consideration. Once the candidature(s) is(are) approved, the sponsoring authority or participant (in case of self‐nomination) will be intimated over email along with the invoice. Payment must be processed within ten days of receipt of the invoice. Please note that confirmation of participation is subject to receipt of Programme fees by CMDP Office before Programme commencemen
Managerial Leadership and Team Effectiveness.pdf
Faculty Details
Abhishek Goel
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line938
|
__label__wiki
| 0.511653
| 0.511653
|
Allon files IND for approval of Schizophrenia Phase II clinical trials
Category: Proteins and Peptides
Published on Friday, 23 February 2007 02:00
Announced today that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application (IND) with the United State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to begin human clinical trials evaluating the Company’s product AL-108 as a treatment for Schizophrenia related cognitive impairment.
VANCOUVER, Canada | Feb 21, 2007 | Allon Therapeutics Inc. (TSX:NPC), The Neuro Protection CompanyTM, announced today
that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application (IND) with the United State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to begin human clinical trials evaluating the Company’s product AL-108 as a treatment for Schizophrenia related cognitive impairment. The Company announced on January 8th that the United States National Institute of Mental Health-funded project, Treatment Units for Research of Neurocognition in Schizophrenia (TURNS) has selected Allon’s drug for Phase II clinical trials.
Gordon McCauley, President and CEO of Allon, said the TURNS group plans to commence a Phase II clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of the AL-108 as treatment for Schizophrenia related cognitive impairment. The trial is scheduled to be conducted at the 7 TURNS participating sites: Harvard Medical School, The University of California at Los Angeles, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Washington University Medical Center, Nathan Kline Institute, Columbia University Medical Center and Duke University.
“Our team continues to meet our milestones and this is the next step in determining the potential for AL-108 as a treatment for Schizophrenia patients,” said McCauley. “We now have three Phase II efficacy trials that seek to use the unique underlying mechanism of our drugs.”
There are estimated to be over 2 million people in North America who suffer cognitive impairment related to schizophrenia according to Datamonitor. TURNS was created by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, one of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, to identify drugs that improve cognition and that can be combined as co-treatments with anti-psychotic drugs that control the psychotic episodes that characterize schizophrenia. To date, first and second generation anti-psychotic drugs have shown little impact on cognition impairment suffered by schizophrenia patients.
The Company has two products in human clinical trials. AL-108 is being evaluated in a Phase II trial as a treatment for Alzheimer’s and AL-208 is being evaluated in a Phase II trial as a prevention and treatment for the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that commonly occurs following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
About Allon
Allon Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage Canadian biotechnology company developing drugs that protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, cognitive impairment, stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis and neuropathy. The Company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "NPC" (Neuro Protection CompanyTM) and based in Vancouver. For additional information please visit the company’s website: www.allontherapeutics.com
About TURNS
The Treatment Units for Research of Neurocognition in Schizophrenia (TURNS) program is a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supported network that provides an infrastructure for clinical studies of pharmacological agents for enhancing neurocognition in patients with schizophrenia. For additional information visit www.turns.ucla.edu.
There are forward-looking statements contained herein that are not based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words “believes,” “may,” “plans,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “expects,” and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, Allon’s stage of development, lack of product revenues, additional capital requirements, risks associated with the completion of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market Allon’s products, the ability to protect its intellectual property and dependence on collaborative partners. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments.
SOURCE: Allon Therapeutics Inc
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line945
|
__label__wiki
| 0.941006
| 0.941006
|
by Evan Minsker
Death Grips Working on New Music With Shrek Director
Their new album will feature Andrew Adamson
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Death Grips are at work on a new album, they revealed on social media today, and they shared the news with a studio photo of Andrew Adamson. Adamson is best known as the director of Shrek and Shrek 2. “Working on the new album with Andrew Adamson,” they wrote (and confirmed when reached by Pitchfork). Death Grips’ last album was 2016’s Bottomless Pit. In October, the group dropped a new 11-minute song. Back in 2013, Robert Pattinson appeared on one of their songs.
For what it’s worth, there’s an entire meme vortex surrounding Death Grips and Shrek. (Maybe try “Shrek but with Death Grips” as a starting point.)
https://twitter.com/bbpoltergiest/status/973315210860675073
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line946
|
__label__wiki
| 0.811801
| 0.811801
|
I Am the World Trade Center
Out of the Loop
Kindercore
by Jonny Pietin
Let's play "What If." What If... Britney Spears, who, in real life, shot\n\ like a buxom arrow from ...
Let's play "What If." What If... Britney Spears, who, in real life, shot like a buxom arrow from the American South to the Mickey Mouse Club to the waiting and greasily magical hands of a cadre of Swedish record producers, instead stayed home through high school, went to college in a fairly hip Southern city, discovered "indie," dyed her hair a blonde so blonde it was almost white, and moved to NYC with a guy to craft bedroom dance-pop on a laptop computer? Really. What If?
Well, first, the youngsters would probably come up with a suitably dorky name for their project, something relevant to their situation but sufficiently non-sequiturial. Then they'd get signed to Kindercore. Then they'd put out some 12-inches while working up material for their full-length. Then they'd release their full-length, to occasional college radio airplay, middling reviews in print and webzines, and reasonable sales. Then, if things seemed to be going well enough, they'd release another full-length in a few years. Yup. Not nearly as exciting an existence as the good people at Disney and Jive could have offered her (and her boobies would probably be a little less ginourmous), but overall, not a bad life. Turned out to be kind of a boring "What If," though.
This is not to say that all of I Am the World Trade Center's debut LP, Out of the Loop, sounds like "Oops, I Did It Again"; some of it, though, does, just a little. And that's the part where the two main players seem to be getting it right. Dan Gellar and Amy Dykes have a buried knack for the driving groove; songs like "Move On" and "Holland Tunnel" want to rock your body and jack you up hardcore, but are limited by their sound and recording quality.
Dan and Amy possess what could be called an "ethic," or what could also be called a "budget"; none of the beats or basslines quite hit that expensive sub-bass level, all the samples and synth washes rattle about tinnily in your speakers, and Amy's always slightly off-key vocals bear all the quiet tension of the big-city apartment-dweller singing softly into her cardioid mike so as not to bother the swarthy fella next door. All this low fidelity can work to some acts' advantage, and does to I Am the World Trade Center's, sometimes. Like on "Analogous," which features the most charming white-indie band attempt at stutter-step R&B; beats this side of the Beta Band's "To You Alone."
But even the Betas made you want to dance, or seemed to want you to dance. Whether the members of I Am the World Trade Center really want you to dance to their music is debatable. Perhaps the most telling word in the last sentence of the previous paragraph was "charming"; it really speaks volumes about this band's stock in trade, which is to take a spice rack full of elements and qualities inherent to honest-to-god-we-want-to-move-you dance music and twee 'em up a bunch. Which is not as bad as it sounds. It can be quite, well, charming. But it can also suck fat squirrel balls.
The intended single for this record seems to be "Metro," considering it leads off the album in its "Brooklyn Mix" form, and caps it in "Athens Mix" fashion. Oh, and because it bites. We can't have an actually catchy single; remember, kids, the watchwords here are "willful obscurity." The song sounds like the opening theme to an industrial instruction film-- something where girders are lifted and coffee is drunk from thermoses, then a smiling guy in a suit appears to tell you how you, too, can increase workplace safety. Which, as a description, makes it sound more interesting and less hackneyed than it actually is. But, were it my duty to sequence this album, I'd just lop the two versions of this track off, and let Out of the Loop begin with the winning greatness of "Me to Be."
"Me to Be" is the kind of song that goes perfectly on seven inches, intended, as they are, for either incessantly repeated home playings, or broadcasts on your local staticky AM college station that makes all music sound lo-fi, so that this track, jammed up against the latest high-budget Daft Punk endeavor, can come off as just plain awesome. It's the most Britney-esque moment on the album, fast-paced and questioning, featuring a squelching keyboard riff, sitars, and a flute loop that sugars it all up just right. It remains resolutely indie, though, at an extended-bridge-free-dance-breakdown 2\xBD minutes, which end all too quickly. That's what "back" buttons were made for, though.
After "Me to Be," Out of the Loop never gets quite that ass-shakingly good again, and considering that it's only the second track (or, in my more perfect version of the album, the first), that's kind of disappointing. But only a little. Overall, the whole record is pretty good, and deserves credit for its offhanded attempt at a ramshackle pop vision. Let's hope that these guys get to spend a little more money the next time around, though. Or get their hands on some greasily magical Swedes. Now that would be an interesting "What If!"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line947
|
__label__cc
| 0.526794
| 0.473206
|
Ahmadinejad: 'A Mideast Without Israel and America Now Possible'
By 'Reza Kahlili' 2011-04-07T12:52:11
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards website, Sepah News, reports:
In his first press conference of the new year 1390 [Iranian New Year was on March 21] which took place on Monday evening, April 4th, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asserted that a new Middle East, without the specter of the Zionist regime, America and its proxies, is taking shape.
Ahmadinejad warned that the U.S. and its allies plan to partition Jordan under the guise of creating a Palestinian state which is in fact nothing more than an attempt to save the Zionist regime. He cautioned: “The governments and peoples of the region must be vigilant and aware, not to fall pray to the conspiracy and the deception of the U.S., its allies and the Zionist regime.”
Remarking on U.S. foreign policy, Ahmadinejad maintained that both the Bush and Obama administrations actually followed the very same course of action, and added: “If the previous U.S. president left office with his head hanging in shame, his successor will be leaving the political scene with more derision and humiliation.” Quoting Obama’s campaign slogan of change and supporting the rights of people, Ahmadinejad then said: “Behind this attractive appearance lurks the same old criminals, professional and typical thieves, those same slave owners and colonialists and this time their aim is to once again save their own banking system and imperialist interests. The last U.S. administration very openly and publicly rolled out its tanks, cannons, machine guns and bullied its way into the field; the successor who then claimed to be for change has, on the one hand, the arms and military force and, on the other hand, the apparatus of deception and intrigue.”
Then addressing U.S. authorities, Ahmadinejad said: “The time of pillaging and imposition on the peoples of the world is over and these forms of crimes and subterfuge will not save the day anymore.”
Returning to his comments, he continued: “I can safely say that they will simply not be able to do anything and that this is the end of the road. With the Lord’s mercy, the people of the region will be victorious and the business of cruelty and malevolence will be shut down forever, and where the just and humane leadership will replace the inhumane and uncivilized authoritarians.”
RELATED: "Iranian Rulers, Believing Pre-Messianic Destruction Is Imminent, Make Film To Prepare Muslims."
https://pjmedia.com/blog/ahmadinejad-a-mideast-without-israel-and-america-now-possible/
The Siege of Vienna, July 15, 1683
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line948
|
__label__wiki
| 0.922205
| 0.922205
|
Somalia, Palestine, and France: Ghost Countries for Ghost Countries
By Michel Gurfinkiel 2011-11-12T03:00:46
On October 31, Somalia supported Palestine’s accession to full member of UNESCO. In other words, a state that vanished from the map twenty years ago and survives only as a diplomatic fiction was allowed to cast a vote for a non-state.
I can’t think of a better case to present against UNESCO, the UN, and the other world organizations. They are not just divorced from reality: they nurture it.
The Republic of Somalia existed for about thirty years, from 1960 to 1990. It was set up by UN experts as a merger of two former colonial territories: the Italian colony of Somalia, turned into a UN trusteeship in 1945 though still under Italian administration; and the British protectorate of Somaliland.
Indeed, Italian Somalia and British Somaliland looked like good matches. They shared a common language, Soomali, and a common religion, Islam.
What experts failed to understand, however, was that Soomali is a galaxy of related dialects rather than a functional vernacular language. They also failed to recognize that Somali Islam broke up -- as Islam does everywhere -- into many sects and subsects, Sunni, Shia, and Sufi, and that tribes or clans play more significant role in that part of the world than nation-building or anything related to Western-style nations-states.
Moreover, they underestimated the impact of colonization, especially among the elites: inasmuch as they were educated, former Italian subjects were Italianized, and former British protégés were Anglicized. Worlds apart.
For nine years, there was a serious attempt to make the Republic of Somalia work. Then in 1969, the Italian-educated second regularly elected president of the country, Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, was shot by one of his bodyguards.
Within days, a military junta headed by General Mohamed Syad Barre took over and established a regime patterned after Soviet Russia and Communist China. Traditional Islam, Somali nationalism, and "scientific Marxism" were blended into a state-enforced ideology, backed by a single-party administration.
In 1977, Barre attacked Ethiopia -- a neighboring country ridden by hunger, revolution, and civil war since 1973 -- in a bid to liberate Ogaden, an ethnically Somali province, and incorporate it into a Greater Somalia. The attempt misfired: the USSR, which had hitherto supported Barre’s regime, sided with Ethiopia’s rising Red dictator General Mengistu Haile Mariam. Cuban Soviet proxies crushed the Somalian invaders and drove them back home. In order to survive, Barre mended fences with the United States, without relinquishing his Muslim National Socialism. Military campaigns against several rebellious clans took near genocidal dimensions.
In 1991, Barre was finally ousted. But Somalia collapsed as a state by the same token. Somaliland formally restored its independence and functioned again as a decently managed country: over the years it has won a measure of de facto international recognition, like, say, Taiwan, without being admitted to the UN or other similar organizations.
Puntland, the northern part of the former Italian Somalia, has gradually achieved de facto independence as well, except for one reservation: it claims to be merely an autonomous province within a still-to-be-created Federal Republic of Somalia. Several other Somalian provinces have more or less opted for a similar status.
As for the southern half of the former Italian Somalia, it has disintegrated over the years into one of the most chaotic places in the world.
Mogadishu, the capital city, and most of the coastline are ruled by warrior clans loosely affiliated to radical Islamist networks, including al-Qaeda. Piracy is endemic in what is supposed to be Somalian national waters or adjacent international waters. Inland Somalia has reverted to the Stone Age, except for some Sharia. Demography is exuberant: from 2.2 million in 1960 to 10 million now, and 45% of all Somalians are currently under 14. Hunger is rampant.
The U.S. and other countries attempted once -- the Restore Hope operation in 1992-1993 -- to bring back civilization (law, order, personal safety) to Somalia. It failed, naturally. Neither the U.S. nor its partners were willing to countenance the truth: civilization starts with a display of naked, brutish, power. First you break heads. Then, God willing, you may consider counting them. There is no other way. Since the U.S. and other countries were unwilling to break heads in Somalia, some locals took over the job.
And yet, there is something called the Government of Somalia which still enjoys full international recognition, maintains embassies and diplomatic representations (thanks to Western funding), and takes part in votes at the UN and at UNESCO. And Somalia voted for Palestine at UNESCO. And will vote again for it at the UN and anywhere else.
If Somalia is a failed state, or a collapsed state, or a former state, Palestine is as of today a non-state.
Under international law, states need three things in order to be recognized as such by other states: a population, a territory, and a government.
What really counts as an emerging Palestinian state’s population is unclear: is it just the residents of the West Bank and Gaza, or does it also include the Arab citizens or residents of Israel, as well as the Arab Palestinian refugees of 1948 wherever they may be and their ever-expanding patrilinear descent, even if they are citizens of other Arab or non-Arab countries?
If one is to retain the first, most restrictive definition -- residents of the West and Gaza -- the Palestinian state population would amount to about 4 million people. If one is to include all putative Palestinians all over the world, it would amount to about 11 million people, and this is actually the figure put forward by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), a branch of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In order to get such a number, the PCBS brazenly goes so far as to claim 500,000 citizens of Chile, a South American country, as Palestinians. Such elastic demographics do not fit with statehood recognition prerequisites.
What counts as Palestinian state territory is equally unclear: is it the various places deemed to be under Palestinian Authority control according to the Oslo accords; or those parts of the former Mandatory Palestine held by non-Palestinian Arab states between 1948 and 1967, as many Western countries tend to say nowadays, along with PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas; or Mandatory Palestine as a whole (including what is now Israel), as it is displayed on Palestinian emblems and maps, and routinely referred to in PA literature? Again, such uncertainty does not meet recognization prerequisites.
But the main issue against recognition is government. There are at least two aspiring Palestinian governments today: the Fatah-dominated government in Ramallah, which controls the West Bank, and the Hamas-dominated government in Gaza. Which means that there is none. Or alternatively, that there are two geographically separate Palestinian states in the making -- an interesting outcome.
Neither the Ramallah government nor the Gaza government is legitimate, even by the highly flawed criteria of PA law: the first one was appointed by Mahmoud Abbas, whose term as PA president has been over since January 9, 2009; the second one took over the Gaza Strip in a violent coup in 2007. Any credit the Ramallah government enjoys on international scenes derives in the first place from the formal and informal ties that Israel, for good or bad reasons, is willing to keep with it.
There is even a third Palestinian government to be considered: the Palestine Liberation Organization, which issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Algiers in 1988. The PLO was subsequently granted diplomatic recognition as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people by most Communist and Third World countries and even a growing number of Western countries. Throughout the current debates about a Palestinian state’s accession to the UN and UNESCO, the fact that the PLO already sits at observer’s level at the UN and at most international organizations and that its president is Abbas himself has been routinely ignored.
The current PLO/PA duality, as well as a prospective PLO/Palestinian state duality, is part and parcel of the Palestinian strategies: it means that whatever the PA or a state of Palestine may agree is not to be binding on the Palestinian national movement as embodied by the PLO. This is reminiscent of the classic Communist distinction between the Soviet state, which may engage in treaties with the bourgeois states, and the Communist International, which may ignore them.
No defined population or territory, no undisputed national government: Palestine (whatever it means) cannot be deemed a state under present circumstances and accordingly cannot be admitted as a member-state by international organizations.
The U.S., thanks to Congressional legislation, stuck to such basics at the UNESCO October 31 vote. Only 16 other UNESCO members made a similar decision. Fifty-three abstained, however: they entertained no illusion about the admission of Palestine, but were not bold enough to state it explicitly. One hundred and seven countries supported admission. Including Somalia. And Libya, which is hardly in better shape than Somalia nowadays. And France, which may no longer be as strong as a state and a country as it used to be.
Pundits at and around Quai d’Orsay (the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs) claim that since France is poised to abstain in the UN vote on Palestine, something Arab and Islamic countries resent enormously, it had to appear more "positive" at the UNESCO vote. My feeling: France’s vote has less to do with Arab and Islamic countries than with the domestic Arab and Islamic community.
Remember: 2012 is an election year, and Sarkozy is not exactly popular. French citizens of Arab descent or of the Islamic persuasion (5% of the vote so far, according to various estimates) will have a say. For the time being, 16% of them only say they may cast their ballot for the incumbent. Moreover, unrest among the Arab and Islamic community at large -- this includes foreign legal and illegal residents and may amount to 10% of the global population at least -- can turn overnight into a major crisis. On November 2, the satiric paper Charlie Hebdo published Sharia Hebdo, a special issue on Islamic fanaticism.
Its offices were torched the same night, a warning of some sort.
https://pjmedia.com/blog/somalia-palestine-and-france-ghost-countries-for-ghost-countries/
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line949
|
__label__wiki
| 0.599783
| 0.599783
|
“Glorified be He who took His slave on a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram1 to the Masjid-al-Aqsa2, the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him of Our signs.
Approximately ten years after Prophet Muhammad received the first revelations of the Quran and after the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah Prophet Muhammad was presented with a white animal he described as being smaller than a horse but larger than a donkey, it was known as al-Buraq.
The Angel Gabriel told Prophet Muhammad to mount the animal, and together they travelled more than 1200km to Masjid al-Aqsa. Prophet Muhammad walked into the Masjid to be met by a group of the previous Prophets; he then had the great honour of leading them in prayer.
While still in the sacred precincts of Masjid Al-Aqsa, the AngelGabriel presented Prophet Muhammad with two cups,One was filled with milk, the other with wine, and both offered to the Prophet.
Prophet Muhammad chose and drank the milk; Angel Gabriel then said to him “Thanks be to God, who guided you to the fitrah; if you had taken the wine, your followers would have gone astray.
Prophet Muhammad ascended to the lowest heaven in the company of Angel Gabriel from the rock In his sayings Prophet Muhammad described the size of the heavens; the first heaven, as compared to the second, is similar to a small ring in the desert, and he continued this narrative until he described the sixth heaven as being the size of a ring in the desert compared to the seventh heaven At each gate of the seven heavens, Gabriel sought permission to enter and the angels at the gates welcome them.
In the first heaven, Prophet Muhammed saw his father Adam, the father of all mankind In the second heaven, he saw Prophet Jesus In the third heaven, he saw Prophet Joseph and described him as an embodiment of half of the beauty In the fourth heaven, he saw Prophet Idris who was described in Quran as being elevated to a very high level.
In the Fifth heaven, he met Prophet Aaron. In the sixth heaven, he saw Prophet Moses In the seventh heaven, he met Prophet Abraham At each meeting, the prophets expressed their faith in Muhammed and his message.
While in the seventh heaven, Prophet Muhammad was shown the building known as the much-frequented house (al Bayt al-Mamoor) it is the heavenly equivalent of the Kaaba in Mecca.
Every day 70,000 angels visit this much-frequented house in the seventh heaven to worship God. Prophet Muhammad then moved through the seventh heaven to the uppermost boundary, to Sidrat al-Muntaha, “Near Sidrat al-Muntaha (lote-tree of the utmost boundary.
Near it is the Paradise of Abode.” (Quran 53:14-15) Beyond Sidrat al –Muntaha is the realm of the hereafter, Paradise, and the throne of God and God himself. No one has gone beyond it except Prophet Mu-hammad.
As he moves into this realm and stands in the presence of God When Prophet Muhammed returned to Mecca , he informed the crowd that he has been to Jerusalem and back The crowd of people started to laugh, whistle, and clap. They treated it as a big joke and fell against one another laughing. Among the crowd were people who had travelled to Jerusalem and they asked Prophet Muhammad to describe what he had seen.
He did not remember small details and descriptions. However, Prophet Muhammad tells us that God showed him the details “right in front of his eyes” and he described what he had seen“stone by stone, brick by brick”.The travelers confirmed his descriptions.This event was such a test of faith The Sweetness of Faith To those whose faith was strong and true, like Abu Bakr when hereplied without hesitation “If the messenger of God said so, then it is true”. Although the Muslims with low faith, disbelieved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line950
|
__label__wiki
| 0.719036
| 0.719036
|
America and Its Wall of Violence
Christopher Black
I intended to write in a light manner about President Trump’s wall, the wall he wants to put across the length of the border with Mexico, on lands stolen when the United States invaded Mexico in 1846 and seized its vast territories, a wall supposedly intended to protect the United States from an imminent threat of invasion by the dispossessed. I was going to have some fun comparing it to other walls in history, not the fences being put up across Europe as people flee the imperial wars, climate change, drought, famine and poverty, but the great walls tourists still flock to see.
The Great Wall of China comes to mind, built to keep the Mongols, Turks and Uighurs out of China, or Hadrian’s Wall in Britain and that of Antoninus, built to protect the Roman province from blue painted Picts, or the walls built around Rome itself, around Constantinople, around medieval European towns, the palisades of the Iroquois in Canada.
But then I began to think of the Berlin Wall, built to protect socialist Germany from the fate that befell it when the wall came down, or the Israeli wall dominating the lands of Palestine and making the Palestinian prisoners in their own land. Naturally my thoughts went to John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges, walls dividing, bridges connecting, and to Pink Floyd’s famous metaphor for society, for the individual and social isolation that is one of the primary characteristics of capitalist society. So light became dark as I began to wonder.
The great walls of history were built to defend against military invasions, invasions of conquest or short term pillage. So long as they were maintained and manned they were more or less successful. The Berlin Wall was built to protect socialism in Germany. When socialism in Germany was betrayed, the capitalists tore it down, re-established wage slavery, claimed it freedom, and sold pieces of the wall for souvenirs. The Israeli wall has the opposite purpose. It wasn’t built to protect anything. It was built to divide the Palestinian people from their own lands, to make them permanent prisoners of an occupying army. It’s a prison wall, a ghetto wall. But what is Trump’s wall for?
Mexico is not about to invade the........
© New Eastern Outlook
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line952
|
__label__wiki
| 0.501813
| 0.501813
|
Mom Follows Sons to University, Earns Her Own Degree
A lot of parents sacrifice their own dreams and aspirations for their children. Many young people who got pregnant at an early age quit school to find a job to support their children; while there are those who were unable to continue going to school due to poverty even if they did not marry young.
But getting a degree does not have a deadline – and age is certainly not a hindrance for fulfilling your dreams and completing your college education.
Photo credit: Yahoo! News
When twins Aaron and Aubrey Hough were accepted at Florida A&M University, they did not want to leave their mother Madelyn McClarey alone at their home in South Florida. Instead, they insisted that she go with them – and she decided to follow their lead!
With the twins’ older brother Blake studying at Tallahassee Community College, they thought it would be a good idea to also bring their mom along so they could all study together. A single parent, Madelyn took a 1-year leave of absence from her job as elementary school language coach, found a townhouse in Tallahassee, and enrolled at Tallahassee Community College.
Madelyn lives with her eldest son while the twins live in-campus at Florida A&M University. She earned her associate of arts degree, with honors.
But this brilliant woman would later move to Florida A&M University after receiving scholarship through a program that offers guaranteed admission to students from transfer schools meeting academic standards.
“I’m most proud of the fact that she was able to earn this degree despite having gone through so much as a single parent and as a person,” Aaron said.
“I’m glad that she was able to see her decision with this degree through, and it means a lot to our family that she is able to attain her degree finally, regardless of the many familial situations throughout her collegiate experience.”
Madelyn recently graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in English, minor in education. Aubrey will graduate from a music business course this fall while Aaron will graduate from a specialized degree in music composition next year.
Their story might not be so common, but they are living proof that it can be done. Their motto?
“The family that studies together, stays together!”
Related Topics: family storiesfamily studies togetherinspiring storiesmom follows sons to collegemom goes to college
Adorable Photo of Crying Boy at Sister’s Preschool Graduation Warms Hearts
Girl Carries Autistic Schoolmate on Her Back to Protect from the Rain
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line956
|
__label__wiki
| 0.812444
| 0.812444
|
Ministers meet over temple row ខែកក្កដា 29, 2008
Foreign ministers from Thailand and Cambodia have begun talks aimed at resolving an increasingly tense stand-off between the two countries over disputed border territory near to the ruins of an ancient Khmer temple.
Officials at the talks on Monday hope the meeting in the northern Cambodian city of Siem Reap will end the stalemate between the two neighbours.
Last week a meeting between Thai and Cambodian defence ministers held in Bangkok foundered on what maps should be used to demarcate the border.
The move comes as thousands of soldiers from both sides face off near the Preah Vihear temple which sits on a cliff along the mountainous Thai-Cambodia border.
“I hope that the result of the talks will be positive,” Tej Bunnag, Thailand’s newly-appointed foreign minister, said ahead of Monday’s meeting.
Thai and Cambodian officials say neither side expected a quick resolution but hoped to lay out a plan for tackling unresolved border issues.
UN help
Following the failed first meeting in Bangkok Cambodia sought help from the United Nations Security Council, but later agreed to a second meeting with Thailand.
Hor Namhong, Cambodia’s foreign minister, said he hoped the fresh round of dialogue would end the impasse but warned that his government will pursue the case at the UN if talks failed again.
Negotiations last week quickly ended in an argument over which map drawn up over the last 100 years should be used to settle ownership of the temple and the surrounding area.
Despite the long-standing conflict, Thailand accepted a ruling by the International Court of Justice that awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962.
But ties turned hostile again recently after Unesco, the UN cultural organisation, listed Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.
The current conflict focuses on an area about 5 sq km of scrubland surrounding the 11th century Khmer-era temple.
Concerns over Preah Vihear also helped boost the victory of Cambodia’s ruling party in Sunday’s general elections.
ប្រភព៖ http://mwcnews.net/content/view/24203/0/
No comments yet — be the first.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line957
|
__label__wiki
| 0.863588
| 0.863588
|
< Back to collections by Dennis Stock
Dennis Stock - USA. James DEAN, US actor. 1955.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. James Dean and his young cousin Markie play with a model car. 1955.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN signs autographs during Sweethearts Ball at his old high school.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN, US actor.
USA. Fairmont, Indiana. 1955. In 1955 James Dean returned to his roots, the town of Fairmount where he was raised and educated. He visits the farm of his uncle
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN withdrawn and timid looking, "East of Eden" had just opened at the Astor Theater after a celebrity studded preview. Jimmy n
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to his roots, the town of Fairmount where he was raised and educated. He visits the farm of his uncle
USA. 1955. A little girl shows James DEAN a pheasant head.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN posing amusingly in a casket in a funeral parlour, seven months before he died.
USA. 1955. James DEAN flying back to California for the shooting of "Rebel Without a Cause."
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN loved to play the bongo drums, participates in a 'jam session' with friends.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN at Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN spent his youth on the farm of his uncle Marcus Winslow, where he loved to mix with the animals in the barnyard, to ex
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in Times Square.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN in the old school house.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in midtown.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN with Geraldine PAGE at a bar.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in his apartment on West 68th Street.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in a bar with Eartha KITT.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN with Geraldine PAGE.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN with Eartha KITT.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in the office of his agent, Jane Deacy.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in Geraldine PAGE's dressing room.
USA. James DEAN, US actor. 1955.
USA. California. 1955. James DEAN and director Nicholas RAY during the filming of "Rebel Without a Cause."
USA. California. 1955. James DEAN during the filming of "Rebel Without a Cause."
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN attending a dance class with Katherine DUNHAM.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN posing amusingly in a casket just seven months before his death.
USA. Filming of "Rebel Without a Cause" by Nicholas RAY with US actor James DEAN. 1955.
James DEAN. 1955.
USA. James DEAN.
Contact Sheet. 1955. James DEAN.
USA. Fairmont, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN in his aunt and uncle's basement.
Dennis Stock 1955
USA. 1955.Playing Drums in the Presence of Markie
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN talking to the locals.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN talking to locals.
USA. James DEAN's portrait.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. February 14, 1955. James DEAN playing bongos at the Sweethearts' Ball at his old high school.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN near Times Square.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN with his cousin Markie.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. Grave of James Dean.
USA. 1955. James Dean The Race car scene in Rebel without a cause.
USA. Hollywood. California. 1955. James DEAN's knife fight in "Rebel Without a Cause"
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN pushing his cousin Markie in his soap box derby racer in the yard.
USA. 1955. James Dean attending a dance class by katherine Dunham
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN attending a dance class by Katherine DUNHAM.
USA. New York. 1955. James DEAN at drum class with Cyril JACKSON.
USA. 1955. James Dean Bongo drum class
USA. 1955. James Dean applause for dean
Little girl shows James DEAN pheasant head.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN loved to play the bongo drums, and have jam sessions iwth friends.
USA. 1955. American actor James DEAN.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN in the driveway to the farm owned by his uncle, Marcus Winslow.
USA. 1955. DEAN Discussing old racing.
USA. 1955. James DEAN acting with Ronald REAGAN in a TV drama.
USA. New York. 1955. Jimmy DEAN with a withdrawn timid look, "East of Eden" had just opened in New York at the Astor Theater after a celebrity studded preview.
USA. 1955. James DEAN. Portrait.
USA. 1955. Emma DEAN. Grandmother of James DEAN at home.
USA. James DEAN, US actor. 1955. USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN posing amusingly in a casket in
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to the town of his youth, where he went to high school and stayed with his relatives. He visited the
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN returned to his old hometown Fairmount (Indiana) and visited the cemetery where he found the grave of one of his ances
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. DEAN with cousin Markie, reading.
USA. NYC. 1955. James Dean.
James DEAN and Natalie WOOD. Love scene in "Rebel without a Cause".
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN in his former schoolroom.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN in the old school house.
USA. 1955. Adeline NALL, Dean's High School Drama Coach.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN on the farm of his uncle Marcus WINSLOW, posing with a pig asking himself "do I belong to the animals, to the pigs, th
USA. 1955. James DEAN, US actor.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN spent his youth on the farm of his uncle Marcus Winslow, where he loved to mix with the animals in the barnyard, to ex...
USA. New York. 1955. James DEAN at bongo drum class with Cyril JACKSON.
USA. California. Hollywood. 1955. James DEAN's knife fight in "Rebel Without A Cause", directed by Nicholas RAY.
USA. New York City. 1955. DEAN's books, and recorder.
USA. New York City. 1955. James Dean with accountant.
USA. New York City. 1955. With the opening of "East of Eden", James DEAN not only became an overnight celebrity but also had to assume many of the obligations a...
USA. 1955. James DEAN rehearses for a television drama.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN in his apartment West 68th Street just off Central Park West. It was small and stateroom-like, on the top floor - probably ...
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN attending dance classes given by Katherine DUNHAM.
USAS. James DEAN. Barbershop.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN playing basketball with his cousin Markie.
USA. 1955. James DEAN in a motorcycle shop.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN with cattle.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN reciting his favourite poet James WHITCOMB RILEY, in the Winslow Farm of his uncle in Fairmount.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN at Fairmount High School where he attended high school. His teacher Adeline NALL was also his dramatic coach, who was ...
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN returned to the farm where he spent his youth which is owned by his uncle Marcus WINSLOW. The farm's barnyard was a na
USA. New York City, 1955. James DEAN in Manhattan, visiting some of the places he knew when he as a studen
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to Fairmount where he had spent his youth, he visited his uncle Marcus Winslow on his farm, and enjoy
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN spent his youth in Fairmount where he attended the local high school, his teacher Adeline Nall was also his dramatic c...
USA. California. 1955. James DEAN and Natalie WOOD, during the filming of "Rebel Without A Cause."
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN and his cousin Markie build a model car.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to the town where he had spent his youth and gone to High School. At Sweathearts Ball held on St Vale...
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to Fairmount where he spent his youth, and lived on the farm ...
USA. California. 1955. James DEAN during the filming of "Rebel Without a Cause," inside the planetarium.
USA. 1955. James DEAN playing drums in the presence of Markie, his cousin.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to the place he had spent his youth and was educated, on the farm of his uncle Marcus Winslow he sort
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN on the farm of his uncle Marcus Winslow, where Jimmy spent his youth.
FUN PORTRAIT IN FRONT OF BARN
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN at a dance class given by Katherine DUNHAM, also attending is singer Eartha KITT.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. February 14th 1955. Applause for James DEAN at the Sweethearts' Ball at his old high school.
USA. 1955. James DEAN and Natalie WOOD. Love scene in "Rebel Without A Cause".
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN spent most of his youth here, on the farm of his uncle Marcus Winslow. He returned in 1955 to visit his relatives just
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN with his cousin Markie.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN returned to his old hometown Fairmount (Indiana) and visited the cemetery where he found the grave of one of his ance
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to the town of where he had spent his youth, the shooting of "East of Eden" had been completed but th...
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN visiting the area around Times Square, where he had attended the Actor's Studio, in a city he loved.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN haunted Times Square. For a novice actor in the fifties this was the place to go. The Actors Studio, directed by Lee STRASBERG, was in its heyday and just a block away.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN visited the town where he had spent his youth, it was just after he had made "East of Eden" but the film was n
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN on the farm of his uncle Marcus WINSLOW, hunting on a pond.
BARBERSHOP IN N.Y.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN, US Actor returned to Fairmount where he spent his youth, and visited his old school,the Fairmount High School
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN with the WINSLOW family.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN attending Katherine DUNHAM dance classes, which included the singer Eartha KITT.
DEAN ON MAINSTREET OF FAIRMOUNT
USA. New York City. 1955. Jimmy DEAN with a withdrawn timid look, "East of Eden" had just opened in New York at the Astor Theater after a celebrity studded prev
PORTRAIT WITH UNCLE ON TRACTOR
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN visiting a barber shop near Times Square.
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN with a friend at "Jerry's Bar", in front of the Ziegfeld Theater on 54th Street, New York City.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. James DEAN on the farm of his uncle Marcus WINSLOW in Fairmount.
USA. Indiana. Fairmount. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN visited the town where he had spent his youth, it was just after he had made "East of Eden" but the film was n
USA. California. 1955. James DEAN druing the filing of "Rebel Wtihout a Cause,"inside the planetarium.
USA. New York City, New York. 1955. James DEAN in Manhattan, visiting some of the places he knew when he as a student at the Ac
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. James DEAN with his grandfather.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955. In 1955 James DEAN returned to the town of his youth, where he went to high school and stayed wi
USA. 1955. James Dean in dance class
USA. 1955. DEAN AMONGST THE CATTLE
USA. 1955. James Dean Love scene in "Rebel without A Cause".
USA. James DEAN, US actor. 1955. USA. 1955. James Dean Love scene in "Rebel without A Cause".
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN attending a dance class given by Katherine DUNHAM.
USA. New York. 1955. Jimmy DEAN with a withdrawn timid look, "East of Eden" had just opened in New York at the Astor The ...
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN with Geraldine PAGE in her dressing room.
DEAN IN DANCE CLASS
USA. New York City. 1955. James DEAN loved to play the bongo drums, and have jam sessions with friends.
USA. Fairmount, Indiana. 1955.In 1955 James DEAN returned to the town of where he had spent his youth, the shooting of "East of Eden" had been completed but the
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line958
|
__label__wiki
| 0.686051
| 0.686051
|
IWC replica watches uk awards valois for best director at Angoulême film festival
September 2, 2015 by admin
This year Swiss luxury replica watches manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen debuted as an official partner of the festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême in France. Yesterday evening, IWC CEO Georges Kern presented Emmanuel Finkiel from France with the “Valois IWC du Réalisateur” for his film “Je ne suis pas un salaud”. At a gala dinner hosted under the motto “Pour l’amour du cinéma” approximately 100 VIP guests and global stars such as Christopher Lambert and Vincent Lindon celebrated the creativity and diversity of French-speaking cinema.
“In the world of haute horlogerie, the passion and precision work of many talents combine to produce fascinating mechanisms that radiate a certain magic and tell a story. The same applies to the world of film. Here, too, the creative input of countless individuals results in a work of art, which, for a few hours, transports us away from reality,” is how IWC CEO Georges Kern describes the parallels between best IWC replica watchmaking and the world of film. As the partner of a range of hand-picked film festivals around the world, IWC Schaffhausen has had a vehicle for expressing its passion for the cinema for some years now. To date, wellknown festivals from as far afield as Beijing, New York, Zurich, London and Dubai have enjoyed IWC’s support. This year was the first in which the company was also involved as a partner of the festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême, which was held in Angoulême, France, from 25 to 30 August.
IWC AWARDS VALOIS FOR BEST DIRECTOR
@https://pro6.co.uk
Producer Marie-France Brière and Dominique Besnehard founded the festival du Film Francophone d’Angoulême in 2008. In just a few short years, it has established itself as a major attraction for devotees of French-speaking cinema. Over five days, more than 80 movies from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada and Switzerland, as well as Africa and the Middle East, were screened in Angoulême. Under the chairmanship of French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, the jury selected ten works for the official competition. Yesterday evening, the much-coveted Valois awards were presented in eight categories. They included the Valois IWC du Réalisateur for best director, which went to Emmanuel Finkiel for his film “Je ne suis pas un salaud”. The winner also received an IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days (Ref. IW510102) from IWC Schaffhausen. “French-speakingcinema has an excellent reputation that goes well beyond linguistic borders and is well known for its high artistic quality. We are deeply honoured to support cinematographic work in the French-speaking world,” is how Georges Kern summarized the Swiss luxury Panerai replica watches manufacturer’s latest foray into filmmaking.
WORLD CINEMA VEDETTES ATTENDED VIP DINNER
Following the closing ceremony, IWC Schaffhausen invited selected guests to an exclusive gala dinner under the motto “Pour l’amour du cinéma”. The event was held in the famous Château de Maumont, a splendid 16th-century castle. The 100 well-known guests included many stars of the silver screen, including French film legends Vincent Lindon and Christopher Lambert. As a special Omega replica watches after-dinner highlight, guests also enjoyed a private concert given by French rock star Louis Bertignac, who was a guitarist and vocalist with the legendary rock band Téléphone from 1976 to 1986.
Categories Audemars Piguet Replica, IWC Replica, Omega Replica Watches, Panerai Replica, Replica Watches, Replica Watches UK
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line959
|
__label__wiki
| 0.947238
| 0.947238
|
FIFA 2022: Setting Sail
Building for the FIFA World Cup 2022 is well underway, with the first venue to be built from scratch hosting its inaugural game in May. Al Wakrah Stadium will host group and quarter final games and is one of eight grounds that will be used for the quadrennial festival.
FIFA was roundly criticised for selecting Qatar as the 2022 host country, because temperatures normally reach 42 Celsius in the summer, with peaks of 50 degrees in Doha. That’s why the 2022 World Cup will be the first to be played in winter, when temperatures range from 25 to 30 degrees.
The new venue is located 23 km from Doha, in the coastal city of Al Wakrah. Designed by the late Iraqi-born architect, Dame Zaha Hadid, the brief stipulated that the stadium’s design should reflect the city’s maritime heritage and the traditional Arabian dhow. These versatile and hardy sailing vessels have been used on the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf for millennia.
A number of abstracted cultural references were therefore incorporated to reflect the setting and to meet the functional requirements of placing a football stadium in one of the fiercest climates on the planet.
Zaha Hadid Architects explains that the roof was designed by Schlaich Bergermann Partner of Germany. When deployed, it operates like a sail to cover the eye-like aperture above the field of play, creating a sheltered environment for summer football games.
The roof echoes the hulls of dhows turned upside-down and huddled together to provide shade and shelter and its beam structure echoes their internal framework. The stadium facade slants outwards and can be read as the pleating of a dhow's sails.
The opaque roof and wall areas employ a deliberately restrained palette of materials and colours. The cladding here is white, and darker colours are used for the areas below the eaves, including the lower level curtain walling with its ornamental lattice which provides shading.
The colour scheme for the building envelope supports its curving forms. The luminous, glossy roof and surface areas above the eaves make the viewer think of seashells and sails and the use of white emphasises the pleated textures. The embossed eaves and the lattice of the glazed lower- level façade are metallic bronze in colour, adding a sense of richness and depth to the design and acknowledging the long tradition of Islamic craftsmanship.
Al Wakrah Stadium will become the permanent home for Al Wakrah Sports Club when Qatar 2022 finishes. After the Cup the stadium’s 40,000 seat capacity will be reduced to 20,000. Seats from its upper tiers will be removed so that they can be donated to football development projects overseas.
Queen of the curve and conjuror of otherworldly forms, Dame Zaha Hadid became a sought-after global brand, dotting the world with her rippling white structures, from Abu Dhabi to Azerbaijan. She turned her hand to everything from swirling urban plans and challenging footwear, to jagged jewellery and garish superyachts. But success wasn’t always easy.
Born in Baghdad in 1950, Hadid studied mathematics in Beirut, before training as an architect at the Architectural Association in London. Long dismissed as an dreamy ‘paper architect’, her early work grew out of dynamic paintings of skewed perspectives and fractured geometries, inspired by the fragmented forms of Russian constructivism. Her first building was a small fire station in Germany, built in 1994, whose tilting walls and angled stairs proved too much for the firefighters to stand.
Almost a decade later it was still her only building, yet since the mid-2000s commissions have flooded in, from the BMW headquarters in Leipzig to the Guanzhou Opera House in China.
Hadid was first woman to win the Pritzker prize (architecture's Nobel) in 2004, and was two-time winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize, for the Maxxi art centre in Rome and the Evelyn Grace Academy in London.
Her designs have been the focus of unique criticism, with the Al Wakrah Stadium said to ‘resemble a vagina, rising out of the Qatari desert in a great vulvic bulge’ and Hadid's design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium looking ‘like a futuristic bicycle helmet’ – a design that was been met with fury by Japanese architects, who complained it as grossly insensitive to its context, looming 70 metres above the area of low-rise buildings and parks in the west of the city, close to the Meiji shrine, where a 15-metre height limit is in force.
Hadid didn’t get to see either of these monumental works through to completion. She died of a heart attack while in hospital in Miami, where she was being treated for bronchitis, aged 65.
Fuzhou: Petal Power
I.M. Pei: Fire Storm
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line960
|
__label__cc
| 0.52267
| 0.47733
|
The most obvious reasons to utilize a fungo bat is the fact that it’s lightweight. It’s handy to coaches when conducting fielding practice since he or she has to hit plenty of balls to warm up his or her players. What is for sure is that hitting countless balls during practice can be tiring. Consequently, having a bat that’s lighter weight is magical at preventing the coach and/or players from getting tired.
Prepping for baseball season requires not only discipline and hard work, but also the right gear. Because there are multiple parts to the game in fielding, pitching and batting, using the right equipment is vital to finding success within them all. In order to help you find success in every facet of the game, we select the best brands to carry including, but definitely not limited to Easton, Rawlings, Wilson, Louisville Slugger, and Mizuno. Every player has his own preferences when it comes to a glove, bat, and cleats and that's why it's so important to have not only a vast array of brands and styles within each piece of equipment, but also a Guide on How to Shop for Baseball that helps players or parents discover which glove, bat, and other equipment is the right choice.
A fungo bat's size and weight make it easier to operate with one hand or two. Coaches can toss a ball up with one hand and hit pop flies or ground balls farther and with greater accuracy with a fungo bat than with a regular bat. According to an article by LJWorld, high school baseball coach Brad Stoll said fungo bats allow him to hit more balls because heavier regular bats would "wear you out." Fungo bats should be used as a practice tool only and should not be used to hit a pitched ball.
Play It Again Sports® is a registered trademark of Winmark Corporation based in Minneapolis, MN. Any unauthorized use of this trademark by others is subject to action under federal and state trademark laws. Other brand names are trademarked or registered by their respective companies. Each Play It Again Sports store is independently owned and operated.
Once the basic bat has been turned, it has the manufacturer's name, the serial number, and often the signature of the player endorsing it branded into it opposite the wood's best side. Honus Wagner was the first player to endorse and sign a bat. Next, most bats are given a rounded head, but some 30%[citation needed] of players prefer a "cup-balanced" head, in which a cup-shaped recess is made in the head; this lightens the bat and moves its center of gravity toward the handle. Finally, the bat is stained in one of several standard colors, including natural, red, black, and two-tone blue and white.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line962
|
__label__cc
| 0.646995
| 0.353005
|
In the latest issue of TIME magazine, the leader of the former Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, writes an op-ed piece that begins: “The world today is overwhelmed with problems. Policy makers seem to be confused and at a loss. . . . It all looks as if the world is preparing for war” (TIME February 13, 2017, p 22).
In very similar language this observation was made over a century ago: “The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. . . . [T]he world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.” (Education 179-180).
Could Ellen White and Mikhail Gorbachev both be right?
I’ve been reading Jacques Doukhan’s new commentary on Genesis this new year and am now immersed in the story of Noah. Commenting on Genesis 6:11—“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (NKJV)—Doukhan writes: “The word shakhat ‘corrupt’ refers to destruction and annihilation (Dan 9:26). This verb often occurs in the context of war (2 Sam 11:1; 1 Chron 20:1) and killing (Judg 20:21, 25, 35, 42; 1 Sam 26:9). . . . What makes the earth corrupt is the violence that predominates there. . . . . suggest[ing] not only the intensity of corruption, but also its totality; all aspects of corruption are implied” (Genesis 141).
Didn’t Jesus Himself predict, “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37)?
Is the world “preparing for war?” Are we on “the verge of a stupendous crisis?” Are we facing unprecedented corruption and violence globally? Is Jesus soon to return to this earth?
What if the answer were Yes? Would it make a difference in the way we live today? Racially? Last June the Pew Research Center surveyed the nation and opened its report with these words:
Almost eight years after Barack Obama’s election as the nation’s first black president—an event that engendered a sense of optimism among many Americans about the future of race relations—a series of flashpoints around the U.S. has exposed deep racial divides and reignited a national conversation about race. A new Pew Research Center survey finds profound differences between black and white adults in their views on racial discrimination, barriers to black progress and the prospects for change. Blacks, far more than whites, say black people are treated unfairly across different realms of life, from dealing with the police to applying for a loan or mortgage. And, for many blacks, racial equality remains an elusive goal. (www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2016/06/ST_2016.06.27_Race-Inequality-Final.pdf)
And how is it in the church, the church of the Jesus who prayed: “. . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21)?
“STORM: Finding Jesus in the Gathering Dark”—Pioneer’s new pulpit series segues with Black History Sabbath today, because the mounting evidence is inescapable. If we are saved by “the faith of Jesus,” then we will live by “the love of Jesus.” Why? Because in the end it will be the only way a secular, godless culture will recognize the divine—in a faith community where Blacks and Whites and Yellows and Browns are bound together by the radical, bold, self-sacrificing “love of Jesus” for one another. For as C. S. Lewis once observed about this faith community—“What you say about the VII Day Adventists interests me extremely. If they have so much charity there must be something very right about them” (Letters to an American Lady 109).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line963
|
__label__wiki
| 0.879974
| 0.879974
|
Download PNG image: Predator PNG
In this page you can download PNG image - Predator PNG.
Home » HEROES, ACTORS » Predator » Predator PNG
Predator PNG image with transparent background
This image has format transparent PNG with resolution 1124x944.
Predator PNG with transparent background you can download for free, just click on it and save.
The Predator (also known as Yautja or Hish-Qu-Ten) is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterized by its trophy hunting of other species for sport. First introduced in 1987 as the main antagonist of the film Predator, the Predator creatures returned in the sequels Predator 2 (1990) and Predators (2010), the upcoming Shane Black installment The Predator (2018), and the crossover franchise Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007).
The Predator has been the subject of numerous novels, video games, and comic books, both on their own and as part of the Alien vs. Predator crossover imprint. Although a definitive name for the species is not given in the films, the names Predators, Yautja (E-wat-ya), Hish-qu-Ten have been alternatively used in the expanded universe, suggesting that two unique "Predator-species" exist. Created by brothers Jim and John Thomas, the Predators are depicted as large, sapient and sentient humanoid creatures who possess advanced technology, such as active camouflage, directed-energy weapons, and interstellar travel.
The Predator design is credited to special effects artist Stan Winston. While flying to Japan with Aliens director James Cameron, Winston, who had been hired to design the Predator, was doing concept art on the flight. Cameron saw what he was drawing and said, "I always wanted to see something with mandibles." Winston then included them in his designs. Stan Winston's studio created all of the physical effects for Predator and Predator 2, creating the body suit for actor Kevin Peter Hall and the mechanical facial effects. The studio was hired after attempts to create a convincing monster (including Jean-Claude Van Damme wearing a much different body suit) had failed. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended Winston after his experience working on The Terminator.
The Predator was originally designed with a long neck, a dog-like head and a single eye. This design was abandoned when it became apparent that the jungle locations would make shooting the complex design too difficult. Originally, the studio contracted the makeup effects for the alien from Richard Edlund's Boss Film Creature Shop. However, problems filming the alien in Mexico led the makeup effects responsibilities to be given to Stan Winston. According to former Boss Films make-up supervisor Steve Johnson, the makeup failed because of an impractical design by McTiernan that included 12-inch length extensions that gave the Predator a backward bent satyr-leg. The design did not work in the jungle locations. After six weeks of shooting in the jungles of Palenque, Mexico, the production had to shut down so that Winston could make a new Predator. This took eight months and then filming resumed for five weeks, ending in February 1987.
In this page you can download free PNG images: Predator PNG images free download
Keywords: Predator PNG, Download PNG image with transparent background, PNG image: Predator PNG, free PNG image, Predator
Image category: Predator
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line965
|
__label__wiki
| 0.992892
| 0.992892
|
L.I. Rebels | Feb 9
Connecticut RiverHawks Youth Hockey | Dec. 8
Scarsdale Youth Hockey | Jan 27
About NYR Assist
Apply to Host a Game
Tom Laidlaw | #2
Birth place: Brampton, ON, CAN
Draft: 1978 NYR, 6th rd, 7th pk (93rd overall)
Final Game with the Rangers: March 8,1987 (Rangers vs. Calgary Flames)
ALUMNI BIO
Tom Laidlaw played over 700 games as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman in the 1980s. He was an asset to his team’s defensive zone coverage and was capable of jumping up into the offensive rush if an opportunity presented itself.
Born in Brampton, Ontario, Laidlaw was chosen 93rd overall by the New York Rangers after his freshman year at Northern Michigan University in 1977-78. He returned to school for two more years and was named to the CCHA first all-star team in 1979 and 1980 and the NCAA Championship all-tournament team.
The steady blue-liner exhibited poise and grit while playing all 80 games as a rookie in 1980-81. In all, he spent nearly seven years on the Rangers’ defense and became a leader by example on the ice. In March 1987 he was part of the package sent to the LA Kings to land veteran Marcel Dionne. Less than 18 months later he was a member of the club when Wayne Gretzky was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers. He continued his consistent work behind his own blueline while feeding his forwards with crisp outlet passes. He retired early in the 1990-91 season after playing four games in the IHL with the Phoenix Roadrunners and later became an agent for a new generation of NHLers.
Apply to host game
Site Designed and Powered by Benefit Games | © 2018 Girsch Management, Inc. | Terms & Conditions
Site Designed and Powered by Benefit Games | © 2018 Girsch Sports | Terms & Conditions
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line967
|
__label__cc
| 0.691773
| 0.308227
|
Rwanda's Bones
Sara Guyer
boundary 2 (2009) 36 (2): 155-175.
Sara Guyer; Rwanda's Bones. boundary 2 1 May 2009; 36 (2): 155–175. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/01903659-2009-009
The genocide memorials in Rwanda that preserve and expose the bones of the dead, including Nyamata, Nyarubuye, and Murambi, reflect a complex, unstable distinction between the commemoration of the destruction of a population (genocide) and the commemoration of death in general. At the moment that these memorials bear witness to genocide as genocide, by viewing the victims anonymously, as the perpetrators also viewed them, they also show that the difference between genocide and mass death cannot be represented by bones. In this way, they collapse the foundations of two apparently, and necessarily, opposed ways of seeing. Thus, far from solving problems of testimony by displaying hard evidence of death, the memorials reveal anew the necessity of an impossible testimony, that is, a testimony of the dead.
Whose Genocide? Whose Truth? Representations of Victim and Perpetrator in Rwanda
Genocide, Truth, Memory, and Representation An Introduction
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line968
|
__label__cc
| 0.62395
| 0.37605
|
January 23, 2016 Bill Wolfe
Wendy J. Fox: Reconciling book sales as a debut author
When I found out my first book had been accepted for publication, I did not have dreams of a bestseller or fame; I mostly experienced relief. While I’d published in magazines and anthologies, suddenly there was a book of my own.
There was the sheer, beginning thrill of finally feeling like an author, and then there was the reality of how other folks, people who are not writers, ask about it.
“So, how many books have you sold?” a typical conversation might start.
It’s a hard question to answer. It’s tempting to tell the truth (south of a thousand), and it’s tempting to dodge, oh, it’s not so much about sales, and it’s also tempting to outright lie and say something about how the publisher handles all that, how you’re not really involved, how you only think about it when you get a royalty check.
I don’t blame anyone for the question.
In the current culture, where books are understood as content, where consumers believe that “information wants to be free” and forget that information also has value and wants to be expensive, people understand success in terms of compensation. The paradigm of cheap/costly, rather than an argument for open-source, in the way that it is used today, was actually a continuum proposed by the writer Stewart Brand in the 1980s.
Yet, since 2009, according to Author’s Guild, there has been a 30% decrease in the income of writers, with more than half of the 2015 respondents earning less than $11,670 annually (the set point of for the US federal poverty level). Even those who are up for big awards, like the Man Booker, might sell fewer than a thousand copies of their books annually.
Depressing as it is, within this context, my own numbers don’t look so bad.
My debut collection of short stories owes its existence to a prize, and then it was shortlisted for another prize. More than one reviewer said something nice about it. Still, stories add another layer of sales challenge. In January of this year, Megan Lynch, editorial director at Ecco Press in New York said “There have always been a few collections that have taken off, but most don’t succeed commercially.”
So, how many books have you sold?
At press time, BookScan (the Neilson rating agency, the same group who compiles TV ratings) says I have just 105 reported sales from bookstores. They gather this through POS (point of sale) data. If my book, or another book, was purchased at a retailer, including Amazon.com, it’s going to be reflected in this number.
Fox BookScan
My POS high point is 34. Those are sales reflected from two readings—readings I traveled for, on my own dime, and readings at which I had a great time, but readings that were certainly not covered in cost from selling 34 copies at $14.95.
There are also the 79 books my publisher sold in presale. There are the 90 (as of my last royalty report in June of 2015) that have been sold since. There are the 89 books I have sold myself. There are also the 76 I have given away to reviewers, to friends, to friendlies, to prizes entries and other longshots. There are the 18 copies that are out in consignment.
Well, maybe, if the consignments move.
439 if they do not.
363 if I subtract the giveaways (which I should, because those were not actually sales, they were only books that left my possession).
I could add in here another 3, for Kindle—remember how ebooks are supposed to be such a thing?—getting me to 366.
Even I’m shocked by the low numbers. When people have asked me, I’ve estimated, not having done the actual addition for a year. Recently, a long-time friend who has his first book coming out asked about sales, and I told him what I thought was the truth, giving him the “just shy of a grand” number, and I didn’t even realize how off I was. (Mostly, I over-reported what I personally have sold and under-reported what I have given away.)
In October, on the anniversary of my first book’s publication date, I was at a corporate event for my day job, and writing came up. My coworkers looked me up on Amazon, and they were interested, in the way we are interested when we find out new dimensions to our colleague’s lives, but they didn’t add the book to their shopping carts, and I doubt either of them have purchased it since.
A month prior, in September, the least-selling of the Man Booker dozen short-list clocked in at 604 copies. This title, Sleeping on Jupiter, belongs to Anuradha Roy, whose first book, An Atlas of Impossible Longing was reviewed by everyone from Ms. to Publishers Weekly and translated into 15 languages—an impressive debut by any measure. (Sleeping on Jupiter just won the DSC prize for South Asian literature, which will net Roy $50K and likely—hopefully—bolster her sales numbers.)
75.3% as many as a short-list for one of the most prestigious English-language prizes.
0.0000806667% as many as the Harry Potter franchise.
With 840 million English speakers worldwide, by volume second only to Mandarin, breaking a thousand in sales should not be so hard—but just like my coworkers, zillions of lookers never get the book into their cart. And to be frank, zillions aren’t even required. The best-selling English-language book of all time, A Tale of Two Cities, has had since 1859 to reach 200 million copies. Modern titles like The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey that have topped bestseller lists have only approached (or in the case of Harry Potter, exceeded) Dickens’ numbers as an aggregate of a series; single titles, like The Fault in Our Stars which has done remarkably well at 18.5M approximate sales, still only represents 5.52% of the native-speaking population and 2.20% of the total English-speaking population overall.
Of course, a true creative life is not about selling, and readers certainly do not have to purchase literature to engage in it. Indeed—in the United States, there are more public libraries than there are McDonalds [PDF], Americans check out an average of 8 books a year, and well over half of U.S. adults hold a library card.
Given that books sales are slumpy even on major publishers, it’s worth thanking those fewer than 500 who have welcomed The Seven Stages of Anger and Other Stories to their shelves.
Honestly, not so many as I would like.
Yet, I don’t think I would trade an ebook bestseller for being able to hold my own, bound words in my hands, for the experience of writing something kind to a friend on the front pages of it, for finding a typo on the back cover and then just having to accept this, because, well, it’s print. I can absolutely say I would not trade my little (short, poorly selling) book that I am very proud of for a big (long, blockbuster) book that I didn’t care about.
Not as many as I would like. And also, enough.
But P.S., you should buy my book.
Wendy J. Fox received her MFA from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers, and her work has been published or is forthcoming in many literary reviews.
Her essay “Coming Clean in Kayseri” was included in the best-selling Tales from the Expat Harem, and one of her manuscripts was a top five finalist for the Minnesota State University at Mankato’s Rooster Hill Press short fiction competition. Her story “Ten Penny” was selected as part of a series by The Emerging Writer’s Network for National Short Story Month, and her story “Maps of the Americas” was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards competition.
Her debut collection, The Seven Stages of Anger & Other Stories is the winner of the Press 53 Award for Short Fiction and was published in October 2014.
selling books
The Seven Stages of Anger
Wendy J. Fox
writers' income
Previous Aline Ohanesian discusses her fictional exploration of the Armenian genocide in ORHAN’S INHERITANCE
Next A chat with Rachel Cantor about the writing of GOOD ON PAPER
fontelablog says:
Good Job! I’m on my way on finishing my fist book as well, let’s see if I could be as lucky as you
obanwest says:
Thank you for the frank insight to being a writer. I’ve seen the figures regarding writer’s income, and I’ve seen the % of sales by the big name authors. But I’ve never really equated those numbers to book sales, nor how people would attempt to define an author’s personal success by # of books sold. Your honesty grounds me and opens my eyes to the struggles that other authors are going through. Your post is humbling, inspiring, and much appreciated. Thank you.
teairacarlton says:
You took the words right out of my mouth. This was a phenomenal post!
diamondbiehlblog says:
This was really great to read, thank you for sharing and the honesty in this makes the writing so much better. Can’t wait to read more.
wordlywoman2 says:
I am also a debut author who has self published a book of poetry on ebook because I couldn’t afford to do it any other way. It scares me to think that there is a possibility that noone will buy my book because it’s free for 90 days and can be loaned out to whoever in that time. My poems are a collection of work written over a period of some thirty years and really are ‘Poems from the Heart’.
Mum + says:
Reblogged this on A Mum + and commented:
Very interesting read! Reminds me that books are creative works not content to sell. “How many books have you written?” would also be a frightful question, as if we “only” write one, it has less value…
xoraxer says:
Brilliant! Thanks for your honesty. Selling books is really hard these days, but writing one just gives us this feeling of completion that few things can. No matter how the sales are going, its a very rewarding experience! Cheers and good luck!
KJoyWrites says:
I honestly haven’t counted how many books I’ve sold. This question is one that needs to be followed up with, How many people have felt inspired, connected or just relieved by reading your book? I rather for everyone of the people that have purchased my book to feel something after reading it than the sales. Your sales will pick up, it just needs to get in the right person’s hands.
“So, How Many Books Have You Sold?” | Trevor Burton, Author. says:
[…] Source: “So, How Many Books Have You Sold?” […]
When people ask me that question, it just makes me sad! But that’s okay. We’ve just got to keep chug-chuggin’ along 🙂
Ann Anderson says:
My first novel is about to be released; I’m tamping down my expectations while ramping up my marketing. Honestly, for me this is about crossing “published novelist” off the bucket list. I’m embracing the whole enchilada though, marketing and all, having fun with it so far. For me, that’s what it’s all about. Good post.
treasureandchange says:
Thank you for sharing this. I have spent much of this week dipping my toe into the world that is publishing, and I appreciate your honest perspective. I’d love to publish children’s books featuring children of color and other more diverse populations and I hope that I can find my way in!
exquisiteemmalisa says:
This is great….. I’ve started TRYING to write a book, but I don’t think I will ever get published!! haha but it can be a dream!!!
“So, How Many Books Have You Sold?” – St David's Catholic College Library says:
Stuart M. Perkins says:
What a frank and honest approach! Good stuff.
telefontakibi says:
Can it be reblogged on https://telefontakibi2015.wordpress.com/
Devore says:
As a writer myself, I needed to read this. Thank you, my dear.
mudpilewood says:
A post which mirrored a lot of feelings I have recently. My first children’s book was recently published and since then I dread the question “How is your book doing?” Because I honestly don’t know. What I do know is I received two five star reviews from people I don’t know on Amazon and it set me smiling like an idiot for a full day.
lenslines says:
As newspaper reporter since 1972 with fishing reports, writing a book was much different. I asked the Dixon Tribune, Dixon CA if I could go on the religious page 4 years ago as wanted to see if more people would start going to churches? Thomas/Nelson called after seeing over 100 columns on Faithwriters.com website asked if I would publish a book? So now have published two books and I never sold any. Gave over 500 away around the country and by mail to people reading my column Lens Lines –A Little Religion On A Positive Note.
glitteringwings says:
Interesting. I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a book which I still will hopefully one day but its good to know the reality of sales. I guess unless one writes the next Harry Potter book one must keep their day job ( I always had the romantic idea the writers were mostly full time writers).
kobescwrites93.wordpress.com says:
I published my first a week ago, and I’ve been stressing so much about it. I’ve sold eight print books and six e-books, and I’m trying to figure out how to promote effectively.
Karl Drobnic says:
The most sales I’ve had of the books I published is about 2,500 for a book that was in print for 15 years and was owned by seven publishers over that time. I think it finally ended up owned by AOL.com for reasons I never fathomed. Eventually, after a couple years of no sales, I bought the copyright back for $1 and kept it registered in hopes somebody would want to buy the title rights. No takers so far. So now I’m content to publish in the e-world with hopes that some of the world’s millions of English speakers will get as much enjoyment out of reading what I write as I do in writing it.
oneill2016 says:
I really needed to read this. My book was published October 2015 and I decided to give my book away to a number of family, friends and colleagues. I have sold 34 books in total but given away numerous copies on giveaways which resulted in over 200 people marked as want to read. I was ecstatic when a top amazon reviewer gave me 4 out 5 stars. I find it most rewarding when someone I do not know tells me my book was well written. It’s not always about being a bestseller but people appreciative of your work in which sometimes it takes a long time to achieve.
katiekate4jesus says:
congratulations on completing the book
amestravel says:
Thank you for this post. We hear about how many books Steven King and J.K Rowling sold, we rarely hear about the average every day starting author. Congrats on getting it published though
Paul Kilmartin says:
It’s great to hear about that moment when you knew that you were being published. It’s a feeling that many who pick up a pen aspire to have. Congratulations. Well written blog too!
Friday Finds for Writers | ErikaDreifus.com says:
[…] Say that your first book does sell. You may not necessarily have found a perfect “happily ever after.” On Read Her Like An Open Book, Wendy J. Fox reflects on “reconciling book sales as a debut author.” […]
Hopeje says:
Congratulations in Pursuing your dream
So you won a prize. What do you want, a medal? | Kate Jessica Raphael says:
[…] read) A Brief History of Seven Killings after it won the Man Booker Prize, but according to blogger Wendy Fox, “the least-selling of the Man Booker dozen short-list clocked in at 604 […]
We Need to Talk About Money: Practicality’s Place in a Writing Education – Tahoma Literary Review says:
[…] of the Read Her Like an Open Book blog will have already heard from Wendy J. Fox, who wrote about the difficulty she had in selling books. And so you will know that, even if […]
Literary Citizenship: How to Handle Rejection and Nurture Emerging Voices – Mixed Sign says:
[…] Perhaps it’s better to make a different point, like about how unpredictable writing can be. For example, my most-read work to date is not the stories I worked on for over a decade, it’s not the novel I spent eight years on, it’s a guest post I dashed off about how many books don’t sell. […]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line971
|
__label__wiki
| 0.556871
| 0.556871
|
Challenging the institutional racism and violence in our law enforcement culture: A Not Guilty Verdict to celebrate
August 18, 2018 · by Rise Up Times · in Freedom of Speech, justice, nonviolent action, Racism · Leave a comment
Reflections on the trial and Not Guilty verdict on June 14, 2018 in Ramsey County Court, Minnesota, for the trial of Roger Cuthbertson and Mollie Wetherall who were arrested for protesting the killing of Philando Castile by police officer Jeronimo Yanez.
Protesters in St. Paul, MN march in response to the killing of Philando Castile
(Fibonacci Blue / Flickr)
By Roger Cuthbertson August 17, 2018
Here are some inside stories and insights regarding the trial. For a general account of how the trial went, please see the thorough account based upon the trial notes of Jo Schubert, and nicely written up by Sue Ann Martinson in Rise Up Times.
NOTE: As we were preparing to publish these reflections on our trial, news broke on August 1, 2018 that the City of St. Paul has dismissed charges facing 17 protesters who were arrested near the Minnesota Governor’s Mansion in St. Paul in July 2016. We understand the news to mean that all of the remaining charges against all of the remaining defendants from the governor’s mansion arrests of July 2016 have been dropped. City Attorney, Lindsey Olson, made the announcement.
As reported by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Lindsey Olson stated, “We reviewed these cases with fairness and adherence to the applicable laws. In light of the evidence, we have determined that further pursuit of these charges is not in our city’s best interest.”
According to the Pioneer Press, 73 protesters were arrested July 26 and 27, 2016; 49 accepted plea deals. The rest chose to go to trial. Of these, seven have completed their trials. The rest will not have to go to trial, after all. We are very much encouraged by this news. There is no bringing back the life of Philando Castile, but this is a step forward for peace, justice, racial equality, and first amendment rights. Thanks Lindsey Olson and City of St. Paul for making the right decision. —Roger Cuthbertson
Reflections on the Trial
One very remarkable moment happened during a recess of the trial when discussions were being made about rules for the proceedings by the attorneys: Laura Pietan for the prosecution, Andrew Hodney for Mollie, and Elizabeth Hogan for Roger. In a complete surprise to me, the capable Elizabeth Hogan held up a very large book with a green cover and began to cite regarding legal evidence from the opened book. She mentioned the case of State of Minnesota v. Martin, et al, to claim that the defendants have a right to testify, at least to some degree, as to their reasons or motives for protesting.
The prosecutor pushed back somewhat, but eventually agreed, along with Judge Awsumb, to allow our rights to say why we were protesting. This was very important. In many cases I observed over the years defendants in civil disobedience or protest cases were nearly always cut off mid-sentence if they tried to say anything other than Yes or No to such questions as, Did you refuse the officer’s order to disperse? Editor’s note: Or in any way attempted to explain their motivations for their actions.
I remember being in this situation a couple of times in previous trials. This was a big break for us. Not only would we have the educational opportunity to explain why we were protesting, but there was a chance that the jurors might take our beliefs and motives into consideration in determining guilt or innocence, although this could be contrary to the intent of the law, and the judge’s instructions, and could possibly be an example of jury nullification, the power of jury to find a defendant not guilty regardless of the law.
While I don’t want to get into a full discussion of the matter, I think, in some instances jury nullification might be a good thing, as in a circumstance where a law that has been broken is too narrow or specific, or is contradicted by a higher law, or where the law does not properly reflect some higher ethics or extenuating circumstances.
During the trial, I was amazed to realize that the defendants in the case that gave rise to the citations from the “green book” referred to above, are long time friends of ours. Small world! The three, Sarah Martin, Sue Ann Martinson, and Lucia Wilkes Smith, joined in a dramatic antiwar protest some years ago when they tried to enlist at a local army recruitment office. As women of grandmother age, they said that they wanted to enlist and go to Afghanistan to take the place of young servicemen, who could then come home to their families.
The recruiters said they would not let the women sign the enlistment forms, even though they couldn’t prove the women over the maximum age for enlistment, because the women would not show identification. The women insisted they would not leave until they completed enlistment papers. The recruiters insisted that the women leave.
Three of the women did not leave. They were ticketed and released. In the ensuing court case, Sarah, Sue Ann and Lucia defended themselves in court. During this original court case in Hennepin County the three were not allowed to say anything about what they were trying to accomplish, what there motivations were, even as unusual as the situation was. The three lost their case and were fined and given a sentence to serve. Then, with the help of attorney Bob Kolstad and law intern John Kvinge, the three, calling themselves “Appealing Women,” appealed their case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. They lost this case as well, but their arguments were carried forward via the “green book” to help enable Molly and I testify as to our motives for protesting as we did.
In another recent victory in Hennepin County a jury found Mike Madden Not Guilty of all charges brought by the Metropolitan Airport Commission when he was arrested for carrying a sign that said Muslims Welcome. He was allowed to testify as to motive. The case of State of Minnesota v. Brechon—held in Hennepin County in 1984 and appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court ―provides an important ruling in regard to testifying as to motive. Protesters from the Honeywell Project who had demonstrated at Honeywell Corporation headquarters in Minneapolis won the right to state their reasons for protest. (Honeywell is a major manufacturer of weapons of mass destruction and have since moved their headquarters out of the state).
Art by Ricardo Levins Morales, RLMArtStudio.com
These bits of fractured history are examples to me of the fact that what we accomplish is the result of not just what one or two persons do but rather the result of community action through time. Thanks, friends.
Getting back to Mollie’s and my trial, the jury was quite amazing. The judge’s questioning and free-wheeling conversation that happened during jury interview and selection was like a college seminar in discussing what fair and open mindedness should be in a trial where nearly all of the potential jurors had previous knowledge about the shooting of Philando Castile.
At one point a potential juror seemed either to be resting her eyes or having trouble keeping her eyes open. She was selected for the jury, anyway, without objection by the prosecutor. Later she had a coughing spell. The judge had a conversation with her that brought out the fact that she wasn’t feeling well. The judge offered her water and invited her to interrupt any time if she needed something.
After the jury selection process was nearly over, but before the start of the trial, one juror offered the information that he could not read or write and had been previously disqualified from jury service for that reason. There followed an extensive discussion, leading to the agreement by judge and attorneys for both sides that since this man wanted to be on the jury, and had good cognitive understanding, there was no reason for him to not be on the jury.
The point was made that a jury should reflect the entire community, and some people in the community cannot read or write. It was reasoned that there were not that many documents to pour through, and that these could be read out loud in the jury deliberating room.
This man, too, was agreed to as a juror by all parties to the discussion. The prosecutor was fairly even handed. The judge was considerate. The final jury appeared to be made up of two Blacks, two Asians, one Native American, and one White. This diversity on the jury was probably important in a case where the defendants were protesting the killing of a black motorist by police.
After the trial and not guilty verdict, there were several people hanging around the elevator lobby who were talking about the trial. Some of us were in a celebratory mood. So I said, “We are celebrating! If anyone wants to join us for lunch somewhere nearby, the lunch is on me.”
Several of our friends took us up on the offer as well as three of the jurors! Incredible! So we spent a couple of hours at the Grey Duck Restaurant across from the courthouse exchanging views. One juror offered the opinion that he didn’t think there could be a jury in all of St. Paul that would find a guilty verdict in this case. That same juror also offered the opinion that it was not very effective for the state to claim unlawful assembly and public nuisance without presenting witnesses from the neighborhood to testify as to just what the disturbances were for them.
The juror who had been a concern because of her health said that in order to arrive at a consensus she made sure that the judge’s instructions were read and discussed, line by line. She was proud of this action and retold this narrative so that more at the lunch gathering could hear her. So, it would seem she was very much on the ball, after all. The juror who could not read or write told us that when the jury took its first poll, guilty or not guilty, his was the first hand that went up for the verdict of not guilty. This same juror said he had to borrow money to pay for the lightrail transportation to and from the court house each day. It is hard to find civic duty practiced more responsibly than that. He was so proud to have served on the jury!
Another story has to be mentioned here. It is the story of community action, community resistance, and community support. Thanks to the many friends and concerned observers who took time from their busy lives to witness what was going on in court. Without that presence, things might not have turned out as well as they did. It didn’t matter that few if any observers could be there for the entire trial. There were always observers present to maintain accountability.
When I showed up in court for my first court appearance, expecting to be on my own, I was surprised that the courtroom was filled with other arrestees from the Castile protests. An informal collective response was already underway that was very helpful to me. A woman by the name of Nicole Harrison and her arrestee daughter, Maddy, were key figures in this organizational effort, which included strategy sessions and communication systems. Nicole took it upon herself to find legal help, free for the most part, for the many defendants who wanted it.
This was a huge, selfless effort that, as far as I know was completely successful. It was Nicole who connected me with Elizabeth Hogan, who spent hours and hours of her time representing me in court. Elizabeth was brilliant and wonderous. Elizabeth would not take a dime of my money. She said it would not be ethical for her to do so. I am just awed to think of how so many people rose up as one to fight the injustice that they witnessed in the shooting death of Philando Castile. I feel like shouting one more time, “The people united will never be defeated.”
Since I am old and retired, I was privileged to be able to fight this case out to the end, putting up with the countless delays and procedural pretrial court appearances. Many of the people who were arrested were working young people. They would have liked to have taken their cases to trial, but just couldn’t afford to miss that much time from work. Two people who were supposed to be co-defendants with Mollie and me had to drop out at the last minute.
One of these, Brian Allen, dropped out on the day our trial was to begin. He was practically in tears, as he told me he wanted to stay with us in court, but just couldn’t go forward at that present time because he had other pressing needs to deal with. He wished me well before he left. Of course, we felt bad for him. At the time I thought that he probably couldn’t take more time off from work or. That is the sort of thing that happens to a lot of defendants, when fighting it out to prove your innocence usually takes repeated appearances in court over a long period of time.
In Brian’s case, I have since learned that he had to deal with the death of a close friend, Jeffrey Ayer. Jeffrey and Brian had protested together at the Governor’s Mansion. They also took some youth from the Governor’s Mansion protest to Washington, DC to protest at the Trump inauguration. Brian had to pay respects to his friend. Our not guilty verdict is for you too, Brian, and for your friend, Jeffrey who has passed, and for all of the other defendants who had to take a plea, even though they would have liked to have continued.
Protesters carry a banner depicting Philando Castile on June 16, 2017 in St. Paul Minnesota.
Photo Stephen Maturen, Getty Images
And this not guilty plea has to be dedicated to Philando Castile, who should be alive, and to Philando’s strong mother, Valorie, who has worked tirelessly to try to change the world so other moms will not lose their beautiful children to the racial fear and institutional racism that permeates our society.
Police wrongdoing is what I was protesting. It didn’t matter to me at the time if I was arrested or even jailed.
When I got arrested, two years ago, my frame of mind was that I was going to say no to Philando Castile’s killing and to the countless other killings like it across the nation. And I was going to demand accountability for police malpractice and murder. My sign said, POLICE THE POLICE! My feeling was, if the police can’t or won’t police their own actions, then the community would have to police the police. I was not going to stop protesting just because the police told me to stop. Police wrongdoing is what I was protesting. It didn’t matter to me at the time if I was arrested or even jailed.
I didn’t think of being found not guilty. I knew I had done nothing wrong, no matter what the police said or the laws said that they cited. I just wanted to continue to say no to the institutional racism and violence that permeates our law enforcement culture.
A not guilty verdict was not what I was primarily working for, but it is worth celebrating, because it is advancement for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government for redress of grievances as guaranteed by the Constitution. One week after our verdict there was another court case for three young defendants who were arrested near the Governor’s Mansion. Naomi Kleonski, Remi Corso, and Peyton William were on trial for their peaceful protest, with the same judge and prosecutor presiding, at the same courthouse. After the prosecution had presented two or more police witnesses, and before another police witness was to be called, and after a recess, Judge Awsumb suddenly dismissed the case.
I wasn’t there at the time, but my sources tell me that the judge stated that the prosecution just didn’t have a case based upon what had unfolded and that proceeding would be waste of valuable court time. The judge also noted that a police witness who had been scheduled to appear had not shown up for the trial.
Another reason to celebrate is that one week before our verdict, Mike Madden was found not guilty in Hennepin County for holding a sign at the airport that said, MUSLIMS WELCOME! as previously noted. There is a lot of bad news these days. It is quite scary. But we celebrate these times when true justice prevails, because they do matter. Maybe partially because of these results the authorities might consider correcting their behavior and policies instead of cracking down on peaceful dissent, next time around.
I definitely think the charges against all of the rest of the Philando Castile shooting protesters who are still awaiting trial should be dropped by the City Attorney or whomever has the responsibility for such action. What a waste to continue with these. Hopefully the entire system including police, is changing towards greater respect and humanity that will provide equal justice for all.
Roger Cuthbertson
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Editor’s Note: As noted in the beginning of this article, the remaining activists up for trial for protesting the killing of Philando Castile by police officer Jeronimo Yanez had their charges dismissed.
FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS CONFIRMED IN VERDICT IN TRIAL FOR PROTESTING THE KILLING OF PHILANDO CASTILE
After Alton Sterling and Philando Castile: How the System Punishes Protesters and Protects Police
Police in Minnesota and Louisiana have their own “bill of rights” that can shield officers from accountability for fatal shootings.
State v. Martin_ 2010 Minn. App. Unpub. LEXIS 923 (Unpublished Opinion)
State v. Martin, et al
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
Like many other independent news and media sites, Rise Up Times has noticed a decline in the number of people looking at articles due to censorship by Google, Facebook, and other internet corporations. Independent journalism has become the last bastion in seeking and telling the truth as government and corporate lies are promoted by the mainstream corporate media. In the name of democratic rights for all, please support us now and share articles widely. The people, Yes!
Sue Ann Martinson, Editor, Rise Up Times
The contents of Rise Up Times do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor. Rise Up Times republishes stories from a number of other independent news sources. Articles are chosen for republication based on the interest of our readers
Tags: Civil Disobedience, constitutional rights, freedom of speech, freedom of speech and assembly, Minnesota protests shooting of Philando Castile, nonviolent direct action, Philando Castile, police accountability, Roger Cuthbertson
← You are invited to Join Veterans for Peace for their Annual Conference and Free Public Events in St. Paul
Your Bedside Glossary About People and Other Essentials You Need to Know →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line972
|
__label__cc
| 0.671344
| 0.328656
|
Tag Archives: Carol Burnnett
Posted on October 24, 2013 by Sam S.
The Witches
Pet Semetary
Letters From Iwo Jima
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
The Bad Sleep Well
Shallow Hal
Down With Love
A Time To Kill
The Toy
Elevator To The Gallows
The Holiday
Secondhand Lions
Secret Honor
3:10 To Yuma (both the original and the remake)
Magnificent Obsession
K-19: The Widowmaker
Ben Franklin Tech
Explorers: From The Titanic To The Moon
The Carol Burnett Show: Let’s Bump Up The Lights!
The Carol Burnette Show: Show Stoppers!
Peter & Paul And The Christian Revolution
Essential Dinosaur Pack
Oswald’s Ghost
Uslysses S. Grant: Warrior, President
Posted in Audio/Visual, Featured Items, New Items and tagged 007, 3:10 To Yuma, 9/11, A Time To Kill, Adventures, Agnes Moorehead, Akira Kurosawa, Alec Baldwin, American Graffiti, Andre The Giant, Anime, Anjelica Huston, Anthony Hopkins, Apstoles, Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, Assassins, Audiovisual, Bai Ling, Beauty pageants, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Bratt, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Crystal, Bruce Beresford, Buzz Aldrin, Cameron Diaz, Candice Bergen, Carol Burnnett, Carol Kane, Cary Elwes, China, Chris Sarandon, Christianity, Christopher Guest, Claude Rains, Clint Eastwood, Conspiracy, Criterion Collection, Cruising, David Hyde Pierce, Donald Freed, Douglas Sirk, Down WIth Love, DVDs, E. M. Forster, Elevator To The Gallows, Emma Thompson, Emmanuelle Seigner, Empowerment, Ewan McGregor, Exploration, Explorers, Fiction, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Capra, Freaky Friday, Frederic Dieudonne, Gary Kurtz, George Lucas, Ghost In The Shell, Gregg Palmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Haley Joel Osment, Hamlet, Harrison Ford, Harvey Keitel, Harvey Korman, Helena Bonham Carter, History Channel, Holidays, Horror movies, Howard's End, Ian Fleming, Ismail Merchant, Iwo Jima, Jack Black, Jack Ryan, Jackie Gleason, James Bond, James Cameron, James Ivory, James Stewart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jean Arthur, Jean-Dominique Bauby, Jeanne Moreau, Jess Weixler, JFK, Jim Henson, Jimmy Stewart, John Glen, John McTiernan, Jon Avnet, Jude Law, Judea, Jules Verne, Julian Schnabel, Jump, K-19: The Widowmaker, Kate Winslet, Kathryn Bigelow, Kazunari Ninomiya, Keanu Reeves, Ken Watanabe, Kevin Spacey, Kitty Zhang, Kung fu, Last Dance, Lawrence Bender, Le scaphandre et le papillon, Lee Harvey Oswald, Leon Jay Williams, Letters From Iwo Jima, Lewis R. Foster, Liam Neeson, Lindsay Lohan, Locked-in syndrome, Louis Malle, Mackenzie Phillips, Magnificent Obsession, Mamoru Oshii, Mandy Patinkin, Margaret Koval, Mark Waters, Mary Lambert, Masamune Shirow, Mathieu Amalric, Matthew McConaughey, Maud Adams, Maurice Ronet, Merchant Ivory, Michael Caine, Michael Madsen, Miles Davis, Miss Congeniality, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Modern marvels, Monologue, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Muppets, Nancy Meyers, Nicolas Roeg, Non-Fiction, Obsessions, Octopussy, Oswald's Ghost, Otto Kruger, Outtakes, Paul, Paul Greengrass, Pet Semetary, Peter, Peter Falk, Peter Sarsgaard, Pets, Peyton Reed, Philip Baker Hall, Policial myths, Politics, President Richard Nixon, Presidents, Princess Buttercup, Quentin Tarantino, Randy Quaid, Red Corner, Remakes, Renee Zellweger, Reservoir Dogs, Retrospective, Richard Donner, Richard Dreyfuss, Richard Gere, Richard Nixon, Richard Pryor, Rob Morrow, Rob Reiner, Robert Altman, Robert Blees, Robert Duvall, Robert Stone, Robin Wright, Roger Moore, Ron Howard, Russian submarines, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Sean Connery, Secret Honor, September 11, September 11th, Sexuality, Shakespeare adaptations, Shallow Hal, Sharon Stone, Show stoppers, Stephen Fung, Stephen King, Stephen King adaptations, Steve Buscemi, Submarines, Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Technology, Teeth, Television, The Bad Sleep Well, The Carol Burnnet Show, The Civil War, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, The Dread Pirate Roberts, The Farrelly Brothers, The Hunt For Red October, The Lake House, The Moon!, The Roman Empire, The Titanic, The Toy, Thriller, Tim Conway, Tim Roth, Time Travel!, Ulysses S. Grant, United 93, Vagina dentata, Vanessa Redgrave, Vicki Lawrence, Wallace Shawn, Warrior, William Goldman, William Shakespeare, Witches, World War II. Bookmark the permalink.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line975
|
__label__wiki
| 0.822929
| 0.822929
|
Classical Music CD Reviews: ROCO’s “Visions Take Flight,” Nordic Affect’s “He(a)r,” and “John Cage: Guitar.”
Media Features, June 22, 2019
By Jonathan Blumhofer
Visions Take Flight is one of those rarest of accomplishments: a contemporary music album that’s a sheer joy to listen to, from start to finish. Nordic Affect’s concept album manages to make and leave a strong emotional impact. And John Cage on guitar? Why not?
If you needed proof that the stylistic wars of the 1940s through, roughly, the ‘80s are things of the past, look no further than the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra’s (ROCO) Visions Take Flight. The ensemble’s debut album simply couldn’t have happened thirty-five years ago. It features six pieces by five composers that are beholden to no single compositional language. Quite the contrary: several pieces seem to gleefully dabble in strongly contrasting techniques.
Most, in fact, tend towards diatonicism, and that’s no problem. Actually, it’s perhaps this two-disc set’s most compelling quality, a reminder that the tradition of writing urgent, non-derivative, essentially tonal music is very much alive and well, if you just know where to look for it.
So is the old compositional habit of finding creative stimulation in non-musical and multi-cultural sources.
Karim Al-Zand’s Visions from Another World, for instance, draws on engravings by the 19th-century artist J. J. Grandville. It’s a marvelously fresh piece that’s both seriously put together and seriously fun. Al-Zand’s writing seem to channel the ghosts of Ravel and Ibert a bit here and their (or maybe their cousins), and that’s all for the good: the opening “Ronde Fantastique” is spunky and whimsical, “Funeral Cortege of a Silkworm” broods strangely but solemnly, and the concluding “The Spinning Ballerina” whorls with brilliance.
Teen Murti heads after another direction, drawing on composer Reena Esmail’s Indian heritage and interest in Hindustani music. Alternating three principal ideas, it’s a score that mixes moments shimmering beauty and potent athleticism with grace and intelligence.
Some of Teen Murti’s gestures – wispy, stratospheric violin cantillations, in particular – also appear in Derek Bermel’s Murmurations. Inspired by the connections Bermel draws between flocks of birds in flight and the interactions of members of a string orchestra, its three movements run from the cerebral (“Gathering near Gretna Green”) to the serenely expressive (the central “Soaring over Algiers”) to the chill (the concluding “Swarming Rome”).
Anthony DiLorenzo’s Jabberwocky sets Lewis Carroll, a couple of ways: first, via an instrumental interpretation; then, verbally, ending with a recitation of the title poem over a lush orchestral accompaniment. Much of DiLorenzo’s writing in Jabberwocky is cinematic: tuneful, evocative of Wonderland-like scenes, full of striking gestures and colors. Less original but still stirring is Anthem of Hope: Houston Strong, DiLorenzo’s post-Hurricane Harvey score that channels Copland and John Williams in about equal measure.
Like Jabberwocky, Marcus Maroney’s Concerto for Chamber Orchestra is quite engaging. Its allusions to Sibelius and Bartók never get in the way of (or unduly weigh down) Maroney’s ingratiating and idiomatic writing for the ensemble.
All of the performances, led with elegant command by Mei-Ann Chen, may as well be considered definitive. ROCO plays with terrific technical command, certainly, but also with a real sense of style and abandon. Just listen to the blazing colors of the Al-Zand, or the biting rhythms of Teen Murti, or the manic glee that marks parts of Jabberwocky and try not to get drawn in.
Actually, don’t do that. Just give in. After all, Visions Take Flight is one of those rarest of accomplishments: a contemporary music album that’s a sheer joy to listen to, from start to finish. Those come along, well, pretty rarely.
Sound and hearing, particularly the practice of “deep listening” as espoused and taught by Pauline Oliveros, is at the heart of Nordic Affect’s latest release, He(a)r. Juxtaposing readings from Angela Rawlings, Roni Horn, and Oliveros with music by five leading Icelandic composers, it’s a concept album that manages, despite its sometimes-esoteric quality, to make and leave a strong emotional impact.
Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir’s Spirals is the album’s first piece. It features a series of slowly unfolding lines that often overlap, sometimes functioning melodically, sometimes harmonically, but constantly interspersed with gentle percussion riffs and electronically-generated sounds.
Mirjam Tally’s warm life at the foot of the iceberg offers a violent contrast. String extended techniques evoke sawing and disintegration; a harpsichord contributes explosive gestures; rhythmic tattoos and wild glissandos alternate with fragments of melodic ideas. It’s a piece constantly in flux, always a bit (at least) unsettled.
Then come Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s two contributions, Reflections and Impressions. The former, with its gently shifting textures is basically a fragile meditation that, as the piece progresses, seems to run aground and splinter. In the latter, Thorvaldsdottir draws a wild array of sounds from a prepared harpsichord, sometimes hypnotic, sometimes terrifying.
Hildur Gudnadottir’s Point of Departure picks up the pieces, as it were, employing an instrumental ensemble – violin, viola, cello, and harpsichord – and the voices of the players to form a kind of meta-instrument. The expressive results are beguiling.
So is the disc’s closing track, Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir’s Loom. An often lush, slowly-unfolding work, it’s filled with music and sonorities of great beauty, the impression of which stays with you long after the track – and album – has ended.
The performances, by Nordic Affect, are potent: even the most abstract gesture you’ll find among these pieces conveys vital purpose.
John Cage on guitar? Why not? Though the American maverick never wrote explicitly for the instrument, some of his early piano music was adaptable enough for guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan to arrange for his instrument. The results, out now John Cage: Guitar, are often enticing and plenty appealing.
Larget-Caplan’s program consists of seven Cage pieces, all of which originated in the 1930s and ‘40s, a couple of which are remarkably prescient. The opener, A Room, for instance, anticipates the Minimalist procedures of a later generation or two. And the prepared-guitar closer, Bacchanale, sounds a couple decades younger than it is, almost like a kind of high-brow anticipation of Jimi Hendrix.
In between come Cage’s Three Easy Pieces, which sound like just that: a set of short, contrapuntal exercises that exude not a little bit of charm, especially the central “Duo.” Chess Pieces and Dream are more substantial. The former is adapted from a composition that appears in a 1944 Cage painting while the latter, a ruminative essay, was originally conceived as a dance piece. In a Landscape is another affecting, resonant meditation.
Then there are Six Pieces, a set of radiant miniatures for violin and guitar, in which Larget-Caplan’s joined by violinist Sharon Leventhal. Cage’s writing here is highly specific – the violin part, for instance, indicates which string each note is supposed to be played on – but the music itself is anything but restrained, ranging from the quiet ecstasy of “Melody 1” to the jaunty syncopations of “Melody 3” and the subdued glow of “Melody 6.”
Larget-Caplan’s performances are excellent. Technically, he’s got everything under control, no matter how involved the arrangements get. What’s more, his playing brims with charisma and understanding: Cage can be a tough composer to really bring to life. Larget-Caplan (and Leventhal, in Six Pieces) manage the feat impressively.
Jonathan Blumhofer is a composer and violist who has been active in the greater Boston area since 2004. His music has received numerous awards and been performed by various ensembles, including the American Composers Orchestra, Kiev Philharmonic, Camerata Chicago, Xanthos Ensemble, and Juventas New Music Group. Since receiving his doctorate from Boston University in 2010, Jon has taught at Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and online for the University of Phoenix, in addition to writing music criticism for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Source: Classical Music CD Reviews: ROCO’s “Visions Take Flight,” Nordic Affect’s “He(a)r,” and “John Cage: Guitar.” – The Arts Fuse
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line976
|
__label__wiki
| 0.798835
| 0.798835
|
Home Science & Society Public Funding New Canadarm, New Frontiers of Space Exploration
Canada will be lending its expertise in space robotics to NASA's Lunar Gateway project, part of the ongoing Moon to Mars plan.
May 2.19
Canada will be lending not just a hand, but an entire robotic arm, to NASA’s Lunar Gateway project, as revealed in a recent announcement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Reinforcing Canada’s long-standing position as a world-leader in space technology, the Canadian government has committed $2.05 billion over 24 years toward the Canadian space program, and an additional $150 million over five years toward the Lunar Gateway project.
According to Trudeau, this investment will create hundreds of jobs for Canadians as well as contributing $100 million annually to the country’s gross domestic product.
“We are stepping up,” Trudeau said during the announcement. “Canada is going to the Moon.”
A Gateway from the Moon to Mars
The Lunar Gateway is the first step in NASA’s ongoing Moon to Mars plan. At one-fifth the size of the International Space Station, or ISS — the current home of Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques — the Lunar Gateway space station will orbit the Moon, acting as a science laboratory and rendezvous location for future exploration of the lunar surface.
It will also eventually serve as a stepping stone for human-led voyages on the path to Mars.
At roughly the same size as a typical studio apartment, however, the Gateway won’t be continuously inhabited like the ISS. Instead, astronauts will live and work aboard the Gateway for up to three months at a time, conducting experiments both in the station and on the lunar surface down below.
Their goals range from learning more about the Moon to studying the long-term health effects of cosmic radiation and and solar storms on astronauts living outside the Earth. The research that will be conducted on the Gateway will directly inform future missions to Mars or beyond.
An infographic showing a concept design for the Lunar Gateway. Canada is likely to contribute the project’s robotic arm, which will be used for installations and repairs. Credit: NASA.
Continuing a Canadian tradition of space robotics
Canada has long been a leader in the field of space robotics. Perhaps the most well-known technical achievement in the country, the original Canadian robotic arm — or Canadarm — marked the beginning of Canada’s collaboration with NASA, and spent 30 years aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Today, the Canadarm 2 is an invaluable components of the ISS. It was a crucial part of the space station’s assembly, and currently performs ongoing station maintenance. Its impact on Canada’s scientific and technical sectors is so significant that it was even featured on the $5 bill.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that Canada’s main contribution to the Lunar Gateway will be what Trudeau referred to during the announcement as “Canadarm 3”: a smart robotic system that will include a next-generation robotic arm along with a suite of specialized equipment and tools.
Since the station won’t be continuously inhabited by astronauts, this smart robotic system will be crucial in the upkeep and maintenance of the station during the time when no crew is present. It will also likely contribute to the construction of the Lunar Gateway station.
Canada is inviting you to dream big
Canada’s involvement in the Lunar Gateway secures the country’s place as a future leader in space technology, science, and exploration.
“Today’s announcement is a clear message to the next generation of Canadian explorers, future geologists, engineers, and astronauts,” said Saint-Jacques from aboard the ISS during the project announcement. “Canada is inviting you to dream big.”
Construction on the Lunar Gateway is scheduled to begin in 2022, with science operations beginning as early as 2026.
Emily Deibert
Emily Deibert is a PhD student in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto with a passion for science outreach and communication. She earned her HBSc (Astronomy, English, and Mathematics) at the University of Toronto. She is excited about turning scientific research into stories and sharing these stories with the public.
Staring at the Microwave Finally Pays Off
“Since I Was a Child, I’ve Wanted to Save the World”
Stargazer Turns Inward, Discovers Another Universe
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line980
|
__label__cc
| 0.677072
| 0.322928
|
Research for Haiti
A place to gather people, resources, and informed discussion about public management, policy analysis, evaluation, and related research regarding Haiti's future as a democratic and healthy nation.
« Can Elections be held ? When and for which offices? | Main | Navassa Island (La Navase) »
White House Requests $2.8 Billion for Haiti
Here’s the request (PDF, 412kb). A large chunk ($749,311,000) is for “International Assistance Programs” and appears to be cash that will be available to the State Department and USAID until Sept 2012 for:
infrastructure rehabilitation and technical assistance to the Government of Haiti to improve its public outreach capacity and facilitate its short-to-medium term operations with basic infrastructure and supplies…needs to essential services including shelter and supporting water, sanitation, healthcare, and electricity infrastructure. Funding will also be provided for necessary investments in agriculture, financing, farm to market roads, and major roads, bridges, and ports. (p.23).
Up to $120 million of this may go to a donor trust fund (presumably this is what President Clinton would help manage) and $212 million for debt relief.
There is a huge risk that years from now people will ask what happened to the billions “spent to rebuild Haiti” without realizing that much of that money was NOT on rebuilding. It was for rescue and relief efforts. As important as rescue and relief is, it does not “rebuild” the country. In addition, many other policy areas are addressed with this funding request that are or may be important (nearly quarter billion for narcotic control and for embassy reconstruction), but that are not, directly, rebuilding. This needs to be kept clear in journalists’ and commentators’ mind.
The total request is for $2.8 billion, but not all of this will translate into money for Haiti as some is to cover what has already been spent. It is also important to note that large chunks are for “logistics and security,” not for reconstruction. The breakdown:
Dept of Agriculture: $155,000,000. This is entirely for Food for Peace programs and includes reimbursement of funds already spent. Not clear how much is for reimbursement.
Dept of Defense: $133,300,000 for the Army; $114,600,000 for the Navy; $18,700,000 for the Marines; $113,400,000 for the Air Force; $255,000,000 for Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid. This appears to be entirely reimbursement, but it is possible some of the funds being reimbursed are funds transferred to a disaster account but not spent. That DOD was one of the largest chunks of money listed in the OCHA spreadsheets means that this may not be substantially new money (but this is just a guess). The funds to OHDCA seems more likely to be for continuing programs. However, the funds appear to largely be for transport, salaries, support, and security. Little mention of the funds being used for more concrete programs.
Dept of Health and Human Services: $220,000,000 for Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. Note: This is the first part of the request to mention reconstruction (outside of requests for DOD to cover security for reconstruction).
Dept of Homeland Security: $15,000,000 for Citizenship and Immigration Services. This is to help cover the Temporary Protected Status effort for Haitians in the United States, as well as other refugee programs (resettlement).
Dept of Homeland Security: $45,000,000 for Coast Guard. People often assume that the US Coast Guard is in the DOD, but it is part of DHS. This is for “maintenance” as well as reimbursements, so some funds appear to be for ongoing efforts in Haiti.
Dept of State: $65,000,000 for Diplomatic and Consular Programs; $84,500,000 for Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance (“replace U.S. Embassy housing damaged in the earthquake and meet requirements for safe and secure housing for 150 permanent United States Government direct hire staff in Haiti,” p.18); $96,500,000 for Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)); $143,489,000 for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement.
Dept of Treasury: $690,000 for additional staff.
(US Agency for International Development) International Assistance Program, Economic Support Fund: $749,311,000 of which $120 million can go to a multi-donor fund. See also opening paragraphs of this post.
(US Agency for International Development) International Assistance Program, International Affairs Technical Assistance Program: $7,100,000 for costs incurred before this request was made and for advisors to Haiti’s Finance Ministry and Central Bank.
(US Agency for International Development) International Assistance Program, International Disaster Assistance: $350,700,000 “for, among other activities, search and rescue efforts to locate victims, medical supplies and care, food, water, and sanitation needs, shelter, livelihoods support, and communications and logistical support” (p.25).
(US Agency for International Development) International Assistance Program, Office of Inspector General: $1,500,000 for oversight.
(US Agency for International Development) International Assistance Program: $212,000,000 for “the Inter-American Development Bank, International Development Association, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development as a grant, as part of a multi-donor deal in which the United States has agreed to participate, for the purpose of cancelling debts owed by Haiti to those institutions” (p.28). Note: This section of the request is rather confusing as it also refers to funds already discussed elsewhere in the request and a potential additional $40 million for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Trust Fund, which seems to be about something other than this $212,000,000.
Voice of America: $5,220,000
Research for Haiti on March 26, 2010 at 05:53 AM in Economic Development, Public Health, US Congress, US Government | Permalink
Alister Wm Macintyre on Creole: Various Creole Language Resrouces
Fongwen on NGOs in Haiti: The Other Brain Drain?
Doug on Vietnam's Viettel Invests in Haiti's Telecom Market
Doug on Biodiversity in Haiti’s Cloud Forests
Paul Clammer on Biodiversity in Haiti’s Cloud Forests
Carl-Henri on Vietnam's Viettel Invests in Haiti's Telecom Market
Lori on Gabions in Haiti, part two
Lori on Plots of Land Identified for Temporary (or longer) Resettlements (Updated April 8 2010)
Daniel O'Neil on Can Elections be held ? When and for which offices?
Carl-Henri on Real Lessons from the “Asian Tigers” and Haiti
Aid Planning
Creole Language
Evaluation general
Evaluations elsewhere (completed studies)
Evaluations in Haiti (completed studies)
Government of Haiti
Grassroots NGOs
Microloans
Published research (general)
Urban planning and design
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line981
|
__label__cc
| 0.743502
| 0.256498
|
Public Transportation from a Different Perspective
RTA and CMAP Announce Call for Projects!
September 10, 2018 Executive Director Leanne P. Redden Uncategorized Leave a comment
The RTA and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) recently announced a joint Call for Projects for the RTA’s Community Planning Program and CMAP’s Local Technical Assistance (LTA) Program. Funding for technical assistance is available to local governments, non-profit agencies, and the region’s transit Service Boards for planning projects and plan implementation activities that benefit their community and the region as a whole. The call for projects runs through noon on October 26.
While the RTA and CMAP have separate technical assistance programs, applicants are able to apply for either/both programs with a single application accessible at www.rtachicago.org/applications. This agency coordination allows for planning and plan implementation assistance to an expanded base of eligible applicants, aligns all efforts with the RTA’s strategic plan, Invest in Transit, and CMAP’s draft ON TO 2050 priorities, and provides technical assistance in a coordinated manner that’s beneficial to the region.
Municipalities, counties, townships, councils of government (COGs)/municipal associations, groups of two or more municipalities, and the RTA Service Boards (CTA, Metra, Pace) located within CMAP’s seven-county region (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties) are eligible to apply for assistance. Nongovernmental organizations in the region are eligible to apply for CMAP assistance, but are required to have support from the local government in which their project will take place. A nongovernmental organization must partner with a governmental organization to submit a transit-related project application to the RTA.
Potential applicants can learn more about the application process by attending an Information Session on Tuesday, September 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at CMAP offices (233 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, Suite 800), co-hosted by the RTA and CMAP. Attendees will learn about potential technical assistance opportunities and will have the opportunity to discuss best practices with past award recipients and get one-on-one input about the application process. Elected officials, municipal and county planners and staff, community-based organizations, nonprofits, civic organizations, and consulting firms that work with communities are encouraged to attend. To RSVP, contact Tony Manno at tmanno@cmap.illinois.gov or by calling (312) 386-8606 by Monday, September 10.
I highly encourage municipalities across our region, and transit agencies, to apply for assistance to improve access to public transportation and support local economic development.
The following are examples of projects completed through the RTA’s Community Planning Program that have had great success with plan implementation:
In partnership with the RTA, Orland Park completed the Triangle Site Redevelopment Plan in 2000 to improve the transit facilities and promote TOD in the station area – now known as the “Main Street Triangle.” Much of the plan has been implemented including the construction of a new Metra station that improves access, a mix of land uses in the station area, including retail, office, residential, entertainment and institutional, a public square at the new station location, a new outpatient medical facility and a parking deck for commuter parking and shared parking.
DuPage
Elmhurst initiated a long-term planning process with assistance from the RTA’s Community Planning program to develop their downtown around their transit assets. The Village has achieved numerous implementation activities including the consolidation of surface parking lots into parking garages, the development of new mixed-use residential units downtown, streetscape improvements and new civic spaces.
Through the RTA’s Community Planning program the City of Elgin completed two redevelopment plans through the RTA, one for the Chicago Street Station and one for the National Street Station. Each created a plan to promote revitalization of the area by examining effective land use, multi-modal interconnectivity, and retail and residential redevelopment strategies. Since the completion of these plans the City has successfully completed streetscape improvements and attracted new residential development and redevelopment in the downtown area.
Mundelein worked with the RTA to envision a walkable station area with increased density and a redesigned roadway network that provides direct access to the Metra station. A mix of land uses was recommended that includes a range of housing products, retail outlets and office space. The Village began to transform their downtown by acquiring properties to make them available for development, updating their zoning code and design guidelines, and establishing a Tax-Increment Financing district to support the funding for their new downtown. They have successfully developed a new mixed-use Village Hall along with a public square, and attracted numerous residential units near the Mundelein Metra station.
Fox River Grove and the RTA developed a market-based concept plan for the Village’s Metra station area. The plan specifically utilized the proximity of the Fox River to the downtown and expanded commuter rail facilities, which were completed in 2013, as a key to redevelopment.
Joliet and the RTA examined the feasibility of creating a new intermodal transportation center in the City Center, adjacent to the existing Union Station. The study also provided recommendations to create intermodal connectivity, improve public transportation and passenger efficiencies and identify potential opportunities for adaptive reuse of the existing Union Station. The new center has since been constructed and has been the catalyst for additional nearby development.
Previous Post: Design by Transit: The 2018 Community Planning Program Implementation Report
Next Post: The RTA Celebrates Car Free Day Tomorrow!
Search Ride On.
Follow Ride On. via Email
We Can All Agree: Take Transit to Music Festivals!
We Can All Agree: Transit is the Best Way to get to the Taste (or any Restaurant)!
We Can All Agree: Transit is STILL the Best Way to Get to the Ballgame
Proposed Section 5310 Program of Projects – Released for Public Comment
Governor Pritzker Signs Capital Bill into Law: Historic Day in Illinois
Chicagoist
CMAP Updates
Metropolitan Planning Council
Public Narrative Blog
Streetsblog Chicago
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line984
|
__label__cc
| 0.597963
| 0.402037
|
Cartel Land (2015)
The crowd in a tiny Mexican town called Apo chants, “The people, united, will never be defeated!” They’re following the leadership of Dr. Mireles, their humble doctor of the town. So many of their family members have been killed by the drug cartel, they are heart-sick and defeated. The people are done being pushed around.
R | 1h 40min | Documentary | 3 July 2015 (USA)
Filmmaker Matthew Heineman examines the state of the ongoing drug problem along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Director: Matthew Heineman
Stars: Tim Nailer Foley, José Manuel ‘El Doctor’ Mireles, Paco Valencia
This documentary was extremely enlightening about what goes on in one part of a border town in Mexico, and probably many others. You witness first-hand scenes shot with modest camera crews. You don’t see any kill shots but you know they are there between the cuts. The director, Matthew Heineman, has created a powerful set of moving images and sound. We are not shown what to believe about the drug problem but rather given data to make our own conclusions.
This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. You meet these people involved. What’s surprising is that only a few of them have their faces covered. It’s as if they live in a native sense where they can’t comprehend any danger that could come from the media. Their danger is right here.
In my opinion, it’s a bit fatalistic and I always look for solutions. Having said that, I’ve never lived in this town. They are fighting against these gang-like forces and the government for their very lives. For a raw look at what is happening in this situation, I recommend this film. As of 7/8/2017 it is streaming on Netflix.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 8, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie ReviewsTags 2015, Documentary, Matthew Heineman1 Comment on Cartel Land (2015)
Baby Driver (2017)
This film has done extremely well at the box office. It’s an exciting tale of a young man with an interesting history and an uncanny talent for driving a getaway car. I’d be remiss to not mention there is some great music in the background here.
R | 1h 52min | Action, Crime, Music | 28 June 2017 (USA)
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright
Stars: Ansel Elgort, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm
The director had this idea for quite some time before it became a film. I always enjoy movies where the director had a long term vision he fought for. Before this film, his accolades include Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World’s End (2013), made with recurrent collaborators Simon Pegg, Nira Park and Nick Frost. While still in the prime of his career, he has proven he is a capable director.
The casting was effective but perhaps one of the weaker aspects. Kevin Spacey sort of worked as the killer boss who grows a heart. We needed more hate for Baby from Jamie Foxx, that could have saved his impression with me. The actor who played “Baby,” Ansel Elgort, is 23 but appears to be much much younger in his skinny jeans and RayBans. I think some younger viewers will identify with his character because he is in fact so young looking and doing such a crafted thing as driving a getaway car. It’s fantasy on so many levels.
I loved the choice to cast Lily James. She is the most normal, well developed, character in the film. And mind you, there is very little character development here: it’s a car chase film.
The story is, in a shortened way, that a boy is an orphan and learns to drive really really well. Then he becomes a getaway driver. Then he wants out and meets a waitress. He doesn’t get out. There are several heists and exhibitions of speed. He gets arrested. The girl dotes on him. The boy gets out. His name is not really Baby (big surprise) it’s Miles and the movie ends in a dreamlike sequence of Miles driving off into the sunset with the girl.
I really had fun watching this film. I was actually surprised how much I liked it, the title was a little off-putting. There are lots of car chase movies out there and as time moves forward there are likely to be more. This is a cool movie. I don’t know if it’s as “special” as a lot of people are saying. It is probably because some scenes are synchronized to the music and that is undeniably cool. The story of the protagonist was lacking for me, I didn’t buy in. I didn’t like most the songs chosen and I felt the bad guys were miscast. Those aren’t important issues though, this is a winner film. If you go for a fun car chase and heist film, you’ll get your money’s worth. I recommend it.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 7, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie ReviewsTags #film, Action, Crime1 Comment on Baby Driver (2017)
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 6, 2017 October 2, 2018 Categories Movie ReviewsTags Ethan Embry, Horror, NetflixHorror1018, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Sean Byrne, Shiri Appleby1 Comment on The Devil’s Candy (2015)
Following (1998)
Long before Christopher Nolan directed the Dark Knight, he created a sleepy noir film called Following. He definitely has a lot of us following him now and it all started with this first visionary film of his. This is streaming now on Metflix.
R | 1h 9min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 5 November 1999 (UK)
A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell
This is a film with a very odd beginnng. A man is questioned as to why he follows people and he responds that it is a fixation. He isn’t out to hurt anyone, he just follows people. If that isn’t creepy enough, he does get into stealing and harming people when a criminal he is following decides to teach him his ways. What ensues after that is the meat of this movie.
The actors are all excellent. I found it more interesting to learn about why he follows people than to see the details of breaking and entering. I think it’s a universal fear that someone would go through our private things when we’re out of the house. The dialog in this film is engaging and draws you in. The characters feel real and you can see how the director went on to be so successful. It is slow however and takes a long time in between “happenings.” For that reason I’d say you could miss it and be okay but fans of the noir genre and of Christopher Nolan will find it delightful as a sort of novelty. I recommend it for those types.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 5, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie ReviewsTags 1998, Christopher Nolan, Crime, Mystery, Thriller1 Comment on Following (1998)
Across the Universe (2007)
The music of the Beatles is incredible. You tap your foot to it, some people think of it as the best music in the world. What’s more, they hold this view even though the band has been broken up since 1969. This film is visually stunning and equally incredible in its presentation of Beatles songs with a modern take.
PG-13 | 2h 13min | Drama, Fantasy, Musical | 12 October 2007 (USA)
The music of the Beatles and the Vietnam War form the backdrop for the romance between an upper-class American girl and a poor Liverpudlian artist.
Director: Julie Taymor
Writers: Dick Clement (screenplay), Ian La Frenais (screenplay) | 3 more credits
Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson
Julie Taymor is the director. You may know her directing efforts from films like Frida, the biographical film about the mysterious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The female lead, Evan Rachel Wood, has been in several successful films which include: The Wrestler and The Ides of March. The male lead, Jim Sturgess also has some big films under his belt with Cloud Atlas and The Best Offer. These two lead us through the music in the film well. It’s like a 2 hour and 13 minute music video. Each song is stitched together in a cohesive story that really works.
Themes of Vietnam and young love are addressed through the music. There isn’t one boring scene. If you love the music of the Beatles this film is for you. If you don’t know their music, this would be a great way to get introduced! It is rather long for movie like this and there are some songs that are interpreted less for the music and more for the dark elements of war. This film isn’t for everyone so that’s why I give it
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 4, 2017 April 29, 2018 Categories Movie ReviewsTags Romance1 Comment on Across the Universe (2007)
Disney has been writing new stories with Disneyland as a backstory for years now. The worst that comes to mind is the Haunted Mansion. Tomorrowland falls into the “backstory of Disneyland” category. The trouble here is that people don’t share a concept…
Disney has been writing new stories with Disneyland as a backstory for years now. The worst that comes to mind is the Haunted Mansion. Tomorrowland falls into the “backstory of Disneyland” category. The trouble here is that people don’t share a concept for Tomorrowland. Instead of pushing it aside and making a movie disconnected from the “land” at Disney, to the right at the end of Main Street, They’ve attempted to tell us all the backstory that never was. I think it’s that common insult to Disneyland fans that derails the bus to best picture. They’ve also had mixed success with remakes in the past 2 decades. Having said that, if you can get beyond their puny rationale for what the real life Tomorrowland is, there is a pretty great story here to be enjoyed. So far, the reviews I’ve seen have not been kind to this movie. I have a different take, it’s a pretty great movie. The lofty ideal of hope in movies springs eternal. One of the reasons I love movies is because they often make me feel hopeful.
Tomorrowland gives you a good feeling about the past, present and future. There’s also a personal charge to decide your own fate. These are just a few of the positive messages in the film. If you’re like most people, you’ve read the nasty reviews and seen the low ratings. Don’t pay them any mind. This is a movie for the future citizens of the world. They may have lost points by trying to tie it so closely to Disneyland. It’s slow at times and the characterization is not as good as say: Escape to Witch Mountain. Still, there is a fun “ride” here in the form of a movie. Because they tied it to Disneyland in title and theme, it lost points with me. Never tell a church going person what church is. At the same time, the legions of moviegoers with expired, yellowed Disney passes in their wallets are too strongly connected to the real land. This is one director’s vision and we are all directors. If you can set that aside and see it as its own movie, it’s pretty good. Not excellent but pretty darn good.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 4, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie ReviewsTags Sci-Fi3 Comments on Tomorrowland
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
A film showing the darker face of religion when the wolf comes in sheep’s clothing. In this case, Robert Mitchum plays a great wolf, and as he usually is a scary one too.
1h 32min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir | 24 November 1955 (Argentina)
A religious fanatic marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid $10,000 he’d stolen in a robbery.
Director: Charles Laughton
Writers: James Agee (screenplay), Davis Grubb (based on the novel by)
Stars: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish
Harry Powell is a lifelong crimimal doing time with a one time thief, Ben Harper, seeking only to secure his kids’s future. To Harry it’s all about greed. While in prison, Harper tells Powell about his huge stash from the crime and Harry Powell dedicates himself to getting it. Posing as a preacher, he infiltrates Ben Harper’s town and family as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” but find that money from the secrets he shared with his children isn’t going to be easy.
Director and Actors
This is actor Charles Laughton’s only credited work as director. He has a very recognizable face. You may know him as the hunchback in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Sir Wilfrid Roberts in Witness for the Prosecution, or any other of his many successful roles in film. I admire his direction in this film, the characters all seem focused on the same page. The “page” is something that would have been a real taboo in that day. Preaching is often mocked to make a point. Even though we know the villain is no preacher, all the significant particulars relating to religion tend toward a reality that isn’t flattering. This would seem to be the intended message of the director.
Robert Mitchum is just scary as all get up in this. I’d say it comes close to Cape Fear as such. I suppose it you’re religious, you view him as worst of the worst because he’s posing as a man of the cloth. If you’re not, you might see religion as the evil here. Either way, he’s a truly bad dude doing really bad stuff out of greed. Shelly Winters plays Willa and does a really good job as such. Nonetheless my favorite character in the film is Rachel Cooper played by Lilian Gish. She comes later in the film but is such a strong force. She helps build a lot of plot to a climax. She’s the real hero of this story.
My Take on the Film
This is an oldie from 1955. It carries that air of mystery you might sense in an Alfred Hitchcock film. At the same time, there is the classic look everywhere like in the wooden houses or even the archaic farm equipment. The boats, the wardrobe, everything reminds of a time long ago. One aspect that isn’t far off though is the evil that people do in the name of religion. Toward the end of the film they seem to redeem faith but in the first 2/3 of the film religion in general is portrayed in a bad way. No one can deny it enables the villain to have access to the wife and her kids. Most the film is suspense, drilling down on the wife and kids. Mitchum is at his best faking religious drawl as he seeks to extract the location of the money from the kids. The film stays on that for a large chunk and it is enjoyable, a definite thrill ride. But when the kids see fit to escape, we are relieved of the suspense, Mitchum is free to play an all out evil wolf, and a slightly different air rises up in the film. It’s more a stalker film at that point. I enjoyed the dialect and story of the film. It was also very well cast.
Anyone who’s seen Robert Mitchum as an evil character in a film knows he is unmistakable and talented as such. This is no exception. Watching him weave his wiles as a preacher in the family and as Willa’s new husband in hypnotic. He is very convincing. You find yourself saying “No No Willa, think of your kids” as she’s taking her vows. His smug face is so perfect for the role. If you’re hankering for a suspense filled black and white from the 50’s, I highly recommend this one!
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 3, 2017 February 28, 2018 Categories Movie Reviews2 Comments on The Night of the Hunter (1955)
There are movies that need no introduction because you can tell from the trailer they are cool. Inside Out was cool out of the gate. Judging my the packed in house on a Monday night when I took my family to see it, people agree it’s cool. There’s somet…
There are movies that need no introduction because you can tell from the trailer they are cool. Inside Out was cool out of the gate. Judging my the packed in house on a Monday night when I took my family to see it, people agree it’s cool. There’s something about a simple concept brought to the screen or television with a gang of hella talented people that wins the crowd every time. I compare it to Seinfeld that way. It has a simple premise: a little girl’s mind going through the challenges of school and moving. Her mind is where the characters are and they produce some hilarious if not downright profound discussion material.
Without giving any of its delights away, I will tell you there are two platforms the movie switches back and forth from: the little girl’s mind and the real world she’s in. It heartwarming, suspenseful, enlightening, and entertaining the way they portray her emotions. We get her from the inside-out: emotions first, real world second. It’s an excellent movie for kids because it opens up conversations on fear and anxiety, which as we know children feel from both small and big events in their lives. It’s also quite fitting as a date movie or if you’re just out with a friend. I always like movies that shine a light on the human condition and don’t preach. These sort of movies allow the viewer to pour themselves into the questions and draw their own conclusions. In this case those experiences will be childhood and adulthood.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 3, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie Reviews1 Comment on Inside Out
Fans of the original Jurassic Park are likely to love this one. There isn’t much new in the way of a twist though. I remember the build up back when the first came out, people came out to the movie in droves. It really was like waiting in line for a ri…
Fans of the original Jurassic Park are likely to love this one. There isn’t much new in the way of a twist though. I remember the build up back when the first came out, people came out to the movie in droves. It really was like waiting in line for a ride. It was an original idea my Michael Crichton and everyone wanted to see the giant lizards. It was basically three things that made that movie popular: 1) The dinosaurs, 2) The action, and 3) the story. On all three levels I still give the first one a 5/5. This new one is good, very good. It is a rollicking rode for sure and worth the price of a ticket. At the same time it really lacks in the story department. I went in hoping to get something new and fresh that made me think about dinosaurs. In between the guttural dinosaur special effects, it just isn’t there.
Having said that, I doubt moviegoers really care about that. The dinosaurs and there, in full tech regalia. I’ve always thought dinosaurs were cool. I like to watch them but in real life they aren’t there. I even think museum bones are a bit boring now thanks to this franchise. I felt the need to explain to my 8 year old that dinosaurs were extinct. It seems kids in the past 20 years have seen them so much on the silver screen, they seem real. I loved the movie, I offer no spoilers except to say you’re gonna love the dinosaurs and the action. Some stories don’t need to be improved upon, maybe that’s what the makers of this Jurassic Park were thinking.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 2, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie ReviewsTags Sci-Fi1 Comment on Jurassic World
I don’t know if it is my advancing age or the inclusion of several laborious scenes set to synthesized music but I nodded off twice during the film. I did like it though, it certainly took an original spin on an age old robot theme. This film dispenses with the question of whether we can create AI. Instead it looks at what AI may think of us after having been created. Then yet another question arises: will AI agree to the station we assign it? Ex Machina is a very slow movie but it is clever and interesting if you are rested, at least I am sure it would be. It raises ethical questions about the manufacture of model-figured women who are not human but created to serve. I couldn’t help but recall the Stepford Wives.
There isn’t an original theme but the directorial choices are peppered with new stuff. The special effects are captivating. There are some jabs at Google and the collection of information. The maker says he was able to secure millions of cell phone data banks because the providers steal it and he threatened to expose them unless they shared. This was far fetched in my opinion but an interesting wake up call that Google and cell phone companies probably have far too much on us. Google execs and programmers are the new Howard Hugheses (plural sp?). In this film they are very scary, almost to smart for their own good. What’s more, they’re making female robots, often fully naked on screen, that are devoid of morals. This could be interesting for some. For laborious scenes and general lack of original theme, it lost 2 stars from me.
Author Damien RileyPosted on July 2, 2017 December 27, 2017 Categories Movie ReviewsTags Sci-Fi1 Comment on Ex Machina
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line985
|
__label__wiki
| 0.657771
| 0.657771
|
Big Give /
The Big Give: Nonprofit News
Throughout San Antonio and the surrounding area, organizations are expanding, hiring new staff and adding programs to meet growing needs in their communities. Here’s just a sampling of recent events
-In November, Brighton Center broke ground on The Harvey E. Najim Early Childhood Campus, the first piece in a renovation that aims to allow the nonprofit to provide more holistic care, from early childhood education and multiple types of therapy to specialized camps and after-school programs.
-After 20 years at the helm of Clarity Child Guidance Center, Fred Hines retired at the end of 2018. New president and CEO Jessica Knudsen joined the mental health treatment center in February. She previously served as chief operating officer at Holly Hill Hospital, a psychiatric and treatment center for kids and adults in North Carolina.
-The Public Theater announced in January the creation of a new scholarship for Bexar County students going on to study theater or a related field in college. Funds are being provided through a trust created in honor of Joe Salek, who served as director of the San Antonio Little Theater (which was housed in The Public Theater’s facility) from 1949-1976. Applications for the first round are due March 23.
-Corey Cowart joined the San Antonio Symphony as executive director at the start of the year. A Houston native, Cowart holds a master’s in music from Yale and has worked with the Atlanta Symphony, the Minnesota Opera and, most recently, the Amarillo Symphony, where he served as executive director. In Amarillo, Cowart implemented a new strategic plan that resulted in a 40 percent increase in earned revenue.
-SAMMinistries is opening an early childhood facility on its Transitional Living and Learning Center campus that will provide care for 16 children (ages 2-4). Thanks to a grant from ImpactSA, the nonprofit also now will be able to transport 4-year-olds to Pre-K 4SA.
March 28, midnight – 11:59 p.m.
Give at thebiggivesa.org
Photo By Nick Barron/Courtesy The Playhouse
This article appears in the March 2019 issue of Big Give
Don't miss a story. Subscribe to Big Give »
Big Give 2018 Basics
A Legacy of Giving: John L. Santikos
What's New for Big Give Year Six
Why I Give: Big Give 2018
Copyright 2019 San Antonio Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line989
|
__label__wiki
| 0.531469
| 0.531469
|
Even Mummies Need Security
By Ralph C. Jensen
Egypt’s Minister of Culture lies awake at night worried about security and the safety of the country’s relics housed in the Mahmoud Khalil Museum. He has every right to worry because security at the facilities is…well, lacking.
On August 21, van Gogh’s 1887 “Poppy Flowers” was stolen, and the subsequent investigation revealed that no alarms were working, and worse than that, only seven of the 43 cameras were operational.
These revealed facts are the things nightmares are made of.
The Egyptian Museau houses some of the world’s most prized antiquities, including the gold mask of King Tut. It draws millions of tourists every year, but it too has an outdated video surveillance system that doesn’t work around the clock. And the guards are notoriously noted for sleeping on the job or are reading the Quran while they should be working.
Ton Cremers, director of the Netherlands-based Museum Security Network said taking the van Gogh was a lot easier than it should have been because of the lack of security, or in this case, working security equipment. The van Gogh is valued as high as $5 million.
Cremers said the complete security system would cost about $50,000, and to keep in running would be about $3,000 per year. Security doesn’t work very well if it’s antiquated, doesn’t work or the staff supposed to be monitoring it isn’t working.
Ralph C. Jensen is editor-in-chief of Security Today magazine.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line991
|
__label__wiki
| 0.617785
| 0.617785
|
Langlois v. Nova River Runners, Inc., 2018 Alas. LEXIS 31
Posted: February 6, 2019 | Author: Recreation Law | Filed under: Alaska, Legal Case, Paddlesports, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Rivers and Waterways | Tags: acknowledgment, alert, appendix, Canyon, Climbing, drowning, exculpate, Gym, Inherent Risks, insinuate, instructors, Notice, Public Policy, purported, Rafting, reasonable steps, recreational, recreational activity, rock, signature, signing, skilled, Summary judgment, training, trip, unrelated, waive, waived, Warning, Whitewater | Leave a comment
Vanessa L. Langlois, Personal Representative of the Estate of Stephen J. Morton, Appellant, v. Nova River Runners, Inc., Appellee.
Supreme Court No. S-16422, No. 1669
Supreme Court of Alaska
2018 Alas. LEXIS 31
March 21, 2018, Decided
NOTICE: MEMORANDUM DECISIONS OF THIS COURT DO NOT CREATE LEGAL PRECEDENT. SEE ALASKA APPELLATE GUIDELINES FOR PUBLICATION OF SUPREME COURT DECISIONS. ACCORDINGLY, THIS MEMORANDUM DECISION MAY NOT BE CITED FOR ANY PROPOSITION OF LAW, NOR AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PROPER RESOLUTION OF ANY ISSUE.
PRIOR HISTORY: [*1] Appeal from the Superior Court of the State of Alaska, Third Judicial District, Anchorage, Pamela Scott Washington, Judge pro tem. Superior Court No. 3AN-15-06866 CI.
OVERVIEW: HOLDINGS: [1]-A release entitled defendant rafting company to wrongful
COUNSEL: Mara E. Michaletz and David K. Gross, Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, Anchorage, for Appellant.
Howard A. Lazar, Scott J. Gerlach, and Luba K. Bartnitskaia, Delaney Wiles, Inc., Anchorage, for Appellee.
JUDGES: Before: Stowers, Chief Justice, Winfree, Maassen, Bolger, and Carney, Justices. Winfree, Justice, with whom Carney, Justice, joins, dissenting.
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND JUDGMENT*
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – Footnotes – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
* Entered under Alaska Appellate Rule 214.
– – – – – – – – – – – – End Footnotes- – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The estate of a man who drowned on a rafting trip challenged the validity of the pre-trip liability release. The superior court granted summary judgment in favor of the rafting company. Because there were no genuine issues of material fact and the release was effective under our precedent, we affirm.
II. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS
In May 2013 Stephen Morton took part in a whitewater rafting trip on Six Mile Creek near Hope. The trip was conducted by NOVA River Runners (NOVA). This case arises out of Morton’s tragic death by drowning after his raft capsized.
A. The Release
Before embarking on a rafting trip, participants typically receive and sign [*2] NOVA’s liability release (the Release). The Release is provided as a single two-sided document. One side is entitled “Participant’s Acknowledgment of Risks” and begins with a definition of activities: “any adventure, sport or activity associated with the outdoors and/or wilderness and the use or presence of watercraft, including but not limited to kayaks, rafts, oar boats and glacier hiking and ice climbing equipment, including crampons, ski poles, climbing harnesses and associated ice climbing hardware.” The Release then states:
Although the concessionaire has taken reasonable steps to provide you with appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides so you can enjoy an activity for which you may not be skilled, we wish to remind you this activity is not without risk. Certain risks cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character of the activity.
The Release then provides a list of “some, but not all” of the “inherent risks,” including “[m]y . . . ability to swim . . . and/or follow instructions” and “[l]oss of control of the craft, collision, capsizing, and sinking of the craft, which can result in wetness, injury, . . . and/or drowning.” The Release next asks participants to [*3] affirm that they possess certain qualifications, including physical capability and safety awareness. The last section of the first side purports to waive liability for the negligent acts of NOVA and its employees. There is no designated space for signatures or initials on this side.
At the top of the other side, participants are asked to acknowledge that “[They] have read, understood, and accepted the terms and conditions stated herein” and that the agreement “shall be binding upon [the participant] . . . and [their] estate.” No terms or conditions appear on this side. There are then three signature blocks where up to three participants can sign, with space to include an emergency contact, allergies, and medications.
Brad Cosgrove, NOVA’s “river manager” for this trip, did not recall whether Morton read the Release before signing it, but stated that “[n]obody was rushed into signing” and that he “physically showed each participant” both sides of the Release. Bernd Horsman, who rafted with Morton that day, stated that he recalled “sign[ing] a document that briefly stated that you waive any liability in case something happens” but thought the document only had one side. He did not recall [*4] “someone physically show[ing]” the Release to him, but he wasn’t rushed into signing it. Both Horsman’s and Morton’s signatures appear on the Release.
B. The Rafting Trip
The rafting trip consisted of three canyons. NOVA would routinely give participants the opportunity to disembark after the second canyon, because the third canyon is the most difficult. Morton did not choose to disembark after the second canyon, and his raft capsized in the third canyon. Cosgrove was able to pull him from the river and attempted to resuscitate him. NOVA contacted emergency services and delivered Morton for further care, but he died shortly thereafter.
C. Legal Proceedings
Morton’s widow, Vanessa Langlois, brought suit as the personal representative of Morton’s estate (the Estate) in May 2015 under AS 09.55.580 (wrongful death) and AS 09.55.570 (survival), requesting compensatory damages, plus costs, fees, and interest. The Estate alleged that NOVA was negligent and listed multiple theories primarily based on the employees’ actions or omissions.
NOVA moved for summary judgment in November 2015, arguing that the Release barred the Estate’s claims. NOVA supported its position with the signed Release and affidavits from NOVA’s owner [*5] and Cosgrove. The Estate opposed and filed a cross-motion for summary judgment to preclude NOVA from relying on the Release. The parties then stipulated to stay formal discovery until the court had ruled on these motions but agreed on procedures for conducting discovery in the interim if needed. Pursuant to the stipulation, the parties deposed Horsman and filed supplemental briefing.
In June 2016 the superior court granted NOVA’s motion for summary judgment and denied the Estate’s, reasoning that the Release was valid under our precedent. This appeal followed. The Estate argues that the superior court erred in granting summary judgment because the Release did not satisfy the six elements of our test for a valid waiver.
III. STANDARD OF REVIEW
“We review grants of summary judgment de novo, determining whether the record presents any genuine issues of material fact.”1 “If the record fails to reveal a genuine factual dispute and the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law, the trial court’s grant of summary judgment must be affirmed.”2 “Questions of contract interpretation are questions of law that we review de novo . . . .”3
1 Donahue v. Ledgends, Inc., 331 P.3d 342, 346 (Alaska 2014) (citing Hill v. Giani, 296 P.3d 14, 20 (Alaska 2013)).2 Id. (citing Kelly v. Municipality of Anchorage, 270 P.3d 801, 803 (Alaska 2012)).3 Sengul v. CMS Franklin, Inc., 265 P.3d 320, 324 (Alaska 2011) (citing Norville v. Carr-Gottstein Foods Co., 84 P.3d 996, 1000 n.1 (Alaska 2004)).
IV. DISCUSSION
Alaska Statute 09.65.290 provides that “[a] person who [*6] participates in a sports or recreational activity assumes the inherent risks in that sports or recreational activity and is legally responsible for . . . death to the person . . . that results from the inherent risks in that sports or recreational activity.” The statute does not apply, however, to “a civil action based on the . . . negligence of a provider if the negligence was the proximate cause of the . . . death.”4 Thus, in order to avoid liability for negligence, recreational companies must supplement the statutory scheme by having participants release them from liability through waivers.
4 AS 09.65.290(c).
Extrapolating from principles articulated in three earlier cases,5 we recently adopted, in Donahue v. Ledgends, Inc., a six-element test for finding effective waiver:
(1) the risk being waived must be specifically and clearly set forth (e.g. death, bodily injury, and property damage); (2) a waiver of negligence must be specifically set forth using the word “negligence”; (3) these factors must be brought home to the releasor in clear, emphasized language . . . ; (4) the release must not violate public policy; (5) if a release seeks to exculpate a defendant from liability for acts of negligence unrelated [*7] to inherent risks, the release must suggest an intent to do so; and (6) the release agreement must not represent or insinuate standards of safety or maintenance.6
The Estate argues that NOVA’s release does not satisfy this test. We analyze these six elements in turn and conclude that NOVA’s Release is effective.7
5 See Donahue, 331 P.3d at 346-48 (discussing Ledgends, Inc. v. Kerr, 91 P.3d 960 (Alaska 2004); Moore v. Hartley Motors, Inc., 36 P.3d 628 (Alaska 2001); and Kissick v. Schmierer, 816 P.2d 188 (Alaska 1991)).6 Id. at 348. In Donahue, a woman sued a rock climbing gym after she broke her tibia by falling a few feet onto a mat at the instruction of an employee, and we concluded that the release barred her negligence claim. Id. at 344-45.7 Our review of the record reveals no genuine issues of material fact with respect to the existence and terms of the Release.
A. The Release Specifically And Clearly Sets Forth The Risk Being Waived.
The Estate first argues that the Release was not a “conspicuous and unequivocal statement of the risk waived” because the Release was two-sided and the sides did not appear to incorporate each other.8 For support, the Estate cites an “analogous” Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) case from Florida for the proposition that “a disclaimer is likely inconspicuous where ‘there is nothing on the face of the writing to call attention to the back of the instrument.'”9 The Estate points out that the release in Donahue had two separate pages, and the participant initialed the first page and signed the second.10 The Estate also identifies Horsman’s confusion about whether the Release had one or two sides as evidence that the Release was not conspicuous, raising possible issues of material fact about whether Morton [*8] would have been aware of the other side or whether Cosgrove actually showed each participant both sides.11
8 See Donahue, 331 P.3d at 348.9 The Estate quotes Rudy’s Glass Constr. Co. v. E. F. Johnson Co., 404 So. 2d 1087, 1089 (Fla. Dist. App. 1981) (citing Massey-Ferguson, Inc. v. Utley, 439 S.W.2d 57 (Ky. 1969); Hunt v. Perkins Mach. Co., 352 Mass. 535, 226 N.E.2d 228 (Mass. 1967)).10 See Donahue, 331 P.3d at 345.11 The Estate raises these arguments outside the context of Donahue, but we address them here.
We note that Participants in a recreational activity need not read a release for it to be binding if the language of the release is available to them.12 We conclude that NOVA’s Release was sufficiently clear, even without an initial block on the first side. The signature page stated, “I have read, understood, and accepted the terms and conditions stated herein,” but no terms and conditions appeared on this side. A reasonable person, after reading the word “herein,” would be on notice that the document had another side.
12 See Donahue, 331 P.3d at 349 (citing Lauvetz v. Alaska Sales & Serv., 828 P.2d 162, 164-65 (Alaska 1991)).
The Estate also argues that NOVA’s Release “does not specifically and clearly set forth the risk that the NOVA instructors may have been negligently trained or supervised, or that they may give inadequate warning or instructions.” But NOVA’s Release, like the release in Donahue, “clearly and repeatedly disclosed the risk of the specific injury at issue”13 — here, death by drowning. Like the plaintiff in Donahue, the Estate, “[r]ather than focusing on [the] injury[,] . . . focuses on its alleged cause,”14 i.e., negligent training or instruction. But the [*9] Release covers this risk as well; it indemnifies the “Releasees” in capital letters from liability for injury or death, “whether arising from negligence of the Releasees or otherwise,” and specifically defines “Releasees” to include “employees.” In Donahue, we also observed that “[i]t would not be reasonable to conclude that [the defendant] sought a release only of those claims against it that did not involve the acts or omissions of any of its employees.”15 Thus, the Estate’s argument that NOVA’s Release “does not specifically and clearly set forth the risk that the NOVA instructors may have been negligently trained or supervised” is not persuasive.
13 Id. at 348.14 Id. at 349.15 Id.
B. The Release Uses The Word “Negligence.”
Donahue provides that “a waiver of negligence must be specifically set forth using the word ‘negligence.'”16 The Estate argues that the Release’s “references to negligence are inconsistent,” and therefore it does not fulfill our requirement that a release be “clear, explicit[,] and comprehensible in each of its essential details.”17 But we concluded in Donahue that similar language satisfied this element.
16 Id. at 348.17 Kissick v. Schmierer, 816 P.2d 188, 191 (Alaska 1991) (quoting Ferrell v. S. Nev. Off-Road Enthusiasts, Ltd., 147 Cal. App. 3d 309, 195 Cal. Rptr. 90, 95 (Cal. App. 1983)).
The release in Donahue provided: “I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge, and agree to [*10] indemnify and hold harmless the [defendant] from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action, . . . including any such claims which allege negligent acts or omissions of [the defendant].”18 We emphasized that “[t]he phrase ‘any and all claims’ is thus expressly defined to include claims for negligence.”19
18 Donahue, 331 P.3d at 345.19 Id. at 349.
Here, the Release reads, in relevant part:
I . . . HEREBY RELEASE NOVA . . . WITH RESPECT TO ANY AND ALL INJURY, DISABILITY, DEATH, or loss, or damage to persons or property incident to my involvement or participation in these programs, WHETHER ARISING FROM NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
I . . . HEREBY INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS all the above Releasees from any and all liabilities incident to my involvement or participation in these programs, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE to the fullest extent permitted by law.
NOVA’s Release uses the word “negligence” twice, and there is no material difference between the “any and all claims” language used in Donahue and the “any and all liabilities” language used here. We therefore conclude that the Release specifically set forth a waiver of negligence.
C. The Release Uses Simple Language And [*11] Emphasized Text.
Donahue provides that The intent of a release to waive liability for negligence “must be brought home to the releasor in clear, emphasized language.”20 The Estate argues that the Release fails to use clear language or adequately define the “activity” it covered and thus does not waive liability for negligence. This argument does not withstand the application of Donahue.
20 Id. at 348.
In Donahue, the clauses addressing negligence “[did] not appear to be ‘calculated to conceal'” and were “in a logical place where they [could not] be missed by someone who reads the release.”21 Here, the Release uses capital letters to highlight the clauses waiving negligence. Though the clauses fall near the bottom of the page, they were certainly “in a logical place where they [could not] be missed by someone who reads the release” from start to finish, and thus under Donahue they were not “calculated to conceal.” And though these clauses contain some legalese, ” releases should be read ‘as a whole’ in order to decide whether they ‘clearly notify the prospective releasor . . . of the effect of signing the agreement.'”22 The list of inherent risks uses very simple language: “cold weather,” “[m]y sense of balance,” [*12] “drowning,” “[a]ccidents or illnesses,” and “[f]atigue, chill and/or dizziness.”
21 Id. at 350.22 Id. at 351 (quoting Kissick, 816 P.2d at 191).
The Release extends to other activities such as “glacier hiking and ice climbing,” but any ambiguity is cleared up by the explicit list of inherent risks relating to whitewater rafting. We therefore conclude that the Release brings home to the reader its intent to waive liability for negligence using simple language and emphasized text.
D. The Release Does Not Violate Public Policy.
Donahue requires that “the release must not violate public policy.”23 Citing no legal authority, the Estate asserts that NOVA’s waiver “unquestionably violates public policy due to its vast scope.”
“Alaska recognizes that recreational releases from liability for negligence are not void as a matter of public policy, because to hold otherwise would impose unreasonable burdens on businesses whose patrons want to engage in high-risk physical activities.”24 In evaluating public policy arguments in the context of liability waivers, we have previously considered “[o]f particular relevance . . . the type of service performed and whether the party seeking exculpation has a decisive advantage in bargaining strength because of the essential nature [*13] of the service.”25 The type of service likely to inspire additional scrutiny on public policy grounds is “a service of great importance to the public, which is often a matter of practical necessity for some members of the public.'”26 Using this analysis, we deemed an all-terrain vehicle safety course “not an essential service,” meaning that “the class providers did not have a ‘decisive advantage of bargaining strength’ in requiring the release for participation in the class.”27
24 Id. at 348 n.34 (citing Kissick, 816 P.2d at 191).25 Moore v. Hartley Motors, Inc., 36 P.3d 628, 631 (Alaska 2001) (citing Municipality of Anchorage v. Locker, 723 P.2d 1261, 1265 (Alaska 1986)).26 Id. (quoting Locker, 723 P.2d at 1265).27 Id. at 631-32 (citing Locker, 723 P.2d at 1265).
Similarly, here, whitewater rafting, far from being a matter of practical necessity, is an optional activity, meaning that under Moore v. Hartley Motors, Inc., NOVA did not have an advantage in bargaining strength. We therefore conclude that the Release does not violate public policy.
E. The Release Suggests An Intent To Exculpate NOVA From Liability For Employee Negligence.
Donahue provides that “if a release seeks to exculpate a defendant from liability for acts of negligence unrelated to inherent risks, the release must suggest an intent to do so.”28 But regardless of whether acts of negligence are related to inherent risks, this requirement is met when “the injury and its alleged causes are all expressly covered [*14] in the release.”29 The Estate argues that the Release does not suggest an intent to exculpate NOVA from liability for employee negligence. We disagree.
As we have explained, the Release specifically covered employee negligence by including “employees” in the clause releasing NOVA from liability for negligence. Because the injury — death by drowning — and its alleged cause — employee negligence — are expressly included in the Release, it satisfies this Donahue element.30
30 We further observe that the Release’s list of inherent risks tracks some of the Estate’s allegations about employee negligence. For example, the Estate alleged that NOVA “fail[ed] to preclude those participants who were not qualified to handle the rafting trip,” but the Release discloses that a participant’s “ability to swim . . . and/or follow instructions” was an inherent risk of the trip.
The Estate correctly notes that the Donahue release specifically covered the risk of “inadequate warnings or instructions” from employees, unlike the general reference to employee negligence here.31 Ideally NOVA’s Release would include a more detailed description of the types of negligence it covers, such as “employee negligence” and “negligent training.” But doing so is not a requirement under Donahue. We therefore conclude that the Release suggests an intent to exculpate NOVA from liability for acts of employee negligence.32
31 Donahue, 331 P.3d at 352.32 We therefore do not reach the question whether employee negligence is unrelated to inherent risks of guided whitewater rafting. See id. at 348.
F. The Release Does Not Represent Or Insinuate Standards Of Safety Or Maintenance.
Donahue provides that “the release agreement must not represent or insinuate standards of safety or maintenance.”33 The [*15] Estate argues that the Release violates this element with the following statement: “the concessionaire has taken reasonable steps to provide you with appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides so you can enjoy an activity for which you may not be skilled.” But this statement is introduced by the word “[a]lthough” and falls within the same sentence as the disclosure that “this activity is not without risk.” This sentence is immediately followed by a sentence indicating that “[c]ertain risks cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character of the activity.” And the Release goes on to list 11 risks inherent in whitewater rafting. Reading the Release as a whole, we cannot conclude that it represented or insinuated standards of safety or maintenance.
33 Id.
We noted that the release in Donahue “highlight[ed] the fallibility of [the defendant’s] employees, equipment, and facilities.”34 Here, though the Release does not — and was not required to under the Donahue elements — go that far, it does list as inherent risks “[l]oss of control of the craft” and “sinking of the craft,” raising the possibility of human error, fallible equipment, and adverse forces of nature. The Release also [*16] makes various references to the isolated, outdoor nature of the activity — listing “[c]hanging water flow,” “inclement weather,” and the “remote” location as inherent risks.
The Estate cites Ledgends, Inc. v. Kerr35 in support of its argument that the Release impermissibly both represents a standard of maintenance and tries to disclaim liability for failing to adhere to it. In Kerr, we concluded that a release that contained statements such as “[w]hile we try to make the [premises] safe” and “[w]hile we strive to provide appropriate equipment for people of all abilities and to keep the equipment in good condition” was invalid because, read as a whole, it did “not conspicuously and unequivocally alert” participants of its scope.36 We went on to hold that “[t]he representations in the release regarding the [defendant]’s own efforts toward safety suggest that the release was predicated on a presumption that the [defendant] would strive to meet the standards of maintenance and safety mentioned in the release.”37
35 91 P.3d 960 (Alaska 2004). Like Donahue, Kerr also arose out of an injury at an indoor rock climbing gym. Id. at 961.36 Id. at 963-64.37 Id. at 963.
But the Release in question here is dissimilar in key ways. Compared to the release in Kerr, which contained language representing safety standards throughout,38 NOVA’s Release [*17] contains only a single half-sentence to that effect, adequately disclaimed: “Although the concessionaire has taken reasonable steps to provide you with appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides so you can enjoy an activity for which you may not be skilled, this activity is not without risk. Certain risks cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character of the activity.” And the release in Kerr was much broader — promising to “try to make the [premises] safe” — than NOVA’s Release, which promises merely that the company takes “reasonable steps to provide . . . appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides” while acknowledging in context that these precautions could not mitigate all the risks posed by a whitewater rafting trip. The Estate’s reliance on Kerr is thus misplaced, and we conclude that the Release does not represent or insinuate standards of safety or maintenance.
38 Id. at 963-64.
Because it satisfies the six Donahue elements, the Release effectively waived NOVA’s liability for negligence.
For the reasons explained above, we AFFIRM the superior court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of NOVA.
DISSENT BY: WINFREE
WINFREE, Justice, with whom CARNEY, Justice, joins, dissenting.
I respectfully [*18] dissent from the court’s decision affirming summary judgment in this case. I cannot agree with the court’s conclusions that the self-titled “Participant’s Acknowledgement [sic] of Risks”1 form actually is something other than what it calls itself — i.e., a “Release” form — and that it constitutes a valid release barring the Morton estate’s claims against NOVA River Runners.2 I would reverse the superior court’s decision, hold that the purported release is not valid under our precedent, and remand for further proceedings.
1 The document is referred to by its title throughout, but the spelling has been changed to conform to our preferred style.2 The Participant’s Acknowledgment of Risks form signed by Stephen Morton is Appendix A to this dissent.
The court’s application of the six factors we approved in Donahue v. Ledgends, Inc.3 ignores our prior case law from which these factors derived. Most salient to the factual situation and document at issue here is Ledgends, Inc. v. Kerr, affirming a superior court decision denying summary judgment based on a release document — titled “Release of Liability — Waiver of Claims” — that was far clearer, and certainly not less clear, than the purported release in this case.4 And although our prior cases about recreational releases have not focused on a document’s title, a title alerts a reader to the document’s purpose. In each case from which the Donahue factors derived, the [*19] document’s title clearly told the signer that the document was a release or that the signer was waiving legal claims. The release in Donahue was titled “Participant Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks, and Indemnity Agreement — Alaska Rock Gym.”5 In Kerr the form was a “Release of Liability — Waiver of Claims.”6 The rider-safety school in Moore v. Hartley Motors, Inc. presented the participant a form that instructed “You Must Read and Sign This Consent Form and Release.”7 Only in Kissick v. Schmierer did the title of the document not contain the word “release,” but that form, provided by the U.S. Air Force, was a “Covenant Not to Sue and Indemnity Agreement”8 — a title giving notice that the signer was surrendering legal rights before participating in the activity. In contrast, an “Acknowledgment of Risks” in no way alerts a reader of the possibility of waiving all negligence related to an activity. A title indicating that a document will release or waive legal liability surely is a useful starting point for evaluating the validity of a recreational release.
3 331 P.3d 342, 348 (Alaska 2014).4 91 P.3d 960, 961 (Alaska 2004). The release language in Kerr was included as an appendix to our opinion. Id. at 963-64. The rejected release from Kerr is Appendix B to this dissent for ease of comparison with the purported release in this case.5 331 P.3d at 344.6 91 P.3d at 961.7 36 P.3d 628, 632 (Alaska 2001).8 816 P.2d 188, 190 (Alaska 1991).
Consistent with the principle that the purpose of contract interpretation is to give effect to the [*20] parties’ reasonable expectations,9 our prior cases require us to consider the agreement as a whole10 and to resolve “any ambiguities in pre-recreational exculpatory clauses . . . against the party seeking exculpation.”11 The agreement as a whole “must ‘clearly notify the prospective releasor or indemnitor of the effect of signing the release.'”12 Applying these directives to the Acknowledgment of Risks form, I conclude the document does not clearly apprise participants that they are surrendering all claims for negligence by NOVA, particularly claims based on inadequate training.
9 See Peterson v. Wirum, 625 P.2d 866, 872 n.10 (Alaska 1981). A release is a type of contract. See Moore, 36 P.3d at 630-31.10 Kerr, 91 P.3d at 962.11 Id. at 961 (citing Kissick, 816 P.2d at 191).12 Id. at 962 (quoting Kissick, 816 P.2d at 191).
As can be seen in Appendix A, the Acknowledgment of Risks form’s first indication that it might be anything more than what its title suggests appears approximately three-fourths of the way down a densely printed page that, up to that point, has mentioned only “inherent risks.” There the form asks participants for a self-evaluation of their abilities. After a line break, the form asks participants to certify that they are “fully capable of participating in these activities” and will “assume full responsibility for [themselves].” Then, without another line break or any heading to signify that the form is transitioning [*21] into a liability release rather than an acknowledgment of risks, the document sets out “release” language. While parts of this section are in capital letters, they are not in bold or otherwise set off from the dense text surrounding them. In short, considering the document as a whole, the apparent intent is to hide the release language at the very bottom of a dense, one-page document with a title completely unrelated to release of liability.
Additionally, the signature page in no way alerts the reader that operative release language is contained on another page, presumably the back side of that page. The short paragraph at the top, which the court relies on to hold that the form gave participants adequate notice of the release language, says only, “I have read, understood, and accepted the terms and conditions stated herein and acknowledge that this agreement shall be binding upon myself . . . .” While the court concludes that a reasonable person “would be on notice that the document had another side” solely because of the word “herein,” the court fails to explain its conclusion. In fact, Morton’s companion who was an experienced adventure traveler as well, Horsman, remembered the document [*22] consisting of only one page. As he put it, “[T]he way I read it is ‘conditions herein.’ Well, there’s not much herein . . . .”
In addition to the document’s overall structure, the Acknowledgment of Risks form fails to comply with several standards we previously have applied to recreational activity releases. Specifically, the mere inclusion of the word “negligence” in the release language is insufficient to make the Acknowledgment of Risks form a full release of all claims. The release we held invalid in Kerr also used the word “negligence,” but we agreed with the superior court that “[w]hen read as a whole” the purported release did “not clearly and unequivocally express an intent to release the Gym for liability for its own future negligence” with respect to all matters referenced in the release.13
The superior court’s Kerr decision, which we adopted and published as expressing our own view, highlighted the ineffectiveness of a release that did not “clearly alert climbers that they [were] giving up any claims that the Gym failed to meet the standards of maintenance and safety that the Gym specifically indicate[d] in the release that it [would] strive to achieve and upon which the release [*23] [might] have been predicated.”14 This is precisely what the Morton estate agues here: the Acknowledgment of Risks form promised participants that NOVA would provide adequately skilled guides but did not alert participants that they were giving up claims based on NOVA’s negligent failure to provide adequately skilled guides.
NOVA indicated in its Acknowledgment of Risks form that it had “taken reasonable steps to provide [a participant] with appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides so [the participant] can enjoy an activity for which [he] may not be skilled.” This is a representation that NOVA’s guides were adequately skilled to provide participants an enjoyable trip — not one fraught with danger.15 The Morton estate alleged in its complaint that NOVA’s guides were inadequately trained and did not properly screen participants to preclude those who were unable “to handle the rafting trip” from participating. Both specific allegations related to negligent training or failure to provide guides who were adequately skilled to assist unskilled participants to safely complete the trip. The Acknowledgment of Risks form, like the defective release in Kerr, can hardly be said to give a participants [*24] notice that the participants were surrendering claims related to negligent training or supervision.16
15 The release could be read as requiring NOVA to provide either “appropriate equipment” or “skilled guides” but not both. But a reasonable person with no skill in rafting would almost certainly infer that NOVA intended to provide both appropriate equipment and skilled guides on a trip with Class V rapids.16 See Kerr, 91 P.3d at 963 (holding that release did not bar negligent maintenance claim because release promised to “strive to achieve” safety standards).
The court concludes otherwise because the express statement that NOVA would provide skilled guides is in a sentence that also says rafting “is not without risk” and the Acknowledgment of Risks form then lists several inherent risks of rafting. But none of the listed risks is in any way related to unskilled guides or negligence in screening other participants.17 To the contrary, the enumerated risks focus on environmental and personal factors and include natural conditions, such as “[c]hanging water flow,” “presence of marine life,” and adverse weather; personal characteristics of the participant like “sense of balance, physical coordination, ability to swim, walk and/or follow instructions” and “[f]atigue, chill and/or dizziness, which may diminish [the participant’s] reaction time and increase the risk of accident”; and the risk of an accident “occurring in remote places where there are no available medical facilities.” The Acknowledgment of Risks form does not include — as the release in Donahue did — risks related to other participants’ “limits”18 or to employees’ “inadequate warnings [*25] or instructions” that might lead to injury.19 In other words, the Acknowledgment of Risks form did not meet the fourth characteristic of a valid release — it did not suggest an intent to release NOVA from liability for negligent acts unrelated to inherent risks.20
17 In contrast, the valid release we discussed in Donahue explicitly listed in the inherent risks of climbing several types of possible negligence: “improperly maintained equipment,” “displaced pads or safety equipment, belay or anchor or harness failure,” “the negligence of other climbers or spotters or visitors or participants who may be present,” “participants giving or following inappropriate ‘Beta’ or climbing advice or move sequences,” and “others’ failure to follow the rules of the [Rock Gym] . . . .” Donahue v. Ledgends, Inc., 331 P.3d 342, 350 n.46 (Alaska 2014) (alteration in original).18 Id.19 See id. at 352 (holding that release at issue “expressly covered” both the type of injury “and its alleged causes,” namely “‘inadequate warnings or instructions’ from Rock Gym instructors”).20 The court states that it “do[es] not reach the question of whether employee negligence is unrelated to inherent risks of guided whitewater rafting.” It is hard to see how negligent training or providing inadequately skilled guides would ever be related to an inherent risk of guided whitewater rafting.
I also disagree with the court’s holding that a release is necessarily valid when it sets out the risk of a specific injury — death by drowning in this case — but not its specific cause — negligent training and the provision of unskilled guides. In Donahue we rejected the participant’s argument that the release did not specifically and clearly set out the risks being waived because the release not only warned of a risk of falling but also cautioned that instructors and other employees could, through their negligence, cause falls or other types of injury.21 Here the only mention of employee negligence, buried at the bottom of a densely written, single-spaced document, is a description only in the most general terms. This type of general waiver simply does not specifically and clearly set out a waiver of the risk on which the Morton estate’s claim is based. The Morton estate alleges that [*26] Morton’s death by drowning was not due solely to the inherent risks of whitewater rafting the release listed, but rather to the provision of unskilled guides who did not adequately screen other participants. The document’s general language fails to specifically and clearly set out the risk of negligence alleged here.
21 Donahue, 331 P.3d at 348-49.
Today’s decision allows intentionally disguised pre-recreational activity exculpatory releases and effectively lowers the bar for their validity. Because the release does not meet the standards adopted in the precedent Donahue relied on — and because if the “Release” in Kerr was an invalid release, the “Participant’s Acknowledgment of Risks” Morton signed must be an invalid release — I respectfully dissent from the court’s opinion concluding otherwise.
Interesting decision only real defense was the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act, which provides little if any real defense.
Posted: January 22, 2019 | Author: Recreation Law | Filed under: Assumption of the Risk, Case Analysis, Paddlesports, Rivers and Waterways, Wyoming | Tags: #AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #BicyclingLaw, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #OutsideLawyer, #Rec-Law, #RecLaw, #RecLawBlog, #RecLawyer, #Recreation-Lawcom, #RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #SkiLaw, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Backpacking, Camps, channel, Choice of Law, Common Carrier, Federal Law, Float, floating, genuine, Guest, Hiking, horseback riding, Inherent Risk, Issue of Material Fact, jam, JimMoss, joint venture, Law, lodge, log, matter of law, Mountaineering, Negligence, OutdoorLaw, OutdoorRecreationLaw, OutsideLaw, preempt, provider, Punitive damages, Raft, Rafting, Rec-LawBlog, Recreation, Recreation-Law.com, recreational, recreational opportunity, RecreationLaw, River, Saddle, skiing, snowboarding, Sport, Summary judgment, tour operator, TravelLaw, trip | Leave a comment
Defendants are the company that booked the trip (Vail through Grand Teton Lodge Company) and the travel agent who booked the trip.
Rizas et. al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc.; et. al., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139788
State: Wyoming
Plaintiff: Alexis R. Rizas, Individually and as the Personal Representative of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of John J. Rizas, deceased; John Friel, Individually and as the Personal Representative of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of Elizabeth A. Rizas, Deceased; Ronald J. Miciotto, as the Per-sonal Representative of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of Linda and Lewis Clark, Deceased; James Clark; Lawrence Wilson; and Joyce Wilson, Plaintiffs
Defendant: Vail Resorts, Inc.; Grand Teton Lodge Company; Tauck, Inc., a.k.a. Tauck World Discovery, Inc., a.k.a. Tauck Tours, Inc.
Plaintiff Claims: Negligence, Punitive damages
Defendant Defenses: Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act
Holding: Mixed, mostly for the plaintiff
Decision looks at the liability of the travel agency and the hotel that booked a rafting float trip where three people died. The only defenses of available were the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act which helped keep the lawsuit in Wyoming applying Wyoming law, but was ineffective in assisting in the defense of the lawsuit.
The rafting company is not part of this decision so probably the raft company settled with the defendants before the case was filed or this motion was heard.
Tauck is a corporation formed under the laws of New Jersey and primarily doing business in Connecticut. Stipulated Facts, Docket Entry 108. Tauck is in the business of selling tour packages to its clients, one of which in 2006 was a tour called the “Yellowstone & Grand Teton – North.” This tour began in Salt Lake City, Utah and ended in Rapid City, South Dakota. Id. The tour included a two-night stay at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Teton National Park, and the Lodge was operated by GTLC. GTLC is organized under the laws of Wyoming and operates within the Grand Teton National Park pursuant to a concessionaire agreement with the National Park Service. Among the services that GTLC offered its guests is a 10-mile float trip along the Snake River from Deadman’s Bar to the Moose Landing. Tauck’s 2006 promotional materials contains the following sentence: “Take a scenic ten-mile raft trip on the Snake River as it meanders through spectacular mountain scenery alive with wildlife, including moose, elk, deer, and many species of birds.”
On June 2, 2006, a tour group gathered at the Lodge at approximately 8:00 a.m. They traveled via several vans to the rafting launch site at Deadman’s Bar. The trip took approximately one hour. There the larger group was split into four smaller groups, one for each raft provided. Raft No. 1 was guided by Wayne Johnson, an employee of GTLC. The raft at issue, Raft No. 2, had 11 passengers: John Rizas, Elizabeth Rizas, Patricia Rizas, Linda Clark, James Clark, Lawrence “Bubba” Wilson, Joyce Wilson, Tom Rizas, Ruth Rizas, Jon Shaw, and Maria Urrutia. The raft guide was Daniel Hobbs, who was also a GTLC employee and had been for four years.
During the float trip, Raft No. 2 struck a log jam. The collision occurred in the Funnelcake channel, which was one of several braided channels of the river. The raft upended as a result and all passengers were thrown into the river. John Rizas, Elizabeth Rizas, and Linda Clark died as a result.
The first issue was a choice of laws (jurisdiction and venue) provision in the agreement with the travel agency Tauck, which stated venue was to be in Connecticut. The plaintiff was arguing that the case should be moved to Connecticut, which is odd, because the plaintiff’s filed the case to start in Wyoming. However, since they sued in Wyoming, the plaintiff is still arguing that Connecticut law should apply.
Tauck argued the choice of law provisions was for its benefit, and it had the right to waive that provision in the agreement. The court found that Tauck had the right to waive a provision in the agreement that was there for its benefit.
In Wyoming, a contract must be construed according to the law of the place where it was made. There is no evidence indicating where the contract at issue was formed, but that makes little difference because the law of waiver of contract provisions is widespread and well accepted. “A party to a contract may waive a provision of the contract that was included for his benefit.”
The court held that the provision was for Tauck’s benefit because the living plaintiffs were residents of Georgia and Louisiana.
The court also stated, even it had not found for Tauck on this issue this way; it would have still used Wyoming law because of Wyoming’s strong public policy of recreational immunity.
Even if Tauck had not waived its right to enforce the choice-of-law provision, this Court would not enforce this provision due to Wyoming’s strong public policy of recreational immunity. Plaintiffs seek application of Connecticut law largely to avoid the effects of. The Court will discuss the Act in detail below; it is sufficient here to note that the Act provides a near-total elimination liability of a recreation provider where a person is injured because of an “inherent risk” of a recreational activity. River floating is specifically named as a qualifying recreational activity. Consequently, Plaintiffs seek application of Connecticut law because Connecticut is not so protective of its recreational providers as Wyoming.
Choice of law provisions are usually upheld by the courts; however, there are ways to get around them as this court explained.
The tour members and Tauck agreed that Connecticut law would apply, and Connecticut has a significant connection to the contract because of Tauck’s operation there. Nevertheless, Wyoming’s interest in the resolution of this issue is significantly greater because important Wyoming policy concerns are involved in the question of whether a provider of recreation opportunities should be subject to liability for injury from inherent risks. Absent a Connecticut plaintiff, Connecticut has no interest in whether a Wyoming corporation is held liable. Indeed, Connecticut’s interest in this case, if any, is probably more closely aligned with Tauck, which operates in that state.
The Court’s analysis is further informed by the fact that that Wyoming’s public policy in this matter is a strong one. Initially, the Act was less protective of recreation service providers, defining an “inherent risk” as “any risk that is characteristic of or intrinsic to any sport or recreational opportunity and which cannot reasonably be eliminated, altered or controlled.” In 1996, the Wyoming Legislature eliminated the clause, “and which cannot reasonably be eliminated, altered or controlled.” Subsequent to the amendment, this Court recognized the extraordinary protection offered to recreation providers in Wyoming:
Given this extraordinary protection, this Court must conclude that the Wyoming Legislature views immunity for recreation providers to be an important state interest. Wyoming law should apply in this case.
The court then reviewed the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act. The plaintiff’s argued the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act did not apply for three reasons.
First, they contend that Connecticut law applies–an argument that the Court has already resolved in favor of Defendants.
Second, Plaintiffs argue that Tauck is not a “provider” as defined in the Act.
Third, they assert that federal law preempts the Act.
The court found the first argument was already resolved in its analysis of jurisdiction above.
The second argument was the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act did not apply to the defendant Tauck, because it was a travel agent in Connecticut and not a “provider” as defined under the act. The court found that Tauck was a provider under the act because as part of its package. Provider is defined as “[A]ny person or governmental entity which for profit or otherwise offers or conducts a sport or recreational opportunity.”
The final issue was the argument that the state law was pre-empted by federal law. The argument was based on the concessionaire agreement the defendant had with the NPS. Although the concession agreement with the NPS provided for visitor safety, there was nothing in the agreement showing intent to pre-empt the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act.
The court then looked to see if the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act provided a defense in this case. The court first defined Inherent Risk under Wyoming law.
‘Inherent risk’ with regard to any sport or recreational opportunity means those dangerous conditions which are characteristic of, intrinsic to, or an integral part of any sport or recreational opportunity.”
[As you can see, the definition of inherent risk is not a broad definition it narrowly defines the risks to those intrinsic or integral to the activity. That leaves out thousands of risks created by man such as steering the raft, water releases, choosing the run, etc. which are probably not protected by the act.]
Outside of the inherent risks, to thwart the act, the plaintiff only needs to argue the risk was not inherent and the case would proceed to trial because the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act does not provide a defense to any risk not inherent in the sport. Because the court could not determine what risks were inherent what were not, it held the Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act did not apply in this case.
In any case, this Court is bound to apply Sapone. Plaintiffs have submitted evidence that tends to show that the river, on the day of the river float trip, was running higher and faster so as to result in an activity with some greater risk to the participants. In addition, Plaintiffs submitted evidence suggesting that this stretch of river was generally believed to be a dangerous one. Specifically, a National Park Service publication entitled “Floating the Snake River” states that the area from Deadman’s Bar to Moose Landing “is the most challenging stretch of river in the park, and most accidents occur here. The river drops more steeply, with faster water than in other sections south of Pacific Creek. Complex braiding obscures the main channel, and strong currents can sweep boaters into side channels blocked by logjams.” Id. This evidence is not uncontested, of course, but it is sufficient to preclude summary judgment on this issue. The Court finds that there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether colliding with the log jam was an inherent risk of the river float trip undertaken by the tour members on June 2, 2006.
The court moved on to Tauck’s motion for summary judgment because as a tour agency is was not liable for the negligent acts of third parties, it dealt with. The law supports that argument. “As a general rule, a tour operator is not liable for injuries caused by the negligence of third parties over which the tour operator did not exercise ownership or control.”
However, that general rules does not apply if a contract with the travel agency or marketing state the travel agency will undertake a duty. (Always remember Marketing makes Promises Risk Management has to Pay for.)
Here the court found the promotional materials were marketing and did not rise to the level to be promises to be kept.
The plaintiff also argued Tauck took on a greater duty to the guests when it undertook the duty to have the guests sign the defendant GTLC’s acknowledgment of risk forms. That duty included duty to inform the guests of the risk associated with river rafting. However, the court could find nothing in Tauck’s action indicating it was accepting a greater duty when it handed out the assumption of the risk forms.
The plaintiff’s created a fraud argument. Under Montana’s law:
To prove fraud, the plaintiff must show by clear and convincing evidence that (1) the defendant made a false representation intended to induce action by the plaintiff; (2) the plaintiff reasonably believed the representation to be true; and (3) the plaintiff suffered damages in relying upon the false representation
The plaintiff’s argued that the defendants made all sorts of statements and advertising that the float trip was a leisurely scenic trip. The channel the raft guide took was not leisurely but was a dangerous channel by some authorities. However, the issue was, did the defendants intentionally made the statements about the river to induce the plaintiffs to the trip.
The defendants wanted the plaintiff’s claim for punitive damages dismissed. In Wyoming, punitive damages appear to be a claim much like negligence. The punitive damages claim was based on the same allegations that the fraud claim was made, that the defendants misrepresented the nature of the float trip.
Punitive damages in Wyoming are:
We have approved punitive damages in circumstances involving outrageous conduct, such as intention-al torts, torts involving malice and torts involving willful and wanton misconduct.” Willful and wanton misconduct is the intentional doing, or failing to do, an act in reckless disregard of the consequences and under circumstances and conditions that a reasonable person would know that such conduct would, in a high degree of probability, result in harm to another. “The aggravating factor which distinguishes willful misconduct from ordinary negligence is the actor’s state of mind. In order to prove that an actor has engaged in willful misconduct, one must demonstrate that he acted with a state of mind that approaches intent to do harm.”
Failing to advise the plaintiffs that the river was running higher than normal because of the spring run off did not rise to a level to be reckless and willful misconduct. The one channel of several the one guide went down was a negligent decision, not a willful one.
Fairly simple, use a release. It would have stopped this lawsuit sooner. If the outfitter would have used a release, it could have protected the lodge and the travel agent. I’m sure the lodge is going to use one now, which will probably just muddy the water because of multiple releases and defendants.
There are very few statutes that provide any real protection in the outdoor recreation industry. Most, in fact, make it easier for the plaintiffs to win. The exception to the rule is a few of the Ski Area Safety Statutes.
Be prepared and do more than rely on a week statute.
Posted: January 12, 2019 | Author: Recreation Law | Filed under: Assumption of the Risk, Legal Case, Statutes, Wyoming | Tags: channel, Choice of Law, Common Carrier, Federal Law, Float, float-ing, genuine, Guest, horseback riding, Inherent Risk, Issue of Material Fact, jam, joint venture, lodge, log, matter of law, preempt, provider, Punitive damages, Raft, Rafting, recrea-tional opportunity, Recreation, recreational, River, Saddle, Sport, Summary judgment, tour operator, trip | 1 Comment
Alexis R. Rizas, Individually and as the Personal Representative of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of John J. Rizas, deceased; John Friel, Individually and as the Personal Representative of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of Elizabeth A. Rizas, Deceased; Ronald J. Miciotto, as the Personal Representative of the Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of Linda and Lewis Clark, Deceased; James Clark; Lawrence Wilson; and Joyce Wilson, Plaintiffs, vs. Vail Resorts, Inc.; Grand Teton Lodge Company; Tauck, Inc., a.k.a. Tauck World Discovery, Inc., a.k.a. Tauck Tours, Inc., Defendants.
Case No. 08-CV-139-J
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF WYOMING
October 1, 2009, Filed
COUNSEL: [*1] For Alexis R Rizas, individually and as the personal representative of the wrongful death beneficiaries, on behalf of John J Rizas, John Friel, individually and as the personal representative of the wrongful death beneficiaries, on behalf of Elizabeth A Rizas, Ronald J Miciotto, individually and as the personal representative of the wrongful death beneficiaries, on behalf of Linda Lewis Clark, James Clark, individually, Lawrence Wilson, individually, Joyce Wilson, individually, Plaintiffs: Mel C Orchard, III, Roy A Jacobson, Jr, LEAD ATTORNEY, SPENCE LAW FIRM Jackson, WY USA.
For Grand Teton Lodge Company, a Wyoming corporation, Defendant: Joe M Teig, LEAD ATTORNEY, Susan Combs, HOLLAND & HART, Jackson, WY USA; Maryjo C Falcone, Peter W Rietz, LEAD ATTORNEY, RIETZ LAW FIRM, Dillon, CO USA.
For Tauck Inc, a New Jersey corporation doing business in the state of Connecticut, also known as Tauck Tours Inc, also known as Tauck World Discovery Inc, Defendant: William M McKellar, LEAD ATTORNEY, McKELLAR TIEDEKEN & SCOGGIN, Cheyenne, WY USA.
JUDGES: ALAN B. JOHNSON, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE.
OPINION BY: ALAN B. JOHNSON
ORDER ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
This matter comes before the Court on Defendants’ [*2] motions for summary judgment. Tauck, Inc. filed five motions and Grand Teton Lodge Company (“GTLC”) filed one, all on July 22, 2009. After careful consideration of the arguments and evidence supplied by both Plaintiffs and Defendants, for the reasons discussed in detail below, the Court finds that a genuine issue of material fact exists regarding the inherent risk of the river float activity. In all other respects, the Court will grant the defendants’ motions for summary judgment.
The Court relates the following facts in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, who are opposing Defendants’ motions for summary judgment.
Tauck is a corporation formed under the laws of New Jersey and primarily doing business in Connecticut. Stipulated Facts, Docket Entry 108, ¶ 9. Tauck is in the business of selling tour packages to its clients, one of which in 2006 was a tour called the “Yellowstone & Grand Teton – North.” Id. ¶ 24. This tour began in Salt Lake City, Utah and ended in Rapid City, South Dakota. Id. The tour included a two-night stay at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Teton National Park, and the Lodge was operated by GTLC. Id. ¶¶ 23, 24. GTLC is organized under the laws of Wyoming [*3] and operates within the Grand Teton National Park pursuant to a concessionaire agreement with the National Park Service. Id. ¶¶ 7, 8. Among the services that GTLC offered its guests is a 10-mile float trip along the Snake River from Deadman’s Bar to the Moose Landing. Id. ¶¶ 23, 24. Tauck’s 2006 promotional materials contains the following sentence: “Take a scenic ten-mile raft trip on the Snake River as it meanders through spectacular mountain scenery alive with wildlife, including moose, elk, deer, and many species of birds.” Plaintiff’s Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claim for Fraud, Ex. 5.
On June 2, 2006, a tour group gathered at the Lodge at approximately 8:00 a.m. Stipulated Facts ¶ 27. They traveled via several vans to the rafting launch site at Deadman’s Bar. Id. The trip took approximately one hour. There the larger group was split into four smaller groups, one for each raft provided. Id. ¶ 28. Raft No. 1 was guided by Wayne Johnson, an employee of GTLC. The raft at issue, Raft No. 2, had 11 passengers: John Rizas, Elizabeth Rizas, Patricia Rizas, Linda Clark, James Clark, Lawrence “Bubba” Wilson, Joyce Wilson, Tom Rizas, Ruth Rizas, Jon Shaw, and Maria [*4] Urrutia. Id. ¶ 29. The raft guide was Daniel Hobbs, who was also a GTLC employee and had been for four years. Id. ¶ 30.
During the float trip, Raft No. 2 struck a log jam. Id. ¶ 32. The collision occurred in the Funnelcake channel, which was one of several braided channels of the river. The raft upended as a result and all passengers were thrown into the river. John Rizas, Elizabeth Rizas, and Linda Clark died as a result. Further facts will be discussed as necessary to resolve each legal issue.
This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332 because there is complete diversity of citizenship between the plaintiffs and defendants. Vail Resorts was dismissed from this case for lack of jurisdiction on June 16, 2009. Plaintiffs are citizens of Maryland, Arizona, Louisiana, and Georgia. GTLC is incorporated in Wyoming, which is also its principal place of business. Tauk is incorporated in New Jersey, and its principal place of business is Connecticut.
Summary judgment is appropriate “if the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” [*5] Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); e.g., Kerber v. Qwest Pension Plan, 572 F.3d 1135, 1144 (10th Cir. 2009). The Court must view all facts and make inferences from the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. E.g., Utah Animal Rights Coalition v. Salt Lake County, 566 F.3d 1236, 1242 (10th Cir. 2009). The Court may consider only admissible evidence. Wright-Simmons v. City of Oklahoma City, 155 F.3d 1264, 1268 (10th Cir. 1998). See also Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)(1).
Because the Court is sitting in diversity, it would normally apply Wyoming law. See Butt v. Bank of America, N.A., 477 F.3d 1171, 1179 (10th Cir. 2007). In this case, however, Plaintiffs have raised a choice-of-law issue by urging this Court to apply Connecticut law. A federal court sitting in diversity applies the choice-of-law principles of the state in which it sits. Morrison Knudson Corp. v. Ground Improvement Techniques, Inc., 532 F.3d 1063, 1077 n.12 (10th Cir. 2008). Accordingly, this Court will apply Wyoming choice-of-law principles.
Plaintiffs first contend that Connecticut law applies because Tauck and its clients signed a contract to that effect. Specifically, the contract states the following:
It is agreed by Tauck World Discovery and the Tour Member that all legal claims, actions and proceedings against Tauck World Discovery under, in connection with, resulting from or incident to a tour may be instituted, if at all, only in a state or federal court within the State of Connecticut, USA, to the exclusion of the courts of or in any other state or jurisdiction. It is further agreed that all such claims, actions and proceedings shall [*6] be governed by and decided in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut.
Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claims for Fraud, Ex. 2. Tauck counters by claiming that the choice-of-law provision was intended for its benefit, and therefore it can waive that provision. Furthermore, it points out that, if the contract is to be enforced, there are a number of other provisions that would benefit Tauck, such as the choice-of-forum provision in the excerpt above.
In Wyoming, a contract must be construed according to the law of the place where it was made. J.W. Denio Milling Co. v. Malin, 25 Wyo. 143, 165 P. 1113, 1116 (Wyo. 1917). There is no evidence indicating where the contract at issue was formed, but that makes little difference because the law of waiver of contract provisions is widespread and well accepted. “A party to a contract may waive a provision of the contract that was included for his benefit.” E.g., Lanna v. Greene, 399 A.2d 837, 841 (Conn. 1978). See Takahashi v. Pepper Tank & Contracting Co., 58 Wyo. 330, 131 P.2d 339, 354 (Wyo. 1942). The question in this case is whether the choice-of-law provision was included for Tauck’s benefit.
The Court finds that it was. As far as the evidence indicates, none of the tour members or their survivors who are involved in this action are residents of Connecticut. [*7] The three plaintiffs who were also tour members, Mr. Clark and the Wilsons, are residents of Louisiana and Georgia, respectively. The residence of the three deceased tour members is not clear from the evidence submitted to the Court. Even if one of the three decedents were residents of Connecticut, that does not necessarily mean that the provision existed for that person’s benefit. Tauck drafted the provision at issue. The provision benefits Tauck by ensuring that any claims will be litigated in the forum most convenient to it, and under the law with which it is most familiar. Meanwhile, there is little or no benefit to any tour member who is not a resident of Connecticut. Even then, the choice-of-law provision would benefit the tour member by happenstance rather than by intention. Accordingly, Tauck may waive the choice of law provision, and has affirmatively stated that it has done so. Its waiver is further supported by the fact that it has never contended that suit is improper in this Court as a result of the choice-of-forum provision in the same contract.
Even if Tauck had not waived its right to enforce the choice-of-law provision, this Court would not enforce this provision due [*8] to Wyoming’s strong public policy of recreational immunity. Plaintiffs seek application of Connecticut law largely to avoid the effects of Wyoming’s Recreational Safety Act, Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 1-1-121 through -123 (LexisNexis 2009). The Court will discuss the Act in detail below; it is sufficient here to note that the Act provides a near-total elimination liability of a recreation provider where a person is injured because of an “inherent risk” of a recreational activity. River floating is specifically named as a qualifying recreational activity. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-1-122(a)(iii). Consequently, Plaintiffs seek application of Connecticut law because Connecticut is not so protective of its recreational providers as Wyoming.
It is this very policy of protecting these providers that renders the contractual choice-of-law provision invalid. The Wyoming Supreme Court has not answered the question of whether the Act represents so strong a Wyoming policy as to render invalid a contractual choice-of-law provision that would eliminate the Act’s application. This Court believes that Wyoming, like other states, would look to general contract principles to resolve this question. The Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws § 187 (1971) states:
(1) The law of the state chosen by the parties to govern [*9] their contractual rights and duties will be applied if the particular issue is one which the parties could have resolved by an explicit provision in their agreement directed to that issue.
(2) The law of the state chosen by the parties to govern their contractual rights and duties will be applied, even if the particular issue is one which the parties could not have resolved by an explicit provision in their agreement directed to that issue, unless either
(a) the chosen state has no substantial relationship to the parties or the transaction and there is no other reasonable basis for the parties choice, or
(b) application of the law of the chosen state would be contrary to a fundamental policy of a state which has a materially greater interest than the chosen state in the determination of the particular issue and which, under the rule of § 188, would be the state of the applicable law in the absence of an effective choice of law by the parties.
(3) In the absence of a contrary indication of intention, the reference is to the local law of the state of the chosen law.
The tour members and Tauck agreed that Connecticut law would apply, and Connecticut has a significant connection to the contract [*10] because of Tauck’s operation there. Nevertheless, Wyoming’s interest in the resolution of this issue is significantly greater because important Wyoming policy concerns are involved in the question of whether a provider of recreation opportunities should be subject to liability for injury from inherent risks. Absent a Connecticut plaintiff, Connecticut has no interest in whether a Wyoming corporation is held liable. Indeed, Connecticut’s interest in this case, if any, is probably more closely aligned with Tauck, which operates in that state.
The Court’s analysis is further informed by the fact that that Wyoming’s public policy in this matter is a strong one. Initially, the Act was less protective of recreation service providers, defining an “inherent risk” as “any risk that is characteristic of or intrinsic to any sport or recreational opportunity and which cannot reasonably be eliminated, altered or controlled.” Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-1-122(a)(i) (LexisNexis 1989). In 1996, the Wyoming Legislature eliminated the clause, “and which cannot reasonably be eliminated, altered or controlled.” 1996 Wyo. Sess. Laws ch. 78, § 1. Subsequent to the amendment, this Court recognized the extraordinary protection offered to recreation [*11] providers in Wyoming:
The Court recognizes that its reading of the Wyoming Recreational Safety Act provides enormous protection to those in the business of providing recreational activities. . . . Consumers in Wyoming are now faced with an entire industry whose economic and consequent legislative power enables them to conduct business with only a passing thought to the safety of those who utilize their services. Despite this frightening prospect, the Court recognizes its place in our nation’s federal system of government. A court should not decimate the purpose of a legislative act, no matter how distasteful, when that purpose is clearly incorporated in the language of the act.
Cooperman v. David, 23 F. Supp. 2d 1315, 1321 (D. Wyo. 1998). Given this extraordinary protection, this Court must conclude that the Wyoming Legislature views immunity for recreation providers to be an important state interest. Wyoming law should apply in this case.
The Court’s decision is consistent with precedent set by the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In Electrical Distributers, Inc. v. SFR, Inc., one issue considered by the court was whether the trial court properly applied Colorado law where a covenant not to compete named Colorado as the applicable law, [*12] but was to be performed exclusively in Utah. 166 F.3d 1074, 1083-84 (10th Cir. 1999). Using the analysis that this Court has adopted above, the Court of Appeals determined that Utah’s strong interest in careful scrutiny of covenants not to compete controlled over any interest Colorado had in enforcement of a contract made within its boundaries, but to be performed outside them. Id.
Recreation Safety Act
Defendants rely on Wyoming’s Recreation Safety Act and claim that, pursuant to the Act, they owed no duty of care to any of the tour members. In response, Plaintiffs provide three reasons that the Act does not apply. First, they contend that Connecticut law applies–an argument that the Court has already resolved in favor of Defendants. Second, Plaintiffs argue that Tauck is not a “provider” as defined in the Act. Third, they assert that federal law preempts the Act. The Court will now address Plaintiffs second and third arguments in turn.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-1-122(a)(ii) defines “provider” as follows: “[A]ny person or governmental entity which for profit or otherwise offers or conducts a sport or recreational opportunity.” Plaintiffs claim that Tauck is not a provider because of its position that it did not conduct the activity itself, but rather was a travel agent [*13] that procured the raft trip on behalf of its tour members. In doing so, however, Plaintiffs overlook the undisputed fact that Tauck offered the float trip as part of its tour package. Given that the Act includes offering a recreational opportunity in its definition of “provider,” it is obvious that Tauck is, in fact, a provider.
Plaintiffs’ preemption argument requires significantly more discussion. State law may be preempted by federal law in three ways. First, Congress may expressly preempt state law. Barnett Bank of Marion County, N.A. v. Nelson, 517 U.S. 25, 31, 116 S. Ct. 1103, 134 L. Ed. 2d 237 (1996). Second, Congress may preempt an entire field by regulating that field so comprehensively that there is no room for state regulation. Id. at 31. Third, federal and state law may be in irreconcilable conflict, preempting state law even though Congress has not explicitly stated its intent to do so. Id. None of these three types of preemption occurred in this case.
The specific federal “law” that Plaintiffs believe preempt the Act is the concession contract between GTLC and the National Park Service. In particular, Plaintiffs point to the following language in the concession contract:
The Concessioner is responsible for providing a safe and healthful environment for its employees and clients as outlined [*14] in the Contract. The Concessioner will develop a Risk Management Program that will be approved by the Service in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and Service Guidelines. The Risk Management Program will be reviewed annually by the Service.
Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion For Summary Judgment on Wyoming Recreation Safety Act, Ex. 3. Plaintiffs claim that the concession contract “change[s] the character of the state law provisions encompassed by” the Act, and therefore results in an actual conflict between state and federal law. Plaintiffs’ Resp. Motion to Dismiss on Wyoming Recreation Safety Act, at 12. Plaintiffs also point to the National Park Service Management Policies 2006, which provides for visitor safety emergency response and emergency preparedness. That document refers several times to the safety of visitors to the park. Plaintiffs’ Resp. Motion to Dismiss on Wyoming Recreation Safety Act, Ex. 4.
Plaintiffs make an argument similar to that raised by the plaintiff in Carden v. Kelly, 175 F. Supp. 2d 1318 (D. Wyo. 2001). In Carden, this Court summarized the plaintiffs’ arguments as follows:
1) Plaintiff’s injuries occurred on federal land, the Bridger-Teton National Forest; 2) Defendants, in order to operate [*15] their business in the Bridger-Teton National Forest had to obtain a special-use permit from the Forest Service; 3) because Plaintiff’s injuries occurred on federal land, federal law, namely Forest Service regulations and the Defendants’ special-use permit apply; 4) the special-use permit contains provisions concerning negligence and injury to patrons of Forest Service permit holders, which Plaintiff claims requires the permit holders to inform their guests of the risks and have them sign a risk acknowledgment form; and 5) provisions in the Forest Service regulations requiring patrons of the Forest Service concessionaires to assume “usual” risks of activities within the National Forest conflicts with, and thus preempts, the Wyoming Recreation Statute.
Carden, 175 F. Supp. 2d at 1322. The Court determined that, although Congress had the authority to pre-empt the Recreation Safety Act on federal lands, it did not do so. Id. at 1322-26.
In the current case, the Court will follow Carden‘s sound reasoning. The Management Policies and the concession contract cited by Plaintiffs do broadly emphasize the Park Service’s interest in public safety, but does not indicate any intent to preempt Wyoming tort law. “Courts do not ‘lightly attribute [*16] to Congress or to a federal agency the intent to preempt state or local laws.'” Ramsey Winch Inc. v. Henry, 555 F.3d 1199, 1204 (10th Cir. 2009) quoting Nat’l Solid Wastes Mgmt. Ass’n v. Killian, 918 F.2d 671, 676 (7th Cir. 1990).
Plaintiffs in the case at bar attempt to distinguish Carden by noting that the requirements in Carden were imposed by the Forest Service, while this case involves the Park Service. Plaintiffs do not point out how this fact is relevant, and the Court does not discern any. The Park Service was created to
promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks . . . to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.
16 U.S.C. § 1. Its mission is therefore one of conservation, and the Court does not perceive any intent to impact state tort law. The Court finds that federal law has not preempted the Wyoming Recreational Safety Act.
It is now incumbent upon the Court to determine if the Act applies to the circumstances of this case and insulates the defendants from liability. The Act states, in relevant part,
(a) Any person who takes part in any sport or recreational opportunity assumes the inherent risks in that sport [*17] or recreational opportunity, whether those risks are known or unknown, and is legally responsible for any and all damage, injury or death to himself or other persons or property that results from the inherent risks in that sport or recreational opportunity.
(b) A provider of any sport or recreational opportunity is not required to eliminate, alter or control the inherent risks within the particular sport or recreational opportunity.
(c) Actions based upon negligence of the provider wherein the damage, injury or death is not the result of an inherent risk of the sport or recreational opportunity shall be preserved pursuant to W.S. 1-1-109.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-1-123.
Past disputes regarding the Act’s application involve, as does this case, questions about what constitutes an “inherent risk.” “‘Inherent risk’ with regard to any sport or recreational opportunity means those dangerous conditions which are characteristic of, intrinsic to, or an integral part of any sport or recreational opportunity.” Id. § 1-1-122(a)(i). The Wyoming Supreme Court has had few occasions to address the determination of what is an inherent risk of a particular activity. One of the more recent cases arose as a certified question from this Court. Jackson Hole Mount. Resort Corp. v. Rohrman, 2006 WY 156, 150 P.3d 167 (Wyo. 2006). The [*18] question certified was: “When faced with motions for summary judgment in which there are no genuine issues of material fact, how should a court differentiate, as a matter of law, between ‘inherent risks’ . . . and non-inherent risks . . . ?” Id. at 168.
[The] general answer is that if such a motion is filed, the trial court must scrutinized the facts brought forward by the parties with great care. If the court can say that, given the evidence, this is an “inherent risk” and reasonable minds cannot differ about that, then summary judgment is appropriate. If the risk is an inherent one, then the provider has no duty to eliminate, alter, or control it. On the other hand, if reasonable minds could differ as to whether or not the risk was one inherent to the recreational activity, then summary judgment is not appropriate and the answer to the question must be assigned to the jury (or other fact finder).
Id. This formulation, of course, depends on properly characterizing the activity and risk. For example, in the current case, the activity may be characterized as a “scenic float trip”–as Plaintiffs do throughout their memorandum in opposition to summary judgment–or as “river rafting.” The particular [*19] risk may be described generically as falling out of the boat or, more specifically, as colliding with a log jam resulting in ejection from the raft.
Governing precedent demands that the activity and risk be described as particularly as possible. In Cooperman v. David, for example, the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit stated that, “[w]hen attempting to determine whether a risk is inherent to a sport, we can not look at the risk in a vacuum, apart from the factual setting to which the [injured person] was exposed. And, we must evaluate the risk at the greatest level of specificity permitted by the factual record.” 214 F.3d 1162, 1167 (10th Cir. 2000). In this case, the activity is best described as river floating under the water conditions that were apparent when the tour members embarked. The risk is best described as the risk that the raft would encounter a log jam, ejecting one or more tour members into the river.
Applying the law from this point forward is somewhat more problematic because the precedent in this area is not entirely clear. In Cooperman, the court affirmed this Court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant because a loose saddle cinch was an inherent risk of the activity of horseback [*20] riding. Id. at 1169. The trial court received expert testimony that a slipping saddle was a risk inherent to horseback riding. Id. at 1168. There was also testimony that the particular saddle at issue was cinched too loosely, and an inference that the loose cinching caused the saddle to slip. Id. The Cooperman court said that, even with this evidence, the risk was inherent because a person cinching a saddle had to balance between doing so too tightly and too loosely. “This imprecision in the cinching of the saddle is ‘characteristic’ or ‘typical’ of and therefore ‘inherent in’ the sport of horseback riding.” Id. Critically, the court stated,
As part of the Coopermans’ burden of showing that [the provider] owed Dr. Cooperman a duty of care, the Coopermans must provide some evidence to explain why the saddle fell, which explanation is not inherent to the sport. . . . Thus, stating only that the cinch was not tight enough does not show that the risk was no longer inherent to the sport. The Coopermans have the burden of presenting some evidence on summary judgment that would raise a question of fact that the loosely cinched saddle was caused, not by an inherent risk, but rather by a risk that was atypical, uncharacteristic, [*21] not intrinsic to, and thus not inherent in, the recreational activity of horseback riding. The Coopermans have not met this burden.
Id. at 1168-69.
The current case presents certain parallels. It is undisputed based on the evidence before the Court that being ejected or otherwise falling out of a raft is generally an inherent risk of river floating. For example, Sheri Griffith, an outfitter and river guide, testified that it is an inherent risk that a person might “become a swimmer” during a float trip. Griffith Depo. 152. There is no testimony that contradicts her opinion. It is also undisputed that the rafting guide instructed the tour members that, if they were to end up in the river, the proper procedure was to float on their back until they could be recovered. L. Wilson Depo. 318; Hobbs Depo. 136. This is similar to the expert testimony in Cooperman that a slipping saddle is an inherent risk of horseback riding: it describes the risk in general terms without looking at the specific cause. Also like Cooperman, Plaintiffs in this case have not submitted admissible evidence that describes a specific cause of the injury, and shown that the particular cause falls outside of the realm of being an inherent [*22] risk. Following the Cooperman analysis, then, the Court would conclude that Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate that a genuine issue of material fact exists regarding whether encountering a log jam resulting in ejection from the raft is an inherent risk of river floating.
But the Court must also consider Sapone v. Grand Targhee, Inc., 308 F.3d 1096 (10th Cir. 2002). In that case, a six-year-old girl was injured when her horse bolted. Sapone, 308 F.3d at 1098. The plaintiffs presented evidence from an expert that “(1) the instructions were inadequate, (2) the horse was too large, (3) headgear should have been provided, (4) the trail ride may have been too dangerous, and (5) her parents were not notified of the accident.” Id. at 1104. It is not entirely clear why these facts would affect the nature of the risk. The court concluded “that a reasonable jury might conclude that [the girl’s] injuries were the result of negligence that is not characteristic of, intrinsic to, or an integral part [of] horseback riding.” Id. at 1105. Two possible interpretations of this passage are that negligence is never an integral part of horseback riding, or that some negligence is an integral part, but not the negligent acts complained of in that case. The former interpretation would render the statute futile [*23] as a way to safeguard recreation providers against liability, so it is unlikely that the Court of Appeals intended that meaning. The latter interpretation is more plausible, but raises the difficult question of what types of negligence are inherent to a particular activity and which are not. In either case, a trial court or fact finder is confronted with the difficult task of determining whether negligence occurred in order to determine whether the defendant owed a duty.
In any case, this Court is bound to apply Sapone. Plaintiffs have submitted evidence that tends to show that the river, on the day of the river float trip, was running higher and faster so as to result in an activity with some greater risk to the participants. In addition, Plaintiffs submitted evidence suggesting that this stretch of river was generally believed to be a dangerous one. Rutter Depo. Ex. 1. Specifically, a National Park Service publication entitled “Floating the Snake River” states that the area from Deadman’s Bar to Moose Landing “is the most challenging stretch of river in the park and most accidents occur here. The river drops more steeply, with faster water than in other sections south of Pacific Creek. [*24] Complex braiding obscures the main channel and strong currents can sweep boaters into side channels blocked by logjams.” Id. This evidence is not uncontested, of course, but it is sufficient to preclude summary judgment on this issue. The Court finds that there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether colliding with the log jam was an inherent risk of the river float trip undertaken by the tour members on June 2, 2006.
Tauck moved for summary judgment in its favor on Plaintiffs’ negligence claim. Tauck’s argument boils down to an assertion that it is essentially a travel agency, and therefore is not liable for any negligence committed by GTLC. Plaintiffs contend that Tauck is a common carrier, and therefore subject to a heightened duty of care. They also assert that Tauck assumed a duty to warn of dangerous conditions when it distributed a form entitled “Acknowledgment of Risk” on the way to the river.
As a general rule, a tour operator is not liable for injuries caused by the negligence of third parties over which the tour operator did not exercise ownership or control. E.g., Sova v. Apple Vacations, 984 F. Supp. 1136, 1140 (S.D. Ohio 1997).1 The general rule may not apply, however, in the face of contractual language to the [*25] contrary. In this case, Plaintiffs contend that Tauck’s promotional materials contained promises that Tauck would assume a certain duty. For example, they point to language in which Tauck states tour members will “enjoy VIP attention from our experienced Tauck Directors who are dedicated to making your trip the best it can be” and that “[o]nce you arrive at your Tauck Bridges destination, leave the day-to-day details to us–all you need to do is have fun with your family.” Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Negligence, 5-6. They compare this language to that relied upon by the court in Stevenson v. Four Winds Travel, Inc. to find that the plaintiff had a right to expect a warning of a slippery condition while on a tour. 462 F.2d 899, 906-07 (5th Cir. 1972).
1 The Wyoming Supreme Court has not yet addressed this question, but it would likely follow this general rule.
Stevenson, however, is distinguishable from the current case. First, the language in the promotional materials in Stevenson is considerably stronger than those distributed by Tauck. For example, the materials stated that guests would be “cared for by a carefully selected Four Winds Tour escort” and that the tour directors “know precisely what you will be seeing and doing every day.” Id. In contrast, Tauck’s materials state that trips “are enhanced by [*26] our experienced directors,” and that Tauck will “take care of all [arrangements] for you, so you can indulge in the joys of travel without any of the day-to-day hassles.” Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Negligence, 5. To the extent that these vague statements mean anything at all, it falls far short of a promise to assume a duty. In addition, there is no indication in Stevenson that there was a separate contract. In this case, however, Tauck’s “Conditions of Tour”–relied upon by Plaintiffs in its argument that Connecticut law is applicable–contains a provision in which Tauck disclaims liability for “any Damages, or any problems concerning any . . . supplier providing tour services [or] programs, . . . including but not limited to . . . negligence by any . . . other supplier providing tour services [or] programs.” Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Recreation Safety Act, Ex. 1. Courts have relied on similar disclaimers to bar liability for acts of third parties that are beyond the control of the tour operator because the disclaimers are evidence that the operator did not intend to assume a guarantee of safety, even if the disclaimer is not itself [*27] contractually binding. E.g., Sova, 984 F. Supp. at 1139-40 (collecting illustrative cases). Accordingly, this Court finds that, as a matter of law, Tauck had no duty, either by virtue of its position as a tour operator or assumed through its promotional materials.
Plaintiffs next contend that Tauck is a common carrier pursuant to the common law and Article 10, Section 7 of the Wyoming Constitution. That provision states: “All corporations engaged in the transportation of persons, property, mineral oils, and minerals products, news or intelligence, including railroads, telegraphs, express companies, pipe lines and telephones, are declared to be common carriers.” Plaintiffs then rely upon section 314A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts, which states that a common carrier has a duty to its passengers to take reasonable action “to protect them against unreasonable risk of physical harm,” and to render aid if they are harmed. Tauck contends that it is not a common carrier because it does not actually transport tour members during the river floating trip.
Tauck’s position has merit, and there is authority for the proposition that a tour operator is not a common carrier. E.g., Stafford v. Intrav, Inc., 841 F. Supp. 284, 287 (E.D. Mo. 1993). The Court need not resolve the question of whether Tauck is a common carrier, however, because even if it is in general, it was not transporting [*28] tour members at the time of the raft collision. The undisputed evidence is that the tour members, during the rafting trip, were being transported by GTLC, not Tauck. In short, the tour members were no longer subject to Tauck’s custody or control, and therefore Tauck owed no duty. See Id. (tour operator had no duty to warn of dangerous condition on premises not under its control).
This leaves the question of whether distribution of “Acknowledgment of Risk” forms resulted in an imposition of a duty on Tauck. Plaintiffs cite section 324A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts, which states:
One who undertakes, gratuitously or for consideration, to render services to another which he should recognize as necessary for the protection of a third person or his things is subject to liability to the third person for physical harm resulting from his failure to exercise reasonable care to protect his undertaking, if
(a) his failure to exercise reasonable care increases the risk of such harm, or
(b) he has undertaken to perform a duty owed by the other to the third person, or
(c) the harm is suffered because of reliance of the other or the third person upon the undertaking.
The Wyoming Supreme Court adopted this provision as reflected in subsection (a) in Ellsworth Bros., Inc. v. Crook, 406 P.2d 520, 524 (Wyo. 1965). Relying [*29] on the Restatement, Plaintiffs claim that “by requiring its Tour Directors to get guests to sign GTLC’s Acknowledgment of Risk form well in advance of arriving at the Lodge, Tauck undertook the duty to inform guests about risks associated with the raft trip.” Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Negligence, 7.
This statement, however, assumes that by undertaking to distribute the “Acknowledgment of Risk” form, Tauck was undertaking the broader task of informing guests about risks associated with the raft trip. There is no evidence before the Court to support this assumption. The only evidence that Tauck undertook to do anything for GTLC is testimony that GTLC asked Tauck to present the form to those tour members who were to participate in the rafting trip. Rice Depo. 47.2 There is no testimony that suggests Tauck was asked, or agreed, to inform guests of all risks involved in the rafting trip.
2 There is some conflict in the record regarding precisely when the tour members were given the form, but that is not material for resolution of this issue.
The Court finds as a matter of law that Tauck did not owe a duty to the tour members to warn them of the conditions of the river or otherwise act to prevent their injuries. Tauck may not be found negligent on a theory of direct liability.
The Court must next address Tauck’s [*30] contention that it may not be held vicariously liable for GTLC’s negligence because the two companies did not form a joint venture. Tauck argues that GTLC was simply a supplier, and that the two businesses did not jointly embark on a business venture. In Wyoming, a person alleging the existence of a joint venture has the burden to prove four elements:
(1) an agreement, express or implied, among the members of the group; (2) a common purpose to be carried out by the group; (3) a community of pecuniary interest in that purpose, among the members; and (4) an equal right to a voice in the direction of the enterprise, which gives an equal right of control.
Popejoy v. Steinle, 820 P.2d 545, 549 (Wyo. 1991) quoting Holliday v. Bannister, 741 P.2d 89, 93 n.1 (Wyo. 1987).
Considering the first element, that of an agreement, the Court finds that there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Tauck and GTLC agreed to provide services. Plaintiffs have submitted a document entitled “Tour Operator Contract,” which governs the terms of the sale of room blocks and river float trips to Tauck. Plaintiff’s Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Joint Venture, Ex. 5. Several witnesses, officials of Tauck, testified that they viewed GTLC as a supplier, not as a partner. Nevertheless, viewing [*31] the contract in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, it is not unreasonable to characterize it as an agreement for the purposes of this joint venture analysis.
The Court also finds that a reasonable jury could find that Tauck and GTLC had a common purpose. This purpose was to sell tour members lodging and river float trips. Tauck’s purpose was somewhat broader, generally, because it sold lager tours of which the interaction with GTLC was a small part, but this does not remove the fact that GTLC and Tauck were united in purpose during this portion of the tour. Similarly, they both had a pecuniary interest in the enterprise. Tauck points out that GTLC received the same amount for its float tours whether its guests were members of a Tauck tour or individuals. But the arrangement nonetheless furthered GTLC’s financial goals by bringing significant numbers of guests to GTLC. Similarly, Tauck benefitted financially by featuring GTLC lodging and the float trip as part of its tour.
The Court does not find, however, that Tauck and GTLC had an equal right of control. Plaintiffs rely heavily on the fact that both business had the capability to cancel the float trip at their discretion, but that [*32] does not suggest an equal voice in the activity in question. For example, the evidence submitted to the Court indicates that the Tauck tour director brought the residents to the lodge and interacted with GTLC staff, but there is no indication that any Tauck official had the authority to direct any day-to-day activities. It had no input into the decision to hire Mr. Hobbs, the guide of Raft No. 2, or to direct the manner in which he conducted the rafting trip. Tauck could not have directed that the river guide take the group down a different part of the river, or terminated the guide’s employment. If GTLC had decided to terminate its river floating operations, Tauck would have been powerless to prevent it, aside from the scope of any service contract that was currently in place. Tauck and GTLC were two separate operations, and there is no evidence submitted to the Court that suggests otherwise. The Court finds, as a matter of law, that Tauck and GTLC did not have a joint venture.
The Court notes that, with no direct liability and no joint venture resulting in vicarious liability, Tauck is not liable for any claims of negligence.
Plaintiffs have alleged that GTLC and Tauck committed [*33] fraud by enacting a scheme whereby the tour members were lured into taking a dangerous rafting trip as a result of GTLC and Tauck’s material misrepresentations regarding the level of danger. “To prove fraud, the plaintiff must show by clear and convincing evidence that (1) the defendant made a false representation intended to induce action by the plaintiff; (2) the plaintiff reasonably believed the representation to be true; and (3) the plaintiff suffered damages in relying upon the false representation.” Garrison v. CC Builders, Inc., 2008 WY 34, 179 P.3d 867, 877 (Wyo. 2008). The false representation must be made knowingly: “One cannot be guilty of fraudulently or intentionally concealing or misrepresenting facts of which he is not aware.” Meeker v. Lanham, 604 P.2d 556, 559 (Wyo. 1979). Plaintiffs’ fraud claim fails because they have failed to provide evidence from which a reasonable jury could find by clear and convincing evidence that Defendants knowingly made a false representation of a material fact.
Plaintiffs first cite statements made in Tauck’s travel brochure discussing the rafting trip. “[T]he record shows that Tauck’s 2006 Brochure described the Snake River as a ‘meandering float trip,’ when in actuality, the Plaintiffs’ [sic] ended up on a whitewater raft trip with Class IV rapids.”
[*34] Plaintiffs’ Resp. to Motion for Summary Judgment on Fraud Claim, 8. Plaintiffs also cite statements in Tauck’s promotional materials stating that its tour directors are “knowledgeable professionals, with a wealth of information,” and that Tauck “does it all for you,” and that tour members can “leave all day-to-day details” to Tauck. Id.
For the most part, these promotional statements are “mere puffery” E.g., Alpine Bank v. Hubbell, 555 F.3d 1097, 1106 (10th Cir. 2009). The one arguable exception is the description of the activity as a “meandering float trip,” which may be sufficiently definite that a sensible person may be justified in relying on it to some degree. Even in that case, however, there is no indication that Tauck was aware that the river floating trip would be anything other than as described.
The key problem with Plaintiffs’ case is that there is no indication that this particular stretch of the Snake River was inherently dangerous on the day of the collision. Instead, the evidence, viewed in a light most favorable to Plaintiffs, indicates that the guide of the raft that collided with the log jam took the raft into an unsafe channel. For example, the deposition of Wayne Johnson, one of the river guides on June 2, 2006, indicates [*35] that he viewed the “Funnelcake” channel as dangerous on that date. Johnson Depo. 184. Mr. Reed Finlay, a river guide with a different company, testified at some length about the “Funnelcake” channel, specifically that it was dangerous on the date of the collision. Finlay Depo. 126-32. Indeed, it is undisputed that the float trip on the day of the collision was peaceful and uneventful until Raft No. 2 entered the channel and struck the log jam. J. Wilson Depo. 76-77; R. Rizas Depo. 102, 209, 219. In short, there is no indication that Tauck made a misrepresentation when the rafting trip was marketed as a “meandering float trip.”
Plaintiffs also rely on several statements made by employees of Tauck and GTLC before the raft trip. First, Mr. Wilson saw saw people white water rafting while on the bus trip into Jackson on June 1, 2006. When the he asked the tour director, Mr. Rice, if that was what their rafting trip would be like, Mr. Rice replied that the rafting trip would be a “leisurely, scenic float down the Snake River,” and not to worry. Mr. Rice also stated that Tauck had “never lost anybody.” L. Wilson Depo. 61-62. Second, while the groups were in the GTLC vans on the way to the [*36] river, Ms. Elizabeth Rizas asked the van driver about the safety of the float trip. The van driver responded by telling her that she was more likely to be in an accident in the van traveling to the river than on the float trip. J. Wilson Depo 39-40. There is also some evidence that the van driver also stated that they had “never lost anybody yet.” Id. 60.
Again, there is no evidence indicating that these statements are deliberately false. Much like Tauck’s advertising, there was no reason for Tauck or GTLC to believe that the rafting trip would be anything other than a leisurely, scenic float trip. Although Plaintiffs repeatedly rely on the fact that the river was flowing stronger and faster than usual because of the spring thaw, there is no evidence suggesting that this change in conditions precluded GTLC from being able to provide the safe and relaxing experience that the tour members were expecting. The additional fact that the float trip resulted in a devastating collision instead is not relevant when considering what Tauck and GTLC knew at the time they made the statements at issue.
Lastly, Plaintiffs contend that Defendants committed fraud by failing to inform them of the full nature [*37] of the risks on this particular float trips. The Court finds that any failure to inform the guest of these dangers is not actionable as a matter of law. First, there can be no fraud because there is no statement involved. The Court also relies on the Wyoming Supreme Court’s explicit refusal to adopt the tort of nondisclosure in Pittard v. Great Lakes Aviation, 2007 WY 64, 156 P.3d 964, 976 (Wyo. 2007). Plaintiffs have failed to establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact that would preclude summary judgment in Defendants’ favor on the fraud issue.
GTLC has moved to dismiss Plaintiffs’ claim for punitive damages.3 Plaintiffs’ response is similar to their fraud argument, that is, that GTLC deliberately misrepresented the float trip as safe and leisurely.
3 Tauck has also moved for summary judgment in its favor on the punitive damages issue. The Court, however, has already determined that Tauck is not liable, either directly or vicariously. Accordingly, the Court’s discussion addresses only Plaintiffs’ claim as it applies to GTLC.
The Wyoming Supreme Court has set out the following standard regarding punitive damages:
We have explained that punitive damages “are to be awarded only for conduct involving some element of outrage, similar to that usually found in crime. . . . We have approved punitive damages in circumstances involving outrageous conduct, such as intentional torts, torts involving malice and torts involving willful and wanton misconduct.” Weaver v. Mitchell, 715 P.2d 1361, 1369-70 (Wyo. 1986). Willful and wanton misconduct is the intentional doing, [*38] or failing to do, an act in reckless disregard of the consequences and under circumstances and conditions that a reasonable person would know that such conduct would, in a high degree of probability, result in harm to another. Mayflower Rest. Co. v. Griego, 741 P.2d 1106, 1115 (Wyo. 1987). “The aggravating factor which distinguishes willful misconduct from ordinary negligence is the actor’s state of mind. In order to prove that an actor has engaged in willful misconduct, one must demonstrate that he acted with a state of mind that approaches intent to do harm.” Bryant v. Hornbuckle, 728 P.2d 1132, 1136 (Wyo. 1986) (internal citation omitted).
Cramer v. Powder R. Coal Co., 2009 WY 45, 204 P.3d 974, 979-80 (Wyo. 2009).
Plaintiffs reason as follows:
Defendants here should have communicated the true Snake River conditions to the Plaintiffs rather than misrepresent the conditions and intentionally take the guests who had signed up for a scenic float trip into something knowingly quite different. Defendant’s failure to communicate the details indicates “reckless disregard of the consequences, and under such circumstances and conditions that a reasonable man would know, or have reason to know, that such conduct would, in a high degree of probability, result in substantial harm to another.” Danculovich [v. Brown], 593 P.2d [187,] 191.
Plaintiffs’ Response to Motion for Summary Judgment on Punitive Damages [*39]
, 11.
Plaintiffs’ contention that GTLC was aware that the float trip was materially more dangerous than previously represented to the tour members is not, as the Court has discussed, reflected in the record. Although it is undisputed that the level and flow of water was increased, and that this increase may heighten the risk of log jams or hide obstructions in the river, there is no evidence suggesting that the character of the river was altered to such an extent that it was willfully reckless to take passengers on the float trip.
The facts of this case are in stark contrast to those cases relied on by the Plaintiffs in which the Wyoming Supreme Court overturned trial courts’ grants of summary judgment in defendants’ favor on punitive damages. For example, the conduct alleged in Danculovich was drunk driving and speeding resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle and killing the decedent. 593 P.2d at 190. The evidence in that case indicated that the defendant, who was driving the vehicle, had a blood alcohol content of 0.12%. Id. The court described the evidence of speeding as follows:
Radar clock of vehicle at 56 m.p.h. was made at north edge of business district. A witness estimated speed [*40] at 75 m.p.h. at city limits. Another witness estimated speed at 85 m.p.h. when vehicle passed him at point about .4 of mile before place of accident. Accident reconstruction expert estimated speed at place of accident to be minimum of 75 m.p.h. The speed limit within the city limits was 30 m.p.h. and beyond the city limits, 55 m.p.h.
Id. n.3. In Errington v. Zolessi, a treating physician conducted several cystograms of a patient following a laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy. 9 P.3d 966, 968 (Wyo. 2000). The cystograms initially indicated the presence of a fistula, and later confirmed it, but the doctor told the patient that she was healing normally, albeit slowly. Id. The Wyoming Supreme Court held that there was sufficient evidence that would allow a reasonable jury to find that the physician acted with reckless disregard for the patient’s safety. In either case, it is apparent that simply failing to advise the tour group members of the increased flow of the river does not rise to the level of reckless and willful misconduct. There is no question that the consequences of any negligence committed were devastating. But this Court must evaluate the question of outrageous conduct based on what was known [*41] at the time of the allegedly negligent act, not looking back at events with the benefit of hindsight. This is not to say that this conduct may not constitute simple negligence, but it does not warrant punitive damages.
IT IS ORDERED that Tauck’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Wyoming Recreational Safety Act, Docket No. 87, is DENIED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Tauck’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claim of Negligence, Docket No. 81, is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Tauck’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claims of Joint Venture, Docket No. 84, is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Tauck’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claims of Fraud, Docket No. 90, is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Tauck’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claim for Punitive and Exemplary Damages, Docket No. 93, is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Grant Teton Lodge Company’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs’ Claims, Docket No. 96, is granted in part and denied in part. Specifically, the motion is DENIED as it relates to application of the Wyoming Recreation Safety Act, and is in all other respects GRANTED.
Dated this day of October, 2009.
/s/ Alan B. [*42] Johnson
ALAN B. JOHNSON
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Whitewater rafting release upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court.
Posted: June 25, 2018 | Author: Recreation Law | Filed under: Alaska, Case Analysis, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Whitewater Rafting | Tags: acknowledgment, alert, appendix, Canyon, Climbing, drowning, exculpate, Gym, Inherent Risk, Inherent Risks, insinuate, instructors, Notice, Public Policy, purported, Rafting, reasonable steps, recreational, recreational activity, Release, rock, signature, signing, skilled, Summary judgment, training, trip, unrelated, waive, waived, Warning, Whitewater | Leave a comment
Language in the release stated the defendant would and had done their best to keep people adequate… that language almost voided the release. Don’t put in a release information that can be used against you!
State: Alaska, Supreme Court of Alaska
Plaintiff: Vanessa L. Langlois, Personal Representative of the Estate of Stephen J. Morton
Defendant: Nova River Runners, Inc.
Plaintiff Claims: Wrongful Death and multiple theories of Negligence
Holding: For the Defendant
The deceased died whitewater rafting. Alaska has a six-prong test to determine if a release is valid. Here, the plaintiff argued the release in question failed on every point.
The Alaskan Supreme Court disagreed; however, on a few of the issues, the court struggled to have this release meet the requirements needed.
The defendant operated whitewater raft trips on Six Mile Creek near Hope, Alaska. The deceased signed a release prior to going rafting. No one could remember if the deceased read both sides of the release, however, ample time was given so the release could have been read.
The release is a 2-sided document. One side is labeled Participants Acknowledgment of Risk. The other side is where the participants acknowledge they have read the release.
The raft trip consists of three canyons. After the first two canyons, the participants are given an opportunity to get off the trip because the third canyon is the hardest. The deceased did not leave the trip. Sometime in the canyon is raft capsized, and the decedent died.
The spouse of the deceased brought his lawsuit on her behalf and as the executor (personal representative) of the estate. The trial court dismissed the plaintiff’s claims after the defendant filed a motion for summary judgment based on the release signed by the deceased. The plaintiff appealed.
The decision was heard by the Alaska Supreme Court. Alaska does not have an intermediate appellate court so appeals from the trial court go to the Supreme Court.
Alaska has a statute, Alaska Statute 09.65.290, that protects recreational defendants from liability from the inherent risks of the activity. The court recognized the statute is weak and stated that business in Alaska must supplement their protection by using a release.
The Alaska Supreme Court decided one prior decision concerning releases Donahue v. Ledgends, Inc., 2014 Alas. LEXIS 153, See Alaskan Supreme Court upholds releases for climbing gym and sets forth requirements on how releases will be upheld in AK. The court relied on its prior decision in Donahue to support its decision here.
In Donahue, the court created a six-part test to test the validity of a release.
…(1) the risk being waived must be specifically and clearly set forth (e.g. death, bodily injury, and property damage); (2) a waiver of negligence must be specifically set forth using the word “negligence”; (3) these factors must be brought home to the releasor in clear, emphasized language . . . ; (4) the release must not violate public policy; (5) if a release seeks to exculpate a defendant from liability for acts of negligence unrelated to inherent risks, the release must suggest an intent to do so; and (6) the release agreement must not represent or insinuate standards of safety or maintenance.
The plaintiff argued the release in this case did not satisfy the requirements set forth in Donahue.
The first argument was the release was not conspicuous and unequivocal because the release was two sided, and the sides did not appear to incorporate or be connected to each other.
The court did not agree with the argument because whether or not it was two different documents and whether or not the deceased read both sides was irrelevant because he signed the document. “We note that Participants in a recreational activity need not read a release for it to be binding if the language of the release is available to them.”
The next argument was different.
The Estate also argues that NOVA’s Release “does not specifically and clearly set forth the risk that the NOVA instructors may have been negligently trained or supervised, or that they may give inadequate warning or instructions.”
The court found that the language in the release was broad enough to cover this claim.
However, the Release covers this risk as well; it indemnifies the “Releasees” in capital letters from liability for injury or death, “whether arising from negligence of the Releasees or otherwise,” and specifically defines “Releasees” to include “employees.”
The court also found that in Donahue,
…we also observed that “[i]t would not be reasonable to conclude that [the defendant] sought a release only of those claims against it that did not involve the acts or omissions of any of its employees.”
The plaintiffs then argued that a release must use the word negligence in it. This is a requirement of many states. Here, however, the argument failed because the release did use the term negligence, several times. The plaintiff’s argued that each time the word negligence was used, it was used in a way that was different from the prior ways so the release was not clear and explicit.
Next the plaintiff’s argued the language was not clear and did not adequately define the activity. The court found this release used capital letters to highlight the clauses waiving negligence, and the negligence clause was not concealed from view.
The clause contained some legalese; however, releases should be read “as a whole” to determine whether or not the language in the release “clearly notify the prospective releasor of the effect of signing the agreement.”
The release was a general release in that it also included release language for glacier hiking and ice climbing. However, the inherent risks outlined in the release were the risks of whitewater rafting. With that risk language, the court found the reader would know they were signing a release.
Based on that language it is obvious the release would fail for ice climbing and glacier hiking?
The plaintiff’s argued the release violated public policy. However, the court outlined Alaska’s definition of public policy in relation to recreation activities.
In evaluating public policy arguments in the context of liability waivers, we have previously considered “[o]f particular relevance . . . the type of service performed and whether the party seeking exculpation has a decisive advantage in bargaining strength because of the essential nature of the service.”25 The type of service likely to inspire additional scrutiny on public policy grounds is “a service of great importance to the public, which is often a matter of practical necessity for some members of the public.
A release for recreational activities does not violate public policy in Alaska.
The plaintiffs also argued the “release suggests an intent to exculpate nova from liability for employee negligence.”
The court said, yes it does and that is OK. However, the court also specifically identified weaknesses in the release in this area. However, the weaknesses were not enough to void the release.
Ideally NOVA’s Release would include a more detailed description of the types of negligence it covers, such as “employee negligence” and “negligent training.” But doing so is not a requirement under Donahue. We therefore conclude that the Release suggests an intent to exculpate NOVA from liability for acts of employee negligence.
The plaintiffs also argued the defendants violated their own requirements set forth in the release. The release stated:
“…the concessionaire has taken reasonable steps to provide you with appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides so you can enjoy an activity for which you may not be skilled.”
The court worked around this stating the language before and after this [stupid] section defined the risks of the activity, which should have shown the deceased that no matter what steps taken, there were still risks. The court stated, read as a whole, the release outlined numerous risks of whitewater rafting.
The plaintiff argued a case out of Florida, which also had numerous safety standards the defendant promised to meet and had not, should be controlling here. The court had been struggling through four paragraphs eventually concluded.
NOVA’s Release contains only a single half-sentence, to that effect, adequately disclaimed: “Although the concessionaire has taken reasonable steps to provide you with appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides so you can enjoy an activity for which you may not be skilled, this activity is not without risk. Certain risks cannot be eliminated without destroying the unique character of the activity.” And the release in Kerr was much broader — promising to “try to make the [premises] safe” — than NOVA’s Release, which promises merely that the company takes “reasonable steps to provide . . . appropriate equipment and/or skilled guides” while acknowledging in context that these precautions could not mitigate all the risks posed by a whitewater rafting trip. The Estate’s reliance on Kerr is thus misplaced, and we conclude that the Release does not represent or insinuate standards of safety or maintenance.
The court found the release met all the six requirements needed in Alaska to be a release and upheld the trial court’s dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims.
If your release, and I hope, it does, covers more than one page, make sure the pages connect or relate to each other. First, if on just one piece of paper, at the bottom of each page put in the footer, “Please Read Other Side.” If the release is more than two pages, besides the admonition to read the other side include page numbers on the document.
Write the document so it flows. You don’t have to have a heading at the top of each page. The two different headings in this case raised the argument it was two separate and unrelated documents. If the document were two different documents, then the first page should have had a signature line also, which is what the plaintiff argued. With no signature line, the first page of the document was a separate document and could not be held against the deceased.
If the writing flows, the paragraph or idea continues on the next page, then this would have been a non-issue.
Next you have to write your release to cover not only could happen but will happen, and it is all tied back to your employees. Always protect your employees and write the release broadly so it covers all the possible actions or acts an employee could take that may lead to a claim.
Never create in your release in a way for the plaintiff to sue you. Never make promises, never say you operate at a level, never say you use the best or even adequate anything. That language in this release almost was enough to defeat the release, and it was obvious the court struggled to find a very weak argument to beat this part of the plaintiff’s claims.
Whitman et al., v. Zeidman, 16 A.D.3d 197; 791 N.Y.S.2d 54; 2005 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2505
Posted: October 10, 2011 | Author: Recreation Law | Filed under: Assumption of the Risk, Legal Case, New York, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: arranging, assumption of the risk, bunny, canceled, causal, Downhill, essons, failed to raise, instructing, interrupted, issue of fact, Negligence, novices, reasonable care, Reckless, risk of injury, risk-enhancing, ski area, Skier, skiing, Slope, snowboarding, sponsored, Sport, Summary judgment, supervising, trip | Leave a comment
Harrison Whitman et al., Appellants, v. Michael Zeidman, an Infant, by Sarit Zeidman, His Parent and Legal Guardian, et al., Respondents.
SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT
16 A.D.3d 197; 791 N.Y.S.2d 54; 2005 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2505
March 15, 2005, Entered
CORE TERMS: lessons, snowboarding, risk of injury, summary judgment, failed to raise, issue of fact, reasonable care, risk-enhancing, supervising, instructing, interrupted, sponsored, arranging, downhill, reckless, canceled, skiing, novices, causal, skier, bunny, slope, sport, trip
COUNSEL: Law Offices of Renee Simon Lesser, P.C., New York (W. Matthew Sakkas of counsel), for appellants.
Acito, Klein & Candiloros, New York (Francesca A. Sabbatino of counsel), for Zeidman respondents.
Carol R. Finocchio, New York (Mary Ellen O’Brien of counsel), for National Council of Young Israel, respondent.
JUDGES: Concur–Buckley, P.J., Andrias, Friedman, Gonzalez, Sweeny, JJ.
[*197] [**55] Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Shirley Werner Kornreich, J.), entered January 9, 2004, which granted defendants’ motion and cross motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
Plaintiff Harrison Whitman was injured in a collision with defendant Michael Zeidman while snowboarding. By “engaging in a sport or recreational activity, a participant consents to those commonly appreciated risks which are inherent in and arise out of the nature of the sport generally and flow from such participation” ( [***2] Morgan v State of New York, 90 NY2d 471, 484, 685 NE2d 202, 662 NYS.2d 421 [1997]). The risk of injury caused by another skier is inherent in downhill skiing (General Obligations Law § 18-101). Defendant submitted proof that he did not engage in instances of reckless, intentional or other risk-enhancing conduct not inherent in snowboarding that might have caused the accident, and plaintiff failed to raise an issue of fact (see Kaufman v Hunter Mtn. Ski Bowl, 240 AD2d 371, 657 NYS2d 773 [1997], lv denied 91 NY2d 805, 668 NYS2d 560, 691 NE2d 632 [1998]).
Although defendant National Council of Young Israel sponsored the trip, it exercised reasonable care in supervising the participants by arranging for lessons to be provided, and once the lessons were canceled, instructing those who were novices to stay on the “bunny” slope (see generally Fintzi v New Jersey YMHA-YWHA Camps, 97 NY2d 669, 765 NE2d 288, 739 NYS2d 85 [2001]). Furthermore, the actions of the participants interrupted the causal link between National Council’s alleged negligence and plaintiff’s injury (see [***3] Boltax v Joy Day Camp, 67 NY2d 617, 490 NE2d 527, 499 NYS2d 660 [1986]). Concur–Buckley, P.J., Andrias, Friedman, Gonzalez and Sweeny, JJ.
Copyright 2011 Recreation Law 720 Edit Law, Recreaton.Law@Gmail.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line993
|
__label__cc
| 0.650684
| 0.349316
|
Autonomus medical device to help diabetes make daily decisions
Dealing with chronic disease can be a big chore both for affected patients. As Erik Huneker, CEO of French medical device startup company Diabeloop said last week at the Leti Innovation Days in Grenoble, “A person with type 1 diabetes needs to think and make a decision about 40-50 times a day about how much to eat and how much insulin to take.”
This makes management of diabetes a perfect candidate for the utilization of artificial intelligence. That’s why Huneker’s company has developed what he claims is the world’s first autonomous medical device, which uses machine learning in real time to determine the optimum insulin to administer automatically to a patient without them having to even think about it.
Type 1 diabetes affects about 2 million people in Europe and what Diabeloop aims to do with its closed loop medical system is to help people with the condition try and live normal lives by improving their treatment dramatically.
Huneker emphasized they’re not simply developing an app. Its system, the DBLG1, comprises a continuous glucose sensor, a patch insulin pump and a dedicated handset that houses the Diabeloop algorithm (loop mode) and serves as a user interface with the system. The handset has its own custom operating system and connects with the sensor and the insulin pump using secure Bluetooth.
The system senses and monitors the patient’s blood glucose every five minutes, analyzes the data in real time, and can inject the correct does of insulin before the patient even knows he or she needs insulin, since it monitors daily patterns and over time will have learned the optimal parameters for the patient. The continual assessment takes into account current glucose levels, glucose trend, the hypoglycemic risk (short and long term) and special events such as meals, physical activities, and calibration, to provide an optimal recommendation adapted to the needs of the patient.
Huneker said, “For each person the system runs 150 million equations per day for the machine learning.”
The company’s DBLG1 obtained CE marking certification in November 2018, and earlier this year entered into a mutual distribution agreement with Netherlands-based ViCentra, which provides the insulin delivery system used as part of Diabeloop’s product.
The results of a trial with 68 patients was published in the Lancet Digital Health journal. It found that the DBLG1 system improves glucose control compared with sensor-assisted insulin pumps; it concluded that its finding supports the use of closed-loop technology combined with appropriate health care organization in adults with type 1 diabetes.
One of the outcomes of the study was that patients spent 68.5% of their time in the target glucose range, meaning a 10 point increase in the time spent in the target glucose range. There was also a decrease by 50% of time spent in hypoglycaemia (<0.7 g / l), in other words, a gain of more than 30 minutes less per day in hypoglycaemia. A third conclusion was that a reliable closed-loop system that was functional for more than 84% of the time in a home setting for 12 weeks.
While this is focused on adults and the system is already being used by around 30 patients, the company is now also looking to adapt its ‘artificial pancreas project’ to juvenile diabetes and thus improve the quality of life for each child in the short term and the long-term. A study will be conducted in two centers in France and one in Belgium. The goal is to include around 20 children who will be followed for 6 weeks.
We asked Huneker why his company was using a standard handset rather than developing its own smaller integrated device and possibly its own system on chip. He stressed that to do that could have needed years of development and the company really needed to get something to market that could be trialed on patients. This is why they are using standard off-the-shelf components – like the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring sensor system and the Kaleido insulin pump.
Huneker said that the big challenge right now is to be able to do more on the device. “We need more computing capability.” He suggested they are planning to integrate more sensors and more computing power, and maybe three years from now could even think about developing a more integrated system that could be incorporated in a wearable device.
Diabeloop emerged from a medical research project initiated by diabetologist Dr Guillaume Charpentier in 2011; the company was established in 2015 with support from CEA-Leti in Grenoble to help develop the product. The company now has around 50 people and has raised €13.5 million to date.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line995
|
__label__wiki
| 0.930669
| 0.930669
|
Twisted Metal 2
Sony Interactive Studios America/SingleTrac
David Jaffe
PlayStation:[1]
Microsoft Windows:[2]
PlayStation Network:
Vehicular combat
Twisted Metal 2 (also known as Twisted Metal 2: World Tour in Europe and Twisted Metal EX in Japan) is a vehicular combat video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and SingleTrac. It is the second and most successful game in the Twisted Metal series. It was released on the PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation Network.
It was released on October 31, 1996 in North America, in February 1997 in Europe, and on August 28, 1997 in Japan.[1] It was also released on November 13, 1997 on Microsoft Windows[2] as well as on July 26, 2007 in Japan and November 1, 2007 in North America on the PlayStation Network.
Reception[change | change source]
IGN rated the game a 7.3 out of 10[4] GameSpot rated the PlayStation version 8.8 out of 10 stars[5] and the PC version a 6.4 out of 10 stars.[6]
↑ 1.0 1.1 "Twisted Metal 2: Release Data (PlayStation)". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
↑ 2.0 2.1 "Twisted Metal 2: Release Data (PC)". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
↑ "ESRB: Twisted Metal 2". ESRB. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
↑ "Twisted Metal 2 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
↑ "Twisted Metal 2 Review (PlayStation)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
↑ "Twisted Metal 2 Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
Twisted Metal 2 at MobyGames
This short article about video games can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twisted_Metal_2&oldid=4824001"
Vehicular combat games
Pages using vgrelease with named parameters
Pages using infobox video game with unknown parameters
Video game stubs
This page was last changed on 11 June 2014, at 07:21.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line997
|
__label__cc
| 0.543025
| 0.456975
|
New AP Stylebook Covers Social Media
by Rachelle Matherne | Jun 8, 2010
The 2010 edition of The Associated Press Stylebook contains a new section on social media guidelines. The style rules, published by the global news network Associated Press (AP), help provide consistency for news providers on things like spelling and formatting. The print edition is updated annually, with major periodic revisions since its first edition in 1953.
The new Social Media Guidelines section includes information and policies on using sites such as Facebook and Twitter, plus information on how journalists can use those sites in their work and verify sources found through them. There are also entries for related terms such as:
click-throughs
friend and unfriend
Some of the rules for Internet-related items — both changes and those that remain the same — include:
“Web” is to be capitalized.
“Web site” is now to be written as “website.”
“E-mail” should contain a hyphen, as should other words such as “e-book” and “e-reader.”
“Fan,” “friend,” and “follow” can be used both as nouns and verbs.
“Smart phone” should be written two words. (I completely disagree with this one.)
Definition of acronyms commonly used in texting or instant messaging, such as “ROFL,” “BRB,” and “G2G.”
One of the most controversial changes is “Web site” to “website.” The AP announced in April that it would be making the switch, based on common usage online and in print. “In making the change, the Stylebook team considered responses from our staff as well as readers and users of the Stylebook. It was clear that website has become the widely accepted usage,” said Darrell Christian, AP editor-at-large. “We solicited reader suggestions for the new Social Media section and received 237 responses, with a large number of commentators urging us to change to website,” he said.
The AP’s official Facebook page offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decision to go with “website.” You can also check out the reader-contributed “New Media and Social Media Suggestions” on the Stylebook‘s website. It’s interesting to see input from fellow grammar nerds, although some of them take it to a much higher level than I could ever attain. Just take a look at one commenter’s suggestion, who strongly disagrees with the “website” decision:
I think it’s about time AP correct a couple of grievous misuses of words. First, it’s ‘Web site,’ not website. It comes from the World Wide Web (note the caps), and in this case, Web modifies ‘site.’Hence, two words. Second, and along the same lines, ‘back yard’ is two words when used as a noun, not one. The noun is ‘yard,’ and the modifier is ‘back.’ Hence, two words. It’s used as one word ONLY when combined to modify something else: backyard pond or backyard grill. AP decided a couple of years ago to make ‘back yard’ one word in all uses. And yet you left ‘front yard’ as two words. Illogical. And just plain wrong. Please fix these things and restore editors’ confidence in AP style.
I’m a stickler for some grammar rules, but not so much on others. Language is ever-evolving and rules that made sense in the past may not particularly pertain now. Blogging styles confirm this. Not that a blogger should take it to a level where it is necessary to read his sentences multiple times to understand the meaning, but online communication does tend to be more informal than print. Christian’s quote above illustrates how the rules are sometimes defined by the masses.
Even here at SixEstate we grapple with such discussions on a regular basis as we determine in-house style. We usually default to AP guidelines, but also make some decisions based on our own tastes. The most important thing is that we try to maintain consistency across all of the blogs that we manage.
How do you determine house style for your blog or website? Please add a comment and let us know how you’ve developed your own style guidelines.
You can check out the AP Stylebook on Twitter (@APstylebook) or for a bit of humor, check out The Fake AP Stylebook (@ FakeAPstylebook ).
Source: “2010 AP Stylebook adds social media guidelines,” Associated Press press release, 06/02/10
Source: “AP Stylebook Adds 42 New Guidelines for Social Media,” Mashable, 06/02/10
Cover image of The Associated Press Stylebook, 2010 Edition used under Fair Use: Reporting.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1000
|
__label__wiki
| 0.758668
| 0.758668
|
“Hello? Hello? Are you receiving me? Is there anybody there?”
Toby typed the message for the umpteenth time on his keyboard. He had checked the connection. His computer was powered by a small portable wind generator. He had briefly popped outside to ensure that it wasn’t broken, and had found everything as it should be.
In all the 4 weeks that he had been on the island, he had been astonished at how little trouble he had had with his equipment, especially considering that he was in one of the most Godforsaken places on Earth. He had found it ironic that he seemed to have a better connection here, out on a windswept rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, than he had sometimes had back home in London! But for the past 12 hours there had been nothing. Nothing whatsoever. The total radio silence was starting to freak him out.
He wasn’t the sort to panic easily. If he had been he would never have even considered this challenge, to spend 60 days completely alone on the uninhabited island of Bald Rock. Never was a place more aptly named, Toby had thought, the first time he had seen it. It stuck out of the forbidding grey waters like a giant bald head. He had wanted to do something challenging, to raise awareness for disabled military veterans, something that would grab people’s imaginations. And it was personal too. After all, his Dad had been in the Falklands.
His friend Clyde had suggested it as a joke. “You could always go and camp on Bald Rock, mate”. Clyde was temporarily shocked into silence when Toby took him seriously.
“Are you raving mad?” said Clyde, when he’d recovered his voice “No one’s ever stayed on there! I read somewhere once that more people have been to the Moon than have been to Bald Rock”.
“That’s what makes it perfect”, said Toby.
“B-but what are you going to do with yourself?” said Clyde “There’s nothing there! Not even a blade of grass. You can’t even go for a walk”.
“All part of the challenge”, said Toby, unrepentant “I could learn a new language, or take up the harmonica, or something”.
“One thing’s for sure”, said Clyde “That’s a helluva lot of wanking you’re gonna get done in 60 days!”
“Oh very funny”, said Toby.
There were plenty of times when he’d had doubts, usually when he was enjoying a glass of wine with Tamsyn, his girlfriend, in the evenings. Was he really going to chuck up all this, to go and sit out on a wave-swept rock in the middle of nowhere? But Toby was the sort of guy who, once he’d made his mind up to something, was usually dogged about seeing it through. And the charity he’d offered to help had been so excited about his proposal that he knew he could never let them down.
Clyde had been right about the extremely limited options available on Bald Rock. Toby was camped in a plastic pod on a flat shelf near the top of the island. It was the only part that had a level surface. There was just about enough room for the pod, and for Toby to step outside and check his equipment. Emerging from the pod gave him the opportunity to stand fully upright and stretch, and that was about it. The limit of his exercise opportunities. The only way to get on or off the island was to be winched about by a helicopter.
The pod itself reminded him of those relaxation tanks which Tamsyn had sometimes used at their local sports centre. The ones where you shut yourself inside and listened to whale music (or at least that’s what Toby assumed they did). He could barely sit up in it. Sometimes he wondered if he’d be able to make full use of his legs when he got back to civilisation. He’d occupied his time sleeping, doing Sudoku in small booklets, and communicating with his support team via the computer. He existed on Army emergency ration packs, which were air-dropped to him every few days. The brief wave he got from the guys on the helicopter was the only sign he’d had of other life, apart from the masses of birds which treated the island as a convenient perching-place.
Eighteen hours. Still nothing. Now don’t panic, he told himself, it could be anything. Could be technical problems at their end. Computers are always throwing random spanners in the works. It might even be the weather. There might be storms on the mainland. But the truth was, he was starting to feel like a little boy who had lost his Mummy. If this situation went on for much longer, he had a fear he’d start blubbing. He realised how much he had come to rely on those brisk, sometimes chirpy messages he received from miles across the water.
“Why the hell did I do this?” he asked himself “Why didn’t I just do the Land’s End to John O’Groats cycle ride, like Tamsyn suggested, or swim the English Channel, ANYTHING but this! At least with those I’d have other people nearby. I’d know what was going on. I don’t think it’s possible to be more alone than this”.
He checked his ration bag. It was pretty meagre at the best of times. Some vacuum-packed dust that turned into something vaguely resembling food when you poured water on it. A packet of butterscotch to keep his energy levels up. Bottled water, which had to do service for personal hygiene matters, as well as drinking. Even with strict rationing, this wasn’t going to last him very long at all.
“Then what do I do?” he said. There was no means of supporting himself on the island at all. He was at the top of the island so he couldn’t go fishing. The best he could hope for was that a bird would fall down dead outside his pod, and then he’d have to eat it raw …. “No, stop that. I’m not turning into something out of Lord Of The Flies, for God’s sake. I don’t know if even Bear Grylls could survive on this place!”
The next day the waves were terrifying, sweeping over the island, even managing to drench him in his man-made bird’s nest. He’d been warned beforehand that the waves were probably the biggest problem he was going to have to face. “Don’t think because you’ll be at the top of the island that you’ll be safe”, he had been warned “Those buggers can rise up that high. When you get a day like that, stay in the pod, don’t venture outside, or there’s a real risk you could get swept off the rock”.
His dreams tormented him. They were so real. They weren’t nightmares, quite the opposite in fact. They tormented him with the life he’d left behind. His parents. Tamsyn coming into a room and smiling at him. Clyde grinning over a pint. It was as if some devil was flipping open a photograph album and jeering “look what you left behind Toby, all gone to you now. You’ll never get it back. You should have stayed with them. It’s all gone from you now you know. The End has happened, and there’s nothing you can do about it”.
When he woke up he knew instinctively then that something had gone wrong on the mainland. Something was stopping them from communicating with him. Toby had enough faith in the support team, and his loved ones, to know that they wouldn’t abandon him for nothing. Something had happened that was way beyond their control. Nuclear war? Civil unrest? Mass power-cut? Zombie apocalypse? What FFS? What??
He sat hunched over in his sleeping-bag, with his head in his hands, trying to think of anything that had happened in recent days that would give him a clue as to what might had happened. Had he seen signs of any freakish weather on the horizon? Had there been a change in tone from the messages he’d received, any clue at all. But there was nothing.
And I have nothing, he thought. At least in zombie apocalypse books and films, they tend to have a fighting chance. They get to ransack supermarkets for instance, help themselves to other people’s stuff in abandoned houses. They’re not stuck out on a rock with NOTHING, Nothing At ALL! I can’t even build a raft, like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Jeezus, he had a whole load of FedEx packages to open!
The sea was relatively calm today. It spread out to the horizon on all sides, the sun glinting on the grey waves. Toby stood rooted to the spot, looking all around him. In all the time he’d been here he’d never seen a ship, not even in the distance. Bald Rock didn’t seem to be on any major shipping-lanes.
“OK”, he said to himself “Just supposing the Apocalypse has kicked off. Let’s face it, the World wasn’t exactly in a great shape when I left. Everybody was talking about War being on the horizon, but there’s always doom-mongers coming out with stuff like that. But suppose this time, they were right, and civilisation has gone tits-up …”
The magnitude of this was so strong he felt physically winded. Never in his life had he felt so helpless. He couldn’t even move from this narrow ledge he was on. In any other situation he would be making strong efforts to get home, even if it meant walking there. Even at his most desperate, he knew that swimming wasn’t an option. Bald Rock was nearly 300 miles from the mainland, and in one of the most inhospitable parts of the world. He’d never make it. He wouldn’t stand a chance.
A whimper escaped from Toby’s lips. The truth was, there was simply nothing he could do. He could eke out survival for a short while longer, that was all.
Toby checked his supply-bag again. He found a small bar of chocolate. He had to strongly resist the urge to scoff it down in one go.
“That’s another thing”, he thought “I haven’t even got the means to do myself in, take a dignified way out. No convenient cyanide pill sewn into the lining, like they have in old war films. I’d have to throw myself from the island”.
The thought of hurling himself all the way down into that choppy sea was terrifying. The alternative though was starving to death, and he’d heard that starvation was one of the worst ways to go.
He opened up the case containing his computer.
“Please”, he prayed “Please let there be SOMETHING. Some sign of life from over there. Some way I can find out what’s going on. PLEASE!”
“Will he be alright?” said Tamsyn, her cheeks streaked with tears.
“He needs time”, said the doctor “It’s impossible to say this early on how damaged he is by it all”.
“I always knew it was a bloody stupid idea!” Toby’s Dad did what he always did when emotion got the better of him, he manifested it in anger “But there was no telling him was there! He knew better. Always was too bloody head-strong for his own good”.
“And whose fault is that?” Toby’s Mum retaliated “If he hadn’t been constantly trying to make you proud of him we wouldn’t be in this mess! But no, he had to constantly prove himself to YOU! Prove that he could live up to the great war veteran …”
“Please stop”, Tamsyn begged “This isn’t helping at all!”
“I’m sorry my love”, said Toby Snr, squeezing her arm “We know this is hard on you. He shouldn’t have put you through all this. He doesn’t deserve you”.
“Stop it!” Toby’s Mum yelled “There you go again, blaming Toby for everything!”
“Tamsyn’s right, Mrs Wilcox”, said the Doctor “None of this will help Toby. Probably best if everybody tries to stay calm”.
“Can’t we just be happy that we’ve got him home?” said Tamsyn “His support crew were really worried when they lost the computer connection to him, and then the storms stopped them going out there. Thank God they could get out there on the third day, or God knows what would have happened. Can I go and sit with him for a bit, Doctor?”
“Yes, but please try and stay calm”, the Doctor replied “His nerves are in a shocking state, and he needs total peace and quiet”.
“I keep wanting to pinch myself”, Toby sounded exhausted but strangely happy “I keep dreading that I’ll wake up and find it’s just another of those dreams that tormented me on the island. I can’t believe I went to pieces so quickly. It was only 3 days without contact with the mainland. Three days, that’s all. I guess I’m a pretty pathetic Robinson Crusoe”.
“Robinson Crusoe wasn’t on a bare rock in the Atlantic”, said Tamsyn, gently touching his hand, which rested on the hospital bed-sheet “Go easy on yourself, it was a dreadful place. I was reading up on it whilst you were away. Apparently there’s loads of old folklore stories about it. How in olden times no one would ever spend the night there, that sort of thing. Although God knows how anyone could!”
“The Doc says it was the extreme isolation”, said Toby “I can’t think of anywhere else like it. There was just NOTHING, just that rock, the sea, and the swarms of birds. Of course everyone told me that before I went, but I thought the computer link would help me. It never occurred to me that it would collapse. I never want to see that fucking place again, not ever, not for as long as I live”.
“You won’t have to”, said Tamsyn, soothingly.
“Did you find out anything else about it?” asked Toby “In the stuff you read?”
“That guy who stayed a couple of weeks on there, back in the 70s”, said Tamsyn “The one you told me about before you left”.
“Yes, the waves defeated him”, said Toby “Said he was terrified for his life when they swept over, and begged to come back to the mainland”.
“It wasn’t just the waves”, said Tamsyn “He said he was tormented at night. He wouldn’t go into detail, just said Devils tormented him at night. He wouldn’t talk about it any more than that. In fact after a while, he refused to be interviewed about it. Said he wanted to put it all behind him. He called it the most cursed place on Earth, and said the gulls were welcome to it”.
“I know how he feels”, said Toby “I was utterly convinced the world had come to an end, and I was the only one left. Stuck there, on a rock, in the middle of the ocean”.
“Well the state of the world probably doesn’t help”, said Tamsyn “I tried to avoid the News while you were gone. I was terrified the War would kick off, and you would be stuck there, miles from home”.
“I’m staying here”, Toby squeezed her hand “If Armageddon does kick off, I want to be with you, not separated by miles of ocean. And no one should ever go near Bald Rock, ever again”.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1001
|
__label__cc
| 0.698336
| 0.301664
|
S&R Honors
Click here to learn more about past honorees...
View scholarsandrogues’s profile on Facebook
View scholars_rogues’s profile on Twitter
Archives Select Month July 2019 (19) June 2019 (28) May 2019 (36) April 2019 (40) March 2019 (46) February 2019 (30) January 2019 (45) December 2018 (39) November 2018 (36) October 2018 (41) September 2018 (36) August 2018 (45) July 2018 (30) June 2018 (52) May 2018 (50) April 2018 (50) March 2018 (58) February 2018 (68) January 2018 (57) December 2017 (53) November 2017 (47) October 2017 (63) September 2017 (77) August 2017 (75) July 2017 (60) June 2017 (69) May 2017 (68) April 2017 (76) March 2017 (69) February 2017 (63) January 2017 (79) December 2016 (69) November 2016 (67) October 2016 (57) September 2016 (53) August 2016 (60) July 2016 (62) June 2016 (65) May 2016 (61) April 2016 (45) March 2016 (51) February 2016 (58) January 2016 (52) December 2015 (63) November 2015 (58) October 2015 (54) September 2015 (55) August 2015 (60) July 2015 (60) June 2015 (63) May 2015 (71) April 2015 (72) March 2015 (82) February 2015 (78) January 2015 (58) December 2014 (68) November 2014 (61) October 2014 (63) September 2014 (64) August 2014 (78) July 2014 (78) June 2014 (77) May 2014 (69) April 2014 (69) March 2014 (69) February 2014 (86) January 2014 (114) December 2013 (96) November 2013 (70) October 2013 (64) September 2013 (45) August 2013 (59) July 2013 (78) June 2013 (58) May 2013 (66) April 2013 (57) March 2013 (57) February 2013 (68) January 2013 (85) December 2012 (72) November 2012 (75) October 2012 (64) September 2012 (75) August 2012 (89) July 2012 (90) June 2012 (90) May 2012 (103) April 2012 (79) March 2012 (101) February 2012 (98) January 2012 (85) December 2011 (89) November 2011 (80) October 2011 (80) September 2011 (83) August 2011 (61) July 2011 (88) June 2011 (90) May 2011 (88) April 2011 (81) March 2011 (86) February 2011 (59) January 2011 (70) December 2010 (57) November 2010 (68) October 2010 (57) September 2010 (59) August 2010 (63) July 2010 (66) June 2010 (47) May 2010 (61) April 2010 (66) March 2010 (54) February 2010 (54) January 2010 (66) December 2009 (85) November 2009 (80) October 2009 (107) September 2009 (86) August 2009 (75) July 2009 (64) June 2009 (71) May 2009 (71) April 2009 (80) March 2009 (70) February 2009 (55) January 2009 (89) December 2008 (64) November 2008 (82) October 2008 (92) September 2008 (119) August 2008 (137) July 2008 (81) June 2008 (93) May 2008 (76) April 2008 (86) March 2008 (124) February 2008 (106) January 2008 (108) December 2007 (121) November 2007 (86) October 2007 (70) September 2007 (102) August 2007 (104) July 2007 (120) June 2007 (134) May 2007 (138) April 2007 (90)
Politics/Law/Government
How to prepare for a Donald Trump presidency without inducing apoplexy
By wufnik on July 26, 2016 • ( 8 Comments )
There are lots of reasons to bemoan the choices in this year’s Presidential elections. The weaknesses of both candidates are manifest and telling, and have resulted in the largest collective moan from the voting public in decades. Moreover, the country is now faced with the prospect of Donald Trump being elected to the US Presidency. This has induced a collective panic unlike I have seen since, well, the prospect of Ronald Reagan becoming President. (Corey Robin has an excellent piece on the institutional amnesia of today’s commentators.) It’s interesting how people seem to have forgotten how genuinely awful the Reagan Presidency actually was—it’s all taken on some hazy glow, largely as the result of a still-supine media. But it initiated and validated the general meanness of the modern Republican Party, which has now reached extreme proportions, but the ground rules of which were initially laid out by Reagan and his Southern California car dealer and real estate buddies. Yes, yes, I’ve seen all the comparisons of Trump and Nixon, but Nixon wasn’t necessarily an awful President, although he was an awful person. Reagan was a genuinely awful President, and the county has been impoverished, both literally and culturally, by his legacy.
So is Trump worse? Perhaps, but it’s a close call, frankly. Reagan didn’t know anything and was proud of it, and was also proud of the fact that he had no interest in learning anything either. (Plus there was that astrologer thing.) Trump is similar in this respect—what he doesn’t know is astonishing, and he doesn’t care that he doesn’t know it either. And it’s easy to see where that can cause a whole lot of trouble—his climate change views, for example, are baffling and potentially damaging for the planet, and our grandchildren. His foreign policy views, while occasionally and perhaps accidentally leavened with a bit of commons sense (just what is NATO’s function these days, anyway?), are simplistic to a degree that we haven’t seen since, oh, George W. Bush. Was that really only the past decade? Yes, it was. The list could go one for some time.
Here is where it starts getting complicated. First, any hope that the top of the Democratic ticket will bail us out really has to be abandoned. The top of the Democratic ticket is a disaster—the campaign to date has been abysmal, against a senator from Vermont that practically no one had actually heard of before he started campaigning, and the people who have been running it, as we now know, show no signs of having learned anything, ever. This appears to be an attribute shared by the candidate herself, who has the political instincts of a rock. So no help there, I’m afraid. The Democratic campaign slogan for the remainder of the year is going to be “We’re not Trump, so vote for us.” This does not strike me as a winning strategy. It’s been tried, in fact—by every single Republican presidential candidate this past year. How’d that work out?
Nor does the strategy of waiting for Trump to blow himself up offer much hope. Is there anything that he has said that hasn’t pissed someone off? Is there anything he could say at this point that would be more insulting, demeaning, or just plain stupid that he hasn’t already said? But he keeps rolling merrily along anyway, and is now the candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States of America. No one saw it coming (not strictly true, but certainly true inside the Beltway), and if anyone still thinks he’s going to do something that will lose him supporters, I have a bridge I want to talk to them about. There is a real chance that he can con people into actually electing him President. He conned people into making him the Republican nominee (although as Eliot Weinberger recently pointed out, given the competition, this wasn’t hard). Perhaps we should all be grateful to Trump for sparing us from the prospect of President Cruz, or President Jindal.
Don’t forget that it’s about the con. Anyone who spent time in New York over the past several decades, as I have, will understand what Trump really is about. Yes, he’s a boor. But he does real estate cons really well in the place where real estate cons have reached an art form, and has managed to extend the con. He had that television show, which, let’s face it, is one reason any number of people will be voting for him. He co-wrote a book called The Art of the Deal. Well, maybe “wrote” isn’t exactly the appropriate term, but it’s a book with his picture on the cover, which for many people is good enough. The con is the thing—if you’ve conned someone, you win. Simple as that. Usually it’s money, admittedly, which is the great motivator of most cons. But sometimes it’s something else—like the US Presidency, which often, admittedly, seems to be for sale. David Auerbach comments that “….even calling Trump a con artist seems an injustice, for a con artist has an ulterior motive. Trump has no motive other than to be the conman, not the conned.” Auerbach says this as if it’s a bad thing. But for Trump, it’s the only thing.
Thus far the reaction among the non-Republicans—and, indeed, among a number of Republicans—has been shock and horror. I’m not saying there isn’t a very good reason for this. But it might not matter. Because he might get elected anyway. Four million people in 2012 voted for Rick Santorum. Lots of people voted for Mike Huckabee—not enough, fortunately for the rest of us, but still. So how can we prepare for a possible Trump Presidency?
Well, the best preparation would be to keep it from happening in the first place. But that may be difficult, and, as I said above, we’ll get no help from the top of the Democratic ticket. Will enough Republicans desert Trump and vote for Gary Johnson and Bill Weld of the Libertarian Party? It’s possible, I suppose, but it’s not something I would count on, and it’s certainly not something I would call a “strategy,” although lord knows what passes for “strategy” at the DNC or in the HRC campaign (same thing, I know) these days.
So the next step is to prepare for an actual, real world scenario of Donald Trump taking the office. Then what? Well, at that point we’ll know what his cabinet will look like—probably a lot like Mike Pence. This is horrible, but no worse than many of the people Junior Bush or Ronald Reagan populated their cabinets with. Some will be a waste of space, but some may not be totally incompetent. I don’t think we really want competent people trying to implement a set of Trump policies, whatever they might be. Reagan was famously disinterested in this sort of thing, which actually turned out to be a blessing—think of how much worse things would be if he actually had been efficient and managerial.
So what’s the best defense here? It’s pretty clear—elect a lot of Democrats to the House and Senate. This won’t be helped by the lack of inspiration from the top of the ticket, and we may very well get people voting Democratic for everywhere on the Democratic ticket except the Presidency. We should prepare for this to happen, in fact. But what this means is maximizing the vote down ticket. HRC has done little here, and neither has the DNC, which we now recognize to be supremely incompetent. There are a bunch of Sanders candidates who may make a difference in galvanizing the vote in some areas. The main thing, however, is to turn out the Democratic vote across the country, something the DNC appears to have difficulty doing. This has always been problematic, especially in non-Presidential years, which is why Democrats got creamed in 2010 and 2014. That cannot happen again.
The point of this is to be in a position to neutralize what Trump says he wants to do—if he even really means it. Deport all Muslims? Fat chance. Ditto the stupid wall. President Trump’s major job should explaining to his supporters why he can’t do what he told them he would do. All of that becomes easier with a Democratically-controlled Senate, and perhaps even the House. Trump offers that kind of possibility—a potentially transformative election. But only if Democrats are smart enough to take it. Given the unlikelihood of this happening as a top-down process, it’s up to the voters themselves, and the candidates for the House and the Senate. Heavy lifting, but possible. The Founding Fathers were pretty smart—Separation of Powers is an excellent idea that has served us well.
The second thing is to lawyer up. Trump will try to discover the limits of executive action, and will probably try to do a number of stupid things through executive action. This is where we take a page from the republican playbook—litigate everything in sight. Every single unreasonable thing Trump tries to do—and there may be a lot or very few of them, who knows?—should be litigated. Many would be anyway, of course, but we need to prepare the resources for doing this. In the environmental arena alone there are a number of organizations who have a good history of litigating the federal government (as well as the states), and who will undoubtedly be busy in the event of a Trump Presidency. If I were running one of these organizations, I’d be doing my fundraising right now—this is probably a better strategy than giving money to the HRC campaign at this point anyway.
The third thing, of course, is civic action. Republicans played a long game, and over two or three decades they managed to take over much of America—through school boards, planning boards, mayorships, state senates and assemblies, whatever. There is a desperate need for a Democratic ALEC. But not having one should not preclude running for the school board. This is where things get done—the fight over evolution in American education is being fought precisely at this level. The fight over the privatization of America’s water resources is also happening at this level. The Republican antipathy to federal land ownership (including National Parks) probably extends to the state level as well. These fights will keep happening until enough of us are sitting on school boards and planning commissions ourselves—and we’ll keep losing until then as well.
Does this mean I’m relaxed about a Trump presidency? Of course not. If nothing else, the guy has incredibly bad manners. But I do not agree with the current trope that Trump is the worst person to ever walk the face of the planet, and that if he’s elected it’s all over for democracy. That may happen, but only if we let it. The thing about democracy is that it lets you partake of the process. It’s when we stop using it that things start getting genuinely scary. But using it can mitigate a lot of potential damage. That’s what it’s for.
Click to share on Fark (Opens in new window)
Categories: Politics/Law/Government
Art Frewin says:
WELL, it is obvious you are on the left. I consider myself on the neither. you mentioned how terrible all the right presidents have been, well I am sure jimmy was a great pres and bill well he was the best. dems have an anti gun policy, unless they were for the right to protect yourself with the use of your bodyguards. some of us do not have the money. now I do not consider my self smart even though I did graduate with an ME and went into the MBA program. it has always been hard for me in school but with a lot of effort and study time I did manage to go to college when I was told to get a job with my hands because of my coordination. well sir it is easy to call people stupid because they see the world in a different way. I did learn logic very well though. until the dems get of their high horse and quit trying to take the guns they are going to have big problems. we all know that is what they want although they claim as all anti gun folks they just want reasonable laws, which we already have and a lot of unreasonable ones. we have to have right in the congress and the president. we know how close it is to loosing our second amendment. through the supreme court. we know legislation leads to confiscation. the form we sign to buy a gun came and was translated directly from german. it is the same form hitler used just before taking the guns from the jewish people. at the time that form was put in practice they also made it illegal to have a national gun registry just because of what registries are used for. a deal is not necessarily a con, I have not read the book though. and we know what Hillary does. she takes money from the poor and gives to her self and the rich. your present president he is a dangerous person. are you trying to tell us how great his presidency has been, doubling the national debt in 8 years? get us out of the wars immediately??? an anti gun president that will try and take our guns whether it is illegal or not. I am sure that you have heard of fast and furious, not the movie. right under him holder allowed the and told the ATFE to sell guns to criminals and THEY did not even pick them up. they want crime from assault weapons as you call them. all guns were used by the military at one point or another. holder would not release the fast and furious documents and was in court for a few years. when the last court ordered him to release those documents he resigned 2 days later. what a coincidence. of course our president knew nothing about anything. AT THE SAME TIME THE LEFT MEDIA was saying how the border states were selling guns to criminals. those gun shops called the ATFE and were told to sell them. those guns came from holder and our president and have killed hundreds if not into the thousands now in mexico. killed the border guard Mr. Terry and his family will never see him again. what a great president that will fight gun ownership by selling guns to criminals. Hillary is no better. I believe in freedom to make my own choices whether they are wrong or right and live with the consequences. of course the dems believe they can control everyone’s right to make those decisions. such as when they fought the civil war to keep slaves and the jim crow laws keeping guns from blacks. I believe in freedom and that does not put me in any party. if a lady or child with her parents OK wants an abortion it is their right to make choices not uncle sams. I would rather have trump a pro gun candidate. even a stupid person with the right cabinet if he listens will make good choices. we want to get out of the good old boys or gals political network. at least trump is not with them and that is why the right is a little upset that they might not wield the power they could. it is a good change and with the next president able to appoint 2 to 4 supreme court justices and their vote is now 4 to 4 on whether you have the right to own guns, well simple language can be made to say what ever you want when you change the definitions. the right to self protection with weapons used by the military is really an unalienable right. no one can take that away and if they try it will probably end in another civil war. the other reason it is there is not only self protection but the ability to take back control of a government gone bad. we have never lived the true meaning of the constitution but we have gotten a little closer and further away at times. socialism and further left communism looks good on paper. we all know it never works, it takes incentive away from the table. add greed and other things it just does not work. how many lazy people can the hard workers support before the country goes bankrupt? well we are close now, no one not even the US government can live off credit forever. the world has tried for the last 20 years and the dues are just about ready to be paid. how much money can the central bank print before massive inflation? you and everyone should be worried far more about those things not taking the ability of the people to protect themselves. the world is headed for the greatest depression it has ever seen. you might want a gun then. the rich are guarded with the guns they want to take from the public. 5% of the population maybe less are criminals, the rest do not go around and do mass shootings. it seems anti gun people are paranoid of the citizens. criminals cannot have ammo or guns it is already illegal. neither can crazy people. use a gun in a crime and federally you should get a lot of extra years in a federal prison. why does not Obama get the criminals off the streets for longer. criminals do not follow the law. that means anti gun laws take the guns from honest citizens. the police have no responsibility to protect you there is only one person with that responsibility, if yo do not want to do it, that is your right. DO NOT TAKE MY RIGHTS TO MAKE YOUR PARANOID REACTIONS LESS. prohibition has never worked in the history of the world, it only spawns crime. all drugs should be legal, as it is any child can buy them. that is what prohibition does. it puts money into the worst people in the worlds pockets, when are we going to learn??? if they make guns illegal they can come and kill me first, we need a martyr. guns are used far more to protect people then in crime. the media does not want you to know it. right now I can only vote pro gun and there are getting to be a lot more of us as time goes by. we have the logic.
Hed Hertz says:
Beginning your comment with “WELL, it is obvious you are on the left.” discredits your entire discussion. Learn to understand that most of us are a mix of “left” and “right” as you might say. In fact, using labels at is inappropriate.
Lowell says:
What a crock! The weaknesses of both candidates are “manifest and telling.” Well, so tell us! You failed to do so. Trump has no strengths. Clinton has few weaknesses and has an incredible number of strengths. “The top of the Democratic ticket is a disaster”? Are you part of the RNC? What planet do you live on? What makes it such a disaster. You generalize but offer no substantial remarks.
This is probably one of the worst commentaries I’ve read during the wacko election season.
Samuel Smith says:
Clinton has few weaknesses and has an incredible number of strengths.
Ummm. Hillary Clinton?
wufnik says:
Thanks for stopping by, Lowell.
Thanks for sharing, Art. Don’t hurt anyone.
Knitting Clio says:
So, what do we do if the Democratic Party doesn’t regain the Senate?
That’s a very good question, and I probably don’t have a satisfactory answer. People seem pretty relaxed about the Dems regaining the Senate this year–there are many potentially vulnerable Republican Senators, and the view is that Trump is not going to help the Repubican case, to put it mildly. This may prove to be the case, but everyone has been wrong about everything else this year, so why not this as well? And let’s face it, recent pressidential polls are not encouraging here. Let’s say the Republicans retain the Senate (and the House, of course), and HRC becomes the President–then I suspect we’ll have what we have now under Obama–not much. This would be very unfortunate, given the amount of work that needs to be done. The worst case is Trump winning and Republicans retaining everything. This is a very scary scenario, even though it’s not clear that any Republicans want to work with him either. Does terrible stuff happen? Well, the tone deteriorates, but I do think there are limits to what a President can do on his own with an uncooperative Legislature–Obama has had to do a lot with Executive Actions, and I would expect Trump to try to do the same. This is why I discussed lawyering up–much of what he’ll want to do is stuff we probably don’t want to see happen. I may not mind his abandoning trade deals, but if he tries to expel several million people by executive order, I would hope that someone will challenge that in the courts. As I said, people need to start planning now–if everyone waits to see what happens, we’ll be way behind the curve at the start.
Leave us a reply. All replies are moderated according to our Comment Policy (see "About S&R") Cancel reply
Mad Street Cred
New Southern Gentleman
The Hill Congress Blog
Esquire Politics
Hennen's Observer
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1002
|
__label__cc
| 0.566416
| 0.433584
|
Bose-Einstein Condensation of Molecules
S. Jochim1,
M. Bartenstein1,
A. Altmeyer1,
G. Hendl1,
S. Riedl1,
C. Chin1,
J. Hecker Denschlag1,
R. Grimm1,2,*
1 Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
2 Institut für Quantenoptik und Quanteninformation, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
↵* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rudolf.grimm{at}uibk.ac.at
Science 19 Dec 2003:
Vol. 302, Issue 5653, pp. 2101-2103
S. Jochim
M. Bartenstein
A. Altmeyer
G. Hendl
S. Riedl
C. Chin
J. Hecker Denschlag
R. Grimm
We report on the Bose-Einstein condensation of more than 105 Li2 molecules in an optical trap starting from a spin mixture of fermionic lithium atoms. During forced evaporative cooling, the molecules are formed by three-body recombination near a Feshbach resonance and finally condense in a long-lived thermal equilibrium state. We measured the characteristic frequency of a collective excitation mode and demonstrated the magnetic field–dependent mean field by controlled condensate spilling.
Since the first experiments on Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in ultracold atomic gases in 1995 (1–3), atoms of eight chemical elements have been condensed. BEC of more complex objects such as molecules or Cooper-paired atoms will open up many new avenues of research because they offer new degrees of freedom. An intriguing example is the fundamental change in quantum statistics when paired fermions form composite bosons. Recent experiments have demonstrated the formation of molecules in ultracold atomic gases of bosons (4–9) and fermions (10–13). Experiments starting with atomic BEC show the creation of molecular clouds at the threshold to quantum degeneracy (7) or clearly in that regime (9), but not in a thermal equilibrium state. In most of these experiments, weakly bound dimers are produced via magnetically tuned Feshbach resonances (14). Such a scattering resonance occurs when a free colliding atom pair energetically coincides with a bound molecular state. On the side of the resonance where the energy of the molecular level is below the dissociation limit, a weakly bound dimer state exists. The experiments indicate an important difference between weakly bound dimers composed of bosonic and of fermionic atoms. Dimers of bosons show a quick decay via inelastic atom-molecule or molecule-molecule collisions (9), so that quantum-degenerate molecular clouds can only be created in a transient regime. In contrast, the dimers of fermions exhibit a remarkable stability (11–13, 15). Such molecular gases have been observed with lifetimes far longer than the time scales for elastic collisions and thermalization. This fact has been explained by a fermionic suppression of vibrational quenching in molecule collisions (16). Their stability allows us to use bosonic molecules composed of fermionic atoms to achieve molecular BEC in thermal equilibrium.
Our experiment is based on evaporative cooling of an optically trapped mixture of fermionic 6Li atoms in the two lowest spin states (11–13, 17–21). During the cooling process, a large number of bosonic dimers are formed by three-body recombination and finally condense into a molecular BEC. The spin mixture exhibits a broad Feshbach resonance at a magnetic field of about 850 G (18, 19, 22, 23), which leads to a pronounced magnetic field dependence of the scattering length a (Fig. 1) that characterizes the s-wave interactions. Dimers in a single weakly bound state can be formed in the range of large positive a with a binding energy of
, where
is Planck's constant h divided by 2π and m is the mass of a 6Li atom. This has been observed in magnetic field–dependent loss features (24) and changes in the interaction energy of the gas (21). Two recent experiments have directly demonstrated the presence of these molecules and investigated some of their properties (12, 13). For negative scattering length, no weakly bound dimer state exists. For negative scattering length, where a weakly bound dimer state does not exist, the 6Li gas exhibits a remarkable stability against collisional decay, and deeply degenerate Fermi gases have been created (20).
Download high-res image
Feshbach resonance at ∼850 G in a mixture of the two lowest spin states of 6Li (18). The s-wave scattering length a is plotted as a function of the magnetic field B.
Our optical dipole trap is realized with a single Gaussian laser beam at a wavelength of 1030 nm, which is focused to a waist of 23 μm. At the full power of P0 = 10.5 W, the radial and axial oscillation frequencies are Ωr/2π = 14.5 kHz and Ωz/2π = 140 Hz, respectively, and the atom trap is U0 ≈ kB × 800 μK deep (kB denotes Boltzmann's constant). When the power P is reduced to a relative value p = P/P0, the optical trap frequencies follow p1/2Ωi(i = r, z) and the trap depth for the atoms is Uat = pU0. Our magnetic field B used for Feshbach tuning exhibits a curvature that gives rise to an additional contribution to the trapping potential. For the tight radial confinement of the optical trap, this effect is negligibly small. For the weak axis, however, a magnetic trapping effect becomes important with decreasing p. Taking this into account, the axial trap frequency is given by
. Here
is the magnetic contribution, which is precisely known for our coils. For weak traps with p ≪ 0.03 (Uat/kB ≪ 25 μK), the magnetic contribution dominates, and the axial confinement is harmonic with a corresponding frequency known on the percent level. In this regime, the mean trap frequency is given by
. For the weakly bound 6Li dimers, all external forces are twice the ones on the individual atoms. Thus, the molecular trap is two times deeper than the atom trap (Umol = 2Uat), and the trap frequencies are identical. Gravity is compensated for by a magnetic field gradient of 1.1 G/cm.
We start the evaporation process with ∼1.5 × 106 atoms at a temperature of ∼80 μK, a peak number density of ∼1014 cm–3, and a peak phase-space density of ∼5 × 10–3. The mean elastic collision rate is as high as ∼5 × 104 s–1. These excellent starting conditions are obtained by a two-stage loading process. The atoms are loaded into the dipole trap from another deep, largevolume standing wave trap (25), which itself is loaded from a magneto-optical trap. Forced evaporative cooling is then performed by reducing the trap power (17, 20). We use a simple exponential ramp with a relative power p(t) = exp(–t/τ), where the time constant τ = 0.23 s is experimentally optimized. A feedback system allows us to precisely control the laser power to levels well below p = 10–4.
BEC of weakly bound molecules occurs when we perform evaporative cooling at a large positive scattering length of a ≈ +3500a0, where a0 is Bohr's radius. In this case, the evaporation process shows a strikingly different behavior in comparison with the corresponding situation at large negative scattering length, where no dimers can be produced.
First we discuss the creation of a degenerate Fermi gas without the possibility of molecule formation at a magnetic field of 1176 G, where a ≈ –3500a0 (23). Here the evaporation proceeds in a very similar way as that described in (17, 20). The measured atom number N (26) first follows a scaling law N/N0 = pα (27), with α ≈ 0.25. In this regime, the temperature of the gas is typically a factor of 10 below the trap depth (27), and the elastic collision rate stays well above 104 s–1. The crossover to Fermi degeneracy, where the thermal energy kBT reaches the Fermi energy
, takes place at p ≈ 0.05 (Uat/kB ≈ 40 μK). By further decreasing p, the trap depth Uat ∝ p decreases faster than the Fermi energy EF ∝ p1/3. A threshold occurs when EF reaches Uat and the trap is filled up to the “rim.” Further decrease of p then leads to a spilling of atoms out of the trap and thus to a rapid decrease of N with p. Our data (Fig. 2) clearly show this spilling effect for p < 1 × 10–3 (Uat/kB < 800 nK). Modeling the spilling curves provides us with an upper bound of kBT < 0.2EF for the temperature in terms of the Fermi energy. In the regime of a completely filled shallow trap, the number of atoms in the two-component spin mixture is given by two times the number of quantum states in the trap. A numerical calculation, shown in Fig. 2, confirms this interpretation of our data.
Evaporative cooling results obtained on both sides of the Feshbach resonance. We measure the number of trapped particles (the number of all atoms that are free or bound in long-range dimers) as a function of the relative laser power p at the end of an exponential evaporation ramp p(t) = exp(–t/230 ms). The trap depth for atoms is Uat/kB = p × 800 μK, whereas for molecules it is two times larger (Umol = 2Uat). The measurements taken at 1176 G with negative scattering length a ≈ –3500a0 (open circles) show the spilling of a degenerate Fermi gas when the trap depth reaches the Fermi energy. The solid line shows the maximum number of trapped atoms in a two-component Fermi gas according to a numerical calculation of the number of quantum states in our trap. The dashed lines indicate the corresponding uncertainty range due to the limited knowledge of the experimental parameters. The measurements at 764 G with positive scattering length a ≈ +3500a0 (solid circles) exhibit a striking increase of the trapped particle number at low values of p, which is due to the formation of molecules. The inset shows the optimum production of molecules in the magnetic field range where a weakly bound level exists. Here the total number of particles is measured for various magnetic fields at a fixed final ramp power p = 2.8 × 10–4 (Umol/kB ≈ 440 nK).
The same evaporation procedure is performed at a magnetic field of 764 G, where the scattering length a ≈ +3500a0 (23) has essentially the same magnitude but opposite sign. Here the weakly bound dimers have a binding energy of ∼2 μK, and their formation has been observed in several experiments (12, 13, 21). In order to detect the molecules, we dissociate them and measure the number of resulting atoms (26). For this purpose, we abruptly turn on the full trap power, which strongly heats the sample and leads to collisional dissociation. In order to ensure that we dissociate all molecules, we also apply a magnetic field ramp across the Feshbach resonance (13). The number of atoms measured after the dissociation process thus yields the number of free atoms together with atoms having formed molecules.
Below p = 1 × 10–3 the measured atom numbers (solid circles in Fig. 2) show a striking difference in comparison with the case of the degenerate Fermi gas. Down to a power level of p = 3 × 10–4 (Umol/kB ≈ 480 nK), the trap holds almost all particles and contains up to 20 times more atoms than would be possible for fermions. Hence, the trapped sample can no longer be an atomic Fermi gas. The trap is filled with bosonic molecules in the weakly bound state (28). The lifetime of the molecular ensemble, for which we measure about 20 s at a fixed trap depth of Umol/kB ≈ 560 nK, exceeds the time scale of elastic collisions (∼100 μs) by several orders of magnitude. This highlights the fact that the molecular cloud exists in a thermal equilibrium state.
The formation of molecules during the evaporative cooling process can be understood in terms of a chemical atom-molecule equilibrium (29, 30). Exothermal three-body recombination processes compete with dissociation by endothermal two-body processes. When the gas is cooled down, the equilibrium shifts to an increasing fraction of molecules. Because atom-atom, atom-molecule, and molecule-molecule collisions have comparable cross sections near the resonance (16), evaporation continues at about the same speed. In the final stage of cooling, all relevant energies, such as the thermal energy kBT and the trap depths Uat and Umol, are far below the binding energy
, so that in chemical equilibrium one is left with an essentially pure sample of molecules. The fact that the binding energy of ∼2 μK at our optimized magnetic field of 764 G is a few times larger than the final trap depth (inset, Fig. 1) fits well into this picture.
The observation that a large number of Nmol ≈ 1.5 × 105 molecules is confined in our very shallow, only 480 nK deep trap under thermal equilibrium conditions already shows that a molecular BEC is formed. The trap offers about 10 times more quantum states for dimers as compared to the case of atoms discussed before (31). Because we observe a factor of ∼20 more particles than for the degenerate atomic Fermi gas, the molecular gas is necessarily quantum degenerate. Because of the high elastic collision rates, which stay well above 103 s–1 even for very shallow traps, the sample is also thermalized. The temperature then is a small fraction of the trap depth. According to standard evaporation theory (27), we can typically assume T ≈ 0.1 Umol/kB ≈ 50 nK. This is well below the critical temperature for BEC, for which we calculate
. Because the condensate fraction is given by 1 – (T/TC)3, these arguments show that the molecular BEC must be almost pure.
To investigate the molecular condensate, we have studied a characteristic collective excitation mode (32, 33). For a cigar-shaped sample in the Thomas-Fermi limit, well fulfilled in our experiment, such a quadrupolar mode is expected at a frequency of
. We perform our measurement at p = 3.5 × 10–4 (Umol/kB ≈ 560 nK) with a trapped sample of ∼105 molecules. We apply a sinusoidal modulation to the magnetic field with an amplitude of 3.5 G to modulate the molecular scattering length am ∝ a (16) with a relative amplitude of about 5%. After 2 s of continuous excitation, we measure the remaining number of particles in the trap. The resonance manifests itself in a sharp dip in the number of particles (Fig. 3). The observed resonance frequency of 33.6 Hz is in remarkable agreement with the expectation. We point out that a noncondensed gas deep in the hydrodynamic regime would show a similar frequency of 33.2 Hz (34), but thermalization in our shallow trap excludes this scenario (35). The measured collective excitation frequency rules out a gas in the collisionless regime, which would show its resonant loss at 2ωz = 2π × 42.8 Hz, and thus again confirms the thermalization of the sample. The observed narrow resonance width of ∼1 Hz shows a very low damping rate and is consistent with an almost pure BEC (33, 36).
Resonance of a collective excitation mode at
. The oscillation is excited by magnetic modulation of the molecular BEC mean field. The solid curve shows a Lorentzian fit to the data.
An essential property of a BEC is its mean field potential UMF = 4πnam
resulting from s-wave interactions; here n denotes the molecular density. For our molecular BEC with large positive am, the mean field is repulsive and thus stabilizes the BEC against collapse and decay. In a trap of finite depth, however, the mean field repulsion limits the maximum number of trappable molecules. When the chemical potential μ reaches the trap depth, a similar spilling effect is expected as we see for the Fermi gas, but for weaker traps. The decrease of our molecular signal (Fig. 2) below p = 3 × 10–4 (Umol/kB ≈ 480 nK) may be explained by such a spilling effect.
We used spilling in a controlled way to demonstrate the mean field of the molecular BEC and to investigate its dependence on the magnetic field. After producing the BEC at a magnetic field of B1 = 772 G and p = 3.5 × 10–4 (Umol/kB ≈ 560 nK), we adiabatically tilt the vertical trapping potential by application of a magnetic field gradient B′ that is smoothly ramped up within 50 ms. The number of remaining particles as a function of the applied field gradient (Fig. 4) shows the loss of molecules resulting from the reduced trap depth. When the magnetic field is kept at the evaporation field of B1 = 772 G, where a = 4100a0 (23), even very weak gradients lead to loss (open circles in Fig. 4). This indicates that the chemical potential is close to the potential depth, so that the trap is full. The chemical potential can be lowered by reducing the scattering length. For this purpose, we ramp the magnetic field to a smaller value. A spilling curve taken at B2 = 731 G, where a = 2200a0 (23), indeed shows a markedly different behavior (solid circles in Fig. 4). Here small gradients do not lead to any loss and the curve thus shows a flat top. For gradients |B′| exceeding 0.65 G/cm, molecules get spilled until everything is lost at |B′| = 1.3 G/cm. The sharp onset of the spilling confirms the essentially pure nature of the BEC.
Controlled spilling of the BEC by application of a magnetic field gradient B′. This variable gradient is applied in addition to the constant gradient of 1.1 G/cm that we use for gravity compensation. The data are taken at the two different magnetic fields B1 = 772 G (open circles) and B2 = 731 G (solid circles), where the mean field of the BEC is different by a factor of ∼2.
A comparison of the two spilling curves in Fig. 4 provides us with information on the ratio of the scattering lengths am at the two magnetic fields B1 and B2. In the spilling region above |B′| = 0.65 G/cm, the trap is full in both cases, and the trapped particle number is inversely proportional to am. Comparing the two spilling curves in that region, we obtain a scattering length ratio of am(B1)/am(B2) = 2.4(2). This factor is indeed close to the factor of 1.9 (23) expected from the proportionality of atomic and molecular scattering lengths am ∝ a (16) and the dependence of a shown in Fig. 1. This observation demonstrates the mean field of the molecular BEC together with its magnetic tunability.
The ability to control interactions in a Bose condensed ensemble of paired fermionic atoms has many exciting prospects (37, 38). It opens up unique ways to cool a fermionic gas far below the Fermi temperature (39) and to study different regimes of superfluidity (40–43). The experimental exploration of the strongly interacting crossover regime between a BEC-like and a Cooper-paired phase is a particular challenge and promises more insight into the physical mechanisms underlying superconductivity.
M. Anderson, J. Ensher, M. Matthews, C. Wieman, E. Cornell, Science 269, 198 (1995).
K. Davis et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 3969 (1995).
C. Bradley, C. Sackett, J. Tollett, R. Hulet, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 1687 (1995).
R. Wynar, R. S. Freeland, D. J. Han, C. Ryu, D. J. Heinzen, Science 287, 1016 (2000).
E. A. Donley, N. R. Claussen, S. T. Thompson, C. E. Wieman, Nature 417, 529 (2002).
C. Chin, A. J. Kerman, V. Vuletić, S. Chu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 033201 (2003).
J. Herbig et al., Science 301, 1510 (2003); published online 21 August 2003 (10.1126/science.1088876).
S. Dürr, T. Volz, A. Marte, G. Rempe, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0307440.
K. Xu, et al. preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0310027.
C. A. Regal, C. Ticknor, J. L. Bohn, D. S. Jin, Nature 424, 47 (2003).
K. E. Strecker, G. B. Partridge, R. G. Hulet, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 080406 (2003).
J. Cubizolles, T. Bourdel, S. J. J. M. F. Kokkelmans, G. V. Shlyapnikov, C. Salomon, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308018.
S. Jochim et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., in press (preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308095).
S. Inouye et al., Nature 392, 151 (1998).
C. A. Regal, M. Greiner, D. S. Jin, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308606.
D. S. Petrov, C. Salomon, G. V. Shlyapnikov, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0309010.
S. Granade, M. E. Gehm, K. M. O'Hara, J. E. Thomas, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 120405 (2002).
K. M. O'Hara et al., Phys. Rev. A 66, 041401 (2002).
S. Jochim et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 273202 (2002).
K. M. O'Hara, S. L. Hemmer, M. E. Gehm, S. R. Granade, J. E. Thomas, Science 298, 2179 (2002); published online 7 November 2002 (10.1126/science.1079107).
T. Bourdel et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 020402 (2003).
M. Houbiers, H. T. C. Stoof, W. McAlexander, R. Hulet, Phys. Rev. A 57, R1497 (1998).
The position of the Feshbach resonance is known to within a few tens of Gauss. All numbers given for the scattering lengths and binding energies are subject to a corresponding systematic error.
K. Dieckmann et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 203201 (2002).
A. Mosk et al., Opt. Lett. 26, 1837 (2001).
We measure the atom number via fluorescence detection after recapture into a magneto-optical trap. In order to avoid molecule formation and loss when the Feshbach tuning field is ramped down before detection, we heat the sample by abruptly turning on the full laser power of the optical dipole trap. At low phase-space densities, the thermal gas is not affected by the downward Feshbach ramp (13).
K. M. O'Hara, M. E. Gehm, S. R. Granade, J. E. Thomas, Phys. Rev. A 64, 051403 (2001).
We know that only the weakly bound state is populated, because the release of binding energy in a three-body process would otherwise lead to immediate trap loss. Moreover, our dissociation-based detection is sensitive only to molecules in this state.
C. Chin, R. Grimm, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0309078.
S. J. J. M. F. Kokkelmans, G. V. Shlyapnikov, C. Salomon, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308384.
For the harmonically approximated trap with same frequencies and twice the depth, the molecules have eight times more quantum states than the atoms. The lower ωz at 764 G as compared to 1176 G gives another factor of 1.24.
S. Stringari, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2360 (1996).
D. M. Stamper-Kurn, H.-J. Miesner, S. Inouye, M. R. Andrews, W. Ketterle, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 500 (1998).
D. Guéry-Odelin, F. Zambelli, J. Dalibard, S. Stringari, Phys. Rev. A 60, 4851 (1999).
A noncondensed ensemble in the hydrodynamic regime, where the elastic collision rate exceeds all other time scales, would rapidly cool down by evaporation to temperatures far below the trap depth and thus form a BEC.
D. S. Jin, M. R. Matthews, J. R. Ensher, C. E. Wieman, E. A. Cornell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 764 (1997).
L. Pitaevskii, S. Stringari, Science 298, 2144 (2002).
A. Cho, Science 301, 750 (2003).
L. D. Carr, G. V. Shlyapnikov, Y. Castin, preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308306.
H. T .C. Stoof, M. Houbiers, C. Sackett, R. Hulet, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 10 (1996).
M. Holland, S. J. J. M. F. Kokkelmans, M. L. Chiofalo, R. Walser, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 120406 (2001).
E. Timmermans, K. Furuya, P. W. Milonni, A. K. Kerman, Phys. Lett. A 285, 228 (2001).
Y. Ohashi, A. Griffin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 130402 (2002).
We thank P. Zoller for very useful discussions and for stimulating the measurement of the collective excitation frequency. We acknowledge support by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) within Spezialforschungsbereich 15 (project part 15) and by the European Union through the Cold Molecules Training and Mobility of Researchers Network under contract no. HPRN-CT-2002-00290. C.C. is a Lise-Meitner fellow of the FWF.
You are going to email the following Bose-Einstein Condensation of Molecules
By S. Jochim, M. Bartenstein, A. Altmeyer, G. Hendl, S. Riedl, C. Chin, J. Hecker Denschlag, R. Grimm
Science 19 Dec 2003 : 2101-2103
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1004
|
__label__cc
| 0.597337
| 0.402663
|
Mr Osborne delivered his eighth Budget as Chancellor at round 12.30pm today. The Budget was announced against a backdrop of slowing global growth, recent interest rate cuts by central banks into negative territory and the forthcoming EU referendum in Britain. The first two Budgets of our current government have been far reaching and full of surprises. This contrasts with the Budgets of the preceding coalition government which tended to alter very little.
The overviews below follow the chronological order in which the announcements were made, with some supporting explanation.
Loans to participators
Termination payments
Diverted Profits Tax (Large companies)
Corporation tax fall
Tax relief for ‘micro-entrepreneurs’
Business rates drop
Stamp duty on commercial property
Indirect taxes mixed
Class 2 NICs
Capital gains tax cut
Entrepreneur’s relief for investment in small companies
Chancellor silent on entrepreneur’s relief restriction for contractor companies
Lifetime ISA of £4,000 a year for the under 40s.
Personal allowance and tax threshold up next year
From 6 April 2016, the charge for a loan to a participator will increase from its current rate of 25% to a new rate of 32.5%. A participator is typically a shareholder or director of a company with five or fewer owners. Directors of a one-person or ‘contractor company’ and family owned business will usually be participators.
A full summary of the rules can be read here in the article about overdrawn director’s loan accounts. In brief, where a contractor has not retained sufficient funds in the company at the year end to cover corporation tax, it will be a requirement to lend money as a director. This loan gives rise to a tax charge.
Company funds are usually represented by the company bank account, however amounts owed from clients and equipment and other assets brought into the business can also be used as a buffer.
If the bank account is brought back into balance in future years, the charge can be repaid by HMRC. However there is a cash flow drawback and an administrative burden of borrowing money from the company.
Payments on termination of an employment contract receive preferential tax treatment, provided the payments are not an entitlement under the employment contract. Under current legislation a termination payment is not subject to employer’s national insurance and the first £30,000 will not be subject to income tax in the hands of the employee.
From 6 April 2018, many termination payments over £30,000 will be subject to employer’s National Insurance.
This measure has the purpose of an anti-avoidance provision.
A series of new rules are scheduled to be introduced to bring profits derived from the UK into the charge of UK corporation tax. The measures are aimed at companies with profits of over £5 million.
The rules will have most impact on multi-national organisations with that particular scope to structure finances so group profits are taxed in jurisdictions with lower than average rates.
For most companies, the deduction from profits chargeable to corporation tax for interest payments will be restricted to 30% of UK income.
Only 50% of current year profits can be reduced by losses brought forward from previous years.
The tightening of rules on withholding tax for royalty payments and other measures will also be presented.
Following previous announcements, the corporation tax, which is currently 20%, was due to fall to 19% in April 2017 and to 18% in April 2020. The Chancellor announced that the rate will now be reduced further to 16% in 2020.
Traders and landlords with less than £1,000 will not need to declare this income on a Tax Return. The income will be tax free. This will particularly benefit vendors with a side-line on websites such as E-Bay and AirBnB. Traders bringing in more than £1,000 income can deduct the allowance from their income profits, instead of actual expenses. A total of £2,000 can be exempted from tax, one allowance for property income and the other for trading.
From April 2017, small business rate relief will be increase. The relief currently exempts businesses with a rateable value of £6,000, however this is set to increase to £12,000 from next year. The higher rate threshold will also increase at the same time from £18,000 to £51,000.
With effect from midnight, the chancellor has brought the stamp duty system for commercial property in line with that for residential property. The tiered system will mean that no stamp duty is payable on a property worth £150,000 or less, 2% is paid on consideration between £150,000 and £250,000 and 5% is levied on the value of the property which exceeds £250,000.
With the stated aim of helping “small firms”, the new duty will benefit all but purchasers of the highest value property.
Levy on sugary drinks
Fuel duty freeze (despite lower petrol prices on account of the recent oil glut.)
Tobacco duty rise.
Freeze on beer, cider, whisky and other spirits duty with other alcohol taxes rising.
Class 2 is a flat rate of national insurance which is payable by sole traders and partners. The contribution secures a year towards the number required to qualify for a basic state pension. This tax will now be abolished in 2018. A social security and state pension entitlement will accrue to self-employed people via the Class 4 National Insurance. This is payable at the same time as income tax.
With effect from 6 April 2016, the basic rate of capital gains tax will be cut from 18% to 10% and the higher rate of capital gains tax will be cut from 28% to 20%.
The rate at which an individual pays capital gains tax depends on their total income. Gains below the annual allowance are not taxable. Taxable gains are added to an individual’s yearly income. To the extent that total income and gains are above the higher rate tax threshold, gains are taxed at the higher rate. Otherwise gains are taxed at the basic rate.
Gains made on residential property will continue to be charged at the existing rate of 18% basic and 28% higher rate tax.
Entrepreneur’s relief will reduce capital gains tax for the subscription of shares in an unlisted company and held for the longer term. The new rules will apply to any purchase in new shares made from tomorrow. The requirement will be for the shares to be held for at least three years from 6 April 2016 or date of purchase, whichever date is the later.
In effect the rate of tax will be 10% and subject to a life time limit of £10 million. The new rules extend relief currently available for shares purchased under the enterprise investment scheme.
The government had consulted on the abolition of entrepreneur’s relief on disposal of a business. However, there were no announcements in the Budget about this relief being withdrawn.
There remains an opportunity for company owners to accumulate profits in the company and withdraw this on eventual disposal. The accumulated funds in the business, usually represented by monies in the bank account, can be withdrawn as capital on eventual disposal. The implication is that the funds will be taxed at just 10%, rather than the much higher rates for dividends or salary.
Nonetheless, holding funds in a company in order to save tax carries the risk that the rules about entrepreneur’s relief will be scrapped.
Lifetime ISA of £4,000 a year for the under 40s
From April 2017, the government will introduce a new ISA. Savers who are under 40 on 5 April 2017, will be able to contribute up to £4,000 a year into an ISA. For every £4 contributed by the taxpayer, the government will add £1 to the ISA account. The government contributions will continue until the ISA holder reaches 50.
Some or all of the capital can be invested in an ISA for purchasing a property after just one year. However the property must be the first home owned by the taxpayer and have a value of £450,000 or less.
Alternatively, savers can wait until 60 to use the capital as pension income. Unlike pensions however there is no tax to pay on withdrawing the funds. The tax relief on investment is equal to the current basic rate of tax. To this extent the new ISAs will be more attractive to basic rate taxpayers.
If the ISA fund is not used to buy a home or for a pension on reaching 60, any withdrawals would be subject to a 5% charge and loss of the government bonus. The measure is intended to assist young people saving towards a deposit on their first property.
From 6 April 2017, all savers will be able to contribute up to £20,000 a year into their ISA.
The Chancellor announced an increase in the personal allowance from 6 April 2017 to £11,500. The higher rate tax threshold will also increase in 2017-18 to £45,000.
The Budget introduced some expensive tax breaks, with a particular focus on easing the burden for small business. However, with a stated policy of national deficit reduction, it remains to be seen whether this trend of fiscal policy can be upheld.
#2 Raphael Coman, FCCA, CTA 2016-03-20 18:07
Thank you Adam.
I would agree that a London weighting would probably be appropriate, but by the same token an extra £1,000 a year would not go far towards purchasing a property over £450,000.
A basic rate taxpayer would receive the same tax relief paying into the ISA as paying intro a pension. however, at least with the ISA you have property purchase as an option.
#1 Adam Hosker 2016-03-16 23:35
The only problem is the £450,000 property purchase cap, which kind of limits London.
It is good to see The Government will increase your overall Tax Free ISA Limit to £20,000
The Lifetime ISA will be available after April 2017. It will be good For every £4 you put into the ISA account, the Government will pay £1. If you deposit £4,000 the 25% bonus will be up to £1,000 at the end of the tax year. If you deposit a further £4,000 the next year, the 25% will be based on £9,000 (£4 + £4 + £1). Giving a bonus of £2,250.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1007
|
__label__wiki
| 0.784979
| 0.784979
|
Don Henry and Craig Bickhardt Fri. 04/07/2017 8:30
doors open at 7:30 showtime is at 8:30 there is a 6% handling fee included in the ticket price. Tickets are not mailed all tickets are will call at the door.
doors open at 7:30 showtime is at 8:30 there is a 6% handling fee included in the ticket price. Tickets are not mailed all tickets are will call at the door. Don Henry - Grammy Award winner Don Henry's songs have been recorded by legends like Ray Charles, Patti Page and Conway Twitty….By country crooners like Gene Watson, John Conlee and B.J. Thomas and by young hit makers of today like Blake Shelton, Lonestar and Kathy Mattea … and the list goes on. The lead song on Miranda Lambert’s new CD is Don Henry’s “All Kinds of Kinds.” Craig Bickhardt. - A folk/Americana performing songwriter with major writing credits, a poet’s voice, a virtuoso guitar style and a veteran’s experience. The native Pennsylvanian’s first big break came in 1982, when he wrote and sang two songs for Robert Duvall’s Academy Award-winning film Tender Mercies. His songs have found their way onto platinum and Grammy-winning recordings by legends such as Johnny Cash, Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Pam Tillis, Jonathan Edwards, David Wilcox, Kathy Mattea and Alison Krauss. His 850-tune catalog includes nine (9) Top Ten hits (four No. 1 country hits — “Turn It Loose” and “I Know Where I’m Going” recorded by The Judds, “In Between Dances” by Pam Tillis and “It Must Be Love” recorded by Ty Herndon)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1012
|
__label__cc
| 0.634607
| 0.365393
|
CC.F.IF.7: Graphing Root Functions: Graph square root, cube
Regents Exam Questions
CC.F.IF.7: Graphing Root Functions
Name: ________________________
www.jmap.org
CC.F.IF.7: Graphing Root Functions: Graph square root, cube root, and piecewise-defined
functions, including step functions and absolute value functions
1 Draw the graph of y =
3 The formula S = 20 t + 273 is used to determine
the speed of sound, S, in meters per second, near
Earth’s surface, where t is the surface temperature,
in degrees Celsius. Which graph best represents
this function?
x − 1 on the set of axes
2 On the set of axes below, graph the function
represented by y = 3 x − 2 for the domain
−6 ≤ x ≤ 10.
5 The number of people, y, involved in recycling in a
community is modeled by the function
y = 90 3x + 400 , where x is the number of months
the recycling plant has been open. Construct a
table of values, sketch the function on the grid, and
find the number of people involved in recycling
exactly 3 months after the plant opened. After how
many months will 940 people be involved in
4 The equation V = 20 C + 273 relates speed of
sound, V, in meters per second, to air temperature,
C, in degrees Celsius. What is the temperature, in
degrees Celsius, when the speed of sound is 320
meters per second? [The use of the accompanying
grid is optional.]
ID: A
Answer Section
1 ANS:
REF: 061425ai
REF: fall1304ai
3 ANS: 2
−17.
REF: 060718b
670, 12.
A2.A.22: Solving Radicals: Solve radical equations
DOC - JMap
Regents Exam Questions CC.F.BF.3: Graphing Linear Functions Page 1 Name: __________________________________
CC.F.IF.7: Graphing Step Functions: Graph square root, cube
A2.S.12: Sample Space: Use permutations, combinations, and the Fundamental
Regents Exam Questions A2.A.53: Graphing Exponential Functions Page 1 Name: __________________________________
Regents Exam Questions CC.F.IF.7: Graphing Piecewise-Defined Functions Page 1 Name: __________________________________
A2.S.1.AnalysisofData
A2.A.35: Series: Determine the sum of the first n terms... geometric series
A.REI.1.IdentifyingProperties
F.IF.6.RateofChange
A.CED.3.ModelingLinearInequalities1
A2.A.29
A2.A.29.Sequences
G.G.25: Compound Statements 1: Know and apply the conditions under... compound statement (conjunction, disjunction, conditional, biconditional) is true
A2.A.74: Using Trigonometry to Find Area: Determine the area of... parallelogram, given the measure of two sides and the included...
A2.A.23: Solving Rationals: Solve rational equations and inequalities
Functions and mappings
Types of functions
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1014
|
__label__wiki
| 0.697876
| 0.697876
|
Brand New And Modest Mouse Announce Co-Headlining North American Tour - Stereogum
By James Rettig
Brand New and Modest Mouse have announced a co-headlining North American tour. It’s the first time the two bands, whose legacies are closely intertwined, will be embarking on a full-scale tour together, following one-off performances at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY, and Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY over the last few years.
The tour will kick off at the end of June in Utah, and includes stops at massive venues like Madison Square Garden, the Forum, Red Rocks Amphitheater, and Merriweather Post Pavilion. The bands will both play headline-length sets, and will alternate who opens every few nights. Check out the full tour schedule below.
06/28 Magna, UT @ Saltair ***
06/29 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater &&&
07/01 Bonner Springs, KS @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater &&&
07/02 Chicago, IL @ FirstMerit Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island *
07/03 Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre &&&
07/05 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE &&&
07/06 Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheater &&&
07/08 Miami, FL @ Bayfront Park Amphitheater &&&
07/09 Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater ***
07/10 Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheater &&&
07/12 Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion ***
07/14 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden &&&
07/15 Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center ***
07/16 Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center For Performing Arts &&&
07/19 Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater &&&
07/21 Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center ***
07/22 Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Field &&&
07/23 Del Valle, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater ***
07/25 Phoenix, AZ @ Comercia Theatre ***
07/26 Chula Vista, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheater &&&
07/27 Inglewood, CA @ The Forum ***
07/28 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre &&&
07/30 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena ***
07/31 Portland, OR @ Moda Center ***
*** Modest Mouse closes the show
&&& Brand New Closes the show
Ticket pre-sale is available now — tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday at noon.
The press release for the tour also hints at the possibility of new Brand New, stating that the band is “currently prepping new material” and that their label, Procrastinate! Music Traitors, has plans for releases this year from Greater Pyrenees, Kevin Devine, and Brand New themselves.
Read our countdown of the 10 Best Brand New Songs.
Source: http://www.stereogum.com/1855373/brand-new...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1015
|
__label__wiki
| 0.946724
| 0.946724
|
Indie Stream – Discover New Artists
Internships at Substream Magazine
College Ambassador Program
Substream Magazine
Home Reviews Album Reviews Sleep On It graduate to the big leagues with ‘Overexposed’
Sleep On It graduate to the big leagues with ‘Overexposed’
Molly Hudelson
Every so often a new group of bands enters the radar of the alternative music scene. These bands will generate buzz via marketing plans and promotional campaigns, but time and time again, the most powerful and effective method of spreading the word about new music is word of mouth. Chicago’s own Sleep On It announced their signing to Equal Vision Records in August 2016, but they’ve been grinding it out since 2012, working tirelessly to build their reputation and their fan base throughout the country for half a decade. While they showed promise with their 2016 EP and Equal Vision debut Lost Along The Way, it’s with their debut full-length record Overexposed that they’ve proven their staying power in a crowded genre.
Young bands will often make the mistake of releasing their best songs early, causing hype surrounding the album release but a let-down upon first listen. While Sleep On It started off strong with “Distant”, “Window”, and “Fireworks” released early, the highlights of Overexposed lie within, making the album worthy of several spins: “Hope” feels immediately classic, “Always Crashing The Same Car” takes on a more alternative sound, and the honesty present on “Autumn (I Wish I Was Better)” is refreshing.
With twelve tracks, Overexposed is longer than many of its contemporaries, but the tracks flow seamlessly into one another for a resulting output that never feels too long. The album opens with the impressive and anthemic “A New Way Home”: vocalist Zech Pluister admits that he’s “been trying to lose myself for a year now” and is “trying to find a splash of color in this grayscale life.” The remaining eleven tracks are self-aware, often touching on themes of the realities of being in a touring band (on the title track they sing, “You give up a few things chasing a dream”) but done in a way that’s entirely relatable to anyone, whether they play music for a living or not. A great record is not just about the songs themselves but about how they’re put together, and while Sleep On It never quite reach dynamic extremes, the ebb-and-flow juxtaposition between tracks- from “A New Way Home” to the sentimental “Window” and later from “A Brighter Shade Of Blue” to “Overexposed”- feels intentional and well-crafted.
Pop-punk has never been about reinventing the wheel, and Sleep On It aren’t attempting to do so with Overexposed. Instead, the band is focused on doing what they do and doing it to the best of their abilities. While there are moments of grief and lost hope to be found, there’s also a sense of optimism and a certainty that things can get better: “I’ll be fine / Don’t give up on me / I’ll come around”, Pluister sings on “Fireworks.” It’s lines like these that will cause Sleep On It fans to press repeat and hold this record close to their heart for years to come.
Sleep On It has been just barely under the mainstream radar for a while now, but with Overexposed they’re ready to come in to their own. It’s a strong debut that sets the bar high for releases to come, and while they’ve got a ways to go before becoming true household names, there’s no doubt they’re capable of getting there.
Sleep On It will release Overexposed on November 3 via Equal Vision Records. They will be on tour with Waterparks, Chapel, and As It Is from November 6 to December 7; head to their website for a full list of upcoming shows.
Sleep On It - Overexposed
With 'Overexposed', Sleep On It come in to their own and prove their staying power in a crowded genre. There's no doubt the group have a bright future ahead.
Previous articleBaffling ‘Pottersville’ trailer and poster does Michael Shannon dirty
Next articlePREMIERE: Chason taps Scooby & the gang for the “No Trust” video
http://mhudelson.com
Molly Hudelson is a music journalist and photographer who won't shut up about the bands she loves. When she's not at a show, camera (and knee brace) in hand, she's rambling about Degrassi or hanging out with her dog.
REVIEW: Warped Tour Says Goodbye to the East Coast
Take 5: The songs you need to know this week (July 15, 2019)
The Menzingers release “Anna,” announce album details + fall tour
Take 5: The songs you need to know this week (July...
REVIEW: BANKS throws a red-hot party at the House of Vans
Yvng Leaf Drops A New Hit At The Perfect Time in...
Substream Magazine is a forward thinking lifestyle and media outlet that focuses on discovering and sharing the best in new music, film, pop culture, and entertainment. Since 2007, Substream has helped break artists and launch cutting edge content Our writers and staff are located all over the world and are passionate about music and pop culture.
© Substream Magazine
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1016
|
__label__wiki
| 0.539958
| 0.539958
|
By Gordon Smith Energy Efficiency, Germany October 3, 2015
Setting a Net Zero Carbon Goal is a Huge Step for Any Manufacturing Company
Siemens sets a net zero carbon goal for manufacturing
Setting a Manufacturing Net Zero Carbon Goal.
Energy efficiency in manufacturing offers companies the chance to not only reduce their carbon footprint but also to save millions of dollars on energy and becoming more competitive at the same time. Measuring and tracking energy intensity for manufacturing companies starts the organization on a path that very quickly starts to impact operational efficiency of the organization.
As a company becomes more energy efficient and starts to consider renewable energy into their strategy the possibility of becoming net zero energy and carbon neutral starts to become possible. Actually making a public statement and assigning a date to this goal is a bold step that takes courage at the top.
Siemens has announced just this. Keep in mind that this huge company makes components for renewable energy systems such as solar and wind and is therefore “in the industry” if you will. This is a case of the manufacturing goals lining up with the product and marketing goals of the company. Here is the news from Siemens
Siemens aims to be the world’s first major industrial company to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. By as early as 2020 the company plans to halve its annual carbon dioxide emissions.
Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG had this to say:
“”Cutting our carbon footprint is not only good corporate citizenship, it’s also good business””,
Siemens aims to be the world’s first major industrial company to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. The company plans to cut its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – which currently total about 2.2 million metric tons a year – in half by as early as 2020. To achieve these goals, Siemens will invest some €100 million over the next three years in order to reduce the energy footprint of its production facilities and buildings.
By investing in innovative technologies ? such as energy management systems and automation systems for buildings and production processes as well as energy-efficient drive systems for manufacturing ? Siemens expects to slash its energy costs by €20 million a year.
To reduce its CO2 emissions over the long term, the company will also apply three additional levers. First, it will use distributed energy systems at its production facilities and office buildings to optimize energy costs. Second, it will systematically employ low-emission vehicles and e-mobility concepts in its global car fleet. And third, it will move toward a clean power mix by increasingly tapping sources of energy ? such as natural gas and wind power ? that emit little or no CO2.
Siemens will launch its CO2 reduction program next fiscal year. Under the program, some €40 million will be invested at 15 different manufacturing locations worldwide to improve energy efficiency. Siemens’ new Munich headquarters building ? which is to meet the highest standards for environmental friendliness, resource conservation and sustainable construction ? will make a major contribution in this regard.
Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio bundles the company’s technologies in the area of energy efficiency and CO2 reduction. In fiscal 2014, the Portfolio generated sales of €33 billion, or 46 percent of Siemens’ total revenue. Solutions from Siemens enabled customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 428 million metric tons ? an amount equal to half of Germany’s total carbon dioxide emissions.
Here is video explanation from Siemens
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1017
|
__label__wiki
| 0.737797
| 0.737797
|
By Gordon Smith Alternative fuels, Biofuel, Fuel Cells, Research News, Sweden June 29, 2018
Sweden To Make Clean Steel Using Hydrogen
Is It Real – Clean Steel ?
Making steel is not only very political it is also incredible energy intensive. Typically the dirtiest of fossil fuels have been used to provide the very high temperatures needed to melt and blend the ores and alloys involved. As the U.S. starts to fire up some of the oldest steel furnaces that exist, Sweden has partnered with industry to develop a fossil fuel alternative to making steel.
Using hydrogen this clean steel process may change the way we manufacture steel, aluminum and other alloys. As long as a renewable process is used to generate the electricity needed to split water into hydrogen and oxygen for feedstock to this process, the emissions will be zero.
On June 20th, the ground was broken for HYBRIT’s world-first pilot plant for creating fossil-free steel, with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven as keynote speaker. SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall have, together with the Swedish Energy Agency, decided to invest SEK 1,4 billion in the pilot plant. This means that the HYBRIT initiative now enters its second phase.
A clean way to make clean steel
The goal is a fossil-free, ore-based clean steel production, on an industrial scale.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will today symbolically break the ground for the HYBRIT Pilot Plant in Luleå. The plant is expected to be ready by 2020. The initiative was given the green light this winter to proceed from feasibility study to pilot plant. The construction start means that the HYBRIT initiative is now entering its second phase, with possibilities of full-scale testing and development of the technique to produce steel by using hydrogen instead of coal and coke. This could lead to a historical shift in production technique, leading to water as a by-product instead of carbon dioxide emissions.
By testing in pilot scale, we can leave the small-scale laboratory environment an instead mimic the coming industrial process, and prepare for efficient production. We are very happy to be able to enter the next phase and get one step closer to our target of fossil-free steel production, with all its environmental benefits, says Mårten Görnerup, CEO at HYBRIT.
HYBRIT has the potential to reduce Sweden’s total carbon dioxide emissions by ten percent, and Finland’s with seven percent. Moreover, HYBRIT has a global potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This historic technological shift has been described as crucial for Sweden to be able to achieve the goals set out in the Paris agreement.
HYBRIT is a joint venture company, owned by three companies, SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall, that aims to be first in the world to develop an industrial process for fossil-free, ore-based steel production. The project was initiated in spring 2016 and the goal is to have an industrial process in place by 2035.
HYBRIT has already been awarded financial support from the Swedish Energy Agency on three occasions, for two feasibility studies and one research project. Moreover, it was recently announced that the Swedish Energy Agency will contribute with SEK 528 million to the pilot plant, in which the three owning companies together will invest an additional SEK 830 million.
Fossil-free steel production starts in the mine, we are working intensely with how the future pelletizing plant should be constructed to find an energy efficient production process. The challenge for LKAB in HYBRIT, and our contribution, is to develop carbon dioxide free direct reduction pellets. This is where the pilot plant will play a crucial part, before we can take it to an industrial scale, says Jan Moström, President and CEO at LKAB.
By starting to build the pilot plant, where we’ll develop and scale up the technology for fossil-free steel production, we’re taking an important step forwards towards SSAB’s goal of being fossil-free by 2045. We’re proud of being part of an important and challenging technological shift that can result in our solving part of the climate issue, says Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO at SSAB.
Magnus Hall, President and CEO at Vattenfall said:
Vattenfall wants to make it possible to live fossil-free within a generation. Helping steel production to change is one of the most important contributions we can give. By using our fossil-free electricity to large-scale production of hydrogen, we can enable technical shifts that will have a great impact on climate emissions.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1018
|
__label__wiki
| 0.785832
| 0.785832
|
What’s to Become of Uberrimae Fidei?
by Joe Colgan
March 22nd, 2017 16,513 Total Views
Uberrimae Fidei is a legal doctrine, the Latin for ‘utmost good faith.’
Predominantly a feature of insurance contracts (although not exclusively), it imposes on obligation upon the parties to the contract requiring absolute disclosure of all relevant particulars both at the time of the contract being executed and subsequently during its term. However, the vast majority of the cases that end up in court are in respect of non-disclosure of relevant information or particulars by the insured.
To date, if that ethical standard was violated, the legal remedy imposed by the courts was to effectively void the policy and refuse to enforce payment of any claim. What in reality happened of course was that the insurer simply refused to pay, cited breach, and left the claimant the option of either accepting it or challenging it. Few of course, have the wherewithal prosecute a challenge and what’s more, of those few, only those with a better than average chance of success would seriously consider litigating against an insurance company given the potential costs such an action may incur.
That stance though, was stood on its head recently when the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom (SC) refused an appeal to overturn an award of damages made in the county court that arose from the following:
The claimant was a site supervisor for a house building company who claimed around $1.5 million in damages for a work-related injury. During his rehabilitation period, he was filmed by the insurer going about his daily business without impediment and it was clear from the evidence garnered that his claim was greatly exaggerated. The insured though, did suffer serious injury from the accident; it resulted in two fractures and two operations.
When the case went to court, the insurer sought to have the claim struck out in its entirety, part of its argument being that without such sanction, there was no visible deterrent to future fraudulent claims.
The claimant’s counsel argued that was that whilst there was admittedly exaggeration with the original claim, that did not, or should not, negate the valid elements of it.
The county court held that this argument had merit and awarded a significantly reduced sum of $157,000 to the insured as a gross figure. From that were to be deducted costs and benefits already received, with the likelihood being the insured would see little if any of that money. The court recognised the non-meritorious elements of the claim and dealt with them accordingly.
The insurer appealed the award, seeking to void the claim. Upon review the SC, possibly surprisingly, found favour with county court judge’s award.
The SC’s main contention was that ‘punishment’ for the exaggerated elements was adequately dealt with by reasonable assessment of the damages in cognisance of the non-meritorious elements and with a concomitant diminution thereof. The SC saw no need to dismiss the claim in its entirety, which would constitute a ‘throwing out of the baby with the bathwater’ but acknowledged that this may be a remedy in exceptional circumstances that the court had the right to exercise.
Now, as a legal doctrine, effectively enshrined in common law, the historic approach was persuasive but not binding and as the common law, does, it has now evolved. This, though, is also now an implied term in any (UK-based) insurance contract and as such, contravention of it stands as a breach of contract. Notwithstanding its status, the assessment of damages remains broadly the same.
At first glance, one might think the doctrine as it has stood for some time now (implied term notwithstanding) ought to be persuasive, but upon reflection there is a logic to the SC’s ruling.
Damages claimed are rarely 100 per cent accurate; that is why 100 per cent recovery is rare. Granted, this was an extreme case (and begs the question of a fraud, which is separate matter altogether and no doubt a further measure that the insurer may pursue at its discretion). But relying on the court to exercise its discretion in awarding damages that reflect the context of a particular case is already a circumstance that exists.
If a claimant (or respondent) unnecessarily costs the court time and money, for example by failure to attend or through progressing issues that have no reasonable expectation of success the court can and does, reflect that behaviour when assessing the award of damages and costs.
The approach taken by the SC in the instant case, is in reality no different.
I thought most insurance contracts already did, but I suspect now that contracts going forward will have the ‘Uberrimae Fidei’ obligation as a very clear contractual condition (as opposed to an implied term) a fundamental term, breach of which will be fatal to contract and which will avoid the opportunity for the above decision to be persuasive.
Joe (I.Eng. MICE, PMP) is qualified civil engineer and project management professional with a .....
Tom Sands
This appears to be a common sense outcome.
Whilst the man concerned was obviously wrong to exaggerate his claim, that seems like a basis to strike out the exaggerated or illegitimate elements of his claim rather than the legitimate elements.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1020
|
__label__cc
| 0.641271
| 0.358729
|
My Goodreads review of “Radicalized”
July 10, 2019 July 10, 2019 / Sue Burke / Leave a comment
Radicalized by Cory Doctorow
This book isn’t a novel, it’s four novellas – but I like short fiction, so that’s fine. The stories are all united by “our present moment,” as the cover says. I think some are more successful than others, but they all capture a truth about what’s happening now.
“Unauthorized Bread” explores the ways that technology and laws can control poor people and take from them what little money and freedom they have. They fight back, and the story dives deep into exactly how they rebel with a satisfying level of detail. The happy ending, though, seems a bit strained, although I want to believe it.
“Model Minority” has one big plot hole the story can’t successfully explain away. How did the superhero American Eagle, who is not stupid, spend so many years on Earth in the United States and not know the basic facts about racism? The lectures to get him up to speed seem didactic – which doesn’t make them any less true. He learns there’s no super-strength shortcut to justice.
“Radicalized” left me with one question. In the story, people who have been screwed over by health insurance companies decide to take revenge against the executives who sentenced them or their loved ones to needless suffering and death. My question: Why isn’t this happening now? The anger is out there and easy to find.
“The Masque of the Red Death” is a modern retelling of an Edgar Allan Poe story. A rich guy holes up in a bunker to escape the ravages of a catastrophe. He and his friends are arrogant asshats, and they get what’s coming to them. It’s a brutal kind of fun to watch them fail while the key to survival lies elsewhere.
Chernobyl thirteen years ago
Welcome sign to Chernobyl. Photo by Sue Burke
I’ve uploaded a new article to this site, Chernobyl: the half-life of war. I visited Chernobyl in 2006, twenty years after the disaster, then I came home and wrote about what I’d seen and learned.
Despite all my pre-visit research, the site wasn’t what I expected. It was grim, but not entirely: flowers were blooming at the Visitor’s Center, the forest was thriving, and the charm of the abandoned city of Pripyat was still apparent. During my visit, I learned that much of the radiation had sunk into the soil, where it was brought up by trees. A forest fire would release the radioactivity, so the forest rangers had to closely monitor the area, ready to act. It was neither a wasteland nor a fit place to live.
A recent HBO miniseries, Chernobyl, has dramatized the disaster. A bigger question remains: Why did it happen? In my article, I conclude that it was caused by desperate energy policies as the Soviet Union tried to win the Cold War. The Cold War ended, in part because of the Chernobyl disaster, but energy policies around the world remain desperate and misguided, and the world is still preparing for war. Fresh disasters hulk on the horizon.
My translation of “Techt” by Sofia Rhei: one tricky little success and one lingering failure
June 26, 2019 June 26, 2019 / Sue Burke / Leave a comment
Aqueduct Press recently released Everything Is Made of Letters, a collection of short stories by Sofia Rhei. She’s an accomplished author with an engaging personality, and we became friends while I was living in Spain.
I originally translated her short story “Techt” for the anthology Spanish Women of Wonder. Sofía tells a thoughtful, touching account of an old man living in poverty in a hostile future. Language has become debased as well — or perhaps as a consequence — and can no longer express complexities. He strives to maintain what literature and “long” language have to offer humanity: sophisticated ideas, beauty, and a life of richer meaning.
Aqueduct Press put up a sample of its book, and it includes the full text of “Techt.” You can read it here.
Overall, I’m satisfied with my translation. I think I handled one tricky little detail effectively. A chart on Page 17 of the book shows “Alphabet 100,” a simplified form of communication using symbols, and the text explains what some of the most frequently used symbols mean. In the original Spanish:
@ – a, K – que, Ð – de, & – además
Literally translated, it says:
@ – at, K – that, Ð – of, & – also
I saw that the meaning of @ and & are the same in English, so I didn’t need to change them for the translation. K presented a problem that was easy to solve: K is used in English as an abbreviation for OK, and I could substitute that meaning without doing violence to the original text.
Ð in Spanish has been used, especially in old documents, as an abbreviation of DE (of), but the symbol has no common use in English. I could have asked for the symbol to be substituted for something else in the original chart in the text, but I knew it would be so much easier to find some sort of adaptation. I researched until I discovered one.
It turns out that Ð is a letter in Old and Middle English, and it represents the sound of “th” in “the.” That substitution would work. Problem solved!
I couldn’t figure out how to solve anothe problem, and I feel bad because I failed. The original text features debased oral language: “Ké zer nau?” “Yob’m film!” “Nvío urgent. Krtera decir tú sign.”
My translation: “Wat du nao?” “Job’n film!” “Erjnt mes. Caryer say yu ident.” (They make more sense in context, don’t worry.) I think that’s a reasonable translation except for one thing. The original, you might notice, is Spanish heavily influenced by English.
English. It has a growing hegemony in the world, imposing itself on other languages, and its presence in debased discourse in the story implies something significant to Spanish-language readers. English is cool, thus Spanish is not as cool, so English is used needlessly in Spain these days in a way that doesn’t always advance or enrich communication, which breeds resentment among some Spanish-speakers. This article published by an important watchdog of the Spanish language, Fundéu BBVA, tries to refute the idea that English is the “enemy” of Spanish. The fact that the idea needs refuting tells us it exists.
I could not figure out how to express the subtext in the story that English has helped deteriorate Spanish, since English is the culprit here. Sometimes it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. The story “Techt” stands strong even without that missing detail, but my instinct as a translator is to bring you everything a reader in the original language would have understood and everything the author was trying to say. I failed, and it bothers me.
My father: some of his little-known, not always licit, achievements
June 16, 2019 / Sue Burke / Leave a comment
My father, Richard Burke, died in 1996 of complications from prostate cancer.
Here are few things not everyone knew about him:
He played on the defensive line of the Marquette University’s Golden Avalanche football team during the late 1940s. To earn a little money on the side, he also briefly (and secretly, since it was forbidden by college sports rules) fought as a professional wrestler under the name “Tiger Dick.”
When he was cut from the team, he was drafted into the Marines, where he served as a Marine sharpshooter and MP. He was also a semi-professional gambler at the time, and he and some fellow Marines opened a clandestine casino on base — but only for about a month because “that’s how long the bribes lasted.”
(I’m not a great card player, but he taught me some useful strategies that I don’t share with potential rivals, so don’t ask.)
He never had occasion to face combat, but as an MP he once stopped an attempted rape. He warned the perpetrator, “Halt or I’ll shoot!” and, since the circumstances required it, he would have shot to kill. He recalled that incident with pride at his resolve to do what he had to do without hesitation. The perpetrator wisely halted.
He went on to work in supervisory positions in heavy manufacturing. He eventually held three patents. He also raised four children, adored his wife, enjoyed pro and college football, could fix anything as a handyman, and was an excellent sport fisherman.
Later, he capitalized on his long experience in manufacturing to do some industrial espionage. He said the spy work wasn’t especially sneaky. He would simply observe what a company was doing during a public factory tour, for example, and since he understood manufacturing processes so well, he could deduce their secrets.
When he retired, he volunteered to lead tours at historic Fort Concho in San Angelo, Texas, headquarters to Pecos Bill and the Buffalo Soldiers.
“Semiosis” is a finalist for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award
Finalists for this year’s John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction novel have been selected, and Semiosis is on the list! I am deeply honored.
The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel , or Campbell Memorial Award, is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best science fiction novel published in English in the preceding calendar year. It is the novel counterpart of the Theodore Sturgeon Award for best short story, awarded by the same organization.
(The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer is a different award presented along with the Hugos at Worldcon. Yeah, I was confused at first, too.)
The Campbell Memorial Award will be presented in Lawrence, Kansas, on June 28. This year’s jury included Gregory Benford, Sheila Finch, Elizabeth Anne Hull, Paul Kincaid, McKitterick, Pamela Sargent, and Lisa Yaszek.
The full list of nominees:
• Semiosis, Sue Burke (Tor)
• A Spy in Time, Imraan Coovadia (Rare Bird)
• The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)
• Time Was, Ian McDonald (Tor.com Publishing)
• Blackfish City, Sam J. Miller (Ecco)
• Moon of the Crusted Snow, Waubgeshig Rice (ECW)
• Theory of Bastards, Audrey Schulman (Europa Editions)
• Unholy Land, Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon)
• Space Opera, Catherynne M. Valente (Saga)
• The Freeze-Frame Revolution, Peter Watts (Tachyon)
• The Loosening Skin, Aliya Whiteley (Unsung Stories)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1022
|
__label__wiki
| 0.705939
| 0.705939
|
International Journal of Open Access Autoimmune Diseases
Ilker Ates
Ankara University, Turkey
I’m working as an associate professor in Department of Toxicology, Ankara University Faculty of Pharmacy. I’m working as a toxicologist in my department for nearly 20 years. I’m interested in genetic, occupational toxicology and immunotoxicology. My studies are mainly focused on cytokines and related gene polymorphisms as indicators of individual susceptibility for assessment of genotoxicity. Additionally, DNA damage and repair, immunotoxicology and occupational exposure are the other topics. I’ve got several international and national publications in reputable scientific journals and also I’ve got many congress and symposiums posters. I worked in projects supported by my university or other scientific organizations as investigator or researcher.
Immunotoxicology
Gene polymorphisms
DNA damage and repair
M.Rajajeyakumar
TRICHY SRM MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTER, India
I, Dr. M.Rajajeyakumar, MBBS, MD (Physiology), MSc Yoga, CCEBDM (PHFI), (PhD), has completed his MD Physiology,(2006-2009) at JIPMER. I worked as research assistant. I published more than 71 research papers and serving as an editor and expert reviewer of many national and international journals. I have been invited for honorable guest Speaker in Fitness-2015. I was selected as Speaker and chairperson for 12th,13th& 14 th Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference-3rd, 4 th & 5 th International Conference on Faculty Development in the Health Professions, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS, Singapore. I presented a scientificresearch paper in World Diabetes Congress. I have been honored and received 10 awards, nationally and internationally. I have been appointed as scientific referee for extramural proposal evaluation. I have been designated as one of the national medical expert faculty in the DOCTORS NEET ACADEMY-DNA. I have been appointed from India, as international OCM for more than 29 various International conferences all over the globe.
I have been actively involved in medical, biomedical, and yoga research. My special research experience is in autonomic, cognitive, cardio-respiratory, neurophysiology and medical education. I had trained with basic Physiological procedures including human and animal experimental physiology; pulmonary function test (PFT), autonomic function test (AFT), HRV (heart rate variability), EMG (electromyography), & NCS (nerve conduction study).
Marcella Reale
University Chieti- Pescara, Italy.
I am a professor of General Pathology and Immunology at “G.d’Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, Italy. I received my Biological Sciences degree from “Alma Mater Studiorum”University of Bologna, Italy and my PhD In Experimental Medicine from “La Sapenza”,University of Rome, Italy.I have authored of 140 peer-reviewed publication and 3 book chapter in neuroimmunology, inflammatory diseases and cytokines (Orcid n. 0000-0002-4164-8781). My research deals with the inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration
My interests include thecytokines/chemokines network, mechanisms for a7nAChR–based pathways in establishingproduction of inflammatory cytokines as possible strategies for therapeutical intervention bynew drugs in allergy, autoimmune diseases and neurodegeneration. I have many years ofexperience in research laboratory management and leadership. I enjoy teachingundergraduate and graduate medicine students at G.d’Annunzio” University.I am referee of 35 National and International Journals, and member of 5 International Editorial Boards
Ajay Vikram Singh
Stuttgart University, Germany
Ajay Vikram Singh received a Master of Science degree (MSc) in Biotechnology from Pune University, India, in 2005 and a Ph.D. in Medical Nanotechnology from the European School of Molecular Medicine (SEMM) in Milan, Italy in March 2012. He is currently working as a postdoctoral scientist at the Department of Physical Intelligence at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Stuttgart, Germany. His research interests include understanding the bio-physicochemical interactions at the nano-bio interface which regulate protein adsorption and are instrumental in the development of drug and gene delivery vectors, scaffolds for tissue engineering, smart prosthetics, and lab-on-a-chip devices. Within this realm, the idea is to pattern and apply micro/nano-hybrid features as surface topography and chemical cues to device protein as a molecular switch to on-off stem cell differentiations. Further, development of bioinspired micro-nanorobots for advanced drug delivery are other areas of research interests.
Micro-nanorobots
Advanced drug delivery
Stem cell differentiations
Aaron Lerner
Aesku.Kipp Institute, Germany.
B. Rappaport School of medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of technology, Haifa, Israel.After receiving his MD from the Sakler school of medicine, Tel-Aviv University (1976), Professor Lerner specialized in Pediatrics ( 1982 ), Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition ( 1984 ) and Adult Gastroenterology ( 1987). Took several senior positions as head of Department of pediatrics (1995-2005) and head of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition unit, at the Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. Finished his Medical Management degree M.H.A, at Ben- Gurion University, Beer-Sheba, Israel (1999), spent research sabbaticals in Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA, USA (1991), State University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C, U.S.A (2005) and currently, involved In scientific projects in Aesku.Kipp Institute, Wendelsheim, Germany.(2014-17).
Mucosal immunology,
Apoptosis, autoimmunity,
Diagnostic serology,
Celiac disease,
Inflammatory bowel diseases,
Nutritional deficiencies,
Iron absorption,
Industrial food additives,
Intestinal permeability,
Microbial transglutaminase,
Gluten side effects and
Horizontal gene transfer in human gut.
Giulio (Filippo, Giacomo) Tarro
Foundation T. & L. de Beaumont Bonelli for cancer research, Italy
Giulio Tarro graduated from Medicine School, Naples University (1962). Research Associate, Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital (1965-1968), Assistant Professor of Research Pediatrics, College Medicine (1968-1969), Cincinnati University, Ohio. Oncological Virology Professor, Naples University (1972-1985). Chief Division Virology (1973-2003), Head Department Diagnostic Laboratories, (2003-2006). D. Cotugno Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Naples; Emeritus, 2006 -. Since 2007 Chairman Committee of Biotechnologies and VirusSphere, World Academy Biomedical Technologies, UNESCO, Adjunct Professor Department Biology, Temple University, College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, recipient of the Sbarro Health Research Organization lifetime achievement award (2010). His researches have been concerned with the characterization of specific virus-induced tumour antigens, which were the "finger-prints" left behind in human cancer. Achievements include patents in field; discovery of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in infant deaths in Naples and of tumor liberated protein as a tumor associated antigen, 55 kilodalton protein overexpressed in lung tumors and other epithelial adenocarcinomas
His basic researches have been concerned with antigens induced early during the replication cycle of human herpesviruses. Another study has involved the identification, isolation and characterization of specific virus-induced tumour antigens, which were the “finger-prints” left behind in human cancer. Achievements include patents in field; discovery of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in infant deaths in Naples and of tumor liberated protein as a tumor associated antigen, 55 kilodalton protein overexpressed in lung tumors and other epithelial adenocarcinomas.
Alok Raghav
Aligarh Muslim University, India
I am Dr. Alok Raghav Ph.D Endocrinology, worked on “Studies on glycated albumin and its clinical relevance in diabetes and its associated complications” under Prof. Jamal Ahmad.I submitted the entry for the award in Gandhian Young Innovation Technological Award and also in Knimbus Young Innovator award. I was among the top 20 entries throughout the country for my idea and got the appreciation certificate also. I have been felicitated with the young scientist award at Integral University, Lucknow during an International Conference for the best paper presentation in oral category. I have also received prestigious Elsevier travel award for attending the international conference in Miami, USA. Aligarh Muslim University, also given me travel award for attending the International conference at Budapest, Hungary. The prestigious and rarest award from Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India also given me a cash prize travel award for presenting research paper at RSSDI Hyderabad. I have published 34 research papers in peer reviewed journals.
Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Stress, Food
Hypersensitivity,
Nanotechnology,
Molecular biology,
Regulatory Toxicology,
Diabetes mellitus,
Immunology,
Tissue engineering,
Pancreatic cells.
Hypersensitivity, Nanotechnology, Molecular biology, Regulatory ToxicologyHypersensitivity, Nanotechnology, Molecular biology, Regulatory ToxicologyvcTissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Stress, Food
Hypersensitivity, Nanotechnology, Molecular biology, Regulatory Toxicology
Chan Kam Tim Michael
Baptist University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Dr Chan Kam Tim Michaelis a practicing private Dermatologist in Hong Kong. He received his Fellowship from Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (FHKAM)(Medicine) as a registered Dermatologist since 1998. He received his post- doctoral training in University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997. He is now the Vice President of the Association of Integrative Aesthetic Medicine (AIAM) in Hong Kong.He has been the Editor of Hong Kong Journal of Dermatology and Venereology from 2002 to 2007. Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Medicine in The University of Hong Kong From July 2007 to June 2009. He also fulfilled his part time lectureship in the Baptist University of Hong Kong in teaching a Master Course on Public Health and Common Goods for the Public since 2013. Currently, he is the Adjunct Professor of the Master Course of Common Goods and Public Health in the Baptist University of Hong Kong since 2018.
Epidermal skin barrier and the Nervous system
Sensitive skin syndrome and Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Pathways
Acneiform facial skin eruption and Rosacea; pathogenetic mechanisms
Psychodermatology and Neurodermatology
Daohong Chen
West China University of Medical Sciences., China
I am currently a USA citizen, and director of new drug discovery center/research institute of biological medicine at Yiling Pharmaceutical, Shijiazhuang/Beijing, China. I had a MD, PhD (molecular pathology) degree from West China University of Medical Sciences. I did my postdoctoral trainings (cell biology and immunology) at University of Oxford, UK and Harvard Medical School, USA. I was working as a research faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical School and Indiana University Simon Cancer Center for 8 years. Besides, I was also a new drug discovery scientist in oncology at Eli Lilly and Company (USA) for 6 years. I have so far published 40 biomedical science-based articles in peer-reviewed journals.
My major scientific interest is treatment-associated cancer/autoimmunity research.
Zhang, Yongxin
Zyxell Inc., USA
Yongxin Zhang, CEO and president of Zyxell Inc., graduated from Beijing Medical University (Beijing, China) for his MD in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1989, and completed his postdoctoral training in Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, USA) in 2004 for molecular virology and immunology. In these periods, his studies include transplantation immunology, pathogeneses of viral hepatitis, HIV vaccine and immunoassays. He worked as a physician in china for more than 10 years before he came to US and he worked for Methrogen Inc., Regenetech Inc, and several other companies as a senior scientist or director of research for over 10 years after he came to US. His research areas include Immunology, Microbiology, cell transplantation, stem cell technology and bioreactor development. His very recent studies have been more focused on cancer immunology.
Blockage of CTLs and NK cells-induced, cancer cell immune evasion-related MHC class I signaling pathway in cancer cells
Reduction of HSC immune rejection by Crispr/Cas9 modified HLA Gene expression
Cancer stem cells-related cancer immune evasion
Reversal of immunosenescence
Saif ullah afridi
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan
Dr. Saif Ullah Afridi has recently completed his PhD in Molecular Medicine with Immunology specialization from one of the renowned Institutes of Pakistan,(PCMD) (ICCBS) University of Karachi, Pakistan. Currently, he is working as Assistant Professor at (CADR), COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) Abbottabad, Abbottabad-22060, Pakistan.He has expertise in immune system regulation and vaccine development for their therapeutic applications. Has newly identified MLEs potentially accelerates antigen specific immune response by targeting MHC class II molecules. He is interested to study the key features playing an active role in the immune system regulation by targeting Regulatory T cells to overcome autoimmunity during nemours immune pathological conditions.He is also interested to investigate the role of antigen specific T cell activation in specific immune response. On the other side, he is focusing on nanoparticles based immune therapy to cure numerous immune pathological conditions which will create a new window for improving health care. He has built these skills after years of experience in research, evaluation and teaching both in PhD and post PhD educational careers.
ELISA assay
FACS assays
DELFIA assay
Hem agglutination
Immuno-histochemistry
Competent Bacteria Formation
Transfection, Infection & Transformation
Well trained in Cell Culture by German Professor(Worked on these 17 cell-lines)
Obeagu, Emmanuel Ifeanyi
University Health Services , Nigeria
Obeagu, Emmanuel Ifeanyi born in Amede, Eha- Amufu, Enugu State,His Ph.D is from Nigeria in Haematology,and received his M.Sc in Haematology in Imo State University, Owerri and his Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science is from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria.He attended and obtained NCE, 2003, and obtained FSLC. He received 2 international research awards in 2017 as World Academic Champion in Medicine and World Academic Champion in Diagnostics and 2 international Fellows and included among world 500 most influential public health experts on earth 2017 and included among Global Infectious Diseases Control Experts. He received 27 International awards. He is a research oriented person. He has published more than 300 research and review papers in reputable international journals and editor and reviewer to more than 70 International Journals. He has reviewed more than 86 papers as a reviewer for many Journals. He is working in Diagnostic Laboratory Unit, Department of University Health Services, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.
He has research interest in Heamtology and Blood Transfusion, Immunology, and Public Health. He has been enlightening the world with his scientific contributions.
Tanja Grubić Kezele
University of Rijeka Faculty of Medicine (, Croatia
Researcher working in a field of Neuroscience (experimental), autoimmunity and human behavior (quality of life and fatigue). Working with the people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and in the future on Rheumatoid arthritis and vitamin D.
Active participation in search projects:
Impact of Exercise on "Invisible" Symptoms and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis Individuals
(https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03768830),2019
The Impact of Exercise Training on Living Quality in Multiple Sclerosis Individuals
2008th to 2014th "Morphogenetic properties of stress proteins gp96 and metallothionein"; 062-
0621341-1337; Prof. Biserka Radošević-Stašić, PhD,
2012th to 2014th "Croatian Anatomic and Physiological Terminology-HRANAFINE"; 07.01 / 46; Head of the PhD, Marin Vodanović,
From 2014. "Cytoprotective and Immune Regulatory Properties of Glycoproteins and Methyltioneins", 13.06.1.1.16, Head of Prof Biserka Radošević-Stašić, PhD,
From 2014 "Functions of metallothionein in demyelinating caused by kuprizon", 13.06.2.2.58, directed by Prof. Hrvoje Jakovac, PhD
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1026
|
__label__wiki
| 0.51933
| 0.51933
|
McConnell Expects Senate To Complete Debt Deal Wednesday (VIDEO)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced a new plan to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling Wednesday on the Senate floor.
“It’s my hope that today we can put some of those most urgent issues behind us,” McConnell said. “After yesterday’s events the Majority Leader and I began a series of conversations about a way to get the government reopened and to prevent default. I’m confident we’ll be able to do both those things later today.”
McConnell added that he hoped that the government would be funded at sequester spending levels.
“I’m also confident that we’ll be able to announce we’re broking the government spending reductions that both parties agreed to under the Budget Control Act,” he said.
McConnell concluded by saying that the GOP fight to defund the health care law is not over, but for today he is focused on funding the government.
“For today, the relief we hope for is to reopen the government, avoid default and protect the historic cuts we achieved under the Budget Control Act.,” McConnell said. “This is far less than many of us had hoped for, frankly. But it’s far better than what some had sought. Now it’s time for Republicans to unite behind other crucial goals.”
Watch below:
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1027
|
__label__cc
| 0.524125
| 0.475875
|
Chainsaw Caine Interview
Posted on September 26, 2006 by Olivier in Needs Reviewed // 0 Comments
CHAINSAW CAINE INTERVIEW:
Rock has produced its fair share of memorable characters over the years but few were as outrageous as the eye patch wearing and chainsaw wielding front man of Slave Raider, Chainsaw Caine. Perhaps age has tamed the wild man (or has it?), but he still delivers with his 80s tribute act Hairball and has branched out into booking and running his own digital download store. In this exclusive interview Chainsaw Caine proves that even domestication can’t stop him from always being Bigger, Badder & Bolder.
SR: What are you up to musically these days?
CC: Well for one thing, I’ve gone over to the dark side. I’m a partner in a booking agency in the Twin Cities called Absey Entertainment. I play in a popular 80’s spoof impersonation act called Hairball (www.hairballrocks.com). And I’ve got my own online digital download store where you can find some of my material and some of my groups at www.burnlounge.com/burntwincities. All music related business ventures and I’ve never been happier. I might have been happier in the Slave Raider days but I just can’t remember.
SR: I just checked out the Hairball website and those shows look like lots of fun. How are the crowds at these gigs, and did you ever imagine you’d end up impersonating people like Bret Michaels and Freddie Mercury?
CC: When Father Time told me it was time to give up my dream of being a rock star, he told me I could still dress up, pretend and poke a little fun. By the way, I don’t do the pretty boys. I leave that up to the other singer, Rockstar Bob. I still have some of the old Saw in me and he was never pretty. The crowds are huge. It’s a lot of fun. I have always been an entertainer first, musician second and the entertainer in me won’t stop. Don’t matter what I do as long as there’s an audience.
SR: When did you realize you should give up on the rock star dream, and what do you think of other bands from your era still kicking about with revolving door memberships?
CC: You know I had a nice run at it. I think Raider had all the potential in the world, it’s just the music biz. It’s not like if you’re a star athlete and you’re great at what you do you’re gonna be a professional athlete if you’re at the top of your game. It’s all up to you. In music, you have to be great, get a great management team, get the RIGHT label deal, have the moon in just the right position, get a great promotion team together, and then the public has to get it. That’s a lot of outside factors all coming into play. I spent my 20’s playing in cover bands with a few releases, and didn’t form Slave Raider until I was 29. So by the time we did our thing and ran our course, I was in my mid- 30’s. Then I did some solo work and another project called U.K.I. (The Unstoppable Kamikazee Idiots) with a release, all of which are available at www.burnlounge.com/burntwincities, suddenly, I had become an old man overnight. Never saw it coming.
As far as what others are doing, they probably want to entertain just like I do. That’s the only way they know how. More power to em. You’d probably expect me to bag on those guys and it would make for good press. The young Saw probably would have obliged you. Keep probing me tho, maybe we can get him to come out to play yet.
SR: Now I’m curious, what’s the difference between the ‘young Saw’ and the Saw of today?
CC: Age, maturity, wisdom, sobriety, a wife, 4 kids, two dogs, two cats, two new cars instead of a beat up rusty Dodge wagon with no muffler. Common sense, responsibility, debts up the wazoo, getting up at 7 in the morning instead of going to sleep at 7 in the morning and best of all I have a memory again. I heard I had a lot of fun back then, ‘I did what last night?”
SR: Even though you play in a tribute band, do you still write songs on your own?
CC: No. Not any serious writing anyway. I do some spoof stuff for Hairball where we change up some already existing lyrics kinda like Weird Al style. You know, like Heart “Bag O’ Fooda” and “What About Lunch” or Judas Priest “Livin In The Closet”. Harmless good natured ribbing stuff, unless of course you’re the subject or a huge fan.
SR: Why do you think so many artists from your era are now part of tribute/cover bands?
CC: The almighty dollar. Done properly, it’s much easier to market for a niche audience than just a straight up cover band. Original acts have never been able to make money gigging until they build huge followings through lots of free playing. Or start out as cover bands like Slave Raider did, then add in the original music. Most of the artists from my day still would rather make money playing instead of working a straight gig. When I first realized I couldn’t make enough money to support my family, I quit playing for a while and started roofing. Talk about a shock to the system after 17 years of full-time rock and roll. I never want to do that again.
SR: Do you think it is even harder to get people out to gigs these days then when you first started out?
CC: Absolutely. Most drinking age laws in states are now 21 when a lot were 18 or 19. The legal limits are .08 instead of .10. You got smoking bans popping up all over. Can you say Big Brother. Then you have more competition from Casinos everywhere, more people are staying home with their computer games, internet, and in home movies. And of course, the invention of Meth. I’m glad that wasn’t around when I was younger.
SR: How did you get into music and when did you realize you wanted to make a career out of it?
CC: I have always been a huge music fan. When I was 3 years old I used to listen to my parents phonograph for ever. I danced to Lawrence Welk in our living room and went to the V.F.W. with my dad and danced for quarters from the ladies there. When I got out of high school, I just started telling people I was a singer until I got into a working band and never looked back.
SR: The Chainsaw Caine character was over-the-top, when did you decide to take on this outrageous personality?
CC: Just like a fine wine, Chainsaw developed with time. I spent the first nine years of my career in Wisconsin with a band called Grey-Star. Ruby Starr, who recorded with Black Oak Arkansas on “Jim Dandy To The Rescue”, was the other singer. We recorded two records and played all around the U.S.
I decided to go out on my own in 1983 and moved up to the Twin Cities. I have a wandering eye from an injury I had in my teens. Consequently, I always had trouble with eye contact off stage. No one could figure out where the hell I was looking. When I started the new group in Minneapolis I decided to turn a negative into a positive. Thus the addition of the eye-patch and the birth of Chainsaw. The Slave Raider name is from early pirate history. From there I just got more and more into this new persona which eventually completely took over. I mean, I really became this guy full-time on and off stage. This was both a good thing and bad at the same time. Chainsaw Caine was one wild and crazy maniac with one thing in mind. Party till you puke. I consider myself fortunate to have survived. People tell me to this day how much fun we had and how I gave them some of the greatest times in their lives. I just wish I could remember more of it.
SR: That sounds similar to Alice Cooper’s problems in the early 80s. How did you finally separate the onstage and offstage personalities?
CC: After the breakup of Slave Raider, I did a solo project and recorded an EP “The Devils Drivin My Car”, which of course is available at my digital download store www.burnlounge.com/burntwincities. After a year of doing shows, I finally had to come to grips with the reality of the fact that I couldn’t make enough money to support my new family. I had gotten married and had three kids by that time. I began to try to figure out what I was going to do to make ends meet. I quit playing, got a job roofing and began to settle in for a more normal lifestyle.
After about five months of that I got an offer to become a booking agent for bands. This was my saving grace. After a year developing my business skills, I went back out to play as a weekend warrior. I got back together with the guys from my solo project and formed U.K.I. We played out for about 8 years and recorded one self titled CD. You know where you can find that by now. Just as Chainsaw developed over time, Mike Findling slowly got his life back. I realized with the responsibility that comes with family, I had to make sure I was not putting myself at risk anymore. I had other people to think about. I could no longer afford the luxury of the selfish lifestyle that was once Chainsaw Caine.
SR: Was it difficult to take the stage sober when you returned and to continue to keep your two identities separated?
CC: I have only been sober the past five years. So I have been performing that way only in Hairball. During my transition periods of the 90’s, I just gradually slowed down. I still did foolish and risky behavior, just not as much or as frequent or as extreme. I was a major stoner. I loved pot and probably never played a gig until Hairball in which I wasn’t stoned. I still drank some beers too. It’s the coke and crazy stuff that I began to get away from. I never thought I could be happy without pot. I found out I was wrong. Some of my most favorite parts of my life have now come with sobriety. I still love performing and while I’m not the wild man I once was onstage, I’m a lot more consistent. I’ve been told a lot that I still have that presence. That just comes with the fact that I’ve been performing for thirty years now. Yea, I’m an old f***er. Like Jethro Tull said, ‘You’re Never Too Old To Rock And Roll, Just Too Young To Die.”
SR: You mentioned earlier that after Grey-Star you relocated to the Twin Cities. How come you didn’t head to Los Angeles like most aspiring musicians of the time?
CC: The Twin Cities is a major music market, maybe #3 or #4 in the nation. At that time there was also a big money market in cover bands which is how Slave Raider started out. I also had a former agent I worked with here to help me develop the project and didn’t know anyone in L.A. or New York.
SR: What was the Twin Cities scene like in those days? What bands impressed you the most?
CC: When I first got to the Twin Cities everyone told me metal would never work here. They had the Prince movement going on and The Replacements and Husker Du were doing their thing, whatever the hell that crap was, Critics loved them though, hated us. But the fans didn’t. We played the first year outside the Twin Cities to develop the act and when we came in, we just took over. Within 6 months we were drawing huge crowds. And I’m talkin rabid, foamin at the mouth kinda fans. When we released our first recording of “Take The World By Storm” independently, those people haunted the big radio station KQRS into finally playing us on a nightime rotation. That station never supported independent releases, but had to give in to the demand.
In 1986 we attended our first Minnesota Music Awards and won all four Heavy Metal category honors. Prince performed at that show and I still remember when we made our entrance all decked out, Jerome from The Time who was at the door said, “Damn, would you take a look at that, what the hell is that.” We sat next to Soul Asylum and they won for Best New Band. They busted the award up and were using it for an ash tray. Now I liked those guys. Everything else I hated cuz that’s how I was in those days. I just loved to verbally abuse everyone else in the biz, it was my thing. Obnoxious, outrageous, outspoken. My calling card.
SR: How many enemies did your outspokenness get you? Any war stories about dust-ups with other bands?
CC: Are you kidding me. That was a joke right. How many of those sissy boys were gonna stand up to The Saw. I mean, you’ve seen the pictures haven’t you. 6′ 2 190 lbs. with a Chainsaw in hand. Nobody said nothin not no how. Intimidation was my game and I played it well.
SR: I always thought Slave Raider’s strong point was anthems. What goes into writing a catchy anthem?
CC: Writing is an art that develops over time and ends up just flowing out. By the time I started writing for Slave Raider, I’ll bet I had written 300-500 songs already. There was one extremely emotional time in my life where I had written about 150 songs in a three month period. You can really write when you’re screwed up. Except it’s all depressing crap. That’s what made Kurt Cobain such a good writer. He was totally messed up. I never really understood that. Fame fortune and the greatest job in the world and you’re bummed out. Maybe that’s what kept me from being a great writer. I was having too good of a time. I didn’t hate my life. I had a positive attitude.
Anyway, back to the main part of your question, I loved big sing-along chorus hooks and that’s the kind of stuff that was coming out of me at that time. The guitar players I worked with fed me music hooks that set me up for those types of tunes. I just listened to what they did and let the melody flow out. Then I started putting lyrics to the melody.
SR: The Slave Raider albums go for huge money now, any plans to reissue them? Or how about releasing some stuff you have in the vaults?
CC: Jive has the rights to the first two Raider discs. No plans for anything Raider. No shows, no releases. I believe that chapter is closed. Yea, I wish I would have stashed some of those first two discs. I’ve seen em go for over $100. Even Bigger, Badder, Bolder has sold for a lot. Did I mention you can download that at my digital download store at www.burnlounge.com/burntwincities? Always sellin baby.
SR: Is Jive still in business, and is there no way of getting the rights back if you wanted to?
CC: Jive is still one of the biggest. I’m sure there’s always a way if we wanted to get them. But it would cost I’m sure and we’ve all moved on.
SR: It seems like every 80 rock band is returning for one last try. Can you ever picture Slave Raider doing the same, or is there some bad blood there?
CC: No bad blood. We did our fair share of reunion dates with the last one being at the Minnesota State Fair with Poison in 2003 or 2004. That was a nice show to go out on. I just don’t think there’s a market to support what the band would want to make.
SR: What are the former members of Slave Raider doing these days?
CC: Lance Sabin is one of the owners of IPR, The Institute of Production and Recording. The number one ProTools school in the nation. Nicci Wikked is a computer consultant and I’m told is one of the tops in his field. Letitia Rae works at Blue Cross Blue Shield and Rock is teaching drums to about a million students in Madison Wis.
SR: I never saw Slave Raider live, but with Chainsaw being so abrasive in the earlier days, what was a typical live show like?
CC: Without a doubt, the live show was Raiders strongest area. First off, the players in the band were world class. The Rock on drums was an incredible foundation. The guy never put his sticks down and was very visual with all the usual tricks as well as a fire solo complete with tons of pyro. Audience participation all night. From singing sections of the songs or the established question “What d’ya say” response “F***in A. An occasional Chainsaw chop up of Michael Jackson, political figures, sports figures of opposing teams or anything current in the news and hated. But mostly it was about the audience and getting them involved to create a party atmosphere. Never before or after have I seen a band and audience bond in the way we did with The Raid.
SR: Tell us about the other ‘dark side’, your involvement with the booking agency. Does that make you appreciate the other side more then before?
CC: I joke about going over to the dark side (the business side of music) because I went through so many agents/managers and just didn’t feel they really cared that much about their artists. Plus they always had the money and artists are always broke. Probably nothing to do with no sex and drugs for Ian, David. A lot of the business people have never been through what it takes to be a rocker.
Enter the new breed. Chainsaw, agent for the little guy. In all seriousness, I feel because I’ve been there, I can better understand the needs of the artist. I know if a band turns down a gig because they don’t like the place or the staff or whatever the reason, that’s okay. Let’s move on to the next place. Some agents think it’s crazy to turn down anything and you should take work when it’s offered. They don’t understand the dynamics of entertaining and the fact that it has to be fun too. That’s a big part of why we rock, to have a good time. It’s certainly not about the money until you get to be my age.
But for me, I was in my 40’s and still playing for $100 a night. It wasn’t until the audiences quit caring. That’s when I hung it up for a few years. Everyone got so spoiled by MTV and concerts on TV and overexposure to major shows where they had seen it all. My guitar player in U.K.I. (Unstoppable Kamikazee Idiots) was doing somersaults while playing and people were just like, yea well, seen that before. Man, for $100 a night it was no longer worth it. I want to turn people on. Give them a great show and have them appreciate it. Now with Hairball, that’s happening again.
SR: How involved are you with the day to day operations of your download site? Also, what are your feelings on the whole mp3 controversy?
CC: I can’t answer the mp3 question because I don’t know what controversy there is. As far as my digital store at www.burnlounge.com/burntwincities this is my newest passion. I got involved in June 2006 and with the industry changing from CD to digital this market is set to explode. Burnlounge is the only company out there that lets the fans and musicians come together and get a piece of the profits. I got involved as an artist at first to be able to put my music on my own store site and get a much larger royalty than I could with any record company. I can distribute my music through the internet with no manufacturing costs. Buyers can sample the music before purchase and then I can sell the newest Red Hot Chili Peppers at the same time. I am also able to get others involved by building their own stores, teach them marketing strategies and profit from the business they do. I have found not only are artists involved, but people like Dale Earnhart, Jr. Danica Patrick, Pro basketball players Jason Kidd, Shaquille O’Neal, Football and baseball players, doctors and lawyers. Some of the major artists like Kenya West, Kiss, Metallica, Ted Nugent, James Brown, Willie Nelson, and Justin Timberlake all have bought stores. Anyone interested in teaming up with the Saw can register through my store. I finally found a music business related venture out there I can really sink my teeth into. Maybe Sleaze Roxx would be interested in opening a store. Get a hold of me.
SR: As far as the mp3 controversy, I was talking about Metallica vs Napster, the RIAA suing downloaders, etc.
CC: That’s where Burnlounge comes in for the good of all. Legally licensed with all the major and independent labels so all the labels and bands get paid. Then the fans or retailers make a share of the profits. That’s why Metallica is a Burnlounge Retailer. They see the value this has on a struggling industry. The free download sites out there are getting shut down and rightly so. Besides, they come loaded with viruses and spyware. Nothin is free baby.
SR: Are there any new bands in the mainstream today that impress you and have the same energy the 80s rock bands made famous?
CC: For the first time in my life I am not on top of upcoming artists.
SR: What are some of your most outrageous musical memories?
CC: In New York shooting the video for Youngblood I went to an all-nighter after the shoot and when I came out the vehicle we were in had been stolen with my stage clothes and chainsaws in it. I figured great, now I’m gonna get framed for murder or something. In London while recording “What Do You Know About Rock And Roll” we got hit with a 3000 pound phone bill at our flat because the phone was left off the hook all night and seemed to run units all night long. In Bismarck, N.D. the guys had to drag me away from a second floor railing because I was sure I could make it to the pool if I jumped. There was at least 10-15 feet of concrete before the pool and in my state would never have made it. Just the usual 80’s rock stuff.
SR: What would you like Chainsaw Caine to be remembered for when your career finally comes to an end?
CC: Just that I entertained and gave as many people as possible good times and great memories. Thanks for the opportunity to share my past and present with you and your readers. Take care. The Saw.
Thanks to Chainsaw Caine
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1029
|
__label__wiki
| 0.555492
| 0.555492
|
Why do Journalists need Security?
Last week, at the Internet Freedom Festival in Valencia Spain, I was privileged to join a conversation lead by Latin American journalists and trainers discussing the importance of security in their work. Latin American trainers present spoke eloquently about the risks and their work supporting journalists in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
In 2014 the Committee to Protect Journalists reported about widespread impunity in the murder of journalists. Impunity has continued throughout last year, and even increased. The countries mentioned above may be the worst but are not the only countries in Latin America where murders of journalists routinely go unpunished.
The session invited participants to discuss not the risks to journalists, but instead the reasons why journalists need security. We approached the topic as journalists, considering the "5 W's of Journalistic Self-Protection."
While the session was advertised to be Spanish only, there was such a large turnout we hosted 5 breakout groups, two of which for English speakers. At the conclusion of the event, groups presented their report back on the reasons they discussed why, where, and when journalists need security, as well as how and what can be done to increase journalist security.
It was an engaging and valuable session, and it is especially important to bring the voices of journalists in Central America to the community of digital security and journalism trainers. I'm looking forward to hear more about their work, and discussing how Small World News can better support journalists in Central America to remain safe on the job. After the murder of two more journalists in Guatemala this week, it's clear that improving the security of journalists in Central America will remain a dire need for the foreseeable future.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/c0y62ortx6coxgdnuh99hf862d0dtq
A Q&A about Security First's Umbrella App
Last fall, Security First released an interesting new app, Umbrella, that "provides all the advice needed to operate safely in a hostile environment." I've been looking forward to it's release, since hearing about it from their team at RightsCon last year in Manila. I had a bit of time to check the app out, and decided to send them a few questions to better understand their approach. I'll be providing my own review of Umbrella in another post, but you can see their responses to my questions below, posted in full. My questions are in bold.
Umbrella's technology tips seem to focus largely on non-mobile computers, such as desktops and laptops. Why did you focus so much on this type of computing?
Do you think a mobile app with tips focused primarily on desktop and laptop computers will be beneficial to most users?
· We really wanted Umbrella to be an easily-accessible, but comprehensive, source of security advice. That means providing advice on how to operate securely across all your devices, whether mobile or otherwise – someone who uses a secure messaging app on their phone, yet still uses an insecure platform on their desktop is not operating securely. Plus digital security is only one element of what Umbrella addresses – it also covers the physical and psycho-social elements of security.
· Moreover, we will actually be creating desktop interoperability for Umbrellain the coming year, so that users can also read the content and manage their checklists from their computer if they change between devices.
How did you decide what source materials to use?
· Umbrella’s content has been sourced from best practice security manuals and digital security guides. It’s content which we have worked with in our trainings for years. Everything from ODI’s Good Practice Review and the ECHO Security Guide for Humanitarian Organisations to EFF’s Surveillance Self-Defense and Tactical Tech’s Security in a Box. There are 8 or 9 main sources that we reference and link to in the app, but the true scope of sources is an awful lot broader. Writing the content was a (very!) long process of reading all the relevant material we could find and trying to distil the advice. (We found them by speaking to activists, journalists and humanitarian workers about what they currently refer to for digital and physical security and plain old research, which came to hundreds of documents and articles.) Where there were sources that already did that to some extent, and were a useful place to send users for further information, we’d reference them.
· There are also some lessons, such as Counter-Surveillance and Meetings, that we wrote from scratch, based on the qualifications of team members, as there was no appropriate existing content.
Security in a Box is, at this time, quite dated, why did you look there as a primary source, and why do you think it's advice remains relevant?
· I wouldn’t say that Security in a Box is Umbrella’s primary source. We do of course reference it a lot in the information and communications sections, because we wanted to direct users to where they could find more information wherever possible, and in many instances Security in a Box was one of the only available resources that thoroughly described a tool or problem.
· There are obviously parts of Security in a Box that refer to tools which are no longer widely used, and we don’t push users to those parts I don’t think, but there are also some lessons that absolutely remain relevant and useful.
At SWN we've found that training tools and lessons that are heavy on information transfer can be hard for users to retain. did you consider more interactive means for users to engage with the material and demonstrate their understanding? Why did you not include quizzes or other methods besides text and checklists for users to assess their understanding and preparedness?
· We couldn’t agree more! The checklists was our first attempt at making the content interactive/ adaptable and we can already see that they’re one of the most useful elements of the app. The only reason we haven’t included more yet comes down to time and resources. Our first grant was for building the primary content elements, but we’re now looking at how to better engage users by finding interactive ways to remind them of information, reinforce behaviour, and reward implementation. This will likely include elements such as adaptive quizzes, two or more player games for colleagues, testing, a ticket system for task completion, unlocking of levels, and instructive imagery and videos. We hope to work closely with SWN to utilise the knowledge and code you guys gained on StoryMaker!
How has adoption been so far?
· Umbrella has been out for a few months now and has almost 2000 installs and that number is growing and picking up pace. We’re seeing large organisations and donors pushing it out to their partners and grantees – and we were delighted to see that, on a number of occasions, activists told them they were already using it. Most satisfying though, is individuals without connection to traditional NGO digital/physical security structures and training who come across it and find it useful. Especially as with Umbrella and our other work – we aim to bridge a gap which we see between these various fields. For example, humanitarians tend to be stronger on physical security but bad on digital, whereas human rights folks tend to be the opposite.
Are you getting much feedback from users?
· The vast majority of Google Play reviews are 5 star, but obviously what we’re interested in is substantial feedback from people who we know are our target users, so that’s what we’ve been seeking out. It’s been really positive so far. We’ve been hearing that users are delighted to have all this information, on both digital and physical security, together in one easily-accessible place – many had previously been relying on huge, out-dated PDF manuals. People are really happy with usability and navigation, and also the interconnectedness of lessons and adaptability of checklists. We’ve had a lot of requests for translations (which we are working with OTF and the Localization Lab on), an iOS version and a desktop version. Some users are also looking for localised versions and the option of journo/activist/aid worker specific versions – so the ability to better tailor advice.
What can you say about who the users are, or can you tell me about a notable use case?
· Our users are activists, journalists and aid workers. Because we don’t collect identifiable data on our users for security reasons, we can’t give you much quantitative information about who they are and where they’re from. However we’ve heard from direct and in-direct feedback that its being used by people such as activists in Egypt, Israel and Zimbabwe, journalists in Iran and Mexico, and aid workers in Afghanistan.
· One of the most interesting uses we heard of recently was that of a Mexican journalist using Umbrella to prepare before heading out to a remote area in the mountains to cover the military operation searching for El Chapo Guzman – it was an interesting contrast with some more widely publicised security efforts!
What have you learned while creating Umbrella that you didn't expect?
· Trust your teams instincts and experience. Balancing design and security wishes of users with their actual practices is tricky. For example, when conceptualising design issues around content, users told us they wanted lots of content and information, yet the reality once they got it was different – they wanted the opposite. Ditto some security features, for example, many initially told us they wanted to be forced to have to input a longer password each time they opened the app – yet once they got to the user testing point, you find that they disliked this, and retention with strong password requirement was low, so we had to find other ways to protect user information.
What are your next steps for Umbrella?
· Right now we’ve just added support for Guardian Project Ripple. Their panic button sends a signal which closes Umbrella, logs the current user out and removes the app from recently used list.
· In the coming year Umbrella’s development will be focused on three main areas:
Increase Umbrella’s functionality: We want to add several functions toUmbrella: We want to help users streamline the process of preventative planning through sharable planning forms; We want toimprove users’ awareness of the specific risks they face by improving the dashboard functionality; We want to integrate existing tools where practical and safe to do so; and we want to allow for greater tailoring and customisation throughout the app.
Broaden Umbrella’s access: Clearly, at-risk human rights defenders reside in more than English-speaking countries – we want to broaden access to as many languages as possible. We have already had requests for translation into many languages, but for practicality’s sake, we will begin with Arabic and Spanish before considering other languages. We also want to make sure that those with using desktops can also useUmbrella. (We plan to create an iPhone version of the app onceUmbrella 2.0 is complete)
Improve content and usability of Umbrella: We want to ensure that each how-to guide is as clear, concise, intuitive and tailored to users in the field as possible. While the existing app is highly functional, we want to make sure it is a pleasure to use, so as to encourage retention. We want to better engage users by finding interactive ways to remind them of information, reinforce behaviour, and reward implementation. We obviously need to ensure that content remains up-to-date and relevant. We also want to improve the system for users contributing to and collaborating on content.
What else should I have asked you about that I didn't yet?
· I liked this question from Al Jazeera a while back…
· How will the app help an activist/journalist in case of an emergency situation such as arrest?
Umbrella can help users prevent as well as react to attacks. For instance, if an activist or journalist is going to partake in, or cover a protest, Umbrellatells you what precautions to take before you go, such as what tools you should download on your phone, what plans to make with colleagues, and how to evaluate the likely risks you’ll face. If something happens at the protest and the activist/journalist is arrested despite these precautions,Umbrella’s advice and the tools recommended will help them easily alert colleagues to their emergency and location, help them protect their work and contacts by encrypting their communications and devices (if safe and legal to do so), and help them understand how best to respond physically and mentally to arrest and questioning. It further helps users after such a situation occurs with practical advice on dealing with stress.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/a-qa-about-security-firsts-umbrella-app
Trainer Profile: Indira Cornelio
This is the third in a series of profiles intended to showcase the trainers who work with Small World News and StoryMaker. We are very proud of our network of local trainers and want to share their stories with the global community of mobile media activists and educators.
Name: Indira Cornelio
Professional Experience: Indira has been working in ICT 4 social change since 2010. She has lead workshops in Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Argentina, and Colombia. Her work most often focuses on communication strategies, metrics, basic digital security, and multimedia production. She is currently studying media practice for development and Social Change at the University of Sussex. Prior to beginning her work in media development she studied Advertising and Public Relations.
How did you get into media training?
I started working on media training in a Mexican NGO called REDDES, where we started exploring and training in the use of digital tools for advocacy. Since then I have been training different groups in the use of digital tools to promote their causes, and working with them to use the tools they have in their hands.
I have been working with NGOs and advocates in Mexico and Nicaragua. In Nicaragua I worked with transgender women in a campaign called Somos Iguales a Vos, where we worked in generating content like graphics and video, to share with the population of Managua what is like to be transgender in the country.
In Mexico I have worked with different type of NGOs and causes. One of the latest projects I worked on was Voices of Women, a project where we gathered 20 women advocates to improve their media skills. We had 4 encounters in different parts of Central Mexico, where we introduced them in the use of video, photography, social media platforms and digital security. The NGOs that participated in the workshops are SocialTIC, La Sandia Digital, Subversiones and WITNESS.
Why do you think media training is important for your country, regionally, globally?
I believe it is important for advocates to learn how to use media, as nowadays they have access to a great amount of production tools, like digital platforms that can easily help them produce posters and infographics to better communicate their idea. They have mobile phones and cameras that are more affordable and allows them to film for documentation, or to produce videos to share their messages.
That is why the media training is so important. Now the tools are in their hands but it is extremely important for them to learn how to use the tools strategically, how to create compelling messages and how to improve their distribution.
What was an experience that illustrates why training is important to you?
One of the greatest experiences was working with transgender women in Nicaragua in a campaign called Somos Iguales a Vos. I learned how meaningful and life-changing teaching digital media skills can be. It can help another person realize the many things she is capable of doing and a new way to share her story.
Somos Iguales a Vos is a transgender women initiative based in Managua, after working with them over a year, they learnt how to use video, how to create infographics, how to intervene streets to approach to the people and deliver their message. As we started with the process, the people that formed the collective started identifying what type of media they felt more comfortable with, some of them identifying blogging as a way to share their stories, some of them used more infographics, and others started working on ideas to produce vlogs (videoblogs) and to interview people in the streets about daily Nicaraguan issues.
For communities like transgender in countries like Nicaragua, it is sometimes hard to deal with the discrimination and violence in the street, so we worked on scripts to ask people about transgender rights as a way to get them to talk about the topic. Video became a tool for them to start a conversation.
Tell us one thing you would like to share with people who might be interested in media development but have no experience.
Sharing your skills and helping others take advantage of the tools they have already in their hands is one of the most enriching experiences.
Tell us about the media scene in Mexico.
The media collectives in Mexico are playing a very important role nowadays as witnesses and dissemination points of the hard human right abuses that are happening. Stories about gender violence, kidnaps, drug cartels violence are not being shared by mainstream media and now it is an alternative option or struggle to keep on telling these stories.
In cases like Ayotzinapa it has been the alternative media like Subversiones and collectives like Rexiste who have worked to document and keep on with the story, supporting the people involved.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/trainer-profile-indira-cornelio
StoryMaker 2 Officially Launched
We are proud to announce the release of StoryMaker version 2.0 out of Beta!
Get it today: Download StoryMaker 2
It has been just over a year since the generous support of StoryMaker Coalition member Free Press Unlimited enabled us to rethink the interface and core functionality of the app in the fall of 2014. StoryMaker was originally imagined as a tool to help anyone learn to make and share better stories, with or without internet access. The ongoing support of Free Press Unlimited enables us to release StoryMaker 2.0 today out of beta. The coordinator of Free Press Unlimited's work on StoryMaker, Bethel Tsegaye, had this to say, "We have seen citizen reporters go from amateur storytellers to professional journalists, making professional quality stories. The app enables journalist to report on issues as they happen. With StoryMaker, people realize even more how powerful their smartphones are in getting voices heard."
The final release out of beta comes with the inclusion of a Catalog of new content packs. These content packs are separated into three categories: Lessons, Guides, and Templates. StoryMaker Product Manager Steve Wyshywaniuk explains the release of StoryMaker 2.0 this way, “StoryMaker 2 is a step forward for media training. We now have our entire curriculum localized for Persian and Kirundi speakers, as well as the original Arabic curriculum. The ability for users to learn a new concept and practice immediately with an activity will help people learn much faster.”
In this video, Steve demonstrates some of the key features newly available in StoryMaker 2.0.
The release of StoryMaker 2 coincides with the fifth anniversary of the Egyptian government’s decision to disconnect the internet, virtually cutting off the rest of the world. Applications which depended on the internet to create and share content, or learn new skills could not function. One of our initial goals was to create a tool that anyone could use to learn and create their own stories, regardless of connectivity. We’ll soon be deploying StoryMaker 2 to Cuba, where internet connectivity is virtually nonexistent. The ability to load content packs from a computer will be key to helping users who are largely offline and receive software largely by manual, offline distribution.
Brian Conley, head of training and curriculum at Small World News expressed his excitement at finally releasing the powerful new catalog to the public, “Ever since we tested the theory of putting our training exercises directly into StoryMaker, with step-by-step guidance, I’ve been excited to get our guides into the hands of users. This year I’m looking forward to building on our new guides, Mobile Photo Basics and Learn to Make Better Video, and releasing a lot more.”
The StoryMaker Coalition is a collaboration between Small World News, Scal.io, The Guardian Project and Free Press Unlimited to develop and implement theStoryMaker application. The Coalition has trained more than 700 journalists, human rights defenders, and aidworkers working in more than 20 countries. At the time of writing, the StoryMaker app has been downloaded by more than 140,000 users around the world, including journalists, civil society members, and activists.
*This post edited to add StoryMaker Coalition text and quote from Free Press Unlimited.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/storymaker-2-out-of-beta
A Year of Big Goals for Small World News
2015 has been a year of many changes at Small World News, beginning with the decision to hire longtime collaborator John Smock as Interim Director. Over the past year, we’ve seen that decision bear fruit in many ways. As a team, we started this year with some big goals: We reworked StoryMaker. We developed several new guides and resources. We did a comprehensive redesign of our site to better promote our existing materials and core competencies. And, we worked on several cool projects with partners active in places like Cuba, Libya and Iran.
2015 was a very productive year for Small World News. Under John’s guidance we’ve launched a redesigned site. The site features regular blog posts aimed at better engaging the community of activists, journalists and media trainers was a core theme. Our posts have profiled fellow trainers, shared news about our work, our colleagues, and provided a platform to better share our experience..
In the past year we’ve produced seven new learning tools, from the massive Persian localization of our StoryMaker Introduction Series, to the Mobile Photo Basics course, and a curriculum for a one-day Mobile Video Workshop, as well as a rethinking of our guides on producing individual stories for audio, photo and video. These guides complement work from the previous year, including our Social-First journalism guide, the Kirundi-localization of our Introduction Series, and radio scripts for training citizens to help them collaborate with professional journalists -- even with phones that have only basic SMS and voice capability .
This has been a hard year for journalists, including our colleagues in Morocco. Although their trial has been postponed, it has not been cancelled as we’d hoped. In addition to our colleagues, citizen journalists and activists continue to be targeted by governments around the world. In 2016 we aim to continue supporting journalists around the world to learn the skills they need to act ethically and responsibly, and resist media suppression.
As we close out the year we’ll be hard at work prepping the new learning modules and finalizing a big update to StoryMaker 2. This work will result in the release of StoryMaker 2 out of beta.
With all the work we have ahead of us, this will be our last post for the year. We’ll be back in January and are looking forward to announce not only the forthcoming release of StoryMaker 2, but other exciting new developments as well.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/a-year-of-big-goals-for-small-world-news
Journalism Education: Still Critical for StoryMaker
Before StoryMaker even had a name we envisioned a tool to help citizen journalists, activists and amateurs to make content with strong storytelling quality and the highest journalistic standards. Three years later, that goal is just as important as ever.
Social media continues to be a vector for sharing rumors, untruth, and inaccuracy. The vector seems to be getting worse, whether it’s a political candidate claiming Muslims celebrated the September 11th attacks (they didn’t) or news outlets on Twitter sharing reports that imply a passport found near the body of one of the Paris attackers proved he was a Syrian refugee (it didn’t).
The easy availability of fact-based and accurate information is one of the most effective tool for combatting rumors and propaganda. Communities need nuanced, intelligent journalism that endeavors to get the story behind the story. In countries where the media is still emerging, or tightly controlled, journalism education is critical. We want to ensure StoryMaker can help individuals become journalists and contribute to creating an informed public.
Education and Critical thinking is essential to an informed public. We are in the process of producing a large collection of new guides for use in StoryMaker. In addition to the Mobile Photo Basics pack, we’re producing a series of packs that will help you craft the story you want, make news reports, and even host your own mobile video workshop.
Inside the StoryMaker app and online via our wiki you’ll soon be able to access the revamped StoryMaker lessons as the “Introduction Series,” in several languages. In addition we are exploring guides on a variety of themes:
News Reporting - These new guides will focus on providing users with straightforward instruction about collecting and presenting all the relevant information on the topic they are reporting. Thus far in StoryMaker we have provided users guides primarily via a “New” button, but this requires users to answer questions each time they want to start a story. Instead we will provide guides user can access by choosing a specific medium or a specific format for story they want to make.
Specific Stories or Events - We realize that users may also be most interested in looking at guides based on how to report on a specific topic, such as a protest, election, or breaking news event. The revamped lesson catalogue will let users do that. The guides will be selections taken from the more general reporting guides, edited slightly to focus on the specific topic.
Journalistic Standards in Reporting - Finally we’re examining some new lessons to improve user’s ability to meet journalistic standards. These will focus on technical skills such as recording narration, as well as qualitative skills such as how to make ethical choices when reporting breaking news.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/journalism-education-still-critical-for-storymaker
Morocco: Colleagues on Trial
On Thursday, November 19th, several trainers affiliated with Small World News and our partner Free Press Unlimited will go on trial in Morocco, accused of threatening the security of the state. SWN is appalled at the Moroccan authorities’ mistreatment of our colleagues in particular and journalists in general. Today we hope you will take a stand with us and call on the Moroccan government to void their charges.
You can take action by signing this letter from Frontline Defenders, and sending it on to Morocco’s Minister of Justice.
Small World News first worked with journalists and activists in Morocco when we ran a Training of Trainers workshop in Rabatin June, 2013. SWN co-founder Brian Conley found trainees ambitious to increase the independence of Moroccan media and improve the quality of journalism in the country. The Centre Ibn Rochd d'Etudes et de Communication (the Ibn Rochd Centre for Communications Studies) has held numerous workshops since our ToT. But nearly one year ago, after increasing pressure from the Moroccan government, the Centre announced it would close at the end of 2014.
After a campaign of harassment including confiscation of mobile phones for use in a mobile journalism training, investigations were opened into a number of trainers involved with the Ibn Rochd Centre. Initially Samad Ayach, project coordinator at the Centre, was interrogated, and banned from traveling. Since August, three other trainers have been interrogated in relation to these activities: Maria Moukrim, Karima Nadir, and Hicham Mansouri. Hicham is currently in prison on a charges of adultery. He maintains the charge is a reprisal for his critique of the Moroccan government.
As a result of the investigations, each of these individuals as well as Maati Monjib, former director of the Ibn Rochd Centre, Mohamed Elsabr, and Rachid Tarek, are facing a trial that begins this Thursday, November 19th. Today we join Free Press Unlimited and twelve other organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Article 19, calling for the Moroccan authorities to drop all charges against our colleagues. Free Press Unlimited has written a statement of support for the Moroccan trainers soon to face trial.
According to Human Rights Watch the Moroccan authorities “have increasingly suffocated independent media, which flourished in the 2000s. A mix of police harassment, unfair trials delivering heavy fines to outspoken journalists and media, and royal palace-orchestrated advertisement embargoes drove many independent newspapers to close.”
At Small World News we stand for the idea that there are no free societies without freedom of the press. We hope you will join us in expressing solidarity for our colleagues in Morocco and calling for their charges to be dismissed. These charges and their chilling effect on press freedom are a threat to us all.
Small World News trainer Mohamed Nasri contributed to this post.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/morocco-colleagues-on-trial
Dronealism?
It seems every few months [insert shiny new thing here] becomes the future of journalism. Drones are the latest harbinger of journalism’s future. The first time I heard the term “dronealism” my immediate response was “here we go again.” I’ve continued to feel that way dozens of times since, each time I hear some variation of: “Drones are going to revolutionize journalism!”
After speaking with Faine Greenwood, co-author of new report on drones, last week about her work examining the role of drones in mapping and humanitarian work, I’ve had to rethink my position. First I’d like to make it clear why I think chasing “the future of journalism” is, by and large, nothing more than a clickbait trope. The American Press Institute’s Journalism Essentials reminds us:
“The purpose of journalism,” write Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in The Elements of Journalism, “is not defined by technology, nor by journalists or the techniques they employ.”... “The purpose of journalism is thus to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments.”
It’s that second point showed me why I need to rethink my attitude toward drones. Faine pointed me to several articles on drones, the one that gives me the most cause to rethink my attitude is about the role drones are playing in providing Indonesian indigenous peoples all-important information that helps them protect their land.
“Radjawali’s drones helped the Dayaks of Sanggau Regency in West Kalimantan to successfully challenge a bauxite mine in court,” Explains Greenwood. “The high-definition maps were hard to argue with, and an indigenous representative was able to challenge the mining company in court.”
This video from the Guardian demonstrates there is obviously a place for drones in documenting mass humanitarian events such as the refugee migration through the Balkans:
However, I would like to leave you with one caveat, while drones may have a place in “The future of citizen journalism,” drones aren’t the answer to everything and likely will never be present truly everywhere. Drones are best used when an individual, journalist or otherwise, sets out to document a specific project for which aerial imagery will provide the best documentation.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that in some communities, drones have a connotation that may never be friendly to the community. In countries like Yemen and Pakistan where drones have become synonymous with civilian deaths, drone journalism’s enthusiasts will have a very hard time gaining broad support from the community.
Smartphones, however, are always with us. They are a tool that has many uses, of which documenting socially important and journalistic events is only an added feature. It’s hard to imagine a future in which smartphones will become less ubiquitous than they are today.
It’s equally difficult to imagine a future where drones become so ubiquitous that they prove DJI Director of Photography Eric Cheng’s bold claims true: “A protest, an accident, a disaster, someone’s going to be there streaming from it.”
The next time someone tells you [insert shiny new thing here] is the future of journalism, be sure to ask them, “How does [shiny new thing] help provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments?”
Unless someone is paying for the creation of that information, or the tools and techniques are as ubiquitous as smartphones, it’s probably not the future of journalism, though it may well have a role to play.
It’s becoming obvious to me that drones have a role to play in documenting not only disasters, but news events, increasing the accessibility of geospatial information, and helping us better understand our world.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/dronealism
Trainer Profile: Mohamed Nasri
This is the second in a series of profiles intended to showcase the trainers who work with Small World News and StoryMaker. We are very proud of our network of local trainers and want to share their stories with the global community of mobile media activists and educators.
Name: Mohamed Nasri
Professional Experience: Mohamed Nasri is based in Kasserine, Tunisia. He graduated with a degree in Business English. Most of his professional work has been related to computers and new technologies. He operated an Internet cafe and has worked repairing computer hardware and software. At the outset of the Tunisian Revolution, Mohamed worked as a local fixer and contact in Kasserine for French and German news agencies covering the revolution and the aftermath.
Media training is a dream for me. In May 2013 i got the chance to participate in a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Morocco, organised by Free Press Unlimited. I was invited by Small World News co-founder Brian Conley to work as a fixer and then as a workshop participant and translator. Since then, the doors have been opened and a new world has been set for me. I have worked with Small World News on two more projects in Tunisia and as a regional coordinator on other efforts in North Africa.
Training for me is a new world because I know how important media training is to my country. We were –– and still are –– living in a post-revolution period of development. Freedom of expression is a master key for success,. The media is an important tool for giving people a voice, but within marginalised regions people are still unable to voice their needs and their opinion. They have no opportunity to tell their stories to the national or international media. That is why Media training in these regions is key. We need to teach people in these regions to tell their own stories. Media Training reduces the gap between regions and allows media to be produced by the people for the people.
As a trainer I will never forget the media scene in Sebha, Southern Libya in 2013. In September of that year Small World News did a training there. The region was in a state of chaos –– like so many other provincial regions in North Africa. Training in situations like this are important because they encourages people to tell important stories and asking questions of government for themselves. I would like to see citizens everywhere more involved in building real democracy, and this is done only by training and convincing people that the future of their country is in their own hands.
For those who might be interested in media development but have no experience, I want to tell them STOP saying “I wish” and start saying “I will.” Always do your best even if you have no experiences, Whatever you plant today, you will harvest tomorrow.
Tell us about the media scene in Tunisia
In post-revolution Tunisia a lot has changed. We now enjoy a great deal of freedom –– freedom of belief, freedom of expression. Tunisian media is now providing a more diverse coverage. Numerous media outlets have sprung up since the old regime was ousted. Tunisians now have access to a wide range of print, broadcast and online sources. We are now talking about alternative and participative media, which is something new for a country who still living in Transitional period.
This new, more engaged approach will encourage every citizen to be part of building democracy for the whole country.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/trainer-profile-mohamed-nasri
Advocating for Ethical Photos
Ethics in journalism, and media creation is something we at Small World News think a lot about. We have produced an average of one new curriculum a year over the last 4 years, not counting localizations of the StoryMaker materials. Each of these provides an entire section focused on teaching Ethics. We are continuously thinking about how to better teach ethics in photography, because too often in the classroom, our students see ethics as an afterthought. Good journalism is about serving the community, and ethics are fundamental to putting the community first.
This is why I was very excited to see our friends at Reboot publish: “Does This Picture Make You Feel Sad? Practical Questions for Ethical Photography.” Reboot is a social impact firm dedicated to inclusive development and accountable governance. The author, Lauren Gardner, explains Reboot’s principles for photo documentation, and the importance of continuing to innovate and evolve their approach, in order to use photos ethically.
I met one of Reboot’s founders, Zack Brisson, in 2009, when he was still working with the Enough Project, an organization dedicated to ending genocide and crimes against humanity. Since Reboot launched in 2010 they have grown dramatically and are doing fantastic work in the area of evaluating impact and improving the inclusivity of development and government programs.
A year ago Reboot shared their principles for “a more empathetic approach to taking and using photos.” It’s admirable to see an NGO take this step, but even more so how they acknowledged in their recent post that it’s been “surprisingly hard to operationalize these guidelines consistently.” Lauren Gardner writes:
A camera is obtrusive. Before taking a single frame, Patrick Ainslie, one of our skilled photographers, gradually introduces it as a non-threatening object. He walks into an interview with the camera slung over his shoulder. As the trust and conversation builds, he progressively makes it more visible—first by putting it on a table, then holding it in his hands.
This is very similar to what we advise, and what photojournalist Amina Ismail recommends in this video from one of our lessons on Ethics in the StoryMaker 1 journalism curriculum. Ismail is Egyptian and covered the country’s 2011 revolution:
I hope you will read their post for yourself, but I want to point out one technique it emphasize, which I found particularly interesting. Reboot doesn’t just explain abstractly to the subject of the photograph how the image will be use. Each of Reboot’s photographers carries, as part of a kit, laminated examples of how photographs may be used.
I find myself largely in agreement with the principles outlined in the post, except for in two areas.I think the disagreement may be due in part to the distinction between SWN’s focus on journalism and fact-based storytelling vs Reboot’s focus on ensuring inclusivity in development work.
Reboot’s policy forbids using imagery that conveys “sadness.” I would never suggest a journalist or documentarian avoid this kind of imagery, however I do teach that journalists must always make an effort to never stage, stereotype, or objectify the subject of an image in order to increase the emotional impact or advocate a specific message.
Finally, Reboot’s Lauren Gardner writes “Our journalistic instincts may steer us toward an image that’s powerful, but that we don’t have permission to use, doesn’t respect the dignity of its subject, or just isn’t right for the context.” There is the potential to read this as if it implies journalists don’t consider permission, subject’s dignity or context. This suggests to me that Lauren believes journalists don’t consider these important issue. I believe she’s wrong, but that itself emphasizes the continuing importance and necessity of teaching ethics in journalism, and an ongoing need to rethink and innovate how we teach ethics.
Link: http://smallworldnews.com/blog/advocating-for-ethical-photos-1
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1030
|
__label__cc
| 0.705599
| 0.294401
|
Collection: Northport - People and Places
Old Northport City Hall
Newly built in 1965, the building housed, not only city government and Northport police, but Northport's first fire department, as well. Prior to April of 1965, the city of Tuscaloosa handled all fire calls in Northport.
The city moved to new…
Northport City Hall Historical Marker
This marker was located at Northport City Hall on Lurleen Wallace Boulevard at 20th Street in Northport. Newly built in 1965, the building housed, not only city government and Northport police, but Northport's first fire department, as well. Prior…
Old Northport Train Depot, circa 1902
This photo shows the old Northport Train Depot. It burned on Christmas Eve in 1923. Ninnie Cummins stands on the left with Richard Pearson on the right.
Tags: Northport
Adams Drug, Northport, circa 1950
Adam's Drug Store was located on the west side of Main Avenue in Northport in what is, in 2014, the left side of Billy's Sports Bar. The store was owned by Carl Adams who hired a pharmacist. In the photo from left to right are Inez C. Shirley, Carl…
Dr. Bell's Drugstore
Dr. Bell's Drugstore was located at the corner of Fifth Street and Main Avenue in Northport, just south of White Brothers General Merchandise Store. A Mr. Barnes (first name unknown) is on the left and Vasa Adams is on the right.
Catalina Motel, circa 1960
The Catalina Motel, now known as the Best Western Catalina Inn, is located at 2015 McFarland Boulevard, west of the Highway 69 intersection in Northport.
G.W. Christian and Company, Northport
G.W. Christian and Company on the northwest corner at Fifth Street and Main Avenue in Northport . Mr. Tom Christian is in the buggy. The building later housed the Spiller Furniture Company and now houses a shop called Gracefully Done.
Christian and Daniel Store, Northport
The Christian and Daniel Store (formerly Shirley and Christian) was a general merchandise store located at Fifth Street and Main Avenue in Northport. The store was built by James Shirley.
Christian and Faucett Store, circa 1880
Christian and Faucett was a general merchandise store located on the northwest corner of Main Avenue and Columbus Street in Northport. The structure in the photo was replaced in 1904 by the G. W. Christian and Co. Building.
Pictured are S.P.…
City Cafe, 408 Main Avenue, Northport
City Cafe in Northport, AL, was opened in the 1940s by Bill Hitt when he returned from fighting in World War II. He owned the business with Hoyt Brasher until the 1960s.
When the men owned City Cafe, it was not the mecca for college students…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1034
|
__label__wiki
| 0.731008
| 0.731008
|
Edwards v. Canada, 2003 DTC 5667, 2003 FCA 378
2003 DTC 5667, 2003 FCA 378
Case tabs
Text of decision
Experimental feature warning
The hosting of judicial decisions on Tax Interpretations is in Beta. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this text.
The text-formatting is also in development. The final version will be more polished than what you see here.
Docket: A-534-02
Citation: 2003 FCA 378
CORAM: DESJARDINS J.A.
NOËL J.A.
MALONE J.A.
KELLY BRIAN EDWARDS
Heard at Ottawa, Ontario, on September 24, 2003.
Judgment delivered at Ottawa, Ontario, October 14, 2003.
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY: NOËL J.A.
CONCURRED IN BY: DESJARDINS J.A.
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
[1] This is an appeal from a decision of Rip J. of the Tax Court of Canada (2002 D.T.C. 1856), in which he dismissed the appeal filed by the appellant with respect to the assessment made by the Minister of National Revenue (the Minister) for the 1997 taxation year.
[2] The issue is whether the Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income between Canada and the People's Republic of China (enacted by S.C. 1986, c. 48, Part III) (Canada-China Tax Treaty, Agreement, Treaty, or Convention) applies to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC). If the Treaty applies, the appellant's 1997 employment income, which he earned from employment as an airline pilot with a commercial airline company based in the HKSAR, would be exempt from taxation in Canada pursuant to Article 15(3) of the Treaty, and the appellant would be entitled to a corresponding deduction under subparagraph 110(1)(f)(i) of the Income Tax Act (the Act).
[3] Article 15(3) of the Tax Agreement provides in its relevant part that "remuneration in respect of an employment exercised aboard a[n] aircraft operated in international traffic by an enterprise of a Contracting State, shall be taxable only in that Contracting State”. The term “enterprise of a Contracting State” is defined as an enterprise carried on by “a resident of a Contracting State” (Article 3(1)(g)) which term is defined in turn as “a person ... liable to tax therein”, i.e., in that state (Article 4).
[4] Subparagraph 110(1)(f)(i) in its relevant part provides:
110(1) For the purpose of computing the taxable income of a taxpayer for a taxation year, there may be deducted such of the following amounts as are applicable:
110. (1) Pour le calcul du revenu imposable d'un contribuable pour une année d'imposition, il peut être déduit celles des sommes suivantes qui sont appropriées:
(i) an amount exempt from income tax in Canada because of a provision contained in a tax convention or agreement with another country that has the force of law in Canada,
(i) une somme exonérée de l'impôt sur le revenu au Canada par l'effet d'une disposition de quelque convention ou accord fiscal avec un autre pays qui a force de loi au Canada,
[5] In dismissing the appeal, Rip J. found that, although, since July 1, 1997, the HKSAR has formed an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Treaty was not intended by the parties to apply to the HKSAR. It followed that the appellant’s employer was not a "resident of a Contracting State" nor an “enterprise of a contracting state” within the meaning of Article 4 and Article 3(1)(g) respectively and, consequently, that the appellant could not rely on Article 15(3) of the Treaty in the computation of his 1997 income.
[6] The matter proceeded before the Tax Court on the basis of a Partial Statement of Agreed Facts and Documents, segments of which have been reproduced in Annex I to these reasons as background. The essential facts are outlined in the following paragraphs.
[7] The Canada-China Income Tax Agreement Act, 1986 implements the Treaty, which was signed on May 12, 1986.
[8] The appellant, Kelly Brian Edwards, was a commercial airline pilot employed by Veta Ltd. (Veta), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Ltd. (Cathay Pacific). During the relevant time, the appellant was a resident of Canada.
[9] Under the terms of subsection 8(1) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112, the appellant was required to pay salaries tax to Hong Kong prior to July 1, 1997, and to the HKSAR of the PRC from July 1, 1997 on his income from employment with Veta.
[10] Cathay Pacific is incorporated, registered and resident in Hong Kong. During the relevant time, Cathay Pacific was liable to pay profits tax to Hong Kong in accordance with the Inland Revenue Ordinance before July 1, 1997 and to the HKSAR in accordance with the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 from July 1, 1997.
[11] On July 1, 1997, sovereignty over Hong Kong reverted to the PRC, at which time it became the HKSAR of the PRC. Since then, all the laws of the HKSAR derive their authority from the PRC.
[12] Up to the time of devolution, Hong Kong was a source based low tax jurisdiction recognized as an international financial centre which did not tax its residents on their universal income. As such, Hong Kong had no interest in entering into comprehensive double taxation avoidance agreements and was not a party to any such agreement with any country
[13] In conformity with the Sino-British Joint Declaration concluded in 1984, the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC promulgated on April 4, 1990, with effect July 1, 1997 (the Basic Law), had the effect of preserving Hong Kong’s legal system including its taxation system and its vocation as an international financial centre.
[14] Specifically, Article 8 of the Basic Law provided for the continuation of the laws previously in force in Hong Kong and Article 108 provided for the preservation of its tax system as an independent taxation system.
[15] The HKSAR has been governed accordingly since 1997. It has not entered into any double taxation avoidance agreement since devolution (except with the Mainland of the PRC), and does not consider itself bound by any of the international tax treaties to which the PRC is a party (there were 54 such treaties as of 1997).
[16] Similarly, the PRC has not extended any of the double taxation avoidance agreements to which it is a party to the HKSAR although Article 153 of the Basic Law empowers it to do so.
[17] In an exchange of correspondence taking place in March 2001, the governments of Canada, PRC and HKSAR each took the position that the Treaty did not apply to the HKSAR.
[18] In November 2001, a representative of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs sent a third person diplomatic note to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affaires stating the Canadian government's position that the Treaty did not apply to the HKSAR and requesting that the PRC confirm its agreement in this respect. A similar note was sent to the Hong Kong Department of Justice.
[19] The Chinese government replied stating its agreement in the following terms:
[TRANSLATION]
Article No. 108 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China governs that HKSAR implements an independent taxation system. Therefore, the aforementioned agreement does not apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and a company incorporated and resident in, and with its place of head office and place of management in, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is neither a "resident of a Contracting State" nor an "enterprise of a Contracting State" within the meaning of Article 4 and Article 3, paragraph 1(g), respectively of the Agreement.
[20] The reply from the Hong Kong Department of Justice also confirmed the Canadian government's position.
[21] The interpretation of international taxation treaties requires an approach which differs from that employed in the interpretation of ordinary statutes as regard must be had to the intention of the parties to the Treaty. In Crown Forest Industries Ltd. v. Canada [1995] 2 S.C.R. 802, the Supreme Court of Canada held that courts must use a purposive approach. Writing for the Court in that case Iacobucci J. stated:
In interpreting a treaty, the paramount goal is to find the meaning of the words in question. This process involves looking to the language used and the intention of the parties.
[22] Looking first at the language used in the Treaty (the relevant provisions can be found in Annex I), it does not appear that it was intended to apply to Hong Kong or to the HKSAR. While the Treaty contains no explicit statement to this effect, articles 2(1)(b) and 3(1)(b) when read together make this relatively clear: Article 3(1)(b) of the Treaty defines the PRC in terms of where the laws relating to Chinese tax apply, while article 2(1)(b) lists the four Mainland taxes (i.e., taxes not having application in Hong Kong or elsewhere outside of the Chinese Mainland) to which the Treaty shall apply. Indeed, this was the opinion expressed by Professor Baker with respect to the corresponding provisions in the China-United Kingdom taxation treaty:
Similarly, the convention with China defines “China” as “all the territory...in which the laws relating to Chinese tax are in force...”; Chinese tax is defined to cover only those taxes in force in the Mainland (so as to exclude Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan – thus avoiding a difficult diplomatic issue in making it relatively clear that China’s treaties will not apply to Hong Kong after June 30, 1997). (PP. Baker, Double Taxation Convention and International Tax Law, 2nd edition, (London: Street and Maxwell, 1994) paragraph E-03).
[23] The appellant accepts the opinion of Professor Baker insofar as the China-UK Agreement is concerned but points out that while the definition in the UK Treaty does not use the words “when used in a geographical sense”, the Canadian Treaty does. According to the appellant, this qualification restricts the definition of the PRC in the Canadian Treaty to one that is strictly geographical. As the PRC is otherwise undefined, the appellant argues that it must be understood in its juridical or political sense which, since July 1, 1997, includes Hong Kong.
[24] In making this argument, the appellant loses sight of the fact that both the Canada and UK Treaties define the PRC in a geographical sense, that is by reference to where, within the territory over which the PRC asserts its sovereignty, Chinese taxes apply. The fact that the Canadian Treaty says so explicitly and that the UK Treaty does not is in my view immaterial. Both delineate the scope of the respective treaties by reference to the same geographic definition of the PRC.
[25] In this respect, reference may usefully be made to the technical interpretation of the comparable provisions in the USA-China Tax Convention which was signed at approximately the same time as the Canadian Treaty. This Treaty bears the same language as the Canada Treaty including the geographical qualification which the UK Treaty omits. Despite this, the US competent authorities have expressed the view that Hong Kong is excluded from the definition of the PRC based on the same reasoning as that advanced by Professor Baker in relation to the UK Convention:
The geographical territory of the two Contracting States is defined to include their continental shelf areas to the extent consistent with international law and their respective domestic laws. ... The “People’s Republic of China” does not include Hong Kong, as Chinese tax laws are not in effect there. Moreover, in accordance with the Agreement between the United Kingdom and China on the future of Hong Kong, the taxes imposed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will continue to be independent of the tax laws of the Central People’s Government, and therefore the Agreement will not apply to Hong Kong even after 1997 (Treasury Department technical explanation - U.S.-China Treaty for the avoidance of double taxation).
[26] The appellant has been unable to demonstrate why this reasoning, which flows from the language of the Convention, should not apply to the Canada-China Tax Treaty.
[27] With respect to the intention of the parties, this case is straight forward in that
the contracting states have expressed their agreement, by exchange of diplomatic notes, that the Treaty was not intended to apply to the HKSAR. The appellant argues that little weight should be given to this expression of intent. This argument, which was vigorously pursued during the hearing, is best stated by reproducing paragraph 97 of the appellant’s memorandum of fact and law:
...such [diplomatic] notes should not be given such weight in the interpretation of the Tax Agreement as to effectively override retroactively the natural meaning of the text of the Tax Agreement which is, by reason of the Canada-China Tax Agreement Act, 1986, a Canadian law. It would be an unusual (and undesirable) result if the rights of a Canadian resident under a law of Canada could be affected by agreements between Canada and another country which are not enacted into Canadian law, not published and occur after the time at which the such rights have arisen.
[28] I reject this argument without hesitation. First of all, I do not accept that the construction advocated by the parties goes against the natural meaning of the Tax Agreement. As indicated, the definition of the PRC in terms of where “Chinese Tax” apply, lends itself to the common view expressed by the parties. Second, the evidence reveals that the Canadian government has consistently maintained that the Treaty does not apply to Hong Kong or to the HKSAR and this position has been known in tax circles and accessible to anyone interested since at least 1997. To the extent that the appellant claims to have been surprised by the Canadian position, it can only be because he did not see fit to inform himself.
[29] As was stated by Laforest J. in a passage quoted by Iacobucci J. in Crown Forest (supra) at paragraph 63:
It would be odd if in construing an international treaty to which the legislature had attempted to give effect, the treaty were not interpreted in the manner in which the state parties to the treaty must have intended.
In my view, the commonly expressed intention of the parties is entitled to great weight and should not be ignored unless a contrary intent can be shown in either the words of the Treaty or in some other expression by the parties. No such contrary intent has been shown.
[30] I would dismiss the appeal with costs.
“Marc Noël”
Alice Desjardins J.A.”
B. Malone J.A.”
Partial Statement of Agreed Facts and Documents
A. Facts about the Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement
1. The Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement Act, 1986 being Part III of S.C. 1986 c. 48 promulgates in Canada the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the People's Republic of China for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (the "Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement").
2. The Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement was signed on May 12, 1986 by the Prime Ministers of Canada and the People's Republic of China ("PRC") on behalf of their respective governments. The Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement is generally patterned on the 1977 Model Double Taxation Convention prepared by the Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Development ("OECD") (the "OECD Model Convention") and the Model Double Taxation Convention between Developed and Developing Countries adopted by the United Nations Ad Hoc Group of Experts in 1979 (the "UN Model Convention").
3. The Appellant relies upon Articles 1, 2, 3, 4(1) and 15(3) of the Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement as being relevant to the determination of this appeal. Those Articles provide:
The Government of Canada and the Government of the People's Republic of China, desiring to conclude an Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1: Personal Scope
This Agreement shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the Contracting States.
1. The existing taxes to which this Agreement shall apply are, in particular:
(a) in the case of Canada:
the income taxes imposed by the Government of Canada, (hereinafter referred to as "Canadian tax");
(b) in the case of the People's Republic of China:
(i) the individual income tax:
(ii) the income tax concerning joint ventures with Chinese and foreign investment:
(iii) the income tax concerning foreign enterprises; and
(iv) the local income tax;
(hereinafter referred to as "Chinese tax").
2. This Agreement shall also apply to any identical or substantially similar taxes which are imposed after the date of signature of this Agreement in addition to, or in place of, those referred to in paragraph 1. The relevant authorities of the Contracting States shall notify each other of any substantial changes which have been made in their respective taxation laws within a reasonable period of time after such changes.
1. For the purposes of this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the term "Canada" used in a geographical sense, means the territory of Canada, including any area beyond the territorial seas of Canada which, in accordance with international law and under the laws of Canada, is an area within which Canada may exercise rights with respect to the seabed and subsoil and their natural resources;
(b) the term "the People's Republic of China", when used in a geographical sense, means all the territory of the People's Republic of China, including its territorial sea, in which the laws relating to Chinese tax apply, and all the area beyond its territorial sea, including the seabed and subsoil thereof, over which the People's Republic of China has jurisdiction in accordance with international law and in which the laws relating to Chinese tax apply;
(c) the terms "a Contracting State" and "the other Contracting State" mean Canada or the People's Republic of China, as the context requires;
(d) the term "tax" means Canadian tax or Chinese tax, as the context requires;
(e) the term "person" includes an individual, a company and any other body of persons;
(f) the term "company" means any body corporate or any entity which is treated as a body corporate for tax purposes;
(g) the terms "enterprise of a Contracting State" and "enterprise of the other Contracting State" mean respectively an enterprise carried on by a resident of a Contracting State and an enterprise carried on by a resident of the other Contracting State;
(h) the term "nationals" means all individuals having the nationality of a Contracting State and all legal persons, partnerships and other bodies of persons deriving their status as such from the law in force in a Contracting State;
(i) the term "international traffic" means any transport by a ship or aircraft operated by an enterprise of a Contracting State, except when the ship or aircraft is operated solely between places in the other Contracting State;
(j) the term "competent authority" means, in the case of Canada, the Minister of National Revenue or his authorized representative, and in the case of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Finance or its authorized representative.
2. As regards the application of this Agreement by a Contracting State any term not defined in this Agreement shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meaning which it has under the law of that Contracting State concerning the taxes to which this Agreement applies.
ARTICLE 4: Resident
1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "resident of a Contracting State" means any person who, under the laws of that Contracting State, is liable to tax therein by reason of his domicile, residence, place of head office, place of management or any other criterion of a similar nature.
ARTICLE 15: Dependent Personal Services
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, remuneration in respect of an employment exercised aboard a ship or aircraft operated in international traffic by an enterprise of a Contracting State, shall be taxable only in that Contracting State.
D. Facts about the HKSAR of the PRC
16. The Sino‑British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong (the "Joint Declaration") was signed at Beijing on December 19, 1984 by the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and the PRC.
17. In the Joint Declaration, the Government of the PRC declared that it had decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from July 1, 1997, and the Government of the United Kingdom declared that it would restore Hong Kong to the PRC effective July 1, 1997.
18. On July 1, 1997 sovereignty over Hong Kong reverted to the PRC, at which time Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has formed part of the PRC since July 1, 1997.
19. Article 31 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China authorizes the establishment of Special Administrative Regions on the terms prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress, as follows:
The state may establish special administrative regions when necessary. The systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in light of specific conditions.
20. The constitutional structure of the HKSAR of the PRC is prescribed by the law adopted by the 7th National People's Congress on April 4, 1990 and promulgated by decree of the President of the PRC on that date and effective July 1, 1997, which law is known as the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (the "Basic Law").
21. Article 8 of the Basic Law provides for the maintenance of the laws of Hong Kong after the resumption of sovereignty by the PRC, and for the power of the legislature of the HKSAR to continue to amend such laws, provided that such laws are not in conflict with the Basic Law. Article 8 stipulates:
The laws previously in force in Hong Kong, that is, the common law, rules of equity, ordinances, subordinate legislation and customary law shall be maintained, except for any that contravene this Law and subject to any amendment by the legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
22. The mechanism for the adoption of the laws of Hong Kong as laws of the HKSAR of the PRC is provided in Article 160 of the Basic Law, which stipulates:
Upon the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall be adopted as laws of the Region except for those which the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress declares to be in contravention of this Law.
23. On February 23, 1997, the twenty‑fourth session of the Eighth National People's Congress adopted the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the Treatment of Laws Previously in Force in Hong Kong in accordance with Article 160 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, (the "Standing Committee Decision") which provided that, with the exception of 24 Ordinances set out in Annex 1 and Annex 2 of the Standing Committee Decision, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong are adopted as laws of the HKSAR. Section 1 of the Standing Committee Decision provides:
The laws previously in force in Hong Kong, which include the common law, rules of equity, ordinances, subordinate legislation and customary law, except those which are in contravention of the Basic Law, are adopted as laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
24. The legislature of the HKSAR enacted the Hong Kong Reunification Ordinance, Gazette No. 110 of 1997, effective July 1, 1997, which declares in section 7(1) that:
The laws previously in force in Hong Kong, that is the common law, rules of equity, Ordinances, subsidiary legislation and customary law, which have been adopted as laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, shall continue to apply.
25. Article 151 of the Basic Law provides:
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may on its own, using the name "Hong Kong, China", maintain and develop relations and conclude and implement agreements with foreign states and regions and relevant international organizations in the appropriate fields, including the economic, trade, financial and monetary, shipping communications, tourism, cultural and sports fields.
The application to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the international agreements to which the People's Republic of China is or becomes a party shall be decided by the Central People's Government, in accordance with the circumstances and needs of the Region, and after seeking the views of the government of the Region.
International agreements to which the People's Republic of China is not a party but which are implemented in Hong Kong may continue to be implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Central People's Government shall, as necessary, authorize or assist the government of the Region to make appropriate arrangements for the application to the Region of other relevant international agreements.
27. The HKSAR of the PRC and the Mainland of the PRC have an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation between the two Sides entitled "Memorandum for the Arrangement between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation on Income". This agreement was signed by representatives of the two governments of the HKSAR of the PRC and the Mainland of the PRC on February 11, 1998.
E. Facts about the Tax Law of the Mainland of the PRC
28. Tax is imposed by the Mainland of the PRC in accordance with two basic principles. Residents of the Mainland of the PRC are generally subject to tax on world‑wide income. Non‑residents of the Mainland of the PRC are generally subject to tax only on income sourced to the Mainland of the PRC. Taxes in the Mainland of the PRC are administered by the State Administration of Taxation.
29. The taxes described in this Section E apply to the Mainland of the PRC. None of the taxes referred to in this Section E apply to the HKSAR of the PRC, nor is the Central People's Government entitled to levy taxes in the HKSAR of the PRC under Article 106 of the Basic Law.
30. The "individual income tax" is referenced at Article 2(1)(b)(i) of the Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement and was a tax imposed under the Individual Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China (Adopted at the Third Session of the Fifth National People's Congress on September 10, 1980 and revised in accordance with the Decision on the Revision of the Individual Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China adopted at the Fourth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress on October 31, 1993 and effective as of January 1, 1994).
31. Pursuant to the provisions of the Individual Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China, as amended (the "Individual Income Tax Law") and the Regulations thereto (the "Implementing Regulations"):
(a) Individuals not domiciled but who reside in the Mainland of the PRC for not more than 90 days in any one tax year and whose income is not borne by a permanent establishment in the Mainland of the PRC are not subject to tax in the Mainland of the PRC (Implementing Regulations, Article 7);
(b) Individuals residing in the Mainland of the PRC for less than one year are subject to tax only on income derived from sources inside the Mainland of the PRC (Individual Income Tax Law, Article 1);
(c) Individuals not domiciled but resident in the Mainland of the PRC for more than one year and less than five years are subject to tax on income derived from sources inside the Mainland of the PRC and from sources outside the Mainland of the PRC but only to the extent that the payor is inside the Mainland of the PRC (Implementing Regulations, Article 6); and
(d) Individuals who reside in the Mainland of the PRC for more than five years are subject to tax on income from sources inside the Mainland of the PRC and from sources outside the Mainland of the PRC (i.e. on world‑wide income) (Individual Income Tax Law, Article 1).
Tax under the Individual Income Tax Law is imposed at graduated rates from 5% to 45% on income from wages and salaries and at graduated rates from 5% to 35% on business income (Individual Income Tax Law, Article 3)
32. The "income tax concerning joint ventures with Chinese and foreign investment" is referenced at Article 2(1)(b)(ii) of the Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement and was a tax imposed prior to July 1, 1991 under the Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese‑Foreign Equity Joint Ventures adopted by the National People's Congress on September 10, 1980 and amended by the National People's Congress on September 2, 1983. In accordance with Article 3 of this law, the income tax was generally levied at a rate of 30% (subject to the reductions specified at Article 5 thereof) on world‑wide income.
33. The "income tax concerning foreign enterprises" is referenced at Article 2(1)(b)(iii) of the Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement and was a tax imposed prior to July 1, 1991 under the Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Enterprises adopted by the National People's Congress on December 13, 1981 and effective January 1, 1982. Income tax under this law was generally levied at graduated rates from 20% to 40% on income derived from sources in the Mainland of the PRC.
34. The "income tax concerning joint ventures with Chinese and foreign investment" and the "income tax concerning foreign enterprises" were replaced, effective July 1, 1991 with the income tax on enterprises with foreign investment ("FIE"s) and on foreign enterprises ("FE"s) imposed under the Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Enterprises with Foreign Investment and Foreign Enterprises adopted at the Fourth Meeting of the Seventh National People's Congress on April 9, 1991 and effective from July 1, 1991.
35. The tax imposed under the Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Enterprises with Foreign Investment and Foreign Enterprises ("Income Tax Law on FIEs and FEs") and the Detailed Implementing Rules thereto applies to the world‑wide income of FIEs and to the income of FEs to the extent that such income is derived from sources in the Mainland of the PRC. This tax is levied at a maximum rate 30% of taxable income (Article 5).
36. The tax rate under the Income Tax Laws on FIEs and FEs is reduced to 15% for FIEs with production activities in "special economic zones", and to 24% for FIEs in "coastal economic open zones" and certain other areas (Detailed Implementing Rules, Article 7 & Chapter 6 "Preferential Tax Treatment"). Subject to certain exceptions, FIEs with a term of operation of at least ten years engaged in production are exempt from tax for the first two profit‑making years and granted a 50% reduction in tax in the third to fifth years (Detailed Implementing Rules, Article 8 & Chapter 6 "Preferential Tax Treatment"). Where a foreign investor in a FIE directly reinvests profits derived therefrom in the establishment or expansion of export‑oriented or technologically advanced enterprises in the PRC, the investor may obtain a full refund of the enterprise income tax already paid on the reinvested amount in accordance with the relevant regulations of the State Council. (Detailed Implementing Rules, Article 81). Similarly, where a foreign investor in a FIE directly reinvests in profits derived therefrom in order to increase the registered capital in the FIE, or uses the same as capital investment for the establishment of another FIE, the investor shall obtain a refund of 40 percent of the income tax already paid on the reinvested amount, provided that the term of operation is not shorter than five years. If the reinvestment is withdrawn within five years, the refunded tax shall be paid back. (Income Tax Law on FIEs and FEs, Article 10). The after‑tax profits derived from an FIE are not subject to withholding tax upon remittance to the shareholders thereof (Income Tax Law on FIEs and FEs, Article 19 and Implementing Regulations, Article 63).
37. The "local income tax" is referenced at Article 2(1)(b)(iv) of the Canada‑China Income Tax Agreement. Prior to July 1, 1991, a "local income tax" of 10% of the income tax otherwise payable was imposed under Article 3 of the Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Chinese‑Foreign Equity Joint Ventures and Article 4 of Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Enterprises. Effective July 1, 1991, a "local income tax" is imposed on FIEs and FEs under the Income Tax Law of the People's Republic of China on Enterprises with Foreign Investment and Foreign Enterprises at a rate of 3% of taxable income (Article 5), subject to reduction by the local authorities (Article 9).
38. Effective January 1, 1994, an "enterprise income tax" is imposed on all enterprises other than foreign investment enterprises and foreign enterprises under the Provisional Regulations on Enterprise Income Tax (adopted at the 12th Executive Meeting of the State Council on November 26, 1993, promulgated by Decree No. 137 of the State Council of the PRC on December 13, 1993). This tax applies specifically to state‑owned enterprises, collective enterprises, private enterprises, joint venture enterprises and joint stock enterprises. The enterprise income tax is imposed at a rate of 33% of taxable income, which is world‑wide income (Article 1). No "local income tax" is imposed under the Provisional Regulations on Enterprise Income Tax.
39. The Provisional Regulations on Enterprise Income Tax replaced as of January 1, 1994 the "state enterprise income tax", "state enterprise income regulatory tax", "collective enterprise income tax", "private enterprise income tax" and "household income tax" which had been imposed under the Draft Regulations of the People's Republic of China on State‑Owned Enterprise Income Tax and Measures of Collection of State Owned Enterprise Adjustment Tax published by the State Council on September 1, 1984, the Provisional Regulations of the PRC on Collective Enterprise Income Tax published April 11, 1985 and the Provisional Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Private Enterprise Income Tax published on June 25, 1988.
40. In addition to the individual income tax, the income tax for FIEs and FEs, the local income tax and the enterprise income tax, there are several other taxes imposed in the Mainland of the PRC, including a "value added tax" on the sale or import of goods or taxable services, a "consumption tax" on luxury items, a "business tax" on the provision of certain services and the transfer of immovable and intangible property, a "land value added tax", a "deed tax", a "stamp tax", a "vehicle and vessel license tax" and a "resource tax".
F. Facts about the Tax Law of the HKSAR of the PRC
41. In the HKSAR of the PRC, there is no general system of taxing income or capital by reference to the residence of the taxpayer. For the purpose of determining taxable income, residents and non‑residents are treated alike. Source of income, rather than residence status, is the single most important factor in determining a person's liability for taxation. A taxable person includes any person who has derived income in or from the HKSAR of the PRC. The following are chargeable income or profits: income from an office or employment, assessable profits from a trade, business or profession, and the assessable value of land and buildings. Income derived in or from the HKSAR of the PRC which falls under one of these three heads of taxation in the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 is generally subject to tax in the HKSAR of the PRC.
42. Taxes in the HKSAR of the PRC are administered by the Department of Inland Revenue. None of the taxes described in this Section F apply to the Mainland of the PRC.
43. Article 73 of the Basic Law provides:
The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall exercise the following powers and functions: ...
(3) To approve taxation and public expenditure.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall have independent finances.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall use its financial revenues exclusively for its own purposes, and they shall not be handed over to the Central People's Government.
The Central People's Government shall not levy taxes in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall practice an independent taxation system.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, taking the low tax policy previously pursued in Hong Kong as a reference, enact laws on its own concerning types of taxes, tax rates, tax reductions, allowances and exemptions, and other matters of taxation.
46. The Hong Kong Tax Law that was the Inland Revenue Ordinance of May 3, 1947 was adopted as Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC effective July 1, 1997, according to the process described in paragraphs 20‑24 hereof. The text of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC on July 1, 1997 was identical to the text of the Inland Revenue Ordinance of May 3, 1947 on June 30, 1997.
47. The Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC imposes a "salaries tax" in Part III thereof. The salaries tax is imposed upon individuals in respect of income arising in or derived from the HKSAR of the PRC from any office or employment or profit or any pension, pursuant to section 8(1). Section 8(1) will apply where an individual's employment is sourced in the HKSAR of the PRC and in such a case, all his income from that employment will be subject to the salaries tax even if only part of the services are performed in the HKSAR of the PRC. Section 8(1A) applies the salaries tax to employment which is not sourced in the HKSAR of the PRC but where the services are performed in the HKSAR of the PRC (CIR v. Geopfert (1987) HKTC 2, 210). The salaries tax is imposed at graduated rates from 2% to 17%.
48. The Inland Revenue department of the HKSAR of the PRC has indicated that an employment will be sourced in the HKSAR of the PRC where the contract of employment is negotiated or entered into in the HKSAR of the PRC, the employer is resident in the HKSAR of the PRC, or the employee's remuneration is paid to the employee in the HKSAR of the PRC.
49. The Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC imposes a "profits tax" in Part IV thereof. Persons, (including corporations, partnerships, trustees and bodies of persons), both resident and non‑resident, carrying on or deemed to be carrying on a trade, business or profession in the HKSAR of the PRC are liable to the profits tax on chargeable profits sourced to the HKSAR of the PRC. Certain income from sources outside the HKSAR of the PRC is deemed to arise from a source in the HKSAR of the PRC. Both actual receipts and amounts credited but not paid (i.e. accruals) are considered to be income liable to profits tax. The rate of profits tax is 15% for individuals and 16% for corporate entities.
50. Specific rules for the application of the profits tax to an aircraft owner resident in the HKSAR of the PRC are set out in section 23C of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC. Section 23C deems a corporation resident in the HKSAR of the PRC that carries on a business as an owner of an aircraft to be carrying on that business in the HKSAR of the PRC. Section 23C of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 prescribes what proportion of the aircraft owner's worldwide income from carrying on business as an owner of an aircraft is to be apportioned to the HKSAR of the PRC for tax purposes.
51. Part VII of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC provides for the charging of tax under personal assessment. This Part provides for an effective merging of the heads of taxation under the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Ordinance 112 of the HKSAR of the PRC into a single assessment for an individual who is a permanent or temporary resident of the HKSAR of the PRC and who elects for personal assessment. The total income of the individual for the purposes of personal assessment consists of the net assessable value of land and buildings owned by the individual, the net assessable income from an office or employment of profit of the individual and assessable profits. Total income is reduced by approved charitable donations, business losses and certain interest in order to arrive at the individual's taxable amount.
52. The parties hereto agree, for the purpose of this appeal, to the facts as set out herein. Each party reserves the right to object to the relevance of any of the facts set out herein.
NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD
STYLE OF CAUSE: Kelly Brian Edwards and Her Majesty the Queen
PLACE OF HEARING: Ottawa, Ontario
DATE OF HEARING: September 24, 2003
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT: Noël J.A.
DATED: October 14, 2003
Mr. Roger Taylor
Mr. Edward Rowe
FOR THE APPELLANT
Mr. Donald Gibson
FOR THE RESPONDENT
SOLICITORS OF RECORD:
Couzin Taylor LLP
Mr. Morris Rosenberg FOR THE RESPONDENT
Deputy Attorney General of Canada
Ottawa, Ontrario
Summary Under
Tax Topics - Treaties
exchange of notes
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1036
|
__label__wiki
| 0.514666
| 0.514666
|
Microsoft no longer taking new enrollments for its Surface Plus financing program
Catherine Shu @catherineshu / 11 months
Microsoft has quietly ended its Surface Plus financing program about a year after it launched. In a message on its site, the company said it stopped taking new enrollments on August 31 “after much thought and consideration.” The change does not affect existing customers, however, who will still be covered by their current financing plans.
Financed by Klarna, a Stockholm-headquartered online financial services provider, the Surface Plus financing program launched in August 2017. It targeted students and other people who wanted an affordable way to own a Surface device, allowing them to spread payments over 24 months. The Surface Plus plan also enabled customers to upgrade to the latest device after 18 months, as long as they returned their previous device in good working condition.
In a FAQ, Microsoft said existing customers will still be able to upgrade their Surface under the plan’s terms. The program’s end also does not affect existing warranty plans.
Microsoft’s Surface Plus for Business payment plans launched around the same time as the Surface Plus program and it looks like it will continue. TechCrunch has contacted Microsoft for more information. Update: A Microsoft representative sent the following statement:
“We are always looking for ways to improve the Microsoft Store shopping experience and provide our customers with the best options to meet their needs. While we have nothing to share at this time, we will continue to provide our Surface Plus customers with the same level of service and support that we extend to all of our customers. If you have any additional questions, you can visit the Surface Plus website to review the FAQ and Terms and Conditions.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1037
|
__label__wiki
| 0.849884
| 0.849884
|
Activism, Human Rights, Politics, Protest
Hunger strikers defiant in Hungary media protest
(bbc.co.uk) Security guards in Hungary have failed to remove a group of hunger strikers from the main entrance of the MTV state television building.
Five demonstrators, including two MTV employees, have been on hunger strike since 10 December. They say there has been gross interference by pro-government editors in their work.
They have been living on tea and soup, but no solid food.
The protest is part of a wider row about the government’s media policy.
This week the two MTV employees, Balazs Nagy Navarro and Aranka Szavuly, were fired by the organisation.
Before dawn on Thursday, the security guards tried to move the encampment, which consists of a tent, chairs and banners.
Supporters, including deputies from the opposition Socialist party, arrived and a verbal agreement was finally brokered with TV chiefs. The protest camp has moved a few metres to one side, to ensure a safe exit from the building in case of an emergency.
“We will stay here until our demands are met,” Balazs Nagy Navarro told the BBC in the capital Budapest.
The demands include the sacking of five TV editors who the strikers accuse of political interference in daily news programmes.
One of the editors, Gabor Elo, was sacked before Christmas. He was blamed for an incident on 3 December when the face of a former head of the Supreme Court, Zoltan Lomnici, was edited out of a news report.
“We welcome Gabor Elo’s departure, but insist the others leave too,” said Mr Navarro.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16354192
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1039
|
__label__wiki
| 0.529509
| 0.529509
|
Theatre Bristol Announces Auditions for “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” March 4, 5, 6, 11 & 12
Roles available for men, women, and children in the Disney musical version of this tale as old as time
Bristol announces March 4, 5, 6, 11 & 12 auditions for its upcoming production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on June 16-25 at the Paramount Center for the Arts.
Veteran and novice actors are invited to audition at Theatre Bristol, 512 State Street, Bristol, TN. Roles are available for young and old, men and women, and there are opportunities to serve on the production crew. Doors will open 30 minutes before the first audition on each of these dates:
Saturday, March 4: 9:30 Children and 10:30 Adults (ages 14 and up)
Sunday, March 5: 1:30 Children and 2:30 Adults (ages 14 and up)
Monday, March 6: 6:00 Children and 7:00 Adults (ages 14 and up)
Saturday, March 11: 9:30 Children and 10:30 Adults (ages 14 and up)
Sunday, March 12: 1:30 Children and 2:30 Adults (ages 14 and up)
Callbacks are March 14. Casting calls will be made March 17 & 18.
The audition will consist of singing, reading, and dancing. For the singing portion, no preparation is necessary as musical pieces will be provided, but prepared material will also be welcome. Audition time will include cold readings and simple choreography (close-toed shoes are required). For important details on preparation and auditions for children and adults, please be sure to visit www.theatrebristol.org/audition.
Anyone interested in being a part of the production crew may contact Theatre Bristol at info@theatrebristol.org, or be present at any of the audition times.
Directing Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will be highly respected and talented actor/director, Theatre Bristol veteran Glenn Patterson (The Music Man, Les Misérables, Scrooge! The Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Miracle on 34th Street).
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast includes favorite songs with music composed by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, as well as songs by Menken and Tim Rice, with book by Linda Woolverton telling the “tale as old as time” of Belle and the Beast. The production is based on the Academy Award-winning animation and then originally directed by Robert Jess Roth and produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Belle’s ability to see the heart provides a chance for the Beast’s curse to end, and the castle inhabitants show their hospitality, entertaining for their very humanity with humor and beautiful music. Theatre Bristol is pleased to present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as part of its family-friendly 52nd season!
Theatre Bristol’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will open June 16 and run for two weekends with evening and matinee performances at the Paramount Center for the Arts. Tickets will be available online at the Paramount Center for the Arts website.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI, www.mti.com.
Founded in 1965, Theatre Bristol is the oldest continually running children’s theatre in northeast Tennessee and now celebrating its 52nd season. Its Main Stage season consists of up to six productions. Some of its performances take place in the ARTspace, a multi-purpose, black box theatre which seats up to 120, and other performances are on stage at the Paramount Center for the Arts. Theatre Bristol is volunteer run and we invite you to get involved.
For more information, visit the Theatre Bristol’s website or Facebook page, contact Theatre Bristol at 423-212-3625, or email info@theatrebristol.org.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1043
|
__label__wiki
| 0.799935
| 0.799935
|
The Mousetrap at the St. Martin's Theatre
Book Your Tickets For The Mousetrap
Agatha Christie's legendary whodunit is still packing them in after more than 60 years in the West End.
The world's longest running play has lost none of its form. Indeed, the reputation of this murder mystery masterpiece goes from strength to strength as new generations of theatregoers are tricked and teased by a plot with more twists than a really twisty thing!
A group of people gathered in a remote part of the countryside discover, to their horror, that there is a murderer in their midst. Who can it be? One by one the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts until at the last, nerve-shredding moment the identity and the motive are finally revealed.
A cracking yarn and an irresistible treat for amateur sleuths everywhere!
The Cast:
Martin Behrman as Detective-Sergeant Trotter
Mark Carlisle as Major Metcalf
Elliot Chapman as Giles Ralston
Phoebe Fildes as Mollie Ralston
Jason Hall as Mr Paravicini
Mary Keegan as Mrs Boyle
Millie Turner as Miss Casewell
Rhys Warrington as Christopher Wren
"A beautifully preserved example of a country house murder mystery" - The Stage
The Mousetrap Tickets
St. Martin's Theatre
St. Martin's Theatre Seat Plan
West Street, London, WC2H 9NZ
Nearest Tube: Leicester Square
Tube Lines: Piccadilly, Northern
(5mins) Take Cranbourn Street away from Leicester Square until St Martin’s Lane, where you head left up to West Street. The theatre’s at the right of the fork.
Bus Numbers: (Shaftesbury Avenue) 14, 19, 38; (Charing Cross Road) 14, 19, 38, 24, 29, 176
Night Bus Numbers: (Shaftesbury Avenue) 14, N5, N19, N20, N38, N41; (Charing Cross Road) 14, 24, 176, N5, N19, N29, N38, N41, N279
Car Park: St Martin's Lane Hotel (4mins)
-7.30pm
3pm7.30pm
Running Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Recommended for ages 12 and over.
We recommend patrons arrive at least 15 minutes in advance of the show start time.
Please note that the theatre are no longer accepting bags into the theatre cloakrooms.
St Martins Theatre will continue to carry out bag searches and accept there may be some delays to patrons, please be aware that your bags will need to be checked before being seated.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1045
|
__label__wiki
| 0.624183
| 0.624183
|
Watch Yngwie Malmsteen Try To Destroy An 'Unbreakable' Guitar
Following in a long line of rock and roll greats, Yngwie Malmsteen has been smashing guitars for almost as long as he's been playing the instrument.
The Swedish guitar virtuoso estimates that he's smashed around 100 guitars in his 35-plus-year career. So when Swedish tech company Sandvik decided to engineer an all-metal, unbreakable guitar, there was one person they had in mind to literally crash test the instrument.
"When I was seven, I saw Jimi Hendrix smash a guitar on TV," Malmsteen recalls. "So I started playing guitar so I could smash it."
Sandvik gathered a team of experts to devise how they could use sustainable, cutting-edge techniques to make a guitar that is both useable and incredibly durable. They built the guitar and issued a challenge to Malmsteen.
You can watch Malmsteen put the Sandvik guitar to the test in the player above.
The team determined the most crucial element of their design would be the joint between the neck and the body of the guitar. So the neck and fretboard were milled in one machine from solid bars of recycled stainless steel, a material never before used in guitar construction. The neck and fretboard were then extended into a rectangular shape to rest deep in the guitar's titanium body. \
But engineers also had to figure out how to make the guitar lightweight enough that it would be practical for Malmsteen to play onstage.
The body was 3D printed, using lasers to fuse hair-thin layers of titanium into the body shape. Sandvik says the process is ideal because there is almost no wasted material.
Malmsteen received the guitar at a club in Florida.
After playing several songs with it, it was clobberin' time.
The guitar hero first swung the instrument at an amplifier cabinet, shattering the speaker housing. He then tried busting the guitar over a wedge monitor at the front of the stage.
When that didn't work, he launched it across the stage. After retrieving it, he tried to bust the thing on a monitor, headstock first. Then he swung the guitar like an axe at the drum riser, punching a hole through the platform. Running out of ideas, Malmsteen flung the guitar straight up into the air only for it to crash into the ground ... all in one piece, and perhaps most impressively, still in tune!
"To break it is impossible, but you can break other things with it," the guitarist conceded. "Yeah, it's a beast."
You can watch the making of the Sandvik guitar here.
In addition to testing smash-proof guitars, Malmsteen is touring North America in support of his upcoming new album, Blue Lightning. Get all the tour dates here.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1046
|
__label__wiki
| 0.805799
| 0.805799
|
TNPSC Current Affairs – February 2018
Tnpsc Current Affairs – Sep. 7, 2016 (07/09/2016)
www.tnpsc.Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs in English: Sep.7, 2016 (07/09/2016)
IIT-M in world’s top 250
In the QS ranking, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras got 249th position in this year. Last year, It got 254th position and 322ndposition in the year 2014.
And it is the only one Indian Institute which came under top 250 positions.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) from United states got 1st position in the QS ranking in this year. Harvard and Stanford University in the 2nd and 3rd position respectively in this Global University Ranking.
About QS ranking:
QS World University Ranking is the publication of University ranks globally by Quacquarelli Symonds. Quacquarelli Symonds is a British company which specializes in education.
INSAT-3DR launches on Sep. 8
INSAT-3DR mission is scheduled to be launch on Sep. 8, by ISRO from Sriharikota.
The satellite INSAT-3DR have to be lift with GSLV F05 rocket for getting the meteorological news earlier.
About INSAT-3DR:
INSAT-3DR is the advanced meteorological satellite which will provide the weather, climate or any other meteorological changes earlier.
It is the first operational flight with the Engine Indigenous CE (Cryogenic Engine) 7.5.
The engine which uses liquid oxygen as oxidiser and liquid hydrogen as fuel.
It is also used by the countries USA, Japan, France, China and Russia.
Delhi – World’s 2nd Most populous city
The UN’s department of Economic and Social Affairs issued world’s cities report for the year 2016. In that Delhi is 2nd most populous city in the world.
Srilanka- A malaria free Nation
The world Health Organisation(WHO) has certified that Sirlanka is a Malaria-free nation.
Upto 2012, Srilanka is one of the major affected country by malaria. But with an effective measures like Anti-Malarial campaign to targeted the mosquito borne parasites and to prevent it to re-entering into the country, Srilanka Successfully attained the state A malarial free nation.
Note: Already Srilanka has certified as the country which is Filariasis-free nation.
World’s largest Ape- Critically Endangered
The IUCN in the World’s Conservative Congress in Hawaii announced that Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) is most critically endangered species.
About Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri):
It is formerly known as eastern lowland gorilla, a sub species of eastern gorilla which is endemic to Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This species lives with most population in Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko National Parks.
Swadesh Dharsan Scheme for Tamil Nadu
In Ministry of Tourism, the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee CSMC has approved the project under the scheme Swadesh Dharsan for the following 5 states, Madhya pradesh, Uttarakand, Uttra pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu.
Highlights of the project:
In Coastal Circuit of Tamil Nadu which envisages Development of Chennai- Mamallapuram- Rameshwaram- Manpadu- Kanyakumari
The project includes Sound and Light Show, development of Beach amenities, Construction of Pedestrian Bridge connecting Vivekanand memorial with Tiruvalluvar statue.
Gas for India Campaign:
The union minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched Gas for India campaign under Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
Aim of the Campaign:
It has launched to promote the use of natural gas throughout the country.
The campaign includes the Social media engagement through Facebook, twitter.
Indian Film Thithi
In first BRICS Film festival in New Delhi, Thithi, a kannada film from India won the best film award.
Best film award: Thithi (India).
Best Director Award: Huo Jianqi (China).
Best Actor Award: Thabo Rametsi (South Africa).
Best Actress Award: Yulia Peresild (Russia).
Special jury award: Brazil’s Phillipe Barcinski for “Between Valleys”.
*BRICS Contries are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
1 responses on "Tnpsc Current Affairs – Sep. 7, 2016 (07/09/2016)"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1047
|
__label__wiki
| 0.8603
| 0.8603
|
Home News Tokyo 2020 Games Establishment of New Advisory Meeting Completes Key Components of TOKYO 2020
Establishment of New Advisory Meeting Completes Key Components of TOKYO 2020
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is pleased to announce the establishment of the TOKYO 2020 Advisory Meeting. The third Executive Board meeting today confirmed the formation of the Advisory Meeting, which comprises a total of 170 leading figures from major domestic stakeholders. The new meeting is spearheaded by Prime Minister Shinzo ABE, who will serve as Chairperson and Supreme Advisor.
The Advisory Meeting is an 'All Japan' team made up of representatives from a broad cross-section of Japanese society, and will assist the organising committee in its efforts to stir the nation's passion and excitement towards 2020.
Prominent members of the meeting include:
- Taro ASO as Special Advisor (Olympian and President of the Diet Members' League for the Promotion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games)
- Sadako OGATA as Special Advisor (Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Special Advisor to President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA])
- Sadayuki SAKAKIBARA as Special Advisor (Chairman of the Japan Business Federation)
- Yoshihide SUGA as Special Advisor (Chief Cabinet Secretary)
- Yoshiaki TSUTSUMI as Special Advisor (Supreme Advisor to the Japanese Olympic Committee)
- Naoko TAKAHASHI as Advisor (Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medallist in the women's marathon, and winner of the People's Honour Award)
- Christel TAKIGAWA as Advisor (Former Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee "Cool Tokyo" Ambassador and recipient of the Order of Arts and Letters by the government of France)
- Mariko KIDA as Advisor (First Soloist, Royal Swedish Opera Ballet)
- Misako KONNO as Advisor (Actress and United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador)
- Kuniko OBINATA as Advisor (Double gold medallist in Paralympic women's alpine skiing and Member of the Central Council for Education's Subdivision on Sports and Youth, established under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
Other notable members include the Governors of the three prefectures most affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The diverse membership will support preparations and operations for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games from a variety of perspectives. The Advisory Meeting is composed of a Chairperson, three Supreme Advisors, eight Special Advisors and a number of official Advisors of which 20% are female. These appointments complete the key components of TOKYO 2020, and the Advisory Meeting is scheduled to hold its first session this autumn. The Executive Board remains the highest decision making body of TOKYO 2020. (A full list of the 170 members of the Advisory Meeting is available at tokyo2020.jp/en)
The Executive Board also welcomed its newest member Haruyuki TAKAHASHI, Chairman of Commons, at today's meeting, bringing the total number of Executive Board members to 35.
In addition, the Executive Board gave its approval to changes in the organisational structure of the organising committee, which have been made with a view to further enhancing governance and strengthening the overall organisation. The TOKYO 2020 head office now comprises the following ten bureaus:
- Administration
- Planning and Finance
- Engagement
- Marketing
- International Relations, Sports and Games Operations
- Games Preparations and Operations
- Telecommunications
- Venues
- Coordination of Infrastructure
A Chief Compliance Officer has been designated to oversee enhanced compliance, while a newly appointed Chief Financial Officer will ensure strong financial management. A total of twelve Counsellors have been assigned to provide expertise and advice to the Chief Executive Officer with regard to specific head office activities.
Another key announcement was that TOKYO 2020 is establishing partnership arrangements with universities and colleges across the country. A total of 545 academic institutions have already expressed interest in being part of the partnership arrangements. The initiatives will further promote Olympic education and build momentum in local communities. University campuses will host a wide range of events and serve as sporting and Olympic educational hubs for the local communities. An official signing ceremony is set to take place on 23 June to coincide with celebrations to mark Olympic Day.
TOKYO 2020 President Yoshiro MORI also announced that he will travel to Lausanne to attend the International Olympic Truce Foundation board meeting to be held on 18 June. President MORI will deliver a presentation detailing TOKYO 2020's ideas to contribute to promoting peace through sport.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1050
|
__label__cc
| 0.582206
| 0.417794
|
#6 in Best Things To Do in Chattanooga
Buburuzaproductions/Getty Images
1720 Scenic Hwy
Natural Wonders, Tours Type
Located along the Tennessee River Gorge just south of downtown Chattanooga, Ruby Falls is one of Lookout Mountain's most popular attractions — and it was discovered completely by accident. In 1905, railroad construction forced the closure of the Lookout Mountain Cave, making it inaccessible to the public. Local cave explorer Leo Lambert sought to reverse this and gathered a team of excavators to help build an elevator from the surface that would lower visitors into the cave. Five years into construction, a team member drilled into an 18-inch opening that led to a new cave, where Ruby Falls now stands.
Located 1,120 feet below the surface of the mountain, Ruby Falls is America's deepest commercial cave and largest underground waterfall. Carrying out Lambert's vision, visitors can take an elevator down to the falls and learn about the various rock formations located along the path to the falls. The attraction also boasts a lookout tower, a playground and a ziplining adventure. There are a variety of holiday events and seasonal tours, including the Lantern Tour, where guests are guided through the mountain caverns only by lantern.
Recent visitors found the falls to be stunning and the formations in the cave cool, with many appreciating the fun atmosphere the guides helped create. However, one notable complaint among travelers was that the tour groups are too big for such a small space; some left feeling a bit claustrophobic. Others advised using the restroom beforehand, as the tour can last more than an hour and there are no facilities within the cave. Despite this, many said the tour was a great experience and recommend it to other travelers.
Ruby Falls is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. year-round. Tickets cost $18.95 for adults and $10.95 for children ages 3 to 12. You can also buy a package ticket that includes access to Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Incline Railway, which costs $48.90 for adults and $25.90 for children ages 3 to 12. Buses don't stop at Ruby Falls, but parking is free to visitors. For more information, visit the Ruby Falls website.
Hotels near Ruby Falls »
See all Hotels in Chattanooga »
More Best Things To Do in Chattanooga
Monuments and Memorials, Museums, Recreation, Sightseeing, Tours Type
Half Day to Full Day Time to Spend
#1 Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
Along with natural attractions and a notable role in history of the rail industry, Chattanooga is very well-known for being a Civil War battleground. The Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park is the oldest and largest of America's Civil War parks, encompassing land north and south of the Tennessee-Georgia border. During the Civil War, Chattanooga was considered to be an attractive area for its railroads and location, earning the title of the "Gateway of the Deep South." In 1843, battles broke out in various areas in Chickamauga and Chattanooga, with both the Union and Confederate troops experiencing victories and losses.
The park is headquartered at Chickamauga, Georgia, which is about 9 miles south of downtown Chattanooga. Visitors looking to stay in Tennessee are still within reach of many important war sites, including Orchard's Knob, the Chattanooga National Cemetery, Signal Point, Lookout Mountain and various areas along the Missionary Ridge. Those with a tight itinerary (and who already have plans to visit either Ruby Falls, Rock City or ride the Incline Railway), should visit Point Park, the site of the "Battle Above the Clouds" and the Battles for Chattanooga Museum at Lookout Mountain.
David Brossard/Flickr
See full list of Best Things To Do in Chattanooga »
Explore More of Chattanooga
#2 in Best Places to Visit in Georgia
#5 in Best Places to Visit in Oregon
#3 in Best Places to Visit in Virginia
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1053
|
__label__wiki
| 0.982363
| 0.982363
|
Payton says he's committed to being Saints coach
1287dMike Triplett
Sean Payton says he wants to remain with Saints
Clark: Saints couldn't do better than Payton (1:04)
Ryan Clark joins Russillo & Kanell to break down why the Saints decided to keep Sean Payton as their head coach. (1:04)
Mike TriplettESPN Staff Writer
Covered Saints for eight years at New Orleans Times-Picayune
Previously covered LSU football, San Francisco 49ers
Iowa native and University of Iowa graduate
METAIRIE, La. -- Sean Payton reiterated his commitment to the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, saying, "I'll be here as long as they'll have me."
"I know it appeared there was a looming decision," he said at his news conference. "But I think this is really me saying again, 'Here I am, and nothing's changing.'"
Payton said he understands the interest and skepticism that has surrounded his future over the past few days. But he said, "This is where I plan on coaching. And I don't envision myself ever coaching for any other club."
Sean Payton's recommitment is best possible result for Saints
Among active coaches, only Bill Belichick of the Patriots (16 seasons), Marvin Lewis of the Bengals (13) and Mike McCarthy of the Packers (10) have been with their teams longer than Payton, who has been in New Orleans for nine seasons, not including his 2012 suspension.
ESPN reported Tuesday that, according to sources, the Indianapolis Colts expressed interest in Payton. He said Wednesday that no teams reached out to him; they are barred from doing so unless they have the Saints' permission.
Payton, who has two years remaining on his contract, said he has not agreed to a contract extension and that the matter would take care of itself in the future. He added that in some ways he feels the same level of excitement and nervousness as when he first arrived in New Orleans 10 years ago.
Payton said there will be no change in the management structure with general manager Mickey Loomis, and he doesn't want one. Owners Tom and Gayle Benson, Loomis and team president Dennis Lauscha also attended Payton's news conference. Payton was the only one who spoke at the news conference.
Asked if he spent the past few days considering opportunities with other teams, Payton said, "No. And listen, I know Mickey's too smart, and I know no one's giving up the compensation that he was, I'm sure, looking and researching. And that can only happen if I sign off on it. And I think the cart just gets ahead of the horse a little bit. And yet I understand how that can happen."
Payton said he felt that any time a media report about his future circulated, there was an assumption it was coming from "someone in my camp."
"My camp is really small. It's just me and one other person," he said, a reference to his agent, Don Yee, whom he described as the short, quiet guy in the back of the room who doesn't say much.
Payton also referenced a recent story written about him that suggested he could leave the Saints "early and be a hero, stay late and become a villain."
"If I have to someday become that villain, I plan on staying until everyone says, 'We're burning your wagon out of town,'" he said. "And I'm comfortable with that. But I think that honestly, more importantly, there's more moments, there's more wins, there's more playoffs. I promise you there will be."
Payton also had a big smile when asked whether veteran Drew Brees will remain his quarterback.
"I think that's a good assumption," said Payton, who said he texted Brees right before Wednesday's news conference.
Payton said he told Brees on Monday that he doesn't want to coach anywhere else or anyone else.
"My hair's gotten a little grayer, and he's lost some of his, but that's about it," Payton said.
Brees, for his part, told WWL Radio, "Obviously, I'm very excited that he's back. And honestly, I had a good feeling about it."
"I just know the vision that's been laid out, from the entire time that we've been here, but especially from last year to this year," Brees said of the Saints' efforts to improve the culture in the locker room by overhauling much of the roster. "Last year's 7-9 team was completely different than this year's 7-9 team. I think we all finished last season kind of depressed. Extremely disappointed with the way that season ended, but also feeling like this team wasn't where it needed to be: the camaraderie, the character, the leadership. And a lot of changes were made last offseason.
"While we were still maybe a bit young this year and maybe made some mistakes and lost some games we shouldn't have, I think we all ended the season very excited about our future."
Payton began his first and only NFL head-coaching job with the Saints in 2006, the season after the team had been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Since then, he has gone 87-57 in the regular season with five playoff appearances and one Super Bowl title in the 2009 season. His playoff record is 6-4.
His overall record excludes the 2012 season, when he was suspended in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation.
With Brees as his quarterback, the offense Payton designed has ranked first in the NFL in five of the nine seasons he has coached, never ranking lower than sixth. However, the Saints have often ranked near the bottom of the NFL defensively during Payton's tenure.
Of Payton staying, Saints safety Jairus Byrd told ESPN's Josina Anderson, "I think he is familiar with what is going on. That always makes it easier. He's had success here. He has done it on a high level. I think Coach staying will impact the team moving forward. It'll definitely help us build on what we have going on, and that bodes well for us."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1054
|
__label__wiki
| 0.582217
| 0.582217
|
The Buzz About Bees: UC Davis Apiculturist in 'Science Friday' Program May 24
Elina Lastro Niño
"Bee" sure to tune in Science Friday, the National Public Radio program, tomorrow (May 24) at noon to hear the buzz about honey bees.
Guests will be Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, Professor Tom Seeley, bee scientist, researcher and author, of Cornell University, Ithaca; and New York city police officer and beekeeper Darren Mays, who keeps hives on the roof of the 104th precinct.
Ira Flatow hosts the popular program. Senior producer Christopher Intagliata said plans call for introducing Seeley at the top of the hour, and then bringing in Niño around 12:30. Officer Mays will be introduced at 12:40.
Niño, who joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology in 2014 from Pennsylvania State University, researches honey bee biology, health, reproduction, pollination biology, insect ecology, evolution, genomics and chemical ecology, and genomics. She directs the California Master Beekeeper Program and the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee garden located next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road.
Born and reared in Bosnia in Eastern Europe, Elina moved to the United States with plans to become a veterinarian. She obtained her bachelor's degree in animal science at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., but while there, enrolled in an entomology class on the recommendation of her adviser. “I was hooked,” she recalled.
Following her graduation from Cornell in 2003, she received her master's degree in entomology from North Carolina State University and her doctorate in entomology from Pennsylvania State University. She then served as a postdoctoral fellow in the honey bee lab of Christina Grozinger, who studies the genomics of chemical communication.
Tom Seeley
Seeley is the Horace White Professor in Biology, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University. He joined the faculty of Cornell in 1986 and holds a doctorate in biology from Harvard.
A frequent speaker at UC Davis, keynoted the 2018 UC Davis Bee Symposium. In his address on "Darwinian Beekeeping," Seeley commented: "EVERYTHING that colonies do when they are living on their own (not being managed by beekeepers) is done to favor their survival and their reproduction, and thus their success is contribution to the next generation of colonies. And I mean everything."
Seeley says that is scientific work primarily focuses on "understanding the phenomenon of swarm intelligence (SI): the solving of cognitive problems by a group of individuals who pool their knowledge and process it through social interactions. It has long been recognized that a group of animals, relative to a solitary individual, can do such things as capture large prey more easily and counter predators more effectively. More recently it has been realized that a group of animals, with the right organization, can also solve cognitive problems with an ability that far exceeds the cognitive ability of any single animal. Thus SI is a means whereby a group can overcome some of the cognitive limitations of its members. SI is a rapidly developing topic that has been investigated mainly in social insects (ants, termites, social wasps, and social bees) but has relevance to other animals, including humans. Wherever there is collective decision-making—for example, in democratic elections, committee meetings, and prediction markets—there is a potential for SI."
Seeley is the author of numerous books, including Honeybee Ecology: A Study of Adaptation in Social Life, Princeton University Press; The Wisdom of the Hive: The Social Physiology of Honeybee Colonies. Harvard University Press; Honeybee Democracy. Princeton University Press, Following the Wild Bees: The Craft and Science of Bee Hunting. Princeton University Press; and The Lives of the Bees: The Untold Story of Honey Bees in the Wild, Princeton University Press.
Darren Mays
Mays is a well-known rooftop beekeeper. According to a 2018 article in the Business Insider, he "gained temporary fame this summer when he vacuumed up a migrating swarm of bees that perched atop a hot dog cart umbrella in Times Square." At night, he patrols the streets of Queens, and by day, he keeps the bees.
"Mays and another officer, Michael Lauriano, are responsible for responding to any issue a New Yorker calls in with that involves a 'stinging insect.' He said he responds to about a dozen calls during a typical summer, as people request help with bee swarms, wasps nests, and more. Before Mays and Lauriano, an officer named Anthony 'Tony Bees' Planakis served as the NYPD's first bee 911 responder."
Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño opens a hive at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Professor Tom Seeley (right) of Cornell University chats with UC Davis Professor Neal Williams following Seeley's keynote address to the 2018 UC Davis Bee Symposium. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Focus Area Tags: Agriculture, Environment, Family, Innovation, Pest Management, Yard & Garden
Tags: California Master Beekeeper Program (7), Darren Mays (1), Elina Lastro Niño (29), National Public Radio (5), Neal Williams (59), Science Friday (1), Tom Seeley (6), UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology (249)
by Tamal Bose
on June 20, 2019 at 4:14 AM
Nice post, author. Thank you.
FYDOIN
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1055
|
__label__cc
| 0.581343
| 0.418657
|
Time Magazine Put Donald Trump on Their Short List for Person of the Year, and the Internet Got an Amazing Unplanned GIF
Via Time Magazine
Time Magazine named Donald Trump to the short list of their Person of the Year 2015 this week. The photoshoot for the issue was done months ago, but with the article being published and having basically everything on Donald Trump's nomination campaign trending online, the internet only just got the gift of the above GIF.
Beyond the obvious hilarity of watching Trump dodge a bald eagle at his desk, there is the beautiful irony that a hopeful Presidential Nominee was almost attacked by a bald eagle named Uncle Sam.
Others also replied to @Time by using some of Trump's recent rhetoric with the GIF:
Watch the full behind-the-scenes of Time's photoshoot with Trump below.
As always, Trump had his own last words:
You Saw This Coming of the Day
Via Betabeat
A new polling scheme is on the rise over at 4chan to make North Korea's third-generation dictator Kim Jung Un the "People's Choice" in TIME Magazine's Person of the Year. As of 2 p.m. (ET) today, Kim Jung Un is trailing Egyptian president Mohamed Morsy as the second ranked candidate in the poll. Back in 2009, 4chan pranksters staged an upset by voting the website cofounder Christopher Poole (a.k.a Moot) as the World's Most Influential Person.
TIME's Person of the Year 2012: People's Choice
Via TIME
With the end of another year approaching, TIME magazine unveiled its "People's Choice" candidates for the Person of the Year, which includes a wide range of newsmakers like Chinese dissident and artist Ai Weiwei, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (top row), 50 Shades of Grey author E.L. James, Undocumented Immigrants and Korean singer PSY (middle row), as well as Australian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, The Higgs Boson Particle and Mars Curios
Person Of The Year of the Day
Person Of The Year of the Day: TIME picks "The Protester" as its Person of the Year for 2011.
No one could have known that when a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire in a public square, it would incite protests that would topple dictators and start a global wave of dissent. In 2011, protesters didn’t just voice their complaints; they changed the world.
The Protester
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1059
|
__label__wiki
| 0.760136
| 0.760136
|
HomeHealthIs the USDA Just a Corporate Lobbyist Group?
Is the USDA Just a Corporate Lobbyist Group?
March 24, 2016 TFD Health 0
Many, if not most, of our regulatory agencies have a long history of protecting industry interests over public and environmental health. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come under increasing scrutiny following mounting charges of harassment and censorship.
In the first week of November 2015, Jonathan Lundgren, who spent the last 11 years working as an entomologist at the USDA, filed a whistleblower complaint against the agency, claiming he’d suffered retaliation after speaking out about research showing that neonicotinoids had adverse effects on bees.1
In the U.S., nearly all corn, about 90 percent of canola, and approximately half of all soybeans are treated with neonicotinoids. As the use of these pesticideshas gone up, bee and Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted.
After publicly discussing his findings, Lundgren claims that “USDA managers blocked publication of his research, barred him from talking to the media, and disrupted operations at the laboratory he oversaw.”
The Washington Post recently published an article that details Lundgren’s complaints and the retaliation waged against him.2
According to Agri-Pulse,3 the Agriculture Department’s inspector general, Phyllis Fong, has now received so many complaints about harassment and censorship, she’s opening a broad investigation to assess “whether there is a systemic problem in the department.”
Charges of Censorship Mount Against USDA
Food and Water Watch4 recently followed up on this issue, noting that “when independent, government scientists produce research that threatens corporate agribusinesses, the USDA — according to at least 10 government scientists — censors the results, waters down the findings and punishes the researchers.”
Jonathan Lundgren is one of these 10 scientists. The other 9 have all chosen to remain anonymous for fear of even more reprisals.
Lundgren’s research at the USDA shows that neonicotinoids are instrumental in the decline of bee and Monarch butterfly populations. But his work, and his criticism against factory farming, goes even deeper than that.
He has become convinced and has spoken out about the fact that toxic insecticides like neonics are not some sort of necessary evil. We don’t actuallyneed these types of chemicals at all in agriculture.
As he notes in the video above, organic or regenerative farming actually produces higher yields and requires less land. This, I believe, even more so than his critique of neonics, poses a major threat to corporate agribusinesses.
It does not, however, detract from the USDA’s mission, which is why the agency’s mistreatment of scientists like Lundgren is so revealing.
Whistleblower Sets Up Nonprofit Science Lab and Sustainable Farm
Fortunately, Lundgren has become very outspoken about his whistleblower suit. So much so, the Shafeek Nader Trust presented him with a civic courage award last November, for taking an open stand against the USDA.
Moving forward, he’s also setting up two new businesses: Blue Dasher Farm, which he intends to be a model for large-scale sustainable farming using crop diversity and other regenerative methods, and Ecdysis, a nonprofit science lab for independent research.
According to Lundgren:5 “I don’t think science can be done, at least on this subject, in any of the conventional ways. I think we need truly independent scientists — not funded by government or industry.”
USDA Policy Encourages Suppression of Unpopular Science
This charge was made by Jeff Ruch, Executive Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), who on March 26, 2015 filed a Petition For Rulemaking with the Secretary of Agriculture.6 (PEER is also the alliance representing Lundgren’s whistleblower case.) In it, he notes that:
“The stated purpose of USDA’s scientific integrity policy is to ensure ‘the highest level of integrity in all aspects of the executive branch’s involvement with scientific and technological processes and analyses.’
However, the Policy fails to clearly prohibit political suppression and interference. While the Policy defines political suppression and interference, it does not include these acts in its definition of misconduct.
The USDA, by its own admission, has yet to develop procedures for handling scientific integrity complaints. To compound the problem, an overly broad provision within the Policy actively encourages USDA to suppress scientific work for political reasons.
The provision states that scientists “should refrain from making statements that could be construed as being judgments of or recommendations on USDA or any other federal government policy, either intentionally or inadvertently.”
USDA management routinely relies up this vague but expansively worded provision a pretext for suppressing technical work solely because the scientific conclusions expressed draw the ire of USDA corporate stakeholders.”
The Case of USDA Scientist Jeffery Pettis
The case of Jeffery Pettis adds even more weight to the notion that there’s a definitive agenda at work within the USDA to officially downplay any risks associated with neonicotinoids.
Pettis, who like Lundgren is an entymologist, headed up the USDA’s bee laboratory in Beltsville for 9 years. His career was suddenly derailed after he presented testimony about neonics before the House Agriculture Committee in the spring of 2014. As reported by The Washington Post:7
“Pettis had developed what he describes as a ‘significant’ line of research showing that neonics compromise bee immunity.
But in his opening remarks before Congress, he focused on the threat posed by the varroa mite, often put forward by chemical company representatives as the main culprit behind bee deaths.
Only under questioning by subcommittee Chairman Austin Scott (R-Ga.) did Pettis shift. Even if varroa were eliminated tomorrow, he told Scott, ‘we’d still have a problem.’ Neonics raise pesticide concerns for bees ‘to a new level,’ he said. About two months later, Pettis was demoted, losing all management responsibilities for the Beltsville lab ….
Pettis said, the USDA’s congressional liaison told him that the Agriculture Committee wanted him to restrict his testimony to the varroa mite. ‘In my naivete,’ he said, ‘I thought there were going to be other people addressing different parts of the pie. I felt used by the whole process, used by Congress.’
The hearing was ‘heavily weighted toward industry,’ he said, ‘and they tried to use me as a scientist, as a way of saying, ‘See, it’s the varroa mite,’ when that’s not how I see it.’… He said he walked up to Scott afterward, to make small talk, and the congressman ‘said something about how I hadn’t ‘followed the script.'”
Is USDA Shielding Corporations Like Monsanto?
While you would think that the USDA exists to protect you against the vagaries of industry, this is not the case. The chemical and agricultural industries spend millions of dollars to lobby for regulations that are favorable to them, and there’s a constantly revolving door between the agency and private corporations.
For example, USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is widely regarded as a shill for Monsanto, and he’s always been a strong supporter of genetically engineered (GE) crops, regardless of the scientific evidence against it.
The undemocratic and highly unpopular 2005 seed pre-emption bill was also Vilsack’s brainchild. The law stripped local government’s right to regulated GE seed, including where GE can be grown. Overall, Vilsack’s record is one of aiding and abetting concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) or factory farms and promoting both genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and animal cloning.
Roger Beachy is another example. Between 2009 and 2011, he was the head of National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the USDA’s main research arm, and he too is a proponent of GMOs, and has ties to Monsanto. As reported in a previous Grist article:8
“In his short stint at USDA, Beachy never hid his enthusiasm for ag biotechnology — or his disdain for organic ag. When I … asked him about funding for organic research, he came up with a novel slander against synthetics-free ag: ‘I’m concerned about the safety of organic food … I’m concerned about the issue of microbial contamination with organic.'”
To get an idea of just how broad and deep Monsanto’s reach is, take a look at the following chart. Over the years, this biotech giant has successfully infiltrated an ever increasing number of high-level federal regulatory positions in the U.S. government; many of which are positions meant to protect your food safety, including a number of top positions within the USDA.
Top USDA Official Goes to Work for DuPont
The most recent person to walk their way through the revolving door between government and industry is Krysta Harden, who spent over 6 years at the USDA — first as chief of staff to Secretary Tom Vilsack, and then deputy secretary. She’s been hired by chemical giant DuPont to head up its “public policy and government affairs strategies” department. You would think this activity would be illegal and prohibited but it is actually encouraged.
The New York Times recently published an in-depth exposé9 on the legal battle fought against DuPont for the past 15 years over PFOA contamination and its toxic effects. The Intercept also published a three-part exposé10 titled “The Teflon Toxin: Dupont and the Chemistry of Deception” last year, detailing DuPont’s history of covering up the facts.
Earlier this month, they came out with a fourth part in the series,11 covering DuPont’s contamination of the Cape Fear River with “a new generation of replacement compounds” that likely have “the same chemical performance properties as the older generation of PFCs.”
DuPont is now working on a merger with Dow, and once the merger is completed, that chemical-seed company will be even larger than Monsanto. Considering DuPont’s history of covering up the toxic effects of their products, this gigantic entity is going to Monsanto in terms of being a serious threat, and the most perniciously evil company on the planet.
Federal Agencies Aid and Abet Corporate Stronghold
So why exactly is a “public servant” like Harden supporting and defending this toxic corporate cesspool? Probably because she’s no stranger to playing both sides of the field. In the 1990s, she worked for Gordley Associates,12 a government relations corporation that handles “legislative initiatives” for the American Soybean Association. Now, as noted by Mother Jones:13
“[H]er recent experience as a top U.S. agriculture policy official may come in handy. The anticipated DowDuPont agrichemical/seed division would not only own a massive position in the two most lucrative U.S. seed markets — corn (41 percent market share) and soybeans (38 percent); it would also sell 17 percent of the pesticides consumed globally …
Citing ‘less competition in the marketplace and fewer choices for farmers,’ the National Farmers Union has urged the Department of Justice to block the deal. Because of such pushback, an analyst … wrote in a December 14 note to investors, ‘We expect regulatory and political challenges will be greatest in ag.’
Going forward, a combined DowDuPont ag division would deal directly with the USDA, which (nominally) vets all new GMO seed products before they can be planted on US farm fields. Both DuPont and Dow boast of robust ag-biotech product pipelines going forward.”
There are many other examples in addition to these. The problem is quite clear. The revolving doors between industry and the agencies created to regulate them have led to the breakdown of these agencies.
They no longer fulfill their stated functions, and instead they aid and abet some of the most toxic and harmful industries on the planet to continue business as usual, even when their own scientists are raising red flags. They’ve simply become the middlemen who legalize fraud and unconscionable corporate behavior.
FOIA Lawsuit Reveals White House Administration Killed FOIA Reform
If it seems like virtually all federal agencies are working against transparency, it’s because they are. Vice News14 recently drove home this point in an article discussing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that led to the disclosure of documents showing the White House Administration has “worked aggressively behind the scenes to scuttle congressional reforms designed to give the public better access to information possessed by the federal government.”
This despite, and completely contrary to, its own assertion that President Obama’s administration is “the most transparent administration in history.” According to Vice News:
“The documents were obtained by the Freedom of the Press Foundation … using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) — the same law Congress was attempting to reform. The group sued the DOJ last December after its FOIA requests went unanswered for more than a year.
The documents confirm longstanding suspicions about the administration’s meddling, and lay bare for the first time how it worked to undermine FOIA reform bills that …were unanimously passed by both the House and Senate in 2014 — yet were never put up for a final vote.
Moreover, a separate set of documents … provides new insight into how the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also tried to disrupt Congress’s FOIA reform efforts, which would have required those agencies to be far more transparent when responding to records requests.
The disclosures surface days before Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of open government, and a renewed effort by the House and Senate to improve the FOIA by enacting the very same reforms contained in the earlier House and Senate bills — the seventh attempt in at least 10 years by lawmakers to amend the transparency law. But the administration is again working to derail the legislation, according to congressional staffers.”
Most Transparent Administration in History? I Think Not
On his first day in office, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum instructing all government agencies to “adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government.”
Five years later, in 2014, the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act was brought forth, which would have codified the President’s memorandum into law. The bill passed by a unanimous vote, 410-0. But then all progress stopped. According to Vice, the documents show that it was actually the White House Administration itself that put the brakes on, and “strongly opposed passage” of the House bill. Why?
“The White House claimed it would increase the FOIA backlog, result in astronomical costs, and cause unforeseen problems with processing requests … [Committee Chairman Jason] Chaffetz, who co-sponsored the latest FOIA reform bill passed by the House in January, told VICE News in a statement that the Obama administration’s promises of transparency have never materialized.
‘President Obama promised the ‘most transparent’ administration in history. I see no evidence to support that statement,’ Chaffetz said. ‘Time and time again this administration has aggressively thwarted efforts for a more open and transparent government.'”
There’s more to the story, and if you’re interested, I suggest reading through the original article. The point I’m trying to make here is that the push-back against transparency goes all the way to the top, and we’re actually moving in the wrong direction. This is particularly true when it comes to toxic chemicals.
While it’s becoming clear that we need far more stringent regulations on chemicals, proposed updates to the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act may actually hinder efforts to protect Americans against hazardous chemicals by nullifying chemical regulations enacted by individual states.
The Senate’s bill (The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act), which was passed in December 2015, makes it more difficult for states to regulate chemicals once the EPA has evaluated them. It also prohibits states from taking any action against any chemical that the EPA is currently investigating.
The House version (the TSCA Modernization Act) — which preempts states from regulating new chemicals, and is supported by more than 100 industry groups — was passed in June 2015. At present, they’re trying to reconcile the two bills.15
The Death of Democracy, Knowledge, and Science
Our society is largely built on the concept that science can help us make rational decisions that serve the people and promote public health. But now we’re facing a world so rife with corruption and conflict of interest facilitated by the very sciences that were supposed to keep us healthy, safe, and productive, it’s quite clear that we’re heading toward more than one proverbial brick wall.
In a sense, the fundamental role of science itself has been hijacked for selfish gain. Looking back, you can now see that the preferred business model of an industry was created first, followed by “scientific evidence” that supports the established business model.
When the science doesn’t support the company’s economic gains, it’s swept under the rug, even if people are dying and the planet is becoming irreparably poisoned as a result. Today we live in a world where chemical companies and biotech giants can easily buy and pay for their own research studies, as well as the lobbying to support whatever legislation they need passed in their favor.
Their tentacles also reach deep within federal agencies, so that even the scientists hired to work on the public’s behalf are thwarted as soon as their research clashes with the corporate agenda. Conflicts of interest have become the norm within virtually all fields of science, which creates a completely unworkable — and dangerous — situation in the long run.
The first step toward change is awareness that there’s a problem, and whistleblowers like Lundgren make it abundantly clear that the agencies that are there to protect us are not only failing, but are actively working to protect an industry agenda. There are no simple answers to this conundrum, but the reality of the situation must be brought to light nonetheless, and every effort must be made to push for greater transparency and accountability in all areas of government.
Putting an end to the revolving door between private industry and government would be one step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it appears we need a law against it, as public shaming has so far failed to deter any of it.
Counterfeit Economy
K Street
Rothchilds
If Your BS Detector Isn’t Shrieking, It’s Broken
Divided America Poised For Riots: “95% Chance of Widespread Post-Election Violence”
COULD EBOLA SNEAK ACROSS U.S. BORDER?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1060
|
__label__cc
| 0.509566
| 0.490434
|
Grand Room
Khói BBQ
Putt – Putt Miniature Golf
Minh Dam Tour
Binh Chau Hot Springs
Vung Tau Coastal City
KAHUNA TO MAKE WAVES IN HO TRAM
HTP announces new villa and condo development at Ho Tram Strip
Ho Tram, Vietnam, 15 June 2017: The Ho Tram Project Company (HTP) today announced the development of the third phase of its Ho Tram Strip project, its residential tower, condotel and villa development.
Kahuna Ho Tram Strip, is a 244-key development located adjacent to the north-side of The Grand and will feature a combination of 164 one and two bedroom condominiums as well as eight penthouses located inside a 12 storey tower, as well as 44 premium beach villas, ranging in size from 218 to 223 square meters.
Named for the legendary waves of Hawaii, Kahuna continues HTP’s long history of bringing world class entertainment and hospitality offerings to Vietnam.
“The company that first brought Vegas to Vietnam, brought the best Asian Tour event that the golfing world has seen is today thrilled to announce that we are riding that Hawaiian wave across the Pacific and on to the shores of Vietnam’s East Sea with our new residential development,” said HTP’s Executive Chairman Michael Kelly.
“We have made it our primary focus to ensure that Ho Tram is Vietnam’s entertainment capital, and in line with this, The Grand has unveiled countless new lifestyle amenities.
We are viewing Kahuna as an extension of this. This is not just another residential development, this is a chance to be a part of all of the energy that has made the Ho Tram Strip what it is today,” Mr. Kelly continued.
The company, which also offers the course-side residential Gallery Villas, located on its adjacent golf course, The Bluffs, has been extremely active in the past year. Its second hotel tower – The Beach Club – is quickly rising and is set to begin welcoming guests to its 559 rooms early in 2018; and plans are underway for the commencement of facilities ranging from waterparks and amphitheaters to HTP’s planned international private airport. Pricing for condominiums begins from US$88,800, while villas begin at US$350,000. Kahuna has been designed by leading HCMC based architectural firm Korn Architects and anticipates breaking ground in Q4 2017.
HTP – a wholly owned subsidiary of Asian Coast Development Ltd. – is the largest international investor in Vietnam’s rapidly expanding tourism industry, and among the largest private-equity US investors operating in the nation today. It has thus far deployed and committed over US$1.1 billion of the total $4 billion investment it intends to make into the Ho Tram Strip project. The Grand Ho Tram Strip houses Vietnam’s first international-standard casino which was the first official facility licensed to offer live gaming to foreign patrons from the resort’s opening four years ago. HTP recently became the first company to submit an application to host Vietnamese nationals for a pilot gaming project.
The Grand Ho Tram Strip.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0006.json.gz/line1064
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.