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← BAM becomes early adopter of Bull Products’ Cygnus fire alarm system
Big data ‘not a game played by different rules’ states the ICO →
Face of fraud changes as conmen rely on innocence of youth
KPMG’s latest Fraud Barometer states that fraud cases totalling £317 million were recorded in the first half of 2014. The figure represents a 39% drop compared to the same period last year, but the number of frauds has remained constant.
The latest cases also suggest organisations have failed to spot a ‘changing of the guard’ as the profile of fraudsters shifts from rogue senior executives to younger individuals funding extravagant lifestyles.
Analysis of the cases going through British Crown Courts since the start of 2014 shows that frauds committed by those aged 26-35 were valued at just over £62 million – an increase of 285% on the first half of 2013. At the same time, frauds committed by those aged 46 and over fell by 72% to £88 million.
The data shows that one scam, masterminded by two 26 year-olds, revolved around the hijacking of mobile phone accounts. The two individuals began by creating a fake company that purchased lists containing customer details on the pretence of marketing directly to them. They then assigned victims’ phone numbers to SIM cards in their possession by calling the network provider and posing as the account holder.
Having transferred numbers to new SIMs, the fraudsters repeatedly dialled premium rate lines only for the real customer to be billed for any calls made. Bills totalling £2.8 million were amassed, and the crimes only discovered when customers complained that handsets could not make or receive calls.
Another case involved a 30 year-old man who convinced his victims to invest in vintage wine, which they believed would increase in value. More than 400 people were conned into handing over sums ranging from £20,000 to £2 million, yet their funds were used to purchase a Lamborghini and a five-bedroom house with a swimming pool.
Hitesh Patel: UK forensic partner at KPMG
Hitesh Patel, UK forensic partner at KPMG, commented: “Where once it was the jaded executive who relied on unquestioned seniority and authority to get away with dipping their hands in the till, now it seems we are witnessing a changing of the guard. Today’s fraudster is younger and every bit as much at ease with using technology and data as they are selling promises. They rely on the assumption of the innocence of youth, whereas the reality is that many of these fraudsters are nothing more than a wolf in lamb’s clothing. It’s important for UK organisations to recognise that youth doesn’t always equal innocence, as a confident and tech ‘savvy’ generation comes through, adept at circumnavigating conventional controls and remaining under the radar.”
Values increasing with confidence
The latest figures also show that, for the first six months of 2014, the average case value was £2 million – a fall of 43% compared to that recorded between January and July 2013 (£3.5 million).
On the face of it, this sounds like good news, but history shows that fraudsters tend to start with smaller schemes to test the system, with fraud value then increasing as their confidence grows if they’re not caught.
The latest data shows, for example, that the increase in volume in the £1 million-£10 million bracket was driven by a significant increase in insider fraud, with the number of employee-perpetrated frauds in this value range increasing more than ten-fold.
One Case Study showing the trend for insider activity – and the youthful nature of conmen – revolved around a 24 year-old bank clerk who attached a device to a computer within the branch at which he worked. The device allowed fictional deposits worth £1.1 million to be made into 15 customer accounts, which were then withdrawn by the customers and a colleague – all of whom had been colluding with the ring-leader.
“Super cases are conspicuous by their absence,” continued Patel. “Instead, we are witnessing the rise of comparatively small value crimes as fraudsters try to get away with theft by hoping smaller scale activities can accumulate as they go unnoticed over time. The truth is that these crimes still leave victims in their wake. A business will ignore such occurrences at its peril. Complacency and the ‘It won’t happen to me’ syndrome should not be allowed to creep in to peoples’ mindset as the battle to combat white collar crime goes on.”
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is…
The latest KPMG Fraud Barometer suggests that private investors are the biggest victims of fraud, with 48% of fraud losses resulting from the false promise of a return on investment.
The latest data also highlights a growth in the number of individual investor victims, with losses of £153 million (up from £74 million for the same period last year).
Fraud cases totalling £317 million were recorded in the first half of 2014, according to KPMG’s latest Fraud Barometer
One case involved a crooked financial adviser dubbed the ‘Wolf of Old Hall Street’ who bought a fleet of supercars, invested in a racehorse and sponsored two Premier League football clubs with the proceeds of his con artistry. His scam involved the creation of a bogus investment fund for which he persuaded investors to hand over large cash sums which he simply spent. One victim was so convinced that he parted with £3.7 million, none of which has been recovered.
Patel concluded: “The economy may be improving but the pressure to see a return on investment remains acute. Investors searching for extraordinary returns are likely to remain vulnerable to conmen promising much and delivering little. It’s a sad fact, but the truth remains that if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is.”
Tagged as Fraud, Fraud Barometer, KPMG, Pro-Activ Publications, Risk UK
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Is this Canada's Most Affordable Green Home?
How Victoria designer Keith Dewey transformed eight used shipping containers into an airy residence. Second of three parts.
By Monte Paulsen 13 Apr 2010 | TheTyee.ca
Monte Paulsen is investigative editor of The Tyee.
This Green Buildings that Pay Off series is part of the larger Green From The Ground Up series, a project of the non-profit Tyee Solutions Society made possible through the support of the Vancity/Real Estate Foundation Green Building Grant Program. Support for this project does not necessarily imply endorsement of the findings or contents of these reports.
If your media outlet or organization would like to republish any or all of these articles, please contact Michelle Hoar to discuss.
Tyee Solutions Society is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, B.C., that produces catalytic journalism in the public interest.
1/8 Zigloo Domestique is a custom home in Victoria, B.C. Architect Keith Dewey reused eight 20-foot-long shipping containers to create its frame. Open floor plans such as this can cost less to build using shipping containers than wood or concrete, because long steel beams are included in the price of the used container. All photos courtesy Keith Dewey.
2/8 Zigloo Domestique is a 1,920-square-foot home built in 2006. The three-bedroom custom home was built for $180 per square foot. The upper floor master bedroom, shown here, has an open-concept bath and closet. The curved ceiling arches and skylights add to the room's spaciousness.
3/8 Zigloo Domestique bristles with suspended balconies. The heavy steel corner posts, a common element of every shipping container, easily support their weight. The concept that inspired owner-designer Keith Dewey's design was "to utilize recycled shipping containers as prefabricated building blocks, and in doing so, create a unique form of residential design."
4/8 Unneeded doors and walls were cut off the eight used shipping containers that frame Zigloo Domestique at a shipyard in Delta. The containers were then shipped to Victoria and stacked atop a standard foundation. The containers were permanently fastened to the foundation and welded to one another, creating an exceptionally strong and durable steel frame.
5/8 Keith Dewey figures he saved 70 trees by reusing the end-of-life shipping containers in place of framing timber. But the graceful arched roof trusses were built from FSC-certified timber, as were the interior wall frames and other manufactured wood products employed in finishing. One of the more challenging details facing Dewey involved providing a weatherproof connection between the containers. The blue sealing material would later be clad in steel flashing.
6/8 Zigloo Domestique's interior was framed much like any other house. The interior walls support the wiring, plumbing, insulation and wall finish. "I was finding ways to harmonize what is already known about the residential building industry with things that are already known about the shipping container industry," said Dewey.
7/8 Foam insulation was sprayed into Zigloo Domestique's wooden wall frames. The foam provides a higher R-value per inch, thereby reducing the thickness of the wall assembly. It also provides a completely continuous thermal barrier between the container and interior finishes.
8/8 Shipping container architecture is ideally suited for infill project that could prove prohibitively expensive to build in wood or concrete. Dewey shoehorned Zigloo Domestique into a small and oddly shaped infill lot in Fernwood village near downtown Victoria. At roughly 4,000 square feet, the lot is quite small and the build-able area less than 2500 square feet. More photos and design details can be found at zigloo.ca.
Green Homes, Out of the Box
Green and Affordable Homes, Out of the Box
Homeless Housing For Less
[Editor's note: Read the previous story in this series here. You can also click here to download a copy of the entire series in PDF.]
One of Canada's most affordable green homes stands not in the swaggering "Green Capital" of Vancouver, but in B.C.'s actual capital, Victoria.
Designer Keith Dewey built his own home out of eight end-of-life shipping containers. In so doing, he saved five years worth of electricity and spared about 70 trees -- all while cutting the cost of his new home by roughly 28 per cent.
"Initially, everyone's perception is that steel containers must be cold, cramped and uninviting," Dewey said of the reaction to his custom home, pictured in the slide show above. "That perception dissipates as soon as they step inside."
Dewey, who will talk about his home this Thursday night at the Quick Homes Superchallenge, added, "I was trying to create a green house that was well within the realm of feasibility for an average builder. So I didn't get too extreme with anything."
Victoria inspector supported the plan
"The idea of using shipping containers came to my attention back in 2000, when I saw a magazine cover about a project called Future Shack, which was developed in Australia," Dewey told The Tyee. "That really captivated my imagination."
The designer toyed with the concept over the next few years, and, "when the opportunity arose for us to design our own house, it was a natural development of the ideas that I'd conceptualized."
Dewey built the home he calls Zigloo Domestique in 2006. The 1,920-square-foot home is nestled into a small L-shaped lot in the Fernwood neighbourhood. The open-plan home rests on a typical residential foundation.
The City of Victoria's building inspector required Dewey to employ a structural engineer and a building envelope specialist, but otherwise treated the project like any other single-family residential home.
"We found ways to harmonize what is already known about the residential building industry with things that are already known about the shipping container industry," Dewey said of his approach.
For example, he framed two-inch interior walls at two-foot centres, and sprayed foam insulation into the void.
"It ended up being closer to four inches of foam, because there's a little bit of an air gap between the two-by-two wall and the steel, and then there's the corrugated nature of the steel wall itself," Dewey said. "We got R-28, which is well above the minimum requirement."
He topped the house with a conventional wood-framed roof, and dry walled much of the interior -- leaving strategically placed sections of corrugated steel as accents.
The house carries a traditional mortgage.
"I was able to convince the mortgage and insurance companies of the fact that this is a steel frame building, which just happens to have steel cladding. Once they were able to categorize it that way, then it was not problem," he said.
'A natural resource of consumer society'
"The sustainability issue was important for me. In my mind, a sustainable concept is one that makes use of materials that have already served their purpose. So I went out looking for end-of-life containers... things that were between 12 and 26 years old," Dewey said.
"These shipping containers, of course, we've got them all over the place. In a way they've become a natural resource of consumer society: everything comes to us in this box, but we have no use for the box now," he said.
Dewey bought eight used shipping containers, each measuring 20 feet long by eight feet wide by 8.5 feet high. He paid between $2,000 and $2,400 per container.
"A lot of them had dents and dings. One even had a breach on the side,” he said. "By itemizing our inventory, I was able to use those in areas where I would be cutting out portions of the wall."
Thousands of old shipping containers like the ones Dewey bought are melted and recycled into new steel every year due to a variety of economic factors, including ocean-going insurance requirements, the high price paid for scrap metal, and North America's ongoing trade imbalance with Asia.
By reusing -- rather than recycling -- most of the steel in those eight containers, Dewey saved something in the range of 50,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. That's enough hydro to light his home from the day he moved in through sometime next year.
Dewey also saved a small forest. Though Zigloo Domestique makes extensive use of manufactured wood products such as paneling and cabinetry, it employs less raw framing timber than a wood-frame house.
"I figured that I saved 70 trees worth of wood by reusing the containers," Dewey said.
The house has a concrete floor on the main level, which was poured atop a grid of hot water lines that provide radiant heat. The hot water is supplied by an on-demand (tankless) hot water heater.
"It's a very efficiently heated house... by heating the basement and the main floor, the residual heat rises up the stairwell and flows through the remainder of the house," Dewey said.
"It's easy to cool, too. By strategically placing operable windows, we are able to get really nice summer breezes," he added.
A custom home for a spec-house price
"My idea was to design a custom home, using sustainable materials, and do it for the same price they were building spec quality houses out in the low-cost subdivisions," Dewey said.
In Victoria, spec homes run about $150 per square foot, while custom homes average about double that.
In addition to the engineer and envelope specialist, Dewey contracted professionals for all the trade work such as electrical, plumbing, drywall, painting, etc. The only cost he avoided was his own design fee.
"I didn't cash in any favours on this one. I wanted to see what the costs really were," he said.
"As it all turns out, we were able to do it for $180 per square foot," he said.
"I would easily stack this house up against any house out there for $250 per square foot or more. So I'm assuming we saved in the realm of $70 per square foot, mostly as a result of the reuse of these containers."
That works out to a 28 per cent savings, which is consistent with the 25 per cent estimate provided by Barry Naef of the Intermodal Steel Building Unit (ISBU) Association.
Dewey acknowledged that he spent an inordinate amount of time and money working out solutions to specific design problems. The building envelope, for example, required considerable attention.
"When you put two containers together, there is this inevitable quarter-inch gap. So we had to develop a library of little details that could prevent water and drainage," he said.
"I'm sure I will be able to do these things much more efficiently next time."
Public perception remains a challenge
Dewey has several new container-based construction projects in the works. He said they all face the same challenges.
Perception is the first. The most common container buildings are the thousands of workers' camps scattered across the booming Arab states, along with a small number of mining camps in remote locations.
"They look a bit like concentration camps... That does not help overcome the perception problem," he said.
"That's why I think the designer is a really important element. There are lots of engineers and fabricators who can fabricate something low cost, easy to maintain, and durable. But if it's not appealing, if it's not an attractive thing for people to walk by, then it's not going to work in an urban environment."
Unrealistic expectations about cost are the second challenge.
"Nine times out of ten people are wanting something cheaper... People call me and they say, 'Oh, it's a box, and it's cheap,'" he complained.
"There is money to be saved using shipping containers," he said, "but the cost of the house is much more than the cost of the used container."
Dewey does anticipate that once the form becomes more widely accepted, complete homes will be manufactured in low-wage regions and sold worldwide.
"We're not quite there yet, but there is the potential for these homes to become extremely affordable in pre-fab manufacturing," he said.
He designed a pre-fab workers housing complex called Modulute, which would have created 220 small, self-contained suites. Whistler approved the $3 million project a couple years before the recent Winter Games, but the American vendor contracted to prefabricate the containers was unable to secure financing during the 2008 recession.
"It was an easily stackable configure that could have been removed and reinstalled somewhere else," Dewey said. "It's a bit of a shame. It would have been a real nice spotlight project during the Games."
For the time being, he said, the container concept is catching on much more quickly in Europe. He cited Amsterdam's Keetwonen project and London's Container City developments as examples. (See yesterday's slide show for pictures of those projects.)
"I guess there's sort of a conservative mindset in North American culture," Dewey chuckled. "We say, 'I've got to see it to believe it. And I'm not going to look too hard to try to find it.'"
For a vitual tour of Zigloo Domestique, click on the slide show at the top of this page or visit Dewey's web site.
Tomorrow: Could pre-fab suites make buying a home as simple as buying a refrigerator?
Read more: Environment, Green From The Ground Up, Urban Planning + Architecture
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ALBUM REVIEW: The Dandy Warhols’ “Why You So Crazy”
jkevinlynch February 2, 2019 Album Review, Music
ARTIST: The Dandy Warhols + ALBUM: Why You So Crazy + LABEL: Dine Alone Records + RELEASE DATE: JAN 25, 2019
If the Dandy Warhols can do anything, it’s make a total mess of an album seem charming. Case in point: Their latest album, Why You So Crazy. On the first listen, my reaction was surprise. There’s electronic driven songs. There’s country songs. You have to admire any artist who’s willing to go out on a limb and follow their vision. After multiple listens, the charm wears off and you’re more likely to spin Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia to remind you why you liked the band in the first place. I wanted to like this album. I wanted to call it a “neo-psychedelic trip that aims to challenge the Flaming Lips.” But, it’s just not that good.
In the current culture where songs weigh heavier than albums, Why You So Crazy is vulnerable to the unforgiving nature of short attention spans. The album lacks strong vocals, lyrics, a sing-along chorus anywhere in sight, or any emotional substance that would help you overlook these shortcomings. In fact, the album is so cold and sterile that it’s hard to even champion experimentation or the reckless abandon required to fuck the expectations of critics or the fanbase.
The album opens with the inconsequential “Fred n Ginger.” It’s a 40-second album intro that has nothing to do with the rest of the album. From there on out, the album is largely driven by electronic noodlings and knob turning. On a couple of songs, this works. “Terraform” and “Forever” are good examples. Electronic sounds percolate beneath sparse instrumentation and effect laden vocals. But, most of the time when the band reaches toward the atmospheric or meditative in this realm of ambient sound, it is either redundant or uneventful, like the tracks “Next Thing I Know,” “To The Church,” and “Thee Elegant Bum.” The band mixes things up on a couple of songs with the country-tinged “Highlife” and “Sins Are Forgiven.” Sadly, these songs lack strong choruses or memorable moments, but they are catchy for the first minute or so. “Be Alright” is probably the most Dandy sounding song on the album. Fairly straight-ahead, it shows evidence that the band hasn’t completely lost the plot; however, it does just aimlessly wander to its end. “Motor City Steel” aims for that catchy, pop-song of the summer feel, but is really just a big dumb song about cars. Closing out the album is the from-out-of-nowhere instrumental piano solo-thingy “Ondine.” It’s well composed and performed, but clocking in at six-plus minutes, it’s just kind of an odd tack-on to an already disparate and unfocused collection of songs.
Is the album better if you’re on drugs? Maybe. But, that should never be a prerequisite for enjoying music. Maybe the long time fans of the band will find something to appreciate, but this album isn’t going to win over any newbies. The main problem is that the songs seem undeveloped. Most of the vocals are whispered, making one wonder if this was a stylish attempt to hide poorly written lyrics. It’s not an awful album. Like I mentioned above, it has some charm to it. But, there’s not a single track that would find its way on a “Best Of” collection for the band.
– J. Kevin Lynch
The Dandy Warhols Tour Dates:
May 3 – 5 Atlanta, GA
May 6 Washington, D.C
May 7 Boston, MA
May 8 Brooklyn, NY
May 9 Toronto, ON
May 11 Chicago, IL
May 12 Minneapolis, MN
May 14 Denver, CO
May 16 Los Angeles, CA
May 17 San Diego, CA
May 18 San Francisco, CA
May 24 – Napa Valley, CA
Album Review, Music, The Dandy Warhols, Why You So Crazy
Previous SCENE: Aaron Clowers Benefit Concert – 1/25/19 @ Gas Monkey Live, Dallas, TX
Next FILM REVIEW: “Desolation Center”
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Pandemonium in the Temple
August 1, 2010 / Bill Dwight / Leave a comment
“The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’”
Let’s start with a question—what did Jesus have in mind that day when he entered the Temple?—what was his motive for taking on the role of agitator and kicking up a fuss?
Well, Jesus was obviously not trying to engineer a take-over of the Temple—this was not an armed insurrection designed to topple the Temple authorities.
This was a one person protest that did not endanger life, limb, or property—there was no burning of buildings or shattering of windows or taking of hostages.
Yes, according to the gospel of John, Jesus wielded a whip of cords—but there’s no indication he used the whip to inflict pain on anybody and it sounds like the only actual damage might have been a few nicks on the tables and chairs.
Jesus’ protest in the Temple seems to have been much more of an annoyance than a threat, a little flurry of agitation after which the merchants and money-changers probably dusted themselves off, got things straightened around, and quickly returned to business as usual.
For, after all, this rabbi from the sticks attacking the machinery of the Temple was like a mosquito stinging a rhinoceros—a defenseless, powerless Jesus would have been no match for the machinery of the great Temple, the most powerful, revered Jewish institution in all of Palestine.
So I’m wondering if Jesus’ trouble-making in the Temple was a kind of performance art, a sort of over-the-top gesture of protest that expressed his dismay at a hierarchy that had become callous, arrogant, and self-serving, a system that had forgotten its founding vision—an institution that had become very institutionalized.
I’m wondering if Jesus ruffling feathers in the Temple was his way of making a statement, his way of echoing that famous passage in the Book of the Prophet Amos in which the Lord, the God of Hosts, declares,
“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fatted animals I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Maybe this text is what Jesus had in mind when he strode into the Temple that day—for it would seem that justice and righteousness, with a lot of mercy thrown in, was the song he loved to sing.
I’m wondering if this vulnerable yet daring figure of Jesus taking on the Temple is a little bit like Charlie Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” taking on the high and the mighty.
Did you know that Charlie Chaplin once said: “I want to play the role of Jesus. I look the part. I’m a Jew. And I’m a comedian.”?
Of course, Jesus was not, strictly speaking, a comedian—but he seemed to have had a comedian’s sense of timing when it came to upsetting the apple cart of the callous and the arrogant—there was a kind of hilarity about the way this uncredentialed, uncertified rabbi without a power base could turn the tables on those who flaunted their sense of virtue, piety, or superiority.
We might say that Jesus’ demonstration in the Temple combines an acute, almost laughable vulnerability with a certain exuberant daring.
And as we think about Jesus acting up in the Temple, perhaps memories spring to mind of other protests against callousness and arrogance in which the protesters were both absurdly vulnerable and unaccountably bold and daring.
There was the anonymous Chinese man standing in front of a line of seventeen tanks the day after the government crackdown on Tiananmen Square who, for a half hour, stepped into the path of the lead tank every time the driver tried to go around him—and who eventually climbed up on the tank and allegedly said to the driver, “Why are you here? My city is in chaos because of you.”
There was Willie Morris, one-time editor of Harper’s Magazine, who, as a senior at the University of Texas, was editor of the student newspaper and repeatedly issued broadsides against segregation and censorship—on one occasion, Morris wrote an editorial that lashed out at the governor and other legislators for what he claimed was their collusion with the oil and gas interests that ran the state—the university’s Board of Regents prohibited him from publishing the editorial, and so he put out a blank editorial page with these words emblazoned across it—“This editorial was censored!”; as Morris later wrote, “A student editor in Texas could blaspheme the Holy Spirit and the Apostle Paul, but irreverence stopped at the wellhead.”
When I was in the 6th grade, we had a coach and gym teacher who was immensely popular with the students—it is not too much to say we loved Coach Renwick—we would push ourselves to the limit trying to excel at some game or exercise just to receive one word of praise from him which we would treasure for weeks—one day when we reported to gym, another coach, a towering man we feared but neither liked nor respected, called the class to order and told us Coach Renwick was no longer employed at the school and that he would be taking over his duties—we were a dazed, morose group—but as the day progressed, our shock turned into anger, and as we huddled together, one of our nervier comrades hatched a plan which the rest of us quickly endorsed—the next day when the new gym teacher called us to attention with his usual military cadence, instead of snapping to, the whole class, in one coordinated movement, sat down—the teacher was totally flummoxed—he sputtered, waved his arms, and headed for the principal’s office—interestingly enough, no discipline was ever meted out to us—the assistant principal came and sat down with us and patiently explained that Coach Renwick had resigned for personal reasons and the school regretted his leaving—but I think the school recognized that the bond between a teacher and his students should not be so rudely broken and that they had handled the situation badly—and I’m sure that if our more audacious fellow-student hadn’t put forth the idea for the little protest, we more timid types wouldn’t have been brave enough to do it.
I think it would be a gross misreading of Jesus’ protest in the Temple to conclude that he wanted to wreak havoc on the Temple as an institution.
On the contrary, I believe that as a faithful Jew he was trying to honor and preserve the institution by applying a little shock therapy to remind those in charge of the Temple’s original, founding vision.
If we read the story this way, we can say that the spirit of Jesus’ protest is really applicable to every institution.
All of us work and live in institutions—businesses. law firms, health care, government, education, the military, the church—institutions are essential and indispensable—they are the primary carriers of the precious, hard-earned wisdom and know-how of the past.
But all institutions are perpetually susceptible to institution creep—that is, all of us who live and work in institutions are continually in danger of falling prey to institutionalization—becoming dull and robotic or worse, callous and arrogant, but, either way, losing sight of the founding vision.
Every institution has, as part of its charter, either spelled out or implicit, an undeniable ethical imperative—to serve “pro bono publico”—to serve the public good.
Of course, lawyers, doctors, business executives, and stock brokers all have to worry constantly about the economic bottom line—yes, excruciatingly difficult compromises have to be struck, agonizing decisions have to be made about lay offs and health care coverage—we’re not talking any kind of moral perfection here—but the point is that even for a company in the most intensely competitive business arena, Heaven forbid that profitability, although a must, would be the only consideration.
David Packard recalled that after he and Bill Hewlett had gotten their company off the ground 68 years ago, he attended a conference at Stanford University sponsored by the business school—he said, “Somehow, we got into a discussion of the responsibility of management. The professor made the point that management’s responsibility is to the shareholders—that’s the end of it. And I objected. I said, ‘I think you’re absolutely wrong. Management has a responsibility to its employees, it has a responsibility to its customers, it has a responsibility to the community at large.’ And they almost laughed me out of the room.”
Jesus’ protest in the temple is a burr under the saddle of every institution that drifts into a malaise of being only concerned with feathering its own nest—Jesus’ protest is a reminder that as soon as an institution ceases to serve the public good, it is already in the first stage of rigor mortis.
This past week I went to see my family doctor.
In the course of our leisurely visit, yes, I said leisurely, he told me that early in his practice an older physician who had become his mentor said to him, “If you look after your patients, if you do what’s right for them, the money will follow. Not necessarily a lot of money, but enough.”
And then my doctor said to me, “He was right. Of course, you can’t disregard issues of money, managed care. But if you are mainly devoted to your patients’ welfare, the other things will work out. And a fulfillment comes from this that you can never get if you’re only worried about your investments.”
In other words, take care of the means and the ends will take care of themselves.
Not long ago Dr. Charles Vialotti announced his retirement and the closing of his office in Greenwich Village where he had been seeing patients since l941.
Dr. Vialotti said, “I’m going to be 97 years old. I figured at that age it’s wise to have a short period of rest.”
According to the reporter Clyde Haberman who was covering this story, “In mid-January, Dr. Vialotti sent letters about his retirement plans to 810 patients he had seen in just the last two years. Many felt they had to call on him one last time—Joseph Buscemi dropped by the other day. He had been going to Dr. Vialotti for 60 years. Jeff Sweetland had moved from the Village to Jersey City, but he never switched doctors. He paid a visit. So did Christine Wandel, who had health questions about her young grandson. ‘I had to check with him,’ she said. ‘There’s never been a time when he’s been wrong.’”
The reporter goes on, “It is always risky to call someone the last of his kind, for someone else is bound to pop up. Even so, when was the last time you went to a doctor who did it all by himself, without receptionist or nurse? Who couldn’t be bothered with all the insurance nonsense, and charged low fees or, at times, none at all? Who kept records on index cards, not computers? Who took patients as they walked in, first come, first served?
Who made house calls? (Some day, kids, we’ll tell you what house calls were.)”
“Dr. Vialotti was, quite simply, an old style G.P., a term you barely hear anymore. The initials stand for general practitioner—Dr. Vialotti said, ‘People didn’t have to make appointments. Sometimes, there’d be 25 or 26 patients in the waiting room. They were sitting out in the hall. The joke among my patients was, “You’ll probably get well before he gets to see you.”’
“As for house calls, he recalls making 19 of them in a single day back in the 1940’s. It helped that some patients lived in walk-ups with connecting roofs. He could move easily between buildings. He recalled, ‘They used to say, “We’re leaving the roof door open, Doc.”’”
“One longtime patient, who preferred to stay anonymous, said, ‘You felt you were as important to him as he was to you.’”
Now we all know you can’t practice medicine that way anymore—and I’m sure Dr. Vialotti was a laughing stock among various high end physicians who considered him a Neanderthal doctor who never caught up—but isn’t it heartening to hear of someone who, for all those years, retained the founding vision of what it means to be a doctor.
And there continue to be doctors, like my own family physician, who, in the midst of the madcap, helter-skelter world of managed care, still honor and cleave to that vision.
You see, I believe that wherever we work and live in institutional settings, we are called to be a little daring, a little nervy, a little audacious, a little unconventional, on behalf of serving the public good—oh, to be sure we need to pick our spots—but at certain critical moments, when the timing is right, I believe we’re called to go out on a limb, risk embarrassment, look a little foolish, ruffle a few feathers, and, even in the teeth of opposition and ridicule, sing our song of justice and righteousness, with a lot of mercy thrown in, which is really the song of Jesus and the prophets.
When things are sliding downhill in the place where we work or spend much of our time, and a cold, calculating cost-cutting mentality rules the roost and clients, customers, and fellow employees are getting short-shrift, I believe we are supposed to sing our song and say our piece with humor, buoyancy, and boldness, and hopefully without being smug, grim, or self-righteous.
In short, I believe we are called to be vulnerable, daring, life-giving agents who willingly take on the costly business of combating institution rot with passion, laughter, and maybe a little creative zaniness.
But I have this problem—I’m a fellow who tends to play it safe, who is allergic to conflict and risk-averse, who hates making waves and will go to almost any lengths to keep the peace and who can be, let’s face it, a little wishy- washy.
This doesn’t sound like a recipe for daring.
But I find solace in the fact that we trust in a Spirit that can, in the moment of truth, suddenly convert our timidity into courage, our cowardice into bravery.
That’s what I’m counting on—how about you?
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ADAPTIVE RE-USE OF THE BUILT HERITAGE: PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE VALUES OF OUR BUILT HERITAGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Europe has a rich and multi-faceted built environment, incorporating strong spiritual, cultural, social and economic values. Due to evolutions in our economies and societies, many heritage sites, whether listed or not, are nowadays disused or have lost the functions for which they were originally built – notably industrial, religious, and military sites, but also more contemporary buildings from the second half of the twentieth century.
However, heritage buildings that have lost their original function still embody cultural, historic, spatial and economic values. Adaptive re-use offers itself as a strategy aimed at preserving those elements that contain these values, while at the same time adapting the place for new uses. New functions are thus brought together with heritage values in an active and meaningful dialogue.
Throughout the European Year of Cultural Heritage, within the framework of the initiative entitled Heritage in Transition: Re-imagining industrial, religious and military spaces for the regeneration of urban and rural areas, the benefits of adaptive re-use strategies, as well as good practices, challenges and barriers to their implementation, have been intensively discussed. The present Declartation aims to take stock of lessons learned over the Year and reflect on good practices supporting quality interventions.
THE MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF RE-USING OUR BUILT HERITAGE
Through smart renovation and transformation, heritage sites can find new, mixed or extended uses. As a result, their social, environmental and economic value is increased, while their cultural significance is enhanced.
Cultural aspects: heritage sites are often spatial and social landmarks that characterise the landscape and confer a strong identity on the environment. They create a sense of place and are a major determinant of local and regional identity. By preserving our heritage, adaptive re-use can help to maintain and strengthen people's perceptions of their own traditions and history and provide perspectives for the future, while responding to the needs of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural societies.
Social aspects: by re-opening closed or disused spaces to the public, the adaptive re-use of our built heritage can generate new social dynamics in their surrounding areas and thereby contribute to urban regeneration. These projects offer the opportunity to involve citizens in the shaping of their living environment, resulting in greater sense of place and democracy. In addition, re-used heritage can provide the basis for school and educational programmes. Adaptive re-use is therefore a key lever for more cohesive territories, both in urban and rural areas.
Environmental aspects: the re-use of our heritage reduces the consumption of construction materials, saves embodied energy and limits urban sprawl. It often provides the opportunity to undertake a deep energy retrofit, resulting in better-performing, climate-proof, healthier buildings. Moreover, high quality projects, by their very nature, ensure a long-term usability, flexibility and adaptiveness to future needs. Adaptive re-use contributes, therefore, to the building of more resilient and sustainable cities and the application of circular economy principles in the built environment.
Economic aspects: the re-use of our built heritage can contribute to increasing the attractiveness of areas. On the one hand, quality architecture is a major factor of place branding, generating jobs and growth, notably in the tourism sector. On the other hand, new functions generate new users and situate territories in new economic networks. Re-used heritage sites cease to be isolated places and can act as catalysts within a broader context.
FOR SMART AND QUALITY-BASED PROCESSES
Adaptive re-use projects bring about specific challenges throughout their life-cycle. Processes that favour and ensure flexibility, participatory approaches, innovation, quality-based procurement, multidisciplinary teams, financial viability and good story-telling can contribute to successful projects in the long term.
Flexibility with respect to regulatory framework and standards: the upgrading of our built heritage to current standards in terms of accessibility, safety and energy efficiency raises numerous challenges. If applied in a strict manner, planning and building regulations may prevent creative solutions from emerging and undermine the quality of projects. Flexibility needs to be engrained in planning and local government bodies.
Participation of citizens: which heritage sites should be preserved, demolished or re-used has to be discussed in a democratic and participative way. Consulting citizens is a good way of gaining support for financial investment and ensuring that a project will match the needs of the local population. Such debates boost social interaction and society's responsibility for local cultural heritage.
Temporary uses of unoccupied spaces can be an excellent way of testing possible future uses, involving citizens and raising awareness of buildings’ values. Additionally, temporary uses can contribute to maintaining the building in a good condition. Adaptive re-use interventions, especially if they are temporary, should be reversible, as far as possible, in order to make possible future re-uses or a return to the original condition of the building.
Active responsibility of the competent public authorities: The process of continuous analysis, selection and legal protection of listed buildings requires active attention from the competent public authorities, so that ambitions for adaptive re-use can be tested against the requirements arising from the legally protected status of heritage and integrated in a responsible manner.
Quality-based procurement: project selection procedures must be clearly focused on quality with the application of the most economically advantageous tender for awarding contracts. Architectural Design Contests are the best way of commissioning architectural services.
Multidisciplinary teams & collaborative approaches: responsibility for re-imagining our built heritage is shared by many stakeholders. Multidisciplinary teams are needed, working in a collaborative manner from the very beginning of the project, in order to discuss technical, economical and legal possibilities and resolve possible contradictory interests.
Financial viability: to enable a re-use in the long-term, it is crucial to ensure that the preservation of heritage values is compatible with the economic requirements of the project (renovation, exploitation and maintenance of the building).
Good story-telling, using all opportunities offered by digital technologies, is key to conveying the history of the place and enhancing its heritage value.
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN HERITAGE AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE
The dialogue between past, present and future is an obvious characteristic of re-use projects. The architectural project makes things tangible and concrete and constitutes the right moment for bringing the various possibilities into debate.
A reflexive dialogue between past, present and future should allow for mediation and striking a balance between heritage elements and new interventions that relate intelligently to future uses, through a sensible and meaningful weighing of interests.
Multi-scale and territorial approach: heritage sites should be understood in their wider, surrounding context (district and city) in order to fully consider their integration into their urban environment and natural landscape, while responding to access and mobility challenges. By opening to the surrounding context, heritage sites can create new dynamics and thereby contribute to the regeneration of the urban fabric.
Case-by-case and knowledge-based approach: various stakeholders bring multiple issues and possibilities to each project, so that standardised approaches and “one-size-fits-all” solutions are impossible. On the contrary, re-use projects require bespoke architectural solutions, based on a careful assessment of the specific nature of the existing building, using proper methodologies based on an holistic and integrated view of cultural heritage. An in-depth and thorough understanding of the building and its historic ‘place’ is a prerequisite to exploring possible changes within a given building and making proposals for new forms associated with it.
The adaptive re-use of our built heritage brings multiple benefits to individuals and society, for present and future generations. Yet, it can still be regarded as being an unviable option, while planning and building regulations may prevent the development of re-use projects. It is essential to sensitise all stakeholders – local and regional public authorities, the financial sector, owners and heritage professionals – to the benefits and challenges inherent to such projects, and to foster peer-learning across Europe, as many good practices and solutions already exist.
Adaptive re-use requires the adoption of a ‘living’ attitude vis-à-vis our built environment; an attitude that considers our built heritage as a man-made landscape that can be re-worked and re-modeled when necessary, starting out from the social, cultural, environmental and economic needs of our time. In so doing, our built heritage can be integrated in a meaningful and creative way into contemporary society and thereby be conserved in a sustainable way for future generations.
As recalled in the Davos Declaration, “cultural heritage is a crucial component of high-quality Baukultur”. The adaptive re-use of our built heritage presents itself as a necessary strategy to meet the challenges expressed in the Davos Declaration and achieve high-quality Baukultur in Europe, understood as “a new, adaptive approach to shaping our built environment (…) that is rooted in culture, builds social cohesion, ensures environmental sustainability, and contributes to the health and well-being of all”.
Adopted on 23 November 2018 in Leeuwarden
This Declaration is supported by:
- Architects' Council of Europe (ACE-CAE.eu)
- European Federation of Fortified Sites (EFFORTS-europe.eu)
- European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH.net)
- Europa Nostra (EuropaNostra.org)
- Future for Religious Heritage (FRH-europe.org).
Verklaring van Leeuwarden 2018
ace-cae-leeuwarden-statement-adaptive-re-use-of-the-built-heritage-for-future-generations-en-2018-11-23.pdf
ace-cae-leeuwarden-statement-reaffectation-du-patrimoine-bati-pour-les-generations-futures-fr-2018-11-23.pdf
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The Women’s Center is 2018’s “Gal-a-lotta” Awardee
Collaborative partnership offers unique evening of community engagement, awareness
By The Women’s Center - Aug 17th, 2018 02:28 pm
WAUKESHA, Wis. – On August 23, hundreds of local young professionals will gather at the newly-renovated Italian Community Center for “Futures Free From Violence: Games & Grooves After Hours,” an event benefiting The Women’s Center through the annual “Gal-a-lotta” award from Care-a-lotta, the charitable arm of The Bartolotta Restaurant Group. “Futures” will be catered by Bartolotta’s, and the event will feature food stations, interactive games and raffle prizes, and music in the courtyard by 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s DJ Tarik.
The Women’s Center’s Executive Director, Angela Mancuso, calls this the perfect opportunity to invite new friends to get involved and learn about The Women’s Center. “One of our priorities is to increase opportunities throughout our community to share our mission with young and “young at heart” professionals, and this partnership allows us to do just that, while offering an evening of good music and great food in a reimagined space,” said Mancuso.
With over twenty years of experience in the Milwaukee restaurant market and a household name in the area, The Bartolotta Restaurant Group has long made charitable giving a priority through its desire to support local nonprofits. Care-a-lotta Director Jennifer Bartolotta started the “Gal-a-lotta” initiative as a way to help local organizations raise awareness and funds through a collaborative effort. The event’s expenses are covered by The Bartolotta Group, and Bartolotta employees volunteer their time to staff the event and help the chosen organization make the evening a success.
The Women’s Center was awarded, according to Assistant General Manager at Lake Park Bistro and Care-a-lotta Board member, Zoe Lord, “because together we recognize the importance of empowering women and their families. We hope our partnership will build awareness and further the mission for this crucially important resource in our community.”
Honored to be chosen from 60 other applicants, The Women’s Center’s mission is to provide safety, shelter, and support to empower all impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and trafficking. It is the only agency of its kind in Waukesha County, and serves the community through programs like emergency shelter, a 24-Hour Hotline, transitional living, counseling and support groups, legal advocacy, community education and violence prevention, and employment and life skills training. They provide translation and interpretation in any language, and child care while utilizing their services is offered to clients free of charge, along with all the programs listed above.
The event begins at 6pm at the Italian Community Center on Thursday, August 23. Tickets and more details are available at https://twcwaukesha.org/event/futures-free-from-violence/.
About The Women’s Center
Founded in 1977, The Women’s Center serves adult and child survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and trafficking. The Women’s Center offers free and comprehensive programming including: emergency shelter & 24-Hour Hotline; legal advocacy; family counseling; domestic violence, sexual assault and abuse counseling; substance abuse and mental health support; transitional living; community education and violence prevention; and employment counseling and life-skills development.
Mentioned in This Press Release
People: Angela Mancuso, Jennifer Bartolotta, Tarik Moody, Zoe Lord
Organizations: 88Nine Radio Milwaukee
Government: Waukesha County
Neighborhoods: Lake Park
Recent Press Releases by The Women’s Center
Award-Winning Documentary About 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Nadia Murad, Screening at New Jan Serr Studio
Oct 18th, 2018 by The Women’s Center
The Women’s Center Sponsors MKE Film Festival Movie, “On Her Shoulders,” during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The Women’s Center Leads Community Efforts During Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Oct 9th, 2018 by The Women’s Center
“Take Action. Support Survivors. End Domestic Violence Now.”
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HIPAA Within the Workplace
by J. Mariah Brown
HIPAA protects the privacy of employee health information.
box secret image by haruspex from Fotolia.com
1 Employee's Rights to Confidentiality
2 Companies & HIPAA Compliance
3 Can an Employer Keep Document Information From Employees?
4 Regulations on the Individual Right to Privacy in the Workplace
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 protects the privacy of health information. In the workplace, HIPAA ensures that employee health information is not provided to parties, such as employers, without the consent of the employee. HIPAA laws protect the privacy of all past, current and future employee health-related information. All employers should be familiar with HIPAA to ensure compliance with the law.
HIPAA was established to provide federal protection for personal health information. This includes information in medical records, conversations regarding medical treatment and billing information related to the patient's health. Under HIPAA, patients have the right to view and receive copies of their health information and receive a notice when that information is used and shared. For instance, if an employer requests private health information about an employee, the employee would have the right to be notified that the information was shared with the employer.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule is balanced so that it allows the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes. The Privacy Rule controls how a health plan or covered health care provider releases protected health information to an employer, including a manager or supervisor. If employers ask information about employees without authorization, health care providers cannot disclose information.
Employer Requests
Under HIPAA, an employer can ask an employee for a doctor’s note related to sick leave, workers compensation, wellness programs or health insurance. HIPAA does not protect employment records, however, if health-related information is contained in those records, authorization has to be provided to the physician and may only be used for the purpose stated.
Who Is Covered?
The intent of HIPAA in the workplace is to protect employees from sharing health information and disclosing information with people who do not legally need to know that information. Entities covered by HIPAA include health plans, health care providers and health care clearinghouses. While other organizations, such as life insurers, schools and law enforcement agencies, do not specifically fall under this law, they cannot obtain health information directly. In cases where health information is included, these organizations must receive the employee's authorization to access information to be in compliance with HIPAA.
Understanding the rights under HIPAA is important in protecting employees' personal health information. Patients have the right to see and get copies of all health records and information, as well as the right to have corrections added to health information if the information is incorrect or incomplete, such as the result of a test. In the workplace, employees have the right to be notified of the way in which health information is shared and to decide whether of not to give permission for that reason.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Health Information Privacy
Privacy Rights Clearing House: HIPAA Basics
Office Arrow: Workplace Confidentiality and the HIPAA Privacy Rule
J. Mariah Brown is the owner and editor-in-chief of Writings by Design, a comprehensive business writing service company. She is a formally trained, seasoned journalist, and has worked in a variety of fields, which has equipped her with the experience needed to write and edit for an eclectic audience base on virtually any topic.
Mariah, J.. "HIPAA Within the Workplace." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/hipaa-within-workplace-4855.html. Accessed 16 July 2019.
Mariah, J.. (n.d.). HIPAA Within the Workplace. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/hipaa-within-workplace-4855.html
Mariah, J.. "HIPAA Within the Workplace" accessed July 16, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/hipaa-within-workplace-4855.html
HIPAA Security Rules for Business Associates
Check the Status of a Battery in a Toshiba Laptop
Workforce Not Complying With HIPAA Procedures
Employee HIPAA Training
Rights Concerning Drug Tests
HIPAA PHI Policy & Procedures
HIPAA Rules in a Company Workplace
Can My Employer Require Me to Use My FMLA When I Am Injured for Workman's Compensation?
Laws for Contingent Jobs
HIPAA Compliance With Google Docs
Employers Obligations Under ERISA
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View All Soulful Detroit Forums
Which group did more songs with The Andantes, Mr&TV´s or The Marvelettes ?
Thread: Which group did more songs with The Andantes, Mr&TV´s or The Marvelettes ?
Fullfillingnessfirstfinale
IMHO it´s an interesting question, because there are different reasons. So The Marvelettes had no high voices after Georganna and Juanita left and the group uses The Andantes. On the other hand Martha & The Vandellas uses The Andantes after her Dance Party album totally, often without The Vandellas, together with Ashford and Simpson or Syretta Wright. IMHO it looks like a solo singer named Martha Reeves, with backround voices The Vandellas, sadly we have not enough live material of MR&TV´s to have an opposite, the only very good live performance of the Group is "At the Copa" and that´s not released until yet. For me personally The Marvelettes are a group from the beginning to the end. And "The Return of TM" was an open secret with the talented Wanda Young. We have a lot MR albums, which contains no or less Vandellas like "Sugar`n`spice", "Natural rescources" or "Black Magic"
What you are think about that fact ?
WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance
Originally Posted by Fullfillingnessfirstfinale
SO GLAD you brought this up. For years, decades, we've had it beaten and drummed into our heads that The Marvelettes were the only female group at Motown to be dubbed over by The Andantes. That always bugged me because the more of The Marvelettes' records I collected, the more I noticed it wasn't always The Andantes doing backgrounds. I also noticed that as the group matured, The Marvelettes singing had lost that youthful off-key quality; yet everybody kept howling that the group was being dubbed over because they couldn't sing on-key. Rubbish and hyperbole. I've heard just as many sour notes from other Motown groups, so that whole thing was just always unfair to the group.
Over the years, collecting more and more albums and records, it sounded to me, like your post highlights, Martha & The Vandellas were dubbed over quite a lot, yet nobody really ever zoned in on that like they did with The Marvelettes. Then, when you compare albums, song-for-song, The Marvelettes actually did a lot more of their own backgrounds than most realize. I'd even venture to say, they got to do more of their own backgrounds than The Vandellas. To my ears, The Marvelettes vocals, even though often they were singing unison lines could blend so well with The Andantes, this is the only group that ends up confusing just who was doing what and when. To this day, I still can't quite tell if it's a blend of The Andantes and Marvelettes on "Don't Make Hurting Me A Habit" and "Only Your Love Can Save Me." If those songs are causing that much confusion, really it says a lot that The Marvelettes were doing their job just fine.
Check out a song like "Rainy Mourning." That is a masterwork. The backing vocals seem to be the group with Wanda included, and in fact maybe even double-tracked. That is not an easy song to sing, and yet, The Marvelettes sound just fine on it. I'm sure some will say The Andantes are in the mix, yet I just don't hear those operatic tones. If the Andantes are mixed in, then this is again, a very skillful blend. It seems Ivy Jo and Dean/Weatherspoon really liked using the voices of the actual group as often as possible. If The Marvelettes weren't able to sing in tune, there is no way those producers would spend that much time trying to get a performance. They would have gone the easy route and just brought in The Andantes to do it all.
Ok, that's my say. I'm glad you started this thread.
Wow, you guys are absolute experts on how you analyze this music. I still often don't know when I'm hearing the Andantes on many songs. But to me the Andantes (when I hear them especially on the Supremes' records) could have a bland, kind of antiseptic, quality which I guess was the point. They could blend in with anyone singing lead.
But I love the rougher, rawer, whatever you want to call it of really hearing Katherine, Gladys or Wanda, and so on, or Rosalind and Betty, and so on. I love when the background singers are recognizable.
You guys are very impressive with your knowledge. And I love "Rainy Mourning." Kind of a Phil Spector-ish, little symphony or almost a movie theme.
bradsupremes
Motown began using the Andantes in place of the groups around 1965. For the Supremes, at first the Andantes were used on the specialty material like Merry Christmas and There's A Place For Us. It wouldn't be until 1968 that the Andantes took over the majority of background vocals on their recordings. For the Marvelettes & the Vandellas, the switch-over happened much sooner on singles such as "I'll Keep Holding On" and "My Baby Loves Me." There is a common misconception that the Marvelettes and Vandellas were on all these songs with the Andantes added for additional support. The fact is they were replaced totally by the Andantes. There are a few instances where both were used such as "Now Is The Time For Love" and "This Night Was Made For Love." By 1968, the Marvelettes and Vandellas were hardly ever used on recordings. I can name a few Marvelettes tracks like "Uptown," "Your Love Can Save Me," and "Breakthrough" that had Kat, Wanda or Ann on backgrounds. I would say they were used more than the Vandellas were. Other than "Honey Chile" and "Show Me The Way" with Roz and Lois, I couldn't name a track after that with Roz, Lois or Sandy on it after 1967. Martha stated that "Something" was Sandy's first recording with the Vandellas, but how would we know? I couldn't pick out Lois or Sandy's voice if my life depended on it. For as much as get upset about the Andantes replacing Mary & Cindy on post-1967 Supremes tracks, the fact is that Mary & Cindy recorded much more than the Vandellas & Marvelettes put together.
blackguy69
This all sounds like more speculation rather than proof of what is being stated
daviddesper
At the recent show I attended, I had a specific background vocals question that I posed to Lois during the "meet and greet" session but I got the idea that she either did not understand my question or else felt it was best to not give me a direct answer.
It was about the song "Shoe Leather Expressway." There is a part in that song where Martha sings "pick em up and lay em down now," and someone in the background sings a low, husky "uh uh uh." (I realize that does not translate well in writing but if you know the song, you should be able to understand me.)
Anyway, I was sure that had to be Lois doing that part and I wanted to ask her about it, mainly because of all this stuff I have heard over the years about the exorbitant amount of use of the Andantes. But as I said I did not get a direct answer and left rather frustrated about it.
Originally Posted by daviddesper
The "uh uh uh" part in "Shoe Leather Expressway" are the Andantes. The lower, husky voice is Jackie Hicks. There are no Vandellas on that song. In fact, I don't there are any Vandellas on the Sugar N' Spice album. I'm pretty sure that's the Marvelettes' background vocals on "I Hope You Have Better Luck Than I Did" and it's Ashford & Simpson doing background on "I Ain't Like That" and "I'm A Winner."
Last edited by bradsupremes; 11-24-2018 at 01:40 AM.
lakedistrictlad1
To be fair to Lois, we fans live these 50 year old songs on a daily basis. Lois was probably being evasive simply because she couldn't recall the song. Can any of us recall such detail from half a century ago on our lives?
sup_fan
I agree that we really can’t recognize Sandy and Lois on MRATV tracks. I’m guessing Something is one because the backgrounds sound totally different from other tracks by then andantes. So I’m just going to guess that’s S and L
jobeterob
Impressive knowledge by many
Nice to see this being talked about quite rationally and factually and not about Florence Mary and Cindy
Originally Posted by sup_fan
It reminds me, once I read and I think that´s Martha said, this group occupation was the most elegant one, but I think only in presentation, not in vocally.
I am very glad of the fact, that we can hear on The Marvelettes songs the opposite, for example "The stranger" contains only The Marvelettes or on "Now is the time for love" there are both and you hear the differences which part of the song who sing, so the arrangements are perfect.
I said it again and some of the guys will behead me but IMHO The Andantes are a part of MR&TV, only the first two albums are really MR&TV, IMHO Anette is the one, who give MR&TV her unique stamp
i'm going to venture that i think it's the Marvelettes AND the Andantes on Too Many Fish in the Sea. obviously the four Marvelettes are doing the lead lines on the chorus and i think the group is singing throughout. But the 3-part harmony on the chorus is too polished for the Marvelettes, especially given this was recorded in early 64. their harmonies just weren't this solid.
Originally Posted by bradsupremes
if you listen closely to When You're Young And In Love you can almost hear the Marvelettes singing in unision on the melody of the chorus and then the harmonies are the andantes. I'm thinking for a while they might have done that until it was just easier to skip bothering with the Marvelettes and just do the Andantes
Katherine states that for Return of the Marvelettes she refused to do the photo shoot because it was a total sham. she hadn't been involved in any of the recordings and so didn't want to play along by just appearing in the picture. but in actuality she HAD been doing that for years along with the live performances.
Originally Posted by lakedistrictlad1
I would tend to agree with you, except I think the groups were or should be familiar with the songs that ended up on their albums. And I imagine they can easily recognize their own voices in the backgrounds if that is the case. Considering the dozens of songs these groups recorded which never were released (until decades later in some cases), it's easy to understand why they wouldn't remember most of them. But I would think they were pretty familiar with the album tracks.
Originally Posted by kenneth
I don´t know, if this is really true, because I must think of my greatest Motown dissapointment ever - "Forever came today" ! Mary and Cindy don´t know the vocal lines, so they sang uhs and ahs in The Ed Sullivan Show!
And exactly this was the key to find out there are no Supremes on the record :-(
IMHO Martha and The Vandellas are the same thing, there maybe one or two tracks per album with the original line-up, if any
I thought too that it was a mix of The Marvs and Andantes on Too Many Fish, until I heard it on one of those Motown karaoke CD and really got a huge surprise. While on one channel, you get the music track, on the other channel you get pure vocals without any distraction from the music. It's very revealing. I don't think there are ANY Andantes in the mix. I think there is some fantastic 3-part harmony going on there by the girls.
I'm sure people will SWEAR the girls couldn't ever sing that well, but I just don't buy that anymore. By this time, the girls had been singing for some years and with three voices doing backgrounds, you can get a much fuller, tighter blend. There are other songs from this period that were shelved initially and I get the feeling you can hear the girls were getting much better and tighter with their singing.
I'm prepared to be in the minority on this one, but that stripped-down karaoke version is VERY interesting to hear and may change a few minds.
IMHO "Poor little rich girl", "Little girls grow up" and "Love is good" are key tracks for the missing time, where the group no albums recorded. It could be possible that The Marvelettes would sound in this direction.
Well I don´t know the exactly years, when the above menitoned records are produced.
marv2
The Marvelettes could sing. They would have never been able to perform live if they couldn't. People would have walked out of their shows, booed etc. Many groups did not sound that great when they first started out.
motony
There were no Andantes on Martha & the Vandellas records prior to 1966, Marvelettes either. On some of those box sets or later CD releases they might have listed that because they didn't want to pay the group members royalties. "Dancing In The Street" was the first of Marthas that used others in conjunction with Roz & Betty(that's Bettys first session as a Vandella). Smokey used the Andantes on "Don't Mess With Bill" because he recorded that and "You're the One" as solos for Wanda but Gladys won that round with Motown.I know for a fact that Lois & Sandy Tilley DID a lot of recording as Vandellas but a lot of tracks were cut while on the road as they worked continually.There is NO question that both groups were GREAT LIVE. I saw the Marvelletes LIVE in 1966 & there were NO Andantes behind the curtain in Orlando, Fl. or Montgomery, Al. "Too Many Fish In The Sea" is the Marvelettes & when I Saw them it was the trio.
I'm sorry I should have been more clear since "Dancing In The Street" was 1964, I think that's Mickey & Ivy with them. I know "My Baby Loves Me" had a couple of Tops on there because it was gonna be for Kim Weston.The Andantes would be on a lot of the later stuff and some with Lois & Sandy.
If we're talking singles, prior to 1965 the Vandellas are on all singles. After 1965 is where it gets tricky.
Vandellas are definitely on:
- Nowhere To Run
- You've Been In Love Too Long (w/ Andantes)
- What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love
- Jimmy Mack (w/ Andantes)
- Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone
- Honey Chile
The Andantes alone are on everything else.
After 1970, I cannot tell you what is Vandellas or not. In addition to the Andantes, there is also the Blackberries, Vincent Sisters w/ Telma Hopkins, as well as various session singers in LA and Detroit. I doubt Lois & Sandy were used at all with the exception of a few recordings and were merely onstage Vandellas.
As for the Marvelettes, they are on everything prior to 1965. Just like the Vandellas, after 1965 is where things get muddy but they are on less singles, but more album tracks and B-sides.
Marvelettes are definitely on:
- I'll Keep Holding On (w/ Andantes)
- Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead
- When You're Young And In Love (w/ Andantes)
The rest are Andantes only.
Last edited by bradsupremes; 11-27-2018 at 03:38 PM.
Originally Posted by marv2
Thank you! A point I always forget that you reminded me of. The Apollo Theater in New York. That. Place. Was. ROUGH. If you weren't good, those Harlem audiences would not show any kind of mercy. If they didn't like you, they let you know in an instant. The Marvelettes did well at the Apollo. I think I recall even The Miracles suffered a bad audience response during their first appearance. The Marvelettes had to have had something going on vocally, otherwise they would never have survived those New York crowds.
floyjoy678
Jack Ashford and Ivy Jo Hunter are singing in the background with Roz and Betty on Nowhere to Run.
Too Many Fish In the Sea sounds like the Andantes are doing the "oh yeah "s during the verses but the rest is the actual Marvelettes.
Martha said that Lois and Sandy only did a handful of recordings, that's probably why Lois was stumped when she was asked about the background because she barely was in the studio.
Originally Posted by floyjoy678
If you can find the karaoke version of Too Many Fish, give it a listen, just the vocals and see if you still feel the same way. On the single, it sounds like two groups doing the backings, Andnates on some parts, Marvs on others. I got a whole new take on it with the karaoke mix.
RanRan79
Originally Posted by blackguy69
I think the proof is in the audio. The Andantes use on Flo era Supremes recordings can sometimes be tricky because IMO the Andantes and Flo and Mary had a similar sound. But that's not the case with the Vandellas and Marvelettes. Listening to Annette/Rosalind and Rosalind/Betty, I hear no similarities between them and the Andantes at all, so I can usually tell when the groups have been switched. ("I'm Ready for Love" is the one that threw me off. I would've sworn the soprano during the "oohs" on the verses was Rosalind, even though it's easy to tell it's the Andantes doing everything else. I'm still not completely convinced that Rosalind isn't there.) And the Marvelettes are very easy IMO because they did not possess the skills that could be confused with any of the other female groups at the label. As harmonizers, they just weren't very good. I don't think I've ever been fooled by a Marvelette/Andante vocal. I said all that to say that I'm with Brad on this one.
That's a fair point, but haven't we heard artists discussing such things on their recordings from so long ago? I can understand Lois not recalling, but I don't think it would be far fetched for her to recall it, if she recorded it. When these autobiographies come out, these folks remember conversations, meals, articles of clothing from way longer than 50 years ago. Lol The mind is a tricky place, that's for sure. I remember my grandmother would forget something I told her the previous week, but she could rattle off my grandfather's military ID number from the 1950s off the top of her head as if it was still relevant.
Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance
The Marvelettes did well at the Apollo because they were great entertainers, not because they were captivating audiences with their vocals. Lol That's my take, anyway. Gladys could clearly sing and I think Wanda could too, although she needed some training (and definitely by 1965 Wanda had really come into her own as a vocalist). But as a group their sound was great for the stuff they were doing at the time (Postman, Playboy, etc) because there wasn't anything complicated about them. But I don't think they would've ever been signed to Motown or promoted if they couldn't sing in the first place.
For the first time I think I have to say that I'm not sure if it's the Andantes or Marvelettes! Sounds like it's possible that Wanda is in on the "oh yeahs" but I also can't rule out that it's the Andantes. The problem is that the "oh yeahs" are considerably buried in the verses in comparison to the rest of the backing vocals which are clearly the Marvelettes. If they were a bit louder...
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Brain Tumor BookList
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Note to families dealing with a child who has a brain tumor: The book listed below, "Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors: A Guide for Families, Friends & Caregivers" is a must read. IF you can not EASILY afford it, the Candlelighters Foundation will send you a free copy. Click HERE for details - then click on books.
Dying Can Change Your Life A FREE book about one man's experiance with a brain tumor.
Looking Back, Walking Foward - by Jen Bernhards. A FREE booklet about Jen's thoughts on how a teenager can cope with a serious illness.
"Sometimes Your Head" A FREE illustrated book for children dealing with brain tumors. Please click here to let us know how you like this book after you read it. (Note: the book is in .pdf format - which requires the free adobe reader, and it may take a few minutes to download.)
Second Chance - A book about a brain tumor survivor.
Can I Take My Panda Daddy? -(Written by his father), is a beautiful, sad and inspiring memoir about a four year old boy with a malignant brain stem tumor.
Suggested Books - for purchase via Amazon.com
If Amazon asks you to select a charity to support, please select "Musella Foundation For Brain Tumor Research & Information"
Title / Author Average Score Votes Vote
It's MY Crisis And I'll Cry If I Need To: EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge (Updated Edition)
Yocheved Golani 6.16 110,408 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
100 Questions about brain tumors (New Edition 2010)
Dr. Virginia Stark-Vance 5.84 116,501 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Living With Timmy
Paul Korhonen 5.72 16,737 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
If You Love Me, Take Me Now
Steve Cox 5.67 29,197 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Surviving and Thriving: A Brain Tumor Survivor's Story
Time Ward 5.65 62,108 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
Lance Armstrong 5.59 108,640 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Complete Bedside Companion : A No-Nonsense Guide to Caring for the Seriously Ill
Rodger McFarlane 5.57 110,536 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Methods
American Cancer Society 5.57 113,432 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Handbook of Brain Tumor Chemotherapy
Herbert Newton 5.56 101,771 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
That's Unacceptable!
Rebecca Libutti 5.54 114,736 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
It's All in Your Head
Maria McCutchen 5.53 35,327 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Radiation Sonnets: For My Love, in Sickness and in Health
Jane Yolen 5.53 109,268 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Magic Cancer Bullet: How a Tiny Orange Pill May Rewrite Medical History (The Story of Gleevec)
Dan Vasella 5.52 107,713 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Living with a Brain Tumor: Dr. Peter Black`s Guide to Taking Control of Your Treatment
Dr. Peter Black 5.51 97,018 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Brain Surgeon: A Doctor's Inspiring Encounters with Mortality and Miracles
Keith Black 5.51 75,406 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care and Quality of Life
Maria Hewitt 5.51 108,936 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Year of the Bird
Susan Spangler 5.51 46,039 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Pillow for people using the Novocure Device
5.51 40,516 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Neuroanatomy Made Easy and Simple
S. David Gertz 5.50 108,164 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Brain Tumors: Finding the Ark. Meeting the Challenges of Treatment Choices, Side Effects, Childrens Issues, Healthcare Costs and Long Term Survival
Dr. Paul Zeltzer 5.50 107,407 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
When Cancer Entered Our Family: How We Lived, Laughed, Cried and Survived
Moyra McDill 5.50 100,235 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Lemon SIzed Tumor
Jenny Overton 5.50 34,934 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
STEPPING OVER MYSELF: FINDING MY WAY AND MY LIFE AFTER A BRAIN TUMOR
AYIS CAPERONIS 5.50 66,773 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Brain Tumors: Leaving the Garden of Eden, a Survival Guide to Diagnosis, Learning the Basics, Getting Organized, & Finding Your Medical Team
Paul Zeltzer, MD 5.50 112,201 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Force a Miracle
Darryl C. Didier 5.50 108,264 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Glioblastoma Multiforme
James M. Markert, MD 5.49 117,704 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living
Samuel Lee Oliver 5.49 104,834 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Emperor of All Maladies
Mukherjee 5.49 44,739 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for Caregivers
Maria M. Meyer 5.48 113,887 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Cancer As a Turning Point : A Handbook for People With Cancer, Their Families, and Health Professionals
Lawrence LeShan 5.48 110,846 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reversal: When a Therapist Becomes a Patient
Eric Anthony Galvez 5.47 93,523 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Disability Experience: A Healing Journey
Arthur Soissons-Segal,Ph.D. 5.47 117,190 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Navigating Through a Strange Land : A Book for Brain Tumor Patients and Their Families
Tricia Ann Roloff 5.47 127,353 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Stella~s Story: Fighting for Life Against a Malignant Brain Tumor
Kay Loveland 5.47 115,480 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Making Miracles Happen
Gregory White Smith 5.46 112,763 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry If I Need To: A Life Book That Helps You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge
Yocheved Golani 5.46 70,992 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CNS Cancer
Erwin G. Van Meir 5.46 81,152 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dr. Folkmans War: Angiogenesis and the Struggle to Defeat Cancer
Robert Cooke 5.46 112,709 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Surviving `Terminal Cancer`: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won`t Tell You about
Ben Williams, PhD 5.45 123,111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Childhood Brain & Spinal Cord Tumors: A Guide for Families, Friends & Caregivers
Tania Shiminski-Maher 5.45 110,728 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Vista Point (CD)
Not By Chance 5.45 115,720 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Angel Letters: Lessons That Dying Can Teach us About Living
Norman J. Fried 5.45 102,625 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I am a Kid living with Cancer
Jenevieve Fisher 5.45 60,755 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Dance When the Brain Says No
Mary Kathleen Price 5.44 82,729 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Making the Radiation Therapy Decision
David J. Brenner 5.44 122,734 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Not By Chance (CD)
Alternating Electric Fields Therapy in Oncology
Eric T Wong 5.43 8,494 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Busy Peoples Guide To Low Fat Cookbook (Author is the spouse of a brain tumor patient - using this book as a fundraiser)
Dawn Hall 5.43 113,142 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Arthur Soissons-Segal, Ph.D. 5.43 110,916 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
That Thing On My Moms Brain
Noe Santana 5.43 26,159 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple
Stephen Goldberg 5.43 113,415 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sad but O.K. : My Daddy Died Today : A Childs View of Death
Barbara Frisbie 5.42 112,907 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Gliomas
Mitchel S. Berger MD 5.42 117,783 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Bryan Bishop 5.39 41,597 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Notes Left Behind: 135 Days with Elena
Keith Desserich 5.38 95,762 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Brain Tumor Guide for the Newly Diagnosed
Al Musella, DPM 5.38 70,229 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Practical Management of Low-Grade Primary Brain Tumors
Jack P. Rock 5.37 132,115 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Brain Tumor Invasion : Biological, Clinical, and Therapeutic Considerations
Tom Mikkelsen 5.35 119,055 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Principles and Practice of Neuro-oncology
Minesh Mehta, MD 5.29 70,971 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Anticancer: A New Way of Life
David Servan-Schreiber 5.28 44,061 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Death of Cancer:
Vincent T. DeVita 5.17 25,967 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Damocles' Wife: The Inside Story of Cancer Caregiving & Long-Term Survival in the Midst of Motherhood, Marriage & Making Life Matter
Shelly Francis 5.14 50,778 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Life's Mountains: What a Brain Tumor Survivor Learned Climbing a Mountain and Battling "Terminal" Cancer
Cheryl L Broyles 5.13 45,531 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Natural Compounds in Cancer Therapy
John C. Boik 5.04 128,909 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Massive Solar Flare
Images courtesy Solar & Heliospheric Observatory
A massive solar flare erupted from the surface of the Sun at 9:51 UTC on October 28, 2003. The solar flare persisted for more than an hour, peaking at 11:10 UTC. Associated with the flare was an ejection of a billion tons or more of gas from the Sun’s tenuous outer atmosphere, or corona. Both the flare and the coronal mass ejection accelerated electrically charged particles to very high energies and hurled them at near the speed of light directly toward the Earth. It takes light roughly 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth, and these particles made the trip in less than an hour. NOAA is predicting that the coronal mass ejection will hit the Earth’s magnetosphere sometime early tomorrow (Oct. 29), probably at or before 12 noon UTC. (Click to visit the NOAA Space Environment Center’s Space Weather Web site for more details.)
The images above show the event from the perspective of three different satellite sensors. The top image was acquired by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), aboard NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite. In the center of the image is an occultation disc, which allows the sensor to focus on the scattering of light from the Sun’s surface off the free electrons in the Sun’s corona. This light appears as the orange halo seemingly radiating outward from the Sun. (The white circle on the occultation disc shows the actual size and location of the solar disc). Note the bright white features extending from beneath and to the left of the Sun. These are today’s coronal mass ejections, which appear to be heading directly toward the Earth.
The bottom left image shows the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) view of the Sun’s visible surface. The dark patches are sunspots, which are a tepid 4,000 Kelvin—much cooler than the Sun’s typical surface temperature of 6,000 Kelvin. The bottom right scene shows the view from the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT). This sensor shows the light from a single ionized species of iron that is formed at about 1.5 million Kelvin high in the Sun’s corona. Today’s solar flare appears as the bright green-white feature toward the bottom left of the solar disc.
To put this event in perspective, NOAA predicts the impacts of the coronal mass ejection on the Earth’s magnetosphere will be a “4” (severe) on a scale of 1 to 5. The flare is the third largest ever recorded in the 30 years since NOAA began observing soft X-ray emissions from the Sun. Today’s flare is listed as an X17.2, with an X20 being the most intense flare ever observed in that time. People living in Quebec, Canada, may recall that in March 1989 an X15 solar storm was strong enough to knock out the region’s power grid.
Officials say it is possible that people in the Southern Hemisphere will see aurorae at much lower latitudes than usual on Oct. 29, when the coronal mass ejection reaches Earth. It is also possible that people could experience problems using telecommunications devices, such as satellite phones and pagers. In May 1998, for example, the commercial Galaxy IV satellite was damaged by a solar storm, knocking out its ability to support telecommunications.
For more images from the SOHO mission, please see http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2003_10_28/. To learn more about NASA’s ongoing studies of the Sun-Earth connection, please read A Violent Sun Affects the Earth’s Ozone.
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flare_soh_2003301.mpg
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A Tale of Two Mountains
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Holli Riebeek.
The winter of 2013–2014 was a study in contrasts between mountains in the far western United States and in the interior West. While people waited in vain for winter snow in California and the Pacific Northwest, snow piled onto the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming. The contrast is embodied in this image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on March 12, 2014.
For most of the winter, a persistent ridge—an area of high pressure—was parked just offshore over the Pacific Ocean, blocking storms from moving over California and the Pacific Northwest. Storm systems steered around the ridge, moving north into Canada and then south over the interior West. Both Montana and Wyoming received above normal precipitation. Billings, Montana had its wettest February on record, with precipitation 429 percent above normal, according to the National Climatic Data Center.
February 2014 gave the far West a bit of a break, and some of that snowfall is evident in the image, too. A few storms broke through the ridge until the northern Cascade mountains had accumulated more than 100 percent of normal snowfall. Snow in the Sierras increased to 30 to 50 percent of normal.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center (2014, March) State of the climate: National overview for February 2014. Accessed March 28, 2014.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center (2014, March) Statewide precipitation ranks December 2013 – February 2014. Accessed March 28, 2014.
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UnitedStates_tmo_2014071_lrg.jpg
Snow Cover
MODIS Rapid Response
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93rd Congress > House > Vote 103
Vote Subject Matter: Government Management / Government Organization
Bill number: S518
Description: TO OVERRIDE THE PRESIDENT'S VETO OF S. 518, A BILL PROVIDING THAT THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE OFFICES OF DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET SHALL BE SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION BY THE SENATE.
Bill summary: (LATEST SUMMARY) Abolishes the offices of Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Transfers their functions to the offices of Director, Office of Management and Budget, and Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, and requires such offices to be filled by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Extends the power of the President to remove the occupants of the offices of Director, OMB, and Deputy Director, OMB.
Bill titles: A bill to abolish the offices of Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to establish the office of director, office of management and budget, and transfer certain functions thereto, and to establish the office of deputy director, office of management and budget.
Original source documents: Digest of the Congressional Record vol. 119-78, p. H3920;
Links for more info on the vote: congress.gov
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Published on VOX, CEPR Policy Portal (https://voxeu.org)
Home > Evidence-based policy through mechanism experiments
Improving government efficiency through mechanism experiments
Sendhil Mullainathan, Jens Ludwig 01 November 2011
According to the famous White House saying, policymakers should never let a crisis go to waste. This column argues that economists shouldn’t do so either. Instead of cursing about cuts in research funding, they should look at cheaper ways to evaluate policy – perhaps through mechanism experiments.
There is a movement afoot to increase the efficiency of US government activities through greater use of ‘evidence-based policy’. Proponents like the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy (www.coalition4evidence.org/wordpress/ [1]) are pushing to redirect government resources towards those policies that yield relatively higher benefit-cost ratios in randomised experimental tests of different candidate policies – what we call ‘policy evaluations’ (see also, for example, Angrist and Pischke 2010). Perhaps ironically, the US government’s current budget situation has the potential to reduce the amount of funding available for policy evaluations intended to increase the bang-per-buck from government spending.
Given these developments it seems important for the research community to think hard about ways of increasing the efficiency of the policy-research enterprise itself. One starting point is to revisit the assumption that is prevalent throughout the policy-research industrial complex that the best way to use randomised experiments to inform policy is to test actual policies.
Consider the following example, taken from our paper about policy field experiments published in the summer 2011 issue of the Journal of Economic Perspectives (co-authored with Jeffrey R Kling of the Congressional Budget Office, Ludwig et al 2011). Suppose that the US Department of Justice is interested in learning more about whether to devote scarce resources to supporting ‘broken windows’ policing, which is based on the notion that signs of minor disorder signal to potential offenders that no one cares about crime in the local area, thereby reducing the deterrent threat from punishment and increasing the chances that more serious crimes are committed. Most researchers would argue that the best approach is to carry out a policy evaluation of broken windows policing. Recruit a representative sample of cities, and randomly select some neighbourhoods but not others (or perhaps some cities but not others) to receive broken windows policing. Then compare subsequent crime rates in treatment versus control areas. This policy evaluation would be informative but not cheap. The unit of random assignment in this case is the neighbourhood or city – the level at which the policing intervention of direct interest operates. The number of neighbourhoods or cities that would need to be ‘treated’ to have adequate statistical power is large, and the cost per treated area is high.
Now consider an alternative experiment. Imagine buying a number of cheap used automobiles. Break the windows of half the cars, and then randomly select a set of urban neighbourhoods in which to park cars with different levels of physical damage. Measure what happens to more serious crimes across different neighbourhoods. While less ethically objectionable variants of such an experiment are possible (such as randomising areas to have signs of disorder cleaned up, rather than introduced), our example is basically the research design used in a social psychology experiment in the 1960s that led to broken windows theory and then widespread adoption in New York City in the 1990s. This ‘mechanism experiment’ doesn’t test the policy of direct interest to the Department of Justice, but rather tests the causal mechanism that underlies the broken windows policy.
How can mechanism experiments help economise on research funding? The broken windows theory rests on a simple logic model in which the key policy lever, P (broken windows policing), influences the outcome of primary policy interest, Y (serious criminal offences), through the mediator (M) of local disorder, or P→M→Y. Suppose that DoJ thinks it already knows something about policing – specifically, suppose that DoJ thinks it already understands the relationship between broken windows policing and signs of disorder (P→M). Police professionals might need to have learned that relationship to guide all sorts of policing decisions, because citizens dislike disorder for its own sake regardless of whether it accelerates more serious crimes. In that case the new information that DoJ gets from carrying out a policy evaluation of actual broken windows policing is just about the M→Y link, but that information is mixed together with the noise about the specific P→M link that would arise in any given experiment. On the other hand the mechanism experiment maximises the research funding available to identify the part of the causal chain (M→Y) that policymakers do not already understand. Put differently, mechanism experiments can economise on research funding by taking better advantage of what policymakers think they already know.
This broken windows example is not an isolated case. Depending on what policymakers think they understand, in other applications mechanism experiments might increase the efficiency of research spending by, for example, enabling researchers to randomise at relatively less aggregated (lower-level) units of observation.
We are not claiming that mechanism experiments are ‘better’ than policy evaluations. In situations where, for example, the list of candidate mechanisms through which some policy might affect outcomes is long and these mechanisms might interact, the only useful way to get policy-relevant information might be to carry out a policy evaluation. Probably more common is the situation in which mechanism experiments and policy evaluations are complements, in which encouraging evidence from a mechanism experiment might need to be followed up by a policy evaluation in order to, for example, reduce the risk of unintended consequences. But at the very least carrying out a series of mechanism experiments first can help improve decisions about when it makes sense to invest research funding in a full-blown policy evaluation.
Former White House chief of staff (now Chicago mayor) Rahm Emanuel famously said, “Never let a serious crisis go to waste.” The substantial budget deficits confronting government at every level in the US has the potential to reduce funding for policy-relevant experiments, thereby reducing the ability to efficiently allocate government resources in the future. But these budget deficits are also a potential opportunity for the policy-research community to start thinking about how we ourselves can try to start doing more with less.
Angrist, Joshua D and Jorn-Steffen Pischke (2010), “The credibility revolution in empirical economics: How better research design is taking the con out of econometrics”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 24(2):3-30.
Ludwig, Jens, Jeffrey R Kling, and Sendhil Mullainathan (2011), “Mechanism experiments and policy evaluations”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(3):17-38.
Topics: Frontiers of economic research [2]
Tags: crime [3], mechanism design [4], evidence-based policy [5]
Source URL: https://voxeu.org/article/evidence-based-policy-through-mechanism-experiments
[1] http://www.coalition4evidence.org/wordpress/
[2] https://voxeu.org/content/topics/frontiers-economic-research
[3] https://voxeu.org/taxonomy/term/300
[5] https://voxeu.org/taxonomy/term/3233
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State(A-K)
Dadar & Nagarhaveli
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Lakshdweep
If You are a RTI activist , Journalist , Responsible Citizen OR Fighting against Corruption .Then Contact Us to Become a Citizen Journalist.CLICK..HERE..TO..CONTACT..US.
About West Bengal
Approval for the revised scheme of “Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education”
The Cabinet Committee on Skill Development today gave its approval for continuation and revision of the scheme “Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education”.
This will be a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) under which financial assistance will be given to all State Governments /Union Territory administrations for implementation of vocational education in Government Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools and incentive will be given to Government aided and recognized private schools during the remaining period of the 12th Plan.
Besides introduction of vocational education in schools, the scheme would involve capacity building of vocational education teachers / skill trainers, development of competency based curriculum and teaching material, development of MIS for monitoring and tracking students and funding of innovative practices under vocational education.
The total allocation approved by the Planning Commission for the scheme in the 12th Five Year Plan is Rs. 500 crore per annum.
Approximately two lakh students per annum are expected to benefit from the scheme during the remaining period of the 12th Five Year Plan.
The objectives of the scheme are to enhance the employability of youth through competency based modular vocational courses; to maintain their competitiveness through provisions of multi-entry multi-exit learning opportunities and vertical mobility; to fill the gap between the educated and the employable; and to decrease pressure on academic higher education.
Further, skills and employability of the youth will be enhanced through industry and demand driven vocational courses.
Till date 1119 schools across 21 States and Union Territories have been covered from the year 2011-12 onwards when the revised scheme was approved. 19,300 students were covered in the year 2011-12, 73,300 students were covered in 2012-13 and 1.19 lakh students were covered in 2013-14. Competency based curriculum and courseware has been developed in 7 trades.
The Revised Scheme of “Vocationalization of Higher Secondary Education” was approved in September, 2011 for the remaining period of the 11th Five Year Plan.
A pilot based on the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework was approved as part of the revised scheme and it was decided that the continuation of the scheme in the 12th Five Year Plan, will be taken up on the basis of learnings emerging from the pilot.
The Ministry issued an Executive Order on the National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework in September 2012 and a pilot on National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) under the scheme was launched in Haryana across 40 schools in September 2012. The scheme is being revised based on the learnings emerging from the Haryana Pilot.
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44th International Film Festival of India at Goa
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The Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning, Minister of State in the Ministry of Science and Technology and Minister of State in the ...
PM chairs meeting of Chief Ministers of North East States
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Ward PLLC
Data Strategy and Legal Compliance
DPO Outsourcing Services
FTC and Regulatory Agency Compliance and Enforcement
Data Breach Planning and Response
Data Leverage
The DataSmart Method
Structure & Protect
June 11, 2018 August 27, 2018 by Christian Ward
E15: An American GDPR – (🎧Podcast)
The race is on! California jumped to an early lead to get the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA 2018) onto their November ballot, but look out! Here comes Vermont, from out of nowhere, to try to be the first State with a GDPR-like law on the books.
In this episode of the Are You DataSmart? podcast, the Ward brothers dive into the differences between each of these proposed privacy regulations, how they differ from the GDPR, and most importantly, weigh in on the likelihood of further States jumping into the race!
Jay: “Are You DataSmart?” the weekly podcast on data security, information management, and all things related to the data you have, how to protect it, and maximize its value. I’m Jay Ward.
Christian: And I’m Christian Ward. Today we’re going to talk about an Americanized, American version, or an American attempt at having GDPR. Jay, what we’re seeing in the news, people are starting to talk about this already. You wrote some excellent blog posts around California that is starting this process. It says that it’s sort of listed as CCPA on the website, but that sounds a lot like the Consumer Credit Protection Act. So explain to me why their naming convention is so terrible, and what is California doing?
Jay: I have to imagine that there are Irish people involved, and that the Irish-Americans are involved in the naming because, you know, we’re just not very creative which is why my first name is James and your middle name is James.
Christian: That’s possible.
Jay: But it’s just there’s not a lot to do. You know, you’ve got consumer and privacy, so you need Cs and Ps, and that’s basically all you can do. You know, California has COPA and so does the federal government. Children’s Online Protection and the California Online Protection, it’s a big mess. But the primary point that’s important here is that California is sort of wading into the regulation of data in a way that’s a lot more robust than has been in the past. And, you know, we’ve talked about this before. We’ve said, it’s unlikely that there’s gonna be a federal data security or data protection law other than the CLOUD Act, which dear Lord, there’s a lot to talk about there, but it’s not exactly a data protection act. But California has sort of waded in as we’ve predicted. You know, the states are gonna get involved and that’s what we’re looking at. Not just California as we’ll talk about later.
Christian: And isn’t it true also that, I mean, the whole reason we even have online privacy notices is because of the California law? So didn’t they start this whole thing?
Jay: They did. It was a ballot proposition a while back, Prop 65, I believe. And it essentially said, “Look, if you’re gonna be doing business in California, you need to have these online privacy acts.” And actually, Prop 65 was all those warning labels that, you know, this burrito you’re about to enjoy has chemicals in it, which have been proven to the state of California to cause cancer.
Christian: My most recent one of that was I think a towel, like a beach towel had this like whopping sticker on it. And I’m like, “Guys, I’m at the ‘Jersey Shore.’ I’m literally on the other coast, but sure, why not?”
Jay: No kidding. I had a bottle of water once that I picked up that said that. And I sort of looked at it and I thought about it, and I was like, “Nah, I’m pretty thirsty.” What are they gonna do in California?
Christian: You just described most people’s reaction to every cookie privacy pop-up window. Same exact thing.
Jay: Exactly. And by drinking this, you have consent to all the possible chemicals that we’ve put into your water.
Christian: And all of your privacy going down the drain with your chemicals, but awesome.
Jay: Yeah. That’s the new smart bottles they tell you and all about the drinker.
Christian: When we talk about California and what they’re attempting to do, I read through a few articles about it, but you had sort of covered a couple of the big distinctions. And naturally, I think, GDPR as we dove into various portions of it, have some really great forward-looking concepts that, you know, are trying to get the heart of transparency and be consistent with the transparent message. How do you see the California law stacking up against this? And what do you think the likelihood is that we’re gonna see California pass it? And then I definitely wanna also talk about Vermont.
Jay: Well, it’s interesting because California has this sort of funky ballot proposition procedure. And we’ve seen some pretty controversial things go on these ballots before. And the way that it works is if you get enough signatures, it goes before the people of California, they vote and there’s no enabling act, there’s no nothing. It’s just a law. And it goes into effect day one.
Christian: It doesn’t require a governor’s signature. It doesn’t require any sort of additional…
Jay: Zip. It is California direct democracy, which is fascinating. But it also, I don’t know why I just did Christopher Walken there. It’s a fascinating change. It’s an interesting way to deal with thorny issues that might have difficulty getting through in Sacramento, because, you know, if you look at this ballot proposition, it’s essentially self-funded by one guy, Alastair Mactaggart, who’s a very prominent and successful real estate developer in California. And then he has two other people involved with him, one of whom is a former CIA agent, and the other one who worked at BlackRock. So you need to figure out which one of them has had more power over the course of their career.
Christian: That’s incredible.
Jay: Yeah. But on the other side…
Christian: I feel like a “Lifetime” movie series coming on.
Jay: I think that’s probably right, or maybe an “E! True Hollywood Story.” But so what happens is, you get these groups that are lined up on the other side and California election law is fascinating. You have to disclose who’s on the other side. And it’s Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Verizon.
Christian: AT&T I think was also.
Jay: AT&T is in there too. Now, Facebook backed out of opposing the act, even after they gave $200,000 to oppose it, because, you know, as we mentioned, you know, Facebook’s got a couple of other things going on. They’re putting on a clinic about how to drink a glass of water in front of Congress convincingly. And that’s some other stuff about privacy. But there’s all of these big industry groups and companies that are opposed to the act. And the way that they’re framing it is it’s gonna be bad for business. It’s gonna put people out of work.
Christian: Well, that’s the name of the PAC, right? It’s something like Protect California Jobs, right, PAC. And it doesn’t mention anything about privacy, anything about what’s being done with data. But we wanna save those jobs. I also, by the way, I’m trying to think of the last time where regulation from a data or a privacy or a confidentiality stance actually hurt jobs. Typically, it means you need an army of additional people to stay compliant. So it’s very common for that to happen.
Jay: Well, so the interesting thing here is that the reason why they’re saying it’s gonna hurt jobs is that this law has, among other things, a statutory damages provision. And that’s really powerful. So in California, under their False Advertising Act, the FAL, and their consumer protection law which are really, really aggressive, they’re basically private attorney generals statutes. You can cause just a huge amount of damages in a lawsuit. You can, you know, impose massive damages on a company for a, you know, relatively little amount of misconduct. And, you know, it’s designed as well as these laws are to police the outer boundaries of bad behavior. But if you look at the cases in California, the primary case law is about a locksmith, or it’s not necessarily just about the big tobacco companies or people who have a massive economic impact. It’s I don’t like what this one company did.
And so the idea is by framing this law as essentially a new variant on the false advertising law or the Consumer Protection Act, the opponents of the CCPA or the CalCPA, whatever you wanna call it, are saying, “Look, we’ve been down this road before. You know what this looks like. It looks like a lot of costly litigation that doesn’t really get anything done.” So it’s an open question about whether or not that’s gonna be successful. They’re pouring a lot of money into it. And even though it’s on the ballot and it’s comfortable on the ballot for November, it’s not a sure thing in my mind that it’s gonna pass.
Christian: Yeah. And when I look at this, look, they have things like the right to know what data is collected, which obviously mirrors the GDPR. The right to know if the data is sold, which I can’t recall. I know GDPR, you’re supposed to talk about who’s processing data, but do you have to actually disclose if it’s sold? Because sold connotes a monetary benefit to the seller. Is that something that GDPR also says?
Jay: It does. Yeah. You need to identify it to the individuals or the organizations to whom the information has been transferred, like who has it, or once you’re a recipient of the data, you have to disclose to the individual that, “You know, hey, we now have your data.”
Christian: Right. But the reason why I bring that up is if it is specifically sold and it’s not just transferred, transfer is much more broad, right, because there are data brokering arrangements, I’ve probably done 30 of these over the years, where there is actually no monetary transaction.
Jay: Sharing not selling.
Christian: Sharing not selling, sharing is caring. So the whole thing to me is if this is only when sold, it’s actually very, very easy to go around that because there is an entire advertising network platform obviously built upon private data. So when I use those, by the way, I’m bidding on ads. I’m bidding on ad sales and I can target audiences based on their data. I’m seeing that data, but it’s not necessarily the same thing, because I haven’t paid for the data. I’m paying for the ads. So I think it’s kind of easy for people not to adhere to that.
Jay: Well, this is why lawyers have jobs, right, because laws are not written in a way that gives a perfect explanation or perfect clarity as to what’s covered. So you have to imagine that if this goes into place if this law goes into effect, there’s gonna be a slew of litigation of cases about, you know, is this covered? What constitutes an actual sale of the data? There’s a lot that you would have to think about before you could answer it. And there are other things, you know, divergences from GDPR, like GDPR talks about legitimate interests. It’s one of the hallmarks of processing under the regulation is you can process as long as you have a legitimate interest.
California Act doesn’t say anything about that. So does that mean we can assume that if you had legitimate interest before, you’re processing, you can continue to or now is consent the only way that you can do it? It’s not clear. So, you know, one of the issues with interest groups proposing legislation and having it go through the proposition and their public referendum methodology of enactment is you don’t necessarily have the same amount of expertise as to what are the sort of pitfalls. Like where are gonna find a place where, “Oh, you know, we really should’ve been thinking about, you know, in your privacy policy, are you saying that we archive data or we back up data?” I mean, that’s how long we’re gonna need to keep it for. That’s like a classic example of an area in a privacy policy that now we’re starting to have to think about because, well, if there’s a deletion request, what do you do about it? In the same way, well, if it’s just transferred and not sold under the CCPA, what does that mean? We don’t know.
Christian: Yeah. And I think, you know, I wanna switch gears here to, well, actually before we get to Vermont, which I feel like it’s sort of California and Vermont, that each one was buying for, no, I’ve got this one, I’ll jump in before you can get to the vote in the fall.
Jay: Yeah, there’s definitely like a “hold my beer” here.
Christian: No, Vermont, it’d be “hold my double IPA“. So for this, I think that the question that you had brought up was the damages. And this is the reason why I think the California one might have difficulty passing on just the initial ballot is just the damages as you outlined in your article could just be staggering. And the real crux of it is that they don’t have to have proven harm, right? So there’s this massively wide open thing particularly when you consider, it doesn’t specifically outline but I always like to point out to people that when we talk about records, records compromised or records where there are a person’s record, you have to understand that a record actually consist of potentially dozens to hundreds to thousands of additional data points inside of the record, right?
So I’m really curious, how does this line up? What does it look like in terms of the potential fine. If someone has a million records breached, and inside of that, there are 50 million fields that are individually known or knowable about a person, what does the fine look like for something like that for a million under this California concept?
Jay: Yeah. I mean, I think the way that this statute would be construed is essentially that it’s a transactional issue. Like, if there is a breach with respect to this individual data subject, regardless of the extent to which they’ve been harmed, because the statute talks in terms of either a statutory minimum thousand dollar fine or penalty, or the actual amount of damages, if all 50 million fields about this data the subject have been compromised and their social security number and their credit card number and all that stuff’s been taken, and somebody, you know, charged a first-class flight to Bali, you get that.
But the reason why that’s less interesting to me is this law sort of rejects some of the case law that’s emerged in the past couple of years, especially after the Supreme Court Spokeo decision. It rejects this notion that you need to show an actual concrete harm caused by the breach. And it says, “Look, if there was access, we’re talking about $1,000 minimum fine.” And you might think, “Well, a thousand bucks, you know, that’s not a lot if Google had someone that was hacked.” But if Google was breached and there were 50 million records accessed, you know, that same 50 million field document is accessed, that’s a $50 billion statutory fine. That is an economy-stopping fine imposed by the state of California. And obviously, that’s an extreme example but lawyers love those because it makes us sound smart. So what do you do in the absence of clearly defined boundaries of what constitutes an actual harm versus minimal speculative harm? There’s a lot of issues that go into these things that typically relieve to courts. But when the statute itself says, “Boom, you’re entitled to $1,000,” that discretion is taken away.
Christian: Yeah. I see that. I think, look, that’s the part where I understand why there are PACs that are attacking this, that just literally the exhaust of a breach would be enough under this particular law to, you know, just completely attack the business model of a lot of these businesses. I wanna jump over to Vermont because I didn’t even know this was like on the horizon. And so we have Vermont earlier, I think it was last week started or enacted a law regarding data brokers. And I find this funny. Obviously, I used to be at the helm of the data for one large data broker here in the United States. And this law is very interesting because they define data broker in a way where this could be stretched in a whole number of different ways. So it says, “Data broker means a business or unit or units of a business, separately or together, that knowingly collects and sells or licenses to third-parties the brokered personal information of a consumer with whom the business does not have a direct relationship.”
That kind of almost means everyone if you really break it down. Because if I am gathering data in any way, shape, or form about my customers, for example, I’m gathering their email addresses, I’ve got some cookies tracking them online, I’m tracking to retarget my products to them, and then I join other a data co-op, or I’ve joined some sort of additional third-party data tool, if I augment my data, so once I’ve signed a license to share with a data broker my initial data so they could augment the file and send it back to me, I’ve sheared all that data. And there is a license. This license doesn’t say one way or the other. It’s a license in general. And ultimately, it could get very, very gamy very fast.
Jay: Well, and you touched on something at the outset which we were talking about, which is cookies, right? So you’re tracking the information of individuals with whom you don’t have a direct relationship, as long as that individual visited your website. So we’ve tracked their IP address, we’ve tracked whatever information we can glean from when they were on the website. Let’s imagine the situation where someone logs into your website and they are in the process of creating an account. They’ve entered their name, their address, now you have the IP address as well. And they’ve, you know, clicked on a couple of things that they think they’re interested in, and then they don’t create the account. At what point does all of that, because there’s still no direct relationship because they haven’t consented to you getting their information. They put it in and they’re like, “I’m gonna back off.” Well, that counts.
Christian: You’re gonna see the other side though, people go, “Oh, no, no, we have a relationship. They visited our site. We’re tight. We’re like that relationship is solid.”
Jay: And that’s the interesting thing because the EU has said, “No, no, no, that doesn’t count. Merely visiting a website doesn’t count.” And California has said, “Well, if you’re doing business in California or if it can be sold, if your product can be sold or reach an individual in California, that counts.” There is this very fascinating sort of fight between…or it’s fascinating to lawyers and legal nerds like me, like, between the jurisdictional notion of creating a relationship or what we call substantial contacts or direct contacts under European law, under American law, under state law, all of these things are gonna come together, and you’re gonna see a real fight over what is the type of relationship that counts.
Christian: Yeah. My sense is, now this one, is this already a bill? Did the Vermont one pass, because I see the governor is saying he might veto it. So it puts $100 fee, I believe 100 bucks on data brokers. And apparently, he’s saying that violates his pledge not impose a new cost on Vermonters, which is absolutely it’s $100. So I’m not sure if that’s not a political wrangling. But the reality is, this is the second one. I thought California might be the first. This is definitely right akin to the same thing. It covers the same things, what data is gathered, what is shared. You know, I think we’re gonna see a ton of these.
And a lot of times, anything in this arrangement, we’re gonna see a lot of blue states and then followed by red states. But in the end, you’re gonna see a lot of new laws that are taking some of the best pieces of GDPR. And we’ve been talking about this a lot, Jay. I think, you know, to leave Europe and to say, “You know, we don’t have a lot of operations there. We’re just gonna pull out of Europe. We’re gonna shut down the sites. We’re gonna pull an ‘LA Times,’ no more ‘LA Times’ throughout Europe.” And, well, at the same time…
Jay: Well, that just did not go well for the “LA Times”.
Christian: I know. And they were called out, you know, leave it to “The Wall Street Journal” to just completely obliterate any of these companies.
Jay: The “Journal’s” reporting was so gleeful. They’re like, “Oh, hmm, well, I guess who’s not ready for the GDPR, isn’t that interesting?”
Christian: Yes. Yes, yes, yeah. That the journalistic integrity. The snobbery around were you ready or not. I also loved all the tweets of, you know, this only shows how difficult this is. We’re like, “You’ve had years to prepare. Like years and still, you’re complaining.” Anyway, I think the point is, you’re not gonna pull out of California. It’s the fifth largest economy in the world. It’s literally its own country. So you can’t run from this stuff anymore. Maybe in Vermont, that could probably make an argument. I don’t have to be in Vermont. But generally, I can avoid California as any…
Jay: Dude, I’m not giving up my Cherry Hubby Ben & Jerry’s. I’d rather comply and pay the $100.
Christian: That’s true, that’s true. Yes, I agree. So I think from our perspective, from the DataSmart perspective, we’re both in vicious agreement. This is not going to stop. There will be a continued focus on providing not only the information about what is being gathered by sites, but allowing for a control to go back to the consumer or the individual, and letting them have transparency into how data is used. And you’re gonna see more and more of this. So while Vermont is definitely trying to, you know, hold my beer to California, California is gonna make a run out of this fall. But this is not going to slow down. I think we’re gonna see a lot more of this.
Jay: Yeah. And don’t anticipate any time soon the federal government coming in, because even though I think pretty clearly if it wanted to, it could occupy the field, which is it’s actually a legal term of art about preemption like the federal government could come in and say, “Okay. This is mine now. States are not allowed to make laws that deviate from our standards.” I don’t think that’s likely. I really don’t think that’s likely. So we’re gonna see an interesting degree of variation among the states when it comes to how they approach these issues.
And the question is, what impact is that going to have on the perception of businesses as to how business-friendly the various states are? I mean, we all know that Delaware, you know, sort of took the lead on being the most corporate-friendly state in terms of the law. And then other states like Florida and Nevada were like, “Well, we don’t really wanna come up with our own laws.” So we’re just gonna say, and then I think in Nevada, this is literally the law. It says, “Whatever Delaware says, we’re gonna that or more lenient.” The question is, what if Nevada or Montana are like, “You do whatever you like want with data here. We’re open.” And that’s an interesting question because the states love to compete with each other.
Christian: That’s amazing. Yeah. I mean, if this becomes another lever as to why people should, you know, leave their high-tax region or high-regulatory region to pursue their business interest elsewhere, it’s yet another thing that’ll be debated well outside the courtrooms but also in the political circles as well. So that’s it for this episode of, “Are you DataSmart?” Thank you for listening, and certainly, if your DPO isn’t thinking of how they’re gonna deal with each of the individual states and their own laws on privacy, you better get cracking. Thank you.
Jay: Thanks again.
Data Law, Data Tracking, Podcast GDPR, Privacy
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Honor Killing Victim Was Lured To Her Death By Family
pic credit – the tribune
A British woman was murdered in a suspected “honor killing” on July 20th 2016, in Pakistan. She was lured there for just this reason by her own family!
To add insult to injury, she was raped by her ex-husband before her death.
A local policeman, who first investigated the 28-year-old’s death, was arrested on suspicion of suppressing evidence from witnesses and allowing key suspects to flee the country.
Beautiful, 28 year old, Samia Shahid, was found dead in the house of her first husband, Shakeel Ahmed, on July 20th. Her family claimed she died of natural causes. Her relatives told the police that she had had a heart attack.
A post-mortem showed she had been strangled, most likely in an Honor Killing
Shahid’s uncle was taken into custody for trying to cover up the murder.
Shahid’s former husband (and first cousin) was held on suspicion of murder and rape and eventually confessed to strangling Samia to death, with her own scarf, for FAMILY HONOR.
Samia’s father, Chaudhary Shahid, has also been remanded on suspicion of having been an accessory to his own daughter’s murder. He is accused of having lured his daughter to Pakistan under false pretenses. He claimed to be seriously ill, knowing that if she came to him, she would be walking straight toward her own death.
Samia’s second husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazam, believes his wife was killed in a so-called honor killing. He said that her family disapproved of their marriage.
The slain woman’s mother and sister are believed to have left Pakistan and are now wanted by police for questioning in Samia’s murder.
Hundreds of women are murdered by relatives in the conservative Muslim nation every year on the pretext of defending family honor
credit – wtvr news 6
Austin Was Taking Bites Of Flesh From The Dead Man’s Face!
Kenneth Parnell – Child Predator and Kidnapper of Steven Stayner
Martha Moxley – The Halloween Eve Murder on the Kennedy Side of Town
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DALLAS INTL FILM FEST Announces Texas Avery Honoree & 12 Official Selections
The DALLAS International Film Festival Honors Pete Docter
with Texas Avery Animation Award
12 Official Selections Announced Includes 3 World Premieres
Southwest Airlines Announced as the Film Festival’s Official Air Carrier
Dallas, TX, March 3, 2010—The DALLAS International Film Festival (April 8-18) announces Pete Docter, director and writer of Academy Award® Best Picture nominee UP as the recipient of the 2010 Texas Avery Animation Award presented by REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT. 12 official selections were also announced, including 3 films (A SURPRISE IN TEXAS, THE RIVER WHY and WE ARE THE SEA) that will be making their world premieres at the film festival. DALLAS IFF also announced that Southwest Airlines would be taking a major sponsorship position, serving as the film festival’s official airline.
Docter will receive the 2010 Texas Avery Animation Award presented by REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT, which honors lifetime achievement in animation filmmaking. Docter is the director and writer of the five-time Academy Award nominated film UP (Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing). Previously, Docter also garnered Academy Award nominations for his work on WALL-E (2008 – Best Original Screenplay), MIKE’S NEW CAR (2002 – Best Short Film – Animated), MONSTERS, INC. (2001 – Best Animated Feature), and TOY STORY (1995 – Best Original Screenplay).
REEL FX CREATIVE STUDIOS CEO and Dallas Film Society board member Ed Jones said, “As an animator, screenwriter, and director, Pete Docter has been integral to the success of some of the most memorable animated movies of all time. The industry has watched his talent and career grow at PIXAR, and is not surprised by what he has achieved. Pete is deserving of this honor and we are thrilled that he will accept this year’s Texas Avery Animation Award. “
Making their world premieres at the DALLAS International Film Festival will be Peter Rosen’s A SURPRISE IN TEXAS, Matthew Leuwyler’s THE RIVER WHY and Neil Truglio’s WE ARE THE SEA.
Directed by Peter Rosen, A SURPRISE IN TEXAS is a documentary focusing its camera lens on the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth Texas, where 29 young contestants come from all over the world to compete for the most prestigious prize in the music world. The film highlights the story of one of them, a 20 year old from Tokyo, Nobuyuki Tsujii, blind from birth.
Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, THE RIVER WHY is a drama based on the novel by David James Duncan about a man known as “the Mozart of fly fishing” who leaves his big city home in rebellion from his family. In the process he comes in contact with an assortment of eccentric characters who help him in his journey to adulthood. The film stars Zach Gilford, Amber Heard, William Hurt, Kathleen Quinlan and William Devane. DALLAS IFF will also screen the film GREENLIT, Miranda Bailey’s documentary about the efforts of THE RIVER WHY’s filmmakers to maintain a “green” shoot throughout their production.
Directed by Neil Truglio, WE ARE THE SEA stars Jeff Childress and Allison Savoy in a drama about a young English teacher returning from the brink of tragedy to find his life exactly where he left it — in shambles. Turning cautiously to his friends, family, and even his students for guidance, he explores the possibilities for forging a future from a history of mistakes. The film features the music of Iron & Wine.
The list also features several selections from the recently concluded Sundance Film Festival, including award winners WINTER’S BONE (Grand Jury Prize Winner, U.S. Dramatic and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award) and OBSELIDIA (Excellence in Cinematography Award, U.S. Dramatic and Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize). Other films included THE DRY LAND, JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD and SKATELAND.
“James Faust, Sarah Harris and the DIFF10 programming team have spent the year crossing boundaries both geographically and metaphorically in search of new discoveries. Traveling the globe continues to be key to the high level of programming found at the DALLAS International Film Festival. We are thrilled to bring this mix of exhilarating and emotive filmmakers to Dallas where they will tell you there are no more appreciative audiences,” said Dallas Film Society Chairman, Michael Cain.
DALLAS IFF Founder and Chairman Emeritus Liener Temerlin was proud to announce that Southwest Airlines would be making its debut as the official airline for the DALLAS International Film Festival. “From the beginning of this film festival, a hallmark has been the exceptional group of talented filmmakers and stars that we have been able to deliver to the city of Dallas. Southwest Airlines will allow us to continue what I see as a grand tradition.”
Southwest Airlines issued a statement saying, “We are honored to support the DALLAS International Film Festival where vision, inspiration, and passion are celebrated. The airline salutes the filmmakers who seek new horizons and embrace possibilities.”
The twelve official selections announced include:
A SURPRISE IN TEXAS (USA)
Director: Peter Rosen
THE DRY LAND (USA)
Director: Ryan Piers Williams
Cast: America Ferrera, Jason Ritter, Wilmer Valderrama, Ethan Suplee, Melissa Leo
Directed by Ryan Piers Williams, THE DRY LAND follows a young U.S. soldier, James (Ryan O’Nan), as he returns home from duty in Iraq. Having not found the direction and purpose he sought from the service, James hurls himself back into his old life and finds it no longer fits. He tries to reconcile his experiences abroad with his life in rural Texas, but despite the support of his wife (America Ferrera), his mother (Melissa Leo), and friend (Jason Ritter) he is unable to settle in. James turns to an Army buddy (Wilmer Vaderrama) for help and together they travel the country in search of redemption. Thinking that the war was behind him, James comes to realize that the fight for his life has only begun.
EARTHLING (USA)
Director: Clay Liford
Cast: Rebecca Spence, Peter Greene, William Katt, Jennifer Sipes
Directed by Clay Liford, EARTHLING is a sci-fi drama following the events that occur after a mysterious atmospheric event aboard the international space station causes a small group of people to wake up and realize that their entire lives have been a lie. Now they have to make a choice. Live amongst men, or try to find a way back home.
GREENLIT (USA)
Director: Miranda Bailey
Directed by Miranda Bailey (Executive Producer on THE SQUID AND THE WHALE), GREENLIT follows the production of THE RIVER WHY as the filmmakers attempt to keep an environmentally friendly set thanks to the supervision of a “green” consultant. What starts off with great enthusiasm quickly devolves in this insightful and hilarious film about the difficulties of living up to good intentions.
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD (USA)
Director: Tamra Davis
A documentary by Tamra Davis, JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD is about the artist and phenomenon who became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200, and became best friends with Andy Warhol. Appreciated by both the art cognoscenti and the public, Basquiat was launched into international stardom. However, soon his cult status began to override the art that had made him famous in the first place.
KICK IN IRAN (GERMANY)
Director: Fatima Geza Abdollahyan
A documentary by Fatima Geza Abdollahyan, KICK IN IRAN profiles Sarah Khoshjamal, a 20-year-old Taekwondo superstar and the first female professional athlete from Iran to qualify for the Olympics. This skillful vérité portrait follows the unassuming Khoshjamal in the nine months leading up to the 2008 Beijing games. Living in an Islamic country, she is required to wear a hijab at all times and, unlike her fellow competitors around the world, cannot train with men; however, the power in her fighting resoundingly breaks down stereotypical barriers.
OBSELIDIA (USA)
Director: Diane Bell
Cast: Michael Piccirilli, Gaynor Howe
Directed by Diane Bell, OBSELIDIA is a romantic drama about a man writing an encyclopedia of obsolete things. In his quest to capture people, technologies, and ideas that are disappearing, he meets a free spirited cinema projectionist. Together they go on a road trip to Death Valley to interview a scientist who is predicting the eminent end of the world, and on their strange journey, they discover perhaps love is not obsolete after all.
THE RIVER WHY (USA)
Director: Matthew Leutwyler
Cast: Zach Gilford, Amber Heard, William Hurt, Kathleen Quinlan and William Devane
Directed by Matthew Leutwyler, THE RIVER WHY is a drama about a man known as “the Mozart of fly fishing” who leaves his big city home in rebellion from his family. In the process he comes in contact with an assortment of eccentric characters who help him in his journey to adulthood.
SKATELAND (USA)
Director: Anthony Burns
Cast: Shiloh Fernandez, Ashley Greene, Heath Freeman
Directed by Anthony Burns, SKATELAND is a coming-of-age film set in 1983 centering on ‘Ritchie’, a worker at Skateland, the roller rink and local hangout of a small town. With Skateland due to close, the party scene getting stale, and his romantic life as cloudy as his future, Ritchie struggles to make sense of it all. When tragedy strikes his friends and family, Ritchie must face the music—and make the biggest decision of his life.
WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY (USA)
Director: Don Hahn
Directed by Don Hahn, WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY takes a look at the “rebirth” of the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney in the mid-1980s. The studio had fallen on hard times with artists polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. The conditions produced a series of box office flops and many believed the best days of animation were over. The film shines a light on an influx of new leadership and talent helped Disney regain its magic with a staggering output of hits—LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE LION KING and more—over the next ten years.
WE ARE THE SEA (USA)
Director: Neil Truglio
Cast: Jeff Childress, Allison Savoy
WINTER’S BONE (USA)
Director: Debra Granik
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Lauren Sweetser
A drama set deep in the Ozark Mountains, Debra Granik’s WINTER’S BONE follows the daring struggle of a teenage girl, ‘Ree’, who must go in search of her crystal-meth-making father, after he skips bail and goes missing. Unless she is able to find him, she and her young siblings and disabled mother will face destitution. In a heroic quest, Ree traverses the county to confront her kin, break their silent collusion, and bring her father home.
The DALLAS International Film festival will run April 8 – 18, 2010. Passes are currently on sale and tickets go on sale March 18. Passes and tickets will be made available via online (), and phone (214.720.0555).www.dallasfilm.org
Tagged with: A SURPRISE IN TEXAS, Allison Savoy, Amber Heard, America Ferrera, Ashley Greene, Clay Liford, Dallas International Film Festival, Debra Granik, Diane Bell, Disney Animation, Don Hahn, EARTHLING, Ed Jones, Ethan Suplee, Fatima Geza Abdollahyan, GREENLIT, Heath Freeman, James Faust, Jason Ritter, JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD, Jeff Childress, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Sipes, John Hawkes, Kathleen Quinlan, KICK IN IRAN, Lauren Sweetser, Liener Temerlin, Matthew Leutwyler, Melissa Leo, Michael Cain, Miranda Bailey, Neil Truglio, OBSELIDIA, Pete Doctor, Peter Greene, Peter Rosen, Rebecca Spence, Reel FX Entertainment, Ryan Piers Williams, Sarah Harris, Shiloh Fernandez, SKATELAND, Southwest Airlines, Tamra Davis, Texas Avery Animation Award, THE DRY LAND, THE RIVER WHY, Van Cliburn, WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY, WE ARE THE SEA, William Devane, William Hurt, William Katt, Wilmer Valderrama, WINTER'S BONE, Zach Gilford
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Author: kalison0515
Indonesia Travel: Motorbikes, Monsoons, Monuments, and Monkeys – Part 3
4 Comments 03/17/2019 kalison0515
There are three must-see sights in Yogyakarta on the island of Java. You don’t endure 20+ hours of travel and miss out on two monuments on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the mighty volcano Mount Merapi.
I highly recommend that you get a driver to take you to these main sights. They are all near Yogyakarta. We found our driver and host through one of my companions’ tennis pro in Jakarta, who knew a guy…. This “guy,” our host, also plays tennis and his son is a ranked junior in Indonesia. It gave us something to talk about. We had a full day and were lucky with the weather — mostly cloudy, humid, no rain.
Our first stop was Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Religion has factored large in Indonesia’s long history. One dynasty or another has held sway through the centuries, and their favored religion — Buddhist, Hindu, or Islam — would be dominant. The Sailendra dynasty, of which there is little information, ruled Java for five centuries. They presided over Borobudur’s construction in the late 8th century. After about 70 years and the input of successive generations of Sailendras, Borobudur was finally completed. There is no written record of how the temple was used, but it is attributed to Buddhism. By the early 11th century, the Sailendras went *poof!* and abandoned the temple. Indonesian dynasties came and went over many centuries. Could Mount Merapi’s massive eruption in 1006 A.D. have caused the Sailendra exodus, or were they displaced by another dynasty?
Borobudur was re-discovered in the 19th century amid shrubbery and underbrush. Nature had reclaimed its space over the centuries. Indonesia restored the temple in the 1970s and it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Walking through park grounds toward Borobudur, we encountered a gigantic spider exhibit. They were hanging in trees, in webs, and presented in assorted creepy ways.
You’ve got to get past the spiders to reach Borobudur.
Borobudur’s construction consists of nine stacked platforms and a central dome. There are 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues, including some without heads. We climbed a lot of stairs and walked around several levels before reaching the top. See this website for an art historian perspective.
We interacted with groups of charming Indonesian students. Their teachers told them to find foreigners, practice English with them and take a group photo. First of all, in a total eight days on Java, I never saw another Black person, not even from Africa. Second, we are American, which might have been another prize (?) among the foreigner contingent. (We had encountered few Americans ourselves, which was fine with me because I was on vacation from other Americans. But, I digress.) Being Black and American might explain why these school kids stared at me. If I looked halfway friendly, they came over. It was cute to see each group push in front the kid who spoke the best English. And they were so polite!
The star English speaker is right in front of me in this photo.
We rejoined our host, who took us to his restaurant, Pondok Merapi. This is an off-the-beaten path restaurant, and our host was nothing if not enterprising. By hosting a day tour with a driver, the itinerary included lunch at his restaurant.
He walked us around his property to show the fruit trees and vegetables they harvest for the meals. A rooster and hens roamed the property. The chicks were cared for in a separate area. Our host explained the system he installed to route fresh, unadulterated water to his property.
As for lunch, there was no menu. The meal was comprised of whatever was grown or raised on the property. We had delicious soup and vegetables. Best of all, we had the “real chicken” our host promised. Even if we had first encountered our chicken in the restaurant’s front yard, it was a novelty to eat food so fresh, organic, and delicious!
After lunch, we loaded up in a jeep to see Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has had more than 70 eruptions since 1548. The most recent was the catastrophic eruption in October 25, 2010. Between October 23-24, 2010, more than 500 volcanic earthquakes were recorded until Mount Merapi finally blew and lost about 38 meters of its height. It was true to its name “Merapi,” which means “Mountain of Fire” in Javanese.
Our first stop was House of Memory in Cangkringan Village. This house is now part of a museum showing how Mount Merapi destroyed a nearby home. The scene was how I imagined nuclear aftermath complete with dust and ash. In one room, a computer keyboard and television were melted in place. (I could only take a couple of photos before museum personnel shut me down.)
Nearly 1 million people live near the volcano. After the devastating 2010 eruption, approximately 400,000 people evacuated and 2,200 families lost their homes. Displaced households were permanently relocated to safer areas.
We got back in the Jeep for a jarring drive to a spot where we could view Mount Merapi.
When we arrived, we went to Bunker Kaliaden. It was built to provide temporary shelter from hot gases caused by Mount Merapi’s eruptions. In 2006, two men, who were helping evacuate people from the area, sought shelter in the bunker, and became trapped. To reach them, rescuers had to dig through six feet of hot ash and debris, and then remove a red-hot boulder at the bunker entrance. The trapped men died from the intense heat. You can read more here and here.
Our host walked us to this location to see the great Mountain of Fire. As we wondered what was the point of walking to this particular location, our host pointed in the direction of the volcano. It’s “over there.”
Taking his word that it was “over there” somewhere, the volcano was completely obscured by fog. Then he told us that sunrise is the best time to see it. (I could actually see Mount Merapi from my hotel balcony so I had to be satisfied with that.) In one way nature didn’t cooperate with us on this excursion, but in another way it did. At least Mount Merapi didn’t act up and make us run for our lives.
Back in the Jeep, we bumped along the gravelly road back to our host’s restaurant, arriving with bruised hind parts. (Maybe I’ll speak for myself on that one.) We transferred to our suddenly super-luxurious SUV.
In late afternoon, we arrived at another outstanding monument, Prambanan — a large Hindu temple complex.
Like Borobudur, Prambanan was constructed while the Sailendras were still in power sometime in the 9th century. It’s the largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia. I wonder if the monument-building was a little competitive: Buddhist vs. Hindu, or Buddha vs. Shiva. Regardless, at that time, there was peaceful religious co-existence.
By now, you should know that Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. According to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre:
The temples collapsed due to earthquake, volcanic eruption and a shift of political power in the early 11th century, and they were rediscovered in the 17th century. These compounds have never been displaced or changed. Restoration works have been conducted since 1918, both in original traditional method of interlocking stone and modern methods using concrete to strengthen the temple structure.
You can see piles of stones around all the temples, probably from previous disasters. Prambanan was damaged again in 2006 by another earthquake. In Indonesia, it never ends ….
Prambanan was dedicated to three Hindu deities — the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). Three temples were also erected to the animals that serve them — (Nandi (a bull calf), Garuda (a bird-like creature with bird and human features) and Hamsa (an aquatic bird).
Prambanan is a large compound and it had the feel of sacred space. In all our movement around in that area, I discovered I lost my little purple camp towel. I considered it a stroke of inspiration that I had packed this towel. I needed that towel because, being monsoon season, it was humid. It was not possible to re-trace my steps as I had gone up and down temples, in one entrance and out another. I scanned the grounds from a perch to see if a little purple towel had sullied the grounds. Then, I went to one security guard after another and used this photo to ask about my towel.
I took a seat on the wall for a bit. I showed a guard I hadn’t seen earlier this photo of my towel. He went somewhere, and came back with it. I was so happy ….
We shattered the 10,000 steps per day activity goal exploring monuments that day. And we still had a cultural performance at Prambanan as the day’s last event. We skipped it, though, because dinner was more compelling. Thus ended a long and very satisfying day.
In January, Indonesia is in its monsoon season. When I realized monsoon season would be in full swing, I wondered how much of a damper — pun intended – this would put on our trip.
Indonesia has tropical weather and the humidity that comes with it. I was prepared with a light rain jacket, a rain poncho, umbrella, and waterproof hiking shoes. Major thunderstorms moved rain onto and off the islands and then the sky cleared up. It rained all day, but lightly, only two of the 14 days we were traveling.
I recommend traveling to Indonesia during monsoon season. The sky reveals its moods throughout the day, and you might even get lucky with some sunshine. Monsoon season is manageable. Plus, there are fewer tourists and it’s cheaper to travel.
Still fully jet lagged from 20 hours travel to Jakarta, we were back at the airport early the next day. This time we flew to Jogyakarta (also spelled Yogyakarta, and called Jogja for short).
This much smaller city, also on the island of Java, is about an 1 hour 15 minute flight from Jakarta. Jogja is the art and cultural center of Indonesia. The region is unique in that it’s headed by a Sultan — a hereditary monarch — who has the power of a regional governor. Historically, the sultans have been political survivalists with a knack for picking the winning side during conflicts. I’m reminded of House Lannister from “Game of Thrones.”
We stayed downtown at The Phoenix Hotel. Before it became a hotel in the 1940s, this elegant building was a wealthy Chinese merchant’s home. For $70/night (split between two people), we had a very nice room, excellent hospitality, and the best breakfast buffet I have ever had. From our balcony, I watched the sun rise each morning. The volcanoes were a secondary backdrop to an untended cemetery.
The Hotel provided earplugs because we were a few blocks away from a mosque and its loudspeakers. Annoyingly, calls to prayer started at 4:15 a.m., and went on and on and on as other mosque loudspeakers added their calls to the din. (No complaints from me while I was there because I could have been charged with blasphemy!)
One of the historical areas of Jogja is Taman Sari (Water Castle), former palace of the first Sultan of Jogyakarta. Between earthquakes, wars, and invasions, most of the 59 building complex was destroyed, or left in a state of ruin. The bathing portion of the complex was restored in the 1970s.
Nearby Taman Sari were walkable streets with art galleries, street art, crafts, batik, and restaurants.
My favorite find was the puppets at a small artisan shop. Indonesian puppetry (Wayang) is a traditional art form dating from the 10th century. During the rise of Hinduism on Java and Bali, the puppet performances were used to further the philosophy of the religion. The puppets served a similar purpose during the later rise of Islam. In addition to being used to proselytize religion, folklore was told through puppetry. The puppets in this shop were the flat two-dimensional variety (wayang kulit) used for “shadow puppet” shows, and three-dimensional puppets made of wood (wayang bambu).
I was not leaving Indonesia without a puppet (or two)! To me, these were art pieces. I secured my travel companions’ promise that we were going back to the puppet shop before leaving Jogykarta. I know my companions were tired of hearing me talk about these puppets. Mission accomplished — I bought three wood puppets, including one for my mama!
Stay tuned for more on Jogyakarta in Part 3, and Bali, and Kalimantan (Borneo) in Parts 4 and 5!!
Indonesia is my most unique travel experience so far. Credit goes to my travel companions for planning this trip. For the first time in years, I was along for the ride and had no expectations. In fact, I knew next to nothing about Indonesia and its geography. This travel adventure included cities, countryside, a four-passenger river cruise, and a rain forest.
After the December 2018 tsunami, someone asked me if I was still going to Indonesia in January. Of course! I didn’t think I’d be anywhere near where the tsunami hit on Java. And, unlike a certain world leader, I fact-checked my assumption and tried to at least have a clue about this Asian nation.
10 Facts About Indonesia
Indonesia has two seasons — wet (monsoon) and dry. I was there in January during monsoon season, which lasts from about November to March.
Two of my city destinations — Jakarta and Jogyakarta — are indeed on the island of Java. The tsunami originated in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Jakarta was on the end of the island near tsunami impact.
Indonesia is in a region known as the Ring of Fire due to its frequent volcano eruptions and earthquakes. In fact, it had three disaster events in 2018: flooding and mudslides, earthquake, and tsunami.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. It is Southeast Asia’s largest nation.
Java is the most populous island in Indonesia.
The island of Borneo (the Malaysian name) is shared by Indonesia (whose territory is called Kalimantan), Brunei, and Malaysia. Borneo is the third largest island in the world.
Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the world after the United States.
Bahasa Indonesian is the official language; and there are over 300 native languages.
Indonesia is a Muslim-majority nation. Religious tolerance is part of the Constitution; however, blasphemy is against the law and the penalty is prison.
By law, since 2006, Indonesians must carry an ID card that declares affiliation with one of six officially recognized religions: Islam, Hindu, Catholic Christianity, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Jakarta was my home base for travel in the archipelago. It is not a tourist destination, but it is the nation’s center of commerce. Considering we flew in and out of the city three times in two weeks, my observations are superficial.
Modernity and luxury co-exist with pockets of squalor. Go down any tiny alley and be amazed at how densely populated it is. Street food abounds. There are also many good restaurants, including international ones. We enjoyed a very good meal at a Japanese restaurant called Sakana.
You need to be aware of clean water issues for drinking water, fresh fruit and vegetables. (Sometimes I forgot about that and ate raw fruits and vegetables. Luckily, I didn’t suffer any GI issues.) Security checkpoints and scanners are everywhere: mall entrances, gated communities, and office buildings. And, rush hour traffic….!
Traffic was epic. It moved under a code only Indonesians understand. Road rules seem to be very loose, and signage and road markings are treated more like a suggestion for order. Three clearly marked lanes become five when about a hundred motorbikes join the fray with cars, trucks, and buses. There is neither time nor space for distracted driving. All motorists are squeezed and traffic becomes a game of inches.
The dreaded Jakarta rush hour.
Motorbikes might travel both ways on a one-way street if it’s more convenient for the rider and the rider can get away with it. All motorists use horns frequently — a tap, not a blast — to warn other motorists that they’re being passed, or they’re really, really close. Of course, that’s the intended purpose of horns, as opposed to how they’re used here in the Washington, DC region to signal annoyance and rage. It was fascinating to watch traffic maneuverings at street level or from a high-rise. My conclusion: Indonesians are the best motorists (car or motorbike) in the world. You can’t teach those skills.
Motorbike riders wore helmets (by law) and flip-flops. If it rained or stormed, riders might huddle somewhere, but most just popped on their rain ponchos and kept it moving. Riders with helmets that say “Grab” or “GO-JEK” operate like Uber. I assume that those motorbike operators can only have one passenger at a time. Otherwise, there was apparently no limit to the number of passengers a rider can have. The record number of people I saw piled onto a motorbike was five. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of that record-setter. The fifth passenger was a baby strapped to a passenger’s chest.
There is no such thing as motorists automatically yielding to pedestrians. In fact, the cities — Jakarta and Jogyakarta — were not especially walkable or pedestrian-friendly. Where there was a sidewalk, it was little wider than a curb. Crosswalks near malls were, again, a suggestion to motorists to let pedestrians cross the street. In addition to all of this, motorists drive on the left, like Brits, which adds another layer of challenge for perambulating the city. Ninety-nine percent of the time we took a “Taksi” everywhere we wanted to go in the cities.
Jakarta is a city whose population has outgrown its road system. The good news is completion of the rapid transit project scheduled to open March 2019. (And I wonder what it will be like for people to walk to those stations.)
Stay tuned for upcoming posts featuring Jogykarta, Bali, and Kalimantan!
The Whisperer
10 Comments 07/19/2018 kalison0515
His whispering caught me off guard. The Whisperer was tall, with shaved head and face, white, late 40s to 50-ish. We were both in a week-long leadership training course and I was trying to pay attention to the instructor. “The new African-American Museum is important. I should see it,” he tells me, in a golf announcer’s whisper. “Except,” he added, “I have to catch a flight home.” He chose to talk about race to me, the only Black person in the class, at a moment when I could not engage with him straight-on. I glanced at him, gave a little shrug, and focused on the instructor.
The Whisperer had more. “My grandfather came to this country in 1910. He was Irish, and when he got here he was told …” — I turned to him and finished his sentence — “… Irish need not apply.” (Yeah, yeah, yeah….) Undeterred by irony, The Whisperer continued, “My grandfather knew that as hard as it was for him to find work, he could still get jobs Blacks couldn’t get.” I’d already pivoted toward the instructor at that point, trying to follow him.
But, The Whisperer wasn’t finished. He said, “My father was better about Blacks than my grandfather was. I hope I’m better than my father was. And I hope my kids will be better than me.” For the second time since his whispering began, I turned to him and whispered, “So, my family was here 150 years before yours and we still have to wait for the 4th generation of your Irish-American family to do “better about Blacks”? (I’ve been told I have a very “verbal face,” and it probably expressed incredulity.) When the instructor stopped for a break, The Whisperer quick-stepped out the room.
Oh, if that were only the end of it.
After the next break he stood next to me and said, with genuine puzzlement, that he didn’t know what “White Privilege” means. He used his hands to scan his long body down to his pockets where he opened them in a gesture showing emptiness — like, where is the White Privilege? In his mind, privilege is about personal wealth. He didn’t realize he’d illustrated White Privilege in his whispered tale about his family patriarch. So I told him.
Sigh ….
Progressive media proposes a “national discourse” about race and racism. Most of the time it is “the elephant in the room.” I suppose this would mean all people talk to each other about the national legacy. If we don’t, then we’ll just be listening to academics and politicians holding forth as experts and advocates on race. I’m as open to a conversation about race now as I have been all my life. My openness doesn’t mean these conversations always happen. But, I will count The Whisperer’s tale as his effort toward discourse.
Let me know your thoughts.
What Does Democracy Look Like?
Fury and helplessness had settled in after the Presidential election. People talked about “surviving” the next four years until 2020. I considered the possibility of an America I wouldn’t recognize. When word got around about the Women’s March, nine of us committed to go. My niece, Julia, and her two friends traveled from Maine and New York City.
We joined more than half a million like-minded Americans at the Women’s March in the Nation’s Capital for “The Resistance.” Finally, an outlet! — because 10 weeks is a long time to be so furious.
I thought about what my sign would say, and my mind kept going to the Constitution. I decided on “We The People” and “I Love My 1st Amendment Rights.” They weren’t original ideas because this theme was playing for others, too.
After every other election in my lifetime, the new (or incumbent) President gave a unifying message. With this President, I am among the majority of voters he refers to as “the other side,” and to whom he continually gloats that he “won big.” This is my country, too, and the leadership he assumed requires him to address that — and not in a vengeful way.
We The People were part of something big. There was a mood of cohesiveness and people were friendly. There were huge crowds at the Metro stations and packed trains from end to end. We emerged from Metro at the Building Museum and fell in with the throngs, working our way to a spot within sight and sound of the rally’s speakers.
We gathered. We chose LOVE over hate. We demonstrated love for our country. We demonstrated concern that this President would comb over women’s issues. We wore pussy hats. We marched. We wanted to reclaim the soul of our country. We were “Nasty Women!” We chanted and affirmed: “This is what democracy looks like! “
Hope, intelligence, humor, passion, and the power of women and diversity were on display at the 2017 Women’s March. Messages that made me LOL: “If my uterus could shoot bullets, the government wouldn’t regulate it.” Another was “Free Melania.” And yet another, “In 2017, I can’t believe I’m still protesting this shit.” Don’t you love candor?
This March was an exercise of First Amendment rights — that precious bundle of five rights about freedom of expression.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
People have sought asylum in countries that have these rights. We can’t take them for granted. In my opinion, our rights are under attack or, at the very least, misunderstood.
Freedom of Religion. For years, politicians have been on the defensive about claims that they’re not Christian or not Christian enough. While Christianity has influenced American society, the U.S. was not established as a Christian nation. The relevance of Bible-citing blew up with this President’s candidacy. The Republican Party didn’t give a damn. How you worship, which deity you worship, or whether you worship at all is a personal right.
One of the performers at the March was a young Muslim named Alia Sharrief. She’s no novice to activism. Her performance was apropos for “The Resistance.” Here’s a sample of her art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZJub-2fYho
Over the last year, I have heard some astonishing anti-Muslim sentiments from people I considered smart! Wearing a hijab, a Muslim woman is especially vulnerable because the garb marks her as Muslim. Her issue is our issue. We need to care.
These signs showed the intersectionality of human rights issues.
Freedom of Speech. This precious right has some restrictions — like, not inciting violence; or committing slander about others by spreading lies, falsehoods, or alternative facts; or uttering certain profanity. Whether a statement is actually slander also depends on whether the target is a private person or public figure. You may recall that Candidate Trump did a lot of name-calling: “Lyin’ Ted” (Senator Ted Cruz), “Little Marco” (Senator Marco Rubio), and “Crooked Hillary” and “Nasty Woman” (Secretary Hillary Clinton). It was ugly behavior, but it was his right.
Freedom of speech includes actions and gestures. Colin Kaepernick, for instance, took the knee during the National Anthem to protest the treatment of Blacks in the U.S. People burned his football jersey, threatened to boycott the NFL, blah blah blah…. They said he should have protested some other way. But, it is Kaepernick’s right to express protest any way he wants (as long as it is not illegal), and how he does it is not subject to another person’s sensibilities. Kaepernick risked all to be a high-profile activist. He gives back to the community with his I Know My Rights Camp for kids, where they learn about their civic duty to be engaged and opinionated.
Freedom of the press. This freedom is definitely under attack. Freedom of the press is about access to, publication and distribution of information without government intervention. It’s also important that media outlets not be owned by only a few companies. Diversity of information sources is important for diversity of thought.
Somewhere in the world are media outlets that are government-owned or controlled, like Russia. Some governments create propaganda and offer alternative facts, like Russia. I thought of an undesirable scenario based on the dystopian society in The Hunger Games called Panem. There, the Capitol controlled its citizens through isolation, harsh policing (called peacekeeping), and propaganda.
Right to assemble. Black Lives Matter (BLM), for example, has held protests and demonstrations in a movement that is growing around the world. The movement’s very name was rabidly criticized by the ex-mayor of NY and a Wisconsin sheriff at the Republican National Convention. Both dismissed BLM with the counterclaim that all lives matter. The right to assemble means that people have the right to organize demonstrations and call their organization or movement any damn thing they want.
The Women’s March embraced BLM issues, too. Janelle Monae had the crowd do a call-and-response during her anthem against police brutality, “Hell You Talmbout.” One mother called out her child’s name: “Sandra Bland!” The crowd roared back: “SAY HER NAME!” Another mother called out her child’s name: “Freddie Gray!” The crowd roared back: “SAY HIS NAME!” This roll call acknowledgment of a mother’s loss was simply powerful.
Right to petition the Government with grievances. Speakers at the Women’s March urged the crowd to exercise this right with their local representatives and members of Congress. This Constitutional right allows a slew of actions. We can lobby; write letters; and contact our representatives in Congress (or any level of government). We can testify before tribunals; file lawsuits; collect signatures for ballot initiatives; and engage in peaceful protests and picketing — all to influence government action. This would also include whistle-blowing, especially if you’re a Federal government employee.
When we returned home from the March, we watched the news. We were awed that over 600 marches or rallies had occurred that day in all 50 states. Approximately 2.9 million people participated! What’s more, protests and women’s marches had also been held that day all over the world.
This is what democracy looks like!
A New Experience: Backpacking and Camping in Yosemite (Part 4)
I learned four things while on my adventure: 1) I loved it!; 2) hygiene is sort of overrated; 3) how to “leave no trace”; and 4)how to sleep in the wilderness.
First (and most important): This was a great experience! I want to do it again. I want to learn orienteering and how to cook in the wilderness. Yosemite park rangers say that only about 10% of the park’s visitors ever go up into the wilderness. Most visitors drive through, use the park shuttles, or take a bus tour. I realized how lucky I was to see the back country, hard as it was to get there.
One day, we hiked to Ten Lakes (for which our trail was named). Fortunately, we used our daypacks instead of the backpacks. We only had to carry a portion of the camp lunch, our water, and personal snacks. Along the way, I’d forgotten that the last (and easiest) 20 minutes of our first day’s hike was downhill into the base camp. To leave base camp, we had to hike uphill. Those first 20 minutes kicked my ass, even with the lighter daypack. But, this experience was worth it!
We emerged in this alpine meadow.
The trail is very narrow for the least human impact as possible. Staying on the trail was essential to avoid damaging very fragile wildflowers.
From far above, you can see one of the Ten Lakes — the bit of blue in the distance. The Ten Lakes are named by number, and I don’t know which one this was. Our guide, Tyler, told us we were headed “down there.” That far down meant a steep climb back up.
On the way, we found moments to look over the treeline at the mountains on the other side, in awe and meditation.
When the glaciers pushed through they left landscape elements like this.
One huge rock surface was incredibly smooth like a granite kitchen counter. Izzy led us in yoga.
We also rested on that rock.
We made our way down the mountain to the lakes. We passed Boy Scouts and families with very young children. Wow, they sure started young (not in their 50s, like me). As the saying goes: ‘There’s no time like the present.’
Another well-earned rest stop and hydration break.
We followed the trail across a little stream.
Our guides, Tyler and Izzy, gave us a wonderful lunch — a variety of meats, cheeses, gluten-free crackers, dried fruits, and guacamole made on-the-spot when we reached one of the lakes. We hung out there for awhile. I took in the peace of the scene. Others swam in the lake.
And we took a group photo.
Climbing back to the top wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Tyler set a slower, meditative pace.
Second: Norovirus could be a problem for campers who don’t apply a basic level of hygiene when using the “facili-trees.” And norovirus spreads very easily. For me, hand sanitizer plus wet wipes provided that minimal level of hygiene. Hand sanitizer alone would just wet up and move dirt around on my hands. But, otherwise, I became indifferent about dirt.
“Washing dishes” after the meal was a minimally effective effort undertaken like an assembly line. We used a common scrubber to remove food remnants from dishes; then wiped off our dishes in cold water, in which bits of food had come off other plates; and then moved on to another vessel to dunk dishes in a sanitizing solution — bleach, maybe? — and, finally, hung them in a net bag to dry. The plates passed the wilderness standard of being clean enough. As long as I was eating from my own plate, I wasn’t going to worry about it. I was more focused on filling my plate with the good meals our guides prepared.
Third: Our backpacking guides taught us the wilderness ethic of “leave no trace.” There are no garbage barrels with bear locks in the wilderness. There are no flushing toilets. You set up camp at minimally-prepared designated sites. You don’t pee (No. 1) or move bowels (No. 2) just anywhere. “Leave no trace” requires thoughtfulness and technique. It’s how we help minimize human impact and keep parkland pristine, even as we enjoy it.
Because friends asked me about this quite a bit, this is how you do No. 2 in the wilderness:
Find your “spot.” You will need some privacy cover. While boulders may work for No. 1, they don’t for No. 2 because you’ll probably hit rock when you try to dig a hole. A wide enough tree located away from the trail and a water source will provide the best cover.
Use a trowel to dig a 6×6-inch hole and scoop the dirt out. (Our camp trowel was usually on a stump by the campfire, along with hand sanitizer.)
Squat and aim for the hole.
Wipe yourself. I had a roll of camper toilet paper. The used paper went into a sealable black plastic baggie. I used a wet wipe for extra hygiene. Into the baggie it also went, until I could dump it all in a garbage bin at the end of our adventure. Leave no trace!
Take a stick — not the trowel! — and scoot the waste that missed the hole into the hole. Bury it with the scooped-out dirt.
Plant the stick vertically in the hole to mark the spot so no one else thinks they’ve found their spot. Ew.
Honestly, this beat the hell out of a stinking port-a-potty. (After the adventure, I found this 3rd edition book on this subject. Didn’t I just sum it up in six easy steps?)
Fourth: I finally mastered how to get a good night’s sleep by my last night at Yosemite. Each night, I zipped myself inside the tent and sleeping bag, with no intention of getting up and out before daybreak. But, one night I had a stomach ache. I really needed to get the trowel and find a tree, but it was dark, cold, and scary. I didn’t budge … to my great discomfort.
I suffered.
I started hearing sounds, like a nest of rodents were burrowing a trench all around my tent. I heard them first on one side of the tent and then the other. I was surrounded! I heard sounds like something — a bear! — rooting about in my backpack (which was outside my tent and propped against a boulder). Why, I wondered, would the bear bother since my food was in a bear can? The only things with a scent were the plastic baggies of used toilet paper. And so my mind worked overtime … all night long.
Early riser at the base camp
At first light, I jumped up and ran for the trowel. As I walked back to my tent, I listened. The “bear” sound was the restless sleeping of another backpacker in a neighboring tent. The “rodent” sound was another restless backpacker, whose sleeping bag was on a sheet of plastic. Those were the movements I’d heard … all night long.
By our last night, I got it right. I knew how to stay warm while sleeping after the temperature dropped from 75 to 40 degrees. I ignored noises. And, finally, I slept like a baby … all night long.
On our last day at Yosemite, the final hike down to our cars went faster. We were motivated. We were mostly going downhill. Our packs were lighter, thank God. (We had eaten most of the food we had carried up and brought back down a minimal amount of garbage. Leave no trace!)
When we reached the parking lot, Izzy and Tyler treated us to steaming hot washcloths to wipe our faces. I couldn’t believe the amount of dirt and grime that was on my face. While I was on the adventure, I also didn’t care. At the end, though, a hot shower urgently beckoned; my body had surpassed its tolerance for minimal hygiene.
Thank you, Tyler and Izzy, for being great REI Adventure guides and giving us a gotta-do-it-again experience! Thanks to fellow backpackers, Santiago and Paul, whose wonderful photos contributed to this series!
On Day 2, we were on the move for the most challenging hike of the whole trip.
We left the backpackers’ camp and drove about 40 minutes to Ten Lakes Trailhead. This trailhead was at a lower elevation — 7600 feet — than where we’d spent the night at Tuolomne Meadows. (I would have been grateful if I could have told the difference.) I dumped a few more things in the car that I wouldn’t need over the next couple of days, excluding my snacks, of course. Ounces add up.
Our guides gave a quick demonstration on how to use trekking poles. (I didn’t have any.) One of them, Tyler, adjusted my backpack since this would be my first foray with it fully loaded. They told us the trail would gradually climb, and the last two miles would be the most difficult. So with that bit of dread nestled at the forefront of my mind, I saddled up my 40 pounds and stepped out with the rest of the crew.
Photo credit: Paul Tetreault
It didn’t take me long to feel the burn. I was sucking water through the tube of my water bladder like crazy. We took our first break at a point where the climb seemed to have plateaued (if you could call it that). Since I was in the group bringing up the rear, the others were chilling on boulders waiting for us, backpacks off and snacking. We couldn’t rest as long as the pacesetters, but I was still happy to get that pack off my back.
This was the most physically challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life! The trail was a little rocky and uneven so I was usually looking down so I wouldn’t stumble. But, the beauty of the backcountry could not be denied and I fell further behind to take photos…and, of course, catch my breath. My thighs were burning, too.
Once, when I stopped to catch my breath, Tyler, the guide at the rear, blew his cheeks out and said “Whew!” like he was winded, too. He claimed he was out of shape because he’d been leading hikes in the Southwest and wasn’t used to Yosemite’s altitude. I told him I’d thought I was better conditioned than I turned out to be. Tyler said that if it took me only 40 seconds or less to catch my breath then the problem might be the altitude, not my conditioning. That made me feel a little better. Yes, let’s blame it on the altitude (or the bad night’s sleep).
We stopped for lunch in a pretty grove. By then, I was referring to the backpack as “The Hellbeast.” (My technique for ridding my back of it was to find a boulder of the right height, leverage it, and shrug it off. Relief!) We ate the lunches we’d packed early that morning. That seemed ages ago. I wolfed down the sandwich and slugged more water.
I don’t think it was the altitude that caused my leg to cramp, though. Tyler gave me an electrolyte pill to put in my water bottle. A trail mate gave me his set of trekking poles. Thankfully, we earned another rest and snacks. After the next stage of the hike, we emerged in this meadow. I was wowed at first sight.
I’d heard about alpine meadows, but it was just a phrase I knew with no mental image to associate with it. This was Half Moon Meadow. There, I saw purple and yellow wildflowers in a field of grasses at over 8,000 feet elevation. The trail through the meadow was narrow. Our guides told us to stay on the trail so we wouldn’t trample the fragile wildflowers.
Tyler and the other guide, Izzy, switched places. She came to the rear and he went to the front. Then I saw what kind of pace Tyler could really set. Ha! When I caught up with him later, I told him he’d been sandbagging me and that, evidently, I’d held him back. He said: “No, I was walking with you.” That was a brilliant response!
If I’d thought the first part of the trip was tough, the part I’d dreaded had arrived. I knew it when the trail became rockier and steeper. My butt now joined my thighs in feeling the burn. I stopped about every 10 steps to catch my breath. I’d exhort myself with, “C’mon, Kim. C’mon girl.” I gamely moved on, only to have to stop a few steps later. Fluid was flying off my face and out my nose. I don’t know if this was normal for this level of exertion, but I let go of all grace and desperately swiped my face — nose and all — with my sleeve. Whatever…I was in the backcountry and I hadn’t packed Kleenex.
As the switchbacks began, I asked Izzy, “Where is the top?” It probably came out as a whine. She said, “See that blue up there? That’s where we’re heading.” The blue was far distant and about the size of a pennant flag. The switchbacks were narrow, steep, and rocky. I was stopping to catch my breath, especially when I found shade. I hefted one leg up at a time onto the large rocks, and was thankful for having great balance. At least that physical attribute didn’t fail me.
I had started the hike with three liters of water. But, with fluid flying out and off my body, I sure didn’t need to pee. From time to time, I’d lift my head to check progress. The pennant flag became sky, and there was more and more of it. Thank God.
Lagging far behind…. Photo Credit: Santiago Tapia
We reached the top — more or less — and it was certainly the end of switchback hell. We had a respite of somewhat flat terrain. Our last leg was about 20 minutes downhill to our campsite.
For the rest of the weekend, I couldn’t believe what I’d done. This was the toughest day of the whole trip. Seven miles going uphill! And I made it! We all made it!
Base camp – “kitchen,” water filter station, and camp fire ring. Photo credit: Paul Tetreault
After we set up our base camp, our guides felt we had not had enough. They led us on a short hike to Lower Grant Lake — elevation about 9300 feet — for swimming and chilling. More wow….
See the last part of this series here: hiking to Ten Lakes…and what it means to “leave no trace.”
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VP, Content & Communications
Graveside Moment at Arlington Touches Mother, Son, and Our Team Too
For eighth grader Curtis Blackmon, his recent WorldStrides trip to D.C. wasn’t just an opportunity to visit the nation’s most important sites with his classmates. It was also a chance to visit a site that is central to his family – the final resting place of his father, Major Franklin Blackmon, Jr.
Major Blackmon died when Curtis was very young, and he and his mother talked with Program Leader David Russi about their desire to have Curtis visit his father’s grave at Arlington before they departed for Washington D.C. Mr. Russi shared with his WorldStrides team, and found a kindred spirit in Course Leader Bing Spitler, who is an Army veteran himself.
Bing not only carved time out of the itinerary to bring the whole group to Major Blackmon’s grave, but brought flowers and pennies for the students to lay on the tombstone. He shared a poem he’d written called “War Angels” to mark the moment.
“The flowers were from one soldier to another,” Bing explained. “The pennies on the gravestone were provided to the students to indicate that they had visited the grave site. It’s a tradition that goes back to ancient Greece as a means of paying the ‘ferryman’ to take the deceased across the River Styx from the land of the living to the land of the dead.”
Curtis sent a photo home to his mom, Christine, who shared her gratitude in a Facebook post that went viral, and was even covered on the local news.
Curtis said returning to Arlington was very special for him, and he was proud that it was meaningful to his fellow students to learn about his father’s legacy. “It just means a lot….I could see in my classmates that they could tell it was not just tombstones, but a person,” he recalled.
“We are very proud of my late husband and never miss an opportunity to keep him alive in our hearts and minds,” Christine later told us at WorldStrides. “The kindness shown by his teacher and your agency just touched me greatly.”
The feeling is mutual, Christine. Our team is proud to have been a part of this extraordinary moment!
Major Franklin Blackmon, Jr. – Courtesy: Christine Blackmon
Article written by Beth Campbell
Beth leads WorldStrides' storytelling team, identifying amazing tales across our family of brands. A former news reporter and anchor, she loves spreading the news of education and travel. When she's not digging through her email inbox, she's picking up messes from her two amazing sons and dreaming of future travels.
Categories: Travel Stories
Tags: Washington D.C.
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by Year, New Jersey and the United States, 2000-2016 (HNJ2020)
by Year and Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey 2000-2016 (HNJ2020)
by Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey, 2014-2016
by Year and Sex, New Jersey, 2000-2016
among 15- to 19-Year-Old Males, by Year and Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey, 2000-2016 (HNJ2020)
among Persons 20-34 Years Old by Year and Race/Ethnicity, New Jersey, 2000-2016 (HNJ2020)
by County, New Jersey, 2012-2016
Relevant Population Characteristics
Health Indicator Report of Homicide
Violence is a major public health problem in the United States. Among persons aged 15 to 29 years of age, homicide is the second leading cause of death in New Jersey and the U.S.
Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
Population Estimates, State Data Center, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, [http://lwd.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/dmograph/est/est_index.html]
Data Interpretation Issues
The homicides that occurred as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, have been excluded. Also, homicides due to legal intervention, which is the death of a person by a police officer in the line of duty, have been excluded.
Health Indicator Definition
Deaths where homicide is indicated as the underlying cause of death. Homicide is defined as death resulting from the intentional use of force or power, threatened or actual, against another person, group, or community. ICD-10 Codes: X85-Y09, Y87.1 (homicide)
Number of resident deaths due to homicide
Total number of persons in the population
Health Objectives and Targets
Healthy People Objective: Reduce homicides
U.S. Target: 5.5 homicides per 100,000 population (age-adjusted)
State Target: 4.3 homicides per 100,000 population (age-adjusted)
Other Objectives
'''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-1a''': Reduce the age-adjusted mortality rate due to homicide per 100,000 standard population to 4.3 for the total population, 0.9 among Whites, 18.6 among Blacks, and 3.1 among Hispanics. '''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-1b''': Reduce the mortality rate due to homicide among 15 to 19 year old males per 100,000 population to 9.2 among all racial/ethnic groups, 50.6 among Blacks, and 10.4 among Hispanics. '''Revised Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-1c''': Reduce the mortality rate due to homicide among 20 to 34 year olds per 100,000 population to 10.1 among all those aged 20-34, 1.1 among Whites, 51.5 among Blacks, and 6.8 among Hispanics. '''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-1a''': Reduce the age-adjusted mortality rate due to homicide per 100,000 standard population to 4.3 for the total population, 1.1 among Whites, 18.6 among Blacks, and 4.6 among Hispanics. '''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-1b''': Reduce the mortality rate due to homicide among 15 to 19 year old males per 100,000 population to 14.6 among all racial/ethnic groups, 70.6 among Blacks, and 13.9 among Hispanics. '''Original Healthy New Jersey 2020 Objective IVP-1c''': Reduce the mortality rate due to homicide among 20 to 34 year olds per 100,000 population to 12.1 among all those aged 20-34, 2.3 among Whites, 57.0 among Blacks, and 8.6 among Hispanics. Targets were not set for race/ethnicity, sex, and/or age groups with numbers of homicides too small to calculate reliable rates.
Current Outlook
In New Jersey, there are approximately 400 homicides per year. Homicide victims are predominantly male, accounting for over 80% of homicides in New Jersey. Firearms are used in three-quarters of homicides. The age-adjusted homicide rate in New Jersey has remained between 4 and 6 per 100,000 population for the past decade, and after declining steadily from 2006 through 2009, the rate increased from 2010 through 2013 before another decrease back to the lower levels for the next three years. This is primarily due to a dramatic increase in homicides in urban settings, coinciding with increased drug trade. Homicide rates among one high-risk group (black males, ages 15-19), as identified in Healthy New Jersey, had been decreasing from 2006 through 2014 before picking up again; there had been a corresponding uptick in homicide rates among black males, aged 20-34 until 2013, when rates began to decrease again. These two groups are the main drivers of the statewide homicide rate.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
New Jersey's homicide rate is consistently lower than the national rate.
Health Improvement Resources
The Governor's Study Commission on Violence released a report of recommendations to the Governor on ways to combat all types of violence from a public health perspective in October, 2015. The New Jersey Department of Health maintains the [http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/njvdrs/ New Jersey Violent Death Reporting System] (NJVDRS), a CDC-funded surveillance system that tracks suicides, homicides, unintentional firearm deaths, injury deaths of undetermined intent, and deaths by legal intervention and is used to educate public health and public safety professionals in the state and inform their interventions and decision-making, with the ultimate goal of reducing the incidence of violent deaths. NJVDRS is part of the [https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nvdrs/index.html National Violent Death Reporting System]. The New Jersey [http://www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/boards/fatality/ Child Fatality and Near-Fatality Review Board] and the New Jersey [http://www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/boards/dvfnfrb/ Domestic Violence Fatality and Near-Fatality Review Board] meet regularly to discuss possible systemic issues relating to incidents involving children and certain legally defined domestic relationships.
New Jersey Department of Corrections, [http://www.nj.gov/corrections/SubSites/OVS/ Office of Victim Services]: 1-800-996-2029 or 609-292-4036 x5299 New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Division on Women: *New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-572-SAFE (7233) *New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA) Hotline: 1-800-601-7200 *Women's Referral Central Hotline: 1-800-322-8092
Health Program Information
The [http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/ Center for Health Statistics] is a central source for injury statistics. Available data include emergency department data, inpatient hospitalization data, and mortality data.
Page Content Updated On 08/27/2018, Published on 08/27/2018
Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360, Web: www.nj.gov/health/chs, e-mail: chs@doh.nj.gov
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Previous Story Falcons stay close in NFC South, beat Buccaneers 24-21 Next Story NFL Overreactions: Refs to use stationery to make calls
Panthers sale sparks buzz in political, business circles
By Associated Press December 19, 2017 7:44 am
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The stunning news of the rare opportunity to purchase an NFL team has quickly garnered the attention of sports figures, business investors and politicians alike.
Amid reports of sexual and racial remarks made by Carolina Panthers owner and founder Jerry Richardson in the workplace, he has unexpectedly announced that he is selling the NFL franchise after this season ends.
It was a bombshell that rocked the Carolinas, and generated shockwaves inside and out of the organization. The team Monday promoted Tina Becker as COO and gave her full control of the day-to-day operations.
Becker said in a release that “these have been some of the most difficult days of my 19 years with the Panthers.” She added that her immediate focus will be on corporate side of the organization, “while addressing the real concerns that have been raised in recent days.”
Richardson, meanwhile, stepped away from daily responsibilities to focus on the sale of the team — which will come with a multi-billion dollar price tag.
That’s what is known, but Richardson’s decision to walk away after nearly 25 years as owner has left more questions than answers about the franchise’s future — most notably, who will buy it and will they keep the team in Charlotte.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she is committed to working to keep the team in Charlotte.
“The City of Charlotte values its long-running relationship with the Panthers after more than 22 seasons of NFL football,” Lyles said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The Panthers are part of Charlotte’s fabric. We’ve celebrated victories and anguished over defeats. We understand transitions are inevitable, and we look forward to working with current and future ownership.”
The Panthers are tethered to Charlotte through the 2018 season because of an agreement on an $87.5 stadium renovation between the city and the team in 2013. That renovation is nearly complete.
But a buyer could potentially purchase the team and move it in 2019.
Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, who was mayor of Charlotte when the Panthers settled into their new stadium, has seen both sides. He also was the mayor when the Hornets left town. He said another question might be about Bank of America stadium.
“Will (the new owners) ask for government subsidy to continue to improve the stadium, or, in fact, even build a new stadium, like what’s happened in Atlanta and Dallas?” McCrory said. “That would be a tall order.”
He said it will be a business decision— and the highest bidder will get the team, to possibly do with it as they chose.
“Unless the NFL steps in and says, ‘No, you need to have a local ownership group,'” he said, “which I’d encourage them to do.”
Panthers coach Ron Rivera was “a little taken aback” when Richardson informed him Sunday night of his decision to sell the team. But he too believes the Panthers should remain in Charlotte.
“This organization has been a source of pride and goodwill and I would like it to continue,” Rivera said Monday. “This is a great community with a very supportive fan base that has been out there for us. They have been here for me and this football team and I hope that somehow it is able to stay here.”
The chance to purchase an NFL team has potential suitors coming out of the woodwork.
Rapper and actor Diddy indicated his interest in purchasing the Panthers on Twitter moments after Richardson’s announcement.
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, a Charlotte native, chimed in with “I want in!”
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has also expressed interest.
Other businessmen with Charlotte connections could show interest as well.
Speedway Motorsports chairman Bruton Smith and his son, CEO Marcus Smith, have previously expressed interest in purchasing the Panthers should the opportunity arise.
And the Panthers are loaded with minority owners including real estate magnate “Smoky” Bissell, Family Dollar founder Leon Levine and members of the Belk family. Developer Johnny Harris, who was instrumental in luring the Wells Fargo Championship — and later the PGA Championship — to Charlotte, could also decide to increase his ownership stake in the team.
Let’s not forget Michael Jordan. The six-time NBA champion owns the Hornets. However, Jordan’s interest level is unknown and his representative Estee Portnoy said she had no comment on the Panthers sale.
More names will surely emerge over the next several weeks, but they need to be ready to write a big check. Forbes Magazine recently estimated the Panthers worth at $2.3 billion.
And those numbers could be low.
Forbes estimated the Buffalo Bills at a net worth of $935 million in 2013, but the team wound up selling in 2014 for $1.4 billion — nearly 50 percent higher than the estimate — according to magazine’s website.
Before any sale can be finalized, it will need the approval of 24 of 32 NFL owners.
The Panthers have a lot to offer potential suitors:
— They are on the cusp of reaching the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
— They have sold out 225 of their 227 home games in team history, including 157 straight.
— They feature several recognizable stars including 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly.
Panthers tight end Ed Dickson said fans don’t deserve to have a team ripped out from underneath them.
“It’s growing, it’s definitely been growing,” Dickson said of the fan base. “We are striving to build something that Dallas has, and Pittsburgh has. We don’t have that much history here. But one of the reasons I came here was to be a part of something special. When we do get to the top of the mountain and win a Super Bowl — then we have something to celebrate here” in the Carolinas.
At least in 2017 and 2018, after that, it’s unclear where the party would be.
AP Writer Skip Foreman contributed to this report.
For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Explore Portland
Meagan Wristen: Portland Local Expert
Meagan says, Don't leave Portland without going out to the Columbia Gorge area and hiking a waterfall. If it's summer, go see the Rose Garden.
More About Meagan
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Photo courtesy of Meagan Wristen
Classical Chinese Garden
Photo courtesy of Jason E Kaplan
Photo courtesy of David M. Cobb
Sauvie Island Pumpkin Patch
Photo courtesy of The Pumpkin Patch
Feast Portland
FrightTown
Photo courtesy of FrightTown
Liepold Farms
Cooper Mountain Nature Park
The Kitchen at Middleground Farms
Our Table Cooperative
Anne Amie Vineyards
Photo courtesy of Anne Amie Vineyards
10 Best Things to do in Portland, Oregon This Fall
BY Meagan Wristen
Portland Local Expert
Fall time in Portland, Oregon can be quite wonderful. The temperatures drop, school starts, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of things to do. Portland has a variety of things to do that area that are only available during fall or they just happen to be better during the fall.
With the leaves changing all around the local gardens become even more lovely than they were during the summer. The Japanese garden is absolutely stunning during the fall and is a must for nature lovers. For wine lovers we've included the gorgeous Anne Amie Vineyards where you can enjoy great wine, but also an incredibly scenic drive out to their property.
Some of the most fun things to do are available only in September and October like pumpkin patches and haunted houses. We've included two of the top pumpkin patches in the area on our list as well as one of the top haunted houses.
Lan Su Yuan, the garden's official name, means "Garden of Awakening Orchids," and is considered the most authentic Chinese garden outside of China. Having opened in 2000, the garden was a joint project between Portland and its Chinese sister city Suzhou. Set behind a wall, the garden is a tranquil, urban oasis that fills a full city block. As a living work of art, the garden contains a balance of the five traditional garden elements: rocks, water, plants, architecture and literary inscriptions. Paths wind through the courtyards, pavilions and bridges. The Tao of Tea offers visitors a chance to experience a traditional tea service in recreated Ming Dynasty tea house.
One of the many attractions in Washington Park, the Japanese Gardens is a one of Portland's brightest gems. Designed by renowned landscape architect Professor Takuma Tono, the site opened in 1967. Five separate gardens comprise this collective: Strolling Pond, Tea, Natural, Flat and Dry Landscape. Each one offers a unique environment and design comprised of elements such as water, stone and vegetation. The garden's elevated location in Portland's West Hills offers a quiet escape above the city. The Japanese Garden is always a lovely, but it the fall it is stunning. There is an admission fee to get in and be sure to get there early enough to spend at least an hour and a half.
The Pumpkin Patch over on Sauvie Island is a popular family farm offering a seasonal produce market and gift shop, cafe, a massive corn maze, hay rides & pick your own pumpkins during the month of October. For little ones they have an adorable cow train that will delight them. There's also a large hay pyramid that kids have fun climbing all over. They have a big red barn that was built in 1929 and filled with animals. Kids can see turkeys, goats, and more. You can pack a lunch and enjoy it on one of the picnic tables covered by a large awning.
Feast Portland is a multi-day festival celebrating the glory of Oregon's bounty every September. The Feast kicks off on Thursday and continues through Sunday. This event includes all kinds of food and drink events throughout Portland, Oregon. You can attend special dinners with award wining chefs or take a class. The classes offer vary greatly. You can learn all about wines, crafting the perfect cocktial, butchery, cooking with marijuana, how to make salt or how to make the perfect pie. They have large scale events where you can try a large variety of small plates and drinks in one setting.
FrightTown is a collection of three haunted houses at the Moda Center every year during the Halloween season. Each of the haunted houses are different from each other and they change every year. They have live actors throughout the houses dressed up in scary costumes. Each haunted house gets progressively scarier, so you can decide if it's too scary to continue or not. From October 7-Halloween you can go get scared out of your mind at FrightTown starting at 7 PM. They are closed every Monday and Tuesday except 10/30 and Halloween. This is a great activity for anyone over the age of 11.
10 Best Can't Be Missed Sights in Portland, Oregon
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Liepold Farms is a sustainable family owned farm operating in Boring, Oregon since 1952. For years, they have offered one of the most fun pumpkin patches in the Portland area. Their pumpkin patch is always packed with family fun. They have a corn maze, hay maze, hay rides, pumpkin slingshots, and more. On the weekends they offer food options and alcoholic beverages for adults. You can purchase a ticket to participate in just one activity or you can puchase a bundle to save a few bucks. This is a great activity for groups, families, and couples as well as a perfect setting for photos.
Overlooking the Tualatin River Valley, Cooper Mountain Nature Park is located on the edge of Beaverton. The 230-acre park offers visitors 3.5 miles of trails that traverse the park and pass through each of its distinct habitats, from conifer forest to prairie to oak woodlands. Visitors will be rewarded with grand views of the Chehalem Mountains, close-up looks at Oregon white oaks and a small prairie that has sat relatively undisturbed for hundreds of years. This is a great place to go for a walk. For kids there is a little play structure near the parking lot. There are also restrooms there.
The Kitchen at Middleground Farms is a recreational cooking school located on a family hobby farm just south of Portland in Wilsonville, Oregon. Cooking classes explore fundamental skills in the kitchen and garden, as well as some of the lost arts of handcrafting and preserving food like our grandmothers did. The Kitchen focuses on the traditional methods of cooking, from making the perfect pie, to learning the basics of cheesemaking, to putting up fruits and vegetables for the winter. They will guide you through basic knife techniques and the science behind food and why it behaves the way it does in different situations, helping to instill confidence when cooking in your own kitchen.
Our Table is a cooperative of farmers and producers working together to create handcrafted, thoughtful and delicious food for the local community. They are a model multi-stakeholder collective that harnesses the power of collaboration to create shared value through all stages of food growth and production. Our Table is a new paradigm for a more localized food system based on a new form of agriculture that blends the wisdom of the past with the science of the present. In addition to their store full of local fresh goods they also offer classes, dinners, and farm camps for adults. During the fall they have a pumpkin patch. They also offer tours of the farm for groups.
Anne Amie Vineyards specializes in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. The winery is located in the rolling hills of the Yamhill-Carlton District with incredible views of the Willamette Valley. You can enjoy wine tastings, tours of the vineyard and celler, picnic tables, umbrellas, a bocce ball court, and corn hole at the tasting room and winery. They charge $15 for a wine tasting but waive the fee with a $100 purchase. They host exquisite wine dinners on their property that are just incredible and a must if you can. These sell out quickly, so watch their website for dates.
Meet Meagan Wristen
Meagan Wristen is an Oregon resident by choice and thinks Portland is a tremendous city that everyone should visit. Originally a Texas girl, she has lived all around the United States,... More About Meagan
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Novel process to 3D print graphene
Researchers from Virginia Tech and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a novel way to 3D print complex objects of one of the highest-performing materials used in the battery and aerospace industries. For more information see the IDTechEx report on 3D Printing Materials 2018-2028 and Graphene, 2D Materials and Carbon Nanotubes.
Previously, researchers could only print this material, known as graphene, in 2D sheets or basic structures. But Virginia Tech engineers have now collaborated on a project that allows them to 3D print graphene objects at a resolution an order of magnitude greater than ever before printed, which unlocks the ability to theoretically create any size or shape of graphene.
Because of its strength - graphene is one of the strongest materials ever tested on Earth - and its high thermal and electricity conductivity, 3D printed graphene objects would be highly coveted in certain industries, including batteries, aerospace, separation, heat management, sensors, and catalysis.
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms organized in a hexagonal lattice. When graphene sheets are neatly stacked on top of each other and formed into a three-dimensional shape, it becomes graphite, commonly known as the "lead" in pencils.
Because graphite is simply packed-together graphene, it has fairly poor mechanical properties. But if the graphene sheets are separated with air-filled pores, the three-dimensional structure can maintain its properties. This porous graphene structure is called a graphene aerogel.
"Now a designer can design three-dimensional topology comprised of interconnected graphene sheets," said Xiaoyu "Rayne" Zheng, assistant professor with the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering and director of the Advanced Manufacturing and Metamaterials Lab. "This new design and manufacturing freedom will lead to optimization of strength, conductivity, mass transport, strength, and weight density that are not achievable in graphene aerogels."
Zheng, also an affiliated faculty member of the Macromolecules Innovation Institute, has received grants to study nanoscale materials and scale them up to lightweight and functional materials for applications in aerospace, automobiles, and batteries.
Previously, researchers could print graphene using an extrusion process, sort of like squeezing toothpaste, but that technique could only create simple objects that stacked on top of itself.
"With that technique, there's very limited structures you can create because there's no support and the resolution is quite limited, so you can't get freeform factors," Zheng said. "What we did was to get these graphene layers to be architected into any shape that you want with high resolution."
This project began three years ago when Ryan Hensleigh, lead author of the article and now a third-year Macromolecular Science and Engineering Ph.D. student, began an internship at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. Hensleigh started working with Zheng, who was then a member of the technical staff at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. When Zheng joined the faculty at Virginia Tech in 2016, Hensleigh followed as a student and continued working on this project.
To create these complex structures, Hensleigh started with graphene oxide, a precursor to graphene, crosslinking the sheets to form a porous hydrogel. Breaking the graphene oxide hydrogel with ultrasound and adding light-sensitive acrylate polymers, Hensleigh could use projection micro-stereolithography to create the desired solid 3D structure with the graphene oxide trapped in the long, rigid chains of acrylate polymer. Finally, Hensleigh would place the 3D structure in a furnace to burn off the polymers and fuse the object together, leaving behind a pure and lightweight graphene aerogel.
"It's a significant breakthrough compared to what's been done," Hensleigh said. We can access pretty much any desired structure you want."
The key finding of this work, which was recently published with collaborators at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the journal Materials Horizons, is that the researchers created graphene structures with a resolution an order of magnitude finer than ever printed. Hensleigh said other processes could print down to 100 microns, but the new technique allows him to print down to 10 microns in resolution, which approaches the size of actual graphene sheets.
"We've been able to show you can make a complex, three-dimensional architecture of graphene while still preserving some of its intrinsic prime properties," Zheng said. "Usually when you try to 3D print graphene or scale up, you lose most of their lucrative mechanical properties found in its single sheet form."
Source and top image: Virginia Tech
3D printing with a wood-based ink
Steel powder developed for additive manufacturing
International Space Station to test 3D printed materials
Self-Healing material has limitless applications
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The Woodland Cemetery in Stockholm: Where Nature Blends with Art
The Woodland Cemetery was build mostly between 1917 and 1940
It is inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1994
It is considered one of the world’s most impressive cemeteries
The design highlights natural features and the landscape of the site
There are certain categories of places and attractions that people usually think of seeing when travelling and visiting new places. Castles, churches, squares, monuments, museums, gardens… These are all spots we use to go to when discovering cities. However, once in a while you can come across a place so unusual that you wouldn’t normally think of visiting it. What if I told you there was a forest-like cemetery you should totally see?
Well, hopefully, you would like the idea as that is exactly what we explore in this post. The Woodland Cemetery (Skogskyrkogården) in Stockholm is the most remarkable demonstration of the cemetery design revolution that Sweden was experiencing in the early 1900s.
Its story began in 1912 when the Stockholm City Council decided to acquire an extensive land adjacent to the existing Sandsborg cemetery, which was established in 1895 to serve Southern Stockholm’s parishes. An international contest was announced a few years later to select a design for the new cemetery that would be just across the Sockenvägen street from the older one.
The contest attracted a total of 53 entries, mostly from Sweden but some architectural proposals came from Germany, too, where the cemetery design revolution had started earlier. While the projects created by German architects appeared to be too general, probably because of their inability to visit the site in person due to the ongoing World War I, one of the Swedish proposals caught the interest of the organisers immediately.
The authors of the plan named ‘Tallum’ were two thirty-year-old architects Erik Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz. Perhaps thanks to Lewerentz’s prior experience from Germany, the architects managed to take full advantage of the existing features of the landscape, which is what made their proposal stand out.
It did not take long before the construction works started in 1917. Three years later, the cemetery and its first chapel – the Woodland Chapel – were consecrated. Soon it became clear, though, that the chapel was too small for the capacity of the cemetery and another needed to be built.
The Chapel of Resurrection (Uppståndelsekapellet).
While the Woodland Chapel was designed solely by architect Asplund, the new one was going to be drawn by Lewerentz instead. The Chapel of Resurrection was completed in 1925 and is not only significantly larger than the Woodland Chapel, but also appears more prominent thanks to its neo-classicist design and its location at the end of the Seven Springs Way.
The limestone wall surrounding the Woodland Cemetery.
Before we move forward on the timeline guiding us through the existence of the Woodland Cemetery, we should stop for a short while and appreciate a somewhat subtle structure that deserves our attention. The 3.6-kilometre-long limestone wall surrounding the entire cemetery was built mostly using stones quarried at the cemetery itself and forms an elegant though massive natural border between the cemetery and the outer world.
The Woodland Crematorium (Skogskrematoriet).
Ten years after the Chapel of Resurrection was erected, it was Asplund’s time once again to draw a crematorium and an additional chapel. This was due to the fact that the practice of cremation was gaining more acceptance and more popularity at the same time. He came up with an original plan which consisted of three separate chapels that shared a mortuary and crematory facilities.
The three chapels are known as the Chapel of Faith, Chapel of Hope, and Chapel of the Holy Cross and were completed in 1940. This entire complex called the Woodland Crematorium was designed in the then modern functionalist style.
The evolution of the artistic masterpiece, that this cemetery certainly is, did not stop there. In the ‘50s, Lewerentz designed a new pedestrian gate on the western side to allow pedestrians easy access from the newly built subway station. The architect created a delicate iron gate which is in clear contrast with the massive limestone wall.
Although many of the architect’s designs drawn for the Woodland Cemetery went unrealised, his numerous works were erected during a very long time span. As I have mentioned, the construction of the cemetery itself started in 1917. It is, therefore, interesting to note that his last work was the Woodland Cemetery Memorial Ground completed in 1961 – 44 years after the first one.
The Memorial Ground, just like the rest of what you can find at the cemetery, was designed to show off the site’s natural features rather than monumental architecture. The idea behind this construction was to promote the newly established form of common graves where ashes could be accommodated in unmarked ground, either buried without urns or strewn upon the Memorial Ground’s surface.
The Woodland Cemetery has been inscribed on the World Heritage List UNESCO since 1994, which highlights the uniqueness and cultural value of this place. From a purely practical perspective, though, it is a beautiful place where human creations blend with the art of mother nature in a spectacular and unique way. Moreover, it is fascinating how unified and consistent the whole landscape of this large area is.
I hope you liked this story of one of the world’s most magnificent cemeteries. If you did, consider sharing it with your friends that might find it interesting, too, and have a look at more of our stories. To never miss a new one, sign up for our newsletter below and we will always keep you updated on the latest news from Trevl.
We are active on Facebook as well as on Instagram where we share our latest posts and beautiful images of our favourite places to visit in Stockholm and other major cities together with short pieces of interesting information about them.
Schönbäck, Hedvig, Johansson, Ingrid, 1995. Skogskyrkogården, Stockholm: byggnadshistorisk inventering.
Constant, Caroline, 1994. The Woodland Cemetery: Toward a Spiritual Landscape.
http://skogskyrkogarden.stockholm.se
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Climate Change Is FINALLY On The Minds Of Our Elected Officials
Thanks in no small part to the actions of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, climate change is finally a major issue in Washington, D.C. With high-powered Democrats joining the calls for a Green New Deal, climate action could become a very serious issue in the next election, which would be a major win for the Democratic Party. But this new push is also a warning to corporate Democrats, as Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains.
Something remarkable is happening in Washington D.C. right now and I think a lot of it has to do with newly elected representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and that remarkable thing that’s happening is the fact that we have politicians, new and old calling for action on climate change. Now, this is something that those of us who have been very concerned about the environment, we’ve been clamoring for this for years, including the time when Democrats actually had complete control in Washington D.C. and we still saw nothing come of it, and now only controlling the house of Representatives. We’re starting to see more and more people join in the chorus, started by people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and they’re now also, along with her and many other newly elected representatives. They’re demanding action on climate change. They want a green new deal.
John Lewis is one of the latest big name representatives to join in this growing chorus. John Lewis has been a phenomenal member of the US House of Representatives and for him to throw his name and his weight and his power behind this movement is huge, and that’s not to say that he didn’t care about the environment before. He absolutely did, but he also recognizes that the public understands what a massive crisis this is and he wants to do the right thing. He wants to be on the right side of history, yet again, he’s been on the right side of history and so many things, and now he’s jumping in right here to Ro. Khanna has been one of the loudest voices
and sparking this green new deal along with Ocasio-Cortez. I mean, we have Earl Blumenauer, Carolyn Maloney, Jose Serrano, uh, Joe Neguse, my apologies if I’m pronouncing that wrong. Ayanna Pressley, deb Holland, Ilan, Omar Rashida to leave so many people right now. Some again, who haven’t even been sworn in yet. Calling for action on climate change. Putting this on the agenda, putting it out there in the ether instead of just saying behind closed doors. Yeah, we should probably do something, but we’re probably not. This is remarkable. This is phenomenal. Bernie Sanders is about to hold a climate change town hall with several prominent environmentalists. The environment is finally taking center stage. People are finally starting to pay attention and it’s because we finally have elected leaders in Washington D.C. who aren’t afraid to stand up and say what needs to be said and get people on their side.
It didn’t even take that much. It took a couple of people, a handful of them with enough courage to say, time’s up. We have to do now, and again, this is being led by people who haven’t even been sworn into Congress yet. That to me is the most remarkable part of this story. It’s great that people are finally paying attention to climate change. It’s great that we may see some action on that sometime soon, but it’s even more inspiring to see these people elected based on their principles who immediately went to D.C. and forced others to bend to them instead of becoming corrupted by the D.C. system.
Farron Cousins is the executive editor of The Trial Lawyer magazine and a contributing writer at DeSmogBlog.com. He is the co-host / guest host for Ring of Fire Radio. His writings have appeared on Alternet, Truthout, and The Huffington Post. Farron received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of West Florida in 2005 and became a member of American MENSA in 2009. Follow him on Twitter @farronbalanced
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Jeffrey Epstein Just Had A REALLY Bad Day In Court
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HOME > News & Views > The AAMI Podcast
AAMI’s award-winning podcasts explore today's most pressing healthcare technology challenges and the multidisciplinary approaches that are being used to resolve them. Respected subject matter experts share their insights and tips as they discuss everything—from the many different types of technology that are developed, implemented and maintained, to the patient experience, to endeavors that highlight the crucial role of healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals.
You can listen to the podcasts at your convenience, whether you’re out for a jog, driving your car, in front of your desk, or at home. All podcasts will be available on this page. Additionally, the podcasts can be accessed through three major podcast distributors: iTunes, TuneIn, and Stitcher. We welcome your suggestions for new podcast topics or interview subjects. Please send them to Sean Loughlin at sloughlin@aami.org.
If you or your organization would like to sponsor a podcast, please contact advertising representative Tom Lasch at tlasch@aami.org. Sponsorship benefits include voice-over information at the beginning and end of the podcast, as well as an advertisement on this page.
Episode 30: A Conversation with Binseng Wang, HTM Iconoclast
July 4, 2019—13 mins.
The inaugural AAMI & TRIMEDX John D. Hughes Iconoclast Award makes it official: Binseng Wang, a self-described “rebel,” is a master at challenging norms and assumptions. With congenial resolve and authority, Wang has made significant contributions in rallying the HTM field to pursue the most important outcome—improving the delivery of patient care. In this episode, Wang discusses how challenging practices that are not firmly grounded in objective evidence is vitally important toward improving HTM.
Episode 29: Supporting the Governance and Regulation of AI
March 25, 2019—16 mins.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are poised to transform healthcare delivery by providing earlier diagnosis and targeted treatments while driving greater efficiencies. AI will enhance the delivery of care in a variety of ways, but according to Pat Baird, head of global software standards at Philips, it won't require a new regulatory paradigm. Instead, the challenge will be taking what we already about standardization and applying it to AI and machine learning.
For more information, check out the new AAMI/BSI position paper on supporting the governance and regulation of AI and machine learning in healthcare.
Episode 28: Home Healthcare and Infusion Safety
December 26, 2018—30 mins.
Advances in technology have helped patient care move outside the confines of hospitals and into patients’ homes. However, moving technology into less controlled environments brings a myriad of complications, and navigating the transition effectively requires communication, caregiver and patient preparation, and a standardized process. In this episode, Mary Weick-Brady and Jason Amaral, members of the AAMI Foundation’s home infusion group, share insights on successfully transitioning infusion therapy from hospital to home.
For more information, check out the new AAMI Foundation report, From Hospital to Home: A Process Map for Successful Infusion Therapy Transition.
Episode 27: Use of Virtual Reality in HTM Training
October 9, 2018—20 mins.
Similar to the way pilots are using virtual reality (VR) to simulate piloting an aircraft, healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals can use VR to practice performing medical device maintenance activities, such as troubleshooting a virtual telemetry board, while increasing understanding and knowledge retention in the process. In this episode, Rick Sidlo and Aaron Goryl from GE Healthcare discuss the advantages of using VR to train HTM and other professionals, how the experience compares with a vendor's traditional classroom training, and where VR is headed in terms of its ease of use, access, and affordability.
Episode 26: Building a Case for Continuous Electronic Monitoring
May 30, 2018—20 mins.
The literature suggests that if patients had their breathing monitored continuously rather than every several hours, as is the current practice, then a major portion of the injuries and deaths caused by opioid-induced respiratory depression could be avoided. In this episode, Dr. Frank Overdyk, a professor of anesthesiology and internationally recognized expert in the field, shares his insights, including reasons for the slow implementation of this technology and strategies to help build the business case for the practice.
Episode 25: Changing Requirements for Quality Management Systems
February 27, 2018—20 mins.
Recognized by many jurisdictions around the world, the standard ANSI/AAMI/ISO 13485:2016, Medical Devices—Quality management systems—Requirements for regulatory purposes, provides structured guidance to help organizations meet regulatory requirements. In this episode, international quality and regulatory compliance consultant Eamonn Hoxey describes the major differences between the 2003 and 2016 editions of 13485. As we near the end of a three-year transition period for medical device developers and manufacturers to comply with requirements set forth in the 2016 edition of the standard, Hoxey discusses how the new updated version clarifies expectations for manufacturers, providing a much more global, comprehensive, and harmonized approach to meeting requirements.
Check out the new AAMI course, The Quality System Regulation 21 CFR 820 and ANSI/AAMI/ISO 13485: Navigating Regulatory Requirements.
Episode 24: Developing an AEM Program
What's the optimal way to perform device maintenance? Although implementing an AEM program can save healthcare facilities time and money, the concept has caused confusion for many in the healthcare technology management community. To start, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services defines AEM as "alternate equipment management," whereas The Joint Commission uses "alternative equipment maintenance.” Through the recent publication, AEM Program Guide: Alternative PM for Patient Safety, author Matthew Baretich seeks to cut through the confusion by offering practical, real-world guidance for implementing a well-crafted AEM program and remaining compliant with applicable standards and regulations.
Episode 23: The State of Sterilization
September 11, 2017—16 mins.
How are hospitals doing with sterile processing, and what’s the biggest challenge to effective sterilization today? Sterile processing expert and author Rose Seavey shares her insights, offering tips to both healthcare facilities and the makers of medical devices. She also talks about ST79, a widely used standard for steam sterilization, which has just been released with a major update. This podcast is sponsored by Healthmark.
Episode 22: Patch Management in Healthcare
June 21, 2017—20 mins.
With cybersecurity attacks on the rise in healthcare and a growing appreciation for the threats posed to patients, patch management is more important than ever—yet it remains a challenge for most hospitals. Why? “I don’t think there’s any other industry that has such a diversity of different devices from different manufacturers run in an environment where the pieces are so dependent on each other. That makes it difficult to, for example, take one device down, patch it and reboot it without affecting other devices,” said Axel Wirth a distinguished technical architect for Symantec Corporation and a member of the BI&T Editorial Board. A cybersecurity expert, Wirth share his tips for patch management and his “defense in depth” framework that he believes all healthcare facilities should adopt. This podcast is sponsored by Nuvolo.
Episode 21: Tips to Tackle the Wireless Challenge
What’s the biggest mistake hospitals make in introducing and implementing wireless technologies? “Not appreciating the complexity,” says Shawn Jackman, co-chair of AAMI’s Wireless Strategy Task Force and founder and CEO of Clinical Mobility Inc. In a conversation with host Terry Baker, Jackman explains what HTM professionals can do to educate themselves about wireless technologies and provides suggestions for what hospitals must do now to achieve wireless success.
Episode 20: Beefing Up Healthcare Cybersecurity
Mar. 20, 2017—15 mins.
The clinical engineering team at Intermountain Healthcare has a success story to share about its initiative to safeguard its medical equipment from viruses and cyberattacks. Two members of the team, Mike Busdicker and Priyanka Upendra, describe how they conducted a systemic review of all network-connected devices and, working with other departments, came up with a plan to address potential vulnerabilities. They share their tips and lessons learned, and advise all healthcare facilities to embrace cybersecurity management as an ongoing priority.
Episode 19: A Conversation with AAMI's New President
Feb. 6, 2017—15 mins.
Just a few months on the job, new AAMI President and CEO Robert Jensen describes his vision for the association, how his time as a Marine officer helped to prepare him for this job, and the opportunities (and challenges) he sees for the healthcare technology community. A crucial part of AAMI’s mission, Jensen said, is to help provide “visionary ideas” so that the professionals on the frontlines of healthcare technology can “craft the future that will actually serve the patients and the full community.” Jensen shares with podcast host Terry Baker his idea of what success at AAMI will look like under his leadership. Sponsored by Healthmark.
Episode 18: The Changing World of Medical Imaging
April 21, 2016—27 mins.
Medical imaging technology has advanced considerably in modern times, with the rise of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Factor in the growth of 3D and 4D imaging, along with the integration of imaging with computers and software, and it’s easy to understand why imaging is one of the most exciting areas in healthcare technology. Glen McQuien, director of operations at Modern Biomedical and Imaging Inc., talks about the changes he’s seen in his career and those that are on the horizon. And McQuien, a member of the BI&T Editorial Board, has some advice for hospitals trying to figure out how to make smart purchasing decisions when it comes to imaging technology.
Episode 17: Clinical Alarm Management
Feb. 19, 2016—36 mins.
Hospitals are under pressure to draft and implement comprehensive policies that show they have a handle on the crucial patient safety issue of alarm fatigue. There’s been an explosion in the number of medical devices with alarms and alerts, resulting in a noisy healthcare setting and desensitizing clinicians to the meaning or importance of alarms. With more alarms going off, the intended goal of alerting clinicians to true emergencies has been diminished, and patient safety has been imperiled. Ronald Wyatt, MD, the patient safety officer and medical director at The Joint Commission and Maria Cvach, DNP, CCRN, director of policy management and integration for the Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore, MD, talk about what hospitals should be doing—and how they can make a positive difference with effective clinical alarm management. Sponsored by Spacelabs Healthcare.
Episode 16: Creating a Culture of Safety in Healthcare
Dec. 23, 2015—45 mins.
What does it take to develop and support a culture of safety in hospitals and other healthcare facilities? AAMI President Mary Logan and Connie Barden, RN, the chief clinical officer at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses talk about the keys to success and identify the obstacles to allowing such a culture to flourish. "Safety is not automatic in healthcare," Barden noted, adding that changing culture starts with changing behaviors and moving away from a fixation on blame and punishment. Sponsored by Healthmark.
Episode 15: Infusion System Safety
Nov. 23, 2015—34 mins.
How can healthcare facilities ensure that the right drug is going to the right patient, through the right route, with the right dose, at the right time? These five “rights” of medication administration get to the heart of infusion system safety. Marilyn Neder Flack, senior vice president of patient safety initiatives at AAMI and director of the AAMI Foundation, and Deborah Pasko, director of medication safety and quality at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), talk about the incredible progress that’s been made on this front—and how more work is needed in areas such as drug library management and user-friendly design practices. Sponsored by Smiths Medical.
Episode 14: The Education of HTM Professionals
Oct. 12, 2015—47 mins.
What does it take to produce a top-notch healthcare technology management (HTM) professional? Two highly respected educators in the HTM world—Barbara “Barb” Christe of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Frank Painter of the University of Connecticut—talk about the different types of HTM professionals, the academic expectations for each, and how the constantly evolving world of healthcare technology is placing new demands on students and educators alike. The two guests reveal the one thing each would like to change about the education of HTM professionals. Please note that AAMI has several complimentary HTM educational and career resources available at www.aami.org/career.
Episode 13: Cybersecurity in Healthcare Technology
Aug. 18, 2015—36 mins.
With hospital data breaches—and stiff fines—on the rise and a growing black market for patient information, cybersecurity is one of the more pressing issues in healthcare technology. How can healthcare facilities keep patient information secure? How vulnerable are medical devices to attacks by hackers? Ken Hoyme, a distinguished scientist at Adventium Labs, and Izabella Gieras, director of clinical technology at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, CA, discuss the cybersecurity challenge with host Terry Baker. In a wide-ranging conversation, they offer both practical advice and a big-picture assessment of the changing landscape.
Episode 12: The Hype and Reality of Digital Health
In this special podcast, hosts Terry Baker and Kelley Hill are in Denver, CO., interviewing a presenter at AAMI’s Annual Conference & Expo. Gunnar Trommer, principal for digital health at BCG Digital Ventures, talks about bridging the gap between the promise and reality of digital health. Trommer sees incredible potential in the ability of digital health to bring about “more timely and more personalized care,” but there are considerable hurdles. Chief among them is the fact that the healthcare landscape remains fragmented and proprietary in nature. How can the dream be achieved? Trommer shares his ideas.
Episode 11: The Big Deal About Big Data
More medical device collect and store patient information and other data than ever before. In turn, these devices are connected to network systems. How can healthcare facilities turn this growing pile of data into something of value? What can healthcare technology professionals do to help their facilities use that data to make sound decisions? Three experts—Andrew Currie, director of clinical engineering services at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Howard County General Hospital, John Chang, a clinical engineer at Johns Hopkins and Oracle database programmer, and Carolyn McGregor, the Canada Research Chair in Health Informatics at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology—discuss the promise and potential pitfalls of big data in healthcare
Episode 10: Is PM a Thing of the Past?
May 4, 2015—30 mins.
In this provocative conversation, Stephen Grimes, chief technology officer of ABM Healthcare Support Services, says healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals must rethink the entire concept of preventive maintenance or PM. Given the marked changes in medical devices—with technology that is far more sophisticated and complex—Grimes says the traditional notion of PM is antiquated, and HTM professionals must think instead of “planned or scheduled maintenance.” A continued focus on past PM practices and policies, Grimes says, will leave HTM departments in the position of “blacksmith shops that are trying to support a Boeing 787 or Airbus A380.” Sponsored by Shockwatch
Episode 9: Risk Management
April 6, 2015—35 mins.
Increasingly seen as a crucial discipline in effective healthcare, risk management can mean different things to different people, but one common theme is that it can help create a “safe environment” for patients. Jacque Mitchell, RN, a risk manager at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, VA, and past president of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, and Salim Kai, CBET, a clinical safety specialist at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, talk about what healthcare facilities should be doing to ensure all of their employees think like risk managers.
Episode 8: Challenges and Trends in Imaging
Enjoy an engrossing and personal conversation with a veteran imaging service engineer who talks about the challenges he faces, his relationship with third-party vendors, his advice to manufacturers, and the very best part of his job. Dustin Telford, CBET, CRES, CLES, offers insights from the frontlines on one of the most fast-changing aspects of healthcare technology: imaging.
Episode 7: Continuous Electronic Monitoring
Patients being treated with opioids can be at risk for respiratory depression, even resulting in death. A new national initiative spearheaded by the AAMI Foundation’s Healthcare Technology Safety Institute advocates the continuous electronic monitoring of all patients on opioids. Frank Overdyk, MD, professor of anesthesiology at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and executive director for research at North American Partners in Anesthesia, and Tim Vanderveen, vice president of CareFusion’s Center for Safety and Clinical Excellence, are co-chairs of this new coalition. They make the case for continuous electronic monitoring and address the challenges stakeholders face in trying to bring about this change.
Episode 6: Systems Thinking in Healthcare
January 19, 2015—42 mins.
The notion of “systems thinking” is one that has been adopted in a number of industries, such as aviation and defense. It’s a concept that’s getting more attention in healthcare as its delivery gets more complicated, technical, and interconnected. What does systems thinking mean? How will it impact how medical devices are designed and used? What does it mean for patient safety in hospitals? A trio of experts debate these questions and others, explaining why healthcare needs to move away from a “blame and shame” mindset and toward a culture that embraces learning from mistakes, more transparency, and greater collaboration. The guests are Kenneth Hoyme, a distinguished scientist at Adventium Labs; Anne O’Neil, an independent systems engineering consultant; and Patricia Trbovich, a human factors specialist with University Health Network in Toronto.
Episode 5: Tackling the Challenge of Tubing Misconnections
December 17, 2014 —44 mins.
Tubing misconnections are a significant threat to patient safety. The accidental connection of different delivery systems—through which patients receive medication, nutrients and other fluids—can result in serious patient harm, even death. A number of organizations, including AAMI, and federal regulators have banded together to work on a new initiative that aims to reduce that risk through the development and use of new small-bore connectors and standards. The FDA’s Scott Colburn and Pamela Scott, both with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, join Thomas Hancock, with the Global Enteral Device Supplier Association (GEDSA), and Tricia Otstot, a nurse whose mother died as a result of a tubing misconnection, to talk about this important issue. Sponsored by GEDSA.
Episode 4: Ebola and Sterilization Challenges
November 17, 2014—45 mins.
The Ebola outbreak has focused new attention on the crucial role of sterilization and disinfection in healthcare. Cynthia Spry, an independent clinical consultant and co-chair of AAMI’s Steam Sterilization Hospital Practices Working Group; Donna Swenson, president of Sterile Processing Quality Services, Inc., and an active member of several standards committees; and Joe Lewelling, vice president of standards development and emerging technologies at AAMI, talk about the challenges posed by Ebola, as well as the overall sterilization landscape in modern healthcare. Sponsored by HIGHPOWER.
Episode 3: Building Stronger HTM Departments
October 17, 2014—54 mins.
Three veteran clinical engineers talk about how healthcare technology management (HTM) departments can move forward and make themselves even more valuable to their organizations. Frank Painter, a professor at the University of Connecticut, Matt Baretich, who runs his own consulting business, and Ted Cohen, manager of clinical engineering at the University of California Davis Medical Center, are the architects of AAMI’s new HTM Levels Guide, which promises to be a fundamental tool for every HTM department in the country. Sponsored by Fluke Biomedical.
Learn more about AAMI's HTM Levels Guide.
Episode 2: Ventilator Technology
A trio of experts talk about the evolution, challenges, and complexities of ventilator technology: Stuart McGrane, an intensivist, anesthesiologist, and simulation educator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Brian Gross, a fellow scientist and clinical systems architect in the patient care and monitoring solutions business group at Philips Healthcare; and Ronda Bradley, an independent clinical respiratory therapist consultant with Spiritus Consultants, LLC. The conversation includes insights on the design, use and maintenance of this life-critical technology. Sponsored by Philips Healthcare.
Episode 1: An Interview with AAMI President Mary Logan
August 27, 2014—25 mins.
We are joined by Mary Logan, president and CEO of AAMI, who talks about the decision to add a podcast series to round out the association’s comprehensive information delivery platforms, updates us on ongoing AAMI projects and new initiatives, and in typical Mary style—a mix of intelligence, enthusiasm and curiosity—brings to light a crucial patient safety issue that will impact clinicians, medical device manufacturers, HTM professionals, suppliers, and others in the healthcare world.
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WA's Independent Public Schools initiative to come under standing committee microscope
By Andrew O'Connor
Posted February 26, 2016 08:25:06
Photo: Education and Health Standing Committee chairman Dr Graham Jacobs said the inquiry would examine the impact of the IPS initiative, particularly on students with special needs. (ABC News: Andrew O'Connor)
Map: Perth 6000
A powerful parliamentary committee is set to inquire into the effectiveness and performance of WA's Independent Public Schools (IPS).
The Education and Health Standing Committee will conduct a wide ranging inquiry into the system, which the Education Department said had "revolutionised" the operations of public schools.
Committee chairman Graham Jacobs said the IPS system had been operating long enough for a meaningful assessment.
"We get news about how good this is around the administrative part of schools, but we really need to look at how that impacts on outcomes for children," he said.
The IPS initiative started in 2009, with selected schools adopting a new operating approach that delivered greater autonomy in selecting staff, implementing programs, and managing finances.
At the start of the 2016 school year 445 schools had made the transition to IPS, taking in 70 per cent of public school students.
Another 50 were expected to adopt IPS in 2017.
A report commissioned by the Education Department in 2013 acknowledged the progress and difficulties faced with introducing the system.
"The implementation of the IPS initiative has, overall, had a positive effect on the public school system by raising its profile and contributing to a sense of renewal and positive reform," the report said.
"The complexity that occurs as a consequence of working towards school change as well as system change, however, cannot be underestimated."
The review also characterised the IPS initiative as a work in progress, which was yet to deliver clear long-term improvements.
"While there is the sense that the initiative is some way through its implementation phase, it has yet to realise a fully developed process that can produce long-term gain," the report said.
Inquiry to assess impact on special needs students
Dr Jacobs said the committee decided to inquire into the initiative following repeated approaches from parents, concerned about the impact on students.
"It's largely from parents who have come to us as parliamentarians, particularly about the education of children with additional needs," he said.
Dr Jacobs said the committee wanted to assess how IPS schools were meeting the special needs of students with a wide range of conditions from Asperger's and ADHD to cerebral palsy.
"It [IPS] gives them autonomy, it gives them flexibility, allows them to fund programs they wish to fund, but what was becoming increasingly important to us was how does that impact on the educational outcomes of children," he said.
The inquiry would examine the implementation of the initiative and the ongoing role and support of the Education Department.
It would also assess how schools were monitored, and scrutinise reviews already done on IPS schools.
Staffing arrangements and the impact of IPS on the engagement and performance of students would also be examined.
The committee is due to deliver its report by August 16 this year.
Topics: education, educational-resources, perth-6000
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Ancient Settlements of Tashkent
Day Tour: Ancient Settlements of Tashkent1 Day | Aktepa Yunus-Abad, Ming Urik, Aktepa Chilonzor, Shashtepa
If you really want to go off the beaten path in Tashkent and discover sights that even a majority of locals don’t know about, then the Ancient Settlements of Tashkent tour is perfect for you. Visit the remains of ancient temples and fortresses, built thousands of years ago, next to modern buildings. From the edges of the city to the very center, this tour is great for enriching your experience in Tashkent and deepening your knowledge of this city, where contemporary life embraces history.
Start the guided sightseeing city tour to the ancient settlements of Tashkent. Drive to the archaeological excavations of Aktepa Yunus-Abad (“ak-tepe” in Turkiс means “white hill”), built in the 5th century AD. This site protected Tashkent against invasions from the north up until the 8th century. Archaeological research shows that the complex also included the most ancient Zoroastrian temple in the past.
Continue to the next ancient settlement, Ming Urik, in the city center. Ming Urik translates as “thousands of apricots”, which comes from the large apricot garden laid out there in the past. In ancient times the settlement had the area of 43 hectares, but most has been destroyed as new buildings were built, leaving only a 16 m high hill. In 2008 archaeological research concluded that there was once a Zoroastrian temple here. Age of the temple showed that Tashkent was 2200 years old.
The next is Aktepa Chilonzor settlement. There are 29 rooms at Aktepa Chilonzor, which archaeologists relate to the lunar calendar, which counts 29 days in a month. The last settlement is Shashtepa, located in the southern part of Tashkent. In ancient times there was a fortress to protect the place against invasions from the south. Today, only only a 12 m high citadel has been preserved. Like Ming Urik, the remains of a Zoroastrian temple have been found here too.
Return to Tashkent and visit History Museum, one of the oldest museums of the Central Asia. Transfer to the hotel. End of the tour.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 4-5 hours
Guided sightseeing tour;
Entrance fees to the museums, mausoleums and other sights;
Transport throughout the city tour.
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Deal endorsement of ethics chief followed her memo of being pressured
James Salzer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Less than a year after Georgia’s ethics commission director said she felt pressured to make complaints against Gov. Nathan Deal “go away,” the governor wrote a letter recommending her inclusion in the elite Leadership Georgia program.
The governor wrote the recommendation despite the fact that he’s said he doesn’t really know the ethics commission’s executive director, Holly LaBerge.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a copy of the recommendation a week after it reported that text and email messages between LaBerge and Deal’s chief of staff, Chris Riley, showed the two engaged in lighthearted banter around the time LaBerge claimed to have been pressured to settle Deal’s cases in July 2012.
In a later text from May 2013, LaBerge followed up on a request to Riley to get a letter of recommendation to back up her application to Leadership Georgia, an affiliate of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce that trains a select group of future leaders.
In a June 11, 2013, letter signed by Deal, the governor says, “It is my pleasure to recommend Holly LaBerge to the Leadership Georgia class of 2014.
“While working in various positions throughout state government, Holly has shown leadership in improving government transparency throughout Georgia.
“I believe Holly LaBerge would be an excellent candidate for Leadership Georgia. Her unique and diverse perspective on the many challenges that face our state should fit in well in Leadership Georgia’s mission. I would appreciate your consideration of her application.”
A little more than three months later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that employees and former employees of the commission had accused LaBerge of improperly intervening into an investigation of Deal’s 2010 campaign. Among the allegations made in sworn testimony was that LaBerge had claimed Deal owed her for making his legal troubles disappear.
During a press conference on Sept. 20, Deal responded: “For somebody that I don’t know, I don’t see how I could owe her anything.”
LaBerge also denied the accusation in her own testimony.
Despite Deal’s help, LaBerge wasn’t accepted into Leadership Georgia. The group gets about 600 applications a year and accepts 63 people to the program.
Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said the governor has written many similar recommendation since taking office.
“The fact that the governor was asked for a recommendation shows a respectful and professional relationship was maintained with her before, during and after the cases involving Deal for Governor were completed.”
Deal has said he didn’t know LaBerge, and Robinson said that they only met briefly at a ceremony where someone she knows was sworn onto a board or into a state post.
“There are certainly times when the office sends out things under his name,” he said. “It’s a form letter. He doesn’t know her, she doesn’t know him.”
Robinson said the request for a recommendation came in from “people the governor respects and knows,” including a top elected official. He declined to name the official.
William Perry, executive director of Common Cause Georgia, was skeptical.
“How many people write letters of recommendation for people they can’t pick out of a crowd when they walk in the room?” Perry asked. “It certainly makes their relationship seem not as distant as he said it was. It seems contradictory to the governor’s prior comments about how the agency functioned.”
In a controversial memo released two weeks ago, LaBerge claims that on July 16 and July 17, 2012, she was threatened by Deal counsel Ryan Teague and Riley to settle a series of complaints against Deal’s 2010 campaign for governor.
The back-and-forth between LaBerge, Riley and Teague came less than a week before the ethics commission voted to dismiss major charges against Deal, who agreed to pay $3,350 in fees for technical defects in his campaign disclosure.
The complaints included claims Deal improperly paid for use of a private aircraft for campaign travel and questioned his use of campaign funds to pay legal fees during his 2010 campaign for governor.
The state has agreed to pay nearly $3 million to settle three lawsuits, and a threatened fourth, brought by former commission employees who claim they were fired or forced from office over the Deal investigation or its aftermath.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has spent years following infighting, funding lapses and legal challenges plaguing the state’s ethics commission. To see an interactive timeline detailing that coverage, go to MyAJC.com.
Staff writer Aaron Gould Sheinin contributed to this article.
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Republicans say Kid Rock may be the party’s best shot for Senate seat in Michigan
Kelsey Shawgo
According to The Hill, Kid Rock may actually have a chance at a Senate seat. We reported in July that Kid Rock had announced his plans to run, but the rock star still needs a Senate bid in order to run.
The news source says that Republicans are thinking Kid Rock may be “the party's best shot to win next year's race against Sen. Debbie Stabenow,” the site reports.
Read more: Kid Rock has message for Confederate flag protestors: “Kiss my a**”
In recent polls, Kid Rock has come close to the democratic incumbent's numbers and sources say he would likely win the primaries if he entered the race.
Steven Law, a close ally of Mitch McConnell, said “We'd be actually very interested in his candidacy. There was a poll that came out that showed him 8 points behind the incumbent, Debbie Stabenow. That's not a bad place to start out.”
Robert Steele, the Republican national committeeman from Michigan said “People know him – he's an extremely strong brand in Michigan. He's fought for Detroit, he's fought hard for kids who want to go to his concerts, he's fought hard for the working class, he's a southeast Michigan booster through and through.”
Political leaders and commentators also note that Kid Rock's name recogniton is a giant advantage.
Mike DuHaime, a GOP strategist, says “The reality of politics is there's never enough money to do what you want, and the one thing you need money for is name identification. Celebrity gets you attention, but you have to turn that into votes. Donald Trump could do that, but it remains to be seen whether others can.”
However, legal limitations may require Kid Rock to use his legal name, Robet Ritchie, on the ticket, which would hurt his chances.
While the Repulican party seems optimistic of Kid Rock's chances in the race, many do not think he'll get that far. Some are skeptical that he will recieve a bid, others suspect that he'll turn down a bid even if he gets it.
Katie Packer Beeson, a former deputy campaign manager for Mitt Romney said,”I just don't think he is all that interested in sitting down and having to understand all of that stuff.” Beeson continues, “When you actually get down to the brass tacks of what the job of a U.S. senator is, does Bobby Ritchie want to be in D.C. every Monday through Thursday, working in the Capitol casting votes?”
While the possibility of Kid Rock having a political career is still tenuous, he does have an official website where you can buy t-shirts to support his campaign and his non-profit organization for the promotion of voter registration. You can also read his official comments, like “One thing is for sure though…The democrats are 'shattin’ in their pantaloons' right now…and rightfully so!” and “if I decide to throw my hat in the ring for US Senate, believe me… it’s game on mthrfkers.”
Do you think Kid Rock will actually run for Senate? Or do you think celebrities ought to stop running for political office and leave it to the professionals? Sound off in the comments below!
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LUCIANA PAMPALONE
Luciana Pampalone is a successful commercial and Fine Art photographer for 30 years. She holds a BFA in photography from the School Of Visual Arts, New York. Having been compared to the late greats, Robert Mapplethrope and Helmut Newton, she reveals her sensual side. The artist says, of her work, “Life is like an onion of evolution peeling back the layers in which one evolves”. There are many layers to my photographs.”
Also a supremely talented painter, Pampalone is currently creating for this show, large scale one-of-a-kind Gold leaf paintings as well as including her sultry photographic work. "I photograph many women so the woman becomes in essence self-representational in my imagery. I like to think of my photographs as impressions in time. Not only the visual, but the sensory of smell, taste and sound as well The discovery of how light falls upon and shapes the body, like water that slides over rocks. There’s a passion and intensity that’s defined through my sexuality and sensuality that connects my world. A world that I’m still discovering and exploring.”
Luciana hails from a strong, creative family. Her grandfather, from Sicily, built the first Frank Lloyd Wright home in New Jersey. Her father was a painter and student of architecture and her mother was the mayor of their town and encouraged young Pampalone to paint and create.
STEVE JOESTER
Steve Joester is a British-born Rock & Roll photographer and mixed media artist, currently living and working in New York City. Joester began using his images of the greatest rock icons, shot in the 70’s and 80’s, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, Sting, Andy Warhol and many more in his unique mixed media pieces.
Beginning a series of collaborations with many of the great ‘Graffiti artists’, LA2, The Tats Cru, and others Joester is giving a unique energy to his work. In this piece he is working with Photographer and artist Luciana Pamplone. Joester is shown and collected internationally.
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Published on Al-Islam.org (https://www.al-islam.org)
Home > Eternal Life (Life After Death)
Eternal Life (Life After Death)
Log in [1] or register [2] to post comments
Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari [3]
Publisher(s):
Islamic Propagation Organization [4]
What happens when we die? Is that the end of everything or is that the beginning of everything? What does Afterlife, Purgatory and the Day of Judgement mean? What is the connection between this earthly life and the Afterlife?
This text lifts the veil on the mysteries surrounding these issues, helping the reader in reviewing his philosophy of this world, encouraging him to prepare for the Hereafter.
Resurrection & Afterlife [5]
Death and Dying [6]
Eternity [7]
Afterlife [8]
Hereafter [9]
Death [10]
Miscellaneous information:
Eternal Life (Life After Death) Writer: Murtadha Mutahhari Translated by: M. Sohtabi and Z. Kasraian 1st Edition-1985-1406 Published by: Islamic Propagation Organization P.0.Box 14155/1313 Tehran - Islamic Republic of Iran Printed by: Sepehr, Tehran-Iran
Featured Category:
Introducing Islam [11]
What is the nature of death? Is there an afterlife? What about the purgatory or the Day of Judgement? What is the connection between the earthly World and the World after?
This work lifts many of the curtains hiding the mysteries surrounding these questions which so often crop up in our mind in the course of our daily lives. Though brief, it assembles facts that gear the reader to review his present philosophy of this earthly life, encouraging him to enjoin good so that he may reap the harvest of his deeds in the Hereafter.
International Relations Department,
Islamic Propagation Organization
One of the Bases of the Islamic World View
One of the principle of the Islamic world view which is an important foundation of Islamic faith is the belief in eternal life. Faith in the hereafter is an essential requirement for being a Muslim. That is, if one denies this belief, one can no longer be considered a Muslim.
The Messengers of God, without exception, next to the principle of monotheism, have pointed out this (other) principle to people as the most important one and have asked them to have faith in it. This is the principle known as «the Resurrection» among Islamic theologians.
In the Holy Quran, we come across hundreds of verses which discuss the world after death, the day of Resurrection, the scales of judgement and evaluation, records of our deeds, Heaven and Hell, eternal life the next world and other issues regarding the world after death. However, there are twelve verses in the Quran where faith in the «Last Day» has been specially mentioned next to faith in God.
There are several expressions in the Quran regarding the Day of Resurrection, each of which is a gate to knowledge. One of these is alyom-al-akhir meaning the Last Day in which the Holy Quran reminds us of two points:
a) Not only the human life, but also that of the whole world is divided into two periods, each of which is known as one «day». The first day or period referring to this world is temporary. The last day or period referring to the other world is everlasting. In some other verses of the Holy Quran, life in this world is called «the first life» and life in the hereafter, «the Resurrection».
b) Going through this first life or period and not having come to the second day or period which is concealed from us, our happiness in this world and the other world lies in having «faith» in that day and period.
Our happiness today depends on this belief because it warns us of the consequences of our action. Thus, we realize that our deeds, behavior, thoughts, words and morals, from the most important to the most trivial, have a beginning and an end, like the human being itself. But they do not terminate in the first period, but remain to be taken into account on the successive day.
Therefore, we should strive to be good and abstain from evil deeds and thoughts. As it will subsequently be discussed, our happiness on that day depends on this belief because in the other world, man will be rewarded in light of his virtuous acts or punished as a result of his evil deeds in this world. That is why in the Holy Quran, faith in the Resurrection is considered an essential requirement for man's happiness.
Origin of Belief in the Lifeafter
The origin of belief in eternal life, the last life, is in the first place, the revelation from God, brought to mankind through His Messengers.
When man comes to know God, believes in the truth of the prophets' messages and realizes that what they bring is revelation from God, in order not to be a transgressor, he will come to believe in the Day of Resurrection and eternal life which all prophets have stressed to be the most significant principle next to that of monotheism.
On the one hand, the degree of man's faith in eternal life depends on his belief in the principle of prophecy and the truth of the prophets' messages. On the other hand, it depends on the extent of his general knowledge and the degree of his logical and rational concept of the Last Judgement.
Besides God's revelation, brought to man by His Messengers, there are other means, signs and proofs to cultivate faith in the Resurrection, one of which is the outcome of man's mental, intellectual and scientific endeavors. They confirm the truth of the prophets' messages regarding the Last Judgement. These are:
1. The Way of Knowing God
2. The Way of Knowing the Universe
3. The Way of Knowing the Human Being's Spirit and Soul
We are not concerned with those ways necessitating a series of philosophical and scientific arguments. We will discuss it merely through revelation and the principle of prophecy. But since these ways are mentioned and classified in the Quran itself, we will refer to them later in a section entitled «The Quran on the other world».
The following issues must be considered while discussing the problem of eternal life and the lifeafter from an Islamic point of view:
*The Nature of Death
*Life after Death
*Purgatory
* The Great Day of Judgement
*The Connection between this World and the Other World
*Manifestation and Eternality of the Human Being's Deeds and Acquisitions
* Life in this World and the Hereafter.
* The Quran on the other world
* God's Justice
* God's Wisdom
The Nature of Death
What is death? Is it mortality and annihilation or does it suggest evolution and transference from one place to another, and from one world to another? This question has always been under consideration by man. Everyone is inclined to discover and answer directly or believe in what is asserted. We Muslims answer this question from what has been said in the Holy Quran about it, and have faith and belief in it.
The Holy Quran gives a particular answer with a specific interpretation about the nature of death. It uses the term 'tawaffa' for death. 'Tawaffa' and 'istifa' are both from the same origin (wafa). In Arabic the word 'tawaffa' is used whenever a person receives something in Full, without the least slicing or omission. «Tawaffat-al-mal» means I received the property in full.
This expression is used for death in fourteen verses of the Quran from which we conclude that death is something we receive. That is, at the moment of death, man is delivered to the angels who receive him in his full reality and personality. The following ideas are inferred from that expression in the Qu ran:
a) Death is not mortality, destruction and annihilation. It is a transition from one world to another and from one state to another where man's life will continue in another form.
b) What forms one·, real personality and is considered one's real «Self», is not one's body, organs and subordinate elements of the body, because these are mortal and gradually disintegrate. What forms one's real personality and is considered ones real «self», is interpreted as «soul » or occasionally as 'spirit' in the Quran.
c) Man's spirit or soul which is the basis on which his real self is determined and on whose immortality, his own immortality depends has an existential position in a horizon superior to the horizon of matter and material elements. Although spirit or soul is the product of nature's substantial evolution. Through the latter, the existential horizon and the real position of nature is changed and elevated, that is, it is made to evolve in the metaphysical world. With death, the spirit or soul is transferred into a state which is a category of the spirit. In other words, in death, that super physical truth is taken over and received.
The Holy Quran has discussed man's creation in some other verses. without mentioning the Resurrection and eternal life, but pointing out something real in him with a quality and category above that of clay and water. Regarding Adam, it asserts:
وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي
«And breathed of My spirit into him» (15:29)
The spirit, soul, and the survival of the spirit after death are among the most significant teachings (issues) of Islamic sciences. Half of the original, indisputable Islamic sciences are based on the originality of the spirit, its independence from the body and its survival after death. Humanity and real human values are also based on this truth without which they would be entirely imaginary.
All the verses which clearly describe immediate life after death, some examples of which have been mentioned. in this book, are proofs of the fact that the Quran confirms the spirit as a reality, independent of the body and a surviving element after its destruction.
Some think that according to the Quran, there is no spirit or soul, and that one's life comes to an end at death; that is, there is no sense, understanding, joy or pain till the Great Day of Judgement, when one is restored to life. Only then one finds oneself and the world again.
However, the verses explicitly describing immediate life after death are definite proofs which reject this opinion.
These people believe that the verse, «Say: The Spirit is at My Nourisher's command», is the proof for those who believe in the spirit. These same people assert that something else is actually meant by the word «spirit» which is mentioned repeatedly in the Quran. This verse also illustrates the same meaning as that of the other verses.
They do not know that proof for those who believe in the soul is not based on this verse but on twenty other verses. This verse and other verses discuss the word «spirit» as used independently or in phrases such as «Our Spirit», «the Holy Spirit». «My Spirit».
قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي
«Say: The Spirit is our command» (17:85) including the verse regarding man:
«And breathed of My Spirit into him», (38:72), showing that from the Quran's point of view, there is a truth called spirit, which is above angels and man. Thus angels and man have this «commanded» reality (their spirit) through God's Grace.
All the verses about the spirit, including the verse regarding man: «And breathed of my Spirit into him» (38: 72), show that man's spirit has a non-physical reality1. The origin of the spirit has not only been confirmed in several verses of the Quran but also by the Prophet Muhammad, praise be to him, and the immaculate Imams in books of tradition, prayers and the Nahj-ul- Balagha (a book by the first Imam).
As a matter of fact, the denial of the spirit is an odious western idea which originates from western materialism and sensualism unfortunately influencing some of the honest followers of the Quran too.
The following examples are three out of the four verses where death is interpreted as tawaffa, attributing a series of vital actions such as conversation, desire and request to man right after death.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا ۚ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا
« Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say: In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth. They shall say: Was not Allah's earth spacious. so that you should have migrated therein? So these it is whose abode is hell. and it is an evil resort» (4:97)
This verse is about those who live in an unfavorable environment which is ruled by the will of others. These people are condemned to tolerate their environment. In an attempt at justifying their lethargy, they argue that though the environment is corrupt, circumstances are unfavorable and they are frustrated in their attempt at doing something about
They continue living in that corrupt environment, giving in to its ways and sink into its depravity instead of improving it or saving themselves from its evil influence, if changes are impossible. When God's angels receive these spirits, they talk to them and consider their excuses unjustifiable because the least they could have done, was to settle elsewhere.
The angels remind them of their faults and make them understand that they themselves are responsible for the sins they have committed and for the oppression they have suffered. In this holy verse, the Holy Quran points out that poverty and frustration in an environment, are not justifiable excuses unless there is no possibility of changing one's domicile.
As perceived in this holy verse, death which is apparently the destruction, the mortality and the termination of life, is interpreted as tawaffa, meaning receiving. The word 'tawaffa' in this verse does not only refer to death, but explicitly shows a conversation and reasoning between angels and man at the moment after death. Evidently, if the human self was entirely mortal and merely an unconscious, senseless corpse, an after death conversation would make no sense at all. This verse implies that man talks with invisible creatures called angels through different eyes. ears and tongue after one leaves this world and this state.
وَقَالُوا أَإِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَإِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ كَافِرُونَ
قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ
«And they say: What! When we have become lost in the earth, shall we then certainly be in a new creation? Nay! They are disbelievers in the meeting of their Nourisher. Tell them, the death angels, who is assigned for you will revive you fully and wholly at your death, and return you to God» (32:10-11)
In this verse, the Holy Quran mentions one of the disbelievers' problems and doubts about the Day of Resurrection and everlasting Life, and solves it. The problem and doubt here is how we shall be created anew after death when our body disintegrates and is annihilated. Referring to the fact that these doubts are all pretexts put forth as a result of perversity and denial.
The Holy Quran explains that, contrary to one's supposition and claim regarding the disintegration of one's body, one's real self and personality is not lost. One is delivered to God's angels in possession of all one's entity and reality. What sceptics mean by «being lost» is that in death, our physical body is scattered: it completely vanishes and therefore how can it be restored to life again?
A similar doubt concerning the disintegration and decomposition of the body is discussed in some other verses of the Quran. The explanation is that «the loss» is only in one's mind. It is a difficult and even an impossible task for man to reconstruct a human body but not for God Whose knowledge and power is infinite.
In the verses mentioned, the disbelievers question the reconstructing of one's physical being. But here the explanation differs. The problem here is not that our body decomposes and disintegrates but that when it is lost, «We» are lost and consequently «We» or I, would no longer exist.
In other words, the sceptics claim that with the disintegration of the body, our real self is annihilated. The Quran here explains that, contrary to your supposition, your real self is not lost. It is delivered to Our angels right after death. Therefore, there is no need to find it. The following verse also points out quite explicitly that although one's physical being decomposes, one's real self (spirit) survives after death:
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا ۖ فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَىٰ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
«God takes the souls at the time of their death and those that die not during their sleep; then He with holds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and sends others back until an appointed term; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect» (39:42)
This verse states the similarity between sleep and death, wakefulness and final Resurrection. Sleep is a light, short death and death is a deep and long sleep. In both cases, one's spirit or soul goes from one state to another. The difference is that while sleeping, one is unconscious and when one awakes one does not know that one has actually returned from a journey, contrary to death when everything is clear to one.
Considering these three verses, one can perceive perfectly that the nature of death is not mortality and annihilation, but transference from one state to another. Meanwhile, the nature of sleep is clarified from the Quran's point of view. It is clear that although sleep physically and outwardly implies a suspension within the forces of nature, it is spiritually and for the soul, a kind of escape and return to the innermost being and the heavens.
The problems of sleep and death are among the unknown in sciences. Whatever is discovered in science regarding this problem is a part of the physical process which takes place within the realm of the body.
Does one directly enter the Day of Resurrection after death and is one's futurity then decided? Or, does one pass into a special world in the interval between death and the Great Day of Judgement? (Evidently only God has the knowledge of the time of the Great Day of Judgement, even the prophets are unaware of it.)
According to the Holy Quran and successive and indisputable reports and narratives from the Holy Prophet and the immaculate Imams, no one enters the world of the Great Day of Judgement right after death because the Great Resurrection coincides with a series of fundamental revolutions and transformations in all the earthly and celestial bodies such as mountains, seas, the moon, the sun, the stars and constellations.
On the Great Day of Judgement, nothing will remain in its usual condition. Moreover, on that day, the first and the last will come together. We see that the world still exists and will perhaps exist for millions, even billions of years with billions and billions of people coming afterwards.
Besides, from the Quran's point of view and according to the previous verses and a series of other verses, no one undergoes an unconscious or senseless state in the interval between death and the Great Day of Judgement. After death, one enters another stage of life where one feels everything. One experiences joy, pleasure, pain, and sorrow. One's enjoyment and suffering has a direct relation to one's thoughts, morals and deeds in this world.
This stage continues until the Great Day of Judgement when a series of unique revolutions and transformations will simultaneously take place all over the universe. from the farthest stars to our earth. This stage or world. which is an interval and media l stage between the world and the Resurrection for everyone, will eventually terminate.
Therefore, according to the Holy Quran. the world after death consists of two stages, that is, one passes through two worlds after death. The first, called purgatory, is finite, as the present world. The second is the world of the Great Judgement which is infinite. The following discussion involves purgatory and the Resurrection.
The word « purgatory» means barrier. The Holy Quran interprets the life between death and the Great Day of Judgement as purgatory.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
«Until when death overtakes one of them, he says, «Send me back my Lord, send me back. Perhaps I may do good in that which I have left» By no means! it is mere words that he speaks; and before them is a purgatory until the day they are raised» (23:99-100)
This is the only verse which calls the interval between death and the Last Judgement, purgatory. Islamic scholars, drawing from this verse, have designated the stage between death and the Great Day of Judgement as purgatory. This verse refers to life after death only in so far as mentioning that some people are repentant after death and ask to be returned to the world. but are answered in the negative.
It explicitly reveals that, after death, one lives a kind of life which makes one request to be returned to the world, but his request is not accepted. There are plenty of verses stating that one will be living after death and till the Resurrection. During that period, one will feel intense, converse and hear, feel happy, suffer and grieve. and will ultimately attain a certain happiness.
There are fifteen verses altogether which depict in one way or another. a kind of life proving that one lives a complete life between death and the Day of Judgement. These verses are classified as follows:
First, there are numerous verses which refer to the conversation between the virtuous and benevolent or the corrupt, wicked people and the divine angels immediately after death, such as, the previously mentioned verses.
Second, there are verses which, in addition to the above verses, confirm that after conversation, the angels will tell the virtuous, benevolent people to enjoy all God's blessings, that is. they will not have to wait for the Great Day of Judgement. The following two verses express this point:
الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
"The angels will receive the souls of good men saying: Peace be with you. Enter Paradise, the reward of your labors» (16:32)
قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ۖ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ
بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ
«He was told to enter paradise, and he exclaimed: "Wished that my people knew how Gracious my Nourisher has been to me, how highly He has exalted and included me among His favorite ones." (36:26-7)
In the verses previous to this one, a discussion between this believer (from the Yasin family) and his people is stated. He invites them to obey the Messengers in Antioch (a city), who persuade the people to worship God devotedly and nothing but Him. He declares his belief in the Messengers and asks his people to pay attention to his statements and follow him.
It is said in these verses that he passed away while those people did not follow him. Experiencing God's forgiveness and generosity in the other world, he wished that his people who were still alive, could be informed of his happiness. These events obviously happen before the Great Day of Resurrection when the first and the last shall gather and no one will remain on earth.
Another point is that, there are several heavens for the blessed, not just one. That is, there are various heavens according to the proximity of the believers to God. Besides, as stated by the Prophet's Household, praise be upon them, some of these heavens are reserved for purgatory and not for the Resurrection. Consequently, the word heaven in the above two verses should not be connected to the Resurrection.
Third, these verses do not imply any conversation between the angels and man. They speak directly about the life of blissful, benevolent people, their welfare and that of the damned, wicked people, their torture and suffering in the interval between death and the Resurrection. The following two verses are of this type:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
«You must not think that those who were slain in the cause of God are dead. They are alive, and well- provided for by their Nourisher: pleased with His gifts and rejoicing that those whom they left behind and who have not yet joined them have nothing to fear or to regret; rejoicing in God' s grace and bounty» (3:169-170)
فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا ۖ وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ
النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا ۖ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ
«And a grievous scourge fell on Pharaoh's people. They shall be brought before the Fire, morning and evening. and when the Last Day comes. a voice will cry: 'Let the people of Pharaoh be sternly punished! » (40:45-46)
This holy verse points out two kinds of torture for Pharaoh's people. One will be before the Day of Judgement and called, 'severe punishment', when they will be brought before the Fire twice a day without being put into it. The other will be after the Day of Judgement, and has been referred to as «the most severe punishment», when at the word of command, the people will be put into the Fire.
The time of punishment is not clarified for the second one, contrary to the first punishment in which the words morning and evening are mentioned.
According to the interpretation of Imam Ali, Commander of the Faithful, praise be to him, of this verse, the first punishment refers to purgatory where, similar to this world. There are mornings, evenings, weeks, months and years, while the second punishment refers to the Resurrection which is timeless.
In the narratives of the Holy Prophet, and Imam Ali, Commander of the Faithful, and those of the other Imams (A.S) plenty of emphasis has been placed on purgatory and lives of the believers and wrong-doers.
After the Muslims' conquest in the battle of Badr, a group of the arrogant Quraish tribal chiefs were killed and thrown into a well near Badr. The Messenger of God addressed the chiefs from the mouth of the well and said: «What God had promised to us came true, what about you?»
Some of the companions said to the Messenger of God: «Are you speaking to the dead?! Do they hear what you say?» The Messenger said: "They are now more perceptive than you are." According to this report and others, although death separates the body and life, the spirit does not completely cut off its connection with the body with which it has lived and been united for years.
On the tenth of Moharram, after performing the morning prayer in assembly with his companions, Imam Husein (A.S) while giving a short speech addressed them: «Have patience and perseverance, death is but a bridge which leads you from pain and suffering towards happiness, generosity and the vast heavens»
According to tradition, one's life is nothing but a sleep, one wakes up the minute one dies. That is, after death there is a higher and more complete stage of life. In the same way that a sleeping man has a weaker life in terms of perception compared with a man who is awake and leads a more complete life, so man's present life is compared with his life in purgatory where it becomes more complete.
We should mention two points here: First, as stated in the narratives and reports by religious leaders, in purgatory, one will be interrogated and questioned only on the problems of faith and belief, whereas on the Resurrection Day the rest of the problems will be brought up and dealt with. Second, the dead will enjoy happiness, comfort and blessings through their descendants' pious acts intended for them.
All sorts of offerings made on behalf of dead parents, friends, teachers or others, will be considered as gifts resulting in their happiness. Among them are permanent offerings such as establishing charitable institutions which will remain to benefit the people as well as temporary offerings.
The same result comes through prayer, asking for forgiveness, pilgrimage to Mecca or simply circling the Ka'ba, the House of God at Mecca and going on other pilgrimages on their behalf.
God forbids, but some children may greatly disappoint their parents. But after the parents die, the children may make amends and thus bring about their parents' contentment. The contrary might also be the case.
The Great Day of Judgement
The Great Day of Judgement is the second stage of everlasting life. In contrast to purgatory which involves the individual and one's immediate arrival there, the Great Day of Judgement concerns the whole, that is, all individuals and the whole world. This is an event which concerns everything and all mankind, an event which embodies the whole world. The whole universe enters a new stage, life and system.
The Holy Quran informs us of the great event of the Resurrection. According to this information, this great event will coincide with the extinction of the stars and the sun, the drying up of the seas, the levelling of high and low lands. the disintegration of the mountains, universal quakes, thunder and great, unique transformations and revolutions.
All the world will move towards destruction, disintegration and everything will be annihilated. Then it will be reconstructed and revived, continuing and surviving forever with new rules and systems different from the present ones. The Resurrection is referred to by several names and expressions in the Qu ran, each signifying a special condition and system ascribed to it.
For example, it is called «the Day of Resurrection», « the Day of Assembly» or «the Day of Encounter» since the first and the last will have the same stand regardless of their role in history. It is known as «the Day of Revealing Secrets» or «the Day of laying Open ones Deeds» because the innermost being will be revealed and the hidden complex truths unfolded.
It is referred also as «the Day of Immortality», since it is indestructible and eternal. Another expression for it is «the Woeful Day» or «the Day of Repentance» as some people will regret and repent for not having prepared themselves for that «stage». As it will be the greatest occurrence and the most important event, it is also called «the Fateful Message».
The Connection Between This World and the Other World
A very significant, essential subject pointed out to us by the holy books is the connection between these two worlds. These are related to each other. In the other world, one will reap the harvest of one's own deeds in this world.
What brings about eternal happiness for one is a pure, proper, real faith and belief (a realistic world view), correct moral standards, freedom from jealousy, deceit, fraud, hatred and cheating, as well as benevolent deeds such as benignity and devotion resulting in the perfection of society and mankind.
On the contrary, what brings a very grievous, unhappy life in the other world is disbelief, false beliefs, evil morals, selfishness, egotism, self-conceit, oppression, injustice, hypocrisy, usury, lies, slander, treachery, backbiting, tale-bearing, sedition, abstention from praying and worshipping God.
The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, pointedly expressed this point. "This world is the farm for the other world», (i.e. what you sow here, you will reap there). The quality of your harvest depends on what you sow. It is impossible to sow barley and reap wheat, to get flowers from planting thorns or grow dates from colocynth. In the same manner, having evil thoughts, morals and deeds in this world will not profit one in the next world.
Manifestation and Eternality of the Human Being's Deeds and Acquisitions
According to the verses in the holy Quran and the religious leaders' report and narratives, one is eternal and one's deeds are somehow recorded and preserved forever. One will find one's past deeds «illustrated» and «manifested» on Resurrection Day". Virtuous deeds and acquisitions will be manifested in beautiful, attractive, pleasant figures and will be a source of joy and happiness, while one's evil deeds will be manifested in hideous, loathsome, terrifying, harmful figures and will be a source of pain, suffering and torture.2
At this stage, three verses from the Holy Quran and two narratives will be sufficient to illustrate these points:
يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ سُوءٍ
"The day will surely come when each soul will be confronted with whatever good or evil it has done. As for its evil deeds. it will wish they were a long way off." (3:30)
The fact that man will see his virtuous deeds as very desirable and pleasant and his evil deeds as terrifying and disgusting is made explicit in this verse. He would like to escape or be kept away from them, but that will not be possible. In the other world, man's manifested, presented deeds will be part of him, thus inseparable.
وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا
«And they shall find their deeds recorded there." (18:49)
The point stressed in this verse is the same as the previous one.
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ
وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
"On that day mankind will come out in broken bands to be shown their deeds. Whoever has done an infinitesimal weight of good shall see it, and whoever has done an infinitesimal weight of evil shall see it too.» (99:6-8)
Man is eternal. One's deeds and acquisitions are also recorded and everlasting. In other words, one will live with deeds and morals acquired in this world. They will be good or bad assets, and a perpetual good or evil companion for one in the everlasting world. It is stated in a narrative that a group of Muslims from a distant land had the honor of meeting the Messenger of God.
They asked for some advice. The Holy Messenger made a few statements, one of which was: «Since your deeds and behavior here will be your living friends and companions there, now it is time you tried to choose good ones for the other world…3
A believer in eternal life always considers his thoughts, morals, deeds and behaviour seriously. knowing that these will remain and be sent in advance to the other world in the reserve for his living there.
Life in this World and the Hereafter
Considering the similarities between the present life and the life to come, one can observe that both lives are true and real. One is aware of one's self and whatever belongs to one and that there is enjoyment and suffering, happiness and grief, bliss and adversity. In both, instincts, either human or animal, exist. One lives with complete organs and limbs and there is space and mass. But there are still several basic differences.
In contrast to the other world, there is reproduction, birth, childhood, youth, old age and death in this world. Here, one has to work and cultivate the ground. There, one reaps the harvest and benefits from one's attempts in this world. Here, is a place of work and activity, there that of result and evaluation. Here one can change the course of one's life by one's direction of deeds and actions. Here, life and death are together.
Each living creature is linked with a lifeless substance. Moreover, a living thing moves toward death, whereas a lifeless substance can produce life under the proper conditions. On the contrary, absolute life prevails there. The substance and matter, the ground and the sky, the gardens and fruits, as man's manifested deeds have life. Even the fire and torture are aware and conscious.
Here, specific, chronological circumstances and causes and effects dominate. Also there is movement and evolution. But there, only the Divine Will and Kingdom exist. Consciousness and awareness and in general one's sight, hearing and perception are much stronger: in other words, all screens and veils are removed and one perceives the facts through a profound insight as stated in the Holy Quran:
فَكَشَفْنَا عَنْكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
«But now we have removed from your veil, so your sight today is sharp…» (50:22)
In this world, there is weariness, boredom and frustration, because of monotony. Man always wonders around as if he had lost something and looking for it. When he obtains what he has been seeking. he rejoices, though soon. he finds that it has not been the sought object. That is why man is after what he lacks, and is dissatisfied with what he already has.
In the other world, being attached to one's innermost nature and instinct, when one reaches what one has been really looking for, that is. everlasting life near the Nourisher of Creation, one will never be tired, or bored. Referring to this point, the Holy Quran states:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا
«They shall forever dwell in the gardens of Paradise, desiring no change to befall them...» (18:107-108)
Furthermore, since they will be provided with whatever they wish through God's Will, they will not be perturbed by what they lack.
The Quran on the Other World
Since our belief in the Resurrection originates from our belief in the Quran and the Prophets' messages, it is not deemed necessary to look for proofs of the Resurrection or to give any scientific sign and evidence. In spite of this, to simplify the subject, the Holy Quran mentions a series of reasons to inform us directly of the Resurrection. We shall briefly point out these reasons.
The Quran 's arguments consist of a series of answers to the disbelievers in the Resurrection. Some of these are in response to people who believe in the impossibility of the Resurrection, stating that it is quite feasible. Other verses go further and state that in noticing similarities between this world and the hereafter, there is no reason for regarding the Last Judgement as improbable or for denying it.
Some verses go even further and consider the Resurrection essential, indispensable and a definite result of the wise creation of the universe. There are three groups of verses altogether regarding the rationalization of the Resurrection which will be successively mentioned.
وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ ۖ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ
«He gave us an example, and forgot his own creation. He said: who will give life to rotten bone?» «Say: He who created them at first, will give them life again. He has knowledge of every creation.» (36:78-79)
This verse is an answer to a disbeliever who was holding a rotten bone. Grinding it in his hand. he scattered the power into the air. Then be asked: «Who can restore these scattered particles to life?» The Quran responds that he who first created them.
Man often classifies things into the possible and the impossible according to his own power and ability. One considers the occurrence of things beyond one's power and imagination as impossible. The Quran states that regarding man's power. Resurrection is certainly impossible, but it can be accomplished considering the Power who first created life in a lifeless being.
There are many verses in the Quran which discuss the Resurrection relying on God's power. They reveal that the Will of a Just. Wise God is for the occurrence of the last Judgement and nothing can stop it. As the miracle of creation and life originated from this decree, resulting in the creation of the world, life and man. it will restore one.to life on the Day of Judgement.
2- The second group of verses give examples and consist of two parts:
a) Those verses which discuss special occurrences in which the dead have resurrected. For example, Abraham addresses God, asking him to reveal the secret of Resurrection to him. In reply, he was asked if he had faith in it. He gave a positive answer stating that his question was only to reassure himself. He was then commanded to catch four birds, cut their heads off, tear their bodies apart and place each part on a different mountain. Calling those birds, he would find them resurrected, flying towards him through God's command.
b) Those verses which do not refer to a supernatural, exceptional event, like the story of Abraham, but to the present, perceptible order in which the earth and plants die in autumn and winter and come to life again in spring. They state that one can repeatedly notice that nature dies and fades after having had life and energy. With the change of the seasons, the conditions change and the earth, trees and flowers begin a new life again. The same process will occur in the whole universe. It will become extinct, cold and withered. The sun and the stars will decompose and disintegrate. The whole universe will become completely lifeless. But this state of death will be temporary. All beings will begin life again in a different condition and situation.
To put this more clearly, we, human beings, live on the earth which passes through a period of life and death in three hundred and sixty-five days. Since we can live for fifty, sixty or perhaps one hundred years or more, we can experience this order of life and death scores of times without being surprised at the death and rebirth of the earth.
Suppose we lived for just a few months like some species of insects and that we were unintelligent, thus unaware of the history of the earth, and its yearly cycles, not observing the death and rebirth of the earth, we would consequently not believe in this process-we would never believe that the dead earth would become alive once again. Beginning life in spring and dying in fall or winter, a mosquito would definitely not be able to imagine the rebirth of a garden.
A worm or a mosquito, whose life is limited to a tree or garden imagines that its home is a subordinate part of a larger system called the farm on which its life depends and that the farm itself is a subordinate part of another system called town, and that the town is a subordinate part of another system called province, and that the province itself is a part of the country which in turn is a part of the general order of the earth which itself is part of the solar system.
How do we know? Perhaps our whole solar system, the stars, galaxies and everything known to follow the law of nature may be subordinate to a larger system. The development of nature over millions and billions of years may be a part or a day of a season in a larger system. This season, which is one of life, might turn into a period of extinction and depression. That larger system including our solar system, the stars and galaxies might begin life in a different form.
Through God's revelation, all the prophets have informed us of the destruction and extinction of the universe, and the new life and resurrection of the dead in a new order. Having realized the truth in their messages through several proofs. we believe in what they say. including those concerning the rebirth of the whole universe after a period of extinction.
The Quran makes us aware of the order of death and life on the earth as a minute example of a larger life so that we may not doubt or reject the resurrection nor may we exclude it from the whole order and laws of creation. The Holy Quran states that the Resurrection signifies rebirth, a small example of which we can observe on the earth. The Prophet, blessings be upon him and His Household, pointed out:
))إذا رايتم الربيع فأكثروا ذكر النشور))
«Whenever you see spring, keep on talking about resurrection. In other words, spring is an example of the Resurrection»
Mowlavi, (an Iranian poet), refers to this in one of his poems:
This spring coming after the fall
The proof for the resurrection to befall
Fire, wind, clouds, water and the sun
From a mirage the secrets are laid open
In the spring the nature will show
Whatever the earth swallowed will grow
Through its mouth and lips will come up
Its thoughts and beliefs, to sum up
The secrets by God will be revealed
Since it will grow, sow not bad seed.
He speaks of the same concept in his collection of poems called "Divan-i-Shams":
After beholding descent, consider resurrection:
Why should setting be injurious to the sun and
moon? What seed went down into the earth but
did not grow?
Why this doubt of thine as regards the seed of
man?
There are many verses in the Quran regarding the existing, perceivable order of death and rebirth such as the following:
وَاللَّهُ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ النُّشُورُ
«God sends forth the winds which set the clouds in motion. We drive them on to some dead land and give fresh life to its barren soil. Such is the resurrection» (35:9)
وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً فَإِذَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنْبَتَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّهُ يُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ وَأَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ
«You sometimes see the earth dry and barren. But no sooner do we send down rain upon it than it begins to stir and swell, putting forth every kind of radiant bloom. That is because God is truth: He gives life to the dead and has power overall things. The hour of Doom is sure to come; In this there Is no doubt. Those who are in the graves God will raise to life» (22:5-7)
There are many similar verses which consider the Resurrection a part of the system of death and life in the world, a small example of which we can observe on the earth; nevertheless, the above verses will suffice us.
The difference between this group of verses and the first is that they do not rely merely on God's Power, but give similar examples concerning God's Power in nature which has manifested itself and functioned in the same manner in this perceptible world.
The third group of verses consider the Resurrection essential and definite and its absence an impossibility with respect to God's divine essence.
This has been expressed in two ways: one through God's Justice, that is, God grants each creature what he or she deserves and is worthy of. The other way is stated through God's Wisdom, that is. God has created all creatures for a definite end and purpose. Divine Wisdom directs the progress of man towards his utmost potentiality.
The Holy Quran states: if there were no Resurrection, eternal life, eternal bliss and final reward and punishment, it would be cruel and unjust of God and cruelty is not a characteristic of God. It also states that if there were no eternal life or a definite, everlasting end, creation would be futile and in vain and this is not in accordance with God's essence.
There are many verses which, relying on God's Justice and Wisdom, state the necessity and inevitability of the existence of eternal life and return to God. Now, we can give two examples from two chapters in the Quran which emphasize both God's Justice and his Wisdom.
In Chapter 38, it is expressed that those who deviate from the path of God, forgetting the Day of Reckoning will be severely tortured. Then in the verses 27 and 28 of the same chapter, the Quran refers to the Day of Resurrection as follows:
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ
أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ
«It was not in vain that we created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them. That is the fancy of the atheists. But woe to the atheists when they are cast into the fire of hell. Are we to treat alike those that have faith and do good deeds, and those that corrupt the earth with wickedness? Are we to treat the righteous as we treat the wicked?» (38:27-28)
As we see, it gives evidence of God's Wisdom and His Wise creation in the first verse, and of God's Justice and His Just creation in the second.
In Chapter 45, verses 21 and 22. it states:
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ نَجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
وَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَلِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
«Do The evil-doers think that they are equal in Our sight with the believers who do good deeds, so that their lives and deaths shall be alike? How ill they judge: God created the heavens and the earth to reveal the truth and to reward each soul according to its deeds. None shall be wronged " (45:21-22)
The principle of justice has been pointed out in the first verse and that of wisdom in the second. In the last part of the second verse, God's Justice has been expressed as the ultimate purpose and the goal of Resurrection.
We will clarify how God's Justice and his Wisdom necessitate eternal life and how the creation of the universe and mankind would be unjustifiable both from the viewpoint of His Justice and from the viewpoint of His Wisdom, if there were no eternal life after this temporary one, where one's deeds would be taken into account and where every person would receive the lasting rewards or the chastisement he deserved in accordance with his deeds in this world.
1. Refer to Al·Mizan, Exegesis (Arabic version) Vol. 13, p. 195 (the holy verse «Say: The spirit is at my Nourisher's command.»)and Vol. 3, pp. 270-5 (the holy verse: ..on the day when the Spirits and the angels stand up in their ranks...)
2. Regarding the celestial manifestation of deeds as blessings and sufferings on the Day of Judgement, refer to the discussion about the Resurrection in 'God's Justice' by the same author.
3. Mowlavi Rumi, Selected Poems from the Divani Shamsi Tahrizi, Edited and
Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, M.A. (Great Britain: Cambridge University Pres. 1952). pp. 95 & 97.
God’s Justice
In a general sense, justice means the giving of rights to the deserving without any discrimination. It is unjust to deprive the deserving of their rights. Discrimination, that is, granting some people their rights while depriving some others of theirs is unjust. If a teacher gives all his students grades lower than what they deserve, he has behaved unjustly.
In the same way, by giving some of them the grades they deserve according to their merit, and some others lower grades than what they deserve, again he shall be, behaving unjustly. In one respect, justice accompanies equality, which is considering all people equal, and not discriminating among them.
Justice is a requirement for equality, that is, to fulfil the right of every one according to his deserts without any discrimination. Equality does not mean «granting» the same amount to all people regardless of their deserts or the scales of their deserts. If so it would be unjust and signify cruelty. Equality in deprivation is cruelty too. That is, preventing all people from obtaining their deserts, is also a sort of cruelty.
Therefore, God's Justice means that He provides his creatures with blessings according to their capability. The lack of anything in any creature is due to the fact that because of the total conditions and circumstances in which the creature is, it does not possess the possibility and capacity of having the thing it lacks.
It would be unjust if some creatures with certain capabilities were deprived of their full deserts: however, in actuality they are justly granted God's Grace according to their merit. Among creatures, man possesses unique potentials and skills, His motivations which direct him to work and be active are not limited as is the case with other creatures.
In contrast with animals, whose instincts are limited to their environment, human instincts go beyond the limits of this world, being characterized by an everlasting nature. What affects man's deeds are his supreme moral, scientific, artistic, religious and divine motivations. Man often sacrifices his natural, material and animal life for his supreme, human aims.
According to the Quran's interpretation, man regulates his conduct on the basis of «faith and pious deeds» through which he wishes for eternal life and God's contentment. Man possesses an intense capacity for thought and the instincts leading him towards it and he desire eternity.
All these reveal a sort of potential in man for an everlasting life. In other words, they reveal the spirituality, and immaterial quality of man's soul. They compare man in this world to a fetus in the womb where it is provided with circulatory, respiratory, nervous, optic, auditory and genital systems which are in accord with the post- natal life but not with the condition of the womb and the temporary nine months life there.
Although man receives benefits from faith and pious deeds in this life, these are merely consequential. Faith and pious deeds suggest seeds which grow and flourish only in a happy, everlasting life, that is, they will realize their full meaning for and in eternal life.
Not only can man soar above nature and scatter nonmaterial seeds in a system based on faith and pious deeds, but when one deviates (from the true path), which is termed as domains of atheism and depravity in the Quran, the consequences of one's deeds also go beyond animal limitations and ordinary physical relationships. One's deeds become spiritual and eternal but in a deviant way.
Thus one becomes deserving of a sort of eternal life in which one unfortunately suffers pain and agony. In religious terms, one incurs eternal hell-fire. If one deviates from faith and pious deeds, one descends even below animal life and falls to the lowest status. According to the Quran's interpretation,
إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
«They are like beasts, and even more misguided» (25:44)
Those who follow the bases of faith and pious deeds and those who deviate from them can be compared to students, of whom the first group do their assignments conscientiously, while the second waste their time playing. If a teacher did not grade all of them, it would be unjust. In the same manner, if there were no eternal life in which the faithful and pious would be rewarded and those who have followed the path of infidelity and depravity would be punished, both would be deprived of just deserts and this would be oppressive and unjust.
To show this more clearly, we say that God has asked people to be faithful and benevolent. Accepting this, a group of people accord their thoughts, morals and deeds with their beliefs. Rejecting this, another group follow evil deeds and corruption. We notice that the order of this world does not always reward the benevolent or punish the corrupt precisely. Man sometimes dies before receiving the reward of his righteous deeds; therefore, there should be another place to fully reward the benevolent and punish the wrongdoers, otherwise it would be unjust of God.
God’s Wisdom
The deeds of man are divided into two categories. The first category consists of vain, futile, useless deeds which do not result in our reaching the perfection within our capacity. In other words, they do not bring us real happiness. The second includes wise, reasonable, honest deeds which bring about useful, advantageous results and lead us towards the perfection we deserve.
Therefore, our wise deeds are those which lead us towards the perfection we deserve. The question will arise regarding God's Wise deeds. Are God's Wise deeds also those which lead Him towards an ultimate perfection and His vain deeds those which do not lead Him towards it? The answer is negative, because He is Self-Sufficient. His deeds are those of Wisdom, Generosity and Mercy.
His deeds are not carried out to fulfil his needs or bring Him perfection and happiness, but to bring His creatures to the perfection they deserve. Attributing futile tasks to God, will mean that He creates a being without leading him to the possible perfection he deserves. That is why the meaning of wisdom regarding God is different from that pertaining to man.
Man's wisdom signifies following the right path towards human perfection, whereas God's Wisdom means the guidance of His creatures to their deserved perfection. In other words, God's Wisdom means the creation of things on the basis of directing them towards desired goals and deserved perfections.
Since for man, wisdom signifies accomplishment of the task for bringing him to his own perfection, there is no need for a real connection between his deeds and their intended consequences, i.e. it is not necessary for that deed to end naturally in that consequence and for that consequence to be considered as in perfection of the task. The consequence should necessarily result in perfection and benefit for mankind.
For example, a man makes objects from soil, wood, stone, metal, animal skin, wool and cotton etc. and uses them wisely. One makes chairs, houses, cars and clothing which are not considered perfection for wood, stone, bricks, plaster, steel or an assembly of metal parts. These materials do not move towards these forms and figures, but they provide comfort to man such as, sitting on a chair, living in a house, driving a car and wearing clothes.
These signify accomplishments for man or are at least beneficial tasks. On the contrary, there is a real natural relation between God's deeds and their consequence, that is, the goal and result of every task is the real perfection of that task itself. God leads His creation towards its own perfection. Therefore, we notice that each grain or seed moves towards its ultimate goal and perfection.
The problem discussed at this point is that the world and nature go through change and mutation, that is, each goal in nature is changeable and mutable in itself. In other words, everything is temporary and terminable. All «stages» in nature are means, not ends. That is why some people think of creation as meaningless and useless.
They say that the world can be compared to a caravan which is always moving on and changing its stages and never reaching its final destination. Each destination can be considered as only a stop as nature will pass it, too. It is obvious that a journey can only be made when a real destination is expected. Movements and journeys are futile when there is no arrival, and destinations are nothing but stops.
Existence would be vain and what dominates the order of the universe would be nothing but wandering and constant repetition and departure after each arrival. The explanation given in the Quran is that this problem and doubt would come up if there were nothing but nature and this world and birth were for death, growing and blooming for withering and disintegration and renewal for wearing out.
This opinion of life originates from a wrong reasoning, imagining life to be limited to the world and nature which is not the case. This world is referred to as the «First day» which is followed by the «Last day». This world signifies «departure» and the resurrection that of «arrival». Imam Ali (A S) states:
إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا دَارُ مَجَاز وَ الآْخِرَةُ دَارُ قَرَار
«This world is a place to leave behind and the Resurrection, that of an everlasting residence»
The Resurrection gives meaning to this world, because movement and struggle have no meaning without a goal. If there were no resurrection, which is an everlasting world, the world would have no final destination to distinguish it from a mere ‘stage’ or a «Stopping place». The system of the world would be all wandering and according to the Quran, creation would be «Vain», «useless» and «frivolous».
The Prophets have come to prevent us from making such a fundamental mistake and to make us aware of a fact which, if not recognized, would make life meaningless and vain. Embedding futility in our mind, which would make us useless, meaningless creatures, with no goals in life. One of the effects of faith and belief in the Last Judgement is its ridding us of the state of uselessness and nothingness, making us, our thoughts and our lives meaningful.
Source URL: https://www.al-islam.org/eternal-life-life-after-death-ayatullah-murtadha-mutahhari
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US expels Russian diplomats over cyber attacks
Obama defends expulsions, calling action "a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests".
Obama said all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions [Reuters]
The United States has expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in a response that Barack Obama says was "necessary and appropriate" against "efforts to harm US interests".
Obama, whose term as as US president ends next month, said on Thursday that actions against Russia are "a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour".
The move against the diplomats from the Russian embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco is part of a series of actions announced on Thursday to punish Russia for what the official said was a campaign of intimidation of American diplomats in Moscow and interference in the US election.
Secrets and hacks: Russia's role in the US election
Obama said a report by his administration about Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election would be delivered to Congress in the coming days.
"The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation are releasing declassified technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence service cyber activity," Obama said in a statement.
Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington DC, said that the US administration had not provided any proof of Russia's involvement other than the flat accusations that 17 US intelligence agencies say so.
A senior US official told Reuters news agency that the Russian diplomats would be given 72 hours to leave the country and access to the two compounds [in New York and Maryland], which are used by Russian officials for intelligence gathering, will be denied as of noon on Friday.
"These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice," the official said.
Today, Treasury sanctions two individuals for malicious cyber-enabled activities. https://t.co/c4LKHoEhwZ pic.twitter.com/0M24mshs0f
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) December 29, 2016
Our correspondent said: "The White House is calling this a national emergency. This is one of the strongest responses we've ever seen from the US against what it says was a state-sponsored cyberattack."
She said sanctions have been imposed on two Russian intelligence services, including four military intelligence officers, that the White House believes may have directly ordered the hacking that took place over the summer.
The US official declined to name the diplomats who would be affected, although it is understood that Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, will not be one of those expelled.
Harassment of diplomats
Obama said that all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions, adding that data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government.
Obama also said the US diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the past year.
The state department has long complained that Russian security agents and traffic police have harassed US diplomats in Moscow, and John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.
WATCH: Are Russia and the US entering a new Cold War?
The developments come less than a month from the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has called for better relations with Russia.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the new round of US sanctions against Russia would harm relations between the two countries.
He said Putin would order an "appropriate" retaliation to the sanctions.
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Funding deal kick-starts £850 million Edinburgh scheme
/ 30 April /
An artist's impression of the St James Quarter development. Photo: City of Edinburgh Council
Innovative funding has unlocked an £850 million commercial redevelopment in Edinburgh that will create hundreds of construction jobs when work starts on site next year, as well as permanent employment for 2,300 people.
Key to kick-starting the St James Quarter development is £61 million of funding for improving local infrastructure and public space in the area in the centre of Edinburgh, adjacent to Waverley Station and under the shadow of the City’s famous castle.
The City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and developer TIAA Henderson Real Estate agreed a deal that facilitates this investment through a new funding model called the Regeneration Accelerator Model (RAM). RAM allows private and public funding to combine to provide infrastructure improvements and public spaces which is then offset by business rates and overall gains to the economy from the project – the St James Quarter scheme is estimated to have potential to add £25 million a year to the Scottish economy.
This unlocks other funding for the 450,000 sq ft development which has outline planning permission for retail space, a five star hotel, a four star hotel, an apart-hotel, restaurants and apartments. The planning permission includes creation of construction, retail and hospitality skill academies to support employment of local people.
Building Design Partnership and Alan Murray Associates have been involved in the design of the development which is said to have sustainability at its heart, with a combined cooling, heat and power centre, electric car charging points, facilities for cyclists, photovoltaic panels, solar tubes and a City car club.
Martin Perry, Director of Development, TH Real Estate, said: “This scale of investment is unprecedented in central Edinburgh and will transform the city’s retail offer, putting it on the international ‘map’ of major shopping destinations. We are now looking forward to delivering other key milestones in order for construction to start.”
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Thames Water awards £177M sewage works contract
/ 19 November /
An AECOM, Murphy and Kier joint venture (AMK) has been awarded a £177 million contract by Thames Water for a rebuild of Deephams sewage treatment works, one of London’s largest.
Most of Deephams, located near Picketts Lock, Edmonton, in north east London, was built in the 1950’s and 1960’s and needs improvements to ensure that it meets stricter European environmental standards being introduced from March 2017. The project will also increase the works’ capacity to allow for future population rises, improve the water quality of the River Lee and reduce the intensity and frequency of escaping odours.
Some work will start immediately ahead of a full planning application that is to be submitted in summer 2014. AMK beat off competition from a Laing O’Rourke and Imtech Process joint venture to win the contract, which uses Thames’ Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) procurement approach. Assessment of bids under the Thames process included a ‘behavioural review’ of contractors at organisational as well as project team level.
AMK project director Jo Streeten said: “Upgrading Deephams presents a number of interesting challenges, not least the need to construct new treatment facilities on a site with limited space while maintaining the current operation.
“Working with Thames Water’s ECI process has allowed us to understand these challenges early on and develop a solution that meets them in the most efficient way.”
Thames Water’s asset director Lawrence Gosden said: “This is a key moment for us. We believe our ECI process has resulted in the best possible solution for the upgrade, and after close competition between two very high calibre bidders we’re very pleased to announce the appointment of AMK.”
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"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Marthe Troly-Curtin
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Oct 10 In Conversation with Ben Storms, the Belgian Designer Giving Lightness to Marble
Laurent Veilleux
A few months ago in Antwerp, our team met with designer Ben Storms. His studio was, at the time, still in construction. Surrounded by some of his most innovative pieces, tending to defy gravity and traditional perceptions of matters, we took the time to reflect on his creative process and the way he became a master of novelty in marble design.
LV : I'd like to revisit your childhood and try to explore how, as a child, you developed your interest, and perhaps your skills and craftsmanship, at an early stage in your life, to forego your career.
BS : Well, it's quite simple. My father was a self-made man, meaning that he never went to school, but he had always shown interest in construction work. So at an early age, he started a business out of re-purposing old buildings' materials. His father (my grandfather) was already building houses and my father was working with him, so he never went to school. But then, an architect with whom he worked with later developed an interest in old buildings’ materials, so my father started a business out of this experience. That's the environment I grew up in. We had a big yard next to our house with all these materials piled up on pallets. This was me and my brother’s play yard, in which we played between all these old materials. Also at a young age, we started working with our father, helping in the family business, working with our hands, and with those old materials. I think that those experiences were a big part of my development. When I grew a bit older, I also took courses in stone cutting, and started doing just that in the company, through weekends and holidays as a student.
Then at university, I studied art history, while taking a lot of other courses in sculpting, woodworking, stone cutting, and others. At the end of my studies in art history, I took a one-year course in design. For me, everything came together during that year: my interests, which I had developed in the family, the knowledge I had in marble and natural stones and my university studies themselves. It all came together to the functional design pieces that I create today in a way. Before that, I was searching a lot to find what I wanted to do with my life. You know?
I was trying to find different ways. When you're taking a course in sculpting, and then you go to stone cutting, and then to woodworking, people around you start questioning your ambitions and your understanding of those fields…
During that time, I was also studying art history with my nose in the books, which was a totally different thing, but in the end, with what I'm doing now, it's all connected.
LV : Do you feel like your work today resonates with your dad's work in any way?
BS : Oh, I think it resonates mainly in terms of his search for developing techniques in a different way, trying to find his own language in finishing a piece or a material. That’s something I saw my father do, but he wasn't doing it as a designer. He was doing it in a more pragmatic way, such as by looking for different types of patina for example.
LV : I know you work with marble a lot, and that you have great connections with marble producers. Were those connections coming from your dad?
BS : Yes, my dad had them already. Actually, one of those companies still exists now. It was bought by my brother, who is continuing that family marble business. So when I need to cut or do any processes with marble, which is done using big machines and special tools, I go to my brother’s.
Furthermore, a lot of the new relations that I have now with marble providers is mainly due to the fact that they appreciate my work. It's quite easy for me to get access to them, where it would normally not be so simple to buy smaller amounts of rough stones, as it is normally sold at an industrial scale.
For the Belgium black marble, for instance, it took me a couple of years to be able to reach the owner and make my orders. It's very difficult to get. A lot of people in Belgium would even tell you that this marble doesn't exist anymore.
“What I find very interesting in all these old materials is that, since it’s been used for such a long time already, if you can find a way to use it in a different way, it will stand out and be unique.”
— Ben Storms
LV : What's the story behind the Belgium black marble?
BS : Well the Belgium black, it's very difficult to excavate. It's a very expensive stone. The guy who owns it also owns the Belgium gray marble, which my father used a lot in the past. He always said that he was one of the first to put it back on the market, but I don't know if that's true. So there was that connection already. My brother also had a connection with this marble producer. After a couple of... I don't know, maybe one year after I met this guy, I was able to buy his black marble and start working with it. It takes a lot of time and a lot of talking to gain access to it you know…
I don't know how to explain it. Sometimes I can get it, and then a few months later it gets more difficult. For me, it's annoying because my clients need to know if they can get it or not. This black marble is quite exclusive...
There is also another type of marble that I use, the Saint Anne marble, which is also from Belgium. The producer’s quarry closed a long time ago. You cannot get in there anymore. My brother was lucky to be able to buy a leftover stock that they found underneath a big pile of dirt.
The prototype of the “Inhale” coffee table for instance, was made out of this Saint Anne marble. For me, it's fun to do this, to use those materials, because they are so exclusive and hard to find. They are beautiful stones!
It's so interesting. We have a heart for it. We're very happy if we can find these kinds of special things. Maybe the audience would not find it too interesting, but I'm really into it.
LV : In previous interviews, you mentioned about the process of working with different stones, working with marble, and using those materials to achieve mind-bending results, so that they don't seem to be as heavy as they really are. Could you put us back in time when you created your first piece using marble, and tell us how you approached this project? What was your main idea behind it?
BS : My first piece would be the In Vein trestle table. This was my end project in a one year's design course. I chose to work with marble, because I grew up with this stone and so I had more knowledge about it.
Then, I basically summed up different characteristics of marble, just easy things that everybody understands: it's heavy, it's cold, sometimes it's kitsch, it breaks easily, etc. I compiled 25 different characteristics associated with marble.
Then, I looked for ways to do something different with it, because what I find interesting in these very old materials is that, since they have been used for such a long time already, you can find new and creative ways to use them, to make them stand out.
The first ideas I had were about making it look very heavy. I wanted to use the mass and the weight and the monumental aspect of the stone, a piece of that would weigh about 10 tons. But the teachers wouldn't allow me, although they liked the idea. At first they said, "Okay, if you're going to do this, you’ll automatically pass the course, because this is a good idea. You can make it, but we're just one month into the course, so try to come up with something different for now." Only then I came up with the idea of a trestle table. Therefore, I went in the opposite direction: to make the marble appear super light.
I went for a trestle table because it's the mother of all tables. I also had the idea of using it as a double function, where the back of the table would be a mirror. I thought I could polish the back of the table to get a mirror look, and then I thought of making it look like a blown up mirror.
About three weeks before the end of the year, I started making and crafting the piece. At first I did some tests, small scale, and then I built the table. The first prototype still exists, so it all worked out from the first attempt, which was fantastic.
LV : Amazing…
BS : Yeah, because all the materials and techniques used to make this piece are quite expensive. I was blowing the metal myself, but cutting the marble was done by my brother, and he wasn’t working for free of course, so those things were quite expensive for a student. But anyway, I took the challenge. It seems like it worked out well, because I'm still getting orders for this piece now.
“I’m mostly inspired when I have the time to let my mind wander and just dream away.”
LV : When a new client comes in and he wants you to create something new and different for him or when you think of a piece that you want to create for yourself, do you start on a blank page or do you always have an idea in advance of what you want to create, such as notes from previous ideas which you could revisit?
BS : Well, it's been a long time since I created something new actually. Which is quiet annoying. But I'm basically working on those two projects now for most of my time, the trestle table and the coffee table. I'm trying to reorganize myself, and try to delegate more work, so that I would have more time to create new stuff.
But to answer your question, I think ... The two pieces I did were just for myself, so it was not an assignment. I could have done whatever I wanted, which I liked a lot. I have different things in my mind now that I want to create in the future, so mostly it's just an inspiration that I get, sometimes when looking at art or something else apart from design. When I have the time to just wander and dream away, that's mostly when my ideas come up.
I have clients now that ask me to make something special for them, something new. That's something new for me also, but I feel that it's not easy, because they say that they give you carte blanche, but they still have something in mind that I would be trying to satisfy, so I would still be a bit restricted. I feel like this type of work is more difficult…
For the last item that I created, for instance, the black marble mirror seems blown, but it’s not. Because of the look, you don’t make the connection to marble anymore, as it looks like something that has been blown with air pressure. I like these kind of illusions a lot, basically tricking people to think that what they see is impossible.
LV : You mentioned earlier that you approached your first project by identifying a group of words which would guide your project’s direction. Is this a process that you often go through, or do you approach each project differently?
BS : No, the first piece, the trestle table, my starting point was just marble, just the one material. Then I summed up the words that are usually connected to that, like all the characteristics of the material. I then looked for a way to do something different with it, I wanted to go against the characteristics of marble.
Again, I made a lightweight marble table, which doesn’t normally exist. Two people can easily carry it, it’s only four millimeters thick which is also something that you don’t have with marble. Then the marble rests on trestles, also something you don’t do with marble plates because it would normally break.
So, there I just wanted to go against all the usual characteristics and then I searched for the right way and form to do that.
For the second piece, the Inhale coffee table, I was just looking at a remnant piece of marble; the Saint Anne that I was talking about earlier. It was just right in front of me and I loved the shape of the natural, rough side of the stone. I wanted to use that rough side as a coffee table. I started to think of a way to lift it up and balance it straight.
I wanted to make it seem almost invisible in the back and underneath, like jelly. After a while I remembered the first test I ever did to make this type of metal - to blow metal pillows.
It just clicked with me, that I could blow a metal pillow underneath the stone and it would take the shape of the stone and be balanced. The polished reflective object would just seem to disappear.
Just like that, I had my solution and I finished it the day before a fair in Belgium. The trestle table took me almost a year to develop and then the coffee table was just an instantaneous idea coming to life.
I never work on the computer. I have my schedule book, which is mainly filled with ideas, more written ideas than drawings. But, once I start a project, I will start in the workshop making it and testing the material. I will try to make it on scale, one to one and try to make it as if the first piece is going to be sold. I always try to get it right the first time around.
“I like these kind of illusions a lot, basically
tricking people to think what they see is impossible.”
LV : I also wanted to ask you a question about BRUT collective (Bram Vanderbeke, Cédric Etienne, Charlotte Jonckheer, Linde Freya Tangelder & Nel Verbeke). Have you known them for a long time ? How did you come about deciding to create the Antwerp Six of design?
BS : I’ve actually known Nel Verbeke for a long time. We were both into design and used to work together. She came to me once with the idea of forming this group of designers which would help each work towards collective objectives. I liked the idea. I knew she was involved in the industry and I trusted her, so I instantly said: “Okay, I’m in!” I was following my gut feeling, which is something that I always do.
Although I knew that I didn’t really have time for a collective, as I’m very busy with my own business, finishing all my projects and orders, I still went for it. It was a good choice. I didn’t know all of them. I saw a few things from Bram, who recently finished its studies at the Eindhoven Design Academy, I think. I’ve met Charlotte before, but didn’t know a lot about her. The design scene in Belgium is very small, so we all knew about each other, but didn’t really know one another.
I think it works perfectly, the way we communicate and our set-up, pictures, everything is fantastic. Do you like it?
LV : Yes, absolutely. That’s mostly why I’m asking, as I’m curious to hear your side of the story.
BS : I was actually thinking of doing something like that before, but I never had the time or the right people to do it with. So, when she called me and came up with that very same idea of working together, doing a fair and ultimately being stronger because of that, I think that’s why I immediately agreed to do it. That’s the way to go in the beginning.
LV : In the ideal world, if I could relieve you of all your current work and projects so that you could start the day tomorrow with nothing new on your plate, no deliveries, no due dates, nothing… What kind of project would you be most excited to work on?
BS : Oh my goodness, that is such a difficult question - the absolute dream scenario! I would have the time to do something that is most likely in my head right now. Most probably something sculptural and probably with marble.
LV : Would you go for a bigger or smaller scale project?
BS : A bigger project, I think. Something connected to architecture. It would still be a functional furniture piece, but sensible to its location and surroundings, as if it was becoming a part of it. It would still be a very individual piece, so you would see that it’s a piece on it’s own, but would only fit in that position, in that architecture.
It would probably be a large scale project, so it would lean more toward the sculptural again. I think it could be many different things…
All images by Alex Lesage — threefold.
Ben Storms, Antwerp, Designer, BRUT, Collective, Belgium, Featured, In Conversation
Chloé by Templeton Architecture
Q+A with Interior Designer Katarina Rulinskaya: On Romance in Design and Mixing Modernity with Classicalism
Q+A with Marzena Skubatz, the Photographer Capturing Remote Places Far From Home
Penthouse Antwerpen by Hans Verstuyft Architecten
Oct 16 Q+A with Sonia Trehan, Founder and CEO of the Women Label Aiming to Create a New Sense of Community in Fashion
Oct 9 Vincent Van Duysen : The Poet of Surroundings
Sep 25 In Conversation with Rising French Designer Wendy Andreu
Dec 12 The Importance of Transparency — In Conversation with Fashion Designer Marie-Ève Lecavalier
May 7 From Contemporary Dancer to Award-Winning Furniture and Lighting Designer — In Conversation with John Sorensen of Coil + Drift
Subscribe to anniversary magazine's newsletter to nourish your thoughts with today's creative landscape.
© anniversary-magazine.com, All Rights Reserved - by threefold
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Copyright, Antillean Media Group, 2018.
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Antillean Media Group
The Organisation of American States is in a deep financial crisis
Argument & Insight
IT IS LITTLE KNOWN outside of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and even among its member Governments that it has been in a financial crisis for several years.
The Organisation has survived over the last three years particularly because the two countries that make the large contributions to its regular and special funds have continued to pay.
But, even with the regular payments of 70 per cent of the annual regular budget of the institution by the United States of America and Canada, it has been in financial difficulties. There are two reasons for this: first, five countries have persistently been in arrears of payment of their full quotas; and second, the institution has been given mandates without money to execute them.
This year crunch time has arrived. It was not a task that could be shirked. Therefore, as the Permanent Council convened for its first meeting for 2106 on January 21, as Chairman I delivered the following call to arms to the 33 other Ambassadors representing all the independent countries of the Americas and the Caribbean except Cuba.
“You will recall that at the formal handing over of the Chairmanship of this Council on January 15, I had indicated in my remarks my deep concern about the financial health of the Organisation and my profound anxiety about its capacity to continue to operate, and to serve the interests of the people of our member states.
I had said then that, as Chairman of the Permanent Council, I would be delinquent in my responsibility to the Organisation if I did not urge this Council to give this matter the serious and immediate attention it requires and deserves.
The Organisation’s financial situation is dire. Addressing it cannot be delayed. The very existence of the Organisation is now at risk – and that is not an exaggeration. We start this year with a deficit of almost $19.7 Million. Additionally, the Organisation has no reserve funds. The reserve fund was fully utilised to keep the Organisation functioning, and then only barely. To carry out its operations, the Organisation has been borrowing from Special Funds to finance its regular work.
This is obviously not sustainable for two reasons: First, donors to the Special Funds provide these monies for specific purposes within their national laws and regulations. When the funds are not utilised in the way they were intended, a violation occurs which could lead to their termination. Second, the resources used to address the shortfall have come from the Department of Human Development, Education and Employment. This not only limits the capacity of the Organisation to perform in these vital areas, it also affects the programmes of great value to the majority of member states and their peoples.
For some time now, the Organisation has not been adequately staffed, and programmes and projects have suffered as a result. Staff morale is extremely low, because everyone is aware of the dreadful financial circumstances and are worried about their future. This has led to an outflow of capable people that the Organisation desperately needs.
As the body responsible for overseeing the good governance and the effectiveness of the Institution, we – the Permanent Council – have a special and vital responsibility. Action can no longer be delayed. We have a Budget for 2016 that is unrealistic in absolute terms. It is clear that a new, realistic Budget is required. And, it has to be a Budget supported with actual resources. Therefore, the overall financial future of the Organisation has to be addressed urgently, and solutions have to be found.
There is also the matter of arrears of contributions. This too has to be considered. I want to emphasise that considering the matter of arrears is not directed at any member state and has no political motive. If we fail to act to address these problems now, we may well be presiding over the demise of the Organisation which I know not one of us wants to do.
Therefore, we will hear a presentation from the Secretary for Administration and Finance, Ambassador Jay Anania, after which I encourage a full discussion between us. It is my fervent hope that together we might agree on proposals for going forward”.
A very spirited but serious discussion followed this address and a very sobering presentation by Jay Ananias in which he confirmed that the total balance due to the Organisation by a few defaulting states at the end of last year is US$19.7. He also revealed that the Budget, recently approved for 2016, was unrealistic to carry out the mandates given to the Organisation and to meet its responsibilities to staff. While a Budget of US$84 Million had been approved, a realistic number would be closer to US$115 Million.
Of great concern to the smaller member states of the Organisation, particularly those from the Caribbean, is there is a shortfall of US$3.2 Million in the existing 2016 Budget and it is proposed that it be filled by cutting expenditure in the Department of Human Development, Education and Employment. This is the Department that provides, among other things of benefit to Caribbean countries, scholarships and fellowships for nationals to pursue higher education and training. There was therefore a justified argument from Caribbean delegations against cuts that focussed exclusively or in large measure on this Department.
The OAS has many other values to the Caribbean that space does not permit me to elaborate in this commentary. Suffice to say that the crippling or demise of the Organisation would not be in the Caribbean’s interest. For that matter, to one extent or another, it is not in the interest of any member state to deprive itself of the many opportunities the organisation provides, including for diplomacy to address conflicts and open doors to dialogue.
All the country representatives at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to the Organisation and expressed a desire to tackle its problems realistically. That was the easy part. As Chair, I appointed three Committees to deal with the issues of a realistic Budget, the arrears owed to the Organisation, and its management and financial future.
That is the hard part, and it now lies squarely before member states.
If you like our journalism, subscribe to our news briefs and get the best of AMG delivered to your inbox. You can also like us on Facebook.
Sir Ronald Sanders
Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the US and the OAS. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Sudies at London University and Massey College, University of Toronto. The views expressed are his own.
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2019 Relaunch
AMG explains the Caribbean through authoritative insights on the issues that shape the region's politics, markets, and people. We approach the news differently, with an editorial team of researchers and policy analysts that goes beyond the media's headlines, with incisive briefs on the Caribbean's most important issues.
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Market insights 31 May 2018
FIFTEEN85 South Melbourne releases first tower
Set in the heart of a premier precinct, FIFTEEN85 South Melbourne will be a set of three glass towers, inspired by renowned American artist, Josiah McElhay.
Set in the heart of a premier precinct, FIFTEEN85 South Melbourne will be a set of three glass towers, inspired by renowned American artist, Josiah McElheny. The first tower will be released on Saturday the 23rd of June, 2018.
FIFTEEN85 will be comprised of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes, stunningly designed by the award-winning architect firm Elenberg Fraser, alongside the CEL property development team. Both have worked in collaboration with a shared passion for benefiting the community with innovative design.
Each residence is fully equipped with a high-end suite of modern appliances, fixtures, and finishes. Owners will have access to shared facilities located on the podium level of each tower and, combined, will include a pool, gymnasium, sauna, spa, outdoor entertainment areas, resident’s lounges and resident’s dining rooms.
Too tired to cook after a long day at work? Enjoy the range of cuisines on offer in South Melbourne. Journey down Clarendon Street to find a variety of Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese food — as well as burgers, wraps, salads, kebabs, Mexican… you name it. Make a reservation at Meatworks on Ross Street to feast on delicious, gourmet platters of meat and vegetables.
On the weekend, explore your new backyard. With trams to the CBD mintues from your front door, you can better acquaint yourself with your city. Spend the day meandering along Swanston Street. Stop off at the State library and admire the vaulted, high ceilings and hushed quiet of the upper levels. Immerse yourself in the exhibitions at the Melbourne Museum or, head full of new information, take a break and go shopping at Melbourne Emporium.
As night falls, try your hand at the roulette tables at Crown Casino or order decadent cocktails from the Sky Lounge and enjoy the view of the city skyline, knowing it mirrors the panoramic view you have access to at home. Book a table at iconic Japanese-fusion restaurant, Nobu, for the freshest salmon sashimi and warm sake — perfect for a cold winter’s night.
FIFTEEN85 will be set in the middle of a renewal precinct called the Fishermans Bend Framework, in particular, the currently evolving Montague Precinct. The initiative aims to be a benchmark for sustainable developments by being the largest green star community. By the year 2030, there are plans to have housing for 30,000 people, over 30,000 employment opportunities, and a doubling of open spaces.
Already in the works are four AFL sized ovals, 6 soccer pitches, 8 outdoor courts as well as a new park right outside the doors of FIFTEEN85. Residents can picnic on the grassy lawns of the new park or use the barbecue facilities to host a get-together with friends and family.
If you are a family with children, you will have a range of options for schooling. The Fishermans Bend Framework has already launched the new South Melbourne Primary School, which is adjacent to FIFTEEN85 and is planning a multi-purpose health, arts, and sports hub for residents to use.
“It’s important that there are opportunities for the residents to meet and interact to create meaningful relationships. FIFTEEN85 has been designed with this in mind. It is a vertical community which offers shared spaces as an extension of the home,” says Tim Pearce, CEL Australia’s General Manager.
At FIFTEEN85, you will have access to the best lifestyle amenities Melbourne, one of Australia’s most liveable cities, has to offer.
Presales for FIFTEEN85 residences are available now.
Enquire here to find out more about FIFTEEN85.
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Collision between car and semi kills 82-year-old man
HERREID, S.D. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died from injuries sustained in a crash in Campbell County.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol says the crash happened about 7 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. Highway 83 near Herreid. The patrol says a 36-year-old man driving a semitrailer tried to pass a vehicle and collided with a car driven by an 82-year-old man. The man driving the car died Thursday in a Bismarck, North Dakota hospital.
The patrol says charges are pending against the driver of the semi, who was not injured.
Names of the two men have not been released.
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Ford restructuring to cost 12,000 jobs in Europe
By DAVID McHUGHJune 27, 2019
FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday, March 28, 2019, the Ford Motor company logo at the auto show in Denver, USA. Carmaker Ford said Thursday June 27, 2019, it is shedding 12,000 jobs in Europe as it streamlines operations in the region to increase profitability. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Carmaker Ford said Thursday it is shedding 12,000 jobs in Europe to increase profitability, part of a global trend of cost cuts by automakers facing shifting consumer tastes and heavy investments in electric cars.
The job losses amount to about a fifth of Ford’s work force in Europe and are part of a broad restructuring that includes the previously announced closure of six plants. Ford is reducing its total number of plants in the region to 18.
The company said that the positions would be eliminated mostly through voluntary agreements through the end of 2020. Some 2,000 of the cuts will be salaried positions, part of 7,000 white collar jobs being shed as part of a global restructuring by the Ford Motor Co., which is based in Dearborn, Michigan.
“Separating employees and closing plants are the hardest decisions we make,” said Ford of Europe President Stuart Rowley.
He said the company was “providing support to ease the impact.”
The figure of 12,000 job losses includes some that have already been announced, such as 1,700 from the proposed closing of the engine plant in Bridgend, Wales. Ford is also closing a plant in France, three in Russia, and is selling another in Slovakia.
The losses come from among the 56,000 people employed on salaried, hourly and agency bases by Ford of Europe as of last year.
Ford of Europe, based in Cologne, Germany, said it hopes to “significantly improve” its financial results, after losing $398 million in 2018. Rowley told reporters on a conference call that financials would improve this year but stopped short of predicting a full-year profit.
Ford and other global automakers are facing multiple challenges, including the expensive push to develop electric cars that will help them meet new emission rules in Europe and comply with regulations favoring alternative energy vehicles in China. They need strong profits to fund those investments. Ford of Europe said all its new vehicles would come with an electric variant, such as a battery or battery-internal combustion hybrid, and that it would build a future family of electric vehicles in Europe.
Carmakers are also adapting to a shift in consumer demand to SUVs and to weaker demand for more traditional configurations such as sedans and hatchbacks. Longer-term challenges include the development of autonomous vehicles. Ford is in talks with Volkswagen about possibly developing self-driving cars together.
General Motors said in November that it would lay off 14,000 factory and white-collar workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it restructures to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric technology. Daimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, is working on a cost-cutting program under new CEO Ola Kallenius, while Volkswagen said in March it would eliminate up to 7,000 jobs by 2023. That’s on top of a 2016 job reduction agreement that foresaw the loss of 23,000 jobs through 2020, and the addition of 9,000 through new technology.
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Arkadin Wins International Awards for Achievements in Unified Communications and Collaboration Services
Arkadin Total Connect, a Microsoft Lync hosted service which provides a fully integrated UC ecosystem, captured a Silver and Bronze Stevie for ‘Best New Product or Service of the Year’ in Cloud Services and Telecommunications categories respectively. Silver Stevie awards were won for ‘Customer Service Team of the Year’ and ‘Fastest Growing Company of the Year’ for growth in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Arkadin was also recognized in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as a Service, Multiregional, published August 28, 2014.
American Business Awards
In addition, the American Business Awards granted a Bronze Stevie for Arkadin’s Video Managed Services in the ‘Best New Telecommunications Service’ category. The new managed services capability extends Arkadin’s current online ArkadinVideo hosted desktop and room solutions to offer a complete set of end-to-end video services, incorporating top-tier hybrid and traditional on-premise video rooms.
“We believe this level of recognition is a tremendous privilege and testament to the strength of Arkadin’s product and service value proposition,” says Jean-Benoist Miecaze, senior vice president product and marketing for Arkadin. “By remaining focused on exceptional UC and Collaboration services, coupled with the highest level of client care, we will continue to outperform and delight our clients.”
The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – are eligible to submit nominations. The 2014 IBAs received entries from more than 60 nations and territories. More than 3,500 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.
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Flying the Green Flag for Wilton Park
Friends of Wilton Park group with park grounds staff and the flag.
Volunteers celebrated the payoff from all their hard work when the Green Flag was raised at Wilton Park.
The prestigious seal of quality was awarded to the park during a difficult time for Kirklees Council as funding cuts begin to bite.
Friends of Wilton Park chairman Jason Hawkins said: “The friends group is delighted with the news that Wilton Park has achieved the prestigious Green Flag Status. It is a symbol of all of the hard work put in by so many people to keep our park a place that users from all over the area love to come and visit.
“During what are difficult financial times for the council including local parks staff, its inspiring to see their hard work and dedication and also what can be achieved when the community pulls together for better things.”
Parks are assessed them against eight strict criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.
A total of 1,582 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens across the UK met the standard needed to receive the award this year.
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Road Trip Report: Todd Rundgren and Utopia in Denver
Entertainment | May 31, 2018
Kelly J. Hayes
Special to The Aspen Times
Todd Rundgren, of Utopia, performing at the Paramount Theatre in Denver on May 24.
Linda Hayes/Special to the Aspen Times
Utopia, fronted by Todd Rundgren, played a show for the ages — and the aging — at Denver’s Paramount Theatre last week.
The rousing and emotional two-plus-hour performance gave fans, most of whom have long longed for a reunion of the 1970s and ’80s prog-rock and pop group — an opportunity to hear live these songs that were stalwarts of the Utopia shows from over 30 years ago. It also offered a long-awaited return for Rundgren to show off, once again, his prowess as one of rock’s most talented guitar heroes. For many of his solo tours, most supporting recently released recordings, the solo guitar elements have taken a back seat. Not at the Paramount.
In front of an 80 percent sold theater, the band showed more than flashes of their former brilliance as they played two distinctly different sets. The first focused on lengthy, instrumental-driven power anthems, while the second augured toward the shorter, vocally oriented pop songs of the group’s later recordings in the ’80s.
Providing even more contrast between the sets was a costume and set change that brought drummer John “Willie” Wilcox off a raised podium to center stage for the second act. The enthusiastic crowd welcomed both sets warmly.
The first three songs, the “Utopia Theme,” naturally, an excerpt from the 30-minute opus “The Ikon,” and the title song from the 1975 recording of “Another Live,” were played back-to-back-to-back for an epic half-hour of technical intensity that showcased the band’s proficiency and a place in time (the mid-1970s to be exact).
With original Utopia members Kasim Sulton on bass and Wilcox on drums, and newly minted Gil Assayas on synthesizer and keyboards, the band was tight, taut and dramatic. Each of the pieces performed was faithful to the original compositions and the power of the music brought back the vibe of earlier concert endeavors.
But clearly the star of the evening was Rundgren.
On the six guitars he rotated during the performance, he played the lightning leads and power chord progressions that have defined his nearly 50-year career. It is not just his skills that make him unique, and utterly revered by both his loyal fans and other guitarists. It is his style of phrasing. Notes are not wasted and momentary pauses lend emotional force to his playing. He tells a story, renders a feeling, inspires a thought with each solo or lead. There are obviously other talented players in rock, but none are quite like Rundgren.
The first half of the show moved with alacrity and offered little in the way of banter with the crowd. In fact, other than a brief “Hello” and a request to “give me a moment, the altitude is getting to me,” Rundgren kicked off the songs without introduction. But the assembled knew not just each song, but seemingly each chord change and responded in unison. Even when Utopia drifted from “Back on the Street” to a jazzy and jumpy rendition of Leonard Bernstein’s classic Broadway showstopper “Something’s Coming” from “West Side Story,” the faithful were ready to respond.
Part two of the performance seemed a bit more casual and allowed the other performers to step forward. Wilcox, who has a day job as the musical coordinator for a gaming company, seemed to be having the time of his life as he beat on a Ludwig kit and took to a vocal on “Princess of the Universe.” Sulton, who sang lead on many of the band’s more well-known numbers, like “Swing to The Right” and “Set Me Free,” showed that he still retains his vocal chops. His distinctive, if somewhat limited, vocal range is a familiar element of the Utopia songbook.
And the newest addition, Assayas, a 31-year-old Israeli keyboard player who stepped in at the last minute to save the tour when original Utopian Ralph Shuckett bowed out because of health issues, brought an energy and confidence to his playing. If there were to be another tour for Utopia, Assayas surely has earned a spot on it.
There were a few imperfections in the evening. The video wall, which for the most part was spectacular, providing psychedelic and real-world images that were the eye candy for the performance, had an irritating black box glitch through much of the show. And, after two hours, Todd’s voice gave way on the higher octaves.
But when the night got late and the band seamlessly transitioned from the fury of “Rock Love” to the lyrical “Love is the Answer,” and eventually an encore performance of “Just One Victory,” the audience sang along as though they were one.
For the crowd, the vast majority of whom were old enough to remember these anthems from their youth, this was not a rehash of days gone by. Rather, the concert had the aura of a revival. A return to a feeling that marked the way they, and their beloved band, still hope life will be: A Utopia.
You can catch Utopia on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Wednesday, June 6.
Art and World War II dog-sledding artifacts on display at Ashcroft Ski Touring
Review: A varied taste of American classical music at Aspen Music Fest
Aspen Chapel Gallery to open Bauhaus-inspired show
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Tenants above fitness studio file lawsuit over noise
Rick Carroll
The workout music from the Pure Barre fitness studio in downtown Aspen has the owners of the penthouse above it pumped up, but not in a good way.
Chicago-based KN-Aspen Core LLC is suing the proprietor of the Pure Barre franchise at 620 E. Hyman Ave. and seeking an injunction to force the business to lower the “unreasonably loud and annoying music, noise and vibrations” that it claims are seeping into the penthouse.
KN-Aspen lost its effort Wednesday to have a temporary restraining order to immediately have Pure Barre turn down its music. Judge Denise Lynch, in a one-page ruling, denied the request on the grounds that she did not find an emergency existed to put such an order in place.
KN-Aspen Core bought the 3,360-square-foot penthouse for $9 million in February 2015. The remodeled four-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath condo is used for short-term rentals and is advertised for $80,000 a month.
The current tenant, however, “is threatening to prematurely end his tenancy as a direct result of the music, noise and vibrations from Unit 2 (the Pure Barre studio),” alleges the suit, which was filed Tuesday in Pitkin County District Court.
Pure Barre owner Jordan Bullock, the defendant in the suit, said Wednesday she has made good-faith efforts to placate KN-Aspen and its renters by keeping the exercise music at a reasonable level. The business has used a decibel meter to maintain a noise level that is well within the city’s limit of 65 decibels, Bullock said. She said that the meter, when placed in the penthouse roughly 15 months ago, didn’t eclipse the 35-decibel level.
“My music is not loud,” she said. “I have a decibel reader in my studio that we check periodically in my class, in my lobby. Maybe they cross 30 decibels.”
CJ Oliver, the city’s environmental health director, confirmed Bullock’s account, noting that at her and the property manager’s request, he tested the sound levels in December 2015.
“When we were there, (the decibel level) was about 35,” he said. “It’s hard to find a (downtown) space that quiet.”
That noise level is about equal to the sound from a television with a low volume, said Bullock, who has been a tenant in the same location for about seven years.
Pure Barre has daily classes that start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m.
KN-Aspen’s suit does not cite the city’s noise ordinance, but instead relies on rules from the condominium declaration for what is known as the Tamarawood Building.
“No sound shall be emitted on any part of the project which is unreasonably loud or annoying,” the declaration reads, according to the suit.
The suit continues, “KN-Aspen is only asking to restrain defendant from doing something that she is already prohibited from doing, i.e. emit unreasonably loud or annoying noise. Defendant will still be able to run her business and her customers will still be well-served, but the current and future tenants of the Tamarawood Penthouse will also finally be able to quietly enjoy their stays.”
The suit also argues that the “Tamarawood Penthouse is one of the most unique and exclusive rental properties in Aspen. Because of the defendants’ actions, the Tamarawood Penthouse has demonstrably begun to develop a negative reputation within the Aspen broker community. Prospective tenants are brought to the Tamarawood Penthouse either primarily or entirely through the Aspen broker community; therefore, a negative reputation within that community represents a significant and irreparable loss.”
Litigation over downtown noise is hardly a novelty in Aspen. One of the more high-profile lawsuits involved a married couple who owned an upstairs residence on the so-called restaurant row section on the 300 block of East Hopkins Avenue. The owners, New York married couple Michael Sedoy and Natalia Shvachko, sued a host of defendants over the years, including Aspen Brewing Co. and Bootsy Bellows, which have since relocated to other downtown spots. In early 2016, the couple bought the commercial space, which remains vacant.
Attorneys for KN-Aspen could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
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Welcome Welcome Welcome Welcome Welcome v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v
The Aspirin Foundation helps to increase awareness and medical research interest in this vitally important medicine by stimulating the distribution and exchange of information and discussion on all aspects of Aspirin, including current research as well as old and new therapeutic uses for it.
The Aspirin Foundation is guided by an independent International Scientific Advisory Board.
Professor Carlo Patrono (Catholic University of Rome), Chair of the International Aspirin Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board states; “This is an exciting opportunity to review and discuss recent advances in antithrombotic therapy, from both a basic science and clinical perspective, and to revisit aspirin’s role in modern medicine”.
The event is open to academics, medical specialists, researchers and healthcare professionals, but tickets are limited. Day delegates are welcome, and the conference rate is €200 per person (tickets include all refreshments). For more information visit the 2019 Conference page by clicking on the picture above.
Terms & Conditions | Branding Guidelines | Privacy | Cookies | Disclaimer
Copyright © 2019 Aspirin Foundation
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"I'm interested in inner beauty. A person who has that can be shot in many different ways." — Anton Corbijn
@U2 Swinging to the Music 2004
Three Parties. Three Cities. One Night.
November 21, 2004, in Boston, Seattle, and St. Louis
We've always thought that anything worth doing is worth doing three times, so with U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb just around the corner, @U2 celebrated the new album with three parties in three cities on the same night!
@U2 Swinging to the Music is what we called it, and U2 fans joined us for an evening of fun in Boston, Seattle, and St. Louis on the evening of November 21st -- just two days before the album was released in North America.
PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH
We chose the African Well Fund as our designated charity for this event, and welcomed an AWF representative as our guest at each party.
The African Well Fund is a charity created by fellow U2 fans to help bring the gift of water to Africa. Please visit their web site (link above) to learn more about the wonderful work this group of U2 fans is doing.
When all was said and done, and all expenses and revenues were balanced, @U2 was thrilled to be able to present a check to the African Well Fund in the amount of $1,113.00!
Thanks to all the U2 fans who came out for our events -- use the city names below to click to individual "party pages" for each event, where you'll find a brief recap and some photos from the festivities.
click the city name for more information about that event
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School unveils Dooley statue
ATHENS, Ga. --- Some prominent Georgia alumni -- including a few who played for Vince Dooley -- returned to lead the cheers as a statue depicting the former coach and athletic director was unveiled on Saturday.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, who was a walk-on player at Georgia, and Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne, who was part of one of Dooley's first recruiting classes, spoke at the dedication of the Vince Dooley Athletic Complex before the Georgia Tech-Georgia game.
Payne, the former head of the Atlanta Olympics committee, led fundraising efforts for the statue, which depicts Dooley being lifted onto the shoulders of two offensive linemen.
"I'm glad I came along when they lifted the coach up instead of pouring Gatorade over them because that might have been difficult to sculpture," Dooley joked.
The statue was created by Athens sculptor Stan Mullins.
Dooley won a school-record 201 games, six Southeastern Conference championships and the 1980 national title as Georgia's coach from 1964-88. He was athletic director from 1979-2004, a tenure that included 23 national championships and 78 SEC titles by the school's various teams.
The statue has been installed in a new garden area that was constructed next to the Spec Towns track and field stadium and the Butts-Mehre football building.
The Dooley athletic complex includes the track, Butts-Mehre building, the football practice fields, Stegeman Coliseum and the new Coliseum training facility, Foley Field baseball stadium, the Rankin M. Smith Sr. Student-Athlete Academic Center, and the Dan Magill tennis complex, including Henry Feild Stadium.
The project was received warmly by Dooley, though many of his supporters instead wanted to see his name placed on Sanford Stadium.
University of Georgia president Michael Adams opposed the efforts to have Dooley's name added to the football stadium.
Adams was generous in his praise of the former coach on Saturday, even though the project exceeded its original estimated cost of $1 million.
Payne said Dooley "provided the fundamental framework for most of our lives."
"We honor a 45-year devotion to our great university," Payne said. "... We honor a consistent example of honor and integrity he has set for us.
"I speak for the hundreds of players when I tell you from the bottom of my heart, coach Dooley, we love you."
Dooley also was joined by three of his four children and eight of his 11 grandchildren. His son Derek is the head coach at Louisiana Tech, which played Saturday.
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Augusta library offers free genealogy research help
By Erika Wells Staff Writer
Apr 14, 2019 at 5:12 PM Apr 14, 2019 at 5:12 PM
There's help for anyone who has had difficulty digging deeper into their family tree through free genealogy services at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library Main Building.
The "Beyond Basics: Taking Genealogy Research to the Next Level" program is available in the HQ Library Auditorium A at 823 Telfair St. at 10:30 a.m. April 23. Tina Rae Floyd started the class as a follow-up to a beginner genealogy course to help those who had hit a wall in research, which is a common problem, Floyd said.
"There are people who have made mistakes in their research and need guidance in how to get unstuck and back up a little bit to find the right paths in their own family stories," she said.
"We're trying to help people know that they're not alone. There are other avenues and ways like networking with other people to learn different skills that will help them find success in their own families. That's the end goal. ... Just come and look especially if you have an interest just in general history."
The program offers several print resources such as cemetery records, city business logs and yearbooks, which the public is encouraged to donate. Digital guides include the Ancestry Library Edition, which is affiliated with the large genealogy company Ancestry.com. Also, the library promotes FamilySearch.org, a free database run by the Church of Latter-Day Saints with an emphasis on digitatizing their records. FamilySearch grants access to additional records through the library.
"Only 5 percent of the records out there are digitized," said Tina Monaco, historian with the library. "There are still so many records that still will require people to go to archives, museums, historical societies, cemeteries and courthouses. It takes leg work. People come in because they've exhausted the research they can do online but there's so much more that's open to them if they're willing to do the work."
For more information or to reserve a spot, call (706) 826-1511. To check out the blog, visit genealogy.arcpls.org.
The "One-on-One Help for Beginners" class is available in the Georgia Room. During each hour-long session, those who have hit a snag in the research process will be coached on a plan to pick up from where they left. Call to schedule a slot, which is by appointment only.
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Alice Sebold's debut novel, 2002's The Lovely Bones, was a tremendous sensation and an international bestseller. The story of a 14-year-old girl raped, murdered, dismembered, and watching from heaven as her friends and family deal with her death is surprisingly poetic, given the subject matter. It's a strange, delicate sort of mystery novel, in which the reader knows who the killer is from the beginning, but the characters (apart from his victim, Susie Salmon) don't; the question is whether he'll be caught, and whether Susie will come to terms with her death either way.
Sebold paused while writing Lovely Bones to write another book, Lucky, an unflinching, mesmerizing memoir about her own violent rape, and the subsequent capture and trial of her rapist. Violence and torment surface yet again in her third book, the new novel The Almost Moon, which begins with a 49-year-old woman instinctively murdering her senile, mentally ill mother, then alternately deals with the preceding decades and the following 24 hours, shaping a picture of why it happened and following what Helen does next. While on tour supporting Almost Moon, Sebold spoke with The A.V. Club about finding her voice, avoiding her reviews, and the Lovely Bones film adaptation that Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson is helming.
The A.V. Club: You've said you didn't start writing The Almost Moon with that much-discussed first line, "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily." What was the first thing you wrote?
Alice Sebold: I have no idea. [Laughs.] I mean, if I went into my closet, I could find a previous draft and try to figure that out, but it takes a long time for me to find the voice to tell a story in. I was working from other points of view for a couple years there.
AVC: How do you find the voice you want? Do you outline and plan, or just sit down and write and see where it takes you?
AS: Yeah, I don't outline and plan, I just work with what I unattractively call "the subconscious stew."
AVC: Do you have any sense of how many drafts or how many directions you went through for this book?
AS: I know that I wrote pretty far into three different points of view before I found Helen's voice.
AVC: What do you do with the discarded versions? Do you keep them around to mine, or for posterity, or are you the slash-and-burn kind?
AS: I'm not a slash-and-burn kind, and I'm also not a posterity kind. They just kind of exist on my hard drive. It's like walking down the street—what you leave behind is still there, even if you never go back and revisit it.
AVC: What's your actual writing process like?
AS: I wake up very early in the morning. I like to start in the dark, and I never work at night, because my brain is evaporated by 4 p.m.
AVC: Do you work with a goal? A set number of hours, or a set number of words or pages?
AS: Depending on where I am in the process, sometimes I have a page count and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have an hour count; sometimes I'm just happy to string a few words together. I do keep pretty rigorous hours, because otherwise you never get anything done.
AVC: How did you know with Almost Moon when you'd found the voice you wanted to stick with?
AS: I guess it's like the same way a musician feels when they hit the right note. It was the marriage of the obsessions and the voice, and it just sounded right to me. To my ear, it was right.
AVC: The book has a very different voice from The Lovely Bones—less poetic, more blunt and practical. Was that a conscious choice?
AS: Well, they're two different people with two different experiences and lives, so they have voices that are different from one another. I think I'm not interested in repeating myself, so to me it would be a happy thing that Helen's voice is different than Susie's.
AVC: When you wrote Lucky, did you find that non-fiction required a similar process of having to write and rewrite to find your direction?
AS: Well, it's my voice, so it's more accessible that way, and there are also all sorts of things like plot and timelines that are already known entities, so for me, it's very different from writing fiction.
AVC: When you write to see where the story goes, do the characters wind up surprising you?
AS: Sure. In some sense, I would say just about everything does. It's not true and it is true, in that Helen, once I had the voice, she really directed the specifics of the book in some ways. In other words, she tells me as much as I tell her, so it's a coupling in that way.
AVC: Are there points along the way where you have to take control back? Do you ever have concerns about where the characters are taking the book?
AS: It's hard, because when you talk about process or your characters ruling your narrative, it sounds like you have no control, but obviously you're ultimately the author, so you do have control.
AVC: Do you find yourself judging their behavior? Do you have a moral judgment about the things Helen does?
AS: No, I just leave that up to people who read it. [Laughs.] Moral judgment's not a big thing for me.
AVC: It seems like her backstory is designed to draw sympathy and to make people understand why she does what she does, but she sees herself fairly unsympathetically.
AS: Right. Well, she judges herself, partially, which I think is a pretty common phenomenon.
AVC: Does that give you more freedom to not judge her one way or the other, because she does that for you?
AS: I hadn't really thought about that. I just write the character. I don't know if I've got an answer to that one. [Laughs.]
AVC: Sometimes it's hard in the book to tell why she's doing what she's doing; she herself periodically says, "I don't know why I did that. I don't know where that came from." Do you yourself feel like you know?
AS: I think it's an interesting thing to me, because we have this desire for everything to be explained to us. But if you go through your daily actions, very little ends up having a written-down explanation for why things happen, or why people do specific things. So it made sense to me to reflect the human condition that not every action has an explanation. We act, and then later maybe come to an understanding about it, or maybe not.
[pagebreak]
AVC: An awful lot of what's been written about you seems like attempts to explain your books. People want The Lovely Bones to come out of your own experience with rape, and The Almost Moon to come out of your own relationship with your mother. Do you think those comparisons are valid?
AS: I think I understand the instinct, but I think it's a lazy way to read a book.
AVC: Is it any easier with non-fiction, where people are less likely to want to decode what you're saying?
AS: Well, while [The Lovely Bones'] Susie Salmon was the character that people were talking about, I had to repeatedly comment that I was not dead. With The Almost Moon, I must repeatedly comment that my mother is alive.
AVC: But when people ask about your relationship with your mother, they're obviously not asking, "Have you killed your mother lately?" They're asking whether you want to. Is that a difficult question to hear?
AS: I think a lot of people ask questions that they don't want to answer themselves, and if we're honest about the intimacy that we have with our parents, you wish them the best and you wish them the worst more than anybody else in the world. I think everyone has had a moment in their life where they wished a parent ill, and I think it's perhaps a very romantic idea that that doesn't happen.
AVC: All your books start with very arresting first lines, and it seems like a lot of the coverage of The Almost Moon in particular has focused so much on that first line that it almost overshadows the rest of the book.
AS: Things are reductive in society, so I think that that happens. Books and novels in particular that grapple with quite a few things are difficult to explain, so I think that first line can come in a substitute for trying to form a longer sense of what the book is about.
AVC: With The Lovely Bones, you said that you "kept your head down" and didn't realize what a huge phenomenon it had become until six months after the publication. Are you doing the same thing with The Almost Moon? Are you aware of how it's doing?
AS: I'm not reading my reviews this time out, which was a choice I made a couple weeks ago. I think at a certain point, when you're touring, at least the way I am right now, you have to just keep your head down, because it's really only about going from city to city and making sure you answer the phone when someone such as yourself rings it.
AVC: Do you think it's possible for the book to get a fair reading after The Lovely Bones was such a huge success?
AS: I think a long time from now, yes. Right now, probably not. I think some people can, and will. The nice thing about books is, they can just hang out as a physical object for a very long time.
AVC: When you're writing, do you think about that—how your work might be taken in 20 years, as opposed to how it's going to be read when it's published?
AS: No, I don't think about either one of those things. [Laughs.]
AVC: What do you think about? Do you have an ideal reader in mind, or an ideal future for the book?
AS: No, I really just focus on the process of the work. For me, that really is what it's all about.
AVC: Has that process changed any over time? Did having a mega-bestseller change how you work?
AS: Ultimately, in the end, it did not, but it took me a little while just to get back to the fact that I was going to be the same weird person that wrote my first book.
AVC: Did you feel any pressure, from the audience from the first book waiting for a follow-up?
AS: I think in some ironic sense, it was good that I had a two-book deal when I sold The Lovely Bones, so I didn't earn some huge, whopping advance for the second book, so I didn't feel like I had to deliver some book that was guaranteed to make back my publishers all this money they had fronted based on the success of The Lovely Bones. I had a deadline, which meant I had to fulfill an authority figure, which has great weight with me, but at the same time, I had made them enough money that even if they had exerted pressure—which they didn't—I wouldn't have felt it. I kind of felt guiltless in that way. That was the upside of not having the book to sell.
AVC: With the two-book contract fulfilled, what's next?
AS: I've started something, which I don't talk about, and I don't think about deals or publishing or anything at all right now.
AVC: Do you think that's not going to come until you've actually completed it?
AS: I have no idea. I'm not going to get into that discussion. [Laughs.]
AVC: Has your lifestyle changed? You spend a lot of time on the road, and you do public speaking, yes?
AS: I don't do much public speaking. I did a lot of stuff for Bones, and then ended up having said yes to a lot of things that kept me on the road for a while for that, but then I pretty much stopped. I'm touring for this book, but when the tour is done, that'll be the end of it.
AVC: Do you get a lot of calls for people wanting you to come speak about Lucky and your experiences?
AS: I've gotten a lot of those in the past, but since I haven't said yes to most things in the last few years, they've dwindled.
AVC: Why refuse public speaking?
AS: I get sick to my stomach and I throw up. Is that a good reason? [Laughs.]
AVC: So you're just not comfortable with it?
AS: No. It's something that I know how to do because I taught for a very long time, so I can do it, and I feel a responsibility to do it—for instance, in this situation, where I'm touring specifically for this period of time. But most writers are not public people. There are a few writers out there who really enjoy it and are good at it, and can both work and do that at the same time, but I'm not one of those people.
AVC: Are you involved with the film adaptation of The Lovely Bones?
AS: I'm just a friendly bystander who they occasionally ask questions of. That's my level of involvement.
AVC: Are you comfortable with that? Do you want any more or less?
AS: I'm fine with whatever comes my way, and whatever doesn't come my way I'm fine with too. I have a very laissez-faire attitude with the whole thing.
AVC: It seems like a very unusual film for director Peter Jackson, considering his last four films. Has he talked to you at all about what he saw in the book that he particularly wants to bring on to the screen?
AS: I don't want to get into the specifics of any of that kind of stuff. I'll let him answer any questions about his vision.
AVC: Is it a concern to you that he get the book "right"?
AS: It's his film. I think that if you're somebody who's a control freak, the process would make you crazy, but I'm kind of a process freak, so I'm excited to see what he does with it. I know it's not going to be my book, so just starting with that knowledge frees me from having to get all freaked out about it.
Recent from Tasha Robinson
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TV dinners: 25 shows to binge-watch this Thanksgiving weekend
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Phoenix Suns declining to pick up Dragan Bender's fourth-year option not surprising
In reviewing the latest part of Dragan Bender's time in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns declining their fourth-year option on him shouldn't be a surprise.
Phoenix Suns declining to pick up Dragan Bender's fourth-year option not surprising In reviewing the latest part of Dragan Bender's time in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns declining their fourth-year option on him shouldn't be a surprise. Check out this story on azcentral.com: https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2018/10/31/phoenix-suns-declining-dragan-benders-option-not-surprising/1829865002/
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic Published 9:45 a.m. MT Oct. 31, 2018 | Updated 3:19 p.m. MT Oct. 31, 2018
During training camp, first-year NBA head coach Igor Kokoskov breaks down 7-footer Dragan Bender's role for the 2018-19 season. Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
Suns' Dragan Bender warms up before a game against the Kings at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. on October 1, 2018.(Photo: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports)
“Basically, he was a G-League guy when he came here.” – Igor Kokoskov.
That’s not what's usually said about a fourth overall draft pick, but that’s what the Phoenix first-year head coach said about Dragan Bender during training camp last month in Flagstaff.
So the Suns declining their fourth-year option on Bender, who Phoenix selected in 2016, shouldn’t be surprising.
Beyond Phoenix clearing $5.8 million in salary he would’ve been guaranteed next season, as noted by ESPN, the 7-footer from Croatia has played 10 mop-up minutes in three of the Suns' first six games this season.
Averaging a mere 5.3 points in his career, Bender had just two points going into Wednesday's game against San Antonio.
“It is what it is," Bender said after Wednesday's shootaround. "At the end of the day, it's not about the option. It's about playing. It's about getting out there and playing in the games and being on the court and contributing to the team."
Kokoskov was asked Tuesday afternoon what Bender must do to play more.
“He has to keep himself ready,” Kokoskov said after Tuesday's practice. “There’s nothing he’s doing wrong right now.”
Kokoskov said Bender has put in the work in the gym, during and after hours, but said “there’s no way we can rotate 13 guys.”
He added that things could change and that Bender should be ready when called upon.
Suns coach Igor Kokoskov talks about 7-footer Dragan Bender, the former fourth overall pick who has played a total of 10 minutes in three games. Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
Bender's waiting.
"I'm definitely ready to be out there and to play and to contribute," Bender said. "I worked hard all summer for this and I'm waiting for my opportunity."
That opportunity may come, but it looks like Phoenix is ready to move into the future without him.
"We're all here for one reason, that's playing basketball," Bender said. "If you're on the bench watching the whole game for 48 minutes, it's tough, definitely, but you've just got to be professional. You've got to come each and every day working on your game and be ready for the call."
Bender was the only Suns player to play in all 82 games last season, but team owner Robert Sarver fired Ryan McDonough, the general manager who made Bender the youngest player in the NBA back in 2016.
He turns 21 on Nov. 17.
💪🏻 #TimeToRisepic.twitter.com/vLgA81o3ko
— Dragan Bender (@DBender03) June 16, 2018
Bender has a new coach who has asked him to do more than launch away from 3-point range.
“For us, he’s a power forward, a four-man,” Kokoskov said during training camp about Bender, who averaged just 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games in the 2018 NBA Summer League.
“He’s got to find a way to guard people, contain ball better. To be more involved and have more presence under the basket when it comes to rebounding, rim protection.”
Deandre Ayton is still learning, but the No. 1 overall pick has the talent to do those things.
Tyson Chandler isn’t as athletic as he once was, but the veteran can still be a paint presence.
Richaun Holmes isn't a shooter like Bender, but he’s athletic, active and established himself as that third big for the Suns.
Adding all that up equates to Bender being at the end of the bench.
Dragan Bender, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, talks about his personal goals going into the 2018-19 season. Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
Bender came into this season a career 34.5 percent 3-point shooter. He looked to be more aggressive and felt good about fitting into Kokoskov’s offense.
“Try to get more downhill towards the basket and create for myself and just play basketball out there,” said Bender during training camp.
“Somebody covers me, kick it out to the shooters. We have a great group of guys this year who can really shoot the ball from the outside. It’s going to be a point of emphasis for us to shoot more and more 3s.”
Bender hasn’t been part of that 3-point barrage.
He’s 0 for 1 from distance, but has played very little in large part because he’s struggled doing the things Kokoskov asked of him outside of shooting, starting with the first preseason game against Sacramento.
Bender had a sequence of plays in which Harry Giles III dunked on him in transition, he badly missed a 3 and 5-11 Frank Mason III stripped him in the paint.
During this, fans shouted, “Trade him!”
Kokoskov was asked after the game how he could boost Bender’s confidence.
His answer?
“Players play the game,” Kokoskov said. “He’s got to step up to the stage on whatever is required. Be more focused. He has to play the game. We can’t play the game for him. We’re not buying into him missing shots. There’s so many other areas he can help this team.”
Suns Dragan Bender warms-up before a game against the Kings at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. on October 1, 2018. (Photo: Patrick Breen/The Republic)
Kokoskov admitted that same night Bender’s versatility could work against him, saying players have to be “extremely good at something.”
He noted Bender's shooting ability, but once again mentioned his defense.
“He’s got to be better defensively,” Kokoskov said. “He’s got to guard forwards. This is a small league. He’s got to contain the ball. If he’s a 5, he’s got to rebound and fight with those guys.”
Kokoskov has acknowledged Bender’s youth, saying he “skipped some steps” in his journey to the NBA, but also said during camp he has to “grow up fast” – and more.
“That’s his transition from being a boy to a man,” Kokoskov said.
As Bender said, he’ll continue to work to make it in the NBA, but just looking at his time in the league, especially this latest chapter, it shouldn’t be a surprise Phoenix isn’t picking up his fourth-year option.
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Russell Westbrook trade rumors: What the Suns could offer the Thunder
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US doctors’ stand on circumcision changes again
by Michael Cook | 1 Sep 2012 | Link
For the fourth time in 40 years the American Academy of Pediatricians has changed its tune on the controversial topic of infant circumcision. It now says that “preventive health benefits of elective circumcision of male newborns outweigh the risks of the procedure”. These benefits include: “significant reductions in the risk of urinary tract infection in the first year of life and, subsequently, in the risk of heterosexual acquisition of HIV and the transmission of other sexually transmitted infections”.
The AAP has worded its new policy carefully. The benefits do not appear to be significant enough to justify recommending routine circumcision, but enough to justify it for parents who insist on it. This neat compromise will allow Jewish and Muslim families to circumcise their sons without acrimonious disputes.
On the ethics of circumcision, the AAP has little to say. Its brief statement did not address the problem of non-consent from the infant. In the US the popularity of the procedure has been in decline, but half of newborn boys are still circumcised. Opponents, known as “intactivists”, claim that it is a potentially dangerous cosmetic procedure which amounts to genital mutilation.
Neither side seems to have an open-and-shut case. Elizabeth Reis, of the University of Oregon, points out in the Bioethics Forum of The Hastings Center that the AAP has changed its mind on the issue several times. In 1971 the AAP decided that it was not a medical necessity; in 1989 that it might be helpful; in 1999 that it probably wasn’t; and now that it probably is.
MORE ON THESE TOPICS | circumcision, informed consent
This article is published by Michael Cook and BioEdge under a Creative Commons licence. You may republish it or translate it free of charge with attribution for non-commercial purposes following these guidelines. If you teach at a university we ask that your department make a donation. Commercial media must contact us for permission and fees. Some articles on this site are published under different terms.
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Girlfriend's Guide
Finally, Scientists May Have Found the Cure to PCOS
An exciting new study may finally have an answer for polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that can cause weight gain, acne, irregular periods, and infertility.
One in ten women of childbearing age suffers from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition that disrupts hormones and prevents ovulation. “PCOS is an endocrine disorder that is one of the leading causes of infertility,” says Damian P. Alagia III, MD, medical director of woman’s health at Quest Diagnostics. “However, we haven’t known much about its root cause and traditionally have believed it to be due to a mix of genetic and possibly environmental factors.”
To discover the cause of PCOS, scientists in France looked at levels of a substance called anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). AMH is secreted in the reproductive system by developing egg sacs. In past research, higher than normal levels of AMH have been seen in women with PCOS. “The researchers at Inserm in France, noted that pregnant women with PCOS had 30 percent higher levels of AMH, compared to women without the condition,” says Dr. Alagria, who was not involved in the 2018 study.
The French scientists theorized that high AMH in pregnancy might affect developing females in the womb. Could high levels of the hormone effectively “pass down” PCOS before birth? “To see if excessive AMH in pregnancy contributed to PCOS in female offspring, the researchers exposed pregnant mice to AMH,” Dr. Alagria says. “They found the female offspring were more likely to have PCOS and excessive androgens [male hormones such as testosterone], a common feature of PCOS.”
The results suggest that we now have a better understanding of how PCOS begins. “The authors’ conclusion is that the excess hormone resulted in overstimulation of a subset of brain cells leading to increased levels of testosterone, suggesting PCOS may be due to a hormone imbalance even before birth,” Dr. Alagria says.
Even more intriguing is a potential treatment: “What was really novel is that the researchers found that if the mice were given cetrorelix, an IVF drug, to control female hormones levels, the PCOS diminished,” Dr. Alagria says. “That suggests that in time, cetrorelix or other IVF drugs may have potential in humans to restore ovulation and even increase the pregnancy rate in women with PCOS.”
Of course, this research is in mice: Researchers will need to do rigorous drug testing and establish medical guidelines before this is ready to be put to use in humans. Right now, women with PCOS can go to the U.S. Health & Human Services website to look for clinical trials if they’re interested in helping such research along, recommends Dr. Alagria.
Until a cure is available, women with irregular periods or other silent signs of PCOS should see their doctor—even if they aren’t trying to get pregnant. The condition is also associated with uterine bleeding, endometrial cancer, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes, so it’s important to have proper care, Dr. Alagria says.
Don’t miss these 15 things your gynecologist secretly wants to tell you.
Everything You Need to Know About Using a Menstrual Cup
10 Facts Every Woman Needs to Know About Her Fertility
Why Women are Ditching The Pill in Favour of Birth Control Apps to Prevent Pregnancy
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Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune | Approved by All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Architecture (CoA), New Delhi. Home | Contact Us | Blog | Students Help Desk | +91 20 2547 4062 | mail@bnca.ac.in |
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Anniruddha Kolhatkar
Home » » Anniruddha Kolhatkar
Posted on February 8, 2018
Bachelor's/ UG : B.Arch, BKPS, Pune University.
Masters/ PG : M.E .(Town and country Planning)2004, COEP,SPPU
Collabrative workshop and Hongkong Tour
HONG KONG WORKSHOP & TOUR HONG KONG WORKSHOP & TOUR arranged by Dr. B. N. College of Architecture, Pune 2nd
Global Summer School India 2019
IAAC Global Summer School – ‘ROBOTS IN CONSTRUCTION’ 1st – 14th JULY 2019 This year the focus is on learning
MKSSS’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women, founded in 1994 under the able leadership of Mr. Avinash Wardekar and Principal Dr Anurag Kashyap, with the generous donation of Rs. 90 lakhs given by Late Mr. Mahendrabhai Nanavati has a glorious historical background of Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha, Pune, founded in 1896.
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Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Before becoming Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations.
He entered diplomatic service the year he graduated from university, accepting his first post in New Delhi, India. His priorities have been to mobilize world leaders around a set of new global challenges, from climate change and economic upheaval to pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water. He has sought to be a bridge-builder, to give voice to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, and to strengthen the Organization itself.
In the words of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: “The Academic Impact aims to generate a global movement of minds to promote a new culture of intellectual social responsibility. It is animated by a commitment to certain bedrock principles.”
Ramu Damodaran
Ramu Damodaran is Deputy Director for Partnerships and Public Engagement in the United
Nations Department of Public Information’s Outreach Division. He was earlier Chief of its Civil Society Service from November 2002. His responsibilities focus particularly on outreach to, and partnerships with, the non-governmental, academic and private sector constituencies, as well as to the general public.
Mr. Damodaran is chief of the United Nations Academic Impact initiative, which aligns institutions of higher learning and research with the objectives of the United Nations and the States and peoples who constitute it.
He was a member of the Indian Foreign Service and was promoted to the rank of Ambassador. Mr. Damodaran served as Executive Assistant to the Prime Minister of India and served in diplomatic missions in Moscow and to the United Nations.
Mahesh Bangad
Prof. Mahesh Bangad, an Assistant Professor at BNCA since 2010, has been an active member of the UNAI Hub since its inception. Prof. Bangad is a Masters in Project management from UK and has another Masters in Environmental Architecture from SPPU, Pune.
He has been instrumental in the organisation and conduction of the Demola Workshops series held at BNCA, co-ordination of the student activities and their involvement in the UNAI Hub.
Currently he is co-ordinating the Kenya Program and is guiding a group of students for the Design interventions to be done at the Ilbisil School near Nairobi in Kenya and had also accompanied the group in March 2017 for a pilot visit.
Swapnil Gawande
Ar. Swapnil Gawande specializes in generative design methodologies involving computational techniques and advance material sciences and technologies, investigating the potential they hold within the domain of architecture and urbanism. His ongoing design-research works originally initiated when he was pursuing his bachelor’s degree and were further taken ahead to explore at an advanced level at the Architectural Association, London where he completed his post-graduation in Emergent Technologies and Design.
His major interests lie in exploring looped data transitions between digital, analogue and simulative experimentations of material-informed geometries and realize them through advanced digital fabrication techniques. These initiatives are undertaken in his design collective named STUDIO_DRA[AFT] which rigorously implements a Research Based Design Methodology as an effective strategy to provide novel solutions at different scales.
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It’s kind of fun to intermingle my life with theirs. There’s got to be something that everybody can relate to.
Janine Turner, on sharing her story with those of other women
She plans to talk about “everything” from her growing up the daughter of a West Point man and a mother who “grew with the times” to her own career in Hollywood, starting at age 17.
“All the dark holes of my life,” she described the speech, “my story of how I pulled myself out.”
Her life’s story is interspersed with the stories of other “exceptional women,” such as Belva Lockwood, the first woman to appear on presidential ballots in 1884.
“It’s kind of fun to intermingle my life with theirs,” she said. “There’s got to be something that everybody can relate to.”
Janine’s cell phone gives several alerts while she talks. It’s her daughter, a freshman away at college.
The ranch keeps her busy and helps combat the empty nest.
“Now I have longhorn cattle and Angus ... I consider my longhorns my pets,” she says. She also has two cats and four dogs, which she loads up to take to her mom’s when she travels to her speaking engagements.
“She’s always really, really thrilled about that,” she laughs.
Her time onstage will be fun, she says, and is something that many women can relate to — although there are some things that she can’t speak authoritatively on.
“I won’t be speaking (about) nail polish, because I don’t wear any,” she said, referencing the work she does around her ranch.
Mary Cooley: 618-239-2535, @MaryCooleyBND
Working Women’s Survival Show
When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: St. Charles Convention Center, One Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, MO
Cost: $9.50 for adults, $7.50 for ages 6 to 11 or 60 and older, $6 with valid college ID
What: Features guest speaker Janine Turner at 3 p.m. Saturday on the main stage. Exhibitors include health and wellness, cosmetics, self-defense courses, home products, restaurants and more. Seminars include a certified life coach, personal stylist and a private investigator.
For more information, go to www.wwssonline.com.
Giving up the screen: Mascoutah athletic director challenges kids to get outside this summer
Vehicles drive through toxic dust spill in Hamel, Illinois
Cancer survivor Luitjohan guest speaker at Highland Relay for Life Celebration Night
By Garen Vartanian
Traci Luitjohan will be the guest speaker at Highland’s Relay for Life Celebration Night on Saturday at Hope United Methodist Church. Luitjohan, who has overcome Stage IV melanoma, is from Highland, Illinois.
MORE METRO-EAST LIVING
O’Fallon bakery and restaurant moves; one store to open, another closes in Fairview Heights
Restaurant inside historic mansion announces it’s closing to public, but events will go on
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14th annual Tour de Belleville one of many events on tap this week in metro-east
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Where the Crawdads Sing (Hardcover)
By Delia Owens
(Fiction - General)
August 2018 Indie Next List
“Where the Crawdads Sing is a stunning and beautiful novel that readers will want to simultaneously savor and devour with every luxurious word. You’ll hear the gulls cry on the beach through these pages, you’ll see the light flickering through the marsh trees, you’ll smell the homemade grits sizzling on the stovetop. Your heart will ache for the lonely marsh girl and your wheels will start turning when a body is discovered, but you’ll never regret reading this gorgeous novel.”
— Amanda Zirn, Bethany Beach Books, Bethany Beach, DE
"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!"--Reese Witherspoon
"Painfully beautiful."--The New York Times Book Review
"Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver."--Bustle
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life--until the unthinkable happens.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Delia Owens is the coauthor of three internationally bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa--Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savanna. She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in Nature, the African Journal of Ecology, and International Wildlife, among many other publications. She currently lives in Idaho, where she continues her support for the people and wildlife of Zambia. Where the Crawdads Sing is her first novel.
“A painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature....Owens here surveys the desolate marshlands of the North Carolina coast through the eyes of an abandoned child. And in her isolation that child makes us open our own eyes to the secret wonders—and dangers—of her private world.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Steeped in the rhythms and shadows of the coastal marshes of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, this fierce and hauntingly beautiful novel centers on...Kya’s heartbreaking story of learning to trust human connections, intertwine[d] with a gripping murder mystery, revealing savage truths. An astonishing debut.”—People
“This lush mystery is perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver.”—Bustle
“A lush debut novel, Owens delivers her mystery wrapped in gorgeous, lyrical prose. It’s clear she’s from this place—the land of the southern coasts, but also the emotional terrain—you can feel it in the pages. A magnificent achievement, ambitious, credible and very timely.”—Alexandra Fuller, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
“Heart-wrenching...A fresh exploration of isolation and nature from a female perspective along with a compelling love story.”—Entertainment Weekly
“This wonderful novel has a bit of everything—mystery, romance, and fascinating characters, all told in a story that takes place in North Carolina.”—Nicholas Sparks, New York Times bestselling author of Every Breath
“Delia Owen’s gorgeous novel is both a coming-of-age tale and an engrossing whodunit.”—Real Simple
“Evocative...Kya makes for an unforgettable heroine.”—Publishers Weekly
“The New Southern novel...A lyrical debut.”—Southern Living
“A nature-infused romance with a killer twist.”—Refinery29
“Anyone who liked The Great Alone will want to read Where the Crawdads Sing. . . . This astonishing debut is a beautiful and haunting novel that packs a powerful punch. It’s the first novel in a long time that made me cry.” – Kristin Hannah, author of The Great Alone and The Nightingale
“Both a coming-of-age story and a mysterious account of a murder investigation told from the perspective of a young girl...Through Kya’s story, Owens explores how isolation affects human behavior, and the deep effect that rejection can have on our lives.”—Vanity Fair
“Lyrical...Its appeal ris[es] from Kya’s deep connection to the place where makes her home, and to all of its creatures.”—Booklist
“This beautiful, evocative novel is likely to stay with you for many days afterward....absorbing.”—AARP
“Compelling, original...A mystery, a courtroom drama, a romance and a coming-of-age story, Where the Crawdads Sing is a moving, beautiful tale. Readers will remember Kya for a long, long time.”—ShelfAwareness
“With prose luminous as a low-country moon, Owens weaves a compelling tale of a forgotten girl in the unforgiving coastal marshes of North Carolina. It is a murder mystery/love story/courtroom drama that readers will love, but the novel delves so much deeper into the bone and sinew of our very nature, asking often unanswerable questions, old and intractable as the marsh itself. A stunning debut!”—Christopher Scotton, author of The Secret Wisdom of the Earth
“A compelling mystery with prose so luminous it can cut through the murkiest of pluff mud.”—Augusta Chronicle
“Carries the rhythm of an old time ballad. It is clear Owens knows this land intimately, from the black mud sucking at footsteps to the taste of saltwater and the cry of seagulls.”—David Joy, author of The Line That Held Us
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: August 14th, 2018
Fiction / Contemporary Women
Paperback, Large Print (August 14th, 2018): $28.00
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The Hikers Guide to the Hawaiian Islands
The Hikers Guide to the Hawaiian Islands Product Description:
Written in the same accessible style and format as the highly successful The Hikers Guide to Oahu, this updated and expanded volume includes the best day hikes and backpacks on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu. Each island is represented by thirteen hikes, for a total of fifty-two in all. Together, they offer residents and visitors the essential information to safely explore some of Hawaii’s most spectacular scenery.
For each trip, the author provides directions to the trailhead, a detailed route description, a topographical map, and facts on hike length, elevation gain, and degree of difficulty. For GPS users, UTM and latitude/longitude coordinates are added for the trailhead and endpoint of each route. The expanded notes section helps readers identify and appreciate geological features, historical points of interest, and commonly encountered plants and birds along the trail. An insert of color photographs highlights the breathtaking scenery enjoyed by hikers.
Stuart M. Ball, Jr. has been hiking in Hawaii for more than thirty years and is a hike coordinator for the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club. Retired from the Bank of Hawaii, he holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Stanford University.
Stuart M. Ball, Jr.
University of Hawaii Press
978-0824876-37-1
Exploring Hanauma Bay - Revised and Expanded Edition
A Pocket Guide to Kauai
A Pocket Guide to Hawaiian Islands
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YETI Joins Hunt Fair Chase Initiative
YETI has joined in support of a hunter ethics initiative being led by the Boone and Crockett Club to highlight the core values of fair chase and to strengthen the image of the North American hunter.
"Today's hunter, especially our younger generation, are being exposed to a carousel of negativism aimed at hunting," said CJ Buck, the Club's vice president of communications. "There was a time when sportsmen were respected within our society for their skills, character, ethics and commitments to wildlife and conservation. It's time to remind ourselves of those things that make hunting special, so we can show others."
The Hunt Right: Hunt Fair Chase initiative will launch later this summer. Its purpose is to teach and invigorate a commitment within the hunting community to the values hunting teaches, such as self-reliance, self-determination, self-restraint and self-respect.
Buck said, "Having an outdoor lifestyle brand like YETI that really speaks to our younger generation is a huge plus considering fair chase is a part of an overall outdoors and conservation ethic."
"I'm part of the millennial generation of hunters," said YETI's Hunting Marketing Manager Ben O'Brien. "We have to have a reason, a moral connection to hunting. We need to have an intellectual conversation with our peers about why we do what we do. We're excited about being a part of this effort that will provide the tools to have that conversation."
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BRADY McGUIRE & STEINBERG, P.C.
James m. steinberg
James M. Steinberg has been with the firm since its inception and is a partner.
Jim focuses his practice upon the representation of labor unions and their affiliated ERISA trust funds. On behalf of his labor union clients, Jim provides a full range of representation including collective bargaining negotiations, grievances, drafting bylaws and constitutions, duty of fair representation cases, regulatory audits and investigations, NLRB charges and elections, investigations and hearings, EEOC complaints and compliance with federal and state subpoenas. On behalf of his pension, annuity, welfare, joint labor-management cooperation, apprenticeship and training fund clients, Jim provides compliance with federal legislation including ERISA, HIPAA, the Pension Protection Act and the Affordable Care Act and provides legal assistance relating to the administration of such plans, compliance with their trust agreements, plan documents and DOL and IRS regulations, as well as subrogation claims and QDRO determinations, fringe benefit collection matters, Department of Labor Apprentice regulations and compliance, negotiation of vendor contracts and litigated matters.
Jim is licensed to practice law in the States of New York and New Jersey, along with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Courts for New Jersey and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. In addition to practicing before these courts, Jim has represented unions before the National Labor Relations Board and the Article XX Board of the AFL-CIO in Washington, DC. Jim has represented union members before the New York City Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings and the New York City Environmental Control Board in connection with license revocation and violation matters. Jim has lectured at the conference sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the Business Manager/Business Agent Training Seminars hosted by the International Union of Operating Engineers as well as its Lawyers’ Conference on a variety of issues including: discrimination, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, ERISA and HIPAA compliance and fringe benefit collection issues. Jim represented a labor organization in connection with a civil RICO action commenced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the subsequent negotiation of a consent decree in resolution of that case.
Jim is a top attorney in the practice employee benefits and ERISA law as designated by New York Metro Super Lawyers.
New York & New Jersey
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Southern & Eastern Districts of New York
District of New Jersey
Matthew g. mCguire
Matthew G. McGuire has been with the firm since its inception and is a partner.
Matt focuses his practice upon the representation of labor unions and their affiliated ERISA trust funds. On behalf of his labor union clients, Matt is involved with collective bargaining negotiations, grievance and arbitration representation, the drafting of bylaw amendments, the prosecution and defense of NLRB charges, EEOC complaints and compliance with federal and state subpoenas.
Matt also serves as general counsel to the International Union of Operating Engineers where he assists the IUOE and its affiliated locals on myriad of issues. Matt also lectures on current issues facing organized labor at conferences hosted by the IUOE.
Matt is licensed to practice law in the States of New York and New Jersey, along with the United States District Courts for New Jersey and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
undergraduated
joseph h. green
Joseph H. Green is senior counsel with the firm and also a principal of The Law Office of Joseph H. Green.
Joe focuses his practice on complex litigation involving claims of discrimination and breach of the duty of fair representation brought in federal court and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Joe also represents the firm’s labor clients on collection matters as well as alter ego cases invoking the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Labor Management Relations Act.
Joe is an experienced trial attorney with over 50 jury verdicts. He is counsel to banking interests, hotels, manufacturers, distributors and high end retail stores in a variety of legal matters including general commercial litigation, construction litigation, employment discrimination and overtime litigation, as well as insurance coverage litigation. Joe serves as assigned counsel for multiple municipal entities.
Joe has also represented numerous union members in personal matters involving work place accidents and personal injury as well as those relating to violations of administrative codes.
Eastern & Southern Districts of New York
ANTIOCH COLLEGE OF OHIO
Peter T. Sheridan
Peter T. Sheridan is Of Counsel to the firm.
Peter maintains a practice focused primarily on white-collar criminal defense and civil litigation, as well as providing advice on security and fraud issues, including corporate internal investigations and other special situation scenarios that confront organizations and responsible individuals in their interactions with the government agencies.
Peter represented a labor organization in connection with a civil RICO action commenced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the subsequent negotiation of a consent decree in resolution of that case.
Prior to entering private practice, Peter served as a law clerk to the Honorable John E. Sprizzo, U.S. District Judge, Southern District of New York and then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a variety of positions, including Deputy Chief of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Section and as Financial Institutions Fraud Coordinator. He served as trial, appellate and lead investigative counsel in complex white-collar, organized crime, violent crime, narcotics and money laundering cases. He was a recipient of the Department of Justice’s John Marshall Award for Outstanding Achievement in Trial Litigation.
Peter is a graduate of Harvard Law School and received his undergraduate degree from Manhattan College where he graduated summa cum laude.
MANHATTAN COLLEGE
Beverly g. rosell
Beverly G. Rosell is the firm's office manager and legal assistant
Beverly has been with Brady McGuire & Steinberg, P.C. since its inception. Beverly is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the office including coordinating all schedules and billing. Beverly also performs the duties of a legal assistant by providing the attorneys with assistance on document productions, legal research and serving as liaison to agency inquiries.
Proudly Representing Labor Unions, Benefit Plans and Union Members for Over 25 Years!
Brady McGuire & Steinberg, P.C. publishes this website as a service to its clients and friends for informational purposes only. This website is not to be used as a substitute for specific legal advice or opinions, and the transmission of this information does not create an attorney-client relationship between sender and receiver. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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U.S. cyber allegations risk bigger rift with China
20 December 2018 By Gina Chon Follow @GinaChon
The United States indicted Chinese hackers while its allies condemned cyber thefts. The moves, like the recent detention of Huawei’s CFO, are ostensibly separate from trade talks, but Beijing won’t see it that way. The Trump administration may have to choose its priority target.
Source: REUTERS/Jason Lee
Chinese and U.S. flags are set up for a signing ceremony during a visit by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao at China's Ministry of Transport in Beijing, China April 27, 2018.
U.S. Justice Department press release
Reuters: U.S., allies to condemn China for economic espionage, charge hackers: source
Government & Agencies
Money‚ Markets & Macroeconomics
Investors could use a bit more skepticism on trade
China trade-secrets case brings sanctions closer
Two Chinese nationals connected to the Chinese Ministry of State Security were indicted for stealing technology and data from more than 45 entities in 12 U.S. states, the U.S. Justice Department said on Dec. 20. Companies that were targeted are involved in the aviation industry, space, satellites, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, and financial services. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said part of the campaign involved accessing managed-services providers, which remotely manage a client’s IT infrastructure, and customers in France, Germany, Japan and Canada were among those affected.
The hackers also allegedly stole confidential data from the U.S. Navy, including personal information of more than 100,000 personnel. Two facilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Energy Department’s Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory were also targeted.
“This is outright cheating and theft, and it gives China an unfair advantage at the expense of law-abiding businesses and countries,” Rosenstein said.
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Home » News » Vatican
Pope Benedict XVI's first Encyclycal "Deus Caritas Est¨ published today
Vatican City, Jan 25, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).-
Today, the Vatican published Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est", an encyclical on charity.
"God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 Jn 4:16)." These words from the First Letter of John express with remarkable clarity the heart of the Christian faith: the Christian image of God and the resulting image of mankind and its destiny. In the same verse, Saint John also offers a kind of summary of the Christian life: "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.¨ These are the words which begin the encyclical.
"In a world in which the name of God is associated with vengeance, or where hate and violence are associated to it, the Christian message of God's Love is of great actuality," stresses the Pope.
The encyclical is divided into two parts. The first one offers a theological reflection on "Love", in its different dimensions -eros, philia, agape- giving some essential precisions on the Love of God for man and its intrinsic union with human love.
The terme "Love" affirms the document, "one of the most used and abused words in the world today, possesses a wide semantic range. In the multiple significant, though, emerges the archetype of what is the love between a man and a women, which in the antique Greece was given the name eros."
Following on the explanation of the Word "Love", the Holy Father reminds that "in the Bible", and above all in the New Testament, the concept of "Love is deepened- a development that is expressed in Mass at the limit of the word Eros and more in favor of the term Agape, to express such a self-gving Love."
Encountering possible misinterpretations of such a development, such as negative readings of Eros and corporality, the Encyclical underlines that "the Eros, set into its nature of man by the same Creator, is in need of discipline, purification and maturation in order not to loose his original dignity and not to degrade it to pure 'sex' therefore becoming a commodity."
"The Christian faith-he continues- has always considered man as a being in which the spirit and the matter compenetrate, acquiring a new nobility from it. The challenge of Eros is considered overcome when in man, body and soul meet in perfect harmony. Love then becomes, yes an 'extasis' not a moment of momentary intoxication but rather an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God".
"In Jesus Christ, who is the love incarnate of God, the eros-agape reaches its more radical form. In the death of the cross, Jesus, giving himself to elevate and save man, expresses Love in its most sublime form. In this act of offering, Jesus has assured a lasting presence through the institution of the Eucharist, which under the species of bread and wine, he gives himself as the new manna that unites us to him."
"Participating to the Eucharist, we are involved too in the dynamic of his gift. We unite ourselves to him and at the same time to all the others to which he gives himself. We become then one body. So that Love for God and Love for the neighbor are truly fused. The double commandment becomes one, thanks to this encounter with the Agape of God: Love can be "sent" because it has first been given.
The practice of Love by the Church
The second part of the document deals with the concrete exercise of the commandment of love to the neighbor. It this part he affirms that "the love to the neighbor is rooted in the love of God, along with being a duty for all the faithful; it is also for the whole ecclesial community, who in its charitable activity is the manifestation of Trinitarian love"
"The conscience of such a duty has had a constituent relevance for the Church since its beginning. In the fundamental structure of the Church appeared the "diaconia" as service of Love to the neighbor exercised in community and in an ordained manner."
Pope Benedict shows as well how "with the progressive spread of the Church, The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia).
The Pope criticizes then the utilitarian vision of charity, especially in marxism, affirming that from the XIX century on, a fundamental objection has been raised against the charitable work of the Church: it would be counter to justice and would end up acting in maintaining the status quo. With the accomplishment of works of charity, the Church would favor the maintaining of an unjust system making it acceptable and therefore slowing protracting the rebellion and the potential change for a better world. In that sense, marxims had pointed out in the world revolution and its preparation, the panacea for the social problematic- a dream that vanished through time.
Reminding in the same line, the magisterial of the Pontiffs, "beginning with the Encyclical Rerum novarum of Leo XIII towards the trilogy of John Paul II's social Encyclicals (Laborem exercens, Sollicitudo rei socialis, Centesimus annus), the Encyclical affirms that he faced with insistence the social question, and while confronting problematic situations, he always developed a very articulate social doctrine, that proposed valid orientations over the confines of the Church."
"The creation of a just order of society and the State, is a central responsibility of politics, and can therefore not be directly given to the Church. The catholic social doctrine does not want to give the Church power over the State, but only purify and illuminate reason, offering its proper contribution to the formation of consciences, so that the real requests of justice can be perceived, recognized and realized. There exists though, no stately order that, can make superficial the service of love."
"The State that wishes to provide for everything becomes a burocratic instance that cannot assure the essential contribution that the suffering man needs: the loving personal dedication," warns as well Pope Benedict.
The Encyclical shows how to see as a collateral effect of globalization, "that manifest in the fact that the solicitude of the neighbor, transcends the confines of national communities, and tends to extend to the whole world. The structure of national communities and humanitarian associations backs in many ways the solidarity expressed by civil society: many organizations with charitable and philanthropic ends have been created lately.
The Catholic Church as well- the Holy Father continues- and in other ecclesial communities have surfaced new modes of charitable activities. Among all these, it is necessary that a fruitful collaboration may be established. For this reason, it is very important that the Church's charitable activity maintains all of its splendour and does not become just another form of social assistance."
For the Church to keep the essence of Christian charity, his Hollines refers to the necessity to:
- Be led to that encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others.
- Christian charitable activity must be independent of parties and ideologies. The Christian's programme, the programme of the Good Samaritan, the programme of Jesus "a heart which sees."
- Charity, furthermore, cannot be used as a means of engaging in what is nowadays considered proselytism. Love is free; it is not practised as a way of achieving other ends.
But this does not mean that charitable activity must somehow leave God and Christ aside," warns the Pope. "A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak."
Prayer in the action
Towards the end of the Encyclical, the Holy Father reminds the importance of prayer. "In the face of secularism and activism, that may condition also the lives of many Christians engaged in charitable work, it is important to reaffirm the importance of prayer."
A personal relationship with God and an abandonment to his will can prevent man from being demeaned and save him from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism. An authentically religious attitude prevents man from presuming to judge God, accusing him of allowing poverty and failing to have compassion for his creatures.
"He who prays doesn't not waist his time, even though if the situation seem to call only for action, he doesn¡¦t pretend to change or correct the plans of God, but rather searches at the example of Mary and the Saints, to find light in God." the Pontiff concluded.
To read full text of the Encyclical:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=104
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Astrophysicists Get First-Ever 3-D Look at Supernova Explosion
August 4, 2010 / 6:50 PM / CBS News
Updated 6:35 ET Scientists got their first-ever look at a three-dimensional view of a supernova explosion. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory reported the news, which they observed using the organization's "Very Large Telescope" (and yes, it's quite big.)
The cataclysmic event sent sent particles of gas and dust shooting into space at speeds up to 100 million kilometers per second.
The explosion also was annotated by something quite unexpected: Instead of being concentrated in one direction, the materials got flung in all over a place. Scientists believe that's a sign that the supernova likely was very turbulent, the explosions being stronger in some directions.
The supernova under observation, SN 1987A, was first noticed in 1987 and is the first supernova to be observed by the naked eye in the last 383 years. That relative proximity is what made it easier for astrophysicists to follow the explosion of a massive star and its aftermath.
There are many different theories about how stars explode. One model posits a build-up of small scale instabilities that eventually trigger a large scale explosion. It's a complicated theory but one analogy is to think about what happens when you amplify a vibration to a certain frequency that eventually sets off a bell.
"So the explosion was ringing like a bell at the beginning and then exploded off in one direction," according to Karina Kjaer, lead author of a research team reporting the finding.
Kjaer underscored that science still doesn't yet have a sufficient understanding of supernova explosions. In an email interview with CBSNews.com, she said that only a small number of supernovae are close enough for scientists to observe the shape and direction of the ejected materials.
"Of all of those SN 1987A is the only one in our time, in 1987 -the others are several hundred years old. For a decade scientists have thought this inner material to be ejected from the poles of the exploding star. Our observations revealed that the material actually was ejected from the equator of the star, and not even symmetrically at that," she said, adding that "given that there are so few nearby supernovae, it is very rare to learn this much about an explosion. Often SN 1987A is called the Rosetta stone of supernovae, it is the key to understanding them all." The full report will be published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
First published on August 4, 2010 / 6:50 PM
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Jeffrey Kluger, editor-at-large at Time magazine, recounts the human landmark of landing men on the lunar surface. Kluger talks with Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins and astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and, in archive footage, hears from mission commander Neil Armstrong about the achievement of the first Moon landing, and of the "magnificent desolation" they found there.
Colson Whitehead on "The Nickel Boys"
Author Colson Whitehead won a Pulitzer Prize for his bestselling 2016 novel "The Underground Railroad." He talks with Lee Cowan about his latest novel, "The Nickel Boys," a fictional tale of cruelty and trauma based on the notorious Alfred G. Dozer School for Boys outside Tallahassee, where the neglect and abuse of children was rampant for decades.
The seamstresses who fashioned Apollo's spacesuits
When NASA needed a lunar spacesuit for the Apollo astronauts, they turned to the International Latex Corporation, and a cadre of women who normally sewed latex bras and girdles, to create a softer, more flexible spacesuit. Tracy Smith talked with some of the seamstresses who fashioned protective wear that would mean life or death for men in space, and with Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison "Jack" Schmitt who was the last man to walk, and jump, on the lunar surface.
Walter Cronkite and the awe of space exploration
When Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, nearly half of the country's 57 million TVs were tuned to CBS's anchored by Walter Cronkite. Martha Teichner reports on the epochal event through the lens of Cronkite's enthusiastic reportage.
Black models in modern art
A recent New York City art exhibition, now at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, explores the importance of black models as key to the development of 19th and 20th century art, through their representations by French and American artists (including Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Frederic Bazille and Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault). Nancy Giles talks with curator Denise Murrell about how the Harlem Renaissance influenced painters such as Henri Matisse, and with Brooklyn artist Mickalene Thomas about black figures in art at a time of social and political transformation.
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Keystone XL's mixed forecast for job creation
By Aimee Picchi
November 14, 2014 / 11:27 AM / MoneyWatch
Whatever your feelings about it, there's no doubt that the Keystone XL is an ambitious construction project: A 1,179-mile pipeline that will travel from Canada through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska.
With that span, it's likely that the project will create lots of new jobs, right? Well, the answer, like the debate over the project, isn't completely black-and-white.
Advocates of the pipeline say it will create thousands of jobs and improve energy security, but estimates vary widely on exactly how many new jobs will come out of the project, if it moves forward. The Republican-controlled House is on track to approve the pipeline on Friday, with the Senate likely to follow, although it could hit a road block at the White House.
The good news, assuming the pipeline moves forward, is that the project could create thousands of new jobs -- in the short term. About 42,100 average annual jobs would be created by the Keystone XL during construction, according to a State Department estimate.
That might seem like a huge number, but those are jobs that will only be created during the construction. On top of that, that 42,100 estimate includes jobs created by the "ripple" effect of the pipeline's construction. Only about 16,100 of those jobs would be direct employment from firms that are awarded contracts for goods and services from the Keystone project.
TransCanada, the company that will build the pipeline, also estimates that thousands of jobs would be created during construction. In a January 2012 forecast, it pegged the number at 20,000 jobs, split between 13,000 in construction and 7,000 in manufacturing.
Despite the differences in those estimates, both are fairly rosy. Tens of thousands of people could potentially find respectable-paying jobs during the one to two year construction phase. For instance, welders, who would be in demand on the Keystone XL construction, earn a median hourly wage of $17.66, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But the gloom comes when looking at the long-term outlook for job creation from the pipeline.
Once construction is finished, the jobs will likely dry up. Only 50 total employees would be needed during the operational phase of the pipeline -- and only 35 of those would be permanent employees, the State Department estimates. The other 15 workers would be temporary contractors.
Even during the boom phase of construction, the jobs might not be quite as plentiful as TransCanada suggests. The company has conceded that its estimate includes "job years" spent on the project, which means that its forecast counts one worker who spends two years on the job as essentially two jobs.
Independent research has also cast doubt on those forecasts for tens of thousands of jobs. Cornell University's Global Labor Institute said TransCanada's estimate was "not substantiated."
The pipeline may create no more than 2,500 to 4,650 temporary direct construction jobs, the report noted, citing data supplied to the State Department from TransCanada. On top of that, Cornell noted, most of the jobs wouldn't go to local employees.
"The industry-generated jobs data are highly questionable and ultimately misleading," the Cornell report noted. It added that higher fuel costs, possible environmental damage, and the impact of emissions on health and the climate could actually result in job losses.
First published on November 14, 2014 / 11:27 AM
© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
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district, England, United Kingdom
Warwick, district in the central part of the administrative and historic county of Warwickshire, central England. It lies on the southern fringe of West Midlands metropolitan county, just south of the industrial city of Coventry. Its southern boundary adjoins the rural district of Stratford-on-Avon. Leamington Spa is the administrative centre.
Warwick, Warwickshire, EnglandThe East Gate, Warwick, Warwickshire, England. G-Man
Two towns in the district, Warwick and Kenilworth, grew up around castles. Royal Leamington Spa, chartered in 1875, still functions as a watering place with both recreational and health facilities. Both Warwick town and Leamington Spa have some light industries, reflecting their proximity to the manufacturing cities of the West Midlands. Area 109 square miles (283 square km). Pop. (2001) 125,931; (2011) 137,648.
Warwickshire, England: Kenilworth CastleRuins of Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, England. Paul Johnson (CC-BY-3.0)
This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Lewis, Assistant Editor.
Warwickshire, administrative and historic county of central England, in the Midlands region. As an administrative and geographic unit, the county dates from the 10th century, with the historic county town (seat) of Warwick lying roughly at its centre. Covering a smaller and…
England, predominant constituent unit of the United Kingdom, occupying more than half of the island of Great Britain. Outside the British Isles, England is often erroneously considered synonymous with the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and even with the entire United Kingdom. Despite the political, economic,…
West Midlands, metropolitan county of central England. It consists of seven metropolitan boroughs: the city of Birmingham (England’s second largest city), the city of Coventry, and the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. The metropolitan county incorporates parts of three historic counties. In the…
Coventry, city and metropolitan borough, metropolitan county of West Midlands, historic county of Warwickshire, England. Coventry probably dates from Saxon times. The sacking of the Saxon nunnery of St. Osburga by the Danes in 1016 led to the founding of…
Stratford-on-Avon, district, administrative county of Warwickshire, central England. It is in the southern part of the county and occupies almost half of the county. The town of Stratford-upon-Avon is the administrative centre. Most of the district lies within the historic county of Warwickshire, but…
United Kingdom, island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom…
Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Once the preeminent…
Canada, second largest country in the world in area (after Russia), occupying roughly the northern two-fifths…
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Okwui Enwezor, in full Okwuchukwu Emmanuel Enwezor, (born October 23, 1963, Calabar, Nigeria—died March 15, 2019, Munich, Germany), Nigerian-born poet, art critic, art historian, and curator who helped bring global attention to African art.
Enwezor, OkwuiOkwui Enwezor, 2014. © lev radin/Shutterstock.com
Enwezor was raised in Enugu in eastern Nigeria. In the early 1980s he relocated to the United States to attend Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University), where he earned a B.A. in political science. His foray into the art world began as an observer. At various exhibits, Enwezor noticed the absence of artists from Africa and started critiquing the shows. He began writing widely for art magazines and even launched one of his own—Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, founded in 1994 and published in concert with the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
As a curator, Enwezor became known for his work on an exhibit of African photography at the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, New York City, in 1996; at the “Africus” Second Johannesburg Biennale in 1997; and as an adjunct curator (1998–2000) of contemporary art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Later exhibits curated included a group show that traveled through Europe and Canada and a showing of the work of South African photographer David Goldblatt in 2000. A frequent lecturer and member of many art juries, Enwezor also coedited, along with Olu Oguibe, Reading the Contemporary: African Art from Theory to the Marketplace (1999).
In 2002 Enwezor mounted his first major show, “The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945–1994,” at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Queens, New York. He put into practice his theory of art as an expression of social change when from 1998 to 2002 he was the artistic director of “Documenta 11,” the 11th in a series of international exhibitions held in Kassel, Germany, for three months every five years. Ambitious in size and scope, Documenta exhibitions have been described as “the Olympics of contemporary art.” Enwezor was the first non-European to host the exhibition. He prepared for it with a series of seminars on international issues. He did not shy away from political issues, including globalization, and was understandably comfortable looking beyond American and European traditions into African arts. His emphasis on ideas over objects—in contrast to the “art for art’s sake” philosophy—was evident in his development of the “The Short Century” exhibit, which was also the title of the book that preceded his gallery exhibit in New York City.
In 2006 Enwezor organized “Snap Judgements: New Positions in Contemporary African Photography” at the International Center of Photography, New York City. Intended to address a trend he termed “Afro-pessimism,” the exhibit contradicted negative contemporary Western attitudes and stereotypical ideas of Africa.
In 2011 Enwezor became the director of Haus der Kunst, a non-collecting contemporary art museum in Munich. During his tenure, he was commended for offering a more-global exhibition program, which included “Postwar: Art Between the Pacific and the Atlantic, 1945–65” (2017). The extensive survey, which included a range of media, considered the fallout of World War II on such frequently overlooked countries as Iran, China, Mozambique, and Mexico. As the director of Haus der Kunst, however, Enwezor also contended with years of budget shortfalls and a scandal wherein a human resources manager was accused of attempting to recruit staff members to the Church of Scientology, which is highly monitored in Germany. Meanwhile, in 2015 Enwezor became the first African curator of the Venice Biennale.
Enwezor resigned from the Haus der Kunst in 2018, citing health reasons. The following year he died from cancer.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko, Assistant Editor.
Article Title: Okwui Enwezor
Date Published: 25 March 2019
URL: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Okwui-Enwezor
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Jacob Tremblay & Awkwafina in Talks for Live-Action Little Mermaid
Disney’s Little Mermaid live-action remake is eyeing two huge stars for lead roles. Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are currently in talks to star according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Tremblay would play/voice Flounder- Ariel’s best friend, while Awkwafina would play/voice Scuttle – the other best friend of Ariel who is a Seagull. Tremblay is best known for his roles in Wonder, Room, and Doctor Sleep. Awkwafina is best known for roles in Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean’s 8, and the upcoming adaptation The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The duo would join Melissa McCarthy in the feature, who is also in talks to play the role of Ursula.
Rob Marshall is directing the film, who has previously worked on Mary Poppins Returns. He was previously nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for his feature film debut, Chicago. Since then, he’s helmed the likes of Memoirs of a Geisha and Nine. Marshall has also made his last three films at Disney, including Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods, and the Poppins sequel. The upcoming Little Mermaid adaptation seems to be in good hands with Marshall.
The best part of the adaptation so far is that Disney has brought on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken to create a blend of old and new songs that will be featured in the upcoming big screen version.
There is currently no release date for the live-action remake but as they move forward with casting, an announcement should be forthcoming.
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The Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy
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Anniversary Monograph
40 Years at the Baldy Center: A Law and Society Hub in Buffalo
The Baldy Center is pleased to be celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year. To help commemorate this anniversary, The Baldy Center commissioned Luke Hammill, a Buffalo-based journalist and writer (and UB alumnus) to chronicle the Center’s history, from its foundation as a socio-legal research institute in 1978 to its development into a wide-ranging facilitator of multidisciplinary research, writing and events at UB and beyond.
7/16/19 Access the monograph here
The Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy at the University at Buffalo School of Law is an endowed academic center for interdisciplinary research on law and legal institutions. The mission of the Baldy Center is to advance interdisciplinary research on law, legal institutions, and social policy. It does so by supporting research projects, conferences, workshops, fellowships, visiting scholars, speakers, grant proposals, and other promising initiatives.
The Baldy Center Annual Reports contain a listing of events, news, and activities for each academic year, from 2008 to 2015. The Annual Reports, listed here, are each available for review and download. Also see our Newsletters. Generally, our newsletters are issued each spring and fall., from 2012 to 2015.
On this page you can see every edition of our newsletter series, starting in Spring 2012, and continuing to the present. The newsletters summarize each year's developments in the Baldy Center with regard to grants, conferences, presentations, workshops, and the like. We also provide information on important events and programs at other institutions. Generally, newsletters are issued each spring and fall.
The Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy was established in 1978 under a bequest from Buffalo attorney Christopher Baldy. A Buffalo native, Christopher Baldy graduated from the UB Law School in 1910. During his long and successful legal career, he was an active member of the Alumni Association and a member of the University Council from 1950-59.
The University at Buffalo has three campuses: the North Campus in suburban Amherst, the South Campus on Main Street in a North Buffalo neighborhood and the growing Downtown Campus, encompassing several buildings in downtown Buffalo.
The Buffalo-Niagara region is a major metropolitan area with a diverse blend of communities, each with its own distinct character and all united in a rich panorama of life.
The Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy is located in 511 O'Brian Hall, on the North Campus of the University at Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York.
511 O'Brian Hall
Email: baldyctr@buffalo.edu
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Birmingham Children's Hospital
Birmingham Children's Hospital launches helpline after doctor abused boys
Myles Bradbury is facing jail after admitting molesting cancer patients, some as young as eight, at a hospital in Cambridge
Anuji Varma
Paediatric haematologist Dr Myles Bradbury
Birmingham Children’s Hospital has set up a helpline for up to 250 young patients treated by a doctor later convicted of sexual assault.
Myles Bradbury is facing jail after admitting molesting cancer patients, some as young as eight, at a hospital in Cambridge.
The 41-year-old previously worked at Birmingham Children’s Hospital as a registrar and consultant from 2004 to 2008.
Chief nurse Michelle McLoughlin said staff were stunned and had moved swiftly to support youngsters treated by Bradbury during his time in the Midlands.
“The safety of the children and young people we care for is our top priority and we were deeply shocked to learn of the charges brought against Dr Bradbury,” she said.
“As soon as we were alerted to these allegations in July we contacted the children he treated and their families to offer our support and advice through a helpline. We continue to en-courage anyone with a concern to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service.”
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the investigation and are working with our partners at the Children’s Hospital to respond to any concerns from members of the public.”
Bradbury, a paediatric haematogolist and University of Birmingham graduate, abused boys aged eight to 17 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge from 2009 to 2013.
Appearing at Cambridge Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to a total of 25 offences, including sexual assault, and making more than 16,000 indecent images.
The court heard the offences involved 18 complainants.
Bradbury, 41, of Herringswell, Suffolk, was bailed ahead of his sentencing.
But he was told to expect a “substantial” prison term and was also ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register.
n Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s PALS team is available on 0121 333 8403.
West Midlands Police
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Donald Trump tweets in memory of Prince: 'An amazing talent and wonderful guy'
Pamela Engel
Apr. 22, 2016, 11:36 AM
Donald Trump pauses as he speaks at his New York presidential primary night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., April 19, 2016.
Donald Trump on Friday tweeted a tribute to the pop-music icon Prince, calling him an "amazing talent and wonderful guy" a day after he died at the age of 57.
"I met Prince on numerous occasions," Trump tweeted. "He was an amazing talent and wonderful guy. He will be greatly missed!"
Prince reportedly wrote a song called "Donald Trump" that was performed by an R&B group.
Prince died on Thursday at his home in suburban Minneapolis. His cause of death has not yet been released, but sources told TMZ that he was treated for a drug overdose in the days before he died.
SEE ALSO: Prince was reportedly treated for a drug overdose days before his death
More: Donald Trump Prince
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'The Originals' Season 2 Spoilers Abound, But What Does It All Mean?
By Shay Mathews
The CW’s other vampire series The Originals will air its season finale this week. With the threat of more main characters being killed, there is plenty to look forward to in the finale. But this isn't the last we’ll see of Klaus and company, because thankfully, there will be a Season 2 of The Originals .
The Julie Plec-helmed series was renewed by The CW earlier this year after becoming part of a hit combo alongside Supernatural on Tuesday nights. The show is complete with vampires, werewolves, hybrids, and witches and moved pretty fast in its freshman run. What could they have in store for us in the second season? We did some research and came up with a few things likely to take place.
A New Bad Guy
E! News announced earlier this month that Teen Wolf’s Daniel Sharman would be joining the show as Kaleb. The witch character will wander into New Orleans with plenty of family drama in his baggage and a strong dislike for the entire Mikaelson family tree. Plus, he fits all of the CW requirements: He’s handsome, he likes to flirt, hides his pain with wit, and has a side of danger and just the right amount of angst. Kaleb is also a paranormal psychologist. It’s unclear if he knows Cami before arriving, but surely they will cross paths. Also, since he’s a ladies' man, we’re betting that at some point he’ll find himself in a love triangle.
His beef with the Mikaelsons seems like fuel for him becoming the next adversary for Klaus, but we’re betting that it’s really Elijah who goes after him. The usually mild-tempered vampire has a soft spot for family and may not react well to Kaleb’s plan (you know he has one) to harm his family.
A Baby Will Break Them
On any other show lusting after your brother’s baby mama would be cause for pause, but on The Originals it’s just another Tuesday in the bayou. Klaus and Hayley’s baby has been the center of the plot for the past few months and she hasn’t even arrived yet. The witches are convinced she will mean the end of normal life — whatever that is. Klaus is slowly warming up to the idea of being a father, and Hayley just wants to make sure that her child isn’t ostracized for being different, or killed before she even gets a chance to wet her first diaper — assuming that hybrid loopholes-in-nature mess their diapers.
In the new season, it doesn’t seem like things will change much. Look for Klaus to show his sensitive side (which really looks best with Caroline), and tackle being the protective father. Hayley will also find herself spending much of her time in defense mode. And Elijah will miraculously continue to ignore the weird family dynamics at play, and attempt to be both step-dad and uncle to the new baby girl. His desire for a family may end up being what tears his apart however. There will also be a line drawn in the sand and a bit of a debate amongst the witches about how far they are willing to go to restore balance. Who is willing to kill a child?
The Family Reunion From Hell
Claire Holt (Rebekah) left the show recently, shocking both fans and critics. Both she and showrunner Plec have stated that she left on her own volition to spend time with her family and that there was a chance for her to return to the series. Could she reappear in the second season, drawn in by the birth of a new family member? It’s quite possible especially with the reemergence of patriarch Mikael in the penultimate episode “The Battle of New Orleans.” (And thanks to the fact that Plec has a hard time killing her characters for good.) Mikael always brings plenty of pain with him and it won’t be complete without a reunion of the entire dysfunctional family — Kol included.
The Originals has plenty of plotlines to follow through on in its second season. It’ll be interesting to see how the twists and turns develop the characters. If you had trouble not falling in love with the deliciously evil Klaus before just imagine him having a sweet, little baby in his arms.
Images: The CW (3)
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Is Sara Helping The Flirtual Killer On 'Eye Candy'? The Stalker Knows A Lot About Lindy's Family
By Keertana Sastry
Alright Eye Candy fans, let's get down to business. We have two major mysteries to be solved on the series. 1) Who is the Flirtual killer? 2) Who kidnapped Sara and is she still alive? Let's take a look at what we already know about Lindy's dear abducted sister and her case. We know she was kidnapped about three years ago in front of Lindy, as she was forced into a car at a drive-thru somewhere. Lindy then moved to New York City to find her sister and help people with their own missing persons cases, which usually involves hacking. We know that Tommy and the Cyber Crimes Unit have been looking for Sara on the side, and we recently found out the head of the unit knows about a case involving kidnapped teenage girls that could be related to Sara's abduction, but we don't know more than that. We also know that at some point, Sara was featured on the site Babylon. But could there be much, much more to her story than the kidnapping? What if Sara is working with the Flirtual Killer?
I know, I know. That's quite a leap, right? But just let me present my case! We still believe that Sara is alive thanks to a psychic who said so, as well as the sheer fact that if she isn't, this show would be way more depressing than we could have imagined at the start. So let's think about this for a second.
Lindy has already made comments about how the Flirtual Killer seems to know too much about her relationship with her sister. In fact, they know some things she's never told anyone. We've already investigated if the killer could be Lindy's father, but she said he was in jail and hopefully, it's not her father considering what the killer's inner psyche narrates to us when stalking and killing people.
So how else would the killer know about Sara's bracelet and where else would he get it? Sure, we could just say that he kidnapped Sara and stole it from her, or that he killed her and took it from her. But this killer seems so calculating, I don't think he'd murder Sara without trying to use her to his advantage first.
Here's what I think could have happened. Sara was kidnapped and kept prisoner for a while, and she appeared on Babylon during that time. But then Sara started helping the killer track down Lindy, out of fear of what he might to do her if she didn't comply and the hope that it would help Lindy find her. This would explain how the killer continues to gain more and more information about Lindy's past.
Hopefully, Lindy will find her sister and Sara can eventually help Lindy catch the killer. But I really hope that I'm actually wrong and Sara isn't helping the Flirtual killer, but has broken free of her kidnappers and is trying to make her way back to Lindy. What? A girl can dream, right?
Images: MTV; daniella-s, lindysampsongifs/Tumblr
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Pope Francis Says Nuns Have Been Sexually Abused By The Catholic Clergy
Francois Nel/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Reports of Catholic clergymen sexually abusing children have spanned the globe and received significant attention recently, but there's even more to the issue of sexual misconduct within the church. On Tuesday, Pope Francis acknowledged that nuns also face sexual abuse and declared that the church needs to "do more" to address the issue, The Washington Post reports.
The pope addressed the problem during his visit to the United Arab Emirates. On board the papal plane on Tuesday, one reporter brought up the February issue of the international magazine Women Church World, which centered around the theme of "touch" and included multiple pieces on the abuse of nuns. The publication called the misconduct an abuse of clergy power and critiqued the church's response to it.
"It is true ... there have been priests and even bishops who have done this," Francis told the reporter on Tuesday, according to Reuters. "I can't say 'this does not happen in my house.' It is true. Do we have to do more? Yes. Are we willing? Yes."
The pontiff went on to guess that "it is still going on, because something does not stop just because you have become aware of it," but he added that action is being taken. "We have been working on this for a long time," he said. "We have suspended some priests because of this."
A spotlight has been shined on sexual abuse in the church in the #MeToo era. Last July, the Associated Press published a massive report indicating that members of the clergy had allegedly assaulted nuns on at least four continents. The article blamed, in part, the fact that the church has for centuries considered women to have "second-class status" to men.
The piece reported on incidents that stretched back decades. In parts of Africa during the '90s, for example, priests allegedly preyed on nuns when they felt they could no longer assume that prostitutes and other women didn't have HIV. The Vatican did not comment on the AP's article at the time.
One story that has drawn particular attention recently is that of a nun in Kerala, India, who accused a bishop of raping her multiple times between 2014 and 2016 (he has denied her allegations). In September, the anonymous woman wrote an open letter to India's Vatican representative to argue that the church has been neglecting women and focusing only on the wellbeing of its male officials. "Will the church authority be able to give back what I have lost?" she asked.
The pope's statements on Tuesday could be a sign that the church will pursue bolder action to stop the abuse of nuns, and many feel that such a move is long overdue. As historian Lucetta Scaraffia wrote in Women Church World this month, "If the church continues to close its eyes to the scandal — made even worse by the fact that abuse of women brings about procreation and is therefore at the origin of forced abortions and children who aren't recognized by priests — the condition of oppression of women in the church will never change."
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Bills in the 109th Congress
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Bill Type All H.R. S. H.RES. S.RES. H.CON.RES. S.CON.RES. H.J.RES. S.J.RES. H.AMDT. S.AMDT.
Status All Passed Failed On Floor Enacted Into Law Featured
Appropriations bill FY2006, Defense Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations bill
Appropriations bill FY2006, Defense
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007
Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.
Read full text at Congress.gov
Bill Young
R-FL 10th
186 Amendments
Sep 29, 2006: Became Law Armed forces and national security
This bill also has 243 actions from amendments. Show Amendment Actions
10:41 AM EDT Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 100 - 0. Record Vote Number: 261.
September 29, 2006 Became Public Law No: 109-289.
September 29, 2006 Cleared for White House.
September 29, 2006 Signed by President.
September 29, 2006 Presented to President.
September 29, 2006 Message on Senate action sent to the House.
September 29, 2006 Conference report considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S10499-10501)
September 27, 2006 Conference papers: Senate report and manager's statement message on House action held at the desk in Senate.
9:46 PM EDT Motions to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
9:45 PM EDT On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 394 - 22 (Roll no. 486).
9:42 PM EDT The House proceeded to consider the conference report H.Rept. 109-676 as unfinished business.
6:37 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - The Chair put the question on adoption of the conference report and pursuant to the rule, announced that the Yeas and Nays were ordered. Subsequently, the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the conference report until later in the legislative day.
6:37 PM EDT The previous question was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H7433)
6:32 PM EDT DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on the conference report to accompany H.R. 5631.
Show Debate Speakers
6:32 PM EDT Mr. Young (FL) brought up conference report H. Rept. 109-676 for consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 1037. (consideration: CR H7425-7433, H7467-7468)
4:42 PM EDT Rule H. Res. 1037 passed House.
8:36 PM EDT Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1037 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of the conference report to H.R. 5631. All points of order against the conference report and against its consideration are waived. The conference report shall be considered as read.
7:16 PM EDT Conference report H. Rept. 109-676 filed. (text of conference report: CR H6996-7309)
2:23 PM EDT Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2:22 PM EDT on motion to close portions of the conference Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 411 - 12 (Roll no. 466). (consideration: CR H6879)
2:05 PM EDT Mr. Young (FL) moved to close portions of the conference (consideration: CR H6879)
2:04 PM EDT The Speaker appointed conferees: Young (FL), Hobson, Bonilla, Frelinghuysen, Tiahrt, Wicker, Kingston, Granger, LaHood, Lewis (CA), Murtha, Dicks, Sabo, Visclosky, Moran (VA), Kaptur, and Obey.
2:03 PM EDT On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to a conference Agreed to by voice vote. (consideration: CR H6879)
2:03 PM EDT Mr. Young (FL) moved that the House disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to a conference.
10:32 AM EDT Conferees agreed to file conference report. Type of Action: Resolving Differences Action By: Both Chambers
September 21, 2006 Conferees agreed to file conference report.
September 8, 2006 Message on Senate action sent to the House.
6:28 PM EDT Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 98 - 0. Record Vote Number: 239. (text as passed Senate: CR S9260-9278)
6:06 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4911: Amendment SA 4911 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 98 - 0. Record Vote Number: 238.
2:51 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4897: Motion to table amendment SA 4897 rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 45 - 51. Record Vote Number: 237.
2:28 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4909: Motion to table amendment SA 4909 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 44. Record Vote Number: 236.
12:31 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4907: Amendment SA 4907 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 96 - 0. Record Vote Number: 235.
September 7, 2006 Senate insists on its amendment, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Stevens; Cochran; Specter; Domenici; Bond; McConnell; Shelby; Gregg; Hutchison; Burns; Inouye; Byrd; Leahy; Harkin; Dorgan; Durbin; Reid; Feinstein; Mikulski.
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4906: Proposed amendment SA 4906 withdrawn in Senate.
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4897: Amendment SA 4897 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4857: Amendment SA 4857 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4913: Amendment SA 4913 as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (text as modified: CR S9090)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4903: Amendment SA 4903 as modified agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4906: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S9075, S9091-9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4907: Amendment SA 4907 proposed by Senator Conrad. (consideration: CR S9075-9082 ; text: CR 9075)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4909: Motion to table amendment SA 4909 made in Senate.
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4911: Amendment SA 4911 proposed by Senator Reed. (consideration: CR S9086-9087, S9094; text: CR S9086)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4857: Amendment SA 4857 proposed by Senator Kennedy. (consideration: CR S9089-9090, S9091-9092; text: CR S9089)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4913: Amendment SA 4913 proposed by Senator Boxer. (consideration: CR S9090-9091)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4900: Amendment SA 4900 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Graham. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4894: Amendment SA 4894 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Baucus. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4916: Amendment SA 4916 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Cochran. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4901: Amendment SA 4901 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Lieberman. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4903: Amendment SA 4903 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Bayh. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4917: Amendment SA 4917 proposed by Senator Stevens. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4912: Amendment SA 4912 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Reid. (consideration: CR S9092; text: CR S9092)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4915: Amendment SA 4915 proposed by Senator Bingaman. (consideration: CR S9092-9093; text: CR S9092-9093)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4909: Amendment SA 4909 proposed by Senator Menendez. (consideration: CR S9083-9085, S9085-9086, S9087-9089; text: CR S9083)
September 7, 2006 S.AMDT. 4897: Amendment SA 4897 proposed by Senator Schumer. (consideration: CR S9085, S9086, S9089; text: CR S9085)
12:33 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4882: Amendment SA 4882 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 30 - 70. Record Vote Number: 232.
September 6, 2006 S.AMDT. 4904: Ruled non-germane by the chair.
September 6, 2006 S.AMDT. 4906: Amendment SA 4906 proposed by Senator Rockefeller. (consideration: CR S9068; text: CR S9068)
September 6, 2006 S.AMDT. 4883: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8992, S9035)
September 6, 2006 S.AMDT. 4895: Amendment SA 4895 proposed by Senator Mikulski. (consideration: CR S8996-8998, S9034-9035; text CR S8996-8997)
September 6, 2006 S.AMDT. 4904: Point of order raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 4904.
September 6, 2006 S.AMDT. 4904: Amendment SA 4904 proposed by Senator Reid. (consideration: CR S9030; text: CR S9030)
September 5, 2006 Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8909-8912, S8922-8932, S8948-8950)
September 5, 2006 S.AMDT. 4885: Amendment SA 4885 proposed by Senator Kennedy. (consideration: CR S8922-8926; text: CR S8923)
September 5, 2006 S.AMDT. 4883: Amendment SA 4883 proposed by Senator Allen. (consideration: CR S8926-8929; text: CR H8926)
September 5, 2006 S.AMDT. 4882: Amendment SA 4882 proposed by Senator Feinstein. (consideration: CR S8948-8950; text: CR S8948)
6:43 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4844: Amendment SA 4844 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 31 - 67. Record Vote Number: 227.
11:56 AM EDT S.AMDT. 4785: Amendment SA 4785 as modified agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 96 - 0. Record Vote Number: 224. (text as modified: CR S8679-8680)
11:35 AM EDT S.AMDT. 4787: Motion to table amendment SA 4787 rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 36 - 60. Record Vote Number: 223.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4802: Amendment SA 4802 as modified agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4777: Amendment SA 4777 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4787: Amendment SA 4787 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4784: Amendment SA 4784 as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote. (text as modified: CR S8678)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4827: Amendment SA 4827 as modified agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. (text as modified: CR S8684)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4853: Amendment SA 4853 ruled out of order by the chair.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4867: Amendment SA 4867 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. (text as modified: CR S8713)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4802: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8674, S8689-8690)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4777: Amendment SA 4777 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Smith. (consideration: CR S8674-8675; text: CR S8674)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4821: Amendment SA 4821 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Landrieu. (consideration: CR S8674-8675; text: CR S8674)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4789: Amendment SA 4789 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Stabenow. (consideration: CR S8674-8675; text: CR S8674-8675)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4837: Amendment SA 4837 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Bennett. (consideration: CR S8674-8675; text: CR S8675)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4823: Amendment SA 4823 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Durbin. (consideration: CR S8674-8675; text: CR S8675)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4838: Amendment SA 4838 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator McCain. (consideration: CR S8674-8675; text: CR S8675)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4784: Defense of germaneness withdrawn in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4785: Amendment SA 4785 proposed by Senator Coburn. (consideration: CR S8678-8680, S8682; text: CR S8678)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4848: Amendment SA 4848 proposed by Senator Coburn. (consideration: CR S8680-8681, S8691, S8703; text: CR S8680)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4755: Amendment SA 4755 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Santorum. (consideration: CR S8682; text: CR S8682)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4808: Amendment SA 4808 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Nelson FL. (consideration: CR S8682; text: CR S8682)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4847: Amendment SA 4847 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Reed. (consideration: CR S8682; text: CR S8682)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4828: Amendment SA 4828 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Chambliss. (consideration: CR S8682; text: CR S8682)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4827: Amendment SA 4827 proposed by Senator Bond. (consideration: CR S8682-8685, S8691; text: CR S8684)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4842: Amendment SA 4842 proposed by Senator Kyl. (consideration: CR S8698, S8713; text: CR S8698)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4853: Point of order raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 4853.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4858: Amendment SA 4858 proposed by Senator Boxer. (consideration: CR S8699-8703; text: CR S8699)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4774: Amendment SA 4774 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Sessions. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4846: Amendment SA 4846 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Pryor. (consideration: CR S8703-8705)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4849: Amendment SA 4849 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Bond. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4851: Amendment SA 4851 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Biden. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4761: Amendment SA 4761 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Lott. (consideration: CR S8703-8705)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4840: Amendment SA 4840 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Levin. (consideration: CR S8703-8705)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4801: Amendment SA 4801 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator DeWine. (consideration: CR S8703-8705)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4864: Amendment SA 4864 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Nelson FL. (consideration: CR S8703-8705)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4841: Amendment SA 4841 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Allen. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4860: Amendment SA 4860 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Mikulski. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4797: Amendment SA 4797 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Voinovich. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4855: Amendment SA 4855 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Dodd. (consideration: CR S8703-8705; text: CR S8704)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4844: Amendment SA 4844 proposed by Senator Sessions. (consideration: CR S8705-8711; text: CR S8705)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4867: Amendment SA 4867 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Byrd. (consideration: CR S8713-8714)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4757: Amendment SA 4757 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Santorum. (consideration: CR S8713-8714; text: CR S8713)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4868: Amendment SA 4868 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Clinton. (consideration: CR S8713-8714; text: CR S8713-8714)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4863: Amendment SA 4863 proposed by Senator Menendez. (consideration: CR S8716-8718; text: CR S8717)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4787: Motion to table amendment SA 4787 made in Senate.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4784: Point of order withdrawn in Senate with respect to amendment SA 4784.
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4853: Amendment SA 4853 proposed by Senator Nelson FL. (consideration: CR S8698-8699; text: CR S8698)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4875: Amendment SA 4875 proposed by Senator Stabenow. (consideration: CR S8714-8716; text: CR S8714)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4787: Amendment SA 4787 proposed by Senator Coburn. (consideration: CR S8675-8676, S8681-8682; text: CR S8675)
August 3, 2006 S.AMDT. 4784: Defense of germaneness raised in Senate.
2:27 PM EDT S.AMDT. 4775: Amendment SA 4775 as modified agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 94 - 3. Record Vote Number: 220. (text as modified: CR S8579)
August 2, 2006 Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S8561-8578, S8578-8579, S8581-8601)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4802: Amendment SA 4802 proposed by Senator Kennedy. (consideration: CR S8582, S8599; text: CR S8582)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4762: Amendment SA 4762 proposed by Senator Stevens. (consideration: CR S8562-8566, S8600; text: CR S8562)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4775: Amendment SA 4775 proposed by Senator Sessions. (consideration: CR S8566-8567, S8572-8574, S8579, S8581; text: CR S8567)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4788: Amendment SA 4788 proposed by Senator Kyl to Amendment SA 4775. (consideration: CR S8567-8569, S8574; text: CR S8567)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4758: Amendment SA 4758 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Cochran. (consideration: CR S8571-8572)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4759: Amendment SA 4759 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Menendez. (consideration: CR S8571-8572; text: CR S8571)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4770: Amendment SA 4770 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Lugar. (consideration: CR S8571-8572; text: CR S8571)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4772: Amendment SA 4772 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Carper. (consideration: CR S8571-8572; text: CR S8572)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4781: Amendment SA 4781 proposed by Senator Durbin. (consideration: CR S8582-8585, S8598-8599; text: CR S8582; text as modified: CR S8584-8585)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4776: Amendment SA 4776 proposed by Senator Salazar. (consideration: CR S8585-8587, S8590; text: CR S8586)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4773: Amendment SA 4773 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Dayton. (consideration: CR S8590-8591; text: CR S8590)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4796: Amendment SA 4796 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Conrad. (consideration: CR S8590-8591; text: CR S8590)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4771: Amendment SA 4771 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Frist. (consideration: CR S8590-8591; text: CR S8590-8591)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4819: Amendment SA 4819 proposed by Senator Dodd. (consideration: CR S8596-8598; text: CR S8596-8597)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4803: Amendment SA 4803 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Byrd. (consideration: CR S8599; text: CR S8599)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4779: Amendment SA 4779 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Warner. (consideration: CR S8599; text: CR S8599)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4766: Amendment SA 4766 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Inouye. (consideration: CR S8599; text: CR S8599)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4798: Amendment SA 4798 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Isakson. (consideration: CR S8599; text: CR S8599)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4814: Amendment SA 4814 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Bingaman. (consideration: CR S8600; text: CR S8600)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4829: Amendment SA 4829 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Sununu. (consideration: CR S8600; text: CR S8600)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4792: Amendment SA 4792 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Coleman. (consideration: CR S8600)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4783: Amendment SA 4783 proposed by Senator Stevens for Senator Schumer. (consideration: CR S8600)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4795: Amendment SA 4795 proposed by Senator Reid. (consideration: CR S8570)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4768: Amendment SA 4768 proposed by Senator Cornyn. (consideration: CR S8574-8578, S8599; text: CR S8575; text as modified: CR S8577)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4806: Amendment SA 4806 proposed by Senator Kyl. (consideration: CR S8587-8590, S8599; text: CR S8587)
August 2, 2006 S.AMDT. 4805: Amendment SA 4805 proposed by Senator Dorgan. (consideration: CR S8591-8593)
August 1, 2006 The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
August 1, 2006 Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8513-8527, S8528-8529; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S8513-8527)
August 1, 2006 S.AMDT. 4751: Amendment SA 4751 proposed by Senator Stevens. (consideration: CR S8528; text: CR S8528)
July 25, 2006 Committee on Appropriations. Reported by Senator Stevens with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 109-292 .
July 25, 2006 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 532.
July 25, 2006 Committee on Appropriations. Reported by Senator Stevens with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 109-292.
July 20, 2006 Committee on Appropriations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
July 18, 2006 Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Approved for full committee consideration with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
June 21, 2006 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
9:50 PM EDT On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 407 - 19 (Roll no. 305).
9:50 PM EDT The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 5631.
9:33 PM EDT The House adopted the amendments en gross as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
9:33 PM EDT The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H4312)
9:32 PM EDT The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 5631.
9:31 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1079: On agreeing to the Flake amendment (A024) Failed by recorded vote: 62 - 363 (Roll no. 304).
9:17 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1074: On agreeing to the Hinchey amendment (A019) Failed by recorded vote: 153 - 268 (Roll no. 301).
8:47 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Flake amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Flake demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
8:43 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Flake amendment under the five-minute rule.
8:42 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1079: Amendment (A024) offered by Mr. Flake. (consideration: CR H4308-4309, H4312; text: CR H4308)
8:36 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1078: On agreeing to the Flake amendment (A023) Failed by voice vote.
8:33 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1078: Amendment (A023) offered by Mr. Flake. (consideration: CR H4307; text: CR H4307)
8:29 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1077: Amendment (A022) offered by Mr. Flake. (consideration: CR H4306-4307, H4311-4312; text: CR H4306)
8:29 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1076: On agreeing to the Norton amendment (A021) Agreed to by voice vote.
8:28 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Norton amendment under the five-minute rule.
8:27 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1076: Amendment (A021) offered by Ms. Norton. (consideration: CR H4306; text: CR H4306)
8:14 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Hinchey amendment the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Hinchey demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
7:58 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Hinchey amendment under the five-minute rule.
7:57 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1074: Amendment (A019) offered by Mr. Hinchey. (consideration: CR H4303-4304, H4310; text: CR H4303)
7:46 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1073: Amendment (A018) offered by Mr. Flake. (consideration: CR H4301-4302; text: CR H4301)
7:31 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1072: Amendment (A017) offered by Mr. Hinchey. (consideration: CR H4300-4301, H4309-4310; text: CR H4300)
7:11 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Flake amendment under the five minute rule.
7:10 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1070: On agreeing to the Inslee amendment (A015) Agreed to by voice vote.
6:56 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Inslee amendment under the five-minute rule.
6:55 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1070: Amendment (A015) offered by Mr. Inslee. (consideration: CR H4293-4295; text: CR H4293-4294)
6:55 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1069: By unanimous consent, the Filner amendment was withdrawn.
6:52 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1069: Amendment (A014) offered by Mr. Filner. (consideration: CR H4293; text: CR H4293)
6:52 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Filner amendment under the five-minute rule.
6:52 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1068: By unanimous consent, the Stearns amendment was withdrawn.
6:48 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Stearns amendment under the five-minute rule.
6:47 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1068: Amendment (A013) offered by Mr. Stearns. (consideration: CR H4293; text: CR H4293)
6:46 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1067: On agreeing to the Flake amendment (A012) Failed by recorded vote: 69 - 352, 1 Present (Roll no. 299).
6:37 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1062: On agreeing to the Chocola amendment (A007) Failed by recorded vote: 141 - 285 (Roll no. 297).
6:32 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1059: On agreeing to the King (IA) amendment (A004) Failed by recorded vote: 50 - 376 (Roll no. 296).
6:27 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1065: On agreeing to the Schiff amendment (A010) Failed by recorded vote: 207 - 219 (Roll no. 295).
6:01 PM EDT UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of specified amendments which were debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.
6:01 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Flake amendment the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Flake demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
5:54 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Flake amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Flake demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postpoinned further proceedings until later in the legislative day.
5:35 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Schiff amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Schiff demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
4:05 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1065: Amendment (A010) offered by Mr. Schiff. (consideration: CR H4275-4286, H4289-4290; text: CR H4275-4276)
4:05 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Schiff amendment under the five-minute rule.
3:59 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1063: On agreeing to the Markey amendment (A008) Agreed to by voice vote.
3:55 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1063: Amendment (A008) offered by Mr. Markey. (consideration: CR H4274-4275; text: CR H4274)
3:55 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Markey amendment under the five-minute rule.
3:55 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Chocola amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Chocola demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
3:44 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1062: Amendment (A007) offered by Mr. Chocola. (consideration: CR H4273-4274, H4290-4291; text: CR H4273)
3:44 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Chocola amendment under the five-minute rule.
3:44 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1061: By unanimous consent, the Engel amendment was withdrawn.
3:40 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1061: Amendment (A006) offered by Mr. Engel. (consideration: CR H4273; text: CR H4273)
3:40 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Engel amendment under the five-minute rule, pending reservation of a point of order.
3:36 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1060: On agreeing to the Castle amendment (A005) Agreed to by voice vote.
3:32 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1060: Amendment (A005) offered by Mr. Castle. (consideration: CR H4271-4272; text: CR H4271)
3:32 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Castle amendment under the five-minute rule.
3:25 PM EDT POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the King (IA) amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. King (IA) demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
3:19 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the King (IA) amendment under the five-minute rule.
3:18 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1059: Amendment (A004) offered by Mr. King (IA). (consideration: CR H4270-4271; text: CR H4270)
3:15 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1058: On agreeing to the Granger amendment (A003) Agreed to by voice vote.
3:07 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Granger amendment under the five-minute rule.
3:06 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1058: Amendment (A003) offered by Ms. Granger. (consideration: CR H4264-4265; text: CR H4264)
3:05 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1057: By unanimous consent, the Jackson-Lee (TX) amendment was withdrawn.
3:00 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Jackson-Lee amendment under the five-minute rule, pending reservation of a point of order.
2:59 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1057: Amendment (A002) offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee (TX). (consideration: CR H4258; text: CR H4258)
2:57 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1056: On agreeing to the Murtha amendment (A001) Agreed to by voice vote.
2:56 PM EDT H.AMDT. 1056: Amendment (A001) offered by Mr. Murtha. (consideration: CR H4258; text: CR H4258)
2:56 PM EDT DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with debate on the Murtha amendment under the five-minute rule.
2:34 PM EDT GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 5631.
2:33 PM EDT The Speaker designated the Honorable Dave Camp to act as Chairman of the Committee.
2:33 PM EDT House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 877 and Rule XVIII.
2:33 PM EDT Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5631 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be read by paragraph. Bill is open to amendments.
2:33 PM EDT Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 877. (consideration: CR H4246-4313; text of Title I as reported in House: CR H4254, H4255; text of Title II as reported in House: CR H4255-4256; text of Title III as reported in House: CR H4256-4258; text of Title IV as reported in House: CR H4258, H4259; text of Title V as reported in House: CR H4259; text of Title VI as reported in House: CR H4259; text of Title VII as reported in House: CR H4259; text of Title VIII as reported in House: CR H4259-4264, H4265-4268; text of Title IX as reported in House: CR H4268-4270, H4270)
2:12 PM EDT Rule H. Res. 877 passed House.
5:17 PM EDT Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 877 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5631 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be read by paragraph. Bill is open to amendments.
12:02 PM EDT The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure, H. Rept. 109-504 , by Mr. Young (FL).
June 16, 2006 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 281.
June 16, 2006 The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure, H. Rept. 109-504, by Mr. Young (FL).
Show All 92 Actions
S.AMDT. 4907
To enhance intelligence community efforts to bring Osama bin Laden and other key leaders of al Qaeda to the justice they deserve.
Kent Conrad, D-ND
Sep 7, 2006: Passed Senate
To prohibit the use of funds for a public relations program designed to monitor news media in the United States and the Middle East and create a database of news stories to promote positive coverage of the war in Iraq.
Bob Menendez, D-NJ
To make available an additional $65,400,000 for additional appropriations for Aircraft Procurement, Air Force, for the procurement of Predators for Special Operations forces, and to designate the amount as an emergency requirement.
Jack Reed, D-RI
To require a report on procedures and guidelines in the event of further sectarian violence.
Barbara Boxer, D-CA
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy, up to $300,000 for independent testing of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Neutralizer III.
Thad Cochran, R-MS
To provide the Secretary of the Army the ability to reimburse servicemembers and their families for financial hardships due to extended deployment overseas.
Ted Stevens, R-AK
To increase by $20,000,000 the amount made available by chapter 2 of title IX for Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide for the purpose of assisting the African Union force in Sudan.
Harry Reid, D-NV
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, up to $1,000,000 for research and development on the heavy fuel diesel engine.
To appropriate funds for emergency wildlife suppression.
Jeff Bingaman, D-NM
To strike the section specifically authorizing intelligence and intelligence-related activities.
Jay Rockefeller IV, D-WV
Dec 8, 2006: Stalled
To make available up to an additional $700,000,000 for Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities to combat the growth of poppies in Afghanistan, to eliminate the production and trade of opium, and heroin, and to prevent terrorists from using the proceeds for terrorist activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, and to designate the additional amount as emergency spending.
Chuck Schumer, D-NY
To make available up to $2,000,000 for infrastructure for the Afghanistan military legal system.
Lindsey Graham, R-SC
To make available from Other Procurement, Army, up to $1,500,000 for a Convoy Training Simulator for the Montana Army National Guard.
Max Baucus, D-MT
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, up to $1,500,000 for the development of a field-deployable hydrogen fueling station.
Joe Lieberman, D-CT
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, up to $6,000,000 for research and development on bioterrorism threats to troops.
Evan Bayh, D-IN
To provide that none of the funds appropriated by this Act may be available for the conversion to contractor performance of certain activities or functions of the Department of Defense in cases where the contractor receives a competitive advantage by offering inferior retirement benefits to workers who are going to be employed in the performance of such activities or functions than those offered by the Department to comparable civilian employees.
Ted Kennedy, D-MA
To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to enter into or carry out a contract for the performance by a contractor of any base operation support service at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital pursuant to a private-public competition conducted under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 that was initiated on June 13, 2000, and has the solicitation number DADA 10-03-R-0001.
Barbara A. Mikulski, D-MD
To include information on civil war in Iraq in the quarterly reports on progress toward military and political stability in Iraq.
To make available from Defense Health Program $19,000,000 for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
George Allen, R-VA
To protect civilian lives from unexploded cluster munitions.
Dianne Feinstein, D-CA
To prohibit the use of funds by the United States Government to enter into an agreement with the Government of Iraq that would subject members of the Armed Forces to the jurisdiction of Iraq criminal courts or punishment under Iraq law.
Aug 3, 2006: Passed Senate
To prohibit the use of funds for establishing United States military installations in Iraq or exercising United States control over the oil resources of Iraq.
Joe Biden Jr., D-DE
To require a cost-benefit analysis of significant proposed realignments or closures of research and development or test and evaluation installations, activities, facilities, laboratories, units, functions, or capabilities of the Air Force.
Bill Nelson, D-FL
To make available from Procurement, Defense-Wide, up to $12,6000,000 for the completion of the final phase of a certain intelligence activity.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy, up to $1,000,000 for Energy Regeneration and Conversion Fuel Cell Systems to address Navy Unmanned Underwater Vehicle requirements.
Chris Dodd, D-CT
To provide that, of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title II for the Army National Guard for operation and maintenance, up to $7,500,000 may be available to renovate and repair existing barracks at Camp Perry, Port Clinton, Ohio.
Robert C. Byrd, D-WV
To make available from Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide, certain funds may be used for community-based programs that provide mental health and readjustment assistance to members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families on their return from deployment.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY
To make available from Operation and Maintenance, Navy, up to an additional $3,000,000 to fund improvements to physical security at Navy recruiting stations and to improve data security.
To require a new National Intelligence Estimate on prospects for security and stability in Iraq.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force, up to $4,000,000 for the Transportable Transponder Landing System.
Gordon H. Smith, R-OR
To make available from Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve, up to $3,500,000 for the Individual First Aid Kit.
Mary Landrieu, D-LA
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $8,000,000 for the Advanced Tank Armament System.
Debbie Stabenow, D-MI
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $1,000,000 for the development of a Lightweight All Terrain Vehicle.
Robert F. Bennett, R-UT
To make available from Defense Health Program up to $500,000 for a pilot program on troops to nurse teachers.
Dick Durbin, D-IL
To clarify the treatment of Committee report guidance on certain projects.
John S. McCain III, R-AZ
To limit the funds available to the Department of Defense for expenses relating to conferences.
Tom Coburn M.D., R-OK
To require the posting of certain reports of the Department of Defense on the Internet website of the Department of Defense.
To ensure the fiscal integrity of travel payments made by the Department of Defense.
To require notice to Congress and the public on earmarks of funds available to the Department of Defense.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $5,000,000 for the Virtual Training and Airspace Management Simulation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, up to $3,000,000 for Small and Medium Caliber Recoil Mitigation Technologies.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $1,000,000 for the Automated Communications Support System for WARFIGHTERS, Intelligence Community, Linguists, and Analysts.
Saxby Chambliss, R-GA
To clarify the availability of funds for the National Guard for National Guard and Reserve equipment.
Kit Bond, R-MO
To prohibit the suspension of royalties under certain circumstances, to clarify the authority to impose price thresholds for certain leases.
Jon Kyl, R-AZ
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $1,000,000 for blast protection research.
Jeff Sessions, R-AL
To provide that, or the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title IV for the Army for research, development, test and evaluation, up to $10,000,000 may be available for the Combat Support Hospital - Mobile Support Hospital.
Mark Pryor, D-AR
To make available up to $8,000,000 for personnel for a certain intelligence activity.
to make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $10,000,000 for Combat Vehicle and Automotive Technology.
Carl Levin, D-MI
To make available from Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy, up to $10,000,000 for the Carrier Replacement Program for advance procurement of nuclear propulsion equipment.
Mike DeWine, R-OH
To provide that, of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title II for Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide, up to $2,000,000 may be available for the Office of Economic Adjustment of the Department of Defense to conduct a traffic study and prepare a report on the improvements required to the transportation infrastructure around Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to accommodate the increase in the workforce located on and around Fort Belvoir resulting from the decisions implemented under the 2005 round of defense base closure and realignment.
To provide that, of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title IV for the Army for research, development, test and evaluation, up to $1,000,000 may be available for the Portable Battery Operated Solid-State Electrochemical Oxygen Generator project.
George V Voinovich, R-OH
To make available from Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Navy, up to $77,000,000 for the Conventional Trident Modification Program.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $1,000,000 for Thermoplastic Composite Body Armor research.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy, up to $2,500,000 for Navy research and development activities on the Wireless Maritime Inspection System as part of the Smartship Wireless Project of the Navy.
Rick Santorum, R-PA
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $10,000,000 for experimentation and refinement of tactics and doctrine in the use of the Class IV unmanned aerial vehicles and ground stations associated with such vehicles.
Trent Lott, R-MS
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $3,000,000 for Advanced Switching and Cooling Concepts for Electromagnetic Gun Applications.
To require plans to procure medical countermeasures for treating forward deployed members of the Armed Forces against acute radiation syndrome and similar threats.
To provide $1,829,100,000 for the Army National Guard for the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing, and 461 miles of vehicle barriers along the southwest border.
To make available from Other Procurement, Navy, up to $3,000,000 for the Man Overboard Identification System Program.
Richard G. Lugar, R-IN
To provide that none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended to provide award fees to any defense contractor for performance that does not meet the requirements of the contract.
Tom Carper, D-DE
To appropriate, with an offset, an additional $2,000,000 for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army for the improvement of imaging for traumatic brain injuries.
To provide that, of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title II for the Air force for operation and maintenance, up to $10,000,000 may be available for an interoperable communications capability for the United States Northern Command.
Ken Salazar, D-CO
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy, up to $2,000,000 for the Advanced Airship Flying Laboratory.
To make available from additional appropriations for Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard, up to $6,700,000 for the pilot program of the Army National Guard on the reintegration of members of the National Guard into civilian life after deployment.
Mark Dayton, D-MN
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force, up to $6,000,000 for Military-Standard-1760 integration for the internal weapons bays of B-52 aircraft.
To modify the notice and wait period applicable to modifications of certain contracts for national defense purposes.
Bill Frist M.D., R-TN
To make available an additional $6,700,000,000 to fund equipment reset requirements resulting from continuing combat operations, including repair, depot, and procurement activities.
To require reports on the recommendations of the Defense Science Board regarding the management of the biometrics program of the Department of Defense.
To make available from Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide, an additional amount of up to $7,500,000 for the Joint Advertising, Market Research and Studies program.
John W. Warner, R-VA
To make available from Operation and Maintenance, Army, up to $500,000 for the United States Army Center of Military History to support a traveling exhibit on military experience in World War II.
Daniel K. Inouye, D-HI
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army, up to $1,000,000 for environmental management and compliance information.
Johnny Isakson, R-GA
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force, up to $1,500,000 for Commercialization and Industrialization of Adaptive Optics.
To make available from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy, up to $1,000,000 for an integrated, low-cost, low-power Multibeam Side Scan Sonar System for Unmanned Underwater Vehicle.
John E. Sununu, R-NH
To make available from Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force, up to $5,000,000 for the procurement of Radiation Hardened Microelectronics.
Norm Coleman, R-MN
To provide that up to $9,000,000 of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by chapter 2 of title IX for the Army for operation and maintenance and up to $2,000,000 of the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by such chapter for the Marine corps for operation and maintenance may be made available for the procurement of hemostatic agents, including blood clotting bandages and invasive hemostatic agents, for use by members of the Armed Forces in the field.
To require a report assessing the Depleted Uranium Sensing and Treatment for Removal program of the Department of Defense.
To make available from Other Procurement, Army, up to $2,600,000 for the Virtual Interactive Combat Environment for the New Jersey National Guard.
To make available $2,000,000 from Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army for the Para foil Joint Precision Air Drop System.
To appropriate as additional appropriations $7,800,000,000 for the Army and $5,300,000,000 for the Marine Corps for the reset of equipment due to continuing combat operations and to designate such amounts as emergency requirements.
H.AMDT. 1056
An amendment to insert "(reduced by $5,000,000)(increased by $5,000,000)" on page 27, line 17, after the first dollar amount.
John P. Murtha Jr., D-PA
Jun 20, 2006: Passed House
An amendment to strike section 8057 (relating to the sale of the F/A-22 advanced tactical fighter to foreign governments).
Kay Granger, R-TX
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being made available to provide award fees to any defense contractor for performance that does not meet the requirements of the contract concerned.
Michael N. Castle, R-DE
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being used in contravention of laws or regulations promulgated to implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Edward J. Markey, D-MA
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds appropriated by the Act from being used to waive or modify regulations promulgated under chapter 43, 71, 75, or 77 of title 5, United States Code.
Jay Inslee, D-WA
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being made available to enter into or carry out a contract for the performance by a contractor of any base operation support service at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital pursuant to the public-private competition conducted under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 that was initiated on June 13, 2000, and that has the solicitation number DADA 10-03-R-0001.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC
Amends H.R. 5631
Defense Secretary Replacement amendment
Sep 6, 2006: Ruled non-germane by the chair.
David Vitter, R-LA
Maria Cantwell, D-WA
Ben Nelson, D-NE
To appropriate funds for a Cuba Fund for a Democratic Future to promote democratic transition in Cuba.
Aug 3, 2006: Point of order raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 4853.
To increase by $200,000,000 the amount appropriated or otherwise made available by title IX for the purpose of supplying needed humanitarian assistance to the innocent Lebanese and Israeli civilians who have been affected by the hostilities between Hezbollah and the Government of Israel.
John F. Kerry, D-MA
Pat Roberts, R-KS
Barack Obama, D-IL
Richard C. Shelby, R-AL
To provide for the extension and modification of certain tax relief provisions, and for Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act amendments.
To provide emergency supplemental appropriations for border security and immigration reform.
John Cornyn, R-TX
To prohibit the suspension of royalties under certain circumstances, to clarify the authority to impose price thresholds for certain leases, to limit the eligibility of certain lessees for new leases, and to restrict the transfer of certain leases.
To improve Federal contracting and procurement by eliminating fraud and abuse and improving competition in contracting and procurement and by enhancing administration of Federal contracting personnel.
Byron L. Dorgan, D-ND
Frank R. Lautenberg, D-NJ
Patty Murray, D-WA
Patrick J. Leahy, D-VT
An amendment to require that not less than $10,000,000 of the funds shall be used for prosthetic research.
Sheila Jackson Lee, D-TX
Jun 20, 2006: By unanimous consent, the Jackson-Lee (TX) amendment was withdrawn.
An amendment numbered 1 printed in the Congressional Record to strike section 9012 (relating to a basing rights agreement between the United States and Iraq).
Steve King, R-IA
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the King (IA) amendment (A004) Failed by recorded vote: 50 - 376 (Roll no. 296).
An amendment to make it the sense of the Congress that the Department of Navy is to be commended for having the highest percentage of Alternative Fuel Vehicles acquired by any federal agency during fiscal year 2005.
Eliot Engel, D-NY
Jun 20, 2006: By unanimous consent, the Engel amendment was withdrawn.
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being available for the development, deployment, or operation of the web-based, end-to-end travel management system of the Department of Defense known as the Defense Travel System.
Chris Chocola, R-IN
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the Chocola amendment (A007) Failed by recorded vote: 141 - 285 (Roll no. 297).
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being made available for the project designated as the "Wind Demonstration Project".
Jeff Flake, R-AZ
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the Flake amendment (A009) Failed by voice vote.
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being available to engage in electronic surveillance in the United States except as authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or chapter 119 or chapter 121 of title 18, United States Code. For purposes of this amendment, the terms "electronic surveillance" and "United States" have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Adam B. Schiff, D-CA
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the Schiff amendment (A010) Failed by recorded vote: 207 - 219 (Roll no. 295).
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds in the bill from being used for the Institute for Exploration at Mystic Aquarium in New London, Connecticut.
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the Flake amendment (A011) Failed by recorded vote: 77 - 347, 1 Present (Roll no. 298).
An amendment to prohibit funds made available by the Act from being used for the JASON Education Foundation.
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds made available in the Act from being used to interpret voluntary religious discussions as "official" as specified in the revised interim guidelines concerning free exercise of religion in the Air Force.
Cliff Stearns, R-FL
Jun 20, 2006: By unanimous consent, the Stearns amendment was withdrawn.
An amendment to prohibt any of the funds made available in the Act from being used to place a social security account number on any indentification card issued to a member of the Armed Forces, a retired member of the Armed Forces, or a dependent of such a member or retired member.
Bob Filner, D-CA
Jun 20, 2006: By unanimous consent, the Filner amendment was withdrawn.
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds made available by the Act from being used for the Center for Rotorcraft Innovation.
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds made available by the Act from being used to initiate military operations against Iran except in accordance with Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States.
Maurice Hinchey, D-NY
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the Hinchey amendment (A017) Failed by recorded vote: 158 - 262 (Roll no. 300).
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds made available by the Act from being used for the Illinois Technology Transition Center.
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds made available by the Act from being used for any contract with the communications and public relations firm known as the Lincoln Group.
An amendment to prohibit any of the funds made available by the Act from being used for the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative.
Jun 20, 2006: On agreeing to the Flake amendment (A020) Failed by recorded vote: 56 - 369 (Roll no. 302).
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being made available for the Lewis Center for Education Research.
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being made available for the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Program (ALERRT).
An amendment to prohibit the use of funds from being made available for the Leonard Wood Research Institute.
Show All 186 Amendments
Senate Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
House Appropriations Committee
See all on Afghanistan Africa (Sub-Saharan) Air force Alternative energy sources Ammunition Appellate courts Appropriations Armed forces abroad Armed forces and national security Armed forces reserves Army Bomber aircraft Bombs Brain Buy American Central Intelligence Agency Chemical warfare Civil rights and liberties, minority issues Civil service retirement Congress and foreign policy Congress and military policy Congressional oversight Congressional reporting requirements Continental shelf Courts-martial and courts of inquiry Crime and law enforcement Defense budgets Defense burdensharing Defense contracts Defense procurement Department of Defense Disaster relief Drug abuse Drug law enforcement East Asia Economics and public finance Emergency management Energy Ethnic relations Explosives Federal budgets Federal office buildings Fire prevention Foreign trade and international finance Forest fires Former Soviet states Gas in submerged lands Government operations and politics Government publicity Government trust funds Head injuries Health Heroin Hospital care Human rights Inspectors general Intelligence officers International affairs International military forces International relief Iraq Iraq compilation Jordan Labor and employment Law Logistics Machinery Maintenance and repair Marine and coastal resources, fisheries Marines Merchant marine Middle East and North Africa Military agreements Military aircraft Military airlift Military and naval supplies Military assistance Military bases Military civic action Military communications Military helicopters Military medicine Military operations Military pay Military pensions Military personnel Military research Military sealift Military training Military transportation Military vehicles National forests National Guard Navy North Korea Nuclear nonproliferation Nuclear weapons Off-budget expenditures Ohio Oil and gas leases Oil and gas royalties Opium Ordnance Oxygen Pakistan Peacekeeping forces Petroleum Petroleum in submerged lands Public lands and natural resources Recruiting and enlistment Regionalism (International organization) Rescission of appropriated funds Research and development Revolving funds Rockets (Ordnance) Science, technology, communications Shipbuilding South Asia Submarine oil well drilling Sudan Supplemental appropriations Tanks (Combat vehicles) Terrorism Torpedoes Transportation and public works Travel costs Virginia War casualties Warships Show All Topics
H.RES. 877
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5631) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.
Tom Cole, R-OK
H.RES. 1037
Waiving points of order against the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 5631) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.
Sep 26, 2006: Passed House
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13Brian Atwood
2W. Anthony Lake
1Nelson Mandela
1Joel Hefley
1Lee H. Hamilton
1Strobe Talbott
1Sam Gejdenson
1Henry J. Hyde
1John Shalikashvili
1Benjamin Arthur Gilman
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Secret Investor: FCA concerned about managed funds
Last post: Dec 16, 2016
In their latest report on the P2P sector, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expressed concerns about Managed Funds such as Assetz Capital’s Quick Access Account and Money & Co’s Portfolio Service. As these distribute funds to borrowers who are unknown to investors and are often backed by Provision Funds that imply capital returns are guaranteed, these are similar to bank accounts but P2P companies do not have to comply with the rigorous regulations that exists in the banking sector.
Totals lent to date (15th December 2016)
LendingCrowd - £7,847,141
RateSetter – £1,604,946,326
Lending Works – £38,730,328
When this blog was compiled, there were 62 upcoming loans with 3 imminently due to be drawndown.
Highlighted Loan: A borrower was looking to raise £340k to purchase a public house in the centre of a Scottish city. A tenant has already been lined up to operate the establishment and the LTV of the property in its current state is 47.6%, although this would increase to 68% should it become vacant. The interesting thing about this loan is that it only offers a return of 6.5% pa which is less than some of the Managed Accounts (below) which are covered by a Provision Fund. Clearly this is aimed at that area rather than active investors such as myself.
Quick Access Account (3.75% pa return); 30 Day Access Account (4.25% pa return); Great British Business and Green Energy Income Accounts (both of these offer a return of 7% pa).
As per the headline at the start of this blog, it will be interesting to see whether the FCA introduce restrictions on these managed products during the course of 2017 to prevent the public viewing them as comparable to a bank account.
Secret Investor's Activity: This remains the site which I have the most exposure to because they have the largest number of manually selectable loans.
Expansion Loan of >£106k to solicitors (D risk rating, 17.9% pa return). The business was looking to take on an extra solicitor having made a £300k+ profit in the 12 months up to last March. Admittedly they are reasonably old figures but for a return of almost 18% pa I decided to take a risk.
Working Capital Loan of <£32k requested by a garage (E risk rating, 21.9% return): I rejected this loan simply because of the lack of information provided. The proposal was nothing more than "we require working capital". Annual profits were also below £10k which will be eaten into by the loan repayments, leaving little contingency.
Defaulted Loans Update: Building contractors have set up a CVA to pay creditors 51p in the pound. This is disappointing as repayments on this quarter of a million pound loan only began in June. At least they had been kept up to date. Fortunately, I had only invested 50% of my usual £80 maximum.
Another loan, this time to building suppliers, was defaulted today because they were 3 months behind with their repayments. I had £36 of capital outstanding. At least FundingCircle are transparent about such events, on many other platforms this situation wouldn't trigger a default.
Lent to Date: £31,220,000 – no change.
Highlighted Loan: The first loan to be listed on this platform for some months appeared this week. The request came from groundworks contractors who have previously raised capital via FundingKnight. On this occasion, they requested £50k to purchase equipment currently on hire. Encouragingly, they have a number of blue chip customers although these large organisations can change contractors at the drop of a hat if they think they can get a better deal elsewhere. Nonetheless, the purchase of assets suggests better than usual security. The reserve rate of return was 10.75% pa.
Lent to Date: £80,319,639 at the end of November. Monthly growth of £9,337,301 (13.51%).
Total updated monthly.
Growth in November set a new record while in the first half of December, 2 or 3 new loans were appearing on the site daily. This progress has been assisted by FundingSecure establishing links with brokers in Merseyside who work with property developers to obtain funding.
Highlighted Loan: Recently all investors had the opportunity to earn 15% pa if they invested in a loan for £120k secured against a recently developed apartment block in Wiltshire. This was a "Top Up" of an earlier capital injection of £1 million. The latest loan ranks behind the earlier one hence the high rate of return but the total LTV is 70% and, as buyers are already interested in purchasing the development, I thought it was worth taking the risk.
Defaults: No progress on realising the value of the assets of my four defaulted loans while another loan secured against a high-end car (this one is of American origin) brings my total up to five.
When this blog was compiled there was 1 auction taking place.
Highlighted Loan: A "quick sale" property purchasing business was looking to raise over £104k just after the last blog went to press. Initially, there was some consternation that they were requesting the equivalent of the price of just one small house when they claimed to be a much larger operation but it was explained via the Q&A that this loan was just a "toe in the water" and, if successful, the company will return to the site with a request of £3.4 million in the New Year. As the initial request had reached 79% of the required funding on the day it was listed, this looked likely to happen.
In fact, this began to happen as early as the following week when they returned to the site to raise over £208k. Some way short of £3.4 million but perhaps that total is going to be raised in stages.
Platform News: Money & Co have announced a special offer for those investing in their managed fund – the Portfolio Service. Those who sign up for this before 31st December will receive a very nice Christmas present in the shape of a £1,000 cheque. However, this service is beyond my bankroll as the minimum amount required to join is £100k.
There were 2 active auctions when this blog was compiled.
Highlighted Loan: A property management business was looking to increase their borrowing with ReBS from £75k to £125k. By offering property as additional security they were able to reduce their interest rate by a couple of percent although investors could still see a maximum return of 18% pa. Clearly for such a high return there are risks and, in this instance, the company is facing a loss of income over the next 12 to 18 months when the government bans tenant fees. To counter this, the purpose of the additional funding is to launch a marketing campaign so that alternative revenue can be found through property sales.
Lent to Date: £205,673,000 – no change. We assume this total has not been updated.
There were 13 active auctions when this blog was compiled.
Highlighted Loan: Silk weavers were looking to raise half a million pounds to purchase new looms and, also, to provide working capital. This is currently a loss-making business which has come into new ownership. Those now in charge have already instigated a successful marketing campaign that is expected to put the balance sheet back in the black over the next few years. The loan therefore has a 4 year term with a bullet repayment at the end. Investors' funds will therefore not receive any return for some time in the hope that the marketing campaign is a success. For taking this risk they will earn 12% pa.
There were 3 active auctions taking place when this blog was compiled as the loan book of this site begins to grow following the strategic decision to focus on bridging loans.
Highlighted Loan: Last week, the first tranche of a loan totalling more than £1.1 million was listed. This is to fund the redevelopment of a house in Staffordshire. Furthermore, as the property includes 0.8 acres of land, there is space to construct 4 new builds. The developers are reportedly experienced but, from an investor's point of view, a return of 9% pa is less than that available for bridging loans on other sites.
Lent to Date: £7,847,141 – fortnightly increase of £173,260 – 2.26% growth.
Highlighted Loan: A business based in the South West which provides various services to landlords came to this site looking to raise >£15k to cover relocation costs. This proved to be a very popular loan as, when I reviewed it with 3 days of the auction remaining, the target amount had been exceeded at an average rate of 10.67% pa. There didn't appear to be anything exceptional about this business, presumably it was the comparatively low target that caused it to be comfortably met.
Lent to Date: £26,563,000 – fortnightly increase of £1,933,000 – 7.85% growth.
Highlighted Loan: Building contractors were looking to raise £1.2 million of expansion capital. Investors were offered a return of 6.5% pa. Although this is lower than many other platforms offer in this section of the blog, a greater level of security is offered. For this loan this included an all assets charge and insurance from Coface.
This platform, which lists loans from multiple sites, had 13 auctions taking place today although many were from P2P lenders covered elsewhere in this blog.
PEER FUNDING
Site was launched in early October.
Highlighted Loan: I received an email notification of the site's first property backed loan on Saturday and it was fully funded by Monday. It was the first £60k of £117k being raised to convert a retail unit with a flat above into 2 private dwellings. The loan was for 9 months with an extrapolated return of 9% pa. Another similar bridging loan was added to the site today.
Returns: Zopa's 3 accounts offer returns of 3.1%, 3.9% and 6.3% pa depending on the levels of access and whether or not they are covered by the Provision Fund.
Returns: Interest rates are set according to supply and demand. They currently range from 2.8% to 4.6% depending on the length of the investment. These have reduced by 0.1% and 0.2% respectively over the past fortnight.
Lent to Date: £38,730,328
Returns: 3.4% and 4.6% for 3 and 5 year investments respectively. The former figure has increased by 0.2% over the past fortnight.
Platform News: Lending Works have launched their swish new website.
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Big Investment Updates Great Lakes Shipping
November 8, 2015 /0 Comments/in Great Lakes, North America, Water News /by Codi Kozacek
New technology and ships make maritime commerce more efficient, adaptable, and environmentally friendly.
Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue
Companies operating in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region are making one of the biggest investments in new ships since the birth of the modern St. Lawrence Seaway.
Codi Kozacek
The Algoma Equinox slid into the water for the first time at a shipyard in Nantong, China, on December 24, 2012. The 225-meter (740-foot) freighter was destined for the Great Lakes, an early participant in the mid-continent shipping industry’s biggest upgrade in half a century.
Over the past five years, private companies and governments in the Great Lakes region have committed $US 7 billion to build new ships, improve port infrastructure, and update locks and breakwaters along the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway, according to an industry survey released this year by the Chamber of Marine Commerce in Ottawa.
Made in response to an aging fleet, more stringent environmental regulations, and an increasingly global economy, the investment is shaping the course of Great Lakes shipping for the next 30 to 40 years. At the same time, advancements in technology are providing ship captains and navigators with an increasingly accurate view of shipping channels, allowing them to navigate the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system with more precision. In combination, the developments mean more cargo can be moved with less fuel, fewer emissions, and in shallower water.
It is the largest infusion of money into Great Lakes shipping since the construction of the modern St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s, according to Stephen Brooks, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. The Seaway project cost a total of $US 470 million—equivalent to about $US 4.6 billion today. Most of it was financed by Canada. Together with the Welland Canal that circumnavigates Niagara Falls, and the Soo Locks that enable passage between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, the navigation system allows ships to travel 3,700-kilometers (2,300 miles) from Duluth, Minnesota, to the Atlantic Ocean at Sept-Iles, Quebec. Every year, vessels transiting the system carry about 164 million metric tons of cargo including bulk shipments of iron ore, road salt, corn, and wheat, as well as specialized products like wine, furniture, and clothing from all over the world.
“[The investment] really is quite unprecedented,” Brooks told Circle of Blue. “And I think it’s important to keep that perspective, that this is something we may not see again in many of our lives, this level of investment.”
New Ships Bolster Aging Fleet
The vast majority of the money being spent—nearly $US 4 billion—is funding new ships. For years, the industry in Canada was hamstringed by a 25 percent import duty on ships purchased abroad, according to Brooks. When that was lifted in 2010, companies began investing heavily in their fleets.
“Up until 2009, the fleet of Canadian ships in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region had reached an average age of 35 years, which is quite old for these ships. Old certainly in terms of their technology. Old in terms of efficiency. And old in terms of their ability to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations,” Brooks said. “The industry was at quite a critical crossroads. In order to continue and be sustainable, and to provide the valuable services that these ships provide for both North American industry and people around the world, they had to figure out a way to get new ships.”
Graphic © Kaye LaFond / Circle of Blue
Investments in new ships, technology, and infrastructure are making the Great Lakes shipping industry more efficient and environmentally friendly.
The St. Catharines, Ontario-based Algoma Central Corporation, the largest ship owner and operator on the Great Lakes, has announced 9 new ships since 2009. Three are already operating on the lakes, while the others are expected to be in service by 2018.
“The older ships were much more expensive to maintain to high Canadian standards,” Wayne Smith, senior vice president of commercial for Algoma, told Circle of Blue. “We made the decision back in 2009, 2010 that we had to renew our fleet. We spent a couple years really trying to develop what we thought would be the best, or optimal, design for the future, next generation of Great Lakes vessels.”
The company’s new Equinox Class ships are generally larger than their old carriers, with most reaching 225.5 meters (740 feet) in length and 23.8 meters (78 feet) in beam, the maximum dimensions for a ship to fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway. They have integrated exhaust scrubber systems that remove 97 percent of sulfur oxide and 75 percent of particulate matter emissions, resulting in an overall 40 percent reduction in air emissions compared to the older ships. In addition, larger propellers turned by slower engines as well as smoother hull coatings improve the ships’ fuel efficiency, said Smith.
“The new designs are a lot more efficient in terms of fuel, the emissions are scrubbed, and they’re carrying more,” he said.
“It’s been challenging since the recession in 2008 and 2009 for businesses to recover to pre-recession levels, and we’re still working with all of our customers to try to get to those levels,” Smith added. “The new ships are essentially viable and finance themselves because of improved efficiency.”
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system allows ships to travel 3,700-kilometers (2,300 miles) from Duluth, Minnesota, to the Atlantic Ocean at Sept-Iles, Quebec.
Carrying More, Even in Shallow Water
Even as ships traveling the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River get bigger, new technology is allowing them to carry more through the shallowest parts of the Seaway. In 2012, Canadian and U.S.-flagged ships began using a tool called the Draft Information System (DIS), which gives captains and pilots a precise view of the surrounding channel and allows them to navigate more safely.
The more cargo a ship carries, the lower it sits in the water. The distance a ship’s hull extends below the water’s surface is called its draft, and when a ship travels faster, its draft increases. When it travels slower, its draft decreases. That means that a large ship carrying lots of cargo needs to slow down to cross through shallow areas. But without a good idea of where shallow areas are located in relation to the ship or how the ship’s draft changes at different speeds, navigators must carry less to give themselves a wider margin of error.
In the St. Lawrence Seaway, most ships are required to travel with a draft of 8.07 meters (26 feet and 6 inches) or less. DIS, however, provides navigators with detailed, color-coded hydrographic maps of the Seaway that track the ship’s location and speed and show which areas to avoid and which areas are safe. As a result, ships equipped with DIS can travel with a maximum draft of 8.15 meters (26 feet and 9 inches)—a difference that allows the biggest ships on the Seaway to carry an extra 400 metric tons of cargo.
“Those tons can be transported without any meaningful increase in fuel consumption,” Andrew Bogora, communications and public relations officer for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, told Circle of Blue. “That not only gives substantial benefits to the ship operator, but in terms of fuel efficiency it can reduce emissions. So your carbon footprint per ton of cargo keeps dropping as you become more efficient.”
Image courtesy St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation
The Draft Information System (DIS) , first used by ships transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway in 2012, provides navigators with detailed, color-coded maps of the Seaway that track the ship’s location and show which areas to avoid and which areas of the channel are safe at any given speed.
Even in the rare cases when water levels drop to the point where Seaway managers have to reduce the permissible draft, ships with DIS will be able to travel with 7.6 more centimeters (3 inches) of draft than those without it, Bogora said. Currently 30 ships in the domestic fleet have the technology.
“Rather than presenting the water, the riverbed, as flat as a dance floor, we are now actually using the full water column,” Daniel Dagenais, vice president of operations at the Port of Montreal, told Circle of Blue. “So what we are trying to do is integrate that. Before, even though people knew intuitively that a river was not like a dance floor, they couldn’t have the information because it was constantly changing because of sedimentation, because of ebb and flow, tide movements in the bottom of the St. Lawrence River.”
“Before, it was kind of a lobotomized process because there was just so much margin on top, above—no one really cared,” he added. “But as the resource is getting scarcer and scarcer, then we need to better manage this resource—the water.”
Seaway Ports Adapt Too
Ports along the Seaway are also investing in facility improvements and benefiting from technological advances. The Port of Montreal, for example, is now using a system that allows it to inspect the river and underwater portions of its facilities, such as berth walls, in two days; the process took years in the past. In 2014, it spent $US 20.5 million upgrading and expanding its container handling areas and ship berths and announced a $US 59 million project to restore a historic pier and passenger terminal for cruise ships.
“For us, we are a facilitator for the movement of goods, and we always need to keep an eye out on marine access—draft, width, winter navigation and the pilotage cost, and all of that,” Dagenais said. “But we also have to keep an eye out on the shore side as well because connectivity is king in this particular business.”
Every year, vessels transiting the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system carry about 164 million metric tons of cargo including bulk shipments of iron ore, road salt, corn, and wheat, as well as specialized products like wine, furniture, and clothing from all over the world.
The port’s business is growing. A record 30.4 million metric tons of cargo passed through its facilities in 2014, as well as more than 71,000 cruise passengers. One of its biggest challenges, according to Dagenais, is visibility in an increasingly global market shaped by shifting economic centers. In 2000, nearly 80 percent of the port’s overseas trade was with northern Europe. By 2013, Europe’s share dropped to 44 percent.
“Some of the challenges we have faced have been there for a long time, but as the emerging markets are coming along, then it’s no longer the countries that actually colonized this continent that we are dealing with—it’s people who don’t know Montreal at all or don’t know the geography of the land,” Dagenais said. “So you know what, there’s more education to be done. So that’s why we actually have technology here to manage the river, but also people in Hong Kong, we have people in Europe, people traveling all over the Middle East, to make sure that they are made aware that Montreal is a possible market for them to ship their goods.”
A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek
Tags: Canada, Economic Development, emissions, Feature Stories, frontpage, Great Lakes, Great Lakes Featured, In the Circle, Investment, ports, shipping, St. Lawrence River, St. Lawrence Seaway, Technology, U.S. Infrastructure, United States, water
https://i0.wp.com/www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2014-2016-Lake-Michigan-Illinois-Chicago-JCGanter_IMG_6506.jpg?fit=1600%2C1200&ssl=1 1200 1600 Codi Kozacek https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Codi Kozacek2015-11-08 14:17:422016-06-17 12:07:41Big Investment Updates Great Lakes Shipping
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EPA Watchdog Flags Unregulated Pollutants in Treated Sewage Sludge
November 20, 2018 /1 Comment/in Water News, Water Policy & Politics, WEF /by Brett Walton
Hundreds of identified pollutants lack a risk evaluation.
By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue
An undermanned EPA is potentially failing to protect human health and the environment from hundreds of pollutants in treated sewage sludge, which is used for garden and field fertilizer in all 50 states, according to an investigation by the agency’s internal watchdog.
“We found the EPA’s controls over the land application of treated sewage sludge, or biosolids, were incomplete or had weaknesses and may not have fully protected human health and the environment,” said Jill Trynosky of the Office of the Inspector General.
The EPA monitors only nine pollutants in treated sewage sludge, according to the Office of the Inspector General’s report. The agency also requires utilities to reduce pathogens. But a much broader list of potential threats has not been evaluated. The agency identified 352 other chemical pollutants in treated sludge, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and solvents, but has not yet completed risk assessments for them. Sixty-one of the pollutants are listed as hazardous under other federal statutes.
“Right now, the EPA is working to assess the safety of several hundred pollutants that have been found in biosolids,” said Trynosky, a co-author on the report. “But the agency says it lacks the data and tools necessary to assess the health and environmental risks of many of these pollutants. As a result, the EPA is unable to state whether, and at what level, the pollutants found in biosolids pose a risk.”
The EPA objected to how data in the report was presented, arguing that the presence of a hazardous substance does not automatically present a risk if the concentrations are low enough.
“There is no attempt to make it clear to the reader that the occurrence of pollutants in biosolids does not necessarily mean that those pollutants pose a risk to public health and the environment,” David Ross, the head of the EPA Office of Water wrote in a September 4 letter to the Inspector General’s Office.
Ross did agree that the agency needs to evaluate the health risks of the pollutants.
Sewage sludge are the solids that remain after initial treatment. After additional treatment, they are repackaged as biosolids and sold as fertilizer.
The nine pollutants that the EPA monitors are all heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead. No additional pollutants have been added to the monitoring list in the 25 years since the agency began its biosolids program.
Unregulated pollutants such as pharmaceuticals are also found in treated wastewater that is discharged from facilities into rivers and lakes.
Staff in the agency’s Office of Science and Technology told the investigators that the research budget is insufficient to evaluate human health risks for all the pollutants. The agency has also moved resources away from the biosolids program.
The Biosolids Center of Excellence, based in the agency’s Region 7 office, reviews annual reports and oversees enforcement and compliance for more than 2,700 wastewater utilities nationwide that produce biosolids.
When the inspector general conducted its review, the center had only two staff, which the report called “a minimal presence.”
The report recommended 13 actions that the EPA take. Those recommendations include completing annual reviews on time, developing a plan to evaluate the 352 identified pollutants, and updating sampling guidelines for pathogens.
The agency so far has set a timetable for responding to eight of the actions.
Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue’s weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club’s Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton
Tags: frontpage, slider, wastewater treatment, WEF
https://i0.wp.com/www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/EPA_2115.jpg?fit=2400%2C1308&ssl=1 1308 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2018-11-20 13:51:582018-11-27 12:10:33EPA Watchdog Flags Unregulated Pollutants in Treated Sewage Sludge
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Kate Hughes says:
The question for me is, and always has been, why the use of bioassays are not brought into the formal risk assessment process. No testing lab can keep up with the number of contaminants emitting to “waste water’ and there is really only one solution..developing a suite of bioassays that can indicate the degree of toxicity of the chemical mixture. Even if used as a screening mechanisms, bioassays provide a viable approach to chemical risk assessment at systems level. It was done for the leachate from consolidated landfills as part of Sydney’s “green games’ in 2000 and no doubt elsewhere but regrettably, the use of bioassays is yet to be embraced at regulatory level. Something to consider and to seek out information on.
Thanks for the communication at circleofblue. I guess you might be referring to the small planet we live on that can be seen form outer space as a blue marble!!!
Best Wishes Kate Hughes, PhD. Right To Know Publication and The Ecology Data Bank. St Albans, NSW, Australia
Counting Homes Cut Off From Water Is A Data Collection Nightmare What’s Up With Water – November 19, 2018
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Darby Shaw
The Pelican Brief
rate her 12345678910
Grew Up... in Denver, with her mother and father. Darby's father died in an airplane accident four years ago, and her mother got a big settlement. Her mother has since remarried and moved on, but Darby doesn't talk to her much these days.
Living... in New Orleans, where she studies law at Tulane. After she graduates, she wants to make a living suing large corporations for trashing the environment.
Profession... legal assistant. Though young, Darby is ambitious, and her latest project involves nothing less than the deaths of two Supreme Court justices. The same night Justice Jensen was killed in a gay club, Justice Rosenberg was found dead in his bed, shot in the head along with his nurse and a Supreme Court policeman. Darby is convinced it wasn't a coincidence that both men died the same night, and she's pieced together her research in a long document she calls the Pelican Brief. In it, she explains her theory about who likely killed the justices, and why.
Relationship Status... newly single. Thomas Callahan was her professor, mentor, and boyfriend – but after passing the Pelican Brief on to a friend at the FBI, now he's just dead. A car bomb was what did Thomas in, and while Darby is heartbroken, she's also terrified by the fact that that the bomb was meant to kill her, too.
Challenge... staying alive. Darby knows she's supposed to be dead, since the people trying to kill her have already assassinated two Supreme Court justices and murdered a law professor. With the killer (or killers) still on the loose, Darby isn't sure who to trust. But she thinks she may have found one reliable person: Gray Grantham, a newspaper reporter determined to uncover the rest of the story.
Personality... warm, determined, and brilliant. Alas, those same traits got her into this sticky mess in the first place. But it will be those characteristics that give her a fighting chance to survive, along with the help of Grantham. Darby is being pursued by very powerful and dangerous forces, but they may have underestimated her resourcefulness.
Darby Shaw's popularity ranking on CharacTour is #4010 out of 5,300+ characters. See our top-ranked characters and read their profiles.
Find Her In
Two Supreme Court Justices have been killed. Now a college professor, who clerked for one of the two men, who's also having an affair with one of his students, is given a brief by her, that states who probably, wanted to see these two men dead. He then gives it to one of his friends, who works for the FBI...
Fans of her like these other characters in entertainment.
Fans of her like these movies, TV shows, books and video games.
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GAO Report Highlights Workplace Safety Issues with Meat and Poultry Plants
Meat Poultry
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), meat and poultry slaughter and processing is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. In 1994, USDA’s FSIS and OSHA agreed to a memorandum to improve workplace safety and allow workers to report dangerous conditions. In a recent Government Accountability Office report entitled “Workplace Safety and Health: Better Outreach, Collaboration, and Information Needed to Protect Workers at Meat and Poultry Plants,” the GAO has brought the memorandum back to the forefront, stating that much unaccomplished work remains and most employees still feel they’ll lose their jobs if they complain about any unsafe conditions to OSHA. The report urges federal agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), to do more to protect workers in meat and poultry plants.
GAO made the following recommendations:
• OSHA should interview workers away from their workplaces to encourage them to speak up about restroom access. By asking workers specifically about this issue, OSHA will be able to better understand the scope of the problem.
• OSHA should update its 1999 guidance on plant health unit management to make sure workers receive timely, quality care.
• OSHA and FSIS should work together to review and update their 1994 Memorandum of Understanding to maximize collaborative opportunities to protect workers.
• FSIS should develop a process to share chemical safety review information with OSHA, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), FSIS inspectors, and plant management.
• NIOSH should conduct a study of the interaction between peracetic acid and other chemicals used in poultry and meat processing plants to determine the combined effects on workers who come into contact with them daily.
To read GAO’s entire report, visit https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/688294.pdf
ChemDAQ Continues Work to Update AAMI Recommendations
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The First Thanksgiving Was Almost on Cape Cod
by Ken Jennings
In this week's Maphead column, Ken Jennings debunks one of our country's origin stories. Huzzah!
In a world full of amazing rocks (Uluru in Australia! The Rock of Gibraltar! The Blarney Stone!) America's only real contender is Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, the symbol of the Mayflower pilgrims' 1620 arrival in the New World. But before you wax patriotic about Plymouth Rock around your Thanksgiving dinner this year, take note: The actual rock is pretty underwhelming—and probably a fraud.
Every town in America wanted to get a piece of the rock.
If you've never actually visited Plymouth, you're probably imagining the nation's no. 1 rock as a pretty impressive site. In fact, the chunk of granite on display in a portico by the harbor is not that big, roughly the size of a living room sofa. And for such a potent symbol of American heritage, the rock has been treated pretty poorly over time. Visitors to Plymouth Rock in centuries pat would often chisel off chunks of it to bring home and display in their own corners of America, like religious relics.
Don't trust these Mayflower movers.
In 1774, the city fathers brought 20 teams of oxen to move Plymouth Rock up to town hall—and managed to break it in half loading it into the carriage. Oops. ("We didn't land on Plymouth Rock! Plymouth Rock landed…on our toes!") The bottom half was left behind at the wharf. In 1834, when the town fathers tried to move Plymouth Rock to a nearby museum lawn, it fell off the cart and broke in half again! At some point you have to wonder: What does the town of Plymouth have against this poor rock anyway?
A bad, bad rock, this here revisionism rock.
The two largest portions of the rock were reunited at the harbor in 1880, but it turns out that their current resting place was probably never the pilgrims' historic landing site in the first place. The rock first appears in the historical record more than two centuries after the town's founding, when a Plymouth writer heard a secondhand story about 95-year-old Thomas Faunce, who, on his deathbed in 1741, asked to be carried down to the shore to say one final goodbye to Plymouth Rock. Faunce's father had assured him that the Mayflower elders had told him that the rock was indeed the landing site. If you're counting, this story is now four degrees of separation from any actual eyewitnesses.
The first Thanksgiving was almost on Cape Cod.
So Plymouth Rock is probably a fraud. As writer Bill Bryson noted, "No prudent mariner would try to bring a ship alongside a boulder in a heaving December sea when a sheltered inlet beckoned nearby." But we do know where the Mayflower first docked in the New World—and it was nowhere near Plymouth Rock. The ship's actual first stop was what is today Provincetown Harbor, 20 miles away, and the buckle-hatted beachcombers spent weeks investigating possible settlement sites on Cape Cod. They didn't head over to Plymouth until more than a month later.
Explore the world's oddities every week with Ken Jennings, and check out his book Maphead for more geography trivia.
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Capify Receives Double Accolades
Capify News
Global Leader in Alternative Business Finance Has Achieved 50% 3-Year Growth Earning Its Place On the Inc. 5000 List and Winning Best Business Lender – Digital Offering At The Prestigious 2016 Australian Business Banking Awards
NEW YORK – August 23, 2016 – Capify, a leading provider of alternative finance to small and medium sized businesses in the US, UK, Australia and Canada announced that it has been named in the exclusive Inc. 5000 ranking based on its 50% three-year growth rate. Companies on this list have been recognized as some of the most successful and fastest-growing private businesses in America. Other prominent brands to appear in the Inc. 5000 over the years include Microsoft, LinkedIn, Pandora and Domino’s Pizza.
Capify also won the prestigious 2016 Australian Business Banking Award for Best Business Lender – Digital Offering. This is the first time a non-bank has won this category. Capify leverages a unique online underwriting platform that provides decisions to business owners within 60 seconds. The company prides itself on being a leader in the alternative financing industry.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our company for being named to the exclusive Inc. 5000 list as well as winning the Australian Business Banking Award for Best Business Lender – Digital Offering,” said David Goldin, Founder, President & CEO of Capify. “The accolade of being named on the Inc. 5000 list couldn’t have been achieved without the hard work of all our employees and of course businesses that we help worldwide by providing them easy and responsible access to capital. Furthermore, I am thrilled that the Australian banking industry has recognized our industry leading technology and underwriting platform that provides Australia business owners decisions within 60 seconds by recognizing us as the Best Business Lender – Digital Offering in all of Australia.”
With 14 years’ experience in the alternative finance industry, Capify has a proven history of growth and success, including being an early mover in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom, and the first alternative financer to offer Merchant Cash Advances in Australia. Capify is also the first alternative finance provider to operate in four leading international, and previously untapped, markets. In 2015, the company undertook a major rebrand to join together previously separate brands in each country it operates in which were all founded by CEO, David Goldin.
About Capify
Capify is a leading SME alternative finance provider powered by proprietary technology and analytics. Capify leverages a proprietary underwriting platform to provide working capital solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses in Australia, USA, UK and Canada, including business loans, merchant cash advances, and lines of credit. Business owners can apply online and receive decisions in 60 seconds or less at the company’s various websites. For additional information about Capify, please visit www.www.capify.com.au.
Or call 1300 760 930 to speak with one of our friendly Lending Consultants now.
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Big Data Security Analytics , Breach Notification , Governance
7 Scenes: Scottish Cybersecurity Conference
Talking Ransomware, Botnets, Banking, Bitcoins and More Mathew J. Schwartz (euroinfosec) • May 17, 2016
The Egg at the Craiglockhart campus of Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland (Photo: Mathew Schwartz, ISMG)
Fun cybersecurity fact about Scotland: Many of Britain's banks host their security operations centers in or around Edinburgh.
So said Ian Rainsborough of digital forensic software maker Guidance Software, addressing the May 10 "International Conference on Big Data in Cyber Security," hosted by Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. Throughout the day, a range of experts from academia, industry and the public sector detailed the latest trends in big data, policing, organizing information security teams, ransomware campaigns and more (see Police Reveal Botnet Herders' Disaster Recovery Secrets).
Here are seven visual highlights from the event:
1. Scottish Cybersecurity Networking
The "International Conference on Big Data in Cyber Security" took place at Edinburgh Napier University.
Organized by Bill Buchanan, a professor at the Edinburgh Napier School of Computing, the one-day event included presentations from a number of information security experts, ranging from law enforcement officials and forensic investigators to "big data" practitioners and CISOs, and drew attendees from across the United Kingdom, as well as a smattering from the European mainland. But as with every type of local cybersecurity event, many of the attendees hailed from Scotland, and told me they were there not just to learn, but also to network with peers.
2. Ransomware Hits Hairdresser
Police Scotland's Eamonn Keane said small businesses in Scotland have been especially hard hit by ransomware attacks.
Eamonn Keane, a detective inspector with Police Scotland's cybercrime unit, said it's been difficult for police to disrupt the massive rise in ransomware infections. "Every day, there's a new ransomware virus," he said. "I suppose we're going to have to apply a much more proactive engagement from a law enforcement perspective ... like we did with Gameover Zeus, like we did with the international scale of Blackshades and cybercrime as a service" (see How Do We Catch Cybercrime Kingpins?).
3. New Breach Notification Window: 72 Hours
Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Tim Grieveson says that the EU's new data protection regulation will require breach notifications within 72 hours of discovery.
After more than four years of related negotiations, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation - the Soviet-sounding "GDPR" for short - passed on April 14. The GDPR includes a number of new provisions, for example giving regulators the ability to impose a fine of up to 4 percent of a company's worldwide annual revenue, as well as instituting mandatory data breach notifications for any organization that stores or handles personally identifiable information, once they discover that they've been breached.
"The scary thing is 72 hours - we have 72 hours to actually tell the authorities there has been a breach," said Tim Grieveson, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's chief cyber and security strategist for the Europe, the Middle East and Africa regions. Other experts have told me that the 72-hour figure isn't yet set in stone, but the current focus on three days suggests that whatever the breach-notification requirement ends up being, it won't stretch to weeks.
4. Building Security Playbooks
How Lloyds Banking Group organizes its security group.
The day included multiple banking-related discussions. One was from Stephen Livingstone, who works with the security operations group at Lloyds Banking, which prioritizes developing security playbooks. "This is primarily because we're expecting to see high staff turnover in the next couple of years, and we want to ensure that knowledge transfer is something that happens often and easily," he said.
From a security standpoint, meanwhile, he said that one online challenge continues to be the "bring your own device" movement, because Lloyds currently has no legal resource to seize BYOD technology during the course of an internal investigation, although a fix is in the works. "We're addressing that with legal at the moment," Livingstone said.
5. Inside a Backup Botnet
Forcepoint's Andy Settle delivers his presentation from inside the university building known as "The Egg."
Andy Settle, head of special investigations for security firm Forcepoint - formerly known as Raytheon Websense - detailed a botnet campaign the company discovered, which it calls JAKU.
Settle said it's unclear who's behind the botnet, or what its purpose might be. But after launching a six-month investigation in October 2015, Forcepoint has found a number of interesting clues:
Victims: Korean language speakers are the most targeted (43 percent), followed by Japanese (30 percent) and English (13 percent).
North Korea: "Tens, not hundreds, of victims" appear to travel to and from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
Russia: Barring a few infections at a Russian ISP in Moscow, none of the botnet's victims were in Russia.
Counterfeit Windows: 52 percent of victims appeared to be using a counterfeit Microsoft Windows operating system.
Dwell time: The average victim PC is infected by JAKU malware for 93 days - up to a maximum of 348 days in one case - before the malware is somehow either blocked or eradicated.
The takeaway from the above? "Don't jump to conclusions," Settle said. For example, the absence of Russian victims might be due to the malware selecting targets based on geography, language and timing, he said.
One possibility, Settle told me, is that whoever is behind the botnet has been keeping it in reserve for future campaigns, so that if a primary botnet gets disrupted by security researchers or law enforcement agencies, the JAKU botnet could become their primary botnet.
6. Big Data: Better Tools Required
Steven Wilson, head of Europol's EC3
Steven Wilson, head of the European Cybercrime Center (EC3) at Europol - the EU's law enforcement agency - told the conference that better information sharing has been helping law enforcement agencies more quickly spot and disrupt criminal activity online.
Europol Director Rob Wainwright has been advancing the use of information-sharing platforms to connect more than 500 different law enforcement agencies from Europe - and beyond - and noted earlier this year that the amount of information being exchanged "has quadrupled in less than five years."
Because the volume of these incoming data feeds is both massive and increasing, and already reaches hundreds of terabytes per month, Wilson told the conference that Europol is increasingly looking to academia and the private sector to help it build the tools it needs to analyze all of that information. "The data feeds we're starting to get now are enormous, and to try and [tackle] them with conventional policing tactics is practically impossible," Wilson said.
7. Follow the Bitcoin Money
Police Scotland's Eamonn Keane said criminals are increasingly operating online.
Authorities already have some tools - developed by academics - that allow them to analyze and de-anonymize some bitcoin transactions, using, in part, data from the blockchain, which is the public ledger of all bitcoin transactions.
None of the law enforcement representatives present at the conference shared any new insights into exactly what those capabilities might be, although Police Scotland's Keane said the result of those capabilities has been well-documented, for example via the takedowns of both notorious Silk Road darknet marketplaces to date.
But criminals continue to be drawn by the relative ease and safety of operating online, Keane said, citing the following passage from a TED talk by Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at Finnish security firm F-Secure: "It's more likely for any of us to become the victim of a crime online than here in the real world. And it's very obvious that this is only going to get worse. In the future, the majority of crime will be happening online."
Keane said: "We have a mandate to protect you in the real world; increasingly, it's moving into the online environment."
All photographs by Mathew J. Schwartz.
Legislation & Litigation
https://www.careersinfosecurity.eu/blogs/7-scenes-scottish-cybersecurity-conference-p-2134
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INTERVIEW: It's a very thorough process
Amy Nixon
Head of recruitment Lee Dykes on getting new players into the building
Head of recruitment Lee Dykes spoke to us about what is a bury period as the work continues behind the scenes to get ready for the 2015/16 campaign.
“My phone hasn't stopped ringing,” he said. “It's a busy time of the year because players are finding out their futures at different clubs and we're also looking at the targets we highlighted as soon as we walked into the football club.
“We had a short, medium and long term vision. The short term was obviously to secure the league status and, having done that, it means we can now look for the type of player the manager wants to bring into the building.
“We were always confident we would stay in the league. It probably took us a little longer than we anticipated but we were always confident and, as I say, it now means we can get on with the next part of the job.”
“We started to plan our activity fairly early,” he explained. “The summer months are a busy time but we started a lot of the discussions months and months ago.
“We’ve had a process in place for getting new players throughout that time. The way it works is that the targets don't get to the manager unless I’ve seen something I think he’ll like first. He puts a lot of trust in me that way and we work well together.
“Once that’s happened I'll go to the manager, and Colin West, and we'll form an opinion. We always have five or six targets for each position, which we'll then trim down. It's not just about ability, it's a case of experience and how they'll work with the people we've got in the building already.
“Again, once the player is passed on to the manager he likes to meet them in person. He wants to know he can trust his players and face-to-face meetings usually tell him whether or not he can do that. It can take up to three meetings for him to know he’s got there with that side of it as it’s not something he likes to rush. He won't do anything unless he's absolutely certain.”
“As you can see, a lot of hours go into getting a player into the building to sign a contract,” he told us. “As things come to a head you tend to forget about the early work you did.
“For me, I watch a player and do a report, and I look at his age, experience and what stage of his career he’s at. It starts to ramp up once you've been through all of that. We do more due diligence and seek references from players and previous managers, so we know everything about his background.
“It’s a very thorough and in-depth process but, in the long term, it should mean we’re in a much stronger position.”
The second part of this interview will appear on the official website on Wednesday morning.
United Player subscribers can see a video interview with Lee Dykes now. Click HERE to go to the Player platform. Follow the same link for more information on United Player, and to subscribe.
YOUTH: All you can ask for is support from your first team manager
Youth boss Eric Kinder took charge of his first pre-season friendly as the youth team travelled to Morecambe on Tuesday, and we caught up with his shortly after the 4-3 victory.
INTERVIEW: It was a great experience
We spoke to defender Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of training on Thursday to get his thoughts on the first friendly of pre-season against Hibs on Tuesday night.
INTERVIEW: I can’t put into words what I’m feeling
Midfielder Josh Dixon put pen-to-paper on a new two-year deal on Thursday and we caught up with him to get his reaction to the good news.
INTERVIEW: It's great to get the deal done
New arrival Nathaniel Knight-Percival joined up with his new team mates for the first time this morning having just put pen-to-paper on a new deal with the club on Thursday afternoon.
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An Alternative Brexit Polemic
By Frances Coppola - February 23, 2018
You would think, wouldn't you, that an "Alternative Brexit Economic Analysis" by four highly experienced and qualified economists would be a rigorous exercise in economic forecasting, supported by excellent econometrics and with care taken to avoid confirmation and selection bias?
A new paper from the Brexit-supporting thinktank Economists for Free Trade critiques the Government's recent forecast that Brexit would cause a GDP loss of between 2 and 8 percent over 15 years relative to remaining in the EU, with the "hardest" Brexit causing the greatest loss. Or at least, that's what the paper says it is doing. But the way it goes about it is decidedly odd for something claiming to be an "Alternative Brexit Economic Analysis".
The first section of the report is an extensive discussion of the reasons why no-one should ever believe forecasts produced by the UK Civil Service. The authors argued that because HMT's forecasts are frequently wron…
The misery of Mitie
The failure of Carillion has brought to light widespread moral hazard in the outsourcing sector. For years, companies that deliver crucial public services relied on expectation of government support to keep their borrowing costs low and enable them to please shareholders by giving dividends they couldn't afford. They, and the banks and investors that funded them, assumed they were too important to fail. So when Carillion was on the brink of failure, RBS tightened the screws, clearly believing that the UK government would eventually cough up (my emphasis):
RBS....insisted that this revised arrangement "would be in place until support from [the Government] had been agreed and that the terms of this support would determine whether other uncommitted facilities with RBS would be withdrawn". But they were wrong. The UK government refused to provide support, preferring to allow Carillion to fail. That decision shocked the outsourcing sector to the core. In effect, it had been…
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An 11-year-old child corrected Justin Bieber's grammar and it's brilliant
You got told, Biebs.
By Catriona Harvey-Jenner
Whether you like him or not, Justin Bieber is a role model. I know, right?
But while he's one of the world's biggest influencers, it seems some people don't think he's quite up to the job. Like this one boy, an 11-year-old from Cornwall, who wanted a word with Justin about his less-than-satisfactory grammar standards.
He wrote a letter to the Sorry singer (who'll definitely be Sorry after this, if he wasn't before) to pick him up on the grammatical mistake he repeatedly made in the 2012 hit, Boyfriend.
"In the song, you can be heard - on a number of occasions - stating 'If I was your boyfriend': here you have clearly used the subjunctive mood incorrectly," the child writes. Amazing.
"The correct lyrics should, in fact be, 'If I were your boyfriend'. This is a very common mistake made by the general public today; however, if role models (and popular singer/song-writers) such as you cannot use it, why should we make the effort to study and use such grammatical forms correctly?" he continues. And hasn't he got a point?
A picture of the letter was posted by a teacher at the unnamed child's school, and it turns out she's not the only one who found it hilarious. Since she posted it to Facebook , it's been liked and shared hundreds of times, and we're hoping it'll reach the Biebs himself at some point soon.
Because, really, it's not a laughing matter.
Facebook/Louise Williams
The child signs off the letter in an even sassier way, making an all-important reference to Beyoncé. Because, of course. He writes:
"My final point is this: If current performers, such as Beyonce can write a song using the subjunctive mood correctly, so must you."
Good on you, mysterious school boy. You've taught Bieber (er, and us) an all-important life lesson.
Follow Cat on Twitter.
Catriona Harvey-Jenner Digital Features Editor Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs.
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Justin Bieber's transformation through the years
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Corporate | 30 November 2015
The constantly-growing company is refreshing its corporate image to reinforce the identity of a brand which is now one of the leaders in the sector.
“Passion. Technology. Design“. These three words sum up the formula for success implemented by Comelit Group SpA, an internationally renowned industrial company specialising in the design and creation of video entry, video surveillance, anti-intrusion, home automation, fire protection and access control systems.
The new payoff, which for some months now has accompanied the Comelit logo, affirms the principles on which the fresh identity of the company is based; a company that has grown significantly in the last five years, not just in terms of numbers and turnover but also in terms of its product range, to become one of the main players in the sector.
“Comelit’s mission is to offer people security,” explains Bruno Pellegrini, Marketing Director. “We currently offer a complete range of products and systems in order to safeguard this precious value, for greater peace of mind. The door entry monitors, which marked the start of company activity in 1956 and are available in a variety of new models with multiple functions, are joined by a wide range of video surveillance and anti-intrusion systems that allow you to constantly keep track of everything happening at home, with the innovative apps also offering this function. This year, the security product line has been completed by the fire protection range, with control panels and smoke detectors for various contexts. Finally there is home automation, which in certain aspects is the very synthesis of our company mission: home automation actually makes it possible to integrate all the devices and systems within a house and manage them according to the user’s desires and requirements, creating exclusive and customised scenarios.”
“The security Comelit wants to guarantee utilises the most modern and advanced technology, is full of elegance and personality and offers the utmost simplicity in terms of management and control, for truly unique products,” states Bruno Pellegrini.
The internationally-recognised, award-winning pairing of technology and design, created by a committed team of experts, has become a type of trademark for the company from Bergamo. “Passionately designing visually stylish and technologically innovative solutions: this is the message we want to convey to our clients and what we wanted to sum up simply and effectively by creating a new payoff,” explains Bruno Pellegrini.
Today Comelit boasts a consolidated turnover of around 80 million Euro, with strong growth (+11.5%) in Italy and overseas (+6%) recorded in the last year. In addition to its Italian headquarters and a far-reaching sales and technical support network across Italy, Comelit now has 12 overseas premises and exports to over 70 countries, covering all the main worldwide markets: Europe, the Far East, the United States and the Middle East.
“Comelit intends to remain rooted in the area in which it was founded but, at the same time, it has a strong international vocation,” says Bruno Pellegrini. “The image we want to portray in Italy and overseas needs to be strong and united. This is achieved not only with excellent products, but also through the creation of communication tools which are coherent with the values inspiring the company’s work. The recent creation of the Comelit Brand Platform is evidence of this: the platform has the important task of translating the values contained within the company mission into practical solutions. We designed this tool to provide detailed clarification on the parameters and graphics standards to be used in all communication materials, so as to positively coordinate each individual marketing act and present a single unified image on a global scale. For unmistakably minimal, modern and elegant Comelit style.“
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London rejects 2017 Tour de France start
London withdraws bid to host Grand Depart of 2017 Tour de France, reports BBC
Nigel Wynn September 29, 2015 10:00 am
London has turned down the opportunity to host the Grand Depart of the 2017 Tour de France, withdrawing its interest after reportedly being given the go-ahead by race organiser ASO.
Transport for London (TfL) pulled out from a deal with ASO to host its 10th anniversary Grand Depart on the grounds of expense, the BBC reported on Monday evening.
“To ensure value for money we must make difficult choices. We have always said that the return of the Tour was subject to funding,” managing director of surface transport at TfL, Leon Daniels told the BBC.
Labour’s London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan condemned the decision, saying via Twitter: “By not hosting the iconic Tour de France, the Mayor and the Government are wasting a huge opportunity to show London to the world. The Tour is one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Londoners deserve to know why it’s been cancelled at the last minute.”
The Tour is one of the world's greatest sporting events. Londoners deserve to know why it's been cancelled at the last minute.
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) September 28, 2015
London was one of three British cities to have submitted a bid to ASO to host the opening stages of the prestigious Grand Tour, according to race director Christian Prudhomme. Earlier this year, it was reported that Manchester and Edinburgh had submitted bids along with the capital. However, Manchester City Council subsequently denied that they had submitted a bid.
>>> London, Manchester and Edinburgh all bidding to host 2017 Tour de France
London hosted the Grand Depart in 2007, with Yorkshire accommodating the first stages of the race in 2014 before stage three travelled south to the capital from Cambridge.
Since 2013, London has been the start/finish location of the one-day RideLondon-Surrey Classic road race, which is now a UCI 1.HC category event, bringing top-level racing to the capital every year.
The Tour de Yorkshire has also been created in conjunction with ASO as a legacy event after the Tour’s depart there last year.
The 2016 Tour de France will start ‘at home’, with the Grand Depart in Normandy.
Image: Matt King/Getty
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Dylan Teuns took a huge stage win on stage six of the Tour de France 2019 (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
Dylan Teuns rises to glory as Julian Alaphilippe loses yellow jersey on stage six of Tour de France 2019
Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images
Who’s out of the Tour de France 2019 after stage six?
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Boulder scientist, NASA hail latest benchmark…
Boulder scientist, NASA hail latest benchmark of New Horizons mission
Credits: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI / Courtesy photo
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has made its first detection of its next flyby target, the Kuiper Belt object known as 2014 MU 69 and nicknamed Ultima Thule. The figure on the left is a composite image produced by adding 48 different exposures from New Horizons’ long-distance camera. At right is a magnified view of the region outlined in the yellow box, after subtraction of a background star field. At right is a close-up of the area outlined in yellow, with MU 69 showing in the crosshairs.
By Charlie Brennan | brennanc@dailycamera.com | Boulder Daily Camera
The Boulder-born New Horizons mission now has its next target beyond Pluto clearly in its crosshairs.
NASA is reporting that a long-distance camera on the spacecraft which achieved the historic flyby of Pluto on July 14, 2015 has recorded its first images of the Kuiper Belt object known originally to astronomers as 2014 MU69, but since given the less unwieldy name of Ultima Thule. That moniker is defined by the Planetary Mechanics Blog as meaning, “Beyond the Known World.”
Alan Stern, vice president of the Space Division of Boulder’s Southwest Research Institute and principal investigator on the New Horizon Mission, posted the news on his Facebook page with the brief comment, “Tally Ho, Ultima Thule!”
The images recorded by New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager, or LORRI, revealed a small dim object, still more than 100 million miles away, according to NASA, against a dense curtain of stars. It was recorded Aug. 16, then sent home via NASA’s Deep Space Network. The resulting 48 images represent the mission team’s first attempt to find Ultima with the spacecraft’s cameras.
Originally, that effort was not going to be made until mid-September.
“Our team worked hard to determine if Ultima was detected by LORRI at such a great distance, and the result is a clear yes,” Stern said in a statement. “We now have Ultima in our sights from much farther out than once thought possible. We are on Ultima’s doorstep, and an amazing exploration awaits.”
In an interview Thursday, Stern explained why scientists sought to get a peek at their target ahead of schedule.
“Initially, our calculations indicated that we would not be able to detect Ultima until September, but we made additional calculations that showed maybe it could be detected in August. And since an earlier detection is to our advantage, we decided to try it. And we succeeded,” Stern said.
“If we had found we were off course a little, knowing earlier would have saved fuel, in terms of correcting. We found we were on course, and so this is the best possible outcome.”
No hazards — so far
The Ultima Thule images are the most distant from the sun ever recorded, NASA reported, breaking the record previously set by Voyager 1’s “Pale Blue Dot” image of Earth taken in 1990. New Horizons, which launched Jan. 19, 2006, also set the record for the most distant image from Earth ever recorded, in December 2017.
The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond Neptune’s orbit believed to contain countless comets, asteroids and other small bodies composed mainly of ice and rock. Ultima Thule is about 4 billion miles from Earth, and about 1 billion miles farther from Earth than Pluto.
“Ultima is believed to be a building block of small planets like Pluto, and by studying its composition and geology and evolution over time, we hope to understand how the most prevalent class of planets in the solar system, the dwarf planets, were formed,” Stern said.
Scientists see the first detection of Ultima as noteworthy because over the next four months they will be better able to refine New Horizons’ course toward its closest approach at 10:33 p.m. MST on Dec. 31. Mission members believe Ultima is right where they had predicted. Data gleaned from the Hubble Space Telescope shows they had a good understanding of its orbit.
Faculty and students recruited from the University of Colorado by Southwest Research Institute were dispatched in the summer of 2017 to destinations in South Africa and Argentina to study a brief series of occultations, or the passage of Ultima in front of background stars, to see what that might reveal about its size and shape, and whether there are hazards in its proximity.
“It was both successful and productive, and we had another stellar occultation campaign to look for hazards this summer from the country of Senegal, and that was also successful,” Stern said. “So far we have found no hazards.”
If hazards are detected later this fall as the spacecraft draws closer, Stern said its closest approach point can be adjusted outward to avoid them.
A ‘rubber ducky’?
Fran Bagenal, a research scientist at CU’s Laboratory for Atmospheric Space Physics, was a partner to Stern in pushing for the Pluto mission as early as 1989.
“It’s cool,” she said on seeing the new images. “It means we’re getting there. We’re still a long way off. But it means we’ve got a target and it’s just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger in the next few months.”
She added, however, “bear in mind, this is a very small object,” estimated to be no more than 20 miles wide.
“And we don’t know if it is round, or is it peanut shaped or is it a rubber ducky (shape)” like Comet 67P, probed by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft.
Stern said New Horizons is on course to pass about 3,500 kilometers, or roughly 2,000 miles, over the surface of Ultima, “which is about three times closer than we went to Pluto. We expect to get much better and much more detail.”
The Ultima flyby will be the first-ever close-up exploration of a small Kuiper Belt object and the farthest exploration of any planetary body in history, shattering the record New Horizons itself set at Pluto in July 2015 by about 1 billion miles.
It’s not yet known whether Ultima is what’s known as a contact-binary, meaning a system whose two components are so close that they touch, an orbiting binary, or even if it has small moons.
Before too long, Stern said, “We’ll find out.”
Charlie Brennan: 303-473-1327, brennanc@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/chasbrennan
Charlie Brennan
Charlie Brennan is a 35-year Colorado news veteran, now covering environment, science, JonBenet Ramsey and more for the Boulder Daily Camera and Longmont Times-Call.
Follow Charlie Brennan @chasbrennan
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Motley Fool: Berkshire Hathaway offers diversity in one stock, plus a primer on 15-year mortgages
Filed under Personal Finance at Jun 23
Connect with The Motley Fool
The Motley Fool Take
If you're looking to build a solid foundation for your portfolio, consider shares of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate led by legendary investor Warren Buffett.
Berkshire's core business is insurance, which it provides through its wholly owned Geico subsidiary and some huge reinsurance operations. In addition, Berkshire owns dozens of other businesses, including such familiar names as Benjamin Moore, Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, Pampered Chef, Dairy Queen, Forest River, Business Wire, Justin Brands, BNSF Railway and many others.
Berkshire operates in a wide variety of businesses, such as energy, jewelry, furniture, auto dealerships, real estate brokerages and private jets. With many billions of dollars in cash, Buffett is always looking for new and lucrative acquisitions.
In addition to its subsidiaries, Berkshire also owns a massive stock portfolio worth more than $200 billion. It contains over 40 different stock positions, including Apple, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola and American Express.
In short, Berkshire offers a diverse investment portfolio, much of it hand-selected by the greatest investor of all time — all in a single stock. The company is also focused on rewarding shareholders through growth. (The Motley Fool owns shares of and has recommended Berkshire Hathaway.)
Ask the Fool
From R.R. in Salinas, Calif.: What's a "beneficial owner"?
The Fool responds: A beneficial owner is the true owner of a security, such as a stock or a bond. It's common these days for a brokerage to hold the stocks you've bought in your account in a "street name" (i.e., the brokerage's name) instead of putting the shares in your name. The shares still belong to you, though — you're the beneficial owner.
Meanwhile, if someone sets up a trust fund naming you as the beneficiary, the assets in the fund may not be legally owned by you, but you're the one who will benefit from them — hence, "the beneficial owner."
From G.L. in Vail, Colo.: When I read that a certain stock is good as a long-term investment, how long is that long term?
The Fool responds: It's a vague phrase that means different things to different investors, but it generally means years rather than days or months. Stocks can be volatile from day to day, but a good long-term investment is likely to grow in value over the years as the underlying company does well. Aiming to hang on to great stocks for many years is a good strategy for building significant wealth, as great companies can grow for decades.
For tax purposes, though, a long-term investment is one you've held for at least a year and a day before selling, and it can qualify for a lower long-term capital gains tax rate — currently 0% or 15% for most of us, and 20% for high earners. Gains from assets held for a shorter period are taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, which could be 10% to 37%.
Home loans that are on 15-year terms typically carry lower interest rates.
(LM Otero/The Associated Press)
The Fool's School
The two most common mortgage terms are 30-year and 15-year; last year, close to 90% of homebuyers opted for a 30-year loan. There's a lot to like about 15-year mortgages, though.
The chief benefit of a shorter loan is that it typically carries a lower interest rate. For example, Wells Fargo recently listed an average annual percentage rate of 3.875% for 30-year fixed-rate loans and 3.125% for 15-year fixed-rate loans. That's a difference of three-quarters of a percentage point.
The 15-year rate is lower than many rates for adjustable-rate mortgages, too.
Between the shorter term and an often lower interest rate, a 15-year mortgage will have you paying much less in interest over the life of your loan.
Here's a simplified example: Imagine borrowing $200,000 to buy a $250,000 home. Using the interest rates above, your monthly payment would be $940 with a 30-year loan, as opposed to $1,393 per month with the 15-year loan. The 30-year option sounds much better, right? Well, over the course of the 30-year mortgage, you'll end up paying $138,571 in interest, while the total interest on the 15-year mortgage will add up to only $50,779. So, the cost of borrowing the $200,000 over 15 years is about 63% cheaper than borrowing over 30 years.
Another advantage of the shorter-term mortgage is that you'll build equity in your home more quickly. If you need to sell your home at some point, it's less likely that you'll be underwater on the loan (owing more than the home is worth).
Of course, a big knock against the shorter-term loan is that the monthly payments are much steeper. That can leave you with less financial wiggle room, and it can hurt your ability to save for retirement or to pursue other financial goals.
One smart option is to get a 30-year mortgage — and to then make several extra payments per year. That can dramatically reduce the amount you owe, thereby reducing the life of the loan and the total interest paid.
Social Security and Medicare: Follow the cash to see how healthy they are
My Dumbest Investment
From W.M. in Kansas City, Mo.: From 1943 to 1945, I was encouraged to invest in war bonds with my soldier's pay. I bought Series E zero-coupon bonds that matured in 10 years, and I was promised that I'd get a 33% return at maturity. After 10 years, the term was extended for another decade, and then again — for an eventual total of 40 years. The interest rate varied over that period, of course.
In 1983, I redeemed the oldest of my bonds — and discovered that the money I made on them wasn't enough to cover the cost of inflation. I learned to be cautious when investing in bonds.
The Fool responds: Bonds are often recommended as "safe" investments, and it's true that government bonds are quite safe, backed by the strength of the U.S. government. But in exchange for that very low risk, you often get low returns.
Per the research of Wharton Business School professor Jeremy Siegel, stocks outperformed bonds in 96% of all 20-year holding periods between 1871 and 2012, and in 99% of all 30-year holding periods.
Bonds can be great when interest rates are higher (they were in double digits in the 1980s!), and corporate and municipal bonds offer higher rates (with higher risk). But if your money has many years in which to grow, focus on stocks — perhaps via a low-fee broad-market index fund, such as one tracking the S&P 500.
Motley Fool: Take a bite out of Apple, avoid 401(k) mistake and this week's trivia
I trace my roots back to the 1946 founding of a small hardware store in North Carolina. I offered low prices by dealing directly with manufacturers instead of wholesalers, and my success enabled me to open more and more stores over time. I served more builders than do-it-yourself homeowners when I first went public. Today, with a market value recently near $75 billion, I serve more than 18 million customers weekly, and rake in more than $70 billion annually. I employ over 310,000 people and sport more than 2,200 locations. I'm the ninth-largest retailer in the U.S. Who am I?
Last week's trivia answer: Zildjian
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Comprehensive missile defense for the homeland [Commentary]
By: Lt. Gen. Dan Leaf (ret.) December 13, 2017
A Hawaii Civil Defense Warning Device, which sounds an alert siren during natural disasters, is shown in Honolulu on Nov. 29, 2017. (Caleb Jones/AP)
The recent wail of a nuclear attack warning test throughout Hawaii and the latest North Korean missile test should be enough to disabuse the U.S. security community of any sense of immunity to attack at home. With the new capabilities the launch demonstrated, countering North Korean ballistic missiles is an urgent strategic and operational priority — but that is only one aspect of the broader threat of missiles against the U.S. military forces and, just as important, the homeland.
Despite significant investment in ballistic missile defenses, much of the U.S. remains at risk — not just to North Korea but to Russian, Chinese and Iranian missiles. The same countries are developing advanced cruise missile capabilities, and the Russians and others look to sell their missiles on the international market. According to a report prepared by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, ballistic and cruise missiles, “with their relatively low operating costs, their potential to penetrate defense systems … will continue to be the offensive weapons of choice for many nations.”
The military services have the responsibility to organize, train and equip their forces for missile defense, and the combatant commanders to execute defense operations. But what about the homeland? The threat is not just against U.S. military forces, and the country needs a comprehensive homeland missile defense plan, or CHMD, with associated policy and programs that will implement the plan and address threats that will certainly advance, proliferate and expand the risk to the United States.
A thoughtful adversary may not choose to take the military head-on. When President Donald Trump’s first National Security Strategy and Ballistic Missile Defense Review are released later this year, those documents must serve as a starting point for a concerted, strategic and sustained effort to improve overall missile defense for the homeland. A comprehensive program to improve the protection of the United States from ballistic and cruise missile attack is imperative. This program must extend beyond the current immediacy of efforts to counter North Korean developments. This effort needs to be truly strategic and sustained for years to come. For two centuries, the U.S. homeland provided relative sanctuary from outside threats. Sept. 11, 2001, subsequent terror attacks and North Korean developments have pushed that notion aside, and the full range of missile threats must be addressed.
The U.S. has made significant improvements in ballistic missile defense, fielding more ground-based interceptors and continuing investment in key systems like Aegis, SM-3 and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense but focused the last three on defense of fielded forces, not the United States.
Investment must continue with greater emphasis on comprehensive defense of the homeland. Furthermore, a new approach to development and acquisition of missile defense ― long hamstrung by starts and stops based on year-to-year acquisition ― must be modified to allow multiyear procurement enabling real, sustained progress. Robust test and evaluation without the pursuit of perfection: The cabal of missile defense critics like Philip Coyle of The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation advocate fly-before-you-buy testing. In theory, this approach is more frugal and guarantees real capability. In reality, however, it will ensure that the U.S. continues to lag behind developing capabilities.
US installs final ground-based missile interceptor to counter ICBM threat
The 44th and final ground-based interceptor for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system is now in place at Fort Greely, Alaska.
Regarding the cruise missile threat, the only area in the homeland currently protected is Washington, D.C. A program of record dedicated to cruise missile defense is needed to focus the effort. As a start to expanding CMDH, a top priority must be the defense of key U.S. ports. The Russians have marketed cruise missiles in shipping containers; the effect of a strike against a major port would be devastating. The port at Los Angeles, for example, handled 4.4 million container equivalents in 2015, ample opportunity for a determined enemy to infiltrate one or many more cruise missiles within range.
Having the strategy is not enough. The government must have supporting policies including assigning operational responsibility and clearly defining engagement authority. Ballistic and cruise missile defense are two different challenges technically and tactically. The authorities for missile defense are divided piecemeal between multiple commands and agencies. If there was ever a situation where unity of command matters, this is it. In the event of a missile attack, there will not be time to decide who is going to decide.
North Korea and terrorism are clear and immediate dangers, but the missile threat to the homeland must be a long-term concern countered with a comprehensive homeland missile defense plan from the Department of Defense and supported by the administration and lawmakers. This CMHD should be a key element of the follow-up to the new National Defense Strategy.
Lawmakers ask US vice president to back space-based missile defense
Other lawmakers have in recent days added pressure to develop future defense architecture in space as the missile threat from North Korea has reached new levels.
By: Joe Gould
Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Leaf served in the U.S. Air Force as a fighter pilot. He last served on active duty as deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Command and was vice commander of Air Force Space Command. He later returned to public service as the director of the Defense Department’s Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. He is currently the managing director of Phase Minus 1, a conflict resolution and security consulting company.
The US military will pay the price if no budget deal is reached
By buying F-15 jets, Pentagon leaders are repeating past mistakes
It’s not too late to include financial reforms in the NDAA
What it will take for the NDAA to pass along bipartisan lines
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San Francisco’s One Montgomery Tower Sells for $82M
CBRE arranged the sale of the historic office building in the city's North Financial District. The firm also secured $76.6 million in acquisition financing.
Evelyn Jozsa
One Montgomery. Image courtesy of CBRE
A joint venture of REDCO Development and AEW Capital Management has acquired One Montgomery, a historic 676,192-square-foot high-rise in San Francisco, for $82 million. According to Yardi Matrix, the previous owner was PGIM Real Estate.
CBRE arranged the sale on behalf of the seller. The brokerage firm also secured $76.6 million in acquisition financing. The five-year, non-recourse floating rate loan bears full-term, interest-only payments at a competitive spread priced over 30-day LIBOR. In addition to financing the acquisition, the mortgage will also serve as funding for future capital expenditures and re-leasing costs.
Located at 1 Montgomery St., the building is in the North Financial District of downtown San Francisco and enables access to public transportation, such as the BART and MUNI stations. Additionally, the adjacent Union Square is close to numerous tourist and shopping destinations as well as hotels and luxury retailers.
Built in 1980, the 38-story Class A tower features 29 feet clearance heights on the ground floor, commercial space and a rooftop garden, and it has been fully occupied by Wells Fargo since 1984. One Montgomery was renovated in 2018 and offers the opportunity for future expansion with a 250-foot height limit and a high-density zoning designation.
CBRE Executive Vice Presidents Mike Taquino and Kyle Kovac, Vice Chairman Russell Ingrum, Senior Associate Giancarlo Sangiacomo and Vice President Mandy Lee represented the seller. CBRE’s Senior Vice President Mike Walker, Executive Vice President Brad Zampa and Vice President Megan Woodring arranged the acquisition financing on behalf of the new owner. Recently, CBRE also brokered the $81 million sale of a Minneapolis office tower.
AEW Capital Management
PGIM Real Estate
East Bay Office Asset Sells for $115M
San Francisco Office Asset Secures $100M in Financing
Bay Area Project Lands $515M in Financing
New York Life REI Partnership Sells Bay Area Office Building
Paramount to Buy San Francisco Office Tower for $408M
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David Warner in superb rhythm, raring to go, says VVS Laxman
by Saurabh Sharma Mar 22, 2019 • 21:29 PM
© IANS
Kolkata, March 22 (CRICKETNMORE): Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mentor VVS Laxman on Friday said David Warner looks in superb rhythm and is raring to go as his team prepares to take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) opener here on Sunday.
Warner recently recovered from an elbow surgery and smashed a rapid-fire century for his Sydney club side on return.
Also Read: ICC nod for names, numbers on player shirts in Tests
"He is totally fit and raring to go. He has really worked hard on his fitness and also what really amazed me was the kind of rhythm he showed from the first practice session," Laxman told reporters after the team's practice session at the Eden Gardens.
"We also played a couple of practice matches in Hyderabad and he scored in both those matches and was in fantastic rhythm and that is something really pleasing for all of us," he said.
Warner along with Steve Smith will be returning from their year-long ban for their involvement in the Sandpaper Gate fiasco in South Africa.
"David Warner is really looking positive going into this season. It was unfortunate what happened in Cape Town last year and I am sure he is looking forward to contributing to Sunrisers," Laxman said.
"He has been an exceptional player for us, exceptional captain as well, a premier batsman for us and I am sure he will look forward to scoring heavily this season as well and win matches and hopefully the tournament for Sunrisers."
Warner captained Sunrisers to the IPL title in 2016. In 2017, the dashing southpaw finished as the highest scorer with 641 runs in 14 matches with an average of 58.27. After the ball tampering scandal, Warner missed the 2018 edition with New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson taking charge of the team.
Laxman was also asked about the workload management of players ahead of the World Cup in May-June.
"I think all of them are professional players and playing a tournament like the IPL will help them to be in good rhythm when they go to the World Cup. But they have to be very sensible and smart.
"All of them are professional and clever. The workload management, as it is, is a focus of the franchise because it's a long tournament," the 44-year-old said.
"It's a packed tournament where there is a lot of travel. So workload of all the players is managed and they themselves know how to manage their fitness levels.
"World Cup is something which we all are looking forward to and we want the Indian team to go out there and win the World Cup. I am sure all the players will be smart enough. Playing the IPL will be an advantage as they play against top quality opposition. You are playing with some quality players," he added.
On the Eden wicket, Laxman, who spends a lot of time here as consultant of Cricket Association of Bengal's Vision 2020, said it would be a good one with something in it for both batters and bowlers.
"The wicket looks really good. The ground looks in terrific condition, lush green outfield. I think the matches here will definitely be high scoring and competitive matches. There will be enough for the bowlers as well.
"There is a tinge of grass on the wicket so the fast bowlers will come into play as it's an afternoon match. The spinners will also come into play. The wicket looks hard so the batsmen also will enjoy playing their strokes. It's a good cricketing, T20 wicket."
TAGS IPL 2019 Sunrisers Hyderabad David Warner
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Catholic Church Responses to Clergy-Child Sexual Abuse and Mandatory Reporting Exemptions in Victoria, Australia: A Discursive Critique
Michael Guerzoni
Hannah Graham
Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, University of Stirling
This article presents empirical findings from a critical discourse analysis of institutional responses by the Catholic Church to clergy-child sexual abuse in Victoria, Australia. A sample of 28 documents, comprising 1,394 pages, is analysed in the context of the 2012-2013 Victorian Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations. Sykes and Matza’s (1957) and Cohen’s (1993) techniques of, respectively, neutralisation and denial are used to reveal the Catholic Church’s Janus-faced responses to clergy-child sexual abuse and mandatory reporting requirements. Paradoxical tensions are observed between Catholic Canonical law and clerical practices, and the extent of compliance with secular law and referral of allegations to authorities. Concerns centre on Church secrecy, clerical defences of the confessional in justification of inaction, and the Melbourne Response compensation scheme. Our research findings underscore the need for greater Church transparency and accountability; we advocate for mandatory reporting law reform and institutional reform, including adjustments to the confessional ritual.
Catholic Church Responses to Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Article - Tables
neutralisation.
Total Abstract Views: 1801 Total Unknown Downloads: 330 Total PDF Downloads: 1671 Total Catholic Church Responses to Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Article - Tables Downloads: 139
Michael Andre Guerzoni
Michael Andre Guerzoni is a current PhD candidate in the Sociology and Criminology Program, School of Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in Criminology from the University of Tasmania.
https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/28674
Dr Hannah Graham is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) in the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland. She holds a PhD, Masters of Criminology & Corrections, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania, Australia. Hannah is an Editor of the European Journal of Probation (SAGE).
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Home » Delaware Chancery Court Orders Parties to Use Predictive Coding and Shared e-Discovery Vendor
Delaware Chancery Court Orders Parties to Use Predictive Coding and Shared e-Discovery Vendor
By Justin P. Murphy on October 31, 2012
Posted in Technology Assisted Review
A Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Chancery Court has ordered both parties in an indemnity dispute relating to the 2011 sale of the Hooters restaurant chain to utilize predictive coding and a shared e-discovery vendor, even though neither party sought such an order.
In EOHRB, Inc. v. HOA Holdings LLC, C.A. No. 7409-VCL (Del. Ch. Oct. 19, 2012), Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster ruled from the bench sua sponte that both parties must use predictive coding technology in lieu of “burning lots of hours with people reviewing.” Seeking to ensure an efficient review of the high volume of potentially relevant documents, the court noted that “[t]he problem is that these types of indemnification claims can generate a huge amount of documents.” Vice Chancellor Laster also required any party that did not want to use predictive coding to show cause as to why it was not the appropriate solution and ordered the parties to either come to agreement on a single e-discovery vendor or submit to his choice of vendor.
This is the latest judicial decision to comment on the use of predictive coding in civil litigation. Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck in the Southern District of New York had previously stated that technology-assisted review “is an available tool and should be seriously considered for use in large-data-volume cases where it may save the producing party (or both parties) significant amounts of legal fees in document review.” Da Silva Moore v. Publicis Groupe, No. 11 Civ. 1279, 2012 WL 607412 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 24, 2012). However, in contrast to the order of the Delaware Chancery Court, Magistrate Judge Peck did not impose computer-assisted review on the parties, and stated that his order did not endorse a particular vendor or review technology.
“Predictive coding” or “technology-assisted review,” blanket terms describing a broad array of technologies and processes used to assist in identifying relevant documents from a larger collection of documents, is getting a lot of attention lately. One reason is that studies have indicated that technology-assisted review may result in greater accuracy in categorizing relevant documents than human review, at much less cost and burden. Vice Chancellor Laster’s recognition of the efficiencies that can result from these technologies is to be appreciated. However, the choice of e-discovery technology and process is not a “one size fits all” exercise, and although technology assisted review may be the best choice in some cases, more traditional methods may be appropriate in others. It remains to be seen whether the parties in this case will accept the Vice Chancellor’s choice or come forward with their own alternatives.
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Technology Assisted Review Finally Enters the Spotlight
Crowell & Moring Releases “Data Law Trends & Developments” and Announces Expanded “Data Law Insights” Blog
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University of Alabama (U.S.)
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Keywords: tuscaloosa | university of alabama | alabama | university | united states |
image by Clay Moss, 1 March 2008
Parade flag
Detail of seal
More flags
State of Alabama
This particular flag served as Alabama's most popular logo flag for probably 25 years (1970?-1995?) or so until the University adopted a new set of logos. However, many of the new logos are uninspiring and unpopular and as a result, there is still quite a robust market for this design.
The red background and "crimson" letter A can be reversed color wise, but the white flag with the crimson "A" is/was the most popular. In the day and age of copyrighted logos, I'm fairly certain that the university got the rights to this logo somewhere down the road, but I'm not sure when.
The University of Alabama's official colors are crimson and white, and thus the crimson "A". The elephant is Alabama's mascot although the more popular name for the university's sports teams is the "Crimson Tide". This is a nickname made popular back in the early 20th century when a radio broadcaster announcing a football game, described Alabama's defense as looking like a "crimson tide" as it flooded over the opposing team's offensive line. The metaphor stuck, and thus the nickname.
Clay Moss, 1 March 2008
This illustration is of a 3x5 foot University of Alabama parade flag that I saw in every Alabama football or basketball game as a youngster, and even into college for that matter. It was always carried by the University's joint ROTC flag corps and would, (for example), be marched onto midfield just before football games along with the U.S. flag and Alabama's state flag. From there, the University flag and Alabama state flag would be dipped at 45 degree angles for the playing of the national anthem. The U.S. flag of course would stay upright.
I never got that close to the flag, but it appeared to be very well made, possibly rayon, and the seal showed correctly on both sides. The only thing that really bothered me about the flag was that the seal appeared to be really small, and thus its size in my illustration. To be honest, I have no clue how big it was, or is if the flag still exists. I have also flanked my illustration with a "crimson" border in order to simulate crimson fringe. It seems to me that the flag may have had a crimson fringe, but I have to confess that I really don't remember. It could have been plain gray.
I have always wondered if this flag was Alabama's first "official" flag, and if perhaps it still is. With that said, I have never seen another copy of the flag anywhere.
There is a 1974 photo of it at www.bamacadet.com/wst_page4.html bears out your point about the small size of the seal. Unfortunately the photo quality is not good enough for me to be sure of the color of the fringe, but I think you may be right about it being crimson.
A contemporary photo of the U of A color guard seems to show a different seal flag: www.flickr.com/photos/diamondduste/1501426804/in/pool-38905776@N00 - white, a larger seal, gold fringe, and possibly some additional element.
Ned Smith, 7 March 2008
I always figured that this was just the battalion color of the Army ROTC (reserve officer training corps) unit, although the design currently prescribed for such flags in Army Reg 840-10 would be yellow with the university seal in the center and a little Army ROTC logo in the upper hoist. I've never seen anything like that in use either at Alabama or anywhere else. I don't know about Clay, but since I've never seen this flag anywhere except in the ROTC color guard (not at commencements, not flying anywhere on campus, etc.), I concluded that it was just the ROTC's flag.
Joe McMillan, 9 March 2008
image by Clay Moss, 9 January 2015
These two simple flags with the logo script type "A" have been very popular now for quite a few years. This photo is of the flags being used at an Alabama football game, with the cheerleaders displaying both flags. Both flags are also available sized 3x5 feet and can be seen in the 100's of thousands in Alabama, particularly in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on game day.
Clay Moss, 9 January 2015
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Chandler Regional is Hospital of the Year
Arizona Business Magazine Recognized the Hospital for Outstanding Achievement
Chandler Regional Medical Center, a Dignity Health™ Member, was awarded 2013 Hospital of the Year by Arizona Business Magazine during the Health Care Leadership Awards on March 7.
“It is such an honor to be recognized as the 2013 Hospital,” said Tim Bricker, president and CEO of Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers. “Between our expansion project and the addition of new procedures and technology as well as our work to add trauma services to the Southeast Valley, Chandler Regional is truly the heart of health care in this community and we’re looking forward to continue to provide the very best care.”
Chandler Regional was chosen from among hundreds of applicants based on the hospital’s history, responsibilities, commitment to excellence and community involvement. Barrow Neurological Institute, Chandler Regional’s sister organization with an East Valley office, was also among the winners with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
This Hospital of the Year award marks Chandler Regional’s first Health Care Leadership Award, but Chief Medical Officer Terry Happel, M.D. was recognized as Hospital Executive of the Year in 2009. Earlier this month, Arizona Business Magazine also announced Chandler Regional as the No. 1 Acute Care Hospital (200-339) beds) for the third year in a row, fifth time overall.
Arizona Business Magazine is the state’s leading monthly business publication. Published by AZ Big Media, the magazine covers a wide-range of topics focusing on the Arizona business scene, and is aimed at corporate executives and business owners.
Carmelle Malkovich
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You are here: Home / Benefits and Poverty / Tory conference: Newton admits DWP needs to improve
Tory conference: Newton admits DWP needs to improve
By John Pring on October 4, 2018 Category: Benefits and Poverty
The minister for disabled people has admitted that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) needs to “make improvements” in order to increase disabled people’s “confidence” in the social security system.
Sarah Newton told a fringe event at her party’s annual conference in Birmingham that “for lots of reasons” too many people were worried about applying for disability benefits such as personal independence payment (PIP) and employment and support allowance (ESA).
Her admission comes after years of anger directed at her department over Tory-led government cuts and reforms to disability support, including the introduction of PIP and the new universal credit, and research linking DWP policies – including those affecting the work capability assessment – with the deaths of disabled claimants.
Only two weeks ago, Disability News Service (DNS) reported how a secret DWP review into the death of a claimant of universal credit had criticised the “overtly threatening” nature of the conditions that claimants must accept when signing up to the new benefit system.
The conclusion by a panel of civil servants related to just one of 33 deaths, all linked to DWP activity, that have been subject to what are called “internal process reviews” since April 2016.
The number of these secret reviews carried out by DWP appears to have doubled in the last two years.
Meanwhile, DNS continues to receive reports every week of disabled people who have been the subject of dishonest or otherwise poor quality benefit assessments, particularly for PIP.
Opposition politicians including Labour’s Marsha de Cordova and Liberal Democrat Stephen Lloyd have warned that the impact of the “migration” of hundreds of thousands of disabled people onto universal credit from next year, and over the following four years, could prove disastrous.
And last year, the chair of the UN’s committee on the rights of persons with disabilities told the UK government that its cuts to social security and other support for disabled people had caused “a human catastrophe” which was “totally neglecting the vulnerable situation people with disabilities find themselves in”.
Newton told this week’s fringe meeting, hosted by the disability charity Leonard Cheshire and the technology giant Microsoft: “It’s really important that people have confidence in the DWP, that they want to go and visit the jobcentre, and when they go and interact with us that they will meet people who they have confidence will treat them respectfully, with dignity and are basically on their side and want to enable them to live a full and independent life…”
Newton claimed that the benefits system worked well for the “majority of people”, but she said that “one person’s bad experience is one too many”.
She added: “I know that we need to make improvements.”
Newton said she believed that DWP was “making progress” in improving the system for disabled people.
She added: “Everything is not perfect as yet, we have set out a lot of reform, we have had very constructive dialogue, and I am confident we will make those changes.
“Then, once people are in that position, I think it is much easier to have a dialogue about everything else to do with health conditions and disabilities and all the really positive work that we are doing, and investing, especially in enabling people to get into work and stay in work and make progress in work.”
She mentioned programmes such as Access to Work and Disability Confident, both of which have faced repeated criticism this year.
Newton said: “I hope that when we do our customer satisfaction surveys… we will see that they have shifted significantly and I will see that my postbag is much reduced in terms of people bringing me cases of when things don’t work well… and people having a much more confident relationship with DWP.”
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Inicio > novedades : Julie Verlingue joins econocom as Executive Director and International Managing Director
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Julie Verlingue joins econocom as Executive Director and International Managing Director
Econocom finances and accelerates companies’ digital transformation. With 10,700 employees in 19 countries and revenue of €3 billion, Econocom has all the requisite abilities to ensure the successful implementation of large-scale digital projects: consulting, sourcing and technology management & financing of digital assets, infrastructure, application and business solution services, and project financing.
Econocom has adopted European company status (Societas Europaea). The Econocom Group share has been listed on Euronext Brussels since 1986. It is part of the BEL Mid and Family Business indices.
For more information: www.econocom.com
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/econocom_fr
PRESS CONTACT : Elan-Edelman
Philippe Caillet +33 6 13 01 59 86 EconocomElanEdelman@edelman.com
Puteaux, 22 May 2018 – In the context of its new strategic plan, “e for excellence,” Econocom Group is delighted to announce the arrival of Julie Verlingue as International Managing Director and member of the Group’s Executive Board.
Julie Verlingue will be in charge of overseeing the development of Econocom Group’s international operations (18 countries including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Northern & Eastern Europe and Canada, which represent 46% of the group’s revenue and more than 3,000 employees). As such, her main responsibility will be to continue and accelerate the group’s profitable growth trajectory, by driving the implementation of the “e for excellence” strategic plan, with a focus on excellence of delivery and customer experience.
Before joining Econocom, Julie Verlingue was a Partner at McKinsey & Company. Based at the firm’s Paris office, she spent 12 years advising clients – mainly in the financial sector – on their major transformation programmes and key strategic decisions, with a strong digital focus. She also spent three years supervising the recruitment activities for McKinsey in France, and was in charge of diversity and inclusion.
Julie is a graduate from ESSEC Business School in Paris and started off her career in the international consumer goods business.
“I’m honoured to join Econocom at this turning point in its history. Since I arrived, I’ve been impressed by the company’s major growth potential and talented staff. I am confident that, together with the country managers and their teams, we shall start a new phase of development for the company, while meeting our objectives in terms of profitability, delivery excellence and customer satisfaction,” said Julie Verlingue, new International Executive Director.
“I’m delighted to have Julie with me to manage the group’s international operations. Her professional experience in large-scale transformations and operational excellence will be a major asset, particularly for developing the potential of the international teams. I fully trust her ability to lead our international teams successfully through the implementation of our ambitions” added Robert Bouchard, CEO of Econocom.
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‘Jena Six’: Case Study in Racial Tensions
By Lesli A. Maxwell
On Aug. 31, 2006, school leaders in Jena, La., arrived to find two nooses hanging from an oak tree on the campus of Jena High School—and boarded a racially charged roller coaster that has yet to stop moving.
The events since that incident—including the beating of a white student and resulting criminal charges against six black schoolmates that have drawn international attention—offer tough lessons for principals and other administrators who must grapple with racial tensions in their schools.
For one, principals and teachers can head off such incidents by knowing the sources of conflict and acting to defuse them, experts on race relations say.
But when prevention fails, for whatever reason, school leaders should treat such matters seriously, condemn any offensive act, and mete out fair punishment. Communication with students, parents, and the community is crucial to keep the situation from worsening, and administrators may need to draw on outside mediators for help.
Year of Tensions In Jena, La.
Aug. 30, 2006: A black student at a Jena High School assembly asks if he is allowed to sit under a tree on campus that is a frequent gathering place for white students. He is told that he is.
Aug. 31: Students find two nooses hanging from the tree; within days, Jena High School Principal Scott Windham recommends that three white students responsible for hanging the nooses be expelled.
Sept. 6: A school assembly to address the issue includes District Attorney Reed Walters of LaSalle Parish. Mr. Walters speaks to the students and reportedly tells them that on-campus confrontations are unacceptable and that he could “change your lives with the stroke of a pen.”
Sept. 7: An all-white, four-person committee of school staff reviewing the principal’s recommendation of expulsion calls for suspension instead, and LaSalle Parish Superintendent Roy Breithaupt agrees. The three white youths are sent to an alternative school for nine days, and later serve a two-week, in-school suspension.
Federal authorities, including FBI agents and officials from the U.S. Department of Justice civil rights division, visit Jena High School to investigate the noose incident.
View All | Forward ->
SOURCES: Associated Press; Jena Times; Education Week.
“Educators have a tremendous responsibility to not only know what the academic needs of their students are, but to know what the social climate is in their school, because those are not unrelated,” said Beverly Daniel Tatum, the president of Spelman College, a historically black institution in Atlanta, and the author of books on race in schools. “It seems to me that school leaders in Jena lost several opportunities to address these incidents before things became physically violent.”
The events in Jena offer a near-textbook example of potential pitfalls for school administrators.
A day before the nooses were found, a black student, in a schoolwide assembly, had asked whether he could sit under a tree known as a gathering place for white students—an indication, in the view of some outside observers, of underlying racial friction at the 521-student school. Although no exact racial breakdown was available for the school’s enrollment, it mirrors that of the district, which is about 85 percent white.
After the nooses were found, the principal, who is white, quickly identified the three white students responsible and recommended expulsion. But the four members of an all-white discipline-review panel and the superintendent of the 2,700-student LaSalle Parish school district, who also is white, decided suspension was a more fitting punishment.
That decision, scholars and education leaders say, may have played a role in an escalating series of confrontations between white and black youths in Jena later that fall, which peaked last December when six black teenagers were accused of beating a white male schoolmate until he was bloodied and unconscious.
The black teens, known now as the “Jena Six,” were charged with attempted second-degree murder—charges that have since been reduced. Five of the cases have yet to go to trial; one student who was first tried as an adult had his convictions for aggravated battery and conspiracy overturned. He was released from jail on Sept. 27 but was expected to appear for a hearing in juvenile court this week.
The series of events provoked accusations of racism and uneven treatment of black and white students and thrust the predominantly white town of 3,000 into the spotlight, culminating in a demonstration last month in support of the six youths by tens of thousands of protesters from around the country.
Missed Signals
That a black student asked Jena High leaders if he could sit beneath the “white” tree should have been a major warning sign, scholars of racial issues say.
“It indicates there are racial divisions that leaders should have already been addressing,” said Rosemary Henze, a linguistics professor at San Jose State University who co-wrote a book on how leaders can cultivate healthy race relations in schools. School officials “gave the right answer, that the boy could sit anywhere, but that’s not enough,” she said last week. “Principals have to send a strong message to the entire school that segregation will not be tolerated.”
But the reaction of residents in Jena illustrates just how difficult it can be to interpret such warning signs.
LaSalle Parish Superintendent of Schools Roy Breithaupt did not respond to Education Week’s request for an interview, but in May he told the Chicago Tribune that he believed the incident to be a prank.
Billy Wayne Fowler, a member of the LaSalle Parish school board since January, said that white and black students at Jena High generally got along, including the three white teenagers who hung the nooses. He said he has heard that the morning of the incident, both black and white students were seen sticking their heads through the ropes.
“That sheds a different light on this,” said Mr. Fowler, who is white. “You can’t overlook the seriousness of hanging the nooses, but I don’t think our young people understood the significance of that symbol” as a graphic reminder of the long history of lynchings of black Americans.
Cleveland Riser Jr., a retired administrator who worked 29 years in the LaSalle Parish schools as a coach, principal, and assistant superintendent, said that while students may have thought the nooses were a joke, adults shouldn’t have been so dismissive.
“When the superintendent overruled the principal on expulsion, he sent a message that it wasn’t that big of a deal to hang such a hateful symbol of racism and terror in a tree at school,” said Mr. Riser, who is black. “That was the first big breakdown in this whole mess.”
Black parents and students also were outraged that the white youths were not punished more harshly, and that no hate-crime charges were brought against them.
Although it has been widely reported that the three white students served a three-day suspension, Mr. Breithaupt told the Associated Press late last week that they spent nine days in an alternative school and then served two weeks of in-school suspension when they returned to Jena High School.
School leaders never contacted local law-enforcement authorities about the nooses, but several Jena citizens called the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Donald W. Washington, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. Within a few days, federal authorities came to investigate.
The federal authorities decided they could not prosecute the teenagers for hate crimes, Mr. Washington said. For one thing, federal investigators found that the three had acted without the involvement of adults, organizations, or hate groups. They also were all under 18, and juveniles are rarely, if ever, prosecuted in federal courts, Mr. Washington said. And the school already had administered discipline to them, as controversial as it was.
“In this case, none of the three boys had any criminal history or even school disciplinary history, so trying to certify them as adults in federal court would have been doomed to fail,” Mr. Washington, who is African-American, said in an interview last week.
Reed Walters, the district attorney for LaSalle Parish, who is white, also has said that hanging nooses is not a crime in Louisiana, and that there was no criminal statute under which to prosecute the three white students.
Response in N.C.
While the details of any particular racially charged incident may be murky, experts agree that school officials should communicate clearly to students, parents, and local leaders that such actions will not be tolerated.
Terry B. Grier, the superintendent of the 71,000-student Guilford County school district in North Carolina, said that was his first response late last month when four nooses were found on trees and a flagpole at T.W. Andrews High School, in High Point, N.C., soon after the rally in Jena.
“I immediately said, both publicly and in a message that went to our parents, that it was a despicable, deplorable act and that it has no place in our schools, in our district, or in our community,” Mr. Grier said last week. School leaders there also called local law-enforcement officials to investigate the incident. No suspects had been arrested as of press time, but Mr. Grier said that, so far, there had been no evidence that students at the majority-black high school were involved.
Mr. Washington, the federal prosecutor in Louisiana, agreed with that approach.
Help in Preventing Racial Incidents—And in Responding
EdChange: A team of educators that provides resources, workshops, and consulting services on equity, diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice. Based in St. Paul, Minn. www.edchange.org
National Coalition for Equity in Education: A coalition of educators that aims to transform schools to provide racial equity. Provides publications and consultation on equity. Based at the University of California, Santa Barbara. http://ncee.education.ucsb.edu/
National School Boards Association: The Council of Urban Boards of Education, a subgroup of the Alexandria, Va.-based NSBA produced a CD, “Renewing the Promise,” and a discussion guide about diversity in education for the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. The accompanying guide includes questions for district officials to consider on how to improve equity. Request the CD and guide by email, [email protected], or call Krista Freer at (703) 838-6705.
Southern Poverty Law Center: The Montgomery, Ala.-based center’s Web project “Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance” has classroom materials for teaching tolerance. www.tolerance.org
U.S. Department of Justice: The federal agency’s communityrelations service provides staff members to work with schools on conflict resolution after a racial incident. It has published several brochures about conflict resolution at schools. www.usdoj.gov/crs/publist.html.
Leading for Diversity: How School Leaders Promote Positive Interethnic Relations, by Rosemary C. Henze, Edmundo Norte, Susan E. Sather, Ernest Walker, and Anne Katz, Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence, 2001.
“Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity, by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Basic Books, 1997. Also see her book “Can We Talk About Race?”: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation, Beacon Press, 2007.
“With the benefit of complete, total, and perfect hindsight, if I were a school official in that situation, I would treat something like nooses with the utmost priority, and I would call it what it is,” he said. “It’s a horrific act that should not occur on a school campus, and for those who commit it, they should be excluded.”
If, as happened in Jena, a school-based incident flares into later conflicts on and off campus, school leaders and teachers may be able to defuse tensions through dialogue involving students, parents, and community members.
“The solutions and resources, for the most part, reside in the community,” said Daryl Borgquist, a media-affairs officer for the community-relations service of the U.S. Department of Justice, which has provided help to a number of schools after racial incidents.
The community-relations service takes a conflict-resolution approach and typically organizes a program in which students from a cross section of the school are selected to talk in groups. The students make recommendations for how the school district could improve the school climate between students of different races.
But Paul C. Gorski, an assistant professor of education at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., who has been a consultant for schools grappling with racial tensions, said he is wary of a conflict-resolution approach if it doesn’t enable people to talk about racism in “deep and complex ways.”
He said that getting to the root of racial friction means “bringing people together in a dialogue so that people’s experiences can be shared—so that people can develop a deeper understanding of how racism is systemic.”
In Jena, where residents have barely had time to let things settle since the massive protest Sept. 20, it remains unclear what lessons will be drawn.
“I think this kind of racist behavior had been dormant here for a while, but it boiled over and blew up,” Mr. Riser, the retired administrator, said of the nooses. “It’s clear that our school and community leaders have got a lot of work to do.”
Mr. Fowler, the school board member, said school officials must deal with racial incidents in a more upfront manner.
“There’s no blueprint for this,” he said. “But we can’t put our heads in the sand.”
Two weeks ago, as Jena officials prepared for the mass rally, Paul G. Pastorek, the state schools chief in Louisiana, called the LaSalle Parish school board and offered to send a member of his senior staff to conduct diversity training for employees of the school district.
“They said they thought they had it handled,” said Cheryl Michelet, a spokeswoman for Mr. Pastorek. “But they said they would reach out if they decided they needed the help.”
Assistant Editor Mary Ann Zehr contributed to this report.
PHOTO: U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., reaches to shake hands in Washington last week with Melissa Bell, the mother of Mychal Bell, one of six black Jena, La., teenagers accused of beating a white schoolmate. Charges of racial bias in the case have drawn wide attention.
PHOTO: The tree at Jena High School where nooses were found in August 2006 has been taken down. The incident was followed by months of racial friction in the small Louisiana town.
—Chris Graythen/Getty Images
PHOTO: Cleveland Riser Jr. is a former assistant superintendent of schools in LaSalle Parish.
PHOTO: Mychal Bell is released on $45,000 bail after the prosecutor drops an attempt to try him as an adult. The 17-year-old faces prosecution in juvenile court and was due for a hearing next week.
Vol. 27, Issue 06, Pages 1, 18-19
Published in Print: October 3, 2007, as ‘Jena Six’: Case Study in Racial Tensions
“Rally Backs Six Louisiana Youths,” September 26, 2007.
“Thousands Rally to Support Jena Six,” September 21, 2007.
“Louisiana High School Bans Shirts Supporting Accused Students,” September 5, 2007.
See other stories on education issues in Louisiana. See data on Louisiana's public school system.
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Complete Differentiated Instruction: Continuum for Administrators
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Alignment Matters: A Framework to Drive Learning
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OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROJECTS
Ege Kimya A.S. accepts acting in a socially responsible manner in all its corporate activities; this being one of the fundamental principles of its administration. In this respect, Ege Kimya's activities are carried out taking into account economic & social realities but also bearing in mind its environmental responsibility. For our management and staff, the development of the society we live and work in is an utmost priority. As Ege Kimya; we try to fulfill our responsibilities towards society with the projects we support in different fields such as education, culture, the arts and sports; as we have done for many years. While we reflect the expectations of our stakeholders to all our work processes, we also create our social responsibility and sponsorship projects we support in the direction of these expectations. Our shareholers are naturally directly affected by our business decisions and results; however our social responsibilities also rank very high in their expectations.
1. In 1998 we started our project named "WE ARE “EGE KIMYA”, WE LOVE GREEN".
2. We planted over 2000 Pine, Fir and Spruce saplings on an area of total 120.000 m2 including our factory land located in Arifiye in Adapazari as well as road sides, and cemeteries of nearby villages. Today they have all matured to beautiful young trees.
1. In 2005 we fully sponsored the building of a kindergarten for children under school age in the grounds of the primary school in the vicinity of our factory, within the scope of our "EGE KIMYA SUPPORTS EDUCATION" project. In 2014 we sponsored the construction of a totally new Ege Kimya secondary school with 8 classrooms, for a Junior High School in the area. It is operational since 2015.
2. In 2012 we contributed considerably towards construction materials to support the construction of Sakarya University Arifiye Vocational High School.
3. At the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year we donated notebooks, projectors, photocopiers, interacive blackboards to local schools and continue to make endeavor to assist the local children with their needs.
1. Ege Kimya set aside a part of its factory land to provide for a football pitch covered in artificial lawn. We gave away materials such as Karate materials, Boxing gloves, Badminton rackets & shuttles; various track & field materials etc. for local sports clubs.
2. In 2014 we made contributions to nearby amateur sports clubs for their needs;
Sakarya Asagi Kirazca Sports Club
Sakarya Karaaptiler Akin Sports Club
Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club association, who were all grateful for our help & generosity.
3. In addition, within the scope of our Social Responsibilities requirements, we provided local governmental agencies with their needs for notebook computers, printers, sound systems; telephones and camera equipment. Last but not least; we contributed towards the repairs of the nearby Adapazari Kirazca Neighborhood Mosque.
With the aim to support Culture and the Arts, we sponsored the Turkish Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in its 2013, 2014 and 2015 summer seasons. The orchestra which is made up of over 100 talented young musicians selected from music schools all over Turkey, spend a whole month under the leadership of Maestro Cem Mansur at the Sabanci University campus; where they rehearse and attend master classes & talks and subsequently participate in international youth music festivals mostly in the EU countries. In the past there summers, they took part in such events in Germany, Holland, Italy and were invited to play for the Taromina Opera festival’s “Tosca” in 2014. We are happy to be able to continue this association also in 2015 and after.
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Pedrosa wins, Lorenzo gains #1 at Deutschland
MotoGP eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, July 6-8, 2012
The MotoGP™ classes encountered glorious sunshine, torrential rain and an incredibly dramatic last lap at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring, where Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa took his first victory of the season in front of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso.
It was Pedrosa who got the best start as he led into turn one ahead of teammate Casey Stoner and the Yamaha Factory Racing duo of Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo. The grid was tightly bunched early on, with Stoner soon passing his teammate for the lead, as the Australian looked to have more pace in the opening stages.
With 27 laps to go, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Michele Pirro retired with a mechanical issue, while a lap later Spies ran wide and let Lorenzo into third, to chase down the Repsol Hondas. As Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini crashed out of the race with 25 laps left, Spies’ mistake had let the tussling Monster Yamaha Tech 3 pair catch up, with Dovizioso and Crutchlow switching places as they looked for a way past Spies. Two laps on, the pair made it past Spies, who looked to be slowing, as the Repsol Honda pair started to pull out a gap at the front.
With 12 laps left, Pedrosa made his move past Stoner into turn one, shortly after which the Austrian had a big wobble on his bike trying to keep up with the Spaniard. However, this was just momentary, as Stoner continued to stick to Pedrosa’s rear wheel. With just seven laps remaining the three-way Yamaha tussle was getting ever more fierce as Crutchlow continued to look for a way past Dovizioso in fourth. It was however not to be as the Brit out-braked himself going into turn one and ran into the gravel. He managed to keep his bike upright and re-joined behind San Carlo’s Álvaro Bautista, leaving Spies and Dovizioso to fight it out alone.
The last few laps were a thrilling affair as Stoner and Pedrosa were neck and neck, but there was huge drama in the final turns as Stoner crashed out chasing down the Spaniard. After the race Stoner was highly critical of the track marshals, claiming they did not help him get back on track. “I had planned to go for my ‘win or bin’ effort in the last corner, not that one!” said Stoner.
Pedrosa was setting a record pace as he fought hard for his maiden win of the season, and crossed the finish line first in front of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso, who recorded his third podium this season. This result puts Lorenzo 14 points clear in the championship with Pedrosa now in second, a further four points ahead of Stoner in third. The first non-podium finisher was Ben Spies in fourth, followed by LCR Honda MotoGP’s Bradl and Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi, whose sixth place was his best dry result this season. Bautista, Crutchlow, Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá and Ducati’s Hayden complete the top ten, while Power Electronics Aspar’s Randy de Puniet finished as top CRT bike in 11th.
“Well, things can change completely in one race,” Lorenzo said. “In Holland, we had a 25-point advantage then suddenly zero, one engine less, and we were very disappointed. Then today we had some luck from Casey’s (Stoner) unfortunate crash. I would have been happy to have finished in third position because today the bike and the rear tire was not so good. The race was very tough; I always seem to finish second here. I would have preferred not to crash in Assen and for Casey not to crash here, but that is racing sometimes. We struggled a little all weekend with the changing weather, so we must be happy with the end result.”
“I’m really very happy with this win,” said Pedrosa. “We finally made it happen, and it’s great not only for me but also for my team that never gave up, for my family and fans that have been pushing and supporting me all this time when we were taking second and third places but missing out on the victory. The podiums we had this season were very important, but I really wanted to give a victory to my team, and it arrived today at a circuit that I always enjoy. It’s been a really hard day, though. Casey had a superb race also and put a lot of pressure on me at the end, but I knew that I had the pace and that we both would need to fight for the victory until the last turn. I tried to brake hard, close all the doors and to take the win. Finally. It is a great feeling and sure will give us a lot of motivation for the next races. It’s also good for the championship, but we will not relax. Victory this season has not been easy for any of us, so we have to keep pushing as we do.”
“I am really happy to finish on the podium again, and it is a great feeling to do it here because this track has never been the best for me,” said Crutchlow. “It was the same in Assen last week, so to be on the podium there and also here at the Sachsenring shows the fantastic job that we are all doing in the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team. Of course, we have to consider ourselves a little bit fortunate today to finish third because of Casey’s (Stoner) crash. But it proved how crucial it was for me to remain at the front of the battle with Cal (Crutchlow) and Ben (Spies) for the whole race. If I had let them overtake me, then perhaps I would not have been third. I am happy because I rode an intelligent race today. Now I go to my home race in Mugello with a lot of confidence, and the goal will be to battle for the podium again.”
“It was a frustrating race, but I guess we have to be happy with a top five,” said Spies. “We had a lot more potential, but we did the best we could with the setup we had. We didn’t have enough edge grip and acceleration, so I had to sit behind Dovi (Andrea Dovizioso) and Cal (Crutchlow) and wait. I could see Cal was getting a little impatient and wanting to pass Dovi, so I was hoping he would and maybe clear a spot for me to get by. I had a good pace but not enough to out-brake them so had to play a waiting game.”
“I’m really frustrated to have been in a big battle like that, only to arrive at the end of it,” said Hayden. “For the most part, I felt just as fast as the other riders in the group, and even faster in places, until about the last five laps. Then I think I was hurt by the combination of the tire going off and me trying too hard at the end. I really started to spin and lost the rear a couple times on entry. We had tried a couple of things in the warm-up, and considering the lack of dry time this weekend, the bike was decent. In parts of the track, I was fast. But I had troubles getting into and out of the last corner, as well as braking for Turn 1. To arrive 10th, when fifth was just over a second in front, is hard for a racer to take. I can’t be too happy with that one, but we’ll get another shot in a week at Mugello.”
“I had a great start,” said Colin Edwards. “Got to the first corner, but (Hector) Barbera wouldn’t let me have it. So he comes up on the inside and pushes out, and a couple of others got me there. I put my head down and started putting laps together, tried not make any mistakes. We had a big problem in the beginning of the race with the traction control. Just steps too fast out, and it’s just not very friendly. I spent the next few laps playing with the traction control, trying to get something more to get it to be smoother. Then (Aleix) Espargaro was in front of me, and I saw that I was catching little by little on to him. I passed him, then he passed me and finally passed him again and made it stick. I could see (Randy) de Puniet was coming back little by little, but I just didn’t have enough time left.”
Marky Marc Márquez
Amid warm and sunny conditions at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring it was Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez who extended his championship lead in the Moto2™ category as he took victory ahead of Mika Kallio and Alex de Angelis.
At the start it was Márquez who took the holeshot followed by Marc VDS Racing Team’s Mika Kallio and Blusens Avintia’s Julián Simón. Kallio’s teammate Scott Redding crashed out in the first set of bends as he made contact with Mapfre Aspar Team’s Toni Elías. With 24 laps remaining, Elías too crashed out of the race, while Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone continued to heap ever more pressure on Márquez in second. A lap later, Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró did tremendously well to save a near crash, though he did drop back some positions. To add to the excitement, with 21 laps to go Iannone made his pass on Márquez, with the Spaniard taking him back almost immediately. On the same lap, JiR Moto2’s Brazilian youngster Eric Granado crashed after running off into the gravel.
Following this there was drama at the front as Iannone crashed out pushing too hard into turn one, though he was able to re-join the race in 26th. With 15 laps remaining, NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis made a move on Kallio at turn 12, but the Finn got the better drive out of the corner and re-took second. A few laps later De Angelis had another go and made it stick that time, as Espargaró started to hunt down the front three. GP Team Switzerland’s Randy Krummenacher crashed out of the race on the same lap, yet was unhurt in the incident.
The pack had settled down in the latter stages, however it was Kallio who provided a last gasp of excitement two laps before the end as he passed De Angelis into turn one to take second place. De Angelis tried to retake him in the final corner yet ran wide, with the Finn having the better drive out of the bend.
Ultimately it was Márquez who took the chequered flag for his fourth win this year, with Kallio and De Angelis both taking their first podium of the season. Márquez now leads the championship by 43 points ahead of Espargaró, who finished fourth. They were followed by Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi, Came IodaRacing Project’s Simone Corsi, Tech 3 Racing’s Bradley Smith and Xavier Siméon, Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti and CIP-Technomag’s Dominique Aegerter.
After the skies opened just before the Moto3™ race at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring it was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese who coped best with some difficult track conditions to take his first home win ahead of Alexis Masbou and Luis Salom.
JHK Laglisse’s Adrián Martín got the holeshot ahead of Caretta Technology’s Jack Miller with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Danny Kent in tow. Most riders looked very tentative at the start, yet Racing Team Germany’s Louis Rossi made his way through the field and soon came up behind Miller and Martín.
Just before the race had run half its distance, the sun had come out with all its force, creating a quick-drying line.
With 14 laps left, Ambrogio Next Racing’s Giulian Pedone retired from the race, while a lap later RW Racing GP’s Luis Salom went past Rossi in turn one to take second spot. Miller’s teammate Alexis Masbou was a man on a mission as he carved his way through the pack on the drying line. With ten laps left there was heartache for German fans as IodaRacing Team’s Jonas Folger’s race was ended with a bike issue, as was Moto FGR’s Jasper Iwema. With seven laps to go Martín was caught out as he crashed heading into turn seven, but walked away unscathed.
The latter stages of the race also saw Salom’s teammate Binder crash out at turn 11, while a group of Masbou, Cortese and Salom had formed at the front. In the meantime, Danny Kent had returned to the pits with a bike issue, while Faubel’s teammate Alberto Moncayo also suffered a mechanical problem. With two laps to go, Mahindra Racing’s Marcel Schrotter made it the second German rider out of the race with a crash.
In the final two laps there was drama at the front as Rossi retired with a mechanical issue from fifth, as Cortese diced with Masbou for the win. And it was ultimately the local Cortese who kept his nerve to become the first German to win at the newly-built Sachsenring and retake the lead in the championship, with Masbou taking his first ever Grand Prix podium and Salom completing the top three. This result now puts Cortese at the top of the championship standings, 18 points ahead of Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales, who finished in 17th. Behind the winning trio were Miller, JHK Laglisse’s Efrén Vázquez, AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Faubel, Freudenberg Racing Team’s wildcard Luca Gruenwald, Red Bull’s Arthur Sissis and Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil.
Stoner takes wet Deutschland pole
All three MotoGP™ classes were met with heavy rainfall and torrid conditions for qualifying at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring, during which Repsol Honda Team’s Casey Stoner made use of a briefly drying track in the final minutes to snatch pole position in the premier-class ahead of Ben Spies and Dani Pedrosa.
Stoner, who had suffered an engine fault at the start of the session, left it very late to set a time in the high 1.31s, which was just enough to displace Yamaha Factory Racing’s Spies onto second on the grid. Completing the front row is Stoner’s teammate Dani Pedrosa, who had been the early pace setter throughout yesterday’s free practice.
Row two is headed by Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow, who also pulled some terrific laps out of the bag in the final minutes of qualifying. Yamaha’s joint-championship leader Lorenzo starts in fifth, and will be hoping for a good start in tomorrow’s race to do battle with Stoner at the front. Lorenzo had been one of the riders completing the most laps in the session, yet admitted to making a mistake using up too much tyre before the final hot laps began. Lining up next to him is LCR Honda MotoGP’s local favourite Stefan Bradl, who had led the majority of the session, yet still managed to put in a great showing for his home crow in sixth.
Heading up the third row is Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden, who had been looking like a front row contender in the early part of the session, yet was pushed down the order in the final seconds. Next to him in eighth is Crutchlow’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso after a somewhat subdued qualifying session for the Italian’s standards.
Ducati’s Valentino Rossi is a surprise starter in ninth, as the wet conditions have usually favoured the Italian this season. He sighted set-up issues with his bike, which he hopes to rectify before the race. Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaró completes the top ten after a great outing on his ART machine, qualifying as the top CRT bike. Because of the penalty obtained after his crash in the last race in Assen, San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista will start tomorrow’s race from the back of the grid.
The tricky conditions caught out many of the riders, which saw San Carlo’s Michele Pirro, Came IodaRacing Project’s Danilo Petrucci, Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini and Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá crash out. Most of them managed to re-join later in the session and sustained no serious injuries.
Defending World Champion Stoner suddenly pulled even with Jorge Lorenzo atop the MotoGP World Championship standings with a victory Saturday, June 30 in TT Assen, as Lorenzo failed to finish for the first time this season after being taken out in the first turn by a reckless Alvaro Bautista. Dani Pedrosa finished second, with Andrea Dovizioso passing American Ben Spies on the final lap for the third spot on the podium. Lorenzo and Stoner are tied at 140 points each.
San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Bautista will start from the rear of the grid Sunday at the Sachsenring as a penalty levied by Race Direction for taking out points leader Lorenzo in Turn 1 of the first lap of TT Assen on Saturday, June 30. Bautista tried to dive under fellow Spaniard Lorenzo at excessive speed and lost the front end of his Honda, falling, sliding and wiping out Lorenzo.
2010 Red Bull Indianapolis GP winner Pedrosa has quietly produced a strong start to the 2012 season on his Repsol Honda. He is third in the standings, just 19 points behind co-leaders Lorenzo and Stoner. Pedrosa is winless in 2012 but has finished on the podium in six of seven races. That consistency should be rewarded with a two-year contract extension from Honda, to be signed either this weekend or next weekend at the Italian Grand Prix.
Italian rookie Michele Pirro is a success story in the new, production-based Claiming Rule Teams formula. The veteran San Carlo Gresini team has developed the FTR-Honda chassis-engine package well during the season, helping Pirro finish in the top 15 in the last five races. Pirro produced his best result of the season, ninth, on Saturday, June 30 at TT Assen. He has climbed to third among CRT bikes in the standings and 14th overall, just behind MotoGP veterans Aleix Espargaro and Randy de Puniet.
American veteran Colin Edwards has endured a miserable season on Claiming Rule Teams production-based machinery, as he is tied for 19th in the MotoGP standings. His NGM Mobile Forward Racing Suter-BMW has been plagued by electronic glitches since preseason testing, and problems with the “black box” have caused “The Texas Tornado” to not finish two of the last three races. But fixes to the electronics helped Edwards climb to 13th overall and the second-quickest CRT bike during practice Friday, July 6 at the Sachsenring.
Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez overcame difficult track conditions at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring to take pole position for tomorrow’s Moto2™ race ahead of Julián Simón and Mika Kallio.
The session had started in drying conditions after the MotoGP™ bikes had created a dryer racing line, however rain began to fall again soon after. Yet in a near identical situation to their premier-class counterparts, the rain stopped towards the end of qualifying, which is when the riders were frantically competing for their hot lap.
And it was Márquez who coped best with the conditions as he set the pole time of 1.34’503, just narrowly pushing Blusens Avintia’s Julián Simón into second on the grid. Completing the front row is Marc VDS Racing Team’s Mika Kallio, who had one of his best qualifying sessions to date.
Tech 3 Racing’s Xavier Siméon will start from fourth, despite crashing out on his final hot lap, with Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Gino Rea putting in a stunning performance to start alongside him. Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi also coped well on the wet track, and will start tomorrow’s race from sixth.
QMMF Racing Team’s wet-weather specialist Anthony West gave his team something to smile about as he managed seventh spot, ahead of NGM Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis. In ninth, Tech 3’s Bradley Smith was unable to fight for higher positions as he crashed out with 16 minutes to go, yet managed to keep his place in front of Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone.
The Pons 40 HP Tuenti team did not have the best afternoon, with Pol Espargaró only managing 17th and Axel Pons crashing out. Arguiñano Racing Team’s Ricky Cardus was also caught out by the weather as he suffered a highside, yet was unhurt in the incident.
In torrential rain during Moto3™ qualifying at the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring it was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Sandro Cortese who produced a wet-riding master-class to grab pole position ahead of Danny Kent and Adrián Martín.
Before this afternoon’s qualifying, the Moto3™ grid had been spared from the rain, meaning this was the first opportunity to test their bikes in such conditions. Heavy rain was present from the start, as all riders took to the track with immense caution in the early stages.
Cortese, who had been way down the timesheets, left it right until the end to set a stunning pole lap of 1.42’989, which saw him finish over 1.4s off his second-placed teammate Kent. Kent narrowly ousted JHK Laglisse’s Adrián Martín, who put in one of his best performances of the season to complete the front row.
Caretta Technology’s Jack Miller, known for his prowess in the rain, will head up row two, ahead of Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil, who has been one of the most consistent performers all weekend. RW Racing GP’s Brad Binder rounds out the second row, after narrowly ousting Le Mans wet-race winner, Racing Team Germany’s Louis Rossi, into seventh.
IodaRacing Team’s Jonas Folger, who has endured a difficult season so far, will be very pleased with his eighth place in front of his home crowd, as he finished ahead of Binder’s teammate Luis Salom and Caretta Technology’s Alexis Masbou.
Championship leader, Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales, failed to get to grips with the wet weather and the set-up of his bike, and will start from 24th on the grid, while Jerez wet-race winner Romano Fenati, on board his Team Italia FMI machine, looked to have a problem with his bike as he finished last in 35th place. Whilst many riders ran off track during the session, the only crasher was Freudenberg Racing Team’s wildcard Luca Gruenwald, who escaped without any serious injuries.
Germany on tap for MotoGP
As the MotoGP™ field contests its second of three races in successive weekends, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda Team’s Casey Stoner, both points even at the top of the MotoGP™ championship table, were joined by Andrea Dovizioso, Stefan Bradl and Mattia Pasini at the press conference on Thursday marking the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring.
Lorenzo, who was taken out in the first corner at the last Grand Prix in Assen by San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Álvaro Bautista and sustained a sprained left ankle, has not taken a victory at the Sachsenring, but will be hoping to do so in order to regain the championship lead from his Australian rival. He commented: “When I crashed in Assen I just felt some pain, but after a few hours it swelled up, and when I went to the doctor in Barcelona they told me my ligaments were stretched, and I still cannot put the foot on the ground. But I hope tomorrow it will be ok on the bike, because you put less force on your feet. We’ll have to see how I feel.”
He is also trying to remain upbeat after the last race, and is in fact using it as extra motivation: “It was a negative weekend. We didn’t complete the race, got no points and have one engine less. It will be difficult to recover this engine – I think almost impossible. The only way to get it back is if the other brands want me to have this engine, so I think it could be quite difficult. But anyway, the rules are the rules, and I want to stick to the rules. The situation is much more difficult than before Assen, but I like difficult things. I now have even more motivation to keep working and to keep trying to win races.”
Stoner, who clawed back a vital 25 points after Lorenzo’s crash with a dominant win last time out, is aiming to continue this run of form. Having also crashed at Assen during a practice session, the Australian commented that he now had no ill effects: “Assen was a pretty tough weekend for us as far as injuries and other thing were concerned, but over these last days everything has healed up quite a bit more and hopefully we won’t have any problems this weekend. This track physically isn’t quite as hard as Assen. Here it’s a little bit gentler on the body, so I think we should be ok.”
The one-time winner here also shared his thoughts on the German track, where tyres will be key: “There are only a few areas you can use full throttle, especially now on the 1000. There is so much partial throttle here as you spend a lot of time on the edge of the tyre, which puts a lot of wear and tear on it. And then when you do want to open the throttle there’s usually not a lot there – you’ve either got too much temperature or the compound’s so hard – to compensate for the time you have on the edge – that you have no grip. It’s a challenging circuit but we’ve had pretty good success here in the past.”
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Andrea Dovizioso, who recorded his second podium of the season on-board his satellite Yamaha, is looking ever more comfortable on board his machine and is hoping to close the gap to his factory counterparts: “The last three races we’ve been quite fast. We did our first podium in Barcelona, we had the possibility to fight for the podium in Silverstone but I crashed, and then we got the podium in Assen. We are fast, but this is not enough. As you can see, Lorenzo is using more of the potential of the bike, so it means we can make it better. This is our target. My feeling with the bike improves every time. Our bike is really close to the factory bike and Yamaha gives us lots of support, so I think we have the possibility to stay with them.”
LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl has high expectations heaped on him by an excited home crowd, which has suffered a lack of German riders in the premier-class in recent years. The German however is also putting plenty of pressure on himself: “To come here as a MotoGP rider is something special, but it also means I have to perform on the bike and this is what I like to do. Just finishing tenth all the time, as I said at the start of the season, gives us no reason to be here – so it’s a more a stressful weekend for me. But we can manage that and I’m looking forward to seeing the circuit on a MotoGP bike.”
“I don’t like to speak about it [his crash at Assen] because it was a stupid mistake, but I hope I have learned from it and hope I can do better for the future. It’s [Sachsenring] not one of my favourite circuits, but I like being here in Germany.”
Completing the pre-race press conference was Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini, who has so far been a solid performer with his ART machine. He said: “It’s a great season for me with a great opportunity in MotoGP. In MotoGP you have the best riders in the world, so to be here is not bad. Sure it’s CRT and not a factory, but I’m giving 100% to fight for this championship. Now we’ll hope to make a step to finish as top CRT. It’s a great track for me as I won here in 2006 and I’ve had some podiums in the 250cc class.”
Earlier in the day, the Sachsenring grid was already roaring with activity as current and former MotoGP riders gathered for a photo opportunity to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the German track. Over 50 vehicles that have raced at the track over the past 85 years were on display.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’ Cal Crutchlow was present on his YZR-M1 alongside Phil Read on his 1968 250cc Yamaha, whilst LCR Honda MotoGP’s German rookie Stefan Bradl rode his bike alongside his father Helmut on his own Honda NSR 250cc for a short run down the main straight. After completing the run, they each got a taste of a different era, by switching bikes to return to the grid. MotoGP Legends such as Angel Nieto, Jim Redman and Anton Mang were also in attendance.
courtesy of MotoGP
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