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Gai Jatra festival is mainly in Kathmandu valley by the Newar community.
The festival commemorates the death of people during the year and is generally celebrated in the month of Bhadra (August–September).
The Festival of Cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. It is celebrated to diminish the sadness from the death of family members. During the festival, cows are marched in the streets. People also distribute food to others.
According to the traditions since time immemorial, every family who has lost one relative during the past year participate in a procession through the streets of Kathmandu leading a cow. If a cow is unavailable then a young boy dressed as a cow is considered a fair substitute.
According to the historical evidence, when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen, remained grief-stricken. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. To show his wife that death is a natural part of life, he called on people for a carnival if someone has died in their family. Many people came which showed the queen that it is not only her son had died somebody has died in every family in this festival.
If you spot an opportunity and are really excited by it, throw yourself into it with everything you’ve got.
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How The Nature Conservancy Secures Government Land Grabs
By Kevin Mooney – What began as a benign effort to allow financially strapped property owners to receive tax benefits in exchange for specified development rights, has morphed into a government land grab. The chief culprit here is The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a well-funded 501(c) (3) organization founded in 1951 that is closely partnered with the federal government. TNC is flush with revenue in excess of $700 million, according to its recent tax forms, and has active chapters in all 50 states.
All told, land trusts control almost 40 million acres of land throughout the U.S. with at least nine million of this amount held in conservation easements, according to the Land Trust Alliance. TNC figures most prominently into this equation as it controls over three million acres in conservation easements, according to congressional testimony. They are described as “powerful, effective tools” on the TNC web site and that much is true. But the selfless, benevolent motives TNC attaches to its vigorous pursuit of easements in its public relations pitch belie its own financial incentives and its relationship with government officials, policy analysts and private property advocates have observed.
Conservation easements are legally-binding agreements between property owners and nonprofit organizations such as a land trust or government agency that restrict development in exchange for tax benefits. The property owner who sells the easement maintains partial ownership but relinquishes certain rights to use the property for development. The purchasing entity holds interest in the property and oversees the restrictions.
Although private land trusts worked effectively with property owners to preserve land in early to mid 20th Century, some of larger non-profit environmental organizations dramatically altered this altrustic approach toward easements as a consequence of the “suspect relationships” they entered into with government agencies, Dana Joel Gattuso, a scholar with the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), has argued.
“Any chance conservation easements have in being effective stewards of land is lost when land trusts cease to work as independent, private organizations obtaining easements through purely voluntary means and become agents of governing aiding in public land acquisitions,” she wrote. “Yet land trusts, particularly the larger organizations, are changing their focus from independent and private approaches to working in tandem with government agencies in an effort to assist government in obtaining private lands.”
“From Maine to California, conservation easements protect open space and enhance the quality of life in rapidly growing urban and suburban areas,” TNC claims on its site. “Conservation easements preserve agricultural lands, from family farms to ranches to timberlands. And easement lands on which use is restricted to agriculture often generate more in local revenues than they require in community services.”
Conservation easements are individually tailored to protect targeted conservation values and to meet the landowner’s needs,” TNC continues. “Many types of private land use, such as farming, ranching and timber harvesting, can continue under the terms of a conservation easement. The easement may require the landowner to take certain actions to protect land and water resources, such as fencing a stream to keep livestock out.”
To the extent easements are “individually tailored,” they are often done in a way that constrains and restricts private enterprise while empowering government-backed environmentalists, Karen Bulich Moreau, a New York attorney, warns.
Federal, state and local land use policies provide environmental groups with an unfair advantage, she explained in an interview. Green non-profit groups work very closely with government officials and lobby successfully for grant money so they can promote conservation easements in local zoning ordinances, she said. Those who wish to subdivide and sell a building lot are only permitted to do so if they surrender their rights on their remaining land to government entities or non-profits through mandatory conservation easements, Moreau continued. In New York, this is known as a “conservation subdivision,” which is hardly voluntary.
“It’s what you call a quiet exaction of rights, a malignant method of taking private land,” she said. “It’s tragic because the most financially vulnerable people in the private sector are being run over by our government policies. These landowners may be convinced that selling or donating a conservation easement is their only way to keep the family farm going, because they are already burdened with high property taxes, dire economic conditions, and the threat of losing the farm through estate taxation. If the environmental groups were truly concerned about open space preservation, they would use their enormous clout to lobby for estate and property tax relief, instead of mechanisms which result in diminished rights of private ownership. The most serious problem with conservation easements is that they typically restrict land forever, and the generation who restricts their property rights today may be inadvertently depriving their heirs, the next generation of farmers or forest owners, of the ability to do business in the future.”
Under this arrangement, the door is open to outside environmental groups to sue to enforce the terms of the easement, should they oppose a landowner’s interpretation of farming practices.
“In addition to restricting land through conservation easements, a pattern has developed in New York State where groups like the Nature Conservancy purchase large blocks of private forest land ‘in fee,’ meaning full ownership rights,” Moreau added. “They make the purchase having already made a sweetheart deal with the state of New York to purchase it from the Nature Conservancy in the short term, at a price exceeding by millions of dollars what the nature conservancy paid for the property. In effect, taxpayers are involuntarily subsidizing a wealthy private non-profit environmental group. Despite declining real estate values of the past few years, TNC has turned a handsome profit on its transactions by shrewdly exploiting its relationship with compliant government officials.”
The bottom line here is that TNC is not satisfied with just a couple hundred thousand acres, instead it wants the whole pie.
“Once millions of acres are removed from the private sector, this can change the economics of an entire region, as shown by the crippled Adirondack economy,” Moreau said. “I really believe the best stewards of property are the private owners, the people who have bought the property with their hard earned money. In most cases, there is an incentive for the farmer or private forest owner to take care of the land because the better they take care of it, the more it produces over a long period of time. Once the government gets involved there are too many different agendas that interfere with productive enterprises, and typically a lack of expertise in land management.”
Moreau is the president and founder of the Foundation for Land and Liberty, a new non-profit group that offers technical help and legal assistance to land owners, government officials and attorneys. The idea is to create more awareness about the environmental agenda and to safeguard private property.
Kevin Mooney is a contributing editor to Americans for Limited Government (ALG) News Bureau. You can follow Kevin on Twitter at @KevinMooneyDC.
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Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > M > Double Monasteries
Double Monasteries
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Religious houses comprising communities of both men and women, dwelling in contiguous establishments, united under the rule of one superior, and using one church in common for their liturgical offices. The reason for such an arrangement was that the spiritual needs of the nuns might be attended to by the priests of the male community, who were associated with them more closely than would have been possible in the case of entirely separate and independent monasteries. The system came into existence almost contemporaneously with monasticism itself, and like it had its origin in the East. Communities of women gathered around religious founders in Egypt and elsewhere, and from the life of St. Pachomius we learn many details as to the nuns under his rule and their relation to the male communities founded by him. Double monasteries, of which those of St. Basil and his sister, Macrina, may be cited as examples, were apparently numerous throughout the East during the early centuries of monasticism. It cannot be stated with any certainty when the system found its way into the West, but it seems probable that its introduction into Gaul may be roughly ascribed to the influence of Cassian, who did so much towards reconciling Eastern monasticism with Western ideas. St. Caesarius of Arles, St. Aurelian, his successor, and St. Radegundis, of Poitiers, founded double monasteries in the sixth century, and later on the system was propagated widely by St. Columbanus and his followers. Remiremont, Jouarre, Brie, Chelles, Andelys, and Soissons were other well-known examples of the seventh and eighth centuries. From Gaul the idea spread to Belgium and Germany, and also to Spain, where it is said to have been introduced by St. Fructuosus in the middle of the seventh century. According to Yepes there were in Spain altogether over two hundred double monasteries.
Ireland presents only one known example Kildare but probably there were others besides, of which all traces have since been lost. In England most of the early foundations were double; this has been wrongly attributed by some writers to the fact that many of the Anglo-Saxon nuns were educated in Gaul, where the system was then in vogue, but it seems more correct to ascribe it to the religious influence of the missionaries from Iona, since the first double monastery in England was that of St. Hilda at Whitby, established under the guidance of St. Aidan, and there is no evidence to show that either St. Aidan or St. Hilda was acquainted with the double organization in use elsewhere.Whitby was founded in the seventh century and in a short time England became covered with similar dual establishments, of which Coldingham, Ely, Sheppey, Minster, Wimborne, and Barking are prominent examples. In Italy, the only other country besides those already mentioned where double monasteries are known to have existed, they were not numerous, but St. Gregory speaks of them as being found in Sardinia (Ep. xi), and St. Bede mentions one at Rome (Hist. Eccl., IV, i). The Danish invasions of the ninth and tenth centuries destroyed the double monasteries of England, and, when they were restored, it was for one sex only, instead of for a dual community. The system seems to have died out also in other countries at about the same time, and it was not revived until the end of the eleventh century when Robert of Arbrissel inaugurated his reform at Fontevrault and gave the idea a fresh lease of life. It is not surprising to find that such a system was sometimes abused, and hence it was always an object of solicitude and strict legislation at the hands of ecclesiastical authority. Many synodal and conciliar decrees recognized its dangers, and ordered the strictest surveillance of all communications passing between monks and nuns. Too close proximity of buildings was frequently forbidden, and every precaution was taken to prevent any occasion of scandal. Very probably it was this scant favour shown by the Church towards it that caused the gradual decline of the system about the tenth century.
In many double monasteries the supreme rule was in the hands of the abbess, and monks as well as nuns were subject to her authority. This was especially the case in England, e.g. in St. Hilda's at Whitby and St. Etheldreda's at Ely, though elsewhere, but more rarely, it was the abbot who ruled both men and women, and sometimes, more rarely still, each community had its own superior independent of the other. The justification for the anomalous position of a woman acting as the superior of a community of men is usually held to originate from Christ's words from the Cross, "Woman, behold thy son; Son, behold thy mother"; and it is still further urged that maternity is a form of authority derived from nature, whilst that which is paternal is merely legal. But, whatever may be its origin, the supreme rule of an abbess over both men and women was deliberately revived, and sanctioned by the Church, in two of the three medieval orders that consisted of double monasteries. At Fontevrault (founded 1099) and with the Bridgettines (1346), the abbess was the superior of monks as well as nuns, though with the Gilbertines (1146) it was the prior who ruled over both. In the earlier double monasteries both monks and nuns observed the same rule mutatis mutandis; this example was followed by Fontevrault and the Bridgettines, the rule of the former being Benedictine, while the latter observed the rule of St. Bridget. But with the Gilbertines, whilst the rule of the nuns was substantially Benedictine, the monks adopted that of the Augustinian Canons. (See BRIGITTINES; FONTEVRAULT; GILBERTINES.) Little is known as to the buildings of the earlier double monasteries except that the church usually stood between the two conventual establishments, so as to be accessible from both. From excavations made on the site of Watton Priory, a Gilbertine house in Yorkshire, it appears that the separation of nuns from canons was effected by means of a substantial wall, several feet high, which traversed the church lengthways, and it is probable that some similar arrangement was adopted in other double monasteries. No such communities exist at the present time in the Western Church.
APA citation. Alston, G.C. (1911). Double Monasteries. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10452a.htm
MLA citation. Alston, George Cyprian. "Double Monasteries." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10452a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Marie Jutras.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.
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In charge of Economic Affairs of the Embassy Speaks at 7th Asia-Middle East Energy Security Summit, 2017
In charge of the Economic Section of the Embassy, Ghulam Rabani Nezrabi spoke at the Independent Power Producers Association of India (APPAI)’s 7th year Summit themed “Asia-Middle East Energy Security” held at Karnataka, India from 22nd to 24th February, 2017.
His remarks were mainly centered around Chabahar Port and its importance and impacts on trade and energy security in terms of supply in the region. On the importance of Chabahar Port to Afghanistan Mr. Nezrabi noted that Chabahar being the closest port to Afghanistan is more economical and viable than any other sea ports in the region including ports of Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan and port of Bandar Abbas in Iran which are currently being used by Afghanistan as transit routes, added that once Chabahar Port is fully operational will boost trade and play important role in energy supply and as a result all the countries in the region will reap the benefits.
Mr. Nezrabi thanked and appreciated the support of countries in the region especially India for helping Afghanistan under various regional mechanisms towards achieving its economic objectives and said “Over the last 16 years, Afghanistan has taken big steps towards economic growth,”
The APPAI summit is a track II Diplomacy initiative that aims to bring policymakers and thought leaders from across the Middle East and Asia to discuss and debate issues and challenges in the context of energy, security, and security of energy infrastructures, geopolitics of energy and their impact on the region.
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Jon Macy
School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
jtmacy@indiana.edu
Tracy James
traljame@indiana.edu
Applied Health Science
School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
Applied Health Science Department
Statistics Department
Department of Applied Health Science
Last modified: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
IU study: Smoke-free air law had no effect on off-track betting facility business activity
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- An Indiana University study found that a smoke-free air law implemented in an Indiana community did not hurt business at the off-track betting facility in that community. The findings, the researchers said, suggest there is "no economic reason for policymakers to exclude OTB facilities from smoke-free legislation."
Indiana legislators are currently debating a statewide smoke-free air law. Exceptions could include casinos and other gaming venues. Jon Macy, assistant professor in IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and lead author of the study, said past research has shown that smoke-free laws do not negatively affect businesses, but the findings concerning gambling facilities have been mixed.
"Prior research has very clearly demonstrated that laws prohibiting smoking in public places and workplaces have no negative economic consequences in multiple industries," Macy said. "Our study is one of the first to find that this holds true for gaming facilities as well."
The study, published online on Tuesday by the journal Tobacco Control, compared per capita "handle," or the amount gamblers spent per number of people living in the county, for three Indiana OTBs from 2002 to 2009. The OTBs were located in Fort Wayne, which in 2007 implemented a smoke-free air law in all workplaces, including gambling facilities, and in Indianapolis and Merrillville, where smoking is permitted at the facilities.
The study found that the per capita handle in all three facilities declined at a similar rate during this period, with unemployment rates proving to be a significant predictor of the per capita handle. As unemployment rates increased, per capita handle decreased. There was no change in the trend in per capita handle after the Fort Wayne location went smoke-free or in the two control locations that continued to allow smoking.
"Given the well-established negative health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure, strong policies should be enacted to protect workers and patrons at gaming facilities from exposure to secondhand smoke," the authors wrote in their study, 'The impact of a local smoke-free law on wagering at an off-track betting facility in Indiana.' "These strong public health policies can be implemented without fear of negative economic consequences."
Co-author of the study was Ericka L. Hernandez, Department of Statistics in IU's College of Arts and Sciences.
The article is available online at http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2011/03/19/tc.2010.041913.full.
Macy can be reached at 812-856-0704 and jtmacy@indiana.edu. For additional assistance contact Tracy James at 812-855-0084 and traljame@indiana.edu.
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The act of embracing sport as a means to political progress is rapidly becoming a regular Plaid Cymru ploy. We have already seen their number one list candidate in South Wales West struggle to identify Swansea City's opponents in a crucial game, now her boss, Leanne Wood, has used an apparent gaffe by the Labour MP for Rhondda to beat him over the head.
Plaid Cymru were outraged at the Rhondda MP's remarks in Parliament on Wednesday in an address about digital television service in his constituency.
In his address, Bryant said: "Everybody wants to go digital in Rhondda because they want to watch Channel 4 instead of - or at least as well as - S4C, and they want to watch some decent rugby."
Of course Mr. Bryant is absolutely right in saying that the only way of getting choice on TV nowadays is to pay out for a digital service. Leanne Wood is also correct in saying that Government legislation has allowed that to happen, but I am not clear what alternative she is offering nor how she believes that Government could have done anything else in the face of overwhelming market forces.
As Chris Bryant says the one thing that might help is a free satellite service off the BBC, ITV and Channel Four, which will benefit those who cannot afford the alternative. Perhaps the Government could facilitate such a development. Meanwhile, less of the gibes against Welsh rugby.
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Dominion Over the World (VIII): Unwelcome History -- Religion, the Progressives, Empire and the Drug War
There is no better epigraph for the remainder of this paper than a congratulatory note sent to President Wilson after the delivery of his war message on April 2, 1917. The note was sent by Wilson's son-in-law and fellow Southern pietist and progressive, Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo, a man who had spent his entire life as an industrialist in New York City, solidly in the J.P. Morgan ambit. McAdoo wrote to Wilson: "You have done a great thing nobly! I firmly believe that it is God's will that America should do this transcendent service for humanity throughout the world and that you are His chosen instrument." It was not a sentiment with which the president could disagree. -- Murray N. Rothbard, "World War I as Fulfillment: Power and the Intellectuals," in The Costs of War: America's Pyrrhic Victories
In Part VI of this series, I briefly discussed the religious beliefs that significantly informed Woodrow Wilson's calamitous and entirely unnecessary decision to drag the United States into World War I (a decision about which I will have much more soon). From the time of the earliest European settlements, America had always had a strongly religious conception of itself, and of its role in the world. With Wilson and World War I, the religious element became firmly grafted onto the ideology underlying our foreign policy, one which now intentionally cast us as the world's protector and ultimate savior. In that earlier essay, I quoted William Pfaff on this point:
During the first century and a half of the United States' history, the influence of the national myth of divine election and mission was generally harmless, a reassuring and inspiring untruth. During that period the country remained largely isolated from international affairs. The myth found expression in the idea of a "manifest destiny" of continental expansion— including annexation of Mexican land north of the Rio Grande—with no need to plead a divine commission. [I think Pfaff is wrong, at least to some extent, on this particular point. See the Hampton Sides' excerpts here.]
With Woodrow Wilson, this changed. The national myth became a philosophy of international action, and has remained so. In the great crisis of World War I the United States and Wilson personally had thrust upon them seemingly providential international roles; Wilson said that he believed he had been chosen by God to lead America in showing "the way to the nations of the world how they shall walk in the paths of liberty." The war's carnage and futility largely destroyed the existing European order and undermined confidence in European civilization.
The U.S. entrance into The Great War made impossible a negotiated end to the conflict that had turned Europe into a vast charnel house: the prolongation of the war set in motion the events that led to the rise of Soviet Russia, and the hugely and unjustifiably punitive peace that followed played a very significant role in the rise of Nazi Germany. Thus, Wilson's fateful act led to World War II, which in turn led to the Cold War, which led to endless "small" wars across the globe (including in Afghanistan) -- which led us to the disasters of today.
As I continue to read and write about our national myths and misconceptions and their impact upon developments both domestically and abroad, I am constantly struck anew by the unrelenting, trivial superficiality of today's political debates. To read or hear most commentators and bloggers who address the catastrophe of Iraq, as the most obvious of current topics, you would think there is a world of difference between the foreign policy methods and objectives advanced by the Democratic and Republican parties. In terms of every issue of importance, there is not a shred of truth to this view, but it continues to be advanced simply because it serves narrow partisan purposes. The fact is that neither party wants to change our foreign policy in any way that matters -- just as it becomes clearer with every day that passes that the Democrats don't seriously object in principle to the government's assertion and amalgamation of dictatorial powers. In November, we had "An Election Conceived in Nausea" -- and now a Republican executive branch and a Democratic Congress deliver undiluted nausea to us with every day's news. I remain correct in my predictions on all three major points in that article from last fall. I would be happy beyond description to be proven wrong on even one of them, and I would offer my most sincere apology for having underestimated the Democrats' devotion to liberty and peace. I am almost certain I shall not be making such an apology any time soon, if ever.
With regard to foreign policy, both parties and almost all national political leaders subscribe to America's hegemonic global role. And it is important to remember that the explicitly religious component of our nation's mythical world role can be eliminated and the deadly program of endless war and destruction remains the same, as I have pointed out:
So even Bush's messianic streak is not unique to him. It should be emphasized that the explicitly religious element can be stripped from this approach, as many politicians and writers do -- but, in certain key respects, the Open Door model is only the secular version of the same idea. The Open Door world rests on the idea that freedom in the particularly Western-American form embodies history's "ultimate solution," and that it is one the entire world must embrace, if it is to survive and be at peace. That such "peace" is to be achieved by endless war is only one of many contradictions the advocates of this notion choose not to address. (I've discussed the phenomenon of secular versions of religious ideas before, especially as regards the largely identical "Idea of Progress"; see, for example, Part III of my Iran series.)
In Part IV, I discussed some fundamental distortions of our history that are typically offered by conservatives and liberals. On the conservative side, advocates usually demonstrate little, if any, knowledge about or appreciation of the development of state capitalism in the United States -- that is, how certain business interests became more and more intertwined with the workings of government. This intermingling began in the late nineteenth century, and it became the dominant force in American political-social-cultural life with the Progressive movement in the first decades of the twentieth century.
Most liberals reveal a corresponding failure of analysis: they continue to view the Progressive movement (and Wilson, and even our entrance into World War I) as a triumph of "the people," as the ascendancy to power of those who had previously been disempowered and exploited. This is unequivocally wrong: as I will explain in further detail in an upcoming installment of this series, the Progressive movement culminated in the consolidation of the power of already vested business interests, a consolidation achieved by alliance with government. The new industry regulations, countless new laws, and the U.S. entrance into World War I had nothing to do with "the people" or what they wanted -- but they were exactly what the already entrenched elites wanted. Those elites got virtually all of it -- and we still are paying the price today.
I confess that I find it more than mildly amusing that many liberal and progressive writers and bloggers decry (as they should) the campaign of many conservatives to vastly increase the influence of religion in our political life -- while they also continue to herald the great achievements of the Progressive era, and often of Wilson, a particular hero. Many of these same liberals seek to emulate, at least in general terms, the Progressives' "triumphs" today. To say such people need to learn and understand considerably more about the history they tout with such ignorant assurance is to dramatically understate the severity of the intellectual failure involved.
As the passages above indicate, a belief in an explicitly religious mission was central to Wilson's view of the United States, and of himself. But the fuller history is infinitely worse than this, for a virtual religious mania was a fundamental element of the Progressive program. From the Murray Rothbard article excerpted above (the Higgs book referred to here, and which Rothbard earlier describes as an "outstanding work" -- and it is all that and more -- is Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government):
One of the few important omissions in Professor Higgs's book is the crucial role of postmillenial pietist Protestantism in the drive toward statism in the United States. Dominant in the Yankee areas of the North from the 1830s on, the aggressive evangelical form of pietism conquered Southern Protestantism by the 1890s and played a crucial role in progressivism after the turn of the century and through World War I. Evangelical pietism held that requisite to any man's salvation is that he do his best to see to it that everyone else is saved, and doing one's best inevitably meant that the state becomes a crucial instrument in maximizing people's chances for salvation. In particular, the states plays a pivotal role in stamping out sin, and in "making America holy." To the pietists, sin was very broadly defined as any force that might cloud men's minds so that they could not exercise their theological free will to achieve salvation.
As true crusaders, the pietists were not content to stop with the stamping out of sin in the United States alone. If American pietism was convinced that Americans were God's chosen people, destined to establish a Kingdom of God within the United States, surely the pietists' religious and moral duty could not stop there. In a sense, the world was America's oyster. As Professor Timberlake put it, once the Kingdom of God was in the course of being established in the United States,
it was therefore America's mission to spread these ideals and institutions abroad so that the Kingdom could be established throughout the world. American Protestants were accordingly not content merely to work for the Kingdom of God in America, but felt compelled to assist in the reformation of the rest of the world also.
This is the set of beliefs (in either the religious or more secular version) that continues to propel our foreign policy today (and much of domestic policy, as well). And in one the most striking ironies of all, Barack Obama, one of the great new hopes of many liberals and progressives, has reinvigorated these beliefs -- and he has injected a fervently religious vision directly into his conception of the United States' controlling role in the world, as his recent address makes appallingly clear. It thus appears that many liberals and progressives do not object to religion in politics and international relations per se: they only want to make certain that it is religion advanced by one of "their own," in a form and for purposes they find acceptable. In this manner, a concern for principles and genuine seriousness about the gravity of the issues involved continue to be entirely ejected from our national discussion.
The crucial role of religion in the Progressive program also illuminates the great danger of taking up a just cause for the wrong reasons. As Rothbard describes, one of the pietists' primary concerns before the Civil War had been the eradication of slavery. That was a truly noble battle, for slavery is one of the greatest evils known to mankind. But the pietists took up this great cause out of religious convictions of a particular kind -- and those convictions later led to a host of different evils. One phrase of Rothbard's may have alerted you to the trouble that quickly arose: "sin was very broadly defined as any force that might cloud men's minds..." Alcohol prohibition became one of the major goals for the Progressive movement. What followed was the abominable combination of mutually reinforcing factors. In the drive to stamp out sin, an increasingly authoritarian and repressive role for government and the state was indispensable. From Rothbard:
American entry into World War I provided the fulfillment of prohibitionist dreams. In the first place, all food production was placed under the control of Herbert Hoover, Food Administration czar. But if the U.S. government was to control and allocate food resources, shall it permit the precious scarce supply of grain to be siphoned off into the waste, if not the sin, of the manufacture of liquor? Even though less than two percent of American cereal production went into the manufacture of alcohol, think of the starving children of the world who might otherwise be fed. As the progressive weekly the Independent demagogically phrased it, "Shall the many have food, or the few have drink?"
And the combination of prohibition, an authoritarian state, and the ceaseless need for war propaganda directly fed into the government's calculated and comprehensive efforts to stoke irrational hatred of everything German. The beer brewers tried to save themselves from what was coming by distinguishing their product from "hard liquors." As is always true, cowardice and the avoidance of a fight on the terms that matter only strengthen your enemies. Rothbard again:
But this craven attitude would do the brewers no good. After all, one of the major objectives of the drys was to smash the brewers, once and for all, they whose product was the very embodiment of the drinking habits of the hated German-American masses both Catholic and Lutheran, liturgicals and beer drinkers all. German-Americans were now fair game. Were they not all agents of the satanic Kaiser, bent on conquering the world? Were they not conscious agents of the dreaded Hun Kultur, out to destroy American civilization? And were not most brewers German?
And so the Anti-Saloon League thundered that "German brewers in this country have rendered thousands of men inefficient and are thus crippling the Republic in its war on Prussian militarism." Apparently, the Anti-Saloon League took no heed of the work of German brewers in Germany, who were presumably performing the estimable service of rendering Prussian militarism helpless. The brewers were accused of being pro-German, and of subsidizing the press (apparently it was all right to be pro-English or to subsidize the press if one were not a brewer). The acme of the accusations came from one prohibitionist: "We have German enemies," he warned, "in this country too. And the worst of all our German enemies, the most treacherous, the most menacing are Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz, and Miller."
So we see that unreasoning hatred, coupled with its necessary partners, an aggressive anti-intellectualism and a repellent triviality, are nothing at all new in American politics. And about the "war on Prussian militarism" (a central piece of World War I propaganda that I will soon analyze further), I remind you of this passage from Jim Bovard, in his debunking of the obviously false notion that "democracies" are peaceful and don't go to war with each other:
The only way that history supports this doctrine is to exclude all the cases of wars between democracies. This theory can survive only as long as people look at history in a way that is so contorted that it makes the typical political campaign speech look honest. Some of the advocates of the "democratic peace" doctrine are slippery regarding categories, as if the fact that a nation starts a war proves that it is not a democracy.
There are plenty of cases to dismiss the democratic peace imperative. . . .
Britain's Boer War, 1899-1902, involved the brutal crushing by one democratic government of another democratic government, as well as pioneering concentration camps and other methods of suppression that would become far more widespread in the twentieth century.
The First World War was by far the bloodiest conflict in human history up to that time. Schwartz and Kiner noted, "Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a war for democracy against 'Prussian dictatorship,' but that was propaganda. Germany had civil rights, an elected parliament, competing parties, universal male suffrage, and an unparalleled system of social democracy." Germany was far more democratic than either the British or French empires.
On the general theme of these interwoven strands -- domestic and foreign interventionism, an increasingly repressive government, and a religiously-informed moral code that leads, among many other consequences, to prohibitionism -- we must go back to an earlier period, prior to World War I. As is almost always the case, we return once more to the Philippines, and to the horrors perpetrated by the United States. If you wonder about some of the earliest causes and manifestations of the despicable "War on Drugs," an entirely phony war that continues to cause untold suffering to literally millions of people who have never harmed another human being, you need look no further: this is yet another example of monstrousness that can be laid in significant part at the feet of Empire.
I direct your attention to a fascinating article by Dale Gieringer, "America's Hundred Years War on Drugs," the subtitle of which is: "Centennial of the 1st Congressional Anti-Drug Law, Prohibiting Opium in the Philippines, Mar. 3rd 1905 - 2005." You should read the entire piece. Here are a few key excerpts:
The time has come to commemorate the centennial of drug prohibition. One hundred years ago, on March 3rd, 1905. Congress enacted the first federal anti-narcotics law, an act aimed at ending opium commerce in the Philippines. The act marked the first step in a decade-long campaign that would culminate in the enactment of national narcotics prohibition through the Harrison Act of 1914.
Most Americans have now forgotten that drugs were legal for most of the nation's history. At the turn of the last century, Americans could generally buy cocaine, morphine, or heroin over the counter at most any pharmacy. That situation began to change one hundred ago, when a combination of evangelical prohibitionists and Progressive era reformers mounted a successful campaign for federal anti-narcotics legislation.
The movement toward prohibition was not precipitated by any crisis in narcotics use or abuse; indeed, drug use was on the decline by the early 1900s [1]. Nor was it fueled by any widespread public demand for narcotics control; newspapers of the day record far greater interest in alcohol prohibition. Rather, it was initiated by a small but committed band of prohibitionist Protestant missionaries in response to America's colonial venture in the Philippines following the Spanish-American War.
The Far East was at that time the center of the anti-opium movement, an international movement organized chiefly by Protestant missionaries dedicated to halting the traffic in smoking opium in China. When the U.S. acquired the Philippines, there existed a subpopulation of non-native Chinese opium smokers who were patrons of a legal opium trade. Under Spanish rule, the opium trade had been farmed out to state-licensed opium monopolists, taxes from whom generated a substantial portion of the government's revenues. After the U.S. assumed control, Governor William Howard Taft and the Philippines Commission proposed reviving the Spanish tax farming system. This policy had been recommended by the collector of customs in order to enhance revenues and avoid costly anti-smuggling measures.
The proposal was within two weeks of final adoption when it was derailed by a last-minute campaign by Manila's missionaries, appalled at the notion that the U.S. might sanction the opium evil. On May 31, 1903, they contacted Wilbur Crafts, president of the International Reform Bureau, a prohibitionist missionary lobby in Washington, D.C. Crafts dispatched 2,000 telegraphic petitions to prominent supporters calling on President Roosevelt to block the move. Roosevelt, impressed by this outburst of public moral indignation, ordered the Philippines government to withdraw the legislation for further study. Governor Taft appointed a three-man Opium Committee to investigate the situation. The most prominent member of the committee was Charles Brent, the Episcopal bishop of Manila, who was destined to play a key role in future U.S. narcotics policy.
As a demonstration of American cooperation, the Congress concurrently enacted a landmark piece of legislation, the Opium Exclusion Act, totally prohibiting the importation of smoking opium into the U.S. The Act, which took effect on April 1, 1909, marked the true beginning of national drug prohibition. From that point on, the U.S. government became progressively involved in the business of suppressing illicit substances. There ensued an escalating government policy of seizures, raids, prosecution, imprisonment, and progressive criminalization. One immediate consequence of the Opium Exclusion Act was a rapid shift in the drug market from smoking opium to morphine, heroin, and other drugs that were still not regulated.
In the end, the drug laws were the work of a handful of lobbyists, missionaries, prohibitionists, Progressive era bureaucrats and pharmacy boards working behind the scenes. Press coverage of their efforts was remarkably scant and generally occurred after the fact. Anti-narcotics bills were approved with little public debate or dissent, and with remarkably little serious consideration to potential adverse effects of prohibition, such as creation of a criminal black market, increased enforcement costs, crime and violence, etc. Such evils would not be widely appreciated until the advent of alcohol prohibition in the 1920s.
Assessed by its results, America's one hundred years' war on drugs ranks as one of the man-made disasters of the 20th century. ... Every year, some 20 million Americans commit drug crimes, and nearly half have done so sometime in their lifetime. In sum, the war on drugs ranks as the nation's number one crime-creation program.
The centenary of prohibition is a fit occasion for 21st-century drug reformers to ponder the task ahead. Unlike the movements for alcohol prohibition, women's suffrage, or civil rights, the narcotics control movement never figured centrally in U.S. politics. Prohibition was not the result of a democratic mass movement, but the adoption of new public policy values by influential elites. It remains to be seen how and when drug reformers might effect such a transformation again. One thing is clear, though: success will not come overnight. From the first rumblings of the Philippine missionaries to the final passage of the Harrison Act required a full decade. Prohibition was not made in a day, and will not be unmade quickly. But reformers can take heart from the lesson of one hundred years ago, that a small band of dedicated reformers acting at the propitious moment can make a crucial difference.
The lessons are very simple, so I will state them simply.
Utilizing the power of the state to constrain or forbid individual action, when the targeted individuals and behavior harm no one else, is wrong. The effects are always significantly worse than the alleged problem the state action was proposed to solve.
Using the power of the state to conquer foreign lands and to coerce other governments and peoples into acting in accordance with our dictates is wrong. The effects are uniformly terrible, and evil: large-scale death and suffering, and an endless number of bodies and souls that are destroyed, crippled and damaged forever.
Forging an alliance between the power of the state and one particular set of moral beliefs, either religious in nature or in a secular variant, is wrong. If your personal beliefs are so important to you, then live your life in the manner they require. Unless they demonstrably harm someone else, what other people do is none of your damned business. That you might convince certain members of the ruling class to use the power of the state to coerce your fellow citizens into living their lives as you demand multiplies the evil involved a thousandfold.
The United States does not have a monopoly on virtue or on an "ideal" political system, and it never did. No country whose origins include the slaughter of the native population and the enslavement of millions of human beings ever could. The United States is "the last, best hope" of precisely nothing. Even today, and in many critical ways especially today, we desperately need to set our own house in order. Until and unless that monumental task is achieved in large part, morality and the practical realities demand that we leave the rest of the world the hell alone. Genuinely free trade and travel are good in themselves and very positive in their effects, and should be encouraged. Embargoes, sanctions and all similar restrictions are always extraordinarily damaging, and aggressive, non-defensive war is a loathsome evil; such acts are profoundly damaging not only to the countries that are the targets, but to the country that initiates them.
The drive to world hegemony and Empire is evil, in its motives and in all its effects.
But our ruling elites agree with none of these propositions. If we continue on our present course, we will finally destroy ourselves; before we do, we may well destroy large parts of the world. Yet even at this late date, we could begin to change our direction, if we chose to. But do a sufficient number of people want to?
On the evidence available at present, the answer is a resounding, "No."
The latest installment in this series:
Part IX: The Elites Who Rule Us
Earlier installments:
Part I: Iraq Is the Democrats' War, Too
Part II: Why the Stories We Tell Matter So Much
Part III: The Open Door to Worldwide Hegemony
Part IV: A "Splendid People" Set Out for Empire
Part V: A Global Empire of Bases
(Sidebar): Ah, Democracy...Ah, Peace
Part VI: Global Interventionism -- A Disastrous Policy Supported by Indefensible Ideas
Part VII: The Mythology of the "Good Guy" American
So Iran Gets Nukes. So What?
Why I'm Hard for Iraq
The Blogger Who Was Never There
A Very Bad Week
Songs of Death
Passing On the Sense of Wonder
Just Plain Begging
Living Under the Guillotine's Blade
Shattered Lives
Torturing "Ali Baba" to Death
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Overnight TV Ratings: "Ugly Betty" Is Beautiful
Big news for ABC: Mediaweek's Marc Berman reports that "Ugly Betty" had a terrific launch last night, virtually tying "Survivor" and proving a potent lead-in to "Grey's Anatomy." Both ABC and CBS are vying for bragging rights, while NBC -- which owned Thursday nights for almost two decades, is a distant third. Let's hope "Ugly Betty" can improve on its pilot creatively and find the right blend of telenovela silliness and real characters. The first episode wasn't quite there, but it did have a nice sweetness most shows lack.
1. Survivor -- 16.6 million
2. Ugly Betty -- 16.09 million
3. My Names Is Earl -- 8.25 million/The Office -- 7.68 million
4. Til Death (two episodes) -- 5.75 mil/5.44 million
5. Smallville -- 5.04 million
1. CSI -- 23.49 million
2. Grey's Anatomy -- 23.31 million
3. Deal Or No Deal -- 9.31 million
4. Celebrity Duets -- 4.02 million
5. Supernatural -- 3.81 million
1. Shark -- 14.72 million
2. ER -- 14.27 million
3. Six Degrees -- 10.81 million
Regina Spektor At Town Hall
I've been seeing a lot of concerts lately and my run of luck continued with the delightful show by Regina Spektor at Town Hall. She's clearly another talent in it for the long haul. It began with her standing on stage alone, tapping the microphone for percussion and singing a song a capella. Other various touches -- clapping her hands while playing the piano or using one hand to beat out a rhythm on the piano bench, seemed awfully avant garde. I suppose anything out of the ordinary can seem shocking. When Spektor strapped on an electric guitar and sang another song, I had the giddy thought that all the instruments strewn about the stage were solely for her and that she'd play them all one by one. Sadly, that didn't happen and when the band came out she sometimes seemed a tad overwhelmed by them. (Spektor has mostly performed solo.) But her songs were witty and fun and suddenly when you least expected it she'd hit emotional paydirt. And her voice -- I didn't appreciate how terrific it is from her recordings. The audience was extremely passionate -- reinforcing my impression about how organic her development has been. Spektor has recorded four albums, toured, built a fan base, improved as a performer in confidence and songwriting, all without reams of overwhelming press attention. This is how it's supposed to work. Can't wait to hear what she does next.
Book Roundup -- Abundance, Raven's Gate and The Gallery
Plowed through some books in the last few weeks.
Abundance: A Novel Of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund -- Naslund made waves with her bestseller "Ahab's Wife," which cheekily told a backstory from "Moby Dick." After a contemporary novel that came and went, Naslund has returned to a historical setting, this time to tell the story of Marie Antoinette. She owes a great debt to Antonia Fraser's bio "Marie Antoinette: The Journey." (It's mentioned first in the acknowledgments.) Both are very sympathetic to Antoinette, with Naslund deftly working in some awareness of Marie's blindness to her actions. The chapters are short and brief, much like Marie's nimble but easily distracted mind. It does deepen a bit towards the end as the French Revolution takes over, but not so much as one might want. The book is ultimately a bit superficial, but pretty and distracting.
Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz -- Horowitz is the creator of my favorite TV mystery show, "Foyle's War" and the best-selling kids books "Alex Rider" (think a teenage James Bond.) "Raven's Gate" starts a new five book series about another 14 year old boy with huge responsibilities: this time, to save the world from the Old Ones, the evil that has been lurking behind closed Gates for millennia. Not much character development to sink your teeth into, though the series picks up quite a bit in book two (which I've just started). Still, there's a nice horror movie feel to the setting, with our hero in an odd little British village where everyone is naturally up to their necks in witchcraft. It's like an episode of "The Avengers" or one of those Seventies British horror films where menace can be found in placid country life.
The Gallery by John Horne Burns -- this is a keeper. It's a novel about life in Naples in 1944, published just a few years after WW II was over. I don't know what prompted me to pick it up (maybe the reference to a gay subplot - unusual in a book this old). It's a very odd duck -- chapters that serve as travelogue/essay/ memoir for Burns and what he saw alternate with nine sketches of different people in Naples, everyone from a Red Cross volunteer who can't be bothered to associate with common soldiers to the owner of a wildly popular bar who doesn't seem to realize all her clients are gay to a soldier looking for a little companionship. Sometimes Burns gets high-falutin' in his observations, but the sketches give a great feel for life during wartime. Especially memorable was the depiction of an outdoor hospital ward for soldiers with VD and other sexually transmitted diseases. The new drug penicillin meant everyone had to get shots every three hours for days and days until they'd had 60 shots in all. The setting is so fascinating you can't believe it's never been shown in movies or other books. The book certainly isn't bleak -- the characters are far too specific and alive and often self-aware for that. But there is something...pitiless in the way Burns nails these people, from that tiresome Red Cross volunteer to an incompetent major in intelligence who oversees the censoring of letters headed home. Burns is unsparing in his depictions, but just when you might start to get gloomy he allows a little possibility for joy. Just a little. And for a novel from 1947, the casual depiction of soldiers sometimes interested in other soldiers or the local men rather than the local women is eye-opening. You'll find a similar blase attitude in the books by James Jones (like "The Thin Red Line"), but since Burns was gay it's more interwoven throughout the book. There's one brief battle scene towards the end but few books paint a clearer picture of what it was actually like to be there. A lost gem.
"Washington Post" Gets Scooped Again Over Woodward
Bob Woodward is a law unto himself at the Washington Post. The argument was that his exceptional access and best-selling books brought prestige to the Post and besides they got to excerpt the highlights in their paper. But the last few times around the block (including the revelation of Deep Throat), the Post can't seem to avoid getting scooped by other papers, even when it's about the stuff they're going to print from their top reporter. Isn't that a little embarrassing? On the other hand, Woodward can reclaim a little dignity from the people claiming he is a Bush lapdog since the new book reportedly doesn't make them look good.
Moby On Courtney Love
Moby says he has hundreds of songs written for his next album, but not all of them are good. I'll buy that. At the end of this short item, he says he Courtney Love considered going with Moby as producer of her next album before sticking with the girl power of Linda Perry. "Courtney sent me a CD of demos and I thought the music was remarkably good," he says. "It reminded me of Irish protest songs or old Bob Dylan. It was just her with an acoustic guitar." Love is also filming her comeback from rehab for a reality show or documentary because nothing helps recovery like a camera crew following you around everywhere.
"Dirty Dancing" Will Not Die
A stage musical version was a huge hit in Australia and now it's tearing it up in the West End, with about $20 million in advance sales. If housewives and teenage girls are willing to go again and again and again, just like they did with the movie, this could run for ages. Yes, it will come to New York and -- again -- make "Mamma Mia" look like Shakespeare. By the way, the story casually says the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack sold 41 million copies -- I don't think so. (That would rank it in the Top 3-selling albums of all time, I think.) "Dirty Dancing" sold 11 million copies in the US. "More Dirty Dancing" sold 4 million copies. Even lumping them together, that's 15 million copies. It seems highly unlikely they sold almost TWICE as well overseas as in the US. (Did Patrick Swayze's "She's Like The Wind" score big in France?) More lazy reporting.
BBC Gets Boldly Innovative
Yes, the BBC launches The Next Big Thing, a talent contest to discover an unsigned musical act (they must be under 18 and perform their own material). My God, what will they think of next?
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Peter Jackson "Bored With Films"
This is not good news: director Peter Jackson is getting into video games and finds movies less and less interesting. I don't mind his finding other creative outlets, but he's "bored" by movies? Just when he has the power and ability to make anything he wants, from the Temeraire dragon books to "Lovely Bones?" He could at least make "The Hobbit" while Ian McKellen is still young enough and before he hangs it up for good. Besides, Jackson was just getting good, since most of his pre-LOTR movies were scattershot at best. It's not like he's so completely mastered the medium that there are no challenges left for him. Besides, I want "The Hobbit."
Spain Embraces Almodovar -- Thanks But No Thanks
Almodovar felt snubbed by the Spanish film world when they ignored his movie "Bad Education." Now they've turned around and chosen "Volvere" as the Spanish entry for Best Foreign Film (shouldn't that be changed to Best International Film?) and all is well. Too bad for Almodovar: his movie is a serious possibility for Best Picture. But with the foreign film award virtually locked up, the Oscars will be far less likely to honor him twice. That's probably what stopped "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" from winning Best Picture over the ultimate champ "Gladiator." Everyone knew it would win Best Foreign Film so some probably skipped it when choosing Best Picture. Almodovar would have been better off getting snubbed again and leaving the path wide open to the biggest Oscar of all. No foreign film has ever won Best Picture.
Oliver Stone Wakes Up
Oliver Stone claimed the "overreaction" to the attacks had wasted resources, encouraged fanatics and made him "ashamed to be an American."
He told a press conference in Spain: "From September 12 on, the incident was politicised and it has polarised the entire world. It is a shame because it is a waste of energy to see that the entire world five years later is still convulsed in the grip of 9/11."
He added: "It's a waste of energy away from things that do matter which is poverty, death, disease, the planet itself and fixing things in our own homes rather than fighting wars with others.
"Mr Bush has set America back 10 years, maybe more."
I hear the score for his next film is being done by the Dixie Chicks.
NY Fillm Festival Launches Tonight
AO Scott in the NY Times has a nice essay defending and explaining the rather unique position of the festival. I used to think it was great, until I started going to Cannes and paid attention to Sundance and Toronto and so on. Now I'm almost completely indifferent to the New York Film Festival -- nothing it does really matters. It doesn't matter what films they choose or don't choose (one of this year's notable omissions is the extremely New York-centri "Shortbus"). Scott argues they are about cineman while other festivals are crass and hungry for sensation, for markets, for discoveries. OK, but for anyone who cares, the NYFF policy of choosing a select (obvious) few means it is irrelevant. Besides, if its choices truly were the best-of-the-best from all the other festivals and its stamp of approval meant something, this might be interesting. Instead, like all festivals, the NYFF eventually becomes locked into showcasing old favorites again and again and again. My friend directorboy says I'm thinking about it all wrong: this isn't a festival for film nuts who will stand in line and go to four movies a day for two weeks. (ie students and journalists). This is a film festival for New Yorkers, for film buffs with jobs. They show their movies in the evening and people who would otherwise never be able to get within a hundred miles of these movies get a chance to see them here. It's a nice way of thinking about it, but don't some of those people go to TriBeCa screenings at night? And are they angry about all the other screenings during the day? I don't think so.
"Lost" Season Two Loses Ground In UK
Just as we get ready for season three of "Lost," season two concludes its run in the UK on Channel 4. Season One averaged 4.1 million viewers. Season Two averaged 2.7 million, with the episodes leading up to the finale falling as low as 1.9 million. "Desperate Housewives" made good at least with the critics. Can "Lost" do the same or is its plot so tied up in knots that it would take Alexander the Great to undo it.
Justin Bitchslaps Clay -- Billboard's Top 10
If only a few more housewives had made it to the record store, Clay Aiken might have unseated Justin Timberlake on Billboard's Top Albums list. Aiken was only 12,000 copies behind the total Justin sold this week. Outside the Top 10, Lupe Fiasco debuted at #12 and Elton John hit #18 with "The Captain and the Kid." Meanwhile, the media seems to be swallowing Clay Aiken's insistence that those online videos were not of him, but of a guy that looked like him and that the numerous claims by male prostitutes that they slept with Clay are totally bogus. People Magazine went in depth, but everyone else -- like CNN -- just gently alludes to it and moves on.
1. Justin Timberlake -- FutureSex/LoveSounds
2. Clay Aiken -- A Thousand Different Ways
3. Fergie -- The Dutchess
4. Kenny Chesney -- LIVE: Live Those Songs Again
5. John Mayer -- Continuum
6. Beyonce -- B'day
7. Diana Krall -- From This Moment On
8. Chingy -- Hoodstar
9. Hinder -- Extreme Behavior
10. Bob Dylan -- Modern Times
"Sony Read" Player -- E-Books Are Here
Are you ready to tote around a portable reader that can store roughly 80 books and/or PDF files and other documents? Sony has just debuted the Reader for $350, which does all that on a rechargeable battery that can last for 7500 page turns. Here's a link to the Sony page and to the Connect eBook store.
A few thoughts: someday, a portable electronic reader will be commonplace and the killer app will be newspapers and magazines. Why buy disposable newspapers when you could just download the entire print edition onto a portable lightwweight device for the same money? No bulky transportation costs for the newspaper, no bulky weight for you. Same low price. It just makes sense.
But the price of the Sony Reader needs to come down fast: $350 for the privilege of buying eBooks is too high. The player should be a loss leader to drive sales of the titles. And going to the bookstore creates all sorts of confusion, since prices range all over the map from $15 to $20 for current bestsellers and new releases to wacky in-between numbers like $5.59 and $13.56. Suddenly the uniform pricing of iTunes seems a lot more appealing. And what about people who buy a hard copy? They should get a free or extremely discounted version of the same book for online. Yes, I know audio books don't come free, but that is a whole new production, while eBooks are the same thing in a slightly different format. Should I really have to buy Nora Ephron's new title twice at full price if I want the hardcover for my home and a portable version for taking on a plane ride? No, it doesn't make sense. It would be like having to buy multiple copies of a new album -- one on CD for the home, one for my iPod, one for my car, one for my boat, etc. Until they deal with these issues and make eBooks an adjunct or bonus feature of hardcovers/paperback or at most maybe a $2 bonus feature if you can type in your receipt number for your purchase, eBooks will remaind an oddity. Book publishers are mired in sluggish sales. Don't you think offering portability via an eBook should be an added bonus of buying a hardcover, rather than an entirely new expense? If you like the author to buy a version to download onto an eBook, surely you like them enough to want a permanent copy. And if you buy a permanent copy, why should you have to pay again to get it electronically?
Overnight TV Ratings -- "Gilmore Girls" Down
Here are the overnight figures from Mediaweek's Marc Berman:
1. Dancing With The Stars (ABC) -- 17.84 million
2. House (FOX) -- 14.22 million
3. NCIS -- (CBS) 13.8 million
4. Heroes (pilot repeat) -- 4.96 million
5. Gilmore Girls (CW) -- 4.56 million
1. Dancing With The Stars -- 17.84 million/Help Me Help You -- 11.93 million
2. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) -- 10.44 million
3. The Unit (CBS) -- 12.03 million
4. Standoff (Fox) -- 8.11 million
5. Runaway pilot repeat (CW) -- 1.73 million
1. Law & Order: SVU (NBC) -- 14.34 million
2. Boston Legal (ABC) -- 9.97 million
3. Smith (CBS) -- 9.57 million
In short, "Gilmore' opened lower than last season, Ted Danson's new sitcom "Help Me" collapsed after "Dancing Wiht The Stars" and "Standoff" is similarly wasting the massive lead-in of "House." "Smith" too is a little weak, but not painfully so. Once I've seen "Friday Night Lights," I'll rundown all the fall shows.
Did You Watch "Heroes" Last Night?
You weren't alone. The show did very well, improving on its lead-in and growing in its second half hour (always a good sign). It could be the first breakout hit of the fall. I found it a bit ponderous, but I'll tune in next week. At least it's different. Unlike so many of the other serialized shows, I'm actually looking forward to week two rather than feeling trapped. And "The Class" -- whose pilot I thought was awful, only to see everyone else praise it -- dropped hard in its second week. Maybe I was right after all.
"A Chorus Line" Still A Singular Sensation
It's playing to 97% capacity in its first week of previews. I think the curious would have waited until the show was closer to opening. So this isn't a casual event -- it's a sign that "A Chrous Line" is still a blockbuster draw. No, the audition process doesn't seem cruel and shocking and no one will gasp when one of the chorus boys comes out. If it gets good reviews, the sky is the limit.
Right-Wingers Turn On "Jesus Camp"
In short, they don't get it. They thought the movie -- a documentary about a religious summer camp -- would be a big plus. But then they found out that the things they said and did horrified most decent Americans. Now suddenly, they think the movie is left wing propoganda. The only problem is that everything in the movie is accurate and fair -- there hasn't been one accusation of the filmmakers taking anything out of context or distorting what goes on at the camp.
Beck and Puppets
Inseperable, apparently. He's also a Scientologist, not that he cares whether you know or care -- though he does care, apparently.
PBS Station Scared To Show "Marie Antoinette" Documentary Because Of Bush's FCC Fine Threats
This is what we've come to. A PBS documentary about Marie Antoinette features glimpses of 200 year old pencil sketches of nude people having sex, along with explict discussions of Louis XVI's impotency. Now I'm sure TONS of kids tune into PBS documentaries in hopes of seeing pencil sketches that will light their filthy minds on fire. But at least one PBS station -- in Denver, no less -- won't air the film because they're worried about the draconian fines the FCC might lay on them. It's now official: we are all hostage to the moral beliefs of a few thousand cranks at Focus on the Family and the American Family Association. If there's any chance these people might not like something (whether they'd seen it or not) and might email a generic complaint to the FCC, 300 million Americans are denied the chace to see something. How about adjusting the FCC system so that at least ONE PERCENT of the number of people who actually watched a show have to complain before any proceedings begin. In other words. If 2 million people watched the "Marie Antoinette" documentary, at least 20,000 complaints would have to be filed. That is setting the bar pretty darn low, don't you think? But the truth is that almost NONE of the complaints (mostly from people who admitted they never watched the shows in question) would rise to this level. Am I trying to block angry citizens? No, I'm just suggesting that if one in one hundred people AREN'T offended enough to take action, then clearly there's no reason the federal government should get involved. But what do I know. I'm just a conservative.
"Boondocks" Comic Strip Is Gone
It's now official that the "Boondocks" comic strip -- which has been on hiatus for more than a year -- won't be coming back. Creator Aaron McGruder is focusing on the very funny TV series version for Comedy Central. I broke the news that the TV series was being delayed till 2007 for the NY Post. But McGruder ALSO all but admitted that the comic strip would be indefinitely delayed at the time, but for some reason the editors downplayed that huge admission. It's one reason I left the NY Post.
Final Lemony Snicket Out October 10
Rarely have I been as jealous of someone as I am of the creator of Lemony Snicket and A Series Of Unfortunate Events, a very clever series of books -- smartly packaged and promoted -- that spun on one very clever idea of being about three orphans to whom every calamity imaginable happens. The best part of the books are their wordplay and the constant insistence that you really would be better off not to read them at all, since they're so very unpleasant. Midway through the 13 book series, they did get rather formulaic and repetitive, but still all in all a very witty group of books. Oh if ONLY I'd thought of it. The final book comes out October 10, along with a "soundtrack" tie-in from Stephen Merritt, with song titles like "Smile! No ONe Cares How You Feel" and "The World Is A Very Scary Place." Great fun.
Nellie McKay's New CD Out On Oct 31
One day after I reported in the NY Daily News that Nellie McKay's album would be out October 31 -- finally -- Billboard confirms the deal. Definitely one of the most anticipated records of the year.
Scissor Sisters Rule The World!
Or at least the UK, where they have the #1 single (again) and their album debuts at #1 as well. Also interesting to see the Killers at #2 with their new single, despite being mauled by Rolling Stone in the album review section.
In case you don't get the Sunday NY Daily News, here is my cover story on female artists performing in Manhattan over the next few weeks. You get four full profiles -- KT Tunstall, India.Arie, Michelle Branch of The Wreckers and Audra McDonald -- for the price of one.
And here are dual profiles of Chazz Palminteri and director Dito Montiel for his autobiographical film A Guide To Recognizing Yourn Saints.
And Then...South Carolina
Eight stories in three days -- I'm exhausted. Look for two small pieces on "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" -- Chazz Palminteri and the director Dito Montiel. Then look for a big spread on female singers coming to town in the next few weeks -- KT Tunstall, India.Arie, Audra McDonald, Michelle Branch of The Wreckers, Regina Spektor and Nellie McKay. I'm completely knackered: constant interviews, transcribing, writing and a barrage of questions from my editor from Tuesday to late Thursday. And now I'm off to help my brother move into his new home in South Carolina. See you Tuesday. (I fly back Monday afternoon.)
I'm Drowning In Interview Tapes!
Had to file two stories connected to the movie "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" -- one on actor Chazz Palminteri and another on the director Dito Montiel, who wrote the memoir the movie is based on. Then a last minute cover story on female singer-songwriters has had me up since 7 am (the crack of dawn for me) interviewing Audra McDonald, KT Tunstall, Michelle Branch of The Wreckers and soon India.arie. Plus I have to transcribe and file it all by 6 p.m. at the absolute latest. Aaargh. So sorry for the lack of surfing today.
TV Overnights: "Studio 60" Opens Well (Sort Of)
Mediaweek's Marc Berman has the overnight ratings:
8 p.m. Deal or No Deal (NBC) -- 15.6 mil
The Class (CBS) 10.5 mil/How I Met Your Mother -- 10.4 mil
Prison Break (Fox) -- 9.4 mil
Wife Swap (ABC) -- 7.1 mil
Two and a Half Men (CBS) -- 15 mil/Old Christine (CBS) -- 12 mil
Wife Swap (ABC) 8.7 mil
Vanished (Fox) -- 7.4 mil
10 p.m. CSI: Miami (CBS) -- 17.2 mil
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip -- 13.3 mil
Supernanny -- 7 mil
The Class did much better than I expected anchoring the night, but let's see how it holds. "Studio 60" retained most of its lead-in, but faded in the second half hour. In other words, people weren't thrilled with what they saw. And how lame is ABC's schedule?
"Cars" -- Pixar's Latest Triumph
When the Pixar animated movie "Cars" opened, everyone yelled and screamed that its opening weekend wasn't big enough, that the movie didn't have the wide appeal of the other Pixar movies, that Disney had overpaid for Pixar and it was a questionable decision and on and on. They were wrong, of course. Remember the Popsurfing rule for judging box office: the only numbers that matter are the budget and the final gross. (And overseas gross and DVD sales and so on, but you get the picture -- the opening weekend is very important, but not as important as those other numbers.) "Cars" opened well, but a bit lower than the previous few Pixar movies. And so what if it had been a more modest hit? Not every Pixar movie can be a home run and hitting a double would not be a sign of the Apocalypse. That said, "Cars" IS another home run, which is amazing. It's grossed $242 million in the US. That's right in line with "Toy Story 2," ($245 mil), "Monsters Inc" ($255 mil) and "The Incredibles" ($261 mil). The wild card is "Finding Nemo," which grossed $339 mil. ("Toy Story" grossed $191 mil and Pixar's "flop" is "A Bug's Life" which hit $162 mil.) Overseas, "Cars" is cruising towards $200 mil and counting. In fact, worldwide the lesser appeal of "Cars" means it will come on the low end of total grosses. But DVD sales will be great and only an idiot would consider those numbers a failure.
Posted by Michael in New York at 12:09 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Fox Launches Religious Movie Shingle
A day after finding out major studios kowtow to hate groups like Focus on the Family, we find out that Twentieth Century Fox is launching a religious-based shingle called FoxFaith: Movies You Can Believe In. (Love the slogan.) Frankly, it sounds pretty demeaning: 12 movies a year with micro-mini budgets of less than $5 million each. Family movies should be part of every studio's budget and they certainly shouldn't be relegated to the low-end of the movie budget. The first release -- "Love's Abiding Joy" -- only cost $2 million and is actually the fourth movie in a very popular TV movie franchise on (I believe) the Hallmark Channel. That series began with "Love Comes Softly." In other words, they're launching this franchise outreach to Christians with not a glorified TV movie but an ACTUAL TV movie. God deserves better. At the opposite end of the morality scale, LionsGate is launching a horror-themed video on demand shingle called FearNet. No word if they're reaching out to Satanists.
Showtime Renews "Brotherhood"
I feel sorry for Showtime. They've delivered some very good shows that get tons of press, shows like "Weeds" that unfortunately can't seem to get arrested when it comes to viewers. They must shake their heads and wonder what they're doing wrong. The only shows that have clicked commercially are the gay ones: "Queer As Folk" and "The L Word." Their most recent drama -- "Brotherhood" -- got exceptional reviews but no one watched it, including me. (It's hard to commit to a show you think will disappear right away.) I just got the DVD set of Season One and was wondering whether I should tackle it. Would anyone care what I thought about a cancelled series no one had watched? Happily, Showtime is sticking with it and bringing "Brotherhood" back for a second season. At the same time, HBO is cancelling its sitcom "Lucky Louie." It's the rare pay cable show that doesn't get at least two seasons (even "Carnivale" did). Now if only I could go back in time and get a renewal for "Deadwood" and NBC's "American Dreams."
Is Priv8Pete Right About Baseball?
A day after arguing with Priv8Pete about the baseball postseason, an almost identical plan to the one he outlines is in the NY Post: it calls for two wild card entries who have to face off against each other before meeting the team with the best record in their league. It all makes sense, I'll admit, except for the underlying annoyance of still MORE games being added to the schedule. Harumph, he may have a point about all the positives, though.
Posted by Michael in New York at 11:57 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Derek Jacobi: Needlepoint Whiz
A fine portrait of actor Derek Jacobi as he stars in the west End revival of A Voyage Round My Father. (If only I were rich, I'd be off to London four times a year and swallow up all the theater I could.) Bedridden as a lad, Jacobi became a whiz at needlepoint and embroidery and tells of how moving it was when his father recently passed away and Jacobi found a stash of pillowcases all cross-stitched when he was ten. But the kicker is a puzzling, witty anecdote involving Noel Coward, with whom a very young Jacobi spent a charming evening at dinner and then drinks in Coward's hotel room:
It was half-past one in the morning. Green as grass, young Mr Jacobi rose to leave. "Derek," said the great man, "might I ask you a very personal question." All atremble lest the lovely evening be spoiled by a lunge, he stood his ground. "Are you circumcised?" "No, no, no," he answered. "Why do you ask?" Coward replied: "What a pity. What a great pity. You're a very fine actor, Derek, but you'll never be a great actor until you're circumcised." "Why?" he asked, edging for the door. "Freedom, dear boy," Coward explained, mystifyingly. "Freedom!" Jacobi was out the door and away.
"The History Boys" -- Nicholas Hytner Talks
Director Nicholas Hytner talks about the film adaptation of the delightful play "The History Boys." Correction, he writes about it, since everyone in the UK can act and direct and write and probably paint and quote huge swatches of poetry as well. Hytner's charming article offers up this tidbit from the show that was cut before it opened. It plays off the fact that the teacher Hector lets his students try to stump him by quoting old movies or songs that he identifies easily:
There is a scene that didn't make it beyond the first draft of the screenplay, and was even cut eventually from the play - though only in the interests of brevity and with a heavy heart, because, like so much of Alan's discarded material, it was better than most writers' highlights. In it, Rudge challenged Hector to recognise a song by the Pet Shop Boys; Hector, ignorant of all popular culture after about 1950, was completely floored. "You can't expect him to know that," said Timms. "And anyway, it's crap." "So is Gracie Fields," said Rudge, "only that's his crap. This is our crap." I feel something similar about The History Boys: I have no idea yet whether it's a good film, but it's our film.
Where Is Ealing Studios When You Need Them?
A quirky, only-in-England story of amateur thievery seems ready made for the movies. Three men -- including a graphic designer with bad eyesight, a landscape gardener turned teacher who lived with his mother and an ex-military man -- forged artworks and fobbed them off on the pros, including an expert who appears on "Antiques Roadshow" and tells people whether the artwork they have is valuable or a knockoff. What blew my mind was the claim by a former director of the Met in NYC that up to 40% of the art market is composed of forgeries.
National Board Of Review: They Make the Globes Seem Professional
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is often -- and rightly -- mocked as a bit of a scam when it comes to awards. But the National Board of Review might be even worse. I had no idea it was such a charlatan, but Roger Friedman of FoxNews lists their latest travails and mentions that the NBR is just a bunch of people who pay $600 a year so they can screen movies and meet the stars at Q&As. Who knew?
Posted by Michael in New York at 11:41 AM 2 comments: Links to this post
Modern Art? Not So Priceless
The Evening Standard runs a mocking article on modern art, listing the prices the Tate paid for various pieces: 400,000 pounds for a "hatstand" (though they grudgingly admit a Clotheshangar of the North was thrown in for free); 100,000 pounds for a nine minute called "How I Became A Rambling Man," a film where an artist dresses up as a cowboy and sings; and 85,000 pounds for two pieces from an artist, including one called Energy of a Potato, which features a potato connected to an electric meter. They see an outrage; I see truth in advertising. When I buy something called Energy of a Potato, I expect a tater and, yes, some indication of its energy. What's wrong with that? Philistines.
George Clooney and Elie Wiesel: Together Again For The First Time
Where to begin? The teaser on CNN's main page read "Clooney, Wiesel Call For UN Troops In Darfur." (It's gone now.) After years of everyone swearing they would never let something like Rwanda happen again, they are letting it happen again in Darfur. And how do you get media attention to a horror like genocide? By bringing in George Clooney. Good for him, but what a bizarre headline. And I bet you won't hear the far right mock Clooney for this bit of activism because they don't want to highlight the fact of Bush's moral failure to act.
Hannibal Is Back
Thomas Harris just turned in the manuscript for "Hannibal Rising," the novel that depicts the early years of the lovable cannibal. It's due out Dec. 5, a good thing since the movie version is due out in February. This was an odd project all around: Harris notoriously private and slow, but worked on the screenplay BEFORE he finished the book it was (sort of) based on. Maybe the deadline helped him? And maybe he'll overcome the sometimes angry and mocking reviews that greeted "Hannibal."
The Genius Awards
Another round of $500,000 MacArthur awards. Another year where I am overlooked. Why CAN'T you nominate yourself?
Billy Joel Smackdown
Priv8pete and I got into words over Billy Joel. They ran so long, I decided to liberate them from the comments section. It was all sparked by a passing reference I made to Billy Joel's An Innocent Man as "his best album."
PRIV8PETE: You are daft. Innocent Man is not Billy's best album. That would have to be The Stranger, although I prefer Turnstiles or Cold Spring Harbor (I know, his voice is all screwed up, but I like the songs).
ME: I'm daft? YOU'RE daft! I think Billy Joel is primarily a songwriter more than a performer, which he would probably happily agree with. I think many of his tunes will be covered for many years to come. So though he's had huge success in album sales, I don't really approach him that way. It's more one big body of work. That said, most people would agree with you that "The Stranger" is his best album. (Rolling Stone gives two Joel albums -- and his Greatest Hits -- four stars. "The Stranger" and of all things "Storm Front." Huh?) I like The Stranger a lot. I probably blasted out "Glass Houses" even more. And maybe the most-played -- thanks to a massive early lead -- is "Piano Man.' Of course, Cold Spring Harbor has some good songs but for many obvious reasons doesn't even come close as far as being a satisfying album. But song for song, "An Innocent Man" is the most complete and cohesive album. We know them so well that obviously it would be jarring --but honestly, couldn't you take the songs from "Stranger" and "52nd Street" and "Glass Houses" and put them in a bowl, mix them up and then put them randomly on three CDs and hardly tell the difference? It's not a knock on the songs; just pointing out the fact that they're not really ALBUMS so much as collections of individual songs. Not so with "An Innocent Man," which obviously harkens back to doo-wop stylistically. Those songs could ONLY appear on that album and that cohesiveness makes it hold together as a single album better than any other. And yeah, I love "Turnstiles" too.
PRIV8PETE: So, your rationale for Innocent Man as his "best album" is due to the fact that it seems more cohesive? What if instead of The Longest Time, Uptown Girl and the rest he just had an album full of yodeling? That would still fill your qualification of being more "complete and cohesive" wouldn't it?
I'm not saying that Innocent Man isn't a great album or that it doesn't completely capture the style that he was going for, but I consider it more of a tribute album (so to speak). It's not REALLY Billy Joel; it's his take on his childhood influences. The reason why you could mix up anything from Cold Spring Harbor to 52nd Street (excluding Streetlife Serenade which was a mistake and he basically acknowledges as much with the first song on Turnstiles) is because that sound IS Billy Joel.
So, is Innocent Man the most "complete and cohesive" album that he recorded? Yes. Is it the BEST Billy Joel album? No.
ME: Don't turn cohesive against me. Streetlife Serenade is cohesively bad. I meant cohesive not just in terms of sound, but in terms of the ALBUM, which is what we are discussing here: a work of music that you sit down and listen to from beginning to end and that takes you somewhere. As an ALBUM, Innocent Man is more satisfying and involving than any other Billy Joel CD. Others during his run of very good CDs with lots of good songs (Stranger, Glass Houses, 52nd St, Tunrstiles) are just as much fun to listen to and sing along with. And yes, The Stranger has that whistling at the beginning and the end so teenagers know they've listened to a work of "art" and not a random collection of songs. But they almost all are random collections of (fun, very good) songs. Many of my favorite artists are basically singles artists who don't need to defend their music as less important or lasting simply because they work in short stories rather than the novels that are Albums. Billy Joel, by and large, was a singles guy. The rare exception is An Innocent Man. And now you've got me arguing that it is the exception that proves the rule, that it's somehow different than all the other albums and only deserves to be called his best "album" because of the fine print in the contract. And that's not what I mean at all: I think it is pure Billy Joel because the music he celebrates on it is so near and dear to him and the wellspring of everything he ever wrote. You say it's less like pure Billy Joel because it's an homage. I say it's closer to his heart and therefore more emotional and satisyfing and more Billy Joel-ish than all the rest. The songs:
An Innocent Man
The Longest Time
This Night
Tell Her About It
Careless Talk
Leave A Tender Moment Alone
Like all his albums, one or two are weaker and which ones depends on your preference. Maybe Careless Talk or Easy Money (which you don't like but I do).
But I think it has a joy, a release from being relevant or aiming for the pop charts that he hadn't felt so strongly since Piano Man. Joel was maybe smarting from his Beatle-esque Nylon Curtain, which was a relative flop for him and only went double platinum. I think he was hoping for the critical respect he rarely got and was burned bad -- he even got lambasted for his Vietnam song, though veterans of Nam later honored it (they might have regretted that after hearing Born in the USA a few years later). His response was to say to hell with radio, to hell with the critics, I'm gonna do something for ME and he ended up delivering one of the biggest hits of his career with more top ten hits and more top twenty hits that he would ever see on one album before or since. And it was a complete shock since the nod to vintage doo-wop was hardly calculated to win over critics or deejays. An Innocent Man comes from his heart and it's in some ways his most personal album: this is what I love, he says. And it's his best.
Hollywood Asks Hate Group Focus On The Family For Movie Advice
The LA Times reports that Hollywood studios regularly reach out to the hate group Focus on the Family to promote their films. Groups like Focus on the Family -- condemned as a hate group by the non-partisan, nationally recognized Southern Poverty Law Center -- get to see early scripts and final cuts, suggesting everything from changing "Oh my God" to "Oh my gosh" and encouraged to promote the movies to their consituents. The Dove Foundation is also prominently mentioned in this article. Unlike Focus on the Family, they seem much more focused on simply highlighting movies they approve of as opposed to Focus on the Family's efforts to promote hate. But having Laura Schlesinger as a board member does give one pause. Hollywood should definitely be encouraged to make all types of movies -- including family films. But what does a hate group like Focus on the Family have to do with family values?
Will Downloading Movies Be A Big Business?
The New York Times says video available online is exploding and movies will clearly be a huge market. I say: not so fast. Let me explain why iTunes has done so well when selling music singles and TV shows. Now why was Napster such a smash hit? Because people wanted to steal music? No, because they wanted digital downloads and NO RECORD COMPANIES WOULD SELL THEM. The second iTunes came online, digital thievery slowed down and legal digital singles became a huge business. Why were people paying $1 for singles online? Because they couldn't buy them anywhere else. Record companies had basically STOPPED SELLING SINGLES. If you wanted to buy the #1 song in the country, nine times out of ten you had to pay $15 for the entire CD. Singles simply weren't available. For more obscure songs? Forget about it. This idiocy on the part of the record companies is despite the fact that singles were the backbone of the industry, a great way to break new artists and an even better way to get kids to buy music. They were forced into selling songs on iTunes and now they're going to make billions of dollars.
Now why are people buying recent TV shows on iTunes? Because those TV shows aren't available anywhere else. Just like singles, a recent TV show simply isn't available after it's aired. If you forget to watch a show or Tivo it, you can beg or borrow a copy on VHS or recordable DVD from a friend. But if no one you know taped it, you have to wait until it comes out on DVD maybe a year later. If you love sci-fi but don't own cable and want to watch "Battlestar: Galactica," you can wait until a year passes and rent or buy it on DVD. Or you can pay $2 and watch the show right away. If you like the episode, you might buy next week's too. And so on. In short, TV shows on iTunes are a success because they fill a need and offer shows right away that aren't available anywhere else. You can watch a lot of TV at $2 a pop before equalling the $90 I pay for cable. (That's equal to the entire season of four shows just in one month.)
Now, movies. Movies won't be available to download online until they're also on DVD. Would you spend $15 to spend hours to download a movie without all the extras, a copy you can only watch on your computer (and maybe a few other computers)? Or would you pay $15 for a DVD that looks much better, has tons of extras and can be watched on your computer or your TV or your portable DVD player in your car or on your boat or at your friend's house or at your parents or anywhere you damn well want? Duh. Downloadable movies (especiallly say 20 years from now when you can quickly download say any movie in history) could be a business. But it won't be a huge success the way music and TV shows are because it offers a much poorer experience with much fewer options compared to DVDs and video on demand that are available at the very same time.
Ready For The New Fall TV Season?
Not 2006 -- I'm talking about the TV season for fall of 2007. Among the shows they're developing: Spike Lee's at New Orleans post-Katrina, the first CIA class to graduate post 9-11, a show about exorcists and a series based on the tween publishing hit "Gossip Girls" (think "Dawson's Creek" with rich high school girls). And you haven't even decided whether you want to commit to Aaron Sorkin's new drama yet.
Willie Nelson Smokes Pot!
Willie and four others were arrested for drug possession after a traffic stop found one and a half pounds of pot and 2/10ths of a pound of mushrooms. I don't know what the laws are where he was arrested as far as personal use versus drug dealing, but clearly one and a half pounds of pot is personal use when it comes to Willie. That wouldn't last him two days! That's some terrific police work. How did they ever suspect?
"CSI: MIami" Is The New Baywatch
That's right, the sequel to "CSI" has always stood in the shadow of the original here in the US. But overseas, "CSI: Miami" is currently the #1 TV show in the world, seen by some 50 million viewers a week. (That's a bit low by "Baywatch" standards, I think.) That's why the season premiere begins in Brazil: Miami has an international flair, the show is a hit all over the world and they wanted to international-ize some of the action. Who knew? I bet this time David Caruso stays put until the absolute last day of the last episode. And then he'll gladly come back for a TV movie spin-off.
A New Book BY JRR Tolkien!
Do NOT get excited. Tolkien has had virtually every drib and drab he ever penned published in multi-volume sets by his son Christopher. All well and good, though as anyone who has gone from "The Lord of the Rings" to "The Silmarillion" and on to "Unfinished Tales" and the 12 volume History of Middle earth will attest, all this scholarly work helped Tolkien lay the groundwork for his masterpiece but it does NOTY make for good reading. Christopher Tolkien says he's been working on a complete version of the epic tale "The Children of Hurin" for 30 years and I'm sure he's poured his heart into it, but this will not in any way serve as some sort of satisfying addendum to LOTR. At best, it will be a far more serious, dry tale that fans can scarf up before heading back to the LOTR. Again. And truly, one of the reasons that book is so lasting is because it so completely creates the sense of a world with a deep and epic past, complex present and sad future. Hints of lore and fragments of poems and references to epic tales in passing are convincing because Tolkien took the time to work it all out. You just don't want to read that stuff. Trust me.
Ricky Gervais Returns To UK TV
His new comedy "Extras" -- which was amusing but of course a let-down after the brilliance of "The Office" -- is back on UK TV with season two of "Extras." It premiered on Saturday with 3.5 million viewers, which is substantially down from its season one debut but still very strong. It ranks as the highest rated sitcom on BBC2 of the year, so far. So, well done if not titanic in quality or viewers. The smartest thing Gervais did with this show was to insist it be on BBC2 where expectations could be lowered. He simply doesn't make blockbuster hits -- just very funny ones.
Megan Mullally On Her New Show
I'm looking forward to her new talk show. We need more Merv Griffin/Mike Douglas type talk shows in this world. You can't have too much niceness, can you? But she says two odd things. First, she thought becoming a talk show host was an exotic, almost unattainable feat, when in fact it's the birthright of almost every American. Second, she says this:
She likens the sensation of appearing as herself to an out-of-body experience where she can keep tabs on herself to keep it real. It starts even before she goes on camera.
"I lock myself in my dressing room and just look at my knee, or a spot on the wall," she confides. "You have to get out of everything for a minute, and just be an organism functioning on the globe. Otherwise, you're this entertainment robot in a dog-and-pony show and you don't have anything to offer of yourself."
Clay Aiken Delays Tour
Will Clay Aiken also delay doing press for his new album? I still can't wait to see how he handles the inevitable questions about his sexuality. The cat's out of the bag with that dating video posted online and the guys who have come forward. Any reporter worth their salt will at least have to raise the issue. Maybe he;ll just do "Regis & Kelly" and think he can avoid the topic? I could care less if the guy is gay, but if he thinks middle-aged housewives and teenage girls wouldn't buy his album if he were out, he's very wrong. They're smarter than that and -- apparently -- smarter than him.
If You're Under 68 Inches Tall, You Could Be A Star
I always thought that being 5 feet, 6 3/4 inches made me normal in height or at least average or not shrimpy. But apparently I am Hobbit-size in height as well as girth. The BBC reports on open auditions for the London staging of the musical "The Lord of the Rings." ("The Ring! Such a beautiful thing! It makes me want to sing!") All the short people rejoice over getting to audition for a lead instead of the comic sidekick or the chorus. Hurrah for little people!
UK Music Charts
Scissor Sisters are still at #1 with their new single "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'." They are definitely superstars in Europe; here's hoping they break out in the US. But I'm most eager to hear the new Killers song "When You Were Young," which debuts at #5. On the album charts, Justin Timberlake debuts at #1, Fratellis is at #2 and reality show winner Lemar is at #3. Lionel Richie and Diana Krall (there's an unexpected combo) also appear in the Top 30.
Maria Is Still A Problem
The BBC reality show "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria" crowned a winner in their search for a new talent to star in a revival of "The Sound of Music." But the British do love their controversy; the media is acting as if it's a bait and switch to have the new Maria perform at only 6 of the 8 weekly performances of the show. Certainly ticket buyers should be told. But presumably she's skipping the matinees. Obviously, a newcomer might not have the stamina to do eight shows a week (many stars don't, either) and she's being saved for the evening shows. It's not true as producer Andrew Lloyd Webber that this is always done -- a new hit show with a name draw does in fact suffer when that person doesn't do every show. If I went to see the new "Evita" and the acclaimed female lead wasn't in it (which is one example Webber cites), I would ask to exchange my tickets for another date or get my money back. I've also never heard that Julie Andrews damaged her voice by singing too much when she was young. I thought she sang beautifully for decades until surgery on nodes went awry. (And she, by the way, didn't do every show of "Victor/Victoria" every week either.) And in this highly unusual case, it seems reasonable to give the female star a break.
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em
Warner Bros. is the latest conglomerate to make a deal with YouTube. Rather than suing the fans who make their own homemade videos for pop songs, Warner Bros. has decided to make their music videos and other vieo snippets available on YouTube. They're also making some sort of deal to "license" their music rights to YouTube so the people on it aren't breaking the law. (YouTube will also give WB the ability to check out usage of their music in case they do object to any use of it -- I'm sure they'll want to assign an intern to watch thousands of new videos every week in case some high school kid plays Madonna in the background while filming a cheerleader routine.) You can't corral video once it's out there, so you might as well partner up with the websites that bring in eyeballs.
My Delroy Lindo Profile
Here's a profile of Lindo pegged to his new NBC series "Kidnapped." Can you spot the fact error?
Speaking Of Brian DePalma....
His movie "The Black Dahlia" opened this weekend, or rather, didn't open. The New York Times insists De Palma is the center of a heated debate among film critics: nothing can spark more controversy than simply saying De Palma's name and watching the sparks fly. Maybe that was true -- 20 or so years ago. To amke their point, the NYT quotes a critic from the New York Press, another one reviewing a DVD for Salon and a series of articles at the online magazine Slant. If that constitutes a battle royal of critics, we've come a long way from Pauline Kael in The New Yorker and even Ebert & Siskel.
The simple truth is that De Palma doesn't inspire heated debate among film critics or moviegoers because most of them long ago decided De Palma simply wasn't that good a director. His most commercial hits -- "Scarface" and "The Untouchables" -- are atypical. And his best movies -- "Casualties of War," "Blow Out" -- are overshadowed by unredeemable movies like "Femme Fatale," "Snake Eyes," "Raising Cain" (though I know members of IRA who swear by that one), "The Bonfire of the Vanities," "Wise Guys" and his most embarassing Hitchcock ripoff "Body Double." One of De Palma's next projects? "The Untouchables: Capone Rising." 'Nuff said.
Weekend Box Office -- America Stays Away
The quiet weeks between summer and the GOOD movies of fall result in another slumbering week at the box office. Per Box Office Prophets, the Top Ten:
1. Gridiron Gang -- $15 mil total
2. The Black Dahlia -- $10.4 mil total
3. Everyone's Hero -- $6.2 mil total
4. The Last Kiss -- $4.7 mil total (will this have legs?)
5. The Covenant -- $4.7 mil ($15.7 mil total)
6. Invincible -- $3.9 mil ($50.9 mil total)
7. The Illusionist -- $3.8 mil ($23.3 mil total)
8. Little Miss Sunshine -- $3.4 mil ($46.4 mil total)
9. Hollywoodland -- $2.7 mil ($20.5 mil total)
10. Crank -- $2.7 mil ($24.4 mil total)
ABC Offering Free Downloads At iTunes
In a very smart promotion, ABC is offering up to one million free downloads of LAST season's finales for "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." They'll probably broadcast these shows in the currnent timeslots right before the new season begins, but why not make them available for fans who want to remind themselves of where the shows left off? It won't interfere with DVD sales and obviously most of your online sales would have been in May when the episodes aired.
But here's what caught my attention: ABC will also offer unlimited downloads of newly created highlights episodes that feature commentary from the shows' producers...and experts from People and Entertainment Weekly. So editors at magazines supposedly covering the TV industry for their readers are appearing in promotional specials to plug the new fall season? Aren't they even going to PRETEND that they have some objectivity and are not in bed with the networks? I guess not.
Another Crunch Day With Work
And I have to swap out my DSL connection box. And I want to see "Ugetsu" at Film Forum. And then I'm seeing two concerts: Louise Setara at Joe's Pub and Jonny Lives downtown at a traveling concert series called of all things Starbucks Salon.
Race-Baiting "Survivor" Begins Tonight; Here's Why It's Good
Tonight, "Survivor" begins with the stunt of dividing up the tribes based on race. Here's a news flash for you: EVERY season of "Survivor," the tribes have been divided up based on race. So has EVERY OTHER REALITY SHOW from "The Real World" to "The Amazing Race" to "American Idol." So has EVERY DRAMA AND SITCOM OF THE PAST TEN YEARS. The only time every TV show WASN'T broken down by race was back in the day when almost every show was simply white.
Did you think it was an accident that past tribes on Survivor have so often included one or two black people, one or two Latinos and an Asian here and there? Did you think it was an accident when "Idol" finalists going to Hollywood included such a diverse cross-section of America? Did you think it was happen-stance that "The Real World" cast members included a similarly Benneton-like mix of blacks, Asians, Latinos, whites (why not) and of course the obligatory gay/lesbian/bisexual?
How about dramas and comedies? Haven't you noticed how in the past ten years black actors have so often gone from playing neutered sidekicks to playing neutered authority figures -- such as the police chief or the President? How about sitcoms where the best friend/next door neighbor is of a funny/cute/unexpected ethnicity?
The simple and not so surprising truth is that EVERY SHOW ON TV IS CAST BY RACE, whether they admit it or not. (Unless of course the show is entirely white or appearing on a weblet like the former UPN.) Sure there are lots of exceptions to this rule, great shows that have mixed casts that seem natural and unforced. But the vast majority do follow this pattern.
Yes, "Survivor" is pulling a stunt in being explicit about the casting of their show by race. But they've done it every other season and so has every other reality series. So let's see how it plays out before damning them for forcing us to acknowledge race instead of just giving us the usual UN assortment in each tribe and letting us pretend race had nothing to do with it. Besides, I'll be rooting for whomever I think is hottest, as always.
Posted by Michael in New York at 9:00 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
"The Wire" Begins Season Four; Renewed For Fifth And Final Season
Well, I've given HBO plenty of grief for cancelling "Deadwood" prematurely. But at least they haven't made the same mistake twice. (And for various reasons, my rule of thumb is that you can't be disappointed over the cancelling of a show if it's had three seasons cause three seasons is usually as far as any drama should go creatively and clearly it had a shot ratings-wise.) "The Wire" has just begun airing Season Four and hallelujah, HBO has already renewed the show for its fifth and final season.
The reviews for season four have been phenomenal -- and well deserved, based on the first six of twelve episodes that I've seen. It's multi-layered, complex, subtle, and takes a while to build, this series. You can't multitask while watching it. It's best to watch it with a friend because you can parse out the plot twists together or ask what a character has just mumbled (and if you can't figure it out and are watching a DVD, use the subtitle function). No, it ain't immediately accessible. It's just gripping, funny, unexpected, moving, depressing and real.
Season One dealt with a wiretap on an inner city drug ring in Baltimore. Season Two focused on the ports and unions and corruption. Season Three dealt with politics. Season Four is looking at the school system. And Season Five will look at the media. That all sounds very dry -- every season revolves around a core group of wonderful characters on every side of the law, with the principal players shifting from year to year. The lead character of one season -- say McNulty -- will become a secondary character the next year. Literally every character is fascinating, so you are always thrilled to be dealing with whomever is front and center --but at the end of a show or a season, you'll say damn, I miss McNulty. How many shows paint with such a broad canvas? Almost none.
It's the next step in smart, sophisticated television, the way "Hill Street Blues" was some 26 years ago. It's that good. In the old days, if a show like "Twin Peaks" or "24" or "St. Elsewhere" had already been on the air for a year or two, you felt like it was too late to join the bandwagon without always feeling like you were playing catch up. There was a lot of pressure back then -- if you DIDN'T watch the premiere of a new series, were you missing the next big thing? And once you'd said no, wasn't it annoying and frustrating that you couldn't change your mind a year or even six months later and enjoy the show from the start, rather than jumping in the middle? No more.
"The Wire" is available on DVD and HBO On Demand and you can probably buy episodes online somewhere. So what are you waiting for? Start with Season One. Stick with it. Pay attention. Thank me later.
Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond: Thank God ABC Didn't Bow To Censorship
The Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond saw the controversy over ABC's lie-filled "The Path To 9/11" and saw one thing: evil censorship. Yes, he says people like Madeleine Albright and Sandy Berger can moan about being shown doing things they never did and having the blood of 3000 innocent Americans on their hands thanks to cowardice and ineptitude, but that's it. Trying to stop the docudrama from being shown was going way too far.
So a massive conglomerate like ABC can play politics with 9/11, reach out to far right bloggers and right wing groups, try to cloak itself in the aura of the non-partisan 9/11 Commission Report when it knows its movie distorts and lies and often says the OPPOSITE of what that report found, and it can release this movie right before a mid-term election. But if people think this is beyond the pale and shouldn't be shown, it's the CRITICS who have gone too far.
Not the conglomerate that besmirched the name of a major American airline that lost employees on that terrible day and five years later finds itself being implicated in both their deaths and the deaths of thousands of Americans. Not the conglomerate that -- unlike every other mainstream documentary and movie and book that focused on 9-11 in a non-partisan way -- tried to turn 9/11 into a political football (why else reach out only to the far right?). Not the conglomerate that saw FBI agents quit in disgust from the project or refuse to get involved because the film was so riddled with errors, that saw Harvey Keitel refusing to stick to a script he found so distastefully misleading or inaccurate, that saw a director running around trying to figure out what was true and what wasn't, not the conglomerate that saw all of this but refused to step in and make sure some TV movie didn't damage their reputation and distort a national tragedy for ratings and profit. No, Disney/ABC behaved honorably but the people who pointed out their lies went too far.
What exactly IS someone supposed to do when they are shown a purported docudrama that claims to be an accurate depiction of the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history, which is going to distributed to school children around the country and offered for free on the Internet in the weeks leading up to an election but which they see is clearly filled with inaccuracies and lies? Wish them luck?
"The Jersey Boys" Keeps Breaking Records On Broadway
My gosh, how do they do it? Well, the show is a huge smash of course. But I discovered the real reason they can keep setting records for months at a time: they keep raising prices. Every Broadway show now offers "premium" tickets that cost an arm and a leg. (Their reasoning? Heck, the scalpers do it so why shouldn't we?) "The Producers" had a premium ticket for almost $500 during the mania surrounding Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. But "Jersey Boys" has no stars like that, so it's taken it to a new level. I was stunned to see the list of prices at the box office. Decent seats are $111.25. Premium tickets start at $250 for matinees, then $300 for weeknight shows and then $350 for Friday and Saturday nights. Unbelievable.
Get Ready For "Borat"
Everyone I know who's seen "Borat: Cultural Leanings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" says it is truly hilarious, filled with offensive and crude and bigoted humor about gays and Jews and you name it that of course really skewers the offensive, the crude and the bigoted. As one reviewer pointed out, the camera crew that watched Sacha Cohen doing these interviews in character and saying such outrageous things without laughing truly deserve all the praise in the world. If you like "South Park" and the movies of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, this will be right up your alley.
Dave Chappelle Loves Ohio
Hye, maybe he can do something about their screwed up elections. Anyway, Chappelle introduced some musical acts and told jokes at a concert in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He's had a home there for years (in fact, a good chunk of Dave Chappelle's Block Party was filmed there) but when Chappelle says he loves the town and is staying put, this is picked up by the traditional media as some sort of new development. And now that time has passed, I have to say I feel a little more empathy for Chappelle about the demise of his show. Not in how he handled it or just disappeared without even phoning his WIFE until he was in Africa, not in his annoying "white people were laughing too much at my jokes" excuses, none of that. But seeing the truly lame, bottom of the barrel scraps that Comedy central put on the air, and watching Chappelle's old buddies feed off the carcass of those scraps for a few more bucks and few more minutes of fame, I felt angry at them too. That junk should never have seen the light of day. Chappelle was right about one thing: the new season wasn't going to measure up and he needed to pull the plug.
Bush Assassination Film Coming To US
Newmarket -- the distributor that handled Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" -- picked up "Death Of A President" at the Toronto Film Festival for a reported $1 million. They plan to release the film quickly in the next few months. (Will it be before the midterm elections?) Expect right wing outrage over the hypocrisy of the left for not condemning this film. Two problems, some Democratic politicians have indeed denounced the film. More importantly, unlike "The Path To 9/11," this is a fictional story about the aftermath of a Presidential assassination and the rights we have given up in a post 9-11 America. It doesn't distort recent history because it has nothing to do with history. Nor does it revel in the assassination of Bush. The film is primarily about the manhunt to find the killer, the tools that a complacent Congress has given to the government and the assumptions that are made (it must have been someone Arabic, etc.) about who the killer might be.
Dragons In Peter Jackson's Future?
In London, they're auditioning hobbits for the stage musical version of "The Lord of the Rings." It flopped in Toronto, closing three months early. Now it's opening early next year, with the show shortened and tightened and otherwise fiddled with.
Meanwhile, MGM says they HOPE Peter Jackson does the movie version of "The Hobbit" they want. But what project is Jackson actually developing? Along with "The Lovely Bones," (the book he optioned and is working on a screenplay with his partners on), Jackson has just optioned the Temeraire series of books by Naomi Novik. These clever books (she's written three) envision the Napoleonic Wars in a world where dragons exist. Combine dragons with naval battles and you are talking a VERY expensive movie. The books are solid fare for fantasy buffs, with the first one okay and the second two improving on the idea in every way. It's easy to see why Jackson would be interested.
Nicole Richie's Dad Releases New CD
Yes, Lionel Richie is back. The New York Times says most kids today know Richie through his daughter Nicole's appearance on reality show "The Simple Life" and then implicitly criticizes him for using that connection. "He's done little to distance himself from his daughter," they write. Uh, should he? Besides, Lionel has too much fun talking in the third person when talking to hot young music producers. “I asked them, ‘What does Lionel Richie sound like in 2006?’ ” Mr. Richie said, “And they said, ‘The same way he sounded like in 1976 — we’ll just bring you new beats.’ ” At least he's keeping his sense of humor: “I’m waiting for the Viagra people to call me and ask to use ‘All Night Long.’ ”
But in my never-ending fight against lazy use of record company hype, the New York Times claims Richie has sold more than 100 million albums (not records, which might include singles, but albums). Let's look at the facts: as a solo artist, Richie's debut sold 4 million copies in the US, "Can't Slow Down" sold 10 million and "Dancing On The Celing" sold 4 million. None of his other CDs have gone more than platinum. With the Commodores, none of their albums are certified more than platinum. Being generous, with the Commodores and as a solo artist, Richie sold 30 million albums. Assuming he did almost as good overseas, that would equal 50 million albums worldwide or at most 60 million. That's a big, impressive number, but it's not even close to 100 million albums. Where did the NYT get its figures? Probably from a record company press release. And not to kick a man when he's down, but "Can't Slow Down" won the Grammy for Best Album when a better winner would have been the Police's "Synchronicity," Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man" (his best album), or about ten other albums that weren't nominated.
"The Path To 9/11" -- Wins Monday Night With Modest Ratings
According to Mediaweek's Marc Berman, the overnight ratings for "The Path To 9/11 were almost identical to Sunday's. It scored an 8.1 rating, just a sliver behind the 8.2 overnight rating it scored for Part One. Unlike Sunday, when it was trounced by football, Monday's edition was the #1 program for the night. Except for Fox -- which had new episodes of "Prison Break" and "Vanished" -- the docudrama was facing repeats. (The new fall season begins for most networks next week.) In short, a preseason TV movie like this wouldn't be expected to score big ratings. Still, with all the hype, not a lot of people tuned in on Sunday. But everyone that did came back Monday night, so they liked what they saw. President Bush gave his speech at 9 p.m. -- and more people watched it on ABC than any other network.
In the UK, "The Path To 9/11" did poorly. On Sunday, it drew 2 million viewers to BBC2 -- falling way behind other shows like "Where The Heart Is" (6.4 mil viewers), a docudrama about the pirate Blackbeard (4.6 mil viewers) and even a rerun of the Farrelly Brothers' movie "Shallow Hal" (2.4 mil viewers). But again, the people who watched it liked what they saw. Monday's showing of Part Two on BBC2 grew to an average of 2.2 mil viewers. Still, this was far behind other shows like BBC1's "Dalziel and Pascoe" (6.6 mil viewers) and ITV's "Life Begins" (5.4 mil viewers).
"The Path To 9/11" -- Ratings Meagre
CNN headlines the ratings news for ABCs "The Path To 9/11" with "Clinton, Most Americans, Skip ABC's 9/11 Miniseries." Their figures say part one of the TV docudrama drew 13 million viewers. NBC's Sunday Night Football had far more: 20.7 million viewers. In fact, ABC's two-part movie did only slightly better than CBS's THIRD airing of its 9/11 documentary "9/11," which was seen by 10.6 million viewers. Mediaweek says the overnight ratings are even tighter: it gave NBC's football a 15.1 rating, with "The Path To 9/11" and CBS's RERUN tied at an 8.2 rating. And that was just a whisker ahead of the 18th season debut of "The Simpsons."
Putting it all in perspective: Since it was airing before the fall TV season began for most networks (Fox starts early), ratings for any TV movie right now should be lower. But clearly it was an expensive, ambitious project. And with the massive media attention, ABC should have hoped for a much higher curiosity factor. All it got were modest ratings. We'll know better tomorrow after the second night's ratings whether the people who watched Sunday were hooked or couldn't be bothered to come back for night two.
Finally, the actors and crew involved should be fonts of fun information: two former FBI agents reportedly quit after a month as advisers because they felt no one cared about accuracy, Harvey Keitel insisted on rewriting his own dialogue and wouldn't say anything he didn't believe to be true and the director was walking around with a copy of the 9/11 Commission Report to try and fact check things. I'm also intrigued by the presence of Amy Madigan as a CIA agent who is furious and ashamed in the movie when they don't kill Bin Laden. She is a major leftie and it'll be intriguing to see how she feels about the project now.
"The Path To 9/11" -- Already Spreading Lies To The New York Times
If ABC's miniseries "The Path To 9/11" hoped to sow confusion about the facts, it's certainly succeeded. Even the New York Times got their facts wrong. TV critic Alessandra Stanley was the one of the few critics who claimed the docudrama was "even-handed." Then Stanley made a huge error by claiming the movie was right to say Clinton was distracted by the Monica Lewinsky scandal and took his eye off Bin Laden -- and Stanley insisted the 9/11 Commission Report backed them up. In fact, the report says THE EXACT OPPOSITE, as anyone reading any of the dozens of stories written in major media outlets or looking online would have known. The New York Times corrected her error on Saturday, which is very quick by their standards but the least read paper of the week. The BBC also does a poor job of laying out the facts in the case, writing a "he said, she said" story when there is no debate about what the 9/11 Commission Report stated versus what the movie got wrong.
"The Hobbit" Without Peter Jackson?
In a story about the rebuilding of MGM, they mention briefly about developing "The Hobbit" which they say will be made in one or two installments and which the studio head HOPES will be directed by Peter Jackson. The rights to Tolkien's classic have been confused for years, but presumably with the stage musical by Saul Zaentz and the recent movie version by New Line, everyone agrees that MGM (which I believe made the clunky animated Ralph Bakshi version) has the rights to "The Hobbit." I'm not sure "The Hobbit" should be split up into two movies. (Where would they stop? After the Misty Mountains, when Bilbo and the dwarves and Gandalf were rescued by the Great Eagles?) The tone is very different from "The Lord of the Rings" and the tale is much simpler, with just a hint of the darkness to come. A sprightly three hours (if that's possible) seems right to me. But making it without Peter Jackson is unthinkable unless he flatly turns it down. Jackson has several other projects in the works and it's almost a no-win proposition for him. But surely the thought that someone else might make it will spur him on. And the sooner the better: Ian McKellen isn't getting any younger and he must play Gandalf.
Jackie Chan: I'm Not Just Mr. Chop-Socky
Jackie Chan is tired of being pigeonholed as a "martial arts" guy. A bit late for second thoughts, isn't it?
"When people come up to me in the street in America they say 'Ah, Jackie Chan!' and do all the action moves," he said. "No one does that to Robert De Niro."
True, but they do say, "You talkin' to me?" ad nauseum.
UK Charts -- Scissors Sisters At #1
The new single by the Scissor Sisters leaps (playfully) to #1. Maybe now they feel like dancin'? On the album chart, Beyonce debuts at #3. But what I love about the British is how even a casual appearance of an old song can inspire people to hit the stores. Surely "Make It With You" or "If" must have been used in a TV show or advert -- how else to explain why "The Sound of Bread" collection would pop in at #18?
Lunch Without Peter O'Toole
The aging and ailing actor doesn't show up for an interview about his new movie "Venus." But he dominates this charming profile. Of course, if this Oscar hopeful were about an aging man lusting after a young man instead of a young woman, it would be a tragedy a la "Death in Venice" rather than a heart-warmer. (And if the brief quote from a note by O'Toole intrigues you, do check out his feverish but engrossing memoirs.)
Spike Lee Filming New Orleans-set TV Pilot
It's called "NoLa," and the potential NBC series will focus on the post-Katrina lives of people from many backgrounds in New Orleans. Obviously, the success and satisfaction of doing HBO's "When The Levees Broke" (the most acclaimed work by Lee in many years) inspired him to do more. Most interesting of all, Lee will include some of the people in the documentary in the show playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Phyllis Montana LeBlanc -- who popped off the screen during her interviews -- is one of them. Lee also cites Italian neo-realism (the source of many a blockbuster TV show) as inspiration behind his approach. He'll be filming in New Orleans of course. "We don't have to build sets," Lee said with irony. "Things there still look like the city's been bombed out."
"All The King's Men" -- The First Reviews
The first reviews are in for "All The King's Men," the much-delayed remake of the political pot boiler about a Huey Long-like campaigner. The Hollywood Reporter thinks Sean Penn is magnificent, even if the movie he's in can barely contain his performance and is ultimately a mess. Variety just sees a mess and mocks just about every aspect of the film, including wide range of accents among the actors, the score, the costumes, etc. Sounds like a misfire.
Priest Threatens Madonna Concert With Bomb Hoax
Because nothing says "good Christian" like calling in fake bomb threats and trying to terrorize people.I must have missed that passage of the Gospels.
"Robin Hood" Robbed Blind; But Tapes Recovered
The new BBC TV series "Robin Hood" has tried to play down the theft of footage from the series for weeks now. But clearly the robbers got a serious amount of film. The premiere of the show had been pushed back and the actors admitted they'd been reshooting a number of scenes stretched out over various episodes. Now, happily, the footage has been recovered. That should make for a fun DVD extra: which version will they use for those re-shot scenes? Were the new ones better, a good possibility since they'd had time to really absorb the roles by the end of the shoot? How did they differ? Here's hoping the footage gets included as an extra.
Helen Mirren Crowned At Venice
Dame Helen moves one step closer to an Oscar nomination for "The Queen" by winning Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. On the other hand, Ben Affleck will have to take his Best Actor win as a consolation prize for how poorly "Hollywoodland" did in its opening weekend. An Oscar nod seems doubtful, Ben, but good hunting!
The Bestseller List -- Women On Top
Anna Quindlen tops the fiction charts with her new novel "Rise and Shine" while Nora Ephron heads the nonfiction list with her humorous essays in "I Feel Bad About My Neck." Also on the nonfiction list is "Enough" at #12, a cry from the heart by senior NPR correspondent Juan Williams about the culture of failure in the black community. Read it with paperback bestseller "The Covenant With Black America."
If God Wrote TV Shows
He might make something like "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip." Actually, Aaron Sorkin's return to TV is probably more hyped than God's foray would be: at least Sorkin has a track record in television. (God's certainly been a hit in publishing. His first and only book is the bestselling title of all time.) The big problem I see is that making a sketch comedy show doesn't carry quite the same gravitas as being President and may not stand up to the floridness of Sorkin's writing. Mind you, the same problem existed on "Sports Night," which critics loved but audiences ignored.
Meanwhile to some "The Simpsons" is God. Depressingly, creator Matt Groening doesn't see any reason why the show couldn't keep going on forever.Here's one reason: Groening's too busy. He's got "The Simpsons," their feature film debut next summer (yeah, they waited too long but it will still be huge) and then "Futurama" comes back with original episodes on Comedy Central in 2008.
Weekend Box Office -- No Winners
It was one of the slowest weekends at the box office in many years. It's probably my fault -- I wanted to see "The Covenant" (a male spin on "Charmed") but didn't. The Top Ten:
1. The Covenant -- $9 mil total
2. Hollywoodland -- $6 mil
4. The Protector -- $5.0 mil
5. Crank -- $4.8 mil ($19.9 mil total)
8. Wicker Man -- $4.1 mil ($17.5 mil total)
9. Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby -- $3.0 ($142.2 mil total)
10. Accepted -- $2.6 mil ($32.4 mil total)
ABC's Miniseries Will Have One Ad After All: Bush
Bush has decided to address the nation on the fifth anniversary of 9-11 and anyone who suggests this has something to do with the mid-term elections (I don't recall him addressing the nation last year in primetime) is just being churlish. This means that ABC's highly controversial documentary will air for one hour on Monday, break for a 20 minute or half hour speech from Bush and then go right back into a "docudrama" designed to downplay Bush's failings and pin blame on Clinton with lies and half-truths. ABC better hope the Republicans maintain control of the House and the Senate or they're gonna find very little welcome in DC for anything that the Disney conglomerate wants.
Current Movie Rundown
Just some thoughts on the movies out in theaters, if you're wondering what to see.
Sherrybaby -- Maggie Gylenhaal's best performance yet. She really elevates this familiar material, but there isn't quite enough there to put this in a league with Half-Nelson.
Half Nelson-- the best thing out there right now. Ryan Gosling is sensational as a crack-addicted teacher who befriends a young female student. Pure Afterschool Special, if it weren't so honest and direct. In one late scene, the student sees Gosling doing drugs and he just looks at her. Gosling could have played it angry or ashamed or devil-may-care-ish or a million other ways, but he looks at her with the slightest hint of defiance. This is who am I, he seems to insist. It would be so much easier for him to give in if she would give up on him, too, I think. A dozen other scenes are just as absorbing and -- rare for an American film -- ambiguous.
The Protector -- someone here gave me shit for not respecting the genius of "Ong-Bak" and its star Tony Jaa, the heir apparent to Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. I enjoyed "The Protector" more, though it remains defiantly, absurdly un-cinematic, maybe even post-cinematic. Sure, it's on a super low Thai budget. But you'll find scene after scene where, for example, our hero is running down a street away from bad guys and in the next cut he's in a speed boat and they're in speed boats behind him trying to catch up. Why waste time showing him finding a boat and jumping in (and perhaps tossing out the owner) and then speeding away, etc.? What you want is the CHASE and what they give you is the chase and nothing but the chase. You'll catch up. It's almost bold, though I think it's more lazy. Unlike "Ong-Bak" Jaa's every spectacular stunt isn't replayed three times in super-slo-mo, thank God. And the stunts are spectacular, though Jaa breaks so many bones in so many opponents that it too almost became comical. I also enjoyed the fact that Jaa is too-pretty and they acknowledge it with a wry comment or two. Good, silly fun.
A Cantor's Tale -- I haven't seen it but it comes highly recommended from fellow IRA-member George Robinson.
Mizoguchi at Film Forum -- apparently I'm a fool and a rube for never having seen Mizoguchi. Only a peasant would prefer Kurosawa. We'll see.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated -- Half a very entertaining documentary on the wily-nily inconsistencies of the MPAA and their bias against sex (and especially gay sex) and their perverse love of violence; the other half is a creepy stalker film where they out the secret members of the ratings board. An excessive reaction to a silly group.
Lassie -- better than you'd think; not as good as you'd hope.
The Illusionist -- not a success, but a much better failure than I appreciated, thanks to Edward Norton, a plummy Paul Giamatti and the appealing world of Victorian stage magicians.
Ellen: Bad Idea, Says Tom O'Neil
The LA Times awards show guru Tom O'Neil says Ellen Degeneres is a bad idea to host the Oscars. Why? She ain't Hollywood enough and she only got good reviews for her post-9-11 Emmys braodcast. The other times she's hosted awards, reviews have been lukewarm. True, but the reviews are wrong and Ellen is a charmer who -- like Johnny Carson -- can deflate the pomposity of the room without anyone feeling threatened or belittled. The main problem with the Oscars isn't the host anyway: it's the show as a whole. Here's hoping Ellen doesn't fill a room with comedy writers and try to create 20 minutes of fillers, skits, audience interviews and so on. The Oscars is THREE HOURS LONG -- it doesn't need comedy sketches. It needs Ellen to come out, do 6-8 minutes of humor and then politely HOST -- simply smooth things along with the occasional aside. That's ALL. Do that and people will love you, Ellen. (Also, get the producers to show substantial clips of the top acting and picture nominees, cut out banter among presenters (who should just stride quickly to the podium to show what they're wearing and then announce the nominees), have only ONE tribute (not two; they do drag and having two undercuts both) etc, etc. Anyone with half a brain could improve the Oscars dramatically, given a free hand. (Aye, there's the rub.)
Variety: ABC Might Yank Miniseries
NOTE: Mediaweek says the miniseries is still scheduled to air.
This story was first posted yesterday, so it's unclear how up-to-date it is. But Variety did report that ABC is actively considering yanking the entire 9-11 miniseries. Like many outlets, Variety is now painting this as bloggers or partisans or Clinton officials versus ABC.
But much in the same way right-wing groups mobilized to attack CBS' "The Reagans" a few years ago, Democratic partisans were doing everything they could to discredit ABC's "The Path to 9/11."
Actually, no one had to do much to discredit it -- ABC took care of that itself by making an error-riddled film it pretended was based on the 9-11 Commission Report. In fact, the outcry has come from the left and the right; it is widespread and it is consistent: ABC played fast and loose with the facts over a national tragedy that is still fresh in the minds of all Americans. That's why they are in trouble. Variety also refers to "alleged inaccuracies" when in fact they're not "alleged" at all. The inaccuracies are incontrovertible -- ABC first tried to defend them as creative license; now they are editing some of the more egregious ones out. Here's where they truly get it wrong:
At least one Hollywood producer empathized with ABC, noting the firestorm of criticism is the latest example of partisan groups attempting to use their clout to bully nets and producers into serving up noncontroversial portraits of political and social matters. Even if the Dems are right in their criticism, the producer noted, ABC should be able to air its take.
"How many miniseries have there been on the Kennedys? Did anybody complain as they dragged them through the mud?" the producer said. "Starting with 'The Reagans,' everything is now political. It's become so divisive and nasty. It's very sad."
Nice try. No one is raising an uproar because they made a film about 9-11. People are in an uproar because ABC made a film about 9-11 that distorts and lies about the fact. ABC made a film with a writer with an acknowledged right wing agenda and they knew exactly what they were doing because they reached out ONLY to right wing bloggers and Republicans. Again, there have been DOZENS of documentaries, docu-dramas, fictional films, books and even comic books depicting 9-11. The BBC just aired a documentary last night. NONE OF THEM created a firestorm of protest because they all strove to be non-partisan and get the facts right. (The lone exception: Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9-11" and only two brief moments in that film have ever been questioned on the facts. Moore spouts a lot of opinion, but the facts he presented were basically accurate and on the public record.) ABC politicized a national tragedy and they probably didn't think anyone would care because Bush has been getting away with that for the past five years.
Here are some of the works presented on 9-11 that DIDN"T create controversy:
The 9-11 Commission Report
National Geographic: Inside 9-11
9-11: The Twin Towers (last night's BBC documentary)
The 9-11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon
Endless TV specials and reports
Just remember, you can cover 9-11 with a respect for the facts. When you don't (and ABC is the biggest media outlet to do so with such reckless disregard for the truth), you will pay a price.
Disney's Next Big Musical: "The Little Mermaid"
"Tarzan" is looking to keep its head up on Broadway. "Mary Poppins" (which was a hit, but not a blockbuster, in London) opens soon. But Disney is already eyeing its next Broadway stab at smash-dom. "The Little Mermaid" opens in Denver next summer. The most intriguing element: Doug Wright (author of the wonder "I Am My Own Wife") is writing the book. Disney continues to push the envelope as far as collaborators are concerned. All credit to them: instead of pushing out safe, cookie cutter material they do at least strive for something original. They don't always succeed. (Hello, "Aida.") But they do convincingly try.
The Streets -- UK's best rap artist
Like most people, I've found the new album by The Streets to be of the annoying "how difficult fame is" variety. But this interview with Mike Skinner reminds me how smart and interesting he is. And presumably others have said this before, but Skinner's comments on maintaining a long-term career are spot-on:
It’s a matter of replacing creativity with skill,” Skinner reckons. “That’s what all artists with longevity do. They start off with that initial explosion of talent, and then they gradually learn to apply the skills they’ve learnt.” This accounts for his current fascination with country music. “
In songwriting terms you can learn a lot from country music songs. People laugh at Kenny Rogers, but everyone can take something from a lyric like The Gambler or Coward of the County.”
"The Wire" -- What Are You Waiting For?
A very good LA Times article on one of the best shows on TV -- ever. And another rave review, this one from USA Today.
Star Of "Little Britain" To Marry His Partner
The only thing annoying about this friendly story is that the Evening Standard put "marry" in quotes, like it doesn't count. And if you don't know "Little Britain," it's the latest in the endless series of quirky sketch comedy shows with oddball characters a la "League of Gentlemen" and the great "Monty Python."
9-11 Film: The Reviews
Don't let your heads explode, but the New York Times' Alessandra Stanley thinks it's basically fine. The New York Post's Adam Buckman also thinks it's the best for now. But NY Post opinion columnist John Podhoretz (a longtime conservative voice who gave me some work when he was at The Weekly Standard) thinks it's a bad movie and confusing and misses the real story. The New York Daily News? No review is posted online.
More Journalists Sell Their Souls To Bush
A story in the Miami Herald broke the news that at least 10 journalists who proselytized against Castro were being paid off by Bush's government to the tune of up to $175,000. Apparently, the journalists involved are BIG names in the local Latin community. Didn't Bush promise this evil undermining of our free press was going to stop? How many other journalists are on Bush's payroll? Here's the original Miami Herald story, which includes the lame defenses of the journalists and the amazing fact that one of them confronted Castro, who turned around and demanded to know if they were on the payroll of Bush. Apparently, Castro is better informed than we are.
U2 and Green Day Recording A Duet
Green Day is the heir apparent for title of "band that matters" so this makes sense. The only problem is that U2 ain't going anywhere. U2 is also recording their new album with Rick Rubin, who SHOULD be working with Bill Withers, like I told him too.
Book Roundup -- Abundance, Raven's Gate and The Ga...
"Washington Post" Gets Scooped Again Over Woodward...
PBS Station Scared To Show "Marie Antoinette" Docu...
National Board Of Review: They Make the Globes See...
George Clooney and Elie Wiesel: Together Again For...
Hollywood Asks Hate Group Focus On The Family For ...
If You're Under 68 Inches Tall, You Could Be A Sta...
Race-Baiting "Survivor" Begins Tonight; Here's Why...
"The Wire" Begins Season Four; Renewed For Fifth A...
Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond: Thank God ABC D...
"The Jersey Boys" Keeps Breaking Records On Broadw...
"The Path To 9/11" -- Wins Monday Night With Modes...
"The Path To 9/11" -- Already Spreading Lies To Th...
If At First You Don't Succeed
Ugandan Paper Prints List of Gays
Australia Decked Out In Khaki Today
Ellen Degeneres To Host The Oscars
British Film Institute Offers Films and Shorts For...
Amazon.com Begins Selling Video Downloads of Movie...
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"Movies by actor: Kevin Zegers"
50 Dead Men Walking
Belfast hoodlum Martin is recruited by a British agent to infiltrate the IRA during the height of the Northern Irish conflict and quickly becomes embroiled in a dangerous game that could cost him his life if his secret is found out. Based on a true story.
Roman's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) life is changed forever the day he loses his wife and daughter in a plane crash. The same is true for the air traffic controller (Scoot McNairy) who inadvertently caused the accident; devastated, he moves away from his own family and assumes a new identity. Both men attempt to move on from the tragedy -- but Roman soon finds that he cannot live with his new reality, and without confronting the man ...
A young boy and a talented stray dog with an amazing basketball playing ability become instant friends.
Air Bud: Golden Receiver
Josh and Buddy move from basketball to American football in this first of several sequels to the original Air Bud.
Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
When Andrea joins the baseball team, golden retriever Buddy follows suit, proving his abilities at yet another sport. But while Buddy and Andrea are busy catching fly balls, two scheming scientists are dognapping Buddy's puppies.
Air Bud: World Pup
Buddy, the athletic golden retriever who dazzled with his football and basketball skills, takes on two new roles: soccer star and father. But the joy of parenthood is short-lived when an evil gang of puppy-nappers take aim at Bud's little ones.
All the Wrong Reasons
An ensemble about four co-workers at a big box department store, all struggling to connect and come to terms with their lives. Since witnessing a tragic family event, Kate has kept herself as isolated as physically possible, her husband James, the store's ambitious manager, does his best to force Kate out of her shell but Kate wants her world to remain exactly as it is. Missing intimacy, James becomes close with Nicole, a cashier who ...
Matthew and Louisa are about to celebrate the biggest day of their lives, but their wedding becomes the perfect venue for their dysfunctional family to confront what tore them apart in the first place.
Bram Stoker's Shadowbuilder
A demon is summoned to take the soul of a young boy who has the potential to become a saint. By doing this he will open a doorway to hell and destroy the world.
The feature-film debut of director Zack Snyder, Dawn of the Dead is a modern retelling of George Romero's 1978 horror classic, which was actually the second film in a trilogy that began with Night of the Living Dead and concluded with Day of the Dead. Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames star as two of the last remaining people on an earth that has been ravaged by flesh-eating zombies. After escaping to a shopping mall with ...
In the tradition of The Ring and The Sixth Sense, Fear of the Dark is a tightly woven tale that taps into our universal fear of what lies hidden in the dark. It's what scares you the most.
Felicity: An American Girl ...
Felicity Merriman (Shailene Woodley - TV's "The O.C.") lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1775, just before the Revolutionary War. Elizabeth, newly arrived from England, becomes Felicity's best friend. The girls' friendship is put to the test when Felicity's family supports independence in the Colonies while Elizabeth's family remains loyal to the king. Meanwhile, Felicity tries to help a mare escape its abusive owner. Also starring Academy Award-winner Marcia Gay Harden ("Mystic River," "Space Cowboys"), John ...
Three skiers are stranded on a chairlift and forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.
Gardens of the Night
At 8 years old, Leslie's life is changed forever when a stranger lures her into a car. For 7 years, she and another child, Donnie, live in horror with no one to turn to but each other.
It Came From the Sky
Jarvis and Pepper crash land their small plane on the roof of the Bridges family. Pepper finds herself having a positive effect on the households' autistic son Andy.
It's a Boy Girl Thing
Sworn enemies find themselves in each other's bodies, and use this to ruin each other's lives
During the 70's, some Komodo Dragon eggs were dumped on an North Carolina island. Somehow, the baby Komodos survived, and twenty years later they have grown up and taken over the island for themselves. Young Patrick has lost his parents and his dog to the lizards, but didn't see them himself, which has left him traumatized. Now, with his therapist Victoria, they return to confront his fears.
Life with Mikey
An ex-child star struggling as an agent discovers a sassy new client.
MVP: Most Valuable Primate
Jack is a three-year-old chimpanzee who has been the subject of a long-term experiment by Dr. Kendall, a researcher who been teaching Jack to communicate through sign language. ack scrambles onto the ice in the midst of practice for Steven's junior league hockey team, and he and his teammates discover the monkey has a natural talent for the game.
Nico the Unicorn
As an 11-year-old boy struggles to cope with a disability, he finds a pony who gives birth to a unicorn which he takes care of.
A grieving mother cannot "move on" after her son's death, keeping his room as it was, wanting her younger boy to be like his dead brother. A youth leaves juvenile detention, going home to an angry father and a lonely young step-mother. A college teacher whose brother has autistic behaviors separates from his wife and is attracted to a student. The narrative discloses slowly the mother, youth, and teacher's connections to a car accident. The ...
Four orphan boys running from the law in New York stumble upon a baby in a carriage. They decide to head west and take the baby which they name Mary Rose with them. Eventually they set up a ranch which they name Rose Hill. Mary Rose grows up to be a beautiful woman and gets involved with a man who kills one of her brothers. Her brothers then explain to her that they found her ...
Sex, Lies & Obsession
A high-school drama teacher struggles to keep her family together after she discovers her husband's sexual addiction.
Years ago, winter came and left. Survivors have tried to build a new society underground, but they soon learn the real danger is not from the ice and cold, but from their fellow survivors.
The Curse of Downers Grove
From AMERICAN PSYCHO author Bret Easton Ellis comes a new psychological thriller, THE CURSE OF DOWNERS GROVE. The town of Downers Grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood, but it has a disturbing secret. For the past eight years, one senior from every high school graduating class has met a bizarre death right before graduation day. This year Chrissie Swanson (Bella Heathcote of DARK SHADOWS) has a terrible feeling that she is going to be ...
The Entitled
With no job security and a bleak future, Paul Dynan (Kevin Zegers of TV's GOSSIP GIRL), plans the perfect crime to help his struggling family extort a fortune from three wealthy men (including Ray Liotta of GOODFELLAS, Victor Garber of TV's ALIAS). The plan: Abduct their socialite children (including Laura Vandervoort of TV's SMALLVILLE, Dustin Milligan of TV's 90210) and collect a healthy ransom of $3 million. Over the course of one long night, Paul ...
A Halloween prank turns a teenage party into a night of sheer terror. High school senior Ian Cranston (Kevin Zegers, Dawn of the Dead), the last blood relative of Ichabod Crane, finds himself facing what appears to be the Headless Horseman head-on!
Six months. Six novels. Six members. The Jane Austen Book Club takes reading the classics to new heights of passion in this romantic comedy featuring an all-star cast. When five women and one man get together to discuss the English writer's beloved novels, they realize the heartaches of Emma, Mr. Darcy and the Bennet sisters are not so different from their own. Finding comfort, wit and wisdom from the pages and each other, they discover ...
The Mortal Instruments: Cit...
Based on the Best-Selling series by Cassandra Clare. Clary's life is turned upside down when her mother is kidnapped and it's revealed that she and her mother are actually shadowhunters - billed with protecting the world from downworlders such as vampires, werewolves and demons. Clary must discover her talents and save her mother.
A 19 year old Brooklyn boy who is torn between two worlds when his photography portfolio wins him a partial scholarship to NYU. He must figure out how to balance his Italian neighborhood roots with the expansive, sophisticated world on the other side of the East River. Based on Tim McLoughlin's novel "Heart of the Old Country".
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n'...
After his sophomore album flops, Spyder, a decadent rock star, returns to his Long Island hometown to convince his estranged partner to help write songs for his comeback.
The Stone Angel
Ellen Burstyn and Ellen Page star in this uplifting romance based on the best selling novel by Margaret Laurence. Fiesty firecracker Hagar Shipley (BURSTYN) has lived an unconventional life. Her passionate heart has always ruled her head and her choices have put her at odds with family and friends. With her life nearly behind her, she sets out in search of a way to reconcile herself to her turbulent past. Through her reflections we come ...
Two single-parent families rent the same beach house.
Bree (Felicity Huffman) is a perfectly adjusted conservative transsexual woman. Born Stanley, a genetic male, she's about to take the final step to becoming the woman Stanley always wanted to be - until she finds out that she is the parent of a long-lost 17 year-old son (Kevin Zegers). Afraid to tell the rebellious teenager the truth, Bree embarks on a journey with him that will challenge and change both their lives and bring them ...
Based on the novel by R. L. Stevenson.
Hoist anchor, maties! And set a course for the grandest pirate yarn ever to shiver your timbers in this thrillingly animated, song-and-laughter filled version of Robert Louis Stevenson's swashbucklinng adventure classic! Produced by Golden Films.
The first English language film from cult Director Shunji Iwai. The story follows a blood-thirsty school teacher who seeks out suicidal girls to feast upon, only to fall in love with each of his victims.
An indescribable nightmare begins when a group of young friends become stranded in the back woods of West Virginia after their car breaks down. Desperate and fearing for their lives, the horror surges as they find themselves relentlessly pursued by a force of evil beyond their imagination!
Zoom: Academy for Superheroes
Jack Shepard a.k.a. "Zoom" is an out-of-shape auto shop owner, far removed from the man who once protected the world's freedom. Reluctantly called back into action by the government, Jack is charged with turning a rag tag group of kids with special powers into a new generation of superheroes to save the world from certain destruction. Based on Jason Lethcoe's popular graphic novel "Zoom's Academy for the Super Gifted."
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Joan Miró Foundation, Barcelona
In association with J.LL. Sert, Jackson Associates, J. Anglada y D. Gelabert
Joan Miró promoted the creation, in Barcelona, of a centre that would be an outlet for contemporary art and at the same time house the important collection of works of art that he had donated to the city of his birth. In this initiative he involved his friends, such as Joan Prats and Joaquim Gomis, as promoters, and especially Josep Lluís Sert, to whom he had entrusted his studio in Mallorca and whose buildings that the architect had built for the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence he so admired.
For this reason, he asked him to plan the property that had to house the headquarters of his collection, which had to have exhibition rooms, a library, archive centre and auditorium, and had to be placed on land given by the City Council, on Montjuïc mountain, with privileged views over the city. Sert accepted the challenge and once again asked the team of Anglada, Gelabert and Ribas for their collaboration to develop the project, direct the works and urbanise the area around the building.
Like the Fondation Maeght, in this building contributions from the Modern Movement and from popular Mediterranean architecture coincide, something made very clear in the structure and the white reinforced concrete walls, and also in the paved ground with terracotta tiles. All in all, the most characteristic elements of this work are the double-height skylights, the ribbed ceilings and the route around some inner courtyards that light up the rooms and corridors that connect them. Instead of creating a single environment sub-divided into rooms, as in classical museums, Sert and his collaborators planned a series of isolated spaces distributed on a single floor, which enabled different subjects and authors to be presented independently.
In terms of quality and design, the Fundació Joan Miró building received the 1979 prize of honour from the American Institute of Architects
Area: n/a m2
Stage: Built
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Email: right2edu@birzeit.edu | Phone: 0097(0)2-298-2059
Gaza game exposes siege restrictions on Gaza’s students
Thousands missing out on education in Gaza
Why Israeli academia will be boycotted
Written by admin • Wednesday, 30.06.2010, 13:29
Home » Activism » Why Israeli academia will be boycotted
Education Minister Gideon Saar (Photo by: Emil Salman)
In the past two years I have been invited to take part in many conferences hosted by the American Anthropological Association. The topic of discussion at these forums has been the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I agreed to take on a thankless task not as a spokesman for Israel’s education ministers or as a mouthpiece of the right or left. I appeared before an academic audience not noted for its sympathetic views on Israeli policy. This group is more inclined to support the Palestinians, albeit with the belief that neither side holds a monopoly on truth and justice.
I tried to place this awful conflict in the context of two truths, with two claims that contradict each other in terms of historical facts and painful memories, between two national movements that have lost all sense of proportion while striving for a settlement that does not provide either side with complete justice.
Alas, I have no plans to accept similar invitations in the future. In the past year, I have lost the conviction that I can truthfully speak for the current Israeli government’s suicidal behavior. The recent statements by Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who vowed to deal with university lecturers and professors who condemn Israel and support a boycott of Israeli universities, reflect the deep abyss the current government has led us down.
I tend to believe that it is only a matter of time before this country’s academic institutions are boycotted, regardless of the wishes of the education minister and other champions of Israeli patriotism. They will be boycotted not because of the handful of Israeli professors who have unabashedly supported such a step, but because Israel is under a global microscope that perhaps unfairly discriminates against it compared with other countries that act unjustly, even violently, toward their minorities and neighbors.
For better or worse, Israel does not enjoy the same luxury as countries like Russia and China, which do not rely on the support of Europe and the United States. Indeed, a look through this microscope reveals the foolishness of Israel’s weak-kneed leadership.
The education minister’s remarks are a sign of the Israeli government’s increasing self-seclusion inside a bunker of delusions, as it distances itself from considerations guided by historical, political and social wisdom. His statements befit benighted regimes that have lost connection to the world, like Iran and other totalitarian states. Israeli academia is losing its international standing on its own account. The brightest students, the hopes of a young generation in academia, prefer to stay abroad.
As early as the 1980s, when I researched yordim – Israeli emigrants – in the United States, I concluded that the overwhelming majority of them will not return. The book in which I included my findings was not translated into Hebrew because at the time it contradicted the dominant ideology. Sa’ar and the rest of this bizarre government of ours would prefer to hunker down and cling to the belief that the entire world is against us and we are in the right.
We have become numb to these eye-popping facts: Operation Cast Lead did not bring back Gilad Shalit, nor did it topple the Hamas government. Instead, it sowed destruction in Gaza and undercut our global standing. Our pathetic cries against the Goldstone report did not help, either. The takeover of the pathetic flotilla once again lined up the world against us. Ultimately we opened the Gaza border crossings.
More than anything, Sa’ar’s recent initiatives will help worsen the brain drain and the university boycott that awaits us. The despair that a vital sector of Israeli society, including academia, finds itself in needs to get the education minister to consider a renewed way of thinking that does not rely on a mob like that represented by right-wing Zionist movement Im Tirtzu. This brings to mind the moving call by late Labor MK Yizhak Ben-Aharon, who urged for “courage to make gains before calamity strikes.” There is no need to silence “treacherous” professors, for the calamity has already struck.
The writer is a professor emeritus of anthropology at Tel Aviv University.
Petition by French Academics on Gaza
We have decided to start a petition, signed by...
By admin • Jan 01 Read More »
Activism Article
We have decided to start a petition, signed by scientists and members of university or research center. You can read and sign the petition here :
The Nakba in Israeli textbooks and official discourse
The contents of school textbooks in Palestine/Israel have often been the cause of controversy, normally when a report is published purporting to reveal "shocking revelations" about the alleged...
PACBI response to UCU UK pro-Palestine motions
PACBI's statement in response to the British University and College Union's motions on Palestine, passed at its annual congress on 27 May 2009. The UCU's recognitions are the strongest...
Education Denied413
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Voice of the Student84
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Urgent Appeals58
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Complicity of Israeli Academia32
Students In Detention29
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The Getaway (1994)
Synopsis: It’s The Getaway... with some soft-core porn thrown in for good measure.
Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “In this special Unrated version, Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin set the screen ablaze! Featuring erotic footage never before seen in American theatres, this hot, steamy action-thriller delivers rapid-fire excitement and heart-pounding suspense.”
What Did I Learn?: 1) Kim Basinger (or her body double) looks fantastic when topless. 2) Switching locker keys with an unsuspecting mark at the train station is... hey, wait a minute – they reused the same line?!?
You Might Like This Movie If: you know that it isn't the worst film to ever sport the title of "Getaway".
Really?: 1) I can see Rudy murdering Frank in order to steal his share of the loot, but shooting Frank while operating a moving... hey wait a minute, they kept that scene from the original?! 2) In this version, Doc is sprung from a Mexican jail, and then commits crimes in the US. Would he really want to escape to Mexico?
Rating: As I watched The Getaway, I kept asking myself: why did they make this movie? It’s nearly a scene-for-scene re-enactment of the superior 1972 original. Basinger and Baldwin are both quite good, and it’s not a bad film if you’ve never seen the McQueen-McGraw version, but I have to give Director Roger Donaldson a big, fat “F” for unoriginality. And considering the VHS jacket features a small image of James Woods, couldn’t somebody have figured out a way to include him for more than the first 20-30 minutes or so? 6/10 stars.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109890/?ref_=sr_2
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Army of Darkness (1992)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Town and Country (2001)
Our Town (1940)
Protection (2001)
Kill the Man (1999)
South Central (1992)
Baby Boy (2001)
Judgment Night (1993)
Clockers (1995)
Sugar Hill (1993)
Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991)
Menace II Society (1993)
Juice (1992)
New Jack City (1991)
Boyz 'N the Hood (1991)
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Matt Lesser
Representing Cromwell, Middletown, Newington, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield
Follow Senator Lesser:
Legislation to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors Passes State Senate
HARTFORD, CT – Today, by a bipartisan vote, the State Senate advanced legislation which will allow insured individuals to keep information about healthcare received private by a 18-11 tally. State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown), co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, said this legislation will protect domestic violence survivors.
“Domestic violence survivors need to feel safe using their coverage,” said Sen. Lesser. “This legislation closes a loophole in HIPAA and ensures that when domestic violence survivors receive care, we keep their medical history private. Currently this information is shared with the policy holder – who could be their abuser. ”
Senate Bill 977, “An Act Concerning Explanation of Benefits (EOB)” has been supported across the state, including by Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) which sees this as a vital tool to allow victims of violence to seek care without fear of retaliation. When the abuser is the policy holder, it presents a deterrent to domestic violence survivors seeking care over fear the policy holder will be alerted to their medical use. SB 977 will keep this information confidential to the patient, enabling them to seek care without fear of retaliation. Ashley Starr Frechette, the Director of Health Professional Outreach at CCADV provided public testimony on SB 977 and said this is crucial legislation for protecting survivors.
“One in four women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives,” said Frechette. “Victims of domestic violence suffer from health consequences related to domestic violence at an incredibly high rate, and unfortunately breeches in patient confidentiality often occur through EOBs and other methods of communication generated by health plans and insurers. This violates basic rights to privacy and puts victims of domestic violence in extreme danger. Passing SB 977 would allow victims to choose a safe and appropriate method of receiving their Personal Health Information and EOB, without the fear that their abuser will get a copy.”
The Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Susan Yolen, said this legislation will ensure survivors feel safe using their coverage.
“With a growing number of people receiving insurance coverage for their health care, it’s vital that everyone feel safe enough to use their coverage,” said Yolen. “This bill will provide those who have health insurance an additional layer of privacy to encourage them to make the best use of their coverage.”
SB 977 will do the following:
Allow individuals to choose how they receive EOBs and allow individuals to not receive EOBs at all Allow individuals to choose how they receive EOBs, either by mail or electronically Prohibit insurers from requiring covered individuals to waive their right to limit disclosures as a precondition to any action regarding their policy
SB 977 covers individuals who are legally able to consent to their own care. Currently in Connecticut law, minors have the right to consent to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, reproductive health care, substance abuse treatment, and mental health treatment. These are the only services that a minor can consent to.
Allowing any insured enrollee to request that EOB documents about their care be redirected to another address (including email) or not issued is an important step toward improving privacy. The subscriber can still access information about the use of the plan or a deductible, through other means including the carrier’s web portal.
This legislation applies to insurers, health care centers, hospital and medical service corporations, fraternal benefit services and any other entity which delivers, issues, renews, amends or continues a health insurance policy. According to the Office of Fiscal Analysis, this legislation presents no fiscal impact to Connecticut taxpayers.
On March 19, SB 977 advanced out of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee by a 15-5 tally. The bill now awaits action by the State House of Representatives.
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Cuba's a Thugocracy, Says Tom DeLay, Don't Smoke Cuban Cigars! (salon) Except that Mr. DeLay must believe himself to be an exception to his diatribe against those who would bring dishonor to the United States.Arguing against loosening sanctions against Cuba last year, De.....- 4/27/2005 5:31:17 PM
Why does Bush Keep Wanting to Put People of Questionable Character in Important Positions? (salon) Or keep them there, for that matter?For a man who professes to be a Christian, he has a habit of stocking his cabinet with ethics violators. We can list Rumsfeld and Sanchez (promoted torture techniqu.....- 4/27/2005 5:16:33 PM
When Republicans Sink Lower Than They Already Do (salon) We read with some dismay Republicans efforts to rewrite amendments presented by Democrats in an effort to add sensational and polarizing language to the amendment, definitely, at the least, an unethic.....- 4/27/2005 4:43:11 PM
Photos from Protest of Bush at Galveston-April 2005 (salon) - 4/27/2005 3:36:55 PM
Why did the Social Security Administration Open its Files After 9/11? (salon) The Social Security Administration freely opened its files to the FBI and other police agencies after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.In a letter dated Sept. 13, 2001, SSA's general counsel signed off o.....- 4/27/2005 1:51:56 PM
Bush Obstinate and Close-Minded about Social Security (salon) We read this yesterday, the day after Bush said he intends to extend his Social Security road show. Given that the sale of private accounts isn't working, would Bush be open to any other deals on the .....- 4/27/2005 1:48:20 PM
No Wonder Rice Did Away With the Terrorism Report-Terrorism Tripled Last Year (salon) The number of serious international terrorist incidents more than tripled last year, according to U.S. government figures, a sharp upswing in deadly attacks that the State Department has decided not t.....- 4/27/2005 1:40:11 PM
GOP is ready to backtrack on ethics rules (salon) Seems that Republicans have realized that remaking the ethics rules to protect their own from actually being investigated is viewed by the public as wrong. The rules were changed a few months back, sa.....- 4/27/2005 1:26:40 PM
Guckert/Gannon-No Record of Entry or Exit in the White House (salon) How is it that the Secret Service was not aware of the comings and goings of Jeff Gannon, male prostitute, in the White House? (We read today that the White House went on security alert when an unide.....- 4/27/2005 1:18:15 PM
Joe Bob Klinkerman at Center of Bush Closed Town Hall Meeting Controversy (salon) More on the people in Colorado who were thrown out of a Bush supposedly-public town hall meeting on Social Security by a man who either was or pretended to be a secret service agent. From Rocky Mounta.....- 4/27/2005 12:52:08 PM
Government Changing RFID Passports To Make Them More Secure (salon) Homeland Security has been touting RFID chips embedded in passport systems despite concerns by privacy advocates that the information can be read by anyone with a reader ,including terrorists or ident.....- 4/27/2005 12:42:49 PM
NSA Spies on American Citizens (salon) One of the revelations of John Bolton's testimony is that the National Security Administration is eavesdropping on US Citizens, even when they are overseas. But the agency is banned from doing so....T.....- 4/27/2005 12:22:58 PM
Would a Stepford Wife Make a Good President? (salon) Jay Leno asked Laura Bush yesterday if she would consider a political run of her own for president, after noting that her popularity rating is far higher than her husband (Popularity rating is based o.....- 4/27/2005 12:16:06 PM
Apparently the Galveston Social Security-Bush Meeting was a Republican Event (salon) We ask, as we always do, who pays for this? We don't want our taxes spent for a personal ego trip for Bush. Houston Chronicle:GALVESTON - When embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took his seat h.....- 4/27/2005 12:59:22 AM
DeLay in the audience at Bush's Galveston Road Show (salon) Houston Chronicle: Bush traveled here to pitch his proposal to add private investment accounts to Social Security. DeLay didn't participate in the public discussion and sat several rows back in the au.....- 4/26/2005 5:19:44 PM
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Home Shaw Laureates 2007 Life Science and Medicine Essay
An Essay on the Prize in Life Science and Medicine 2007
The human body is made up of many different types of tissues and many different kinds of cells. To co-ordinate body functions, cells signal to other cells in the same organ and in different organs by releasing chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream. The chemical messengers control all of the vital body processes. For example, they determine the force of a heartbeat and the number of beats per minute, the height of the blood pressure, and the propulsive energy of the intestine. In the brain these chemicals profoundly influence our moods and our behavior, including our drives for food and sex. When Lefkowitz began his work in the late 1960's, scientists had already identified several chemical messengers but they did not know how these chemicals affected the target cells so as to alter their behavior. Over the subsequent 35 years Lefkowitz and his students painstakingly elucidated a family of molecules on the surface of target cells that receive the chemical messages. These receiving molecules are known as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
GPCRs are proteins embedded in the surface membrane of target cells with their receiving ends facing the outside fluid. Each cell produces many different GPCRs, each tuned to respond to different chemical messengers. For example, certain GPCRs called beta-adrenergic receptors located on heart muscle cells recognize adrenalin secreted by the adrenal gland and thereby control the heartbeat. When a human is physically threatened, the adrenal gland releases adrenalin which travels through the bloodstream and attaches to beta-adrenergic receptors on heart muscle. Once stimulated by the adrenalin, the receptors initiate a cascade of events that causes the heart to beat stronger and faster. This prepares the threatened person for "fight or flight".
In the late 1960's beta-adrenergic receptors were a theoretical concept. Scientists knew that adrenalin stimulated heart muscle cells, and they postulated that there must be a receptor that transmits this message. It is a long way from postulating a receptor to actually having a purified molecule in hand. Undaunted by the enormous challenge, in the late 1960's Lefkowitz began the tedious process of purifying the beta-adrenergic receptor. Purification required separating tiny amounts of the receptor protein from the thousands of other proteins that are much more abundant in cells. The problem was compounded because the beta-adrenergic receptors are designed to function in cell membranes which are composed of oily lipid molecules. The proteins do not dissolve in water and therefore they must be handled with special procedures that differ from those used for water soluble proteins. To overcome these obstacles, Lefkowitz and his colleagues had to employ ingenious technologies, including the use of artificial chemicals that mimic adrenalin and bind very tightly to the receptor. These synthetic chemicals contained radioactive atoms so that tiny amounts could be detected by radiation counting. Lefkowitz and colleagues used detergents to dissolve the receptor from cell membranes, and they devised methods to measure the amount of receptor by allowing it to bind to the radioactive chemical and then measuring the amount of chemical that was bound. Then the receptors were separated from other proteins using special techniques that separate proteins based on their individual properties, such as size, charge and hydrophobicity. The whole process took 15 years. Along the way, they learned much about the chemical properties of the beta-adrenergic receptor, but the ultimate goal was to determine the precise chemical makeup.
Like all other proteins, the beta-adrenergic receptor is composed of a linear chain of amino acids. Each position in this chain contains one of 20 possible amino acids. The sequence of amino acids is specified by the gene for the receptor according to the universal genetic code that was elucidated in the 1960's by Nobel Prize winner Marshall Nirenberg. A milestone was reached in 1986 when Lefkowitz finally had enough purified receptor to permit a molecular characterization. He collaborated with scientists at Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories to determine the partial sequence of amino acids in the protein using methods developed by Fred Sanger, another Nobel Prize winner. Lefkowitz and his Merck collaborators used this amino acid information to isolate a copy of the messenger RNA encoding the receptor. The messenger RNA consists of a string of chemicals called nucleotides. By determining the sequence of nucleotides in the messenger RNA and following the rules of the genetic code, the workers were able to deduce the sequence of all 418 amino acids in the receptor.
Inspection of the amino acid sequence of the beta-adrenergic receptor caused an immediate shock. The receptor sequence was not entirely unique. It strongly resembled a protein whose sequence was determined several years before. This protein was rhodopsin, the protein in the retina of the eye that acts as a receptor for photons of light and enables vision. Rhodopsin is a very abundant protein in the eye, and it had been relatively easy to isolate. A form of rhodopsin is also found in light-harvesting bacteria, another rich source of the protein. Scientists had shown that rhodopsin is sewn into the membrane of bacteria and photoreceptor cells. Like a sewing thread going through a fabric, the amino acid chain of rhodopsin crisscrosses the membrane seven times. The amino acid sequence of the beta-adrenergic receptor predicted that it also crosses the membrane seven times, and the overall sequence resemblance suggested that the beta-adrenergic receptor must function in the same way that rhodopsin functions.
The great value of this insight lay in the fact that scientists already knew a great deal about how rhodopsin functions. They knew that light triggers rhodopsin to initiate a cascade of chemical reactions relayed by specialized proteins within the cell. These intracellular relay proteins have the property that they bind intracellular chemicals called guanine nucleotides. Even before the beta-adrenergic receptor had been isolated, biochemical experiments by Lefkowitz and other scientists had shown that the beta-adrenergic receptor also acts by stimulating guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. In the genetic code guanine is abbreviated by the letter G and the intracellular relay proteins had been called “G proteins.” In 1994 the Nobel Prize was awarded to Alfred Gilman and Martin Rodbell for their discovery of G proteins. Since beta-adrenergic receptor activation is coupled to G proteins, the receprtor was designated as a G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR). The parallels between rhodopsin and GPCRs allowed scientists to combine insights learned from studies of vision together with those emerging from study of beta-adrenergic receptors and other GPCRs to produce a complete picture of the mechanism by which GPCRs work, and more importantly, to reveal how the activity of the GPCRs is regulated so as to prevent too much or too little activity.
With the messenger RNA sequence of the beta-adrenergic receptor as a starting point, Lefkowitz and others soon found that the genome of animals encodes hundreds of related receptors, each specific for a different chemical messenger. The GPCRs respond not only to chemicals produced within the body, they also respond to chemicals in the environment. The nose has a family of GPCRs called odorant receptors that detect volatile chemicals. A Nobel Prize for this discovery was awarded to Richard Axel and Linda Buck. Certain GPCRs also respond to drugs. Many of the drugs in common use today, including some of those that treat Parkinson's Disease, schizophrenia and high blood pressure, act by binding to specific GPCRs and either increasing their activity or decreasing it. James Black received a Nobel Prize for discovering drugs that act upon GPCRs. He did this even before GPCRs were discovered. The discoveries of Lefkowitz and colleagues explain how Black's drugs work.
Even before the receptors were isolated, indirect experiments had shown that receptors are not always active. After they transmit their signals, the receptors are silenced by a feedback mechanism that prevents over-stimulation. In recent years, Lefkowitz demonstrated a remarkably sophisticated biochemical mechanism that is responsible for such down-regulation. In elucidating this mechanism, Lefkowitz discovered novel proteins that not only silence receptors, but also play diverse roles in physiology, controlling processes that include cell growth and differentiation. This work was aided immeasurably by the ability to compare and contrast discoveries made in the photoreceptor system with those made with the GPCRs.
As with any problem of central importance in biology and medicine, the elucidation of GPCRs was aided by efforts from many laboratories over the past three decades. Although many scientists contributed, Lefkowitz and his colleagues led the way throughout. As a result of their work, pharmaceutical companies now understand how many of their classic drugs control pathologic processes. Examples include β-blockers (such as propranolol) for high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, H2 antagonists (such as cimetidine) for peptic ulcers, H1 antagonists (such as chlorpheniramine) for allergy, and dopamine antagonists (such as clozapine) for schizophrenia. This knowledge now permits companies to search for even more powerful drugs that target a wide variety of G protein coupled receptors, thereby treating a wide assortment of diseases. The future of human health has been aided immeasurably by the work of Robert Lefkowitz, this year's recipient of the Shaw Prize for Life Science and Medicine.
Life Science and Medicine Selection Committee
The Shaw Prize
11 Septemer 2007, Hong Kong
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Jamia Masjid is a mosque in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. The Jamia Masjid of Srinagar is situated at Nowhatta, in the middle of the old city. An important mosque in Srinagar, it was built by Sultan Sikandar in 1400 AD. Later, the son of Sultan Sikandar, Zain-ul-Abidin got the mosque extended. The attractions of the Jamia Masjid of Srinagar, Kashmir include beautiful Indo-Saracenic architecture, a magnificent courtyard and 370 wooden pillars. Another feature of the mosque is the peace and tranquility inside it, standing out against the hustle of the old bazaars around it. Thousands of Muslims assemble at the mosque every Friday to offer their prayers.
Damage caused by fire Jamia Masjid of Srinagar has been subject to much destruction till date. Thrice this magnanimous mosque was ruined by fire but was restored after every disaster. The last restoration work was carried out under the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh. Still today this mosque stands tall like the pride of Srinagar, holding within itself rich stories from the past and calling all Muslims to pray five times a day.Legacy Jamia Masjid is known as one of the sacred mosques in Srinagar. Be it the holiness or the constructional elegance, Jamia Masjid is quite unparalleled in every aspect. Composed of 370 pillars of wood, Jamia Masjid symbolizes one of the best architectural specimen which survived the ravages of time ever since it was constructed in the valley of Jammu & Kashmir. The area of Jamia Masjid extends up to an area of 384 feet × 381 feet. This spacious mosque holds a capacity to accommodate more than thirty thousand people offering prayer at a time.
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More Rock and Roll Than Sex and Drugs
Louise Trainer
I really enjoyed the interview conducted by Phil Whaite with Pete Doherty of The Libertines (April SR).
It was refreshing to read an interview with a member of such a band which asked interesting, thought-provoking questions instead of the usual subjects such as drugs and women.
The Love Music Hate Racism concert at the London Astoria on 16 March with The Libertines, The Buzzcocks, Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster and Miss Black America was a huge success, and had many people talking about the cause and how they could support the fight against racism.
With the carnivals coming up in June, Love Music Hate Racism looks set to be gaining support from music lovers everywhere.
Interview: Hilary Mantel
By Paul McGarr and John Rees
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Susannah and Ethan
Don't Be Like Mike
We have a new term of art in our household: don’t pull a Mike Mulligan. This is based on a classic American children’s book, summarized intelligibly here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Mulligan_and_His_Steam_Shovel).
Here’s my take: Mike and his anthropomorphized steam shovel Mary Anne have old-fashioned gumption in a world enamored with newfangled gas-powered machines. They land in an apparently inescapable quandary when they forget to leave themselves a way out of their final excavation site. A transformative solution saves the day.
This came up because Ethan, should he dig out his entry ramp to the foundation from within, could literally pull a M. M. with the rented skidsteer. I, however, am feeling as if the moral of the tale (don’t give up? don't get stuck in a hole of your own devising? be ready be transformed and repurposed by unexpected circumstance?) may apply to my year of down-home isolation.
I can’t yet give you a treatise on transformation, physical or meta-, but I have tried to become a better observer of things. Mainly living things, long my predilection (perhaps that’s why I’m so fond of all of you, dear readers). This is complicated by the medical edict that living things (plants, pets, cut flowers, children, and more than one or two extremely healthy, masked ones of you) are Not Allowed in the house with me for a year. This appears to be why God invented the patio; though come January I suspect we may question the ways of the Divine in this respect.
I was charmed this spring by the antics of a family of downy woodpeckers whose newly-fledged members frequented the suet feeder Ethan mounted just outside my bedroom window. Wingèd toddlers, the downy juniors clumsily tested everything but the suet for edibility: the stucco, the window frame, the glass, the (plastic) windowbox, the dirt, the pansies, and the metal rod from which the feeder hung (embarrassingly slippery). Arriving finally at the mesh-enclosed suet, they clung inexpertly to the top, and chattered vociferously (hello, predators?) until their mother showed up to feed them, from two inches below. If a bird can look longsuffering, she did. We had ten species visit that suburban feeder, in a hierarchy of bravado and early morning squawking led by starlings.
Here in Vermont, I’ve been watching the birds, as well—nearby nuthatches; hawks and vultures circling thermals up the front cliff; osprey, heron and kingfisher at the local wildlife refuge—but also the wind in the trees. If you are myopic, like me, and you take off your glasses, you can sometimes see in the swaying foliage the sorts of faces that appear in well-appointed clouds. In the car, parked outside shops I can’t enter, I amuse myself by trying to identify all the plants growing around the parking lot. Co-op parking seems to have higher cultivated and wild, or volunteer, biodiversity than chain groceries, but my sample is still small. What’s the pattern in your town?
-Susannah
Posted by Ethan Mitchell at 12:52 PM 4 comments:
An Update from Chris McCandless, in Verse and Prose
Some time has passed since last words graced this page.
Like Prospero, our gifted wordsmith-sage
Hath to Vermont removed himself of late
To build anew foundations, while his mate
Must bide her time until her strength returns.
She watches from afar his work, and yearns
For that sweet time when once again they’ll call
Those granite-graven walls their home; the hall
Where sunlight pours into a spacious room
And all her green companions dance and bloom.
So now their days are passed back on the farm
Where Ethan toils to make their barn a place
Susannah can be safe from further harm
And lives can once again be lived in grace.
We note, with apologies, that a different author is at the keyboard.
It has become clear that the intrepid author of previous blogs has temporarily traded in his computer for a shovel and a skid-steer (a sort of mini-bucket loader) in order to excavate the foundations of the famous gravestone-clad barn-house (see photo) and prepare it for winter, as well as the hoped-for PASS* early next year.
It is also clear that the intrepid subject of the medical miracles and other adventures chronicled in previous blogs is not yet prepared to seize upon this authoritarian opportunity. (See photo)
It is also clear that many, many of you faithful readers are hungry for news of these two beloved people, and that as you continue to hold them in your thoughts and prayers, you need a clearer picture of their current situation. Hence the pressing into service of Christopher as Temporary Reporter – quite the challenge, given his long-time love affair with computer technology…
*PASS: Physician Approval of Susannah’s Systems
At the end of June, Susannah’s one-year appointment at Mt. Holyoke ended; it was a wonderful, welcoming and supportive place to which this author hopes they may someday return. The lease was up on the small faculty apartment where she and Ethan had lived since last August, and so they moved back to Vermont. Ethan’s father Don had recently completed a lovely little structure close to the Mitchell home on the family farm: a flexible building able to serve as a small conference center, a guest cottage, a “mother-in-law apartment” – or a newly-constructed, easily-cleaned and therefore acceptable living space for a neutropenic Susannah and Ethan. In an epic day, Susannah and Cheryl left for Boston and the Dana Farber Clinic at 6AM, in a car stuffed with meds, clothes, and various other “clean” items. Ethan and Christopher dismantled the apartment, spent the day packing a Plymouth Voyager van and a Subaru Forester with extraordinarily engineered efficiency… and still wound up Joad-like, with numerous chairs, bicycles and a dolly tied to their roofs. However, all elements arrived safely in Vermont by evening, and with help from Don and Yuki doing the “disinfectant wipedown” as things came out of the two vehicles, we were able to get minimally set up – especially the bed with clean sheets and quilts – by 10:30pm… just as Susannah and Cheryl pulled in from their 16+ hour day in Boston. Utter exhaustion had set in, but the summer stars were out in the delightful, deep silence of a June night in Vermont. For the first time since Christmas, Susannah and Ethan were home!
So how is she doing? Slowly, guardedly improving – but with some worrisome setbacks and challenges. ECP (extra-corporeal photopheresis.) was declared a success at warding off GVHD (graft vs. host disease) and was suspended in June. A significant portion of the pharmacopeia (as photographed by Ethan on 4/20/10) has been discontinued or reduced. Although Susannah’s new bone marrow/Blood Cell Production System is at work, she still needs transfusions every few weeks – mostly of red cells, which are suppressed by some of the drugs she takes each day. Sometimes she needs platelets. Her white cells/immune system appear to be holding their own, hopefully less naïve than a few months ago, but she still cannot be unmasked in public places, have indoor visitors other that immediate family caregivers, and (hardest of all) should keep her distance from children, cats, and her amazing collection of fantastic flora.
Until mid-July, Susannah continued to struggle with her digestive system, unable to eat in any real quantity the lovely, fat-and-protein-rich dishes with which Ethan constantly attempts to tempt her. Her weight gain was agonizingly slow, hovering in the 120lb range. Yet her abdomen seemed increasingly distended and uncomfortable. Karen Gilder is the wonderful oncology nurse who works with Dr. Neil Zakai, Susannah’s favorite Vermont hematologist/oncologist at the Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington. He made the original diagnosis of CMML last summer, worked with Dr. Antin and the Dana-Farber team to prepare her for transplantation, and he is once again her primary physician, now that she is back in Vermont. Upon seeing Susannah, Nurse Karen urged an ultrasound test, which revealed the presence of a great deal of extra fluid in the abdomen, putting significant pressure on all the organs therein… This condition, known as ascites, led to the surgical draining of a great deal of fluid on July 20th. This took her weight down to 102lbs; which was more than a little disconcerting to all of us. Concerned that the ascites might signal some malfunction of her liver, Dr. Zakai ordered a biopsy of that (overworked) organ for July 23rd. This was her third liver biopsy in less than a year; she cheerfully offered the good doctor the opportunity to have his jugular vein vampirized the next time...
In some ways, the hardest part of these in-hospital, out-patient procedures has been the 12-hour NPO restrictions before each test; able to eat and drink such small amounts at a time, Susannah quite literally becomes nauseous when not able to do so every few hours. During these often lengthy procedures, Ethan, Jean, Cheryl and Christopher all took turns accompanying our patient patient.
So…. Biopsy results indicate that Susannah’s liver is in remarkably decent shape, despite the many dreadful drugs it has been trying to filter for her lo, these many months! This is a great blessing, but it leaves Dr. Zakai and Susannah wondering just what caused the ascites, and whether it will return. A follow-up ultrasound indicates that it might be doing so already, but at a slower pace.
Susannah and Ethan are scheduled for a day at the Dana-Farber Clinic on Tuesday 8/3, including an appointment with Dr. Antin. Please keep them in your hearts as they travel, and as they await new understandings of her situation.
Posted by Ethan Mitchell at 1:00 PM 7 comments:
Today is the hundredth day since since Susannah got out of the hospital. It is a dramatic milestone, but of course an entirely arbitrary one. The recovery process is a series of gradually tapering curves, and the much-anticipated figure of 100 days (and then 1 year) can only have relevance insofar as some of those curves are, for some patients, kind of sigmoidal. Mostly, though, these dates are simply a way to delineate a slow, gradual transition into a series of sections. Like trimesters: once again, the parallels with medicalized pregnancy are in evidence.
We are, however, in the midst of quite a few transitions that seem more distinct. It is graduation season, a fact that is hard to forget in a valley with five major colleges and universities and limited parking. Susannah has just finished McCandless (2010) and completed her doctoral degree. We were unable to attend her graduation (or Yuki's, at Middlebury....or Emily's, at Brown...congratulations, everyone!) Christopher went in her place, wearing a suit that he had to buy for the occasion. The geography graduates in attendance this year were (left to right) Guido Schwarz, Susannah McCandless [looking strikingly like her dad], Steve Macauley, Kevin Keenan, Zach Christman, and Hamill Pearsall.
Guido and Beatriz came to visit us en route to the ceremony. We had a lovely afternoon with them, and had lunch at the patio at a local restaurant, the Yarde House.
(Aside: For reasons I can't even imagine, South Hadley's business community has an extraordinary fondness for ye olde fashioned names. The most egregious example of this affectation is probably the Olde Hadleigh Hearth & Patio store, but there is also Ye Olde Service Station, an Olde Towne Catering Company, and a number of others. To me, the service station makes the least sense. I mean, who wants medieval auto care?)
Ummm. Oh yes. Yarde House. The point is, this was the first time we've been able to go out with friends since months. OK, we stayed outside, wiped the table and chair with antiseptic, and so forth. But it's still a major change. And a sort of anxiety-provoking one, as well. Everything about the recovery from a bone marrow transplant tends to induce a kind of hypochondria and mysophobia. Certainly it is easy enough anyway for the human psyche to say: “maybe I should wash my hands one more time...” But when you add a small army of authority figures telling you calmly that you might die if you don't, it develops a very real sort of behavioral inertia. Most patients (and their caregivers) talk about being fearful on returning home from the hospital, though in a lot of ways this apartment is a far more controlled environment than the hospital itself. And to some large extent that anxiety is healthy, but it is a challenge to “titrate it,” as the nurses say, while Susannah's health objectively improves.
And her health is indeed improving, though sometimes it would be hard to tell that without reference to her blood-work and prescription sheet. She has been entirely phased off steroids(!), among many other meds, and the ECP has become less frequent and will possibly be discontinued sometime relatively soon. All of which is great news.
What is complicated and frustrating about this process is that the cocktail of drugs both mask underlying symptoms and produce symptoms of their own. And so, as they are tapered off, weird and confusing effects ensue. For instance, over the last month or so, Susannah has gone from taking “industrial doses” of the steroid Prednisone down to none at all. Wonderful. But it also turns out that, sans Prednisone, she has no appetite. And so on and so forth.
Our daily lives are resuming towards normalcy in a similar two-steps-forward-one-step-back fashion. This is made a little murky because our lives were never all that normal to begin with. Living on a farm with three generations of Mitchwarficandlesses; renovating an old cowbarn with mis-spelled gravestones and scrap lumber; our various hodgepodge of jobs and research projects and activist projects and housemates...it's all rather idiosyncratic. Sometimes we have trouble conveying the extent of this to the doctors in our various discussions of neutropenic risk behaviors. They are concerned Susannah will want to go hang out in the mall, and eat steaks rare. I am concerned that our bathtub is outdoors, and there is a nine-foot-deep hole full of frogs just inside our front door. There is a sort of culture gap there....
In any event, in a month's time, if all goes well, we are returning to Vermont. Which is wonderful, and then again, is extremely daunting. I will be returning to working on the house and trying to make the coin in whatever other fashions I can squeeze in (anyone need some really complicated back-side website development? No? Stone-carving? Crispy duck? Data analysis?) Actually, I just spent a few days in Boston helping B Amore install Street Calligraphies, at the Boston Sculptors' Gallery. It was wonderful to be back doing some work, for a change. On the way over to Boston, I also managed to (almost) find the fourth corner in my ongoing project of visiting the corners of the states.
Susannah is also working on another paper, with some colleagues in Mexico, and she is looking at job opportunities, though it seems unlikely that she'll be back in a classroom before the next big arbitrary deadline, nine months from now.
And there is a strange flavor to all of these changes. Perhaps because we both grew up in New England, in the oldest (white) culture in the United States, we have both always been reflexively concerned about What Other People Think. I realize that this might not immediately apparent, but it's certainly present for us. Among other things, a massive personal crisis of this sort provides a certain plausible cover for reinventing ourselves in little ways. So perhaps we are not aiming for the old normal, or the old eccentric, but some new kind of eccentric. It is far too soon to tell; we don't have any immediate plans to become bungee jumpers or spoon collectors or whatnot. But who knows? According to the big mark on the calendar, it all starts today.
McCandless, Susannah (2010) Conserving the Landscapes of Vermont: Shifting Terms of Access and Visibility. Dissertation.
On vacation (Part I)
Christiaan van Vuuren, now known as “Fully Sick,” has been quarantined in an Australian hospital for some time with MDR tuberculosis. After going completely stir-crazy, he began to make a series of rap videos about his situation, filming them (by necessity) in his isolation room and editing them on his laptop. They've gained a sort of cult following.
There is a story by Anton Chekov, The Bet, in which a lawyer volunteers to be imprisoned for 15 years in exchange for two million pounds. His jailer assumes that he will renege on this agreement and forfeit the money. Meanwhile, the lawyer is provided with food, books, wine, tobacco, and a piano. Over the years, he becomes proficient in many languages and a wide range of scholarship, while his jailer falls into debt and realizes he will be unable to pay the two million. Hilarity ensues.
Susannah is now almost one hundred days post-transplant, and some of the more onerous restrictions on her own “imprisonment” are being lifted. She can eat fresh fruit and vegetables again, as well as baked goods, and certain kinds of restaurant food. (Though she can't go inside the restaurants.) Meanwhile, modernity has provided us with a set of luxuries that Chekov's prisoner could never have envisioned. Laptops and wifi and kindles and Hulu and JSTOR and Netflix and so forth provide an endless range of resources, and an even more endless range of distractions. We don't have a piano, but—like Fully Sick—we have music.
And while Susannah's rap videos have not yet become viral phenomena on the internet, she hasn't entirely been in a coma, either. Yesterday evening, she turned in the final draft of her dissertation, which she's been busying herself with for the last few months. She has also been assisting B Amore with translating pieces for an upcoming book of art by migrant workers in Vermont, which just debuted in Middlebury. And she's back to grading papers, working through a logjam of email, and so on.
I have been cooking my way through Nina Simond's Classic Chinese Cuisine, and to a lesser extent Julia Child. I've also been working on my pet programming project, and on the long-overdue analysis of two lovely databases that have survived my string of laptop failures. And I've just been reading Báez's A Universal History of the Destruction of Books, which I've written about on a different blog.
Mostly, though, we read and watch television or movies via DVD and Hulu. Anticipating this, we had had asked people for suggestions as to what we should watch. (I have never lived in a house with a television, and Susannah somehow seems to have seen even less TV than I have.) This turned out to be a more complex process than I'd expect. People read (and consume other media) for many reasons, including such prestigious goals as scholarship or personal enlightenment or inspiration. Most media is consumed for “mere” entertainment value, and it makes no challenges to the native assumptions of its genre: nothing that might jostle the reader out of a comforting routine.
But it's not at all clear where reading-as-therapy falls in this continuum. I don't mean by this the reading one does to negotiate some acute emotional crisis: for me that would be Blake or Whitman, and for Susannah Rumi or Dickinson: all of them very much “high culture” authors. Rather, I'm interested in the reading and TV-watching and movie-viewing that serves as a balm rather than a medication: the mental equivalent of the invalid's diet of rice and toast.
The thing I must love about The Bet, though it is rather incidental to the plot, is Chekov's description of an auto-didact's progression through knowledge, unhindered (and unsupported) by outside structure. He spends a year reading lowbrow novels and playing the piano, before getting down to work on a self-imposed curriculum that continues to evolve. Grace Llewellyn describes essentially this phenomenon, which she calls “the vacation.” Auto-didacts leave school in disgust, and then spend weeks or months doing mindless, unstructured things—typically absorbing low-culture media: television or comic books, or Chekov's “sensational and fantastic stories,” or YouTube videos about TB. Only afterwards do they feel comfortable imposing new structures on themselves. Llewellyn is writing about teenagers making the decision to home-school (“unschool”), but clearly the point is germane for college students and graduate students as well. If schools could teach students to create their own structures of motivation, and feel comfortable working in those, there would be no such thing as postdocs.
And I think that her point can be extended or generalized to the recovery of autonomy from many sorts of external structure, including—in our case—hospitalization. There seem to be some ubiquitous patterns to these vacations: if they are interrupted or minimized, for instance, they tend to get prolonged, sometimes indefinitely. And the media that is the focus of the vacation is almost always “low culture,” which is to say, the kind of stuff that will exasperate one's elders. Although of course, by some inevitable cultural magic, each generation's lowbrow media becomes the highbrow media of their grandchildren. Hence Boccacio's endless jokes about nuns having sex now sit at the high table of literature. In all events, there seems to be a vital role for this sort of media. Toast isn't medicinal, nor is it high cuisine, and you could certainly eat far too much of the stuff. But toast has its place. It is, as they say, part of this nutritious breakfast.
By now you will note that I haven't actually mentioned what we are reading and watching. I'm afraid this is typical; my own favored literary mode is the digression. You will have to wait a few days for further details.
Posted by Ethan Mitchell at 9:19 AM 8 comments:
This is Susannah's current daily drug regimen, which is at the lowest ebb it's been at since we left the hospital. The stuff in the spoon is Mepron (Atovaquone), which tastes so bad that the protocol is to hold your nose while swallowing it. It also stains everything it touches bright yellow. On many surfaces, this stain can't be removed. Basically, it's paint. Above it there are eyedrops, though Susannah's eye has made a splendid recovery from what the ophthalmologists are now willing to tell us was the largest corneal abrasion they had ever seen.
The purple dinosaur above the Mepron is also named Mepron, or Mep. This was an Easter present from Jean: bopped on the head, Mep emits a sort of agonized howl, and then lays an egg, or perhaps a coprolith, in the waiting basket. Susannah has taken to ritually smacking this dinosaur whenever she objects to her medications. Christoper has added to the routine with the “dancing flower” on the right. The flower has a microphone which picks up sounds, and dances a sort of twist in time to the ambient noise level. So when Mepron howls, the flower goes wild. These are among the lesser-known advantages of modern technology in the ancient field of pharmacology.
The eight syringes are Heparin on the left, and saline solution on the right. Susannah still has one of the two Hickman catheters leading into her heart, which is an extremely handy way to get drugs in or blood in or out. (In the case of ECP, it gets run in both directions, moving blood out and then back in.) I would estimate that these catheters have spared her about 300 pokes with a needle so far. But they can potentially clot, and so have to be flushed with saline and anticoagulant meds every twelve hours.
The pills in between are a grab bag of steroids, antibiotics, anti-fungals, anti-virals, immuno-supressants, and vitamins. Please note the valganciclovir and mycophenolate in the lower left: the pills are almost identical in shape, size, and color.
This brings me to my thought for the day. We keep being told that we are smart people, and we have good memories, and good vision at close range. And yet we find it a constant challenge to manage these medications, even now: things were much more complex a month ago. For instance, Susannah got prescribed _______ for a sinus infection, which the insurance company rejected and replaced with ciprofloxacin. Cipro has absorption issues in the presence of magnesium and calcium. In big bold letters, we were warned that she should not to take Cipro within two hours of taking magnesium, or take magnesium within six hours of taking Cipro. But she was supposed to take both Cipro and magnesium twice daily.
Now, that's certainly a solvable problem: she could take the magnesium at 8 AM, Cipro at 11 AM, magnesium at 6 PM, and Cipro at 9 PM. But it's surprisingly close to “one train leaves from Boston, heading to Chicago at 50 MPH...” And this is only one of many possible constraints: some of the drugs need to be taken with food, others without food. Some of the drugs produce side effects countered by other drugs. Some of the drugs are sensitive to humidity, or have toxic interiors which tend to leak onto surrounding pills. And so on and so forth.
Even water gets in on the act. Susannah can't drink our tap water, and for a long time after chemo she couldn't stand the taste of purified water like Aquafina. So she would take her pills with fruit juice, which is sugary: and some of these drugs raise blood sugar levels, tending towards diabetes. The nurses recommended she use energy drinks instead, but those contain vitamins that prevent the absorption of certain drugs. And so on and so forth.
Meanwhile, our house looks kind of like a pharmacy. Here's the overall materia medica of 21 Woodbridge Street, including stuff that Susannah takes on an as-needed basis, or stuff that she is currently not taking. I've left out things like gloves and masks and alcohol wipes, of course:
Now, most people do not go around getting bone marrow transplants. But most Americans, especially older Americans, do generate some version of this pile. And it is hardly any surprise that this is a significant source of problems. Misuse of medications is blamed for a large chunk of ER visits, 40% of nursing home admissions, and upwards of $150 billion annually in additional doctor's visits, hospitalizations, and the like. For people over age 65, three medications—warfarin, insulin, and digoxin—account for 33% of all ER visits. And this in a population that has lots of other reasons to stop by the ER.
Beyond some point, this is an irreducible problem: as we get older, most of us become more reliant on a range of medications, and we are more and more apt to make errors in taking them. But it seems premature to just throw our hands up in the air and say “well, no one will ever finish taking their antibiotics and ABR bacterias will kill us all, too bad about that.”
It seems like there are a number of obvious steps that would help with this. On the one hand, drug manufacturers need to hire some art students. Or some junkies. I remember in Baltimore, you used to be able to buy crack in little baggies that had cute logos on them: smiley faces, Nike swooshes, whatever. And LSD is routinely sold in tabs on printed sheets with all sorts of colorful design. So whose bright idea was it to make 75% of all legal drugs in the form of unmarked round white pills? It's all fun and games until you dump a pillbox and you can't tell which ones are calcium and which ones are steroids.
And then, someone needs to knock together the app that takes your prescriptions, compares their interaction effects and other exigencies, and provides you with a rational schedule. And then, when you realize in the middle of the afternoon that you forgot to take the shiny blue pill that morning, the app tells you to take it, or not to worry about it, or to call 911, or whatever. This would not be a complicated program, though its manufacturer would have to have some complicated liability insurance. Which is probably why it doesn't exist.
Notably, doctors can't fulfill this role very well, because they have no way of knowing if they are the only ones prescribing drugs to a given patient. Moreover, substitution policies by insurance companies mean that the drugs patients are actually taking are not necessarily the ones they were prescribed, and may have different side effects and interactions.
Patient case managers seem to provide a major line of safegaurds in this respect, even on an ad hoc basis. These are often social workers or nurses. Many of them do not have medical degrees, and—more to the point—it often seems like their oversight is not well integrated into the patient's overall plan of care. It is striking to me that nearly all of the practical information we've received about taking medications has come through informal channels: nurses, other patients, or our own research. Perhaps that's just an efficient distribution of labor, but I doubt it is what most patients are expecting.
Finally...one of the most time-consuming elements of clinic visits and intra-hospital travel is repeating long lists of medications from memory. Susannah can do this while half-asleep and/or semi-delirious, but it's hard to imagine that she's normal in that regard. There are paper printouts of med lists, but they're frequently incorrect, and it seems dubious to rely on the patients to correct them—or even to bring in the right sheet. Having this sort of information on a USB drive or the like seems like a good idea.
It is, I'm aware, very easy for outsiders to wander into an elaborately engineered world like a hospital and have inane suggestions for improvements. I get the impression that medical professionals have been biting their tongues a lot throughout the long popular debate on health care reform. But still, fresh eyes aren't a bad thing, and it is useful to bear in mind that not all means of improving our nation's health care system are partisan: many may simply be technical fixes on the other of color-coding pills.
In the meantime, Susannah has a howling dinosaur and a dancing sunflower in sunglasses.
Posted by Ethan Mitchell at 11:47 AM 5 comments:
On Germs
Preface: We seem to have reached a point where we are no longer dealing with a brand new symptom, or treatment, every four days. And this gives me a chance to post some things I wrote earlier, which got subsumed in my efforts to keep folks informed about our goings-on. Here's the first, brought up to date a bit:
And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.
And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.
Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
Et cetera.
-Leviticus 15:1-8, KJV
So. While Susannah is (presumably) cured of leukemia at this point, she is now “neutropenic” or more properly, I think, “immuno-comprised.” That is to say, she has fluctuating levels of white blood cells, her immune system is basically naïve, and she is on large doses of immuno-suppresant drugs whose goal is to get her birth-body's cells and her donor-cells to Play Well With Others. So, as with AIDS patients, Susannah is vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and other pathogens that would have no impact whatsoever on most of us. In other words, she is vulnerable to germs, in the sense understood by germ theory before the Chamberland filter forced us to distinguish between tiny little organisms and way, way, tinier infectious agents like viruses and prions.
Although germs are invisible, they have been imagined since at least Avicenna, a millenium ago, and something rather like the germ theory has existed since time immemorial. As witness the passage above, which predates the great Persian genius philosopher-doctor-scientist by two thousand years. Every culture has some sort of vernacular germ theory, which fits into certain habits of mind that have to do with labeling and naming; with semiotics. I remember playing can't-touch-the-floor as a child, or trying to step only on the black tiles of a chessboard floor, or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks. In those exercises, one's mind paints a mask of OK and not-OK surfaces over the world, and we do this very naturally. We utilize that kind of Boolean spatial thinking in many adult activities: putting a like-colored coat of paint on a wall, for instance, or brushing one's teeth, or even attempting to systematically search a room for some lost object, or search a checkbook register for an abberrant $11.15. It is an easy way for humans to think. And it is the basic axis of the continuum towards obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's just so fun to wash your hands one more time, because then they are virginal and pure. Until you touch something.
In the hospital, there was a particular version of this thinking that dates back (in a formal sense) to at least Ignaz Semmelweis, the Hungarian doctor who pissed everyone off and ruined his own life and saved many other lives by getting his colleagues to bleach their hands before doing obstetric exams. The hospital version of it went roughly like this:
Everyone entering Susannah's room had to put on a mask—a process that involved touching our faces, so we then put disinfectant on our hands, and then put on gloves. If we wanted to, e.g., give her a hug, we also put on a gown.
All objects coming into the room were supposed to be sterilized by wiping them with dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride or some comparable biocide, all of them distant descendants of Semmelweis'es chlorinated lime. Items which could not be effectively sterilized in this manner (e.g., paper, or one's own clothing, or shoes) were miraculously exempt—the first of many signs that this protocol was not entirely rational.
The floor of her room was considered to be permanently dirty, and so was anything that came into contact with it, although it was (cursorily) mopped with disinfectant every 24 hours.
If Susannah's hands came into contact with her own body fluids (e.g., if she wiped her nose), she had to disinfect them. This drill became so routine that she usually followed it even when she had no idea where she was or what the hell was going on.
If we (visitors) left the room, we had to discard our gloves and mask and start fresh when we returned.
If Susannah left the room, she had to put on a mask and gloves.
These are not the highest level of sterile procedure; in fact, they are at least three orders of crazy below the protocols designed for certain pathogens. One feature of this is evident in the very architecture of certain hospital rooms, that have reversible air pressure. For patients like Susannah, the room is kept at positive pressure, to protect her from outside germs. For other patients—who might have tuberculosis or ebola or God knows what—the room is kept at negative pressure, as if to say: sorry, kid, we're gonna protect us from you.
As Susannah has gotten better, some of these restrictions have been waived, particularly in regard to me and her other regular caregivers (Jean, and Christopher, and Cheryl). I am necessarily going to be the harbinger of the first wave of germs she gets re-introduced to, so I no longer wear a mask or gloves, nor do they. Everyone else, though, is still supposed to be at mask-and-glove distance.
Meanwhile, my attention has been more focused on protocols for Susannah's environment. Nicole and I spent several days sterilizing the apartment, which entailed moving every single item out, repainting, and individually sterilizing all the objects we moved back in with bleach, alcohol, or ultraviolet light. (Quick: how many surfaces are there on a straight-backed chair with five slats? (Answer: ninety-one(!))) Keeping the place in something approximating a sterile condition is an ongoing challenge. The Yoshidas have sent us an amazing air purifier which, according to their research, is the best possible. It's a Diakin, you can't get them here, and all the controls are in Japanese, which Yuki has carefully translated for us. It's quite impressive. You know those motes of dust that dance in the sunbeams on lazy afternoons? We don't have those.
We've also had two wonderful consultations with Dr. Rachel _____, a nutritionist who works with bone marrow transplant patients. As the resident cook, I was initially concerned that the simple version of the neutropenia diet basically said “just eat frozen TV dinners for a year.” I explained to Rachel that I am a good cook, a food snob, and I understood about germs: I could handle the complex version of the diet. She immediately warmed up to this, and began to share, in conspiratorial tones, her own germ theories. “You know what is the most disgusting thing in the whole world? The insides of soft-serve ice cream machines. It's just this sugary goop, full of bacteria getting churned over and over, and no one ever cleans them....” She gave the sort of delighted shudder I associate with horror movie fans. “Also, salad bars. Oh my god, salad bars...” Rachel also believes that the people who give you free samples in grocery stores re-use the toothpicks. And of course: “you can never use too much bleach.”
And so I've learned another set of hygienic protocols, and have since been cooking up a storm. I've especially been working on Chinese cuisine, since it incorporates its own germ theory. (Even in medieval China, the street vendors sold boiling water. And almost none of their dishes involve any raw ingredients. Just try ordering a salad in a Chinese restaurant.)
Now, all of these protocols are no doubt grounded in the best practices of generations of nursing experience, and we take them very seriously. But they occupy so much of one's time, so obsessively, that they become psychic entities in their right, with which one negotiates and argues. Not all the nursing staff in the hospital, for instance, agreed entirely on what needed to be sterilized when. So one can pick and choose between various versions of the sterile field. Moreover, we are all myopic to the various ways in which we are compromising the protocol ourselves, while being hypersensitive to the ways that other people are doing it. And there is endless room for mind games: if you drop a pencil on the floor, it is contaminated, but when you pick it up and clean it, are your gloves also contaminated? If so, does that mean your gloves are contaminated anew every time you touch something you need gloves to touch? There are answers to these questions, after a fashion—but the questions themselves occupy a lot of one's mental energy.
Ultimately, our minds prefer to work in absolutes, dividing the world into the Clean and the Unclean. But the reality of (empirical) germ theory, like so many other things, is that it is a probabilistic continuum. There are a few viroids and bacteria floating around even in the most spotless operating theater. Christopher actually caught a housefly inside Susannah's positive-pressure, bleach-scoured room, behind two sets of airlocks. Nothing down here on earth is completely clean, and that's OK, because the odds of any single pathogenic organism causing trouble are infinitesimally low. But it is hard...and scary...to think in terms of shades of gray. We like to think: I have passed a bleach sponge over this surface, it is Ultimately Clean. We do not like to think about chlorine concentration, exposure time, porosity, depth of penetration, bacterial resistance to biocides, differential life spans of bacteria on different substrates.
So to what extent are these protocols superstition, and to what extent praxis, or as the Positivists I have been ragging on lately like to say, “science” (Sorry, “Science”)? I don't know. Tonight I am back in South Hadley, slowly running an ultraviolet wand over our cutting boards. Maybe it accomplishes something. Maybe it's vital. But whatever it does or does not accomplish, I can't see the effect. And so it reminds me very much of blessing new houses in Bolivia: the priest reading the Our Father in Latin and sacrificing a llama; splashing its blood on the four walls; burying a foetal llama under the threshold. He used to go to some trouble to make sure he got the four directions right; the layout of the house itself might not be compass-aligned, you see. We all have our science. And if we discount the ravages of extreme poverty, all our science has probably not increased life expectancy by more than 15% since the days of Avicenna.
In 2010, in the United States, it is fairly clear that our own vernacular germ theory needs work. The appearance of MRSA and other highly resistant, iatrogenic pathogens seems to be largely a result of overzealous chemical attacks on germs which, left to their own devices, would have been relatively benign. At the same time, we are a culture that needs constant reminders to wash our hands after using the toliet. It is an odd juxtaposition. We as a people have access to very good science, but we must all operate at the level of superstition and habit. It is the interface that needs our attention.
Thirty-five days on the hundred-day count. Sorry for the radio silence: my computer finally died to the point where not even jamming a screwdriver down alongside the power key could turn it on. So I am typing this on a brand new MacBook, very fancy. Thank you for your patience.
Growing up Quaker at the time that I did, there was a pretty large emphasis on healing within my faith community. I remember Sas Carey coming to speak to our youth group, and we would all lie on the floor and visualize healing light flowing through us. Susannah’s grandparents tell a lovely story about inviting John Calvi to do a workshop in their retirement home’s dining hall. There, too, everyone wound up laying quietly on the floor, much to the confusion of the non-participants.
I was also exposed to other "alternative" medical paradigms and practices, including some (like homeopathy, vitamin therapy and mass-market herbalism) that closely mimic the rituals of what they would call "conventional Western medicine." Others were more far exotic: acupuncture, moxibustion, sclerology. All of these traditions seemed to be engaged to some degree in an epistemological conflict with conventional medicine, and nowhere was that so apparent as in the therapies whose activities are situated outside the body of the patient. I am thinking here of energy work: reiki and qi gong, especially, but also prayer in its incarnation as therapy. I saw, and still see, particular moments where this conflict became a sort of black-and-white argument between two worldviews.
But it's usually more subdued, and--pointedly--it isn't exactly clear what the epistemic claim of conventional medicine is supposed to be. Dana Farber, for instance, offers in-house massage, acupuncture, reiki, and qi gong. Susannah was especially fond of reiki. Through an tangle of awkwardness, I get the impression that the nurses consider these treatments highly effective; the insurance companies think they're ludicrous; and the doctors are skeptical, but are afraid to say so because they don't want to antagonize the patients. One of the doctors even commented something to the effect that he did not want to denigrate alternative therapies because it might diminish their (presumably psychosomatic) effects…clearly a paradox. It works well until you learn it doesn't work, and then it stops working.
I think it's fair to say that mainstream medicine is positivist, with the usual positivist shuffles between empiricism and rational thought. But it isn't the fanatic positivism of Compte or today's entrepreneurial neo-atheists. In fact, throughout our interactions with doctors and nurses in the last eight months, we have tended to push for considerably more science than they've been comfortable with sharing. In particular, Susannah frequently tries to get quantitative information, statistics and probabilities, and the doctors almost invariably hedge, often refusing to give us even orders of magnitude. At the same time, when we are directed to drugs or procedures whose mechanism is empirically verified but not rationally understood, the doctors sound apologetic. Clearly there is a widespread assumption that patients prefer theory to evidence, and should perhaps be protected from evidence even if they ask for it.
We are both, among other things, empiricists. Quakerism has an oddly empirical approach for a faith tradition, beginning with Fox's "And this I know experimentally…" and leading directly to the fact that Susannah's prayer team are organized on an Excel spreadsheet. We love our statistics. (Susannah's first two question on being diagnosed with a non-specific blood cancer was what the frequencies and mortality rates of the listed disorders were.) But, as they say, there are no atheists in the foxholes, and there is certainly a strong pressure on cancer patients and everyone around them to abandon any mode of thought that might yield less-than-optimisitic results.
Meanwhile, most "alternative" medicines have their own rationalist justifications, and in the main tend to treat empirical evidence as an acid test that they cannot possibly pass, and must ignore or circumvent by various means. There are many exceptions to this, most notably acupuncture, which is clearly effective in a wide range of experimental settings. But this anxiety is hardly the sole province of alternative medicine. Psychiatry gave up on empirical work back with the DSM-III, and they are not about to look back now, in the hoopla for the upcoming DSM-V, which promises to be basically a long, dry, advertisement for Pfizer. The surgical journals I've seen sound more like art appreciation than any kind of science. And the phrase "evidence-based medicine" seems to remains something of a fringe concept. I am also thinking of a friend of ours, a scientist who has written extensively about scientific method, getting lectured by her ophthalmologist for using homeopathic eyedrops, which she swore by. He, in turn, prescribed her a medicine that had no effect on her, and which, under closer examination of the fine print, had an “unknown mechanism.” So who is the champion of science there?
Susannah continues to have acute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) in her skin and eyes. To deal with this, she is now being treated with ECP: extra-corporeal photopheresis. “Extra-corporeal” because, like reiki or qi gong, the therapy occurs outside her body. Yes? They draw her blood into a centrifuge, isolate the white blood cells in a little boustrophedon tube, and then expose them to UV rays. In other words…uhhhmmm…her blood is bathed in healing light. Not exactly in the Quaker sense, but perhaps the analogy here is not so very thin. And then they pump the blood back in. Several times a week, for several months, it sounds like.
This sort of vampiric tanning booth is off-label for GVHD, although apparently its become more commonly used on GVHD than whatever it was initially designed for. It’s an experimental procedure with a long track record and…(drumroll)…its mechanism is unknown. There was a theory, earlier, but apparently it broke down in the harsh light of empirical evidence. Now we are left with only the knowledge that it tends to work, and will minimize the need for steroids. Susannah is still on lots of steroids, and there too, in the fine print, we find the wonderful phrase "unknown mechanism."
Behind all the clamor of philosophers, I think epistemology is a very personal and very emotional field. Would you rather be right or be certain? Would you rather know what your odds are? If there is information you can't use helpfully, would you rather not know it? Would you rather trust your eyes or the theory? These are not simple questions, and we are not apt to answer them consistently throughout all the events of our lives. But they are important questions, and ones which I think get too easily subsumed in medicine of all forms.
An Update from Chris McCandless, in Verse and Pros...
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Houston 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 2 6 12 0
NY Yankees 0 0 0 6 2 0 2 0 x 10 12 0
W: N. Cortes Jr. (2-0) L: F. Valdez (3-3) S: A. Chapman (20)
4:05 PM PT5:05 PM MT6:05 PM CT7:05 PM ET19:05 ET23:05 GMT7:05 4:05 PM MST6:05 PM EST6:35 PM VEN3:05 UAE (+1)6:05 PM CT, June 20, 2019
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York Attendance: 41,030
Division leaders meet as Astros visit Yankees
Houston Astros at New York Yankees
The Astros won all three meetings with the Yankees in Houston from April 8-10, the only time this season New York has been swept in a series of at least three games. Houston has lost in five of its last six visits to Yankee Stadium, however, including three defeats in the 2017 ALCS.
Houston enters this series having dropped a season-high four straight games after starting this road trip with three losses in Cincinnati, the first time the Astros were swept away from home since going 0-4 at Oakland from Sept. 8-10, 2017. Houston has scored just seven runs while batting .130 (3-for-23) with runners in scoring position during the skid.
The Yankees have homered in 22 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the majors since 2017 (Dodgers, 23, Aug. 21-Sept. 15, 2018). It's also the second-longest streak in team history, trailing only a 25-game run from June 1-29, 1941.
Gary Sanchez is batting .349 with five homers and 13 RBI during an 11-game hitting streak at home, one game shy of a career high (June 7-July 4, 2017). Sanchez's 21 home runs are the most by a catcher before the All-Star break since Atlanta's Javy Lopez hit 23 in 2003.
Michael Brantley went 6-for-8 with a home run over the final two games of the Cincinnati series to extend his road hitting streak to nine games. He's hitting an MLB-best .376 on the road since April 29 (min. 75 PA).
Wade Miley, scheduled to start Saturday, has a 4.68 ERA on the road and a 1.91 ERA at home, the second-largest difference among qualified AL pitchers (Adrian Sampson, 6.92/3.08). Miley is 0-4 with a 5.86 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees.
Notes Applicable For Series Dates: 6/20/2019 thru 6/23/2019
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The New York Yankees enjoyed a milestone win for CC Sabathia and a sweep over their closest pursuer in the American League East on Wednesday.
Now the focus is on a four-game series against the AL West-leading Houston Astros, who are coming off a rare rough patch but swept the Yankees in April.
The Yankees put their five-game winning streak on the line Thursday night when they host the Astros in the opener of a four-game series.
"It's huge, especially (facing) Houston this weekend," Yankees first baseman Luke Voit told reporters following Wednesday's 12-1 win to complete the sweep of Tampa Bay. "That's one of the powerhouses in the American League. I'm excited to face those guys again after getting swept by them in Houston earlier in the year."
Following their 32-10 stretch from April 16-June 1, the Yankees lost eight of their next 11 games. After their first rough patch since the opening weeks of the season, the Yankees have scored 39 runs in their past five games, and they head into the weekend after extending their homer streak to 22 games on Wednesday in beating the second-place Tampa Bay Rays.
"We hit a rough patch there for 10 days or so," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "To come out of that playing well, I feel like we've played really well.
Sabathia pitched six innings for his 250th win, Gary Sanchez hit his 21st homer and Gleyber Torres bashed his first career grand slam. Those homers put the Yankees within three of the team record set from June 1-29, 1941.
Houston, meanwhile, has scored just seven runs during a four-game losing streak. The Astros lost three one-run games when they were swept in a trip to Cincinnati, sustaining their first road sweep since September 2017. Roberto Osuna allowed two runs in the ninth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Reds on Wednesday afternoon.
The Astros were held to 20 hits in the three-game series, and Michael Brantley produced seven of them. Brantley collected his major-league-leading 31st multi-hit game on Wednesday. Houston also welcomed back Jose Altuve on Wednesday, and he was 0-for-4 after missing 35 games with a hamstring injury.
"If you do enough things wrong or don't do enough, you're going to lose at this level, and we did a lot of both," Astros manager AJ Hinch said after the defeat. "Today's game was very winnable. I've said that a couple of times in a row now, so very disappointing, yeah."
The Astros are on their longest losing streak since dropping five straight from Aug. 9-14, 2018.
On Thursday, Framber Valdez (3-2, 2.77 ERA) will make his third start of the season for Houston. He owns a 2.08 ERA covering 13 innings as a starting pitcher. The left-hander last pitched on Saturday in a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays when he allowed two runs four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out eight.
The Yankees are expected to use Chad Green (1-2, 7.54 ERA) as the opener for the sixth time. Green, who owns a 3.52 ERA in the opener role, last pitched on Saturday in an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out six in two scoreless innings before Nestor Cortes Jr. pitched the next five innings.
Green is 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA in five career appearances against the Astros, all in relief. Valdez will be opposing the Yankees for the first time.
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Josh Hamilton will open season on DL; a glance at Rangers' options to replace him
By Evan Grant , Staff Writer Contact Evan Grant on Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Josh Hamilton will open the season on the DL for the second straight year the Rangers said Wednesday after acknowledging that he had an injection of stem cells and platelet rich plasma into his left knee a day earlier.
Hamilton underwent the procedure in Alabama on Tuesday and returned to the Rangers complex early Wednesday on crutches.
Assistant general manager Thad Levine said Hamilton would be on crutches for seven to 10 days, then begin a rehab program that would last about eight weeks. The Rangers hope to send him on a rehab assignment the third week of April with the possibility of a return in late April or early May.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton leans on a pair of crutches before addressing the media before a spring training workout at the team's training facility on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, in Surprise, Ariz. Knee problems will force Hamilton to open the season on the DL for the second straight year. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
"We are giving him an eight-week program because we don't want to cut any corners," Levine said. "Last year, we may have accelerated things and he suffered the hamstring injury early and it was an issue all year. This way he will get the benefit of a full spring training."
Said Hamilton: "Obviously, its frustrating and I'm disappointed. After the knee surgeries after the season I was pain free, but the pain just kept coming back. I know my knee is never going to be right, but I just want it to be better. If it's 50 percent better, I'll be good."
The doctor who performed the procedure, Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, has had significant success with stem cell treatments, Hamilton said, including injections into the capsule in the knee. Hamilton can walk on the leg and did his interview standing without aid, but the doctor recommended taking weight and stress off the knee for the next 10 days.
Hamilton opened last year on the DL with the Los Angeles Angels while recovering from shoulder surgery and then being trapped in the Angels' freeze-out before being traded to the Rangers. But injuries hampered his return to Texas and he was limited to 50 games.
Levine said the news does not greatly change the Rangers' approach to left field. The club could give top prospects Nomar Mazara and Lewis Brinson a longer look this spring. It also opens the possibility that Ryan Rua, last year's opening day left fielder could re-emerge as a factor with a strong spring. The Rangers have maintained that Joey Gallo, who played some left field in the majors last year, would work as a third baseman this spring. They have not changed their approach as of this time.
Mosley: Why Rangers won't be devastated by Josh Hamilton injury
The Rangers have been in contact with the agents for David Murphy and Will Venable, a pair of left-handed hitters who could fill in Hamilton's side of the planned outfield platoon for the first month. Venable, however, would seem to have more long-term value because of his ability to also play center field, an area where the Rangers would like some more depth. Murphy would likely offer more offense, though.
The Rangers have talked with Murphy, who, like Hamilton, is represented by Mike Moye, about a minor league contract. At question, however, is whether Murphy would now be in more demand for a team with a guaranteed spot to offer since Dexter Fowler went off the market.
The Rangers have also discussed Denton's Austin Jackson, who is younger than both Murphy and Venable. It's likely, however, that Jackson would cost more, too.
"I don't think we envisioned Josh as a 140-game left fielder," Levine said. "This is kind of a mid-range scenario. I don't think it changes things dramatically. We're in a pretty similar spot to where we were. We've got some good options in house and we'll continue to monitor the market."
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Watch NFL Playoff Preview: COLTS Vs PATRIOTS Live Stream ESPN......
COLTS Vs PATRIOTS
The Colts–Patriots rivalry is a rivalry that is considered one of the most famous in the NFL.[2] The two teams combined for four Super Bowl victories (three by the Patriots) and seven AFC Championships since 2001, while both are noted for their organizational excellence.[2]
The nature of this rivalry is somewhat ironic because while the Colts and Patriots were AFC East division rivals from 1970–2001 (dating back to the Colts' time in Baltimore), their intensified enmity wasn't prevalent until Indianapolis was moved into the newly formed AFC South following the 2001 season as part of the NFL's realignment.[2] Since 2003, the rivalry has been bitterly close: following New England's 59-24 win in 2012 the Patriots lead the series with eight wins (two in the playoffs) versus five wins (one playoff) for the Colts, and the Patriots hold a lead in points scored, 368-329.
The modern matchup spanning the period of 1998–2013 was usually headlined as a contest between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who together won six NFL MVP awards in eight years (2003–10; four by Manning). In September 2001 Brady received his first start against the Colts after an injury to then-starter Drew Bledsoe, and proceeded to defeat the Colts in his first six games against them in the next years, including the 2003 AFC Championship Game and a 2004 AFC Divisional playoff game. The 2004 Divisional game was notable as the Patriots held a record breaking Colts offense to 3 points on snowy cold night in Foxborough. The Colts won the next three matches, notching two regular season victories and a win in the 2006 AFC Championship Game on the way to their win in Super Bowl XLI. Since then, the Patriots have won the four out of the next six games from 2007–12. The quarterback angle of the rivalry changed in 2012 with the surge to success of Colts rookie Andrew Luck.
The Patriots (12-4) earned a first-round bye with the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Unfortunately, the team wasn't able to get healthy during its time off considering inside linebacker Brandon Spikes was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, as reported by the team's website.
New England has been devastated by injuries all year long, but somehow, some way, Bill Belichick has managed to win games with the guys who have stayed healthy.
The Colts reached the divisional round thanks to one of the most remarkable come-from-behind victories in the history of the playoffs. Andrew Luck led his team to a 45-44 win with a furious 35-point second-half flurry of offense, overcoming a 28-point deficit in the process.
Labels: NFL LIVE, SPORTS, STREAMING
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Square Dance Studio
Priya is a dance artist from Bangalore, India, trained in a variety of dance styles such as Bharatnatyam, Salsa, Flamenco, Hip Hop and Zumba. The artist is a professional dancer, Choreographer and a dance teacher.
The artist has performed, choreographed and has had the opportunity to share her passion for Bollywood dance through workshops in the UK, France and India. She has been conducting regular classes and workshops for people of all ages at companies, colleges and different centers in Bangalore. At the moment the artist conducts classes and workshops in Modern Bollywood, Zumba and Hip Hop & Salsa. Priya has a unique style of teaching and most of the choreographies are done by her.
She incorporates a mixture of dance styles in her choreography, her warm-ups and stretches are fun and a good workout. Her main objective is to share her passion for dance Bollywood, Hip Hop, Salsa and Zumba. And also to motivate students in the field of dance to show them that dance is a great way to relieve stress, it's fun and also keeps you fit and in shape, and also encourage and teach new routines or skills to those who are passionate about dance.
Square Dance Studio specializes in Bollywood, Zumba Salsa & Hip Hop. Square dance studio conducts classes for people of different age groups (Adults, Teenagers and kids).
Square dance studio has conducted classes and workshops in the UK, France and in various cities in India. We have conducted classes for School kids and university students in the UK and India, given performances for various corporate and charity events.
Square Dance Studio has conducted classes for the clinically depressed in the UK to reduce stress and feel better through various dance forms and also helped various societies in conducting charity sessions.
Sessions :
You may want to try out a class before enrolling for a course!
Please do call us to schedule a trial class.
Dance classes are a wonderful way to encourage your employees to stay active, lose weight and network in a constructive and healthy way. Dancing helps to improve your mood and lifts your spirits. We can bring the fun, the excitement and the experience to you with our on-site program.
You provide, us the facility/space, we will arrange the rest! The dance artist will come equipped with a sound system, music, the dance instruction and fun.
If your company would like to participate in our on-site program, please contact us.
Corporate Events:
Impress your employees, by putting up a high octane interactive dance sessions at your company.
Wedding Choreography:
Learn Bollywood choreography from an experienced dance instructor to impress your family members and friends with your dance moves at the wedding.
Here are few of my pictures from performing and training in different parts of the world.
dance forms
Hip-Hop:
Hip Hop is a very energetic form of dance style, usually danced to hip hop music, which evolved from the hip hop culture. This dance form was created by the African Americans in the 1970s, which includes a wide range of dance styles such as breaking, locking, and popping. While breakdancing consists primarily of moves executed close to the ground, the majority of hip hop moves are done standing up. It is unique and it allows its dancers to add in their own flavor and personality.
Zumba:
Zumba is a standard one-hour class that involves dance and aerobic elements. Unlike a typical dance class where counts are used, Zumba involves following the music with repetitive movements. Zumba's choreography incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts and some Bollywood and belly dance moves. Squats and lunges. Zumba is a very good cardio-based workout which also helps to tone and sculpt the body. It is a great way to lose weight, increase strength and co-ordination, and to foster self-esteem and pure happiness. That is why so many people love it and get addicted to it.
Bollywood:
Bollywood is a concoction of numerous styles with Indian Classical such as Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Indian Folk such as Bhangra being the base, Belly-dancing, and also has Hip Hop and Latin influence to it.
Salsa:
Salsa dancing is a dance style associated with the salsa style of music now popular worldwide. Salsa music has its origins sometime in the 1950s to 1970s, with the truly distinct salsa style coming out of New York in the 1970s. The music fuses a number of Cuban styles, particularly the son, but also draws from a number of other Latin American musical styles. Salsa dancing is done on eight-beat music, with dancers moving on three beats, pausing for one beat, dancing for three beats, and pausing for one beat. The movement style is left-right-left-pause, then right-left-right-pause. During the pause in most salsa dancing some sort of flourish is utilized, be it a stomp of the foot, casting out the hand or kicking the lower leg. Salsa dancing is mostly a stationary dance, with little movement around the dance floor. Instead, dancers rely on the subtle movement of their legs and upper bodies to convey the energy of the dance.
STUDIOS WE ARE AT
Dhurii Dance School
No.476, 3rd Floor, Shashwatha, 10th Main, Jeevan Bima Nagar Main Road,
Near BSNL Office, HAL 3rd Stage, New Tippasandra,
Clouds Dance Studio
Ground floor, 22nd Cross Road, #532, 23rd Main Rd,
2nd Sector, HSR Layout,
Email: priya@squaredancestudio.com
There is nothing better than hearing from you, give your suggestions, comments or just drop Hi to us.
HomeSquare dance studio Photo gallery Dance forms Contact us CommentFAQs
© 2018 Squaredancestudio.com
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Thing Finding Thursday With Jenny Blake
What's Your Thing?
I admit it: it's a fascination. A necessity. A mission.
I found my thing - and kapow! finding my thing was a game-changer, a life-changer - and over and over again, that's what clients come to me for: help figuring out what they want to do with this one wild and precious life.
Again: necessary. A mission. For you and me.
So if you're asking yourself "What's my thing?", then Thing-Finding Thursday is for you...and we're kicking it off college and closets and cupcakes, oh my!
In other words, I talked to Jenny Blake. Jenny Blake is a popular blogger and life coachess with the mostess (umm, my words, that probably wasn't in her official bio), creator of Make Sh*t Happen, an eight week course where you take your "improbable idea and turn it into inevitable success", and author of Life After College, a book she describes as what happens when Twitter meets What Color is Your Parachute. It's part journal, part motivator, and part guidebook, and all useful - like having a life coach in your purse. If you're carrying the book around in your bag...and you'll want to.
And oh yeah, Jenny worked for a lil' company you might have heard of. Google. Which she loved...and helped her find her way to her thing, which is coaching. So she knows a little sumthin' sumthin' about life-changing, "soul-stirring" decisions.
That's why I had to talk to her for Thing Finding Thursday - and why I think you'll connect with what she has to say about how you can find your thing.
I love it when it's simple: what do you really want?
Or maybe it's the question that is simple, because the response is magnificent. When you answer it - with words, spirit, action - the joy begins.
So keep asking it. Every time you ask it of yourself, you'll get a little closer to your thing.
And I'll keep asking it, too. Every Thing Finding Thursday.
Transcript for your reading pleasure
Tanya: So, Jenny Blake, how did you find your thing?
Jenny: I found my thing – I use this analogy that it’s like revamping your wardrobe – I had started working at a startup company out of school and little by little I just, it’s like cleaning out your closet, where I looked at the things that I was doing in my day to day job, what I really enjoyed and how I could do more of it and what I was not so happy with and how I could get rid of it or offload that or move into something else. And that kind of took me along this path of working at a startup company doing online advertising, managing our websites, managing the office, into Google where I started delivering AdWords product training. I realized I loved working with people but I was sick of talking about AdWords.
Tanya: Right.
Jenny: I eventually found coaching and then from coaching it led me to my two parallel lives of eventually making it onto the current development team at Google, and also starting my own blog, which was truly where I really get to express myself and explore what I’m most passionate about. And that blog has since led to the book, Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want.
Tanya: We can see what your thing is. Like, this is where you are really lit up.
Tanya: And then, so you’re in this illustrious university and you’re sort of partway through your studies and doing really well because you’re Jenny Blake and you do really well. And so, halfway through this is when you decided to go for the startup. Right?
Jenny: Yeah.
Tanya: So, you and I like to use coach-y words like “values.” So what? You know, just because it was a zigzag. It was a zag, I guess, when you could have zigged or whatever, but you when over here. What values were you honoring in that moment for making this pretty bold decision?
Jenny: What an amazing question. No one’s ever asked me that before. The values that it honored for me were growth. I knew that I had been working with this professor, when she offered me the job I knew that the potential for my own personal growth was going to be astronomical being the first employee at this company.
And possibility, and that feeling that I was really going to be challenging myself.
Almost too, part of it was like, I have a value around independence and with trusting my gut, and I think a big part of it was I just knew I would regret saying no. But there wasn’t really a scenario in which I could see myself regretting saying yes and just giving it a shot.
Tanya: Two things are showing up here too. One of them that probably makes you a hellaciously awesome coach is that your intuitions are really, really, really strong right, so that’s awesome. And second is clearly ease. Like, what I’m loving about this is that there really doesn’t seem to be a lot of struggle.
Jenny: Yeah. And I think it’s just creating the space, and then listening for things to happen and sometimes I listen better than others and sometimes I have what I refer to as my, “Universe smacks me upside the head” moments where it’s like I haven’t gotten the signs early enough. But we all figure it out eventually.
Tanya: Absolutely. Okay, so let’s not be afraid of walls. Walls create clarity. Like, we get really clear on what we don’t want, right?
Jenny: One of my favorite quotes is, “You have to say no to the good so that you can say yes to the great.” Sometimes you’re saying no to a good job or a good opportunity, but for you as an individual or for me, it’s not great. It’s not soul stirring.
Tanya: I had this conversation fairly recently with somebody and she was saying, “Don’t say yes to your good ideas. Say yes to your genius ideas.”
Tanya: Oh, yeah baby!
Tanya: There is a question that you and I both know is like, the key to everything and that is, “What do I really want?” So why is it such a hard question for people to answer? Some of the viewers right now are sort of thinking, “If I knew what I want I’d be going for it.”
Jenny: “I wouldn’t be here!”
Tanya: That’s right! So why is it such a hard question? What’s wrapped up in, “What do I want?”
Jenny: In my thinking, there’s two things going on. One, that question is like a layer cake. And I love cupcakes so I’m just going to go with the cake metaphor that we can ask, “What do I really want?” And it’s not the first answer or the second or the third, sometimes it’s the tenth time in a row that we’ve had to ask that we really figure it out.
Another, when I’m teaching coaching I use the metaphor of a tree. And the first time we say, “What do I really want?” it’s the roots. We’re getting at the surface. But every time we ask that question again and again we’re getting really deep, deep, deep into the very lowermost roots of the tree. And I think sometimes people give up at the first surface level answers that come up. “What do I really want? A good job.” Okay, what’s important to you about that? Like all these questions that you and I use all the time, but I think people stop too soon and don’t give themselves the space.
And then I think a second barrier is exactly what we were talking about, about having to throw things away. Sometimes in order to admit what we really want there are some scary questions that we don’t know how to answer yet about are we going to disappoint someone or do we have to let something go. Sometimes I think it’s just too scary and we don’t want to look under the hood at that moment.
Tanya: In this kind of work a lot of saboteurs do tend to show up.
Jenny: Yeah, raging.
Tanya: Well, there’s a lot of, “Why haven’t you figured this out yet?” So, a lot of judgment, a lot of judgment.
Jenny: Right. Everyone else has figured it out.
Tanya: Yeah, what’s wrong with you?
Jenny: Totally.
Tanya: What other saboteurs do you think show up when people are trying to find their thing, and what kind of swords can we give them?
Jenny: First of all, I’m so glad that you asked this because inner critics exist, and we all have them and those of us that beat ourselves up because we have them, we’re missing the point that it’s like, part of the human condition for some odd reason, that we have these. And one of the exercises in my book, I call it the “Inner Critic Inventory.” I always tell people when you have this rushing wave of inner critics, first of all it’s a sign that you’re on exactly the right track, and second there’s information there.
You’re too old, you’re too young. I think a lot of times, when we’re answering the specific question, “What do I really want?” or, “What am I most passionate about?” it’s like, “Well, am I even capable of that? Is that possible?” I had a coach tell me, “Don’t get caught up in the tyranny of the hows.” We get so worried about how. “Well, if I want to be a blogger, how do I set up a blog, and how do I get started, and how do I build an audience?” And the noise level there becomes so high that we’re paralyzed out of taking action.
Tanya: And the inventory. I mean, I think it’s really cathartic stuff to have people sort of start to identify, and then even personify them a little bit. So you really have a sense of, “Oh, that’s Bertha. That’s Bertha, oh yeah bring it Bertha! What do you got to say today, Bertha?”
Jenny: And there’s a quote I read somewhere that I loved too, that “intelligence is about knowing what questions to ask.” It’s not necessarily having the answers yet. So I love that idea that, if we can at least just frame up the questions: “What do I really want? What do I most desire?”, that we are more than halfway there.
Tanya: Oh, yes baby! Thank you, thank you! Jenny, one final, where can people find you?
Jenny: You can find me, my blog is lifeaftercollege.org, the website for the book is lacbook.com, and I’m on Twitter@jenny_blake. I would love to hear from any and all of you, so thanks so much Tanya for having me.
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Home Speakers Program Registration Venue Contacts
Annette Kluge, PhD
Professor, Work and Organizational Psychology
Annette Kluge is a professor at Work and Organizational Psychology in Ruhr-Universität Bochum, where she is also the chair of Industrial, Organizational and Business Psychology, Faculty of Psychology. Prof. Kluge is leading a research team on Human Factors. Her research team is focused on Organizational safety concepts, training: skill acquisition and retention, safety related rule violations and organizational learning from errors. Before joining Ruhr-Universität Bochum, she was full professor at in Business and Organizational Psychology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She is also in Counseling Board of the Reactor Safety Commission working for the Federal Ministry for the Environment and editor of several well knowns HF Journals.
Margareta Lutzhoft, PhD
Maritime safety research group (Marsafe)
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Margareta Lützhöft is a master mariner, trained at Kalmar Maritime Academy in Sweden. After leaving the sea, she studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive science and a Master’s in Computer Science. In 2004 she received a PhD in Human-Machine Interaction. Presently she holds a position as Professor in the MarSafe group at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Her research interests include human-centered design and the effects of new technology.
Zaili Yang
Faculty of Engineering and Technology – Maritime and Mechanical Engineering
Zaili Yang is Professor of Maritime Transport at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), UK. Prof. Yang’s research interests are analysis and modelling of safety, resilience and sustainability of transport networks, particularly maritime and logistics systems. Prof. Yang has conducted over 40 external funded projects by EU, the UK research councils and UK DfT etc. Prof. Yang has successfully supervised 5 postdoctoral and 21 PhD researchers. He currently has 1 postdoctoral researcher and 10 PhD students under his supervision in the research areas of maritime safety, logistics operation and port optimisation. His research findings have been published in more than 200 refereed papers in risk and supply chain areas, including more than 100 (80 SCI/SSCI-cited) journal papers. Prof. Yang is a member of 9 transport/maritime journals (e.g. Transport Research Part E). He has also served as a member of review boards for national research councils of USA, UK, EU, Canada, Norway, China and Hong Kong. He has received 11 best paper awards and 3 research awards (e.g. Northeast Asian Logistics Award).
Anne Kari Botnmark
Institute leader
Department of Maritime Operations,
University of South-Eastern Norway
Anne Kari Botnmark is the Head of Department at Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, USN for the Department of Maritime Operation. She has been in several leadership positions throughout her career and current representative of USN for MARKOM2020. She was a project manager in the Oslofjord technology project. She was a project manager for VRI Vestfold and has been leading projects for the development of study programs and research in engineering as well as the maritime department.
Jarle Løwe Sørensen
Department of Business, History and Social Sciences
Jarle is an Associate Professor in Emergency and Crisis Management, and managing the USN Center for Security, Crisis Management and Emergency Preparedness. Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Homeland Security Leadership & Policy (Northcentral University, USA). Research interests are strategic crisis management with a special focus on cross-sector collaboration. Over 10 years experience from public sector. Practical and theoretical knowledge related to safety and security work.
Kjetil Nordby
Institute of design
Oslo School of Architecture and Design Oslo
Kjetil is an industrial designer with a master in interaction design from Umeå Design School and a PhD from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) 2011. The PhD deals with the innovative use of new technologies in design practice. Kjetil has been part of several startups and has worked as an industrial and interaction designer for leading Norwegian companies. He has also tutored students at master and bachelor level at AHO and held master courses a Institute of Informatics at Oslo University.
Christen Vagle
Fleet Competency Manager
BW Offshore
Christen Vagle received his Masters in Maritime Management at the University of South-Eastern Norway. His full-time job the past twelve years has been with the Floating Production Storage and Offloading, (FPSO) designing, leasing and operating Company BW Offshore. Here he began as a Competence Executive and then later assumed the role as a Fleet Competence Manager, implementing a complete Competence Assurance & Training Program, later certified to the DNV-GL Standard ST-0049 for Competence Management Systems where he now leads a team of seven Competency Assessors working globally to support the BW Offshore Competency program. He was also instrumental in establishing the BWO Academy, a global e-learning solution for knowledge sharing within BW Offshore. His previous position was held with the US Department of Defence where he served as a Training Manager for more than 7 years at the Office of Defence Cooperation at the US Embassy in Oslo, Norway.
Charlott Sellberg
Department of Applied IT
Charlott Sellberg is an Assistant professor at Department of Applied IT, University of Gothenburg and obtained her PhD in Education from University of Gothenburg (Sweden). She has a multidisciplinary background in Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction and Education. Her research interests is on how technology enter into work and learning practices, and during the last years she has focused her research on the use of simulators in maritime training and assessment. By conducting detailed analyses of authentic training situations, Charlott’s aim is to provide research results with the potential of developing the instructor’s pedagogical understanding of teaching in simulator-based environments.
Gesa Praetorius
Dr. Gesa Praetorius is an Associate Senior Lecturer in Maritime Science at Linnaeus University in Kalmar and an Adjunct Associate Professor within the Training and Assessment Research Group at University of South-Eastern Norway. Dr. Praetorius is an expert in human factors, system safety and cognitive systems engineering which she applies to study the complex interplay between human operators, technology and organization in maritime operations. Her current research projects focus on the cooperation between human operators and automation in traffic management and on the applicability of resilience engineering concepts in maritime safety training.
Kristine Vedal Størkersen
Norwegian university of science and technology (NTNU)
Most of her recent research emphasized on how aquaculture and maritime personnel on several levels work and interact with each other, and how they can be constrained or supported by their framework conditions (such as regulation, organizational factors, sector type, competition, etc.). Her PhD has the title “Bureaucracy overload calling for audit implosion. A sociological analysis of how the International Safety Management Code affects safety-related decisions in Norwegian coastal transport”.
Steffen Hårstad Jensen
Product Adviser
Kongsberg Digital Maritime Simulation
Steffen Hårstad Jensen obtained his Bachelor in Nautical Science from University of South-Eastern Norway (2000). He has seagoing experience from container vessels, Norwegian Navy, chemical tankers (Stolt Nielsen). SteffenHårstad Jensen worked as vessel operator at Odfjell Seachem and Höegh Autoliners , and Traffic Manager at Höegh Autoliners . He is working at Kongsberg since 2007 with Cargo Handling Simualtors, Bridge Simulators and Instructor systems including Assessments.
Risza Rusli
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Steven Mallam is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Technology and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway. He obtained his PhD in Human Factors from Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden) and a Master of Science specializing in work safety and ergonomics from Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada). Steven is passionate about scientific communication, with his teaching and research focusing on improving human performance in complex work systems.
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Rich Tatum
I used to have this all figured out — BlogRodent
Contact Rich
Rich Tatum’s Published Writing
All You Need to Know About the Assemblies of God…
Assembly of God, Pentecostal, Religion
Wherein I break my silence to introduce my latest freelance writing project for ChristianityToday.com (a small article) and attempt to exlain in a thousand words or less what the entire media elite have yet to figure out despite the powers of Lexis-Nexis.
So last monday Ted Olsen at Christianity Today invited me to respond to the latest inquiries into Palin’s faith with a sensible description of who the A/G are and how we fit into the rest of mainstream evangelicalism. This is my attempt.
I’ll confess to being a little nervous when writing this. Not only would my denomination’s leadership see it, but probably a couple million people could find something to disagree over it. But, hey — have keyboard, will write.
So, here it is, have fun with it, and feel free to comment.
A primer for Palin watchers and others.
From: http://christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/septemberweb-only/138-21.0.html
“She is a longtime member of the Assemblies of God. That’s all you need to know.”
That’s how political blogger Andrew Sullivan recently summarized Governor Sarah Palin’s faith background.
But entertain the crazy thought that some people might want to know more. What would we learn from the media about the Assemblies of God?
It’s “the evangelical experience on steroids,” “where sitting is an option but clapping is not,” where beliefs “stray a bit from the mainstream” and which “mainstream Christians don’t understand.” There’s the usual report of tongues, faith-healing, and “end times” — threateningly caricaturized as “a violent upheaval that … will deliver Jesus Christ’s second coming.” Combine “holy laughter, divine dancing, silver tooth fillings turning into gold, [and] the regeneration of a large intestine,” and you see why Palin’s childhood faith has been “deemed irrelevant by the liberal intelligentsia because it is regarded as fundamentalist and … irrational.”
Then again, news accounts of “rational faith” have been rather scarce.
The first wave
About one in four Christian believers worldwide are Pentecostal or charismatic, and the percentage is increasing daily. The World Christian Database says 8.7 percent of the world’s population is part of this “renewalist” group. The AG is one of the most prominent Pentecostal groups, it’s only a part of the movement. An AG study from 2006 found 60 million adherents in more than 300,000 churches worldwide. About 2.8 million of these are in the U.S.
The renewalist movement in the U.S. is often divided into three historical “waves.” The first wave began in 1901, resulting in the “classical” Pentecostal denominations, including the Assemblies of God. The second (“charismatic”) wave began around 1960, and the third (“neocharismatic”) wave around 1980. While there are doctrinal and practical differences between the various Pentecostal and charismatic believers, what is common to all is the conviction that the Holy Spirit is personally active, immanent, and works through believers by giving gifts (charisms) for ministry, evangelism, and holiness.
While some scholars have traced a thread of Pentecostal and charismatic expressions throughout church history, the modern renewal began with the “touch felt around the world” on January 1, 1901, when students of Charles Fox Parham were “baptized in the Spirit” and spoke in tongues after studying the Bible to prove or deny the validity of such an experience.
The fledgling movement found its tipping point at the Azusa Street Revival, led by a former student of Parham’s, William Joseph Seymour. This California revival, from 1906 to 1909, is widely considered the true genesis of Pentecostalism and has been called ” America ‘s most successful spiritual export.”
The first Pentecostal denomination to form (in 1907) was the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), led by Charles H. Mason. The body that became the AG formed in 1914.
What do they believe?
Today, the Assemblies of God is generally considered orthodox with beliefs common to many denominations — excepting mainstream cessationist groups. George Barna reports that among the 12 largest denominations, Assemblies of God adherents tend to have the highest “overall purity of … biblical perspectives.” They are more likely to be born again, to be “absolutely committed” to faith, to hold a high view of Scripture, to believe in a literal heaven and hell, to believe that Jesus was sinless, to believe that God created the universe, are more likely to pray, and are more likely to share the gospel with unbelievers.
Assemblies of God adherents are evangelical, believing in the need for personal salvation and the call to evangelize. They have a high view of biblical authority and believe in the literal death and resurrection of Jesus. They are Arminian, believing that God-given free will is compatible with divine sovereignty. They believe that salvation is by grace and unmerited but is conditional on faith and on accepting the sacrifice and lordship of Jesus — and therefore, one can willfully fall from grace. They are thoroughly Trinitarian, rejecting the modalism as expressed in the Oneness or “Jesus’ Name”-only Pentecostal movement (e.g., the United Pentecostal Church).
Their essential doctrines are expressed in creedal form in their “Sixteen Fundamental Truths,” and expanded on in a variety of position papers available online. Their four core doctrines are a belief in salvation, divine healing, Jesus’ imminent “second coming” (along with the rapture, tribulation, and the millennial reign of Christ), and that the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is a divine gift freely available to all believers.
This baptism is the core “distinctive doctrine” of the Assemblies of God, defined as a work of grace and an experience subsequent to and distinct from conversion (and not required for salvation), accompanied by the “initial physical evidence” of speaking in other tongues. This experience empowers believers for Christian witness, service, and holiness. Distinct from water-immersion baptism, Pentecostals see Spirit baptism as an immersion in the power, person, and experience of the Holy Spirit, and locate it biblically as promised in Joel 2:28-29, Mark 1:8, and John 16:5-16; made normative in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4-5; modeled in Acts 2:1-4; and universally extended as a gift to all believers in Acts 2:38-39.
Not just TV preachers
In addition to media-whipped anomalies such as Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, and Benny Hinn (all former Assemblies of God ministers), other AG churchgoers have gained national attention, including singer-songwriter Sara Groves, former U.S. Representatives Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), and Linda Smith (R-Wash.), and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
And, of course, Sarah Palin.
But while Palin may well have been “a longtime member of the Assemblies of God,” she has not regularly attended an AG church since 2002.
And a lot can change in six years.
Rich Tatum is a freelance writer who attends an AG church
and blogs at TatumWeb.com/blog/.
Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Used by permission
Related Elsewhere:
You can interact with the commenters at the ChristianityToday.com article as well.
The AG has a history page.
At Azusa Remixed, Pentecostal and charismatic scholars discuss the movement’s history and contemporary debates.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has a demographic portrait of Pentecostals in 10 different countries.
Update: Krista Tippett from NPR’s Speaking of Faith wrote to let me know about a program they put together which I think you’ll be interested in, too. She writes:
I love your piece on Azusa in Christianity Today and wanted to let you know that we made a very similar move on our show this past weekend to respond to the generalizations about Palin’s faith — and also point out that there are Pentecostals in key positions in the DNC and the Obama campaign. We’ve had a tremendous response to it:
Speaking of Faith: The Origins and Impact of Pentecostalism
Check it out, there’s an mp3 to download, you can stream the program, listen to other interviews with sociologist Margaret Poloma, Pentecostal historian Cecil Robeck, an exploration of the Master’s Commission, and more, more, more.
[tags]1-corinthians-12, 1-corinthians-13, 1-corinthians-14, acts-2, aog, assemblies-of-god, assembly-of-god, azusa, azusa-street, blogrodent, cecil-robeck, charismatic, christianity-today, controversy, dnc, enrichment-journal, general-superintendent, george-o-wood, glossolalia, krista-tippett, lunacy, margaret-poloma, master’s-commission, national-public-radio, npr, obama, palin, pat-olilphant, pat-oliphant, paul, pentecostal, political-cartoon, prayer, prophecy, religious-right, rich-tatum, sara-palin, sarah-palin, speaking-in-tongues, speaking-of-faith, spiritual-gifts, tongues, washington-post, washingtonpost, washingtonpost.com, william-graham-macdonald[/tags]
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14 thoughts on “All You Need to Know About the Assemblies of God…”
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Rich Post author September 17, 2008 at 7:47 am
Since I cannot answer comments and questions effectively at the CT site (I’m only allowed one response for 1,000 words — who can keep answers that short?!!), I am posting my responses here:
@Lawrance Glenn:
Those figures come from the World Christian Encyclopedia (2001). They are estimates and probably liberal in what gets included.
For an online source of numbers for global Christianity, see this PDF hosted at Gordon Conwell University. I gathered my numbers on Pentecostals & charismatics from The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. Both of these use the same source for their numbers: The World Christian Encyclopedia.
World Christians: 1,999,563,838
World Pentecostals & Charismatics, and 3rd Wavers: 523,767,390
I believe you’re confusing the count of Pentecostals & charismatics Stateside with Pentecostals and charismatics globally.
Regarding my comment, “Today, the Assemblies of God is generally considered orthodox with beliefs common to many denominations — excepting mainstream cessationist groups.”
You inferred what I did not mean to imply, and this is more than likely a case of poor writing on my part. I’m saying the A/G holds much in common with many orthodox denominations except those orthodox denominations which are cessationist. That does not mean cessationists are beyond the pale of orthodoxy. This simply means that the A/G may hold much in common with the except primarily issues surrounding cessationism.
And I fear I may be muddying up the issue even more. Please forgive my failure to communicate properly.
@Mary:
You noted, “The editors of Christianity Today should draw attention to the issues and help us think theologically about them.” I think the editors are helping us do just that by soliciting articles like mine. As indicated by the quote in the first line of the article, some in the mainstream press are setting up straw-man arguments to cast Palin in a negative light. An article like this simply helps shed light on the real issue so that attentive readers will know that besmirching Pentecostals in order to soil Palin is a smokescreen.
Just clearin’ the air, that’s all.
@Observer:
You are totally correct: there are some (many?) sovereign churches in the A/G which are far from “mainstream Pentecostal.” But that’s an issue for a different article.
However, whether Wasilla A/G is also aberrent within that tradition is a question worthy of follow-up for those of us who want to know more about Pailin’s faith history. And only Palin could answer the question about how closely her own faith comports with that of the current Wasilla A/G theology and practice.
I suspect it doesn’t align well at all. After all, she left the church shortly after the current pastor came on as the senior pastor.
Patricia Hickman September 17, 2008 at 9:51 am
Thank you, Rich, for your thoughtfully detailed article on the AG and our history and also our differences today.
My husband and I planted two AG churches after having been dismissed for resisting the Latter Rain teachings (and all of it’s various devices and hooks). Rather than becoming bitter, we first grieved because many of our friends left the denomination and some left the faith.
I’ll admit that for a season I was left questioning if the Pentecostal lampstand was all completely false. But now we have a growing congregation that is steeped in biblical teaching and much love and grace. I sent your article to our database today, so I hope you get a lot of positive feedback.
stonehillchurch.com
Yvonne Trimble September 17, 2008 at 11:20 am
“All you need to know about the Assemblies of God” leaves quite a bit out of what constitutes the average American AG experience. While the fundamentals may be orthodox, the structure is folding under the influence of “Word of Faith” hysteria. Brownsville and Pensacola revivals are boils on the body “that is sick from head to foot” Isaiah 1. Currently Todd Bentley, tatooed and pierced exorcist in sheep’s clothing, is further staining the name of his AG host in Tampa, FL.
God help us if the media finds this skeleton in the closet of Palin’s religious profession and publicizes it to the shame of all charismatics. “We are not one of them!” will be the cry of all orthodox tongue talkers; undoubtedly that will not be the defense of Springfield, MO where the Church of Compromise (Thytira) entertains most angels of light preaching another gospel.
Yes, the AG looks good when you read their Statement of Faith and position papers, but when you sit in the pew and hear the heresy spewed by men who are obviously “name it and claim it, blab it and grab it, confess it and possess it” you must, as Palin did leave. To her credit, that is the smartest thing she ever did in Alaska.
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Michael G. Davis September 17, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Thanks Rich,
Well done! A response to the media and all the crazy political blogs was long overdue.
Kendall Clark September 17, 2008 at 11:39 pm
A few points of response:
1. “generally considered orthodox” — wiggle words… Considered orthodox by whom? Not by liberal Protestants and not by Catholics. Not by Southern Baptists or conservative Lutherans, Presbyterians, or United Methodists.
By any empirical measure, the vast majority of Christians in America (and worldwide, for that matter) do not consider the AG’s most distinctive doctrine to be orthodox at all.
And it’s not clear what sneering or counter-sneering at ‘liberal intelligentsias’ about the more shall we say “expressive” variants of glossolalia really is meant to accomplish? The import of this strategy of yrs seems to be to suggest that all that other stuff — the holy laughter, being ‘slain in the spirit’, handling snakes or drinking poison, or holy crying, or holy barking like a dog, or uncountably large numbers of divine healing claims, none of which ever get confirmed by independent observers, and all the rest of it — isn’t really central or crucial.
That’s not really AG? Really?
I beg to differ; no one else does all that stuff in their church services (at all), and it’s the thing that the AG does that’s most distinctively AG.
Is everyone else just undergoing a mass delusion about that?
Surely when the Southern Baptists everywhere in which they are cheek-to-jowl with the AG reject whole-heartedly all such emotional excess (as they see it), *they* aren’t part of Andrew Sullivan’s sneering liberal intelligentsia, right?
Or take the 65 million or so Americans who are Roman Catholic — by *far* the numerical majority of American Xnty… Among whose number Andrew Sullivan gladly counts himself… Are they all — every ‘cessationist’ one of them — liberal intelligentsia too?
2. You say “thoroughly Trinitarian”, but that’s just really not true at all. Rejecting modalism is not sufficient to be Trinitarian. The AG, inasmuch as it has a theology at all, is *not* trinitarian, nor is its liturgy or worship practice.
In fact, one could argue forcefully for the view that, in the contemporary scene, the doctrinal temptation of AG and other forms of pentecostalism is not modalism — which was a doctrinal trouble spot historically — but tritheism, which is, after all, the other primary way to fail to be “thoroughly Trinitarian”…
This is talked about in AG circles, of course, as you well know, but chose not to reveal. I wonder why.
3. You say baptism in the Holy Spirit with “initial physical evidence” of speaking in tongues “empowers believers for Christian witness, service, and holiness”, but that’s an empirical claim that *no scientifically valid study* bears out. No study can find any stastically significant difference amongst non-glossolaliacs and glossolaliacs (to use what I intend to be a neutral term) on the question of ‘witness, service, and holiness’.
Saying it don’t make it so…
And, sure, we can just pooh-pooh science all we want, but you are making an empirical claim about the effect an experience has on a group of people, in aggregate, as compared to other groups of people who have not had that experience. Exactly in the same way one might claim that people who smoke have higher incidences of lung cancer.
How would we go about determining the truth of either claim, since they are indistinguishable? If, counterfactually, we couldn’t find any statistical evidence for the claim about smoking-cancer correlation, would we keep making it anyway?
4. All the history is fine and good, but why not talk about recent history, and the new relationship between American electoral politics and the AG?
In fact, we can be far less coy and just say the relationship between the AG and the Republicans, since that’s the relationship that exists… That’s new in the history of the AG, isn’t it. And, unlike Azusa St or Parham or Seymour, it’s actually *relevant* to the Palin situation.
Surely this AG-Republican alliance is relevant to assessing Palin’s sudden position at the forefront of Republican politics, especially when by all accounts, including sources inside the McCain campaign, her religious credentials were central to her choice by McCain to shore up “the religious base of the Republican Party”.
5. There’s a touch of (perhaps unintended?) self-pity and angst in the description of Swaggart and Hinn and the Bakkers as “media-whipped” — surely their behavior, which has been well-documented and undisputed, isn’t an example of the increased “witness, service, and holiness” that you refer to?
Perhaps if Palin ever deigns to allow the American people to witness her having a grown-up conversation about the issues of the day — financial meltdowns, environmental trends, wars and rumors of war — we’ll discover whether she can cut the mustard or not. Or maybe the media just didn’t show Swaggart or Hinn or the Bakkers the requisite amount of “deference” that McCain and Palin demand from the media before it will be allowed to interview her?
6. Finally, a word about politics and religion. I think most Americans would, in abstract terms, take Barack Obama’s position vis-a-vis Sarah Palin’s religious beliefs, namely, to take her at face value and consider her political and policy positions, past experience, or lack thereof, and general fitness for the position for which she grasps.
However, she joins a campaign and is an elected official belonging to a political party that has, in the most vicious and hateful way, tried to trick the American people into questioning Barack Obama’s religious beliefs, which has repeatedly slandered him — by their lights, not by his or mine — as a Muslim, and just about literally crucified his religious beliefs, background, and pastor. Like Rev Wright or not, I fail to see how he and Obama are owed any less respect for their religious beliefs than you and other AG folk urge all the rest of us to have for Palin and the AG generally.
Failing — as Palin has *systematically* — to do anything to demand equality of treatment and respect for Obama as well as for herself on this religious question suggests a kind of calculating and deep-seated hypocrisy that is reprehensible and disgusting, whether one is AG, Catholic, liberal, conservative, or even not religious at all.
Rich Post author September 19, 2008 at 12:47 am
@Patricia Hickman and @Michael Davis:
Thanks for your kind words and encouragment, I appreciate it!
@Yvonne Trimble:
You wrote that I left out « quite a bit out of what constitutes the average American AG experience. »
I don’t know what such an average experience is. I’m not even sure what my own “average” experience would be: every A/G church I’ve ever attended has been different from the others in terms of my personal exeriences. Some have been influenced by WoF doctrines, some not. Some have encouraged Pentecostal expressions of charisms (gifts), some have not. Some have featured expositional preaching, some have not. Some have been warm and inviting, some not. And so on.
You note that “While the fundamentals may be orthodox, the structure is folding under the influence of ‘Word of Faith’ hysteria.” And you cite the Brownsville and Pensacola revivals, including Todd Bentley as your examples. But I have to tell you that among the cirlces I moved in, and still do, there has always been a great deal of suspicious regarding Brownsville, and nobody I know has accepted Bentley as representative of either classical Pentecostal doctrine or the A/G positions. Bentley is not, as far as I know, credentialled with the A/G. Nevertheless, what I have consistently seen is calls for censure and corrective action in these cases.
Further, that some A/G churches host such revivals and seem open to WoF, Latter Rain, and Joel’s Army movements does not necessarily indicate that Pentecostal doctrine and theology is itself incorrect: I and others view these other movements as aberrent.
You go on to caricature the A/G headquarters as “the Church of Compromise (Thytira) [which] entertains most angels of light preaching another gospel.” This is simply rhetoric. Cite an example and we might have a discussion.
You conclude, « the AG looks good when you read their Statement of Faith and position papers, but when you sit in the pew and hear the heresy spewed by men who are obviously “name it and claim it, blab it and grab it, confess it and possess it†you must, as Palin did leave. To her credit, that is the smartest thing she ever did in Alaska. »
For some churches, I wholeheartedly agree with this. And if Palin left Wasilla for this reason after the latest pastor came on in 1999, then I also agree that it was a smart move. But we don’t really know why she left. I suspect she is more “post-Pentecostal” than “Pentecostal.”
Kendall!
Dude! Thanks for dropping by to interact! It’s been a while since we corresponded, and I’m delighted you left a comment. Seriously!
(For everybody else, Kendall and I went to college together and spent many hours with friends debating the fine points of stuff I never understood in the first place and had no business spewing ignorance on. Kendall was superior to me in intellectual acuity and remains so to this day. Where I was ignorant he was informed. Where he was quick-witted, I was slow. On the plus side, I merely had the blessing of a good vocabulary. Plus, I was handsomer. :: grin :: )
On to your points:
On Orthodoxy
You accuse me of using a “wiggle word” when I describe the Assemblies of God as “generally considered orthodox.” I stand by the terms. You say that neither liberal Protestants, Catholics, Southern Baptists, conservative Lutherans, Presbyterians, or United Methodists would consider the A/G orthodox.
Insofar as some of these groups are co-members with the A/G on the National Association of Evangelicals, and insofar as there was not a mass exodus of NAE member denominations when A/G minister Thomas F. Zimmerman was elected to its presidency (who later went on to serve as A/G general superintendent), or when A/G minister Don Argue led that body nor, later, when (non-A/G) Pentecostal Ted Haggard led it, I would say that at least mainstream Evangelicals no longer consider Pentecostals necessarily heretical. They seem to, in fact, find us cuddly.
Now as to whether there are specific A/G doctrines considered to be unorthodox by various other Christian sects, I don’t disagree. But sectarian doctrinal differences do not mark an entire movement as heretical.
As Timothy Tennent (PhD, Univ. of Edinburgh) has noted in his survey of global theological traditions:
“A common problem that plagues most attempts to define and characterize Pentecostalism is that the emphasis is often placed on the distinctiveness of Pentecostal faith and experience rather than on the broad agreement between Pentecostals and evangelicals. Therefore, it should be made clear from the outset that the overwhelming majority of Pentecostal groups are solidly within the boundaries of historic Christian orthodoxy. …
“Indeed most Pentecostals, although typically noncreedal, are able to affirm every phrase of the Apostle’s or Nicene Creed. Indeed, most Pentecostals do not claim to bring any new teachings at all, but rather a restoration of biblical and apostolic faith. In short, Pentecostals are our brothers and sisters in Christ, from whom we have much to learn.” (Theology in the Context of World Christianity, page 165-166)
(Note, Tennent also excludes Oneness Pentecostalism from his statement of broad orthodoxy.)
On Liberal Intelligentsia
Regarding my use of the term “liberal intelligentsia,” you may have missed it due to my poor writing skills, but the article I linked to used the term. I used the quote in a section surveying media characterizations of Pentecostalism. So, those weren’t my words, they were British religion correspondent Ruth Gledhill‘s from her article, “Evangelical fervour will be a revelation to intelligentsia” where she writes:
“Little media attention has been given to a form of Christianity deemed irrelevant by the liberal intelligentsia because it is regarded as fundamentalist and, therefore, irrational. That could be about to change.”
On Snake Handling, and so Forth
You intuit that “all that other stuff” like “the holy laughter, being ‘slain in the spirit,’ handling snakes or drinking poison, or holy crying, or holy barking like a dog, or uncountably large numbers of divine healing claims … isn’t really central or crucial.” And you are correct in that assessment. Yet you argue that “No one else does all that stuff in their church services (at all), and it’s the thing that the AG does that’s most distinctively AG.”
Au contraire, mon frere.
Some A/G churches have given themselves over to the Latter Rain/World of Faith style theology and practice, but by no means have all done so, and this is not what we identify as our distinctive. So-called “holy laughter,” barking, and Appalachian-style snake-handling, whatever, have no biblical precedent and no doctrinal support from the General Council of the Assemblies of God and they are largely sourced from revivals in non A/G churches like the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship.
Further, no A/G church that I have ever heard of ever advocated snake-handling and etc. You know this, Kendall, and I’m disappointed you’ve conflated Elmer Gantry accounts with A/G history.
The healing claims, I’ll grant you, we do love our healing claims. But as to whether or not there is zero documentation is a claim for a different discussion.
Healing Claims
I can tell you that my family’s claim to physical healing is documented insofar as my wife’s doctor has MRIs and CAT scans indicating the presence of a micro-adenoma at one stage, which disappeared at another. What happened in the intervening stage? Coincidentally, there was a “word of knowledge” or maybe “prophecy” given at her home church the weekend that I proposed to her. That “word” was that “This day, my daughter, you are healed.” After the service, the lady who had spoken came to my wife and told her, “I don’t know why, but I feel like that message was for you.” Nobody in the church knew about my wife’s condition. Three months later, a follow-up MRI revealed that the adenoma had “spontaneously disappeared.” Or, perhaps, was never there at all.
But my wife’s need for medication and therapy also ceased during that time.
Coincidence? Oh, sure. Documented? No, not to anyone’s satisfaction save our own. Healing? I think so. Heresy? Only if it’s orthodox to deny Scripture.
On the Universal Rejection of All Things Pentecostal
You then go on to riff on how Southern Baptists universally reject emotional excess. Which I find interesting because while Southern Baptists do tend to reject classical Pentecostalism, their International Missions Board has been very conflicted about whether to defrock missionaries who — guess what — pray in tongues. However, current SBC president Johnny Hunt has said:
“Concerning the private prayer language: If, indeed, it is private, it seems as though we really don’t have an issue to deal with. When a person chooses to become more Pentecostal in their convictions and beliefs, our concern then becomes that of what they are relating to the people on the field. That should call for proper action.”
And regarding and how Roman Catholics are universally cessationist you must have missed the memo: not so much.
The “Duquesne Weekend,” in February 1967, resulted in a handful Catholics receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This sparked a revival:
“Known as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the movement is celebrating its 40th anniversary … One hundred million Catholics around the world have been involved in the Renewal during the past 40 years, according to the archdiocesan Charismatic Renewal Office” (from Catholic Online.)
There are probably more charismatic Catholics in America today than there are A/G adherents.
And this hasn’t happened just to Baptists and Catholics.
“Since c. 1960 the Pentecostal movement has come to be widely represented not only by the classical Pentecostal Churches, but also within the main Christian denominations, including since c, 1967 the [Roman Catholic] Church. (“Pentecostalism,” The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 1989. page 1,062).
Further,
“Pentecostal leaders such as David Du Plessis encouraged the spread of the charismatic movement to mainstream Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic church. In all of its modern variations — Pentecostal denominations, independent ministries and churches, and charismatic movements within Protestantism and Roman Catholicism — Pentecostal religion strongly influenced twentieth-century American Christianity and transformed the religious demography of much of the developing world” (“Pentecostalism,” David Edwin Harrell, Jr. The Oxford Companion to United States History, 2001, page 587).
On the Three In One
You move on to criticize my claim that the A/G is “thoroughly Trinitarian,” is “just really not true at all … the doctrinal temptation of AG and other forms of Pentecostalism is not modalism … but tritheism.” You also claim that I know this is talked about in A/G circles and imply that I was disingenuous for not revealing this.
Really? If I had such knowledge I must have suppressed it. Allow me to state categorically for your satisfaction: I am aware of no active discussion in the A/G circles in which I move, am familiar with, or have heard about which calls into question our Trinitarian view of God.
I reject the label “tritheist.” Feel free to show me where, in our official doctrines or theology, we are guilty of this accusation. Or show me how my own writing on this blog may have fallen into that heresy. Cite your source, and we can have a conversation about that.
On Studies — Scientific, Valid, or Otherwise
As for no “scientifically valid study” for the empowerment for Christian witness, service, and holiness, I wonder how one would go about devising such a study? Would it be anything like the “scientifically valid” studies confirming that prayer has no effect on anything whatsoever?
Perhaps you have just such a “scientifically valid” test handy to help us prove conclusively that the Holy Spirit is, indeed, the third member of the Godhead. Save us from our damnable tritheistic heresy once and for all with the glorious hope of a “scientifically valid study.” Please! If you could help us, Kendall, we could transform apologetics! Finally, and at last, we could supply the world with “scientifically valid” conclusions about all matters of faith, phenomenology, and intuition!
That the Bible, properly interpreted, appears to teach the expectation of such an experience and its orthodoxy (if not orthopraxy) is sufficient cause for me to seek the same experience in my life, and to encourage others to experience it. Whether science confirms the validity of the practice is less relevant to me than whether it is normal or normative for the believer.
As for whether there is a statistically significant difference between those who speak in tongues and those who don’t, you may be missing the fact that the rapid success of the movement in missions and evangelism is at least one area where statistical significance is passingly robust.
“On November 20, 1998, Pentecostal scholar Vinson Synan presented a paper to the Evangelical Theological Society entitled, “Policy Decisions on Tongues As an Indicator of Future Church Growth.” Synan demonstrates in his paper that Pentecostals have been dramatically more successful in planting and growing churches than those who have rejected the Pentecostal understanding of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the necessity of speaking in tongues. His statistics are drawn from the development of Pentecostal missions in the 20th century. In Chile, the Methodists grew to approximately 5,000 members, while the Pentecostals grew to 2,371,000. In Brazil, the Baptists grew to 1,050,000, while the Pentecostals grew to over 21 million. Worldwide, the Christian and Missionary Alliance grew to 1.9 million, while the Assemblies of God has surpassed 25 million. More current year statistics (2003) show that Assemblies of God worldwide members and adherents have grown to nearly 48 million, not including the nearly 2.7 million adherents in the U.S.
“These statistics cannot be ignored. These accomplishments are the reason that Fuller Seminary undertook a study of Pentecostal missions that has drawn attention to the spectacular success of Pentecostal ministry. Other scholars are drawing similar conclusions. Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University, recently wrote a new book, The Next Christendom, in which he demonstrates that the growth patterns of the Pentecostals will make the 21st century a Pentecostal century. Pentecostal ministry is not slightly more effective. It makes a dramatic difference. The baptism in the Holy Spirit provides a significant amount of power for supernatural ministry resulting in striking accomplishments for the Kingdom.” (“Baptism In The Holy Spirit, Initial Evidence, And A New Model,” Gordon D. Anderson, PhD., Enrichment Journal.)
On the Sily Televangelists
As for my alleged angst over Swaggart, Hinn, and the Bakkers, I have no angst. I state that they are defrocked and do not represent the A/G. it’s fallacious to assume that they are representative of the A/G any more than assuming that I, myself, am exemplary — especially when they have been defrocked and rejected by A/G authorities. However, they are frequently referred to as shining examples of the A/G when it’s simply not true. And you fall into the same pattern, using them as an ironic example of “the increased ‘witness, service, and holiness'” that I referred to.
The failure of individuals to live up to the biblical calls and mandates does not repudiate the worth, value, or truth of the biblical claims that such individuals fail to embody.
Next someone will prop up Jim Jones as a shining example of Christian devotion.
On Politics and Pentecostal Conspiracies
As for “the new relationship between American electoral politics and the AG,” “the relationship between the AG and the Republicans,” and “this AG-Republican alliance,” I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s news to me. Care to back that claim up?
As for Obama vs. Palin in the arena of faith and politics, I know of nobody who seriously claims that Obama is a Muslim. He has repeatedly stated otherwise, and I take his statements at face value. Conflating nut-jobs who hold that position with the entire Republican party is over-reaching, I think. But as to questioning Obama’s religious beliefs, I think it’s as legitimate to consider whether a church heavily influenced by Black Liberation Theology will have had an effect on a parishioner’s view of race and power. It’s as legitimate as questioning whether Palin’s possible association with Latter Rain-style theology would also effect her view of justice and freedom. I think both candidates have much to reveal in this area.
But the point of my article is not to defend Palin. The point I’m making, and made poorly, I guess, is that whatever Palin is, whatever the Wasilla A/G is, that’s not what the Assemblies of God is, by and large. The caricatures drawn in the media are not accurate. Nor, apparently, are yours — which is surprising for an Assemblies of God college graduate like yourself.
As for whether Palin has failed “systematically” to do anything, I have to laugh. It’s been, what, two weeks since she was announced as candidate for VP, and we’re already using words like “systematically” to describe her actions in the national spotlight? Two weeks isn’t long enough to characterize anybody’s behavior as systematic. Again, I think you’re over-reaching.
I don’t know what in my article caused you to respond with such apparent irritation (anger, even) but I hope your anger is not directed at me. Perhaps you are angry about the Assemblies of God and how Pentecostals like myself have treated you? I don’t know. If I have mistreated you in some way, please tell me so I can make a proper apology. I’m familiar with your cynicism and your forceful critiques, but I’m not familiar with the anger.
Hope all is well with you.
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Casey September 22, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Hey Rich:
Well done. But you left us Calvinists out in the cold. Ah well. God’s will I suppose…
Mike Morrell September 23, 2008 at 5:44 pm
While I’m no fan of Sarah Palin, as former A/G-er I appreciate this thorough journalistic-y post! I’ll be passing it along to curious friends…thank you.
David Copeland October 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Another job, well done Rich! When I grow up, I’m gonna write just like you!
Seriously, thanks for the article and the repsonse to Kendall….man, I need some smart pills….
Copyright © 2019 Rich Tatum Theme by: Theme Horse Powered by: WordPress
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Based in Boston, MA, Tim is an international touring musician, session drummer, published author, and educator. He currently performs and tours with GA-20, an electric blues trio signed with Karma Chief/Colemine records, and leads Tim Carman & The Street 45s, a world-groove inspired funk group.
Additionally, in 2017 and 2018, Tim toured with Julie Rhodes, soul singer extraordinaire, declared 2016's "Best New Artist" by the Boston Music Awards, 2017's "Musician of the Year" by the Improper Bostonian, and 2017's "Female Vocalist of the Year" and "Americana Artist of the Year" by the Boston Music Awards. From 2015 to 2017 Tim worked as a session musician in Los Angeles, performing with a variety of artists including Sheldon and Cunnane (jam band duo), Violet Wine (indie rock), Valley Shine (folk pop), The Elizabeth Kill (alternative rock), The Pot Luck (jazz quartet), Roberto Hermosillo (Latin pop), Mother Jones (funk/rock), and guitarist Christy Calabro (Brett Michaels, Poison).
Along with performing, Tim is a dedicated educator with over ten years of teaching experience. In 2017 Tim released his first drum set method book titled "Shape Beats for Kids." Published by Alfred Music, the book utilizes shapes to teach young students basic beats that they can use to play along with popular songs. Currently, Tim is working on his second book loosely titled "Groove Systems: Coordination Exercises for the Modern Drummer."
TIM'S HISTORY
Tim was born in a rural suburb of Boston and raised on the sounds of americana, rock, blues, and jazz. An avid performer since his early teens, Tim shared his time between big band performances with the Rivers High School Jazz Band and rock shows in local Boston basements and clubs with his older brother. After receiving a Bachelor's degree from Hamilton College in History and Music, and a Diploma from Berklee College of Music, Tim could be seen performing with artists such as the Tokyo Tramps--led by guitarist/singer Satoru Nakagawa, two-time winner of the Massachusetts Blues Society solo/duo challenge--as well as Eric and the French Quarter--awarded best R&B/Blues Act in Providence by the Phoenix in 2011.
Photos on "Home Page" By Deafboy Music Photography, Old King Cole Photography, and Sarah Smile Photography.
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Barbara Hosier
AMENIA — Barbara Hosier passed away with her loving family by her bedside on April 11, 2019. She was a resident of Noble Horizons and former resident of Amenia.
Born at Sharon Hospital, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Louise Brendline.
She was predeceased in 2002, by her husband, George, and father to her surviving sons, Gregg and his fiancée, Nancy, and Don and his wife, Melissa.
She is also survived by her grandson, Matthew and his wife Brittany, and grandchildren Haley, Quinn and Colby; her sister, Linda and her husband, Wally, and their son, Brian, and family; her brother, Calvin and his wife, Jean, and their children, and grandchildren; her cousin, Joan Tuncy and her companion Chet Lehman; her cousin, Lee Garay and his family; her niece Charlene and her husband, Chuck; her brother-in-law, Dave, and his wife, Vida, and their daughter, Molly; and many other nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her sister and her husband, Cynthia and Charlie Goggins.
Barbara worked at the Viewpoint, Barlow and Kildonan schools for over 40 years. She retired to care for George, who suffered from a long term illness.
She had a heart of gold, and saw the good in everybody. She enjoyed spending time with her family, and looked forward to cooking for her immediate family on holidays.
She was a loving, caring mother and grandmother, who was always concerned with our well being, ahead of hers.
Special thanks to Melissa for years of care, and Linda and Charlene for all of their kindness and help over the years.
She was a resident of Noble Horizons for the last three and a half years, where everybody she met, including the staff, loved her.
The question arises in one’s mind, will I be missed when I am gone? Yes, Barbara, you will be missed more than you can imagine.
She is at peace now with George and Boe and many friends and relatives.
Memorial donations in Barbara’s honor may be sent to the Salisbury Ambulance (www.Salisburyambulance.org) or the Little Guild of St. Francis, 8 Undermountain Road, 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike, Cornwall CT 06796.
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Jersey City Rising
Thread: Jersey City Rising
TLOZ Link5
Interesting comparison, Kram. *It's certainly true that rivalries exist between cities and their suburbs—or, in the case of Washington and Baltimore, twin cities.
I've heard from some news sources that downtown JC is somewhat desolate if you factor out all the new office development—not many residential or worker amenities, few shops or restaurants, etc. *A columnist in the Post a while back said that downtown JC was only marginally better than downtown Dallas. *Is that necessarily true?
JCMAN320
Jersey Patriot
Thats not true I go down there all the time. We have a large mall called Newport, new residences have gone up, and there are a large amount of shops and restaurants in the area that have gone up since that coloumn was published, especially in the newport area. Quite a few have gone up around Exchange Place as well.
New Condos Move Inland From Water in Jersey City
By RACHELLE GARBARINE
Housing development is marching inland from the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, its focus changing to condominiums rather than the rental apartments that dominate the water's edge.
Evidence of the shift are two sizable condo projects — one under way, the other planned — on Montgomery Street, west of the shoreline.
The larger of the projects is a 113-apartment complex named Montgomery Greene for its location at the corner of Montgomery and Greene Streets, two blocks from the riverfront. Construction is to start in December on its 19-story tower with 108 apartments and a connecting six-story building with five full-floor lofts.
The new structures will replace the parking lot and two vacant brownstones now on the site. KOR Companies of Wall, N.J., in a joint venture with Time Equities of Manhattan, is developing the $41 million project, which will also have a 124-car garage and ground-floor stores.
The other building, with 46 condos now on the market for sale, is at Montgomery and Grove Streets, eight blocks from the shoreline. A seven-story building is rising on the site, formerly occupied by part of the Majestic Theater, which was built in 1907. The old theater's rear lobby, which is to be refurbished, will be the entrance to the new building.
The theater's front lobby is in a three-story building on Grove Street that, as part of a larger project, is being renovated along with three adjacent buildings dating from 1897 to 1930. The ground-floor space is being rented to retailers, the theater is being marketed to small non-chain users and the upper levels are initially being shown to service users like doctors, according to Exeter Property Company, the developer of the $20 million project.
By the end of the year, several other condo projects are expected to be under way on and around Montgomery Street, totaling 200 apartments, said Robert P. Antonicello, a principal of the ACI Group, a real estate services company in Jersey City. In addition, a 34-story, 523-apartment tower is planned along with a hotel on a site across Newark Avenue from the Grove Street PATH station. Its developer, Schenkman/Kushner Affiliates of Bridgewater N.J., has not yet decided whether the housing will be rental or condo. Construction is to start next spring.
Mr. Antonicello said that for many years developers viewed the city's growth corridor "as the narrow band at the river's edge." Today, he added, little developable land remains on the shoreline, pushing the growth inland. A weakened rental market, he said, was also encouraging developers to put up condos.
He estimated the riverfront rental vacancy rate at 7 percent, up from 3 or 4 percent last year, and said that average rents had fallen by 10 percent, to $24 a square foot annually, or about $2,000 a month. And low mortgage rates, he said, have encouraged people to invest in real estate rather than in the stock market.
Harry Kantor, president of KOR, which is primarily known as a suburban housing developer, said that earlier this year his company bought the Montgomery Greene site, which is near the Exchange Place PATH station and the historic Paulus Hook neighborhood, as a way to diversify. The complex was originally conceived as a rental. But Mr. Kantor said his company redesigned it as a condo to take advantage of the strong for-sale market.
The studio to two-bedroom apartments will have 500 to 1,400 square feet. Initial prices are from $162,500 to $735,000, or $325 to $525 a square foot. Prices for the lofts are not yet set. Sales are to start this fall.
The steel skeleton for the Majestic Theater Condominiums is rising and, along with four renovated buildings, transforming a site across Grove Street from City Hall. Exeter Property was chosen in 2000 as the site's developer by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which foreclosed on the property in 1997.
Eric Silverman, Exeter's president, said that while the project was blocks from the water, it was near the PATH station on Grove Street, which was filling up with restaurants and boutiques, and was in the Van Vorst Park Historic District.
Mr. Silverman said he started the building as a rental but changed to a condo because people, helped by historically low interest rates, "want to invest in the city."
The building will have studio to three-bedroom apartments, with 700 to 1,500 square feet. The building's lobby, once part of the old theater, includes a 35-foot-high domed ceiling and such decorative touches as 13 plaster angels.
Since sales began seven weeks ago, 30 apartments have been sold. Prices have been raised 5 to 15 percent, to $175,000 to $500,000, or $310 to $330 a square foot on average. Completion is expected in January.
July 21st, 2003, 02:06 PM #65
NYC8588
Is it just me or does the images posted by NYatKNIGHT on 12:29 pm on June 25, 2003 look like the Two International Finance Centre in hong kong
Fabb
We discussed their similarities before, in another thread.
Those pictures are excellent, btw.
July 22nd, 2003, 07:22 PM #67
moreforme
As a former Manhattanite who was first driven to Brooklyn and then Jersey City, I understand why NYer's as so upset by NJ's "leeching" off of NYC. *Everytime I saw a new tower going up in Jersey City, *I'd wonder with irritation, "Why!? Why not Brooklyn?" *But slowly, I came to realize why. *There's no real competition between Brooklyn and Manhattan, and Manhattan controls the cards. *It took NJ to finally make NYC realize its neglect of Brooklyn. * But it's a little too late. *
Developers and bankers have very little vision. *They need to see somebody else making money before they invest in a place. *Jersey City has, in no way, reached its full potential, but I dare anyone to come visit it and not see it HAS potential. *I had been looking to buy an apartment for a while. *I couldn't rationalized Manhattan's prices and the few neighborhoods in Brooklyn worth living in are overpriced as well. *So I gave NJ a look and found, behind that JC skyline, three historic brownstone neighborhoods built around parks. *(Bet you NYC faithfuls didn't know JC had history.) *I decided to put aside my NJ prejudice (afterall, it is this prejudice that makes Jersey City real estate affordable) and look at merely the facts: *its multiculturalism, beautiful buildings, easy commute, price and growth potential. *Why complain about JC's growth when I can take advantage of it?
Once I made the decision, I also understood the NJ prejudice better. *Because it is so close, it is so EASY to make the jump from NY to NJ. *The barrier is not physical--why is the East River not a barrier?-- *it's psychological! *
As for the *NJ/NY competition, both states are shooting themselves in the foot over the silly brawl. *For decades, big businesses have used this rivalry for their own gain. *They threaten to move to NJ, NYC capitulates and gives them HUGE tax breaks. *Giuliani had given away hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks. *Thank goodness Bloomberg, who had been a finance CEO himself and know their game, called their bluff. * *I haven't heard a peep out of those rich companies since. *
Let's face it, NYC has the prestige and the companies that value prestige will stay in NYC no matter what. *No free handouts needed. *But there are some companies that prefer value. *Let them come to NJ. *No need to give away the land. * *Why can't the two states cooperate and not let these companies take advantage of them? *
If NYC would stop hoarding, NJ would not need to steal. *Because NJ, and especially JC, lives in NYC's great shadow it can never be a great city. *I see tons of people, myself included, *taking the path train to spend their money in NYC every weekend. * So, give us a break, why begrudge our attempt to make ourselves self-sufficient?
"I've heard from some news sources that downtown JC is somewhat desolate if you factor out all the new office development—not many residential or worker amenities, few shops or restaurants, etc"
Yeah but if you consider Hoboken as part of the Jersey City Gold Coast that statement is false, Hoboken has excellent restaraunts and night life.
I enjoy going to Hoboken on Friday and Saturday nights, when My girlfriend and I marry (hopefully soon) we hope to get an apartment in Hoboken.
Her father works in Hoboken and owns a couple homes there, however renting an apartment from a inlaw might be wierd.
Yea but think once the residential buildings on the drawing board goes up and PATH between WTC and Exchange Place is restored, I think it will be the way it use to be b4 9/11 when after 6:00 people still stayed around and hung out around da bars and restaurants. Lower Manhattan is also having the same problems as downtown JC no ones around too much after 6:00
NYC - Hoboken
From GlobeSt.com
Luxury Condos Get Site Approvals
By Eric Peterson
Last updated: Jul 29, 2003 *10:12AM
JERSEY CITY, NJ-Local officials have given KOR Cos. the necessary site plan approvals to proceed with a 113-unit high-rise residential condo project called Montgomery Greene in this city's midtown area. Company officials say they expect to break ground next spring, and are targeting a summer of 2005 occupancy.
The 20-story luxury building, which is being designed by the local architectural firm of Lindemon Winckelmann Dupree Martin and Associates, will also include some 4,000 sf of ground-floor retail space, as well as 125 spaces of covered parking. The units themselves will include a mix of loft, studio, one- and two-bedroom residences.
KOR Cos., based in Wall Twp., NJ, is a developer of industrial, office and residential properties. Company officials have not released any cost figures on Montgomery Greene.
August 14th, 2003, 12:40 PM #71
Wall Street West
JC keeps attracting financial companies despite wooing from Big Apple
By John A. Martins
Reporter staff writer August 03, 2003
GOLD COAST GLORY - Waterfront employees making their way home from work on a typical evening use the trains, buses and light rail cars that make up the area's multi-faceted public transportation system.
Business advocates in Lower Manhattan are trying to lure Jersey City companies back to New York, but firms in the financial services sector are continuing to set up shop along New Jersey's Gold Coast.
Recently, the staff at both the New York Economic Development Corporation and the Alliance for Downtown New York unveiled an aggressive mailing campaign to increase awareness about the various benefits of doing business in Lower Manhattan. Targeting small and medium-sized businesses across the region, the mailing campaign included 326 mailings that went out specifically to companies in New Jersey, the majority of which are located along the Hudson River.
But financial firms are continuing to resist the lure.
Boston-based Fidelity Investments, the largest mutual fund company in the nation, celebrated the establishment of its ninth regional site at Jersey City's Harborside Financial Center Monday in a ceremony overlooking the Jersey City waterfront from the 10th floor of Harborside's Plaza 5 building. Government officials like Gov. James McGreevey, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham were in attendance.
Citing the many fiscal incentives and other attractions that make New Jersey - and Jersey City - so attractive to business leaders, Fidelity executives said that putting roots in Jersey City just made sense.
"Jersey City is successful because you have adapted to a new way of doing business," said David Weinstein, an executive vice president at Fidelity. "We were attracted to [Jersey City's] labor pool, its telecommunications infrastructure and its proximity to New York City's capital markets."
Such compliments are music to the ears of local officials and planners, who say that they have for years worked hard to make Jersey City a viable option for companies looking to expand or relocate operations across the Hudson River.
But officials and planners in New York City aren't particularly thrilled about Jersey City's accolades.
SETTLING A SCORE
Brian Evans, a spokesperson at the Alliance for Downtown New York, declined to comment last week on the progress of the Big Apple's nascent marketing campaign, stating that it's too soon to tell how much interest the mailings generated.
But insiders on both sides of the river have said that a rivalry between the two states has raged for more than 10 years, a situation most describe as a contest to see who can attract the most profit-generating businesses.
Since 1996, the state has offered tax incentives to companies who either relocate or expand to New Jersey through the Business Employment Incentive Program [BEIP], said New Jersey Economic Development Authority spokesman Glenn Phillips. The program allows qualified businesses to earn up to 80 percent of the personal income tax withholdings from the new jobs created when they moved to the state.
And although the program has served the state well in the seven years it has been in use, Phillips said that interstate competition for businesses is an inevitable fact of regional life.
"There's competition among a lot of states with businesses," Phillips said. "We certainly recognize that New York and Pennsylvania will be trying to attract businesses. But New Jersey has a lot to offer. We have a great workforce and we're strong in the financial services sector and in high technology."
Officials say it is precisely that strength in the financial services sector that state and local governments have seized in their business retention and acquisition plans.
"We want New Jersey to be business-friendly and aggressively seek the financial services sector," McGreevey said last Monday. The best way in which to do that, he added, was to continue with New Jersey's tradition of facilitating both regulatory reforms and business support strategies.
Jersey City has taken the lead throughout the state in its efforts at reigning in regional financial businesses, through both state-sponsored programs and local tax abatement issuances. Since 1996, more than 30 New York-based businesses were awarded approximately $362 million in BEIP grants for either relocating or expanding to Jersey City.
As of last week, 11,192 new jobs had been created.
"[Fidelity's presence in Jersey City] is a significant sign of the potential being realized within our city as a true business destination," Mayor Glenn Cunningham said in a release. "Jersey City, called Wall Street West by many, is more than just a viable option; it is a smart alternative to other locales for establishing corporate infrastructure."
In addition, the increase of business activity isn't solely attributed to the strongly active economy in the years preceding the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, McGreevey said. Approximately 39,000 jobs were created in New Jersey since February 2003 through 449 projects that receive more than $750 million in financial assistance.
HUDSON'S ALLURE
Although Monday's ceremony marked Fidelity's intention to operate a regional site in Jersey City, the company has been present in town for more than two years. The company had kept a contingency site open at Harborside as normal procedure during its tenure at New York's World Financial Center.
"Operations at Harborside made sense before 9/11," Weinstein said Monday. "After 9/11, when we were forced to work in a temporary space for 14 months, it reinforced our thinking."
"Jersey City made sense for a few reasons," Weinstein added. "One is that it's both diversified from our Lower Manhattan operations but close to it. You have different power grids and traffic patterns. We were also very attracted to the business incentives in Jersey City, and being in the Enterprise Zone is very important. Those incentives are valuable."
Two hundred and eighty employees currently work at Fidelity's Jersey City location. And 90 more employees are expected to relocate to the waterfront by the fall through Fidelity's recent acquisition of Correspondent Services Corporation [CSC], a subsidiary of UBS Financial Services, Inc. The CSC employees will be relocating from their previous facility in Weehawken.
"We like to be in areas where there's a good labor pool that's specialized in our type of business," Weinstein said. "All you have to do is look around in Jersey City. Yeah, there are lots of competitors. But the employees in this region have been well-trained."
Fidelity also operates five investor centers in the state, with locations in Morristown, Millburn, Paramus, Princeton and Red Bank.
And although Weinstein said the company wasn't in a position to choose between New York City and Jersey City in selecting the location of its newest regional site, he acknowledged the fact that governmental bodies - from the state to the municipal level - do in fact compete with each other in harnessing businesses.
"It's nice to have different states and communities fighting over us," Weinstein added. "They know we have really good, well-paying jobs that attract people. We just don't want to move [our New York headquarters] anymore. We ended up doing both things; we're in Lower Manhattan and Jersey City. That diversifies our interests."
"We're very pleased to be here," Weinstein added.
August 26th, 2003, 10:45 AM #72
State Square
$31M MXD Set to Rise in Journal Square
By Eric Peterson - Globe.st
Last updated: Aug 25, 2003 *03:21PM
JERSEY CITY, NJ-Ground has been broken for State Square, a 12-story building that will combine 130 apartments and 15,000 sf of ground-floor retailing when it's completed in about 18 months. The complex, which will rise on the site of the old State Theater in this city's Journal Square district, will include 30 low-income units within its apartment component and will have an eight-story, 395-car parking garage.
The developer of State Square is a consortium whose principals include the Alpert Group, Applied Development Co., Panepinto Properties and former Congressman Frank Guarini. The project is also getting assistance from the New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Agency.
"We are extremely pleased to launch this project," according to principal Joseph Alpert, who notes that State Square marks the first new construction project in Journal Square in some 20 years.
"Journal Square has already received substantial capital improvements over the past three years," Alpert says. "We believe we have come up with an important missing piece in the overall effort to revive Journal Square--providing a place for people to live in the downtown area."
State Square will also be situated near one of the largest transportation hubs in the metro area, including the Port Authority of NY/NJ's Journal Square station for the PATH light rail system.
Great point yanni. When in downtown looking at JC, it makes you feel like you're really in an urban jungle---that the city just doesn't "end" at the river. We need places like JC to keep the whole region growing and compete with economic machines like Hong Kong. While I agree trying to take the Stock Exchange and Statue of Liberty away from NYC is bad-natured and it's things like that that make us hate each other. Also, most tourists see JC and think it part of New York.
ARMY TRANSFERS LAND TO THE CITY
Golf course part of plan for area's renewal
By Matt Porio
Journal staff writer
Hudson County golfers, still waiting for a planned Bayonne course, are a big step closer to playing in Jersey City.
The Hoboken-based Applied Company put up $8.5 million for the 50 acres of vacant land at the Army Reserve Center, where a private 18-hole golf course and residences are planned near the Port Liberte waterfront in Jersey City, according to Barbara Netchert, assistant executive director at the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.
The Army Reserve Center will retain 20 acres of property that contain buildings and other facilities.
Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham called the land transfer a "win-win for everyone" yesterday afternoon, following a ceremony for transfer of the property that included Army representatives and U.S. Rep. Robert Menendez, D-Hoboken.
Jersey City residents, he said, will benefit from taxes paid on the property, while Army reservists who live in the Reserve Center will benefit from improvements to the facilities that can be paid for with the $8.5 million purchase price.
According to Menendez, the land transfer "has been a long time in the making," referring to legislation passed in 1987 that authorized transfer of a large portion of the property to Jersey City and the state of New Jersey.
"Today was a great sense of accomplishment," Menendez told The Jersey Journal yesterday afternoon.
As part of the deal, Applied agreed to leave a swath of the land undeveloped as a possible realignment route for a section of Highway 185, which now has a sharp "hairpin curve" that could be straightened out if the highway is extended through the property, Netchert said.
According to Netchert, the developer, who could not be reached for comment, is already engaged in environmental evaluation of the area, which will probably take another year to 18 months.
She said it will probably be at least three to four years until development at the site is completed.
The 20 acres of the site retained by the Army houses units of the 77th Regional Readiness Command and overlooks New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
According to the Army, it served as a vital facility during the Cold War, and several members of the reserve units that occupy the site have been deployed for action in Iraq.
"The base has always been a good neighbor," Cunningham said. "We all come out of this feeling good."
August 31st, 2003, 03:22 PM #75
ETHNIC NEIGHBORHOODS: A SERIES
Paulus Hook serves a gateway, a turning point in city's history
Note: This article is the first in a new series by the Jersey City Reporter called "Ethnic Neighborhoods."
Since their beginnings, the communities in Jersey City have been in constant flux.
Groups of people have come and been displaced by powerful or subtle forces. Even in the city's pre-Revolution days, when Dutch settlers regularly fought with the indigenous Native American tribes, Jersey City life was characterized by movement.
Like many other communities across the country, Jersey City was shaped by various external factors. In pre-industrial times, when New York first began to grow as a megalopolis, Jersey City has existed in its shadow. Legal battles that decided ownership of waterfront property and port rights were won and lost, and both towns tried vigorously to grasp their share of the global commerce that the Hudson River and New York Harbor provided.
Historically, people under the stress of famine and war were lured to Jersey City's shores by the hope of a better life. Ethnic groups settled in neighborhoods like Harsimus Cove and West Bergen, and each tried, over time, to assert its place as a power-player in the city. From humble beginnings as low-wage factory workers, some of the city's oldest families can boast sons and daughters who have risen to very enviable statures as commercial leaders and government officials. Jersey City's past is a story driven by the American dream.
That trend, having grown stronger and stronger as the years went by, continues.
Now that Jersey City is experiencing a decidedly new and important era of its history, a period often referred to as a "renaissance" that began in the 1980s and continues to the present, it is important to take a look at the city's past to glean insight into what lies ahead. Like the tidal waters that surround it, Jersey City ebbs and flows.
OLD GATEWAY
The first region to be called Jersey City, Paulus Hook was named for a mid-17th century Dutch West India Company agent named Michael Paulusen. Originally a small island separated from the mainland by a marsh on the north and a creek on the west, it was connected to the mainland when a Dutch farmer by the name of Cornelius Van Vorst filled in the marsh and built a causeway over the creek. Paulus Hook is now bound by the Hudson River on the east, Marin Boulevard to the west, Christopher Columbus Drive to the north and the Morris Canal on the south.
The area was used for years as a departure point for ferries to and from New York, and only in the early 1800s did businessmen begin to see Paulus Hook's potential. Alexander Hamilton, who served as treasury secretary under George Washington, formed the Associates of Jersey Company in 1804 to lease the land and develop it as a suburb of Manhattan.
Adjacent to the thriving rail, industrial and commercial businesses on the waterfront, it grew in the 19th century into a dense mixed-use neighborhood that featured ornate private rowhouses for the city's wealthy, and tenement buildings for the city's not-so-fortunate residents. There were also businesses catering to every imaginable need.
The area is rife with historical milestones: DeWitt Clinton invented the steam engine at a building on Grand and Greene streets. Legendary New Jersey Gov. A. Harry Moore was raised in Paulus Hook. The southwest corner of Washington and Grand - on which now stands the Cornelia F. Bradford School - was the original site of the Mayor's Mansion and the first Jersey City Post Office.
As its industrial role grew with the success of companies like American Sugar and Colgate-Palmolive, the neighborhood was transformed into a primarily working-class enclave of Eastern European immigrants from countries like Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Germany.
Residents worked nearby at either the railroads or Colgate-Palmolive or further away at Kearny's Western Electric and New York's meatpacking plants.
HOME FOR EASTERN EUROPEANS
"Paulus Hook was always a great melting pot," says Barbara Bromirski, a fourth-generation member of a Polish family that runs a funeral home on Warren Street. "It was primarily Eastern European, and before that it was German and Irish."
Because the area was so compact, a tightly-knit community emerged. Churches dotted the landscape of brick row-houses. There was a tavern on almost every corner. Felix "Phil" Orzechowski owned a tavern at 64 Morris St. he liked to call "The House of All Nations."
"Everybody knew everybody who lived in the Paulus Hook area because all the children went to school together," Bromirski said. "We went to all different churches, but you socialized together. In the evenings, when the men came home from work, after you ate supper, everyone would sit out on their stoops. Brooklyn and Jersey City are the only two places in the country that use that word. The mothers would sit out there, the kids would play together, and everyone would keep an eye on everyone's children."
Added Bromirski, "Years ago, we had in the Paulus Hook area three butcher stores, four candy stores, two ice cream parlors, a dry cleaners and two bakeries (one was cake and bread and the other was strictly bread rolls and bagels). Every night, half the neighborhood would parade down to the bakery and buy hot, fresh rolls. We had a number of small, family-operated restaurants. Like the [still-existing] Flamingo, where you walk in and everyone knows you. It's sort of our own version of 'Cheers,' where everyone knows your name. We had a drug store. Mr. Cohen had a hardware store. The Strausses had a delicatessen. Mrs. Pinkus had a dry goods store."
Grounded by a set of four corner parks at the intersection of Grand and Washington streets, the neighborhood contained characteristics of both a big city and a small town. People were known mostly by nicknames.
"Everyone downtown had a nickname," Bromirski said. "We, as funeral directors, only found out these people's real names when they died."
"You could've lived in Paulus Hook your whole life and never have set foot outside," she added.
The close-knit character of the area persisted until the 1960s, when the same American dream that brought the Eastern Europeans to Paulus Hook also enticed them away from the bustling city, often toward the suburbs.
MASS EXODUS
"All the families moved away," Bromirski said. "People moved away because this was definitely a working-class neighborhood. They started to get wealthier and they moved out of town. They were all blue-collar workers and as they had children, and their children started growing up, they moved out into the suburbs to give their children something better than they had. They thought moving to the suburbs was going to be better. Even to this day, they come back and visit and say they wish they still lived in Jersey City. The first thing they'll say is 'We had it so good here. Nobody was rich, nobody really had much of anything, but we didn't know it. But we enjoyed it! Everyone got along.' "
As years of neglect caused buildings to empty and wither away, the dense neighborhood became sparse, almost desolate. The King Gussie Flats, 80 units of housing over three buildings at Washington and Sussex streets, were taken down in the late 1960s. Multi-family buildings became parking lots. Companies started to move operations elsewhere. Even Colgate-Palmolive began to slowly phase out its operations. The neighborhood became an eyesore, and it seemed as if no one cared for it much.
GROWTH SPURRED BY ACTIVISM
What turned the neighborhood around in the 1970s, however, was the vigilance of three city residents, said Bill Bromirski, Barbara Bromirski's brother and a former longtime Planning Board commissioner.
"Joe Duffy, Ted Conrad and Owen Grundy raised the consciousness of historic districts in Jersey City," Bill Bromirski said. "It was their ball-busting that made us see the significance of our brick row-houses. Their efforts kept the neighborhood stable until all the development began to happen."
That activism soon began to pay off extremely well. Savvy businesspeople in New York began to see a potential goldmine in Paulus Hook's old-world buildings and narrow streets. Professionals who worked in Lower Manhattan coveted the shorter commute and began to buy homes in the area. Entrepreneurs looking to get rich on rental income soon followed suit.
The first condo conversion in Jersey City happened on Montgomery Street near Washington Street. In the early 1970s, developer Arthur Goldberg turned the old New Jersey Guarantee and Trust Company into a luxury apartment building. Even former County Executive Robert Janiszewski (who recently resigned from office during a corruption scandal) lived there for a time.
Developers began to buy up property to build huge towers - both residential and commercial - on the waterfront. Although ferry service to New York from Paulus Hook had been discontinued in the 1960s, New York Waterway saw the nascent community as a potential market and opened up shop. The early- to mid-1980s saw people moving back into the neighborhood, instantly giving it a much-needed boost.
"The major residential buildings brought a lot of life to an otherwise dead area," said Ron Smith, owner of the Light Horse Tavern on Washington and Morris streets. "People again started to value the neighborhood. It was a closer commute to Lower Manhattan than the upper west or east sides of Manhattan. People were looking for value. And the prices were much better here than they were in New York."
The people on Paulus Hook's streets went from old-world factory workers with blue collars to fast-walking, fast-talking professionals.
Development further north along the waterfront accelerated Paulus Hook's regeneration, but banking crises in the late 1980s caused the construction to come to a screeching halt.
NEW GATEWAY
When he moved to Paulus Hook in 1989, Smith said that the "bubble had just burst." Real estate prices in the neighborhood kept declining until about 1992, the year Smith calls the trough of that particular economic cycle. As the economy was both stabilized and fueled by the national craze in the technology industry, the flow of investment money returned to Paulus Hook.
Things went undeniably well for the rest of the 1990s until the recession that started before 9/11 was put into full motion by the terrorist attacks. Smith, however, thinks the current economic depression is just another cycle in the economic history of Jersey City.
"In the next 12 to 18 months, you'll see things picking up," Smith said.
Smith says Jersey City's position as "Wall Street West" - the designation given to the Exchange Place area of Paulus Hook because of all the financial services companies with operations there - is what will ultimately change the face of the city. Its infrastructure, proximity to roadways and airports and desirable work force will make Jersey City one of the most dynamic communities in the state. And when that happens, Smith said, Paulus Hook will be the biggest winner of all.
"The significance of the development along the waterfront and what's happening west of Warren Street is only going to make Paulus Hook more desirable as a historical district, [especially because] of its trees, bricks and stone walkways," Smith said. "You have so much history here. In five or 10 years, this is going to be one of the most desirable areas in the state. It's going to be like Society Hill in Philadelphia or Charlestown in Boston."
And that means more people with more money. If rents and property values continue to shoot upward, Paulus Hook will become the city's silk-stocking district. The wealthy professionals who work on Wall Street in New York - or at Wall Street West - moving into the neighborhood will shape it into an exclusive, high-income enclave.
©The Jersey City Reporter 2003 *
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Bobby Woodard named associate provost and vice president for student affairs at Auburn University
This entry was posted in Campus Announcement and tagged Division of Student Affairs on June 27, 2014 by Wire Eagle.
AUBURN UNIVERSITY – After a nationwide search, Auburn University President Jay Gogue has named Bobby Woodard associate provost and vice president for student affairs. Woodard comes to Auburn from East Carolina University, where he served as associate vice chancellor for student involvement and leadership.
“Under Bobby’s leadership, we look forward to vibrant, robust programs and services that promote students’ personal growth and development,” Gogue said.
Woodard, who will begin his new position Aug. 4, has more than 15 years of experience as a student affairs director and educator and has managed a variety of student affairs units.
As the university’s senior student affairs officer, Woodard will provide support and advisement to enrich the Auburn student experience and promote student success. His areas of responsibility will include 12 departments, where he will lead more than 100 full-time employees who serve more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
“Every student, administrator, trustee and faculty member I have met possesses a sense of pride for this school that is contagious,” said Woodard. “I am extremely excited for this opportunity and look forward to having my family join the Auburn Family.”
Woodard holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from East Carolina University. He obtained his master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of Central Florida and his doctorate of philosophy in student affairs administration from the University of Georgia.
“Auburn University has a passion for student success, a passion for knowledge and a passion for excellence,” said Woodard. “As vice president for student affairs, I hope to meet the demands of today’s ever-changing society, while preserving the traditions and spirit that are Auburn.”
In addition to his experience as an administrator, Woodard has held numerous leadership positions in the Southern Association for College Student Affairs, the Association of College Unions International, the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He has been recognized by multiple organizations for his service to students and in the profession of student affairs.
Woodard and his wife, Summer, are active in local nonprofits such as the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity and have one daughter, Raeleigh.
(Written by Chelsea Payne.)
Carol Nelson, Office of Communications and Marketing, (334) 844-2994 (nelsoc4@auburn.edu),
Mike Clardy, Office of Communications and Marketing, (334) 844-9999 (clardch@auburn.edu)
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NASA honoring astronaut Mattingly on Auburn campus March 26
This entry was posted in Alumni, Events, General News and tagged apollo, mattingly, NASA, space on March 18, 2009 by Wire Eagle.
AUBURN – NASA will honor astronaut Thomas K. “TK” Mattingly on March 26 with the Ambassador of Exploration Award for his contributions to the U.S. space program. Mattingly, an Auburn University alumnus, will receive the award in a 1 p.m. ceremony in the Lowe Grand Foyer of Auburn’s Shelby Center for Engineering Technology.
NASA is giving this award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for helping America realize its goal of going to the moon. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite and mounted for public display. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during the six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972.
“TK is a beloved member of the Auburn family and a true friend of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering,” said Dean of Engineering Larry Benefield. “He is proof of what an Auburn engineering graduate can become, and we appreciate his consideration of Auburn when choosing how to display this distinguished honor.”
Mattingly is one of six Auburn graduates who became astronauts, four of whom are engineers. Also, three Auburn engineering graduates have served as directors of the Kennedy Space Center.
Mattingly will give a talk about his life and experiences at 2 p.m. in Hartley Auditorium, 1103 Shelby Center. At a reception following the talk, he will meet and answer questions from members of the Auburn family.
Mattingly was born in Chicago and received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Auburn University in 1958. He was the command module pilot for the Apollo 16 mission. He also was designated command module pilot for the Apollo 13 flight but was removed from flight status 72 hours prior to the scheduled launch because of exposure to the German measles. Mattingly is one of a few Apollo astronauts who also flew aboard the space shuttle. He was the shuttle commander on missions STS-4 and STS 51-C.
While not on the Apollo 13 flight, he participated in the ground crew’s efforts to save his fellow astronauts from near tragedy, an episode depicted in the film, “Apollo 13.” Mattingly is also known for his other contributions to America’s first treks into space, including his role in the development of the first lunar space suit and backpack.
After receiving his degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn, Mattingly was commissioned as a naval officer in 1958. One of the select individuals chosen for the Apollo Space Program, he was a vital member of the support crews for the first lunar orbit and the first lunar landing. A key member of the Apollo team, he not only was instrumental in the recovery of the Apollo 13 crew, he also orbited the moon with the Apollo 16 mission.
Mattingly joined the Space Shuttle program in 1972, commanding two shuttle missions. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1985 and named director of the Navy’s Space and Sensor Systems Program Directorate. In 1989, he retired from government service to focus on the commercialization of space, working for companies such as Grumman, General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin.
For additional biographical information about Mattingly, visit: http://www11.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mattingly-tk.html. For information and pictures of the NASA Ambassador of Exploration Award, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/AofEphotos.html.
(Contributed by Sara Borchik.)
Contact: Sara Borchik, (334) 844-3591, (borchse@auburn.edu), or
Mike Clardy, (334) 844-9999 (clardch@auburn.edu)
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U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 3, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite | AP)
Susan Collins declines to say whether she’ll endorse Trump for re-election
John Wagner, The Washington Post • January 30, 2019
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, declined to say during a television interview Tuesday night whether she will endorse President Donald Trump for re-election in 2020.
“I’m not prepared at this point to make that decision,” Collins, one of the more moderate members of the Senate GOP, said during an interview on “PBS NewsHour.”
After saying she hadn’t yet focused on the race, Collins was pressed by host Judy Woodruff on whether she would make an endorsement of Trump later.
“I don’t know. I’m going to have to see what happens between now and then and look at what his record is,” Collins said. “I can’t imagine I would endorse any of the Democrats who are running right now, but I’m going to focus on 2020 in 2020.”
Asked if she might endorse another Republican, Collins said, “I’m neither ruling it in nor ruling it out.”
During a television appearance last month, Collins said there was “nothing wrong” with Trump facing a primary challenge.
“I see nothing wrong with challengers,” she said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “That is part of our democratic system.”
Collins has shown a willingness to buck Trump on issues including health care. But last year she provided a key vote in the confirmation battle over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, prompting Democrats to make her Senate seat a top target in 2020.
This article originally appeared on www.bangordailynews.com.
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Crown is taking legal action against the government over Barangaroo views
Crown Resorts is suing the NSW government, claiming another development will threaten the views from its new Sydney Casino at Barangaroo.
Crown announced in its full-year financial results that it had pursued legal action in the Supreme Court against the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA), claiming they failed to meet its obligations to the gambling and entertainment group.
“These obligations include consulting with Crown about any application for the proposed development of Central Barangaroo that differs from that provided for in the relevant Concept Plan for Central Barangaroo in existence at the time the Crown Development Agreement was entered into.” Crown stated, according to AFR.
The development in question, The Central Barangaroo development, will consist of a 5.2 hectare site with three hectares of public space, a Sydney Metro station and promises to combine community, civic and cultural spaces with resident, retail and commercial uses.
The Central Barangaroo development
According to AFR Crown Resorts executive chairman John Alexander said despite the development intending to be “low density and low rise”, the Crown is now concerned it will be taller than first anticipated, threatening the Casino’s views of the Sydney harbour bridge and opera house.
“The BDA want to increase the gross floor area by about three times and obviously to do that there’s an elevation density impact,” he said.
The BDA said in a statement it has been in talks with Crown for over two years.
“The Barangaroo Delivery Authority, acting on behalf of the NSW Government, has been negotiating with Crown and Lendlease about their sightlines over Central Barangaroo for 28 months,” the spokesman said, according to the ABC.
“At all times the Authority has acted in good faith and in accordance with its contractual obligations.
“The Authority will defend its position in court.”
The controversial new casino is set to be completed in the first half of the 2021 financial year.
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Lack of mental health awarness YouTube star Daniel Desmond “Etika” Amofah, known as a Nintendo sensation, was found dead in the East River of New York City on June 24. The cause of death was suicide by drowning, but the larger issue here is that the United States still has a glaring problem with me...
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Why Orthodox Churches are still used as pawns in political games
18987 Views April 27, 2018 124 Comments Saker Analyses and Interviews The Saker
[This article was written for the Unz Review]
First, a disclaimer: today I am going to touch upon a subject which is intensely painful for me and which will get quite a lot of my readers angry at me. Frankly, I did everything I could, not to discuss this issue on the blog, because I know, out of my personal experience, that discussing this topic is mostly futile and typically gets a lot of hostile reactions. This is made even worse by the fact that to be able to discuss this issue requires a certain level of knowledge in various subject matters which most people have only a very superficial familiarity with (if that). Finally, this topic is often debated in a nasty and vindictive manner and I have no desire whatsoever to contribute to that. And yet, there comes a time when I cannot remain silent, especially when I am constantly asked what my position on this topic is. At the end of the day, I have to follow my conscience and this conscience tells me that now is the time to put down in writing that which I mostly have tried to keep to myself, primarily because I did not see the point in publicly discussing it.
By now most of you must have heard that Poroshenko and the Ukrainian Rada have made an official request to the Patriarch of Constantinople to grant the Ukrainian Orthodox Church its full “autocephaly” (i.e. independence from the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate). Right there, in the preceding sentence, there are a lot of assumptions which are invalid and a lot of terms which are not defined and are, therefore, ambiguous at best.
To really be able to understand what is really at stake here you would need, at a very minimum, to have a basic but solid understanding of the following topics:
Orthodox ecclesiology (probably the hardest topic to get a grasp of)
The history of Orthodoxy in the territory called “the Ukraine” today
The history of the Russian Orthodox Church between the 16th and 19th century
The history of the Russian Orthodox Church during the early 20th century
A good understanding of what the Moscow Patriarchate today really is (its nature, status, role, how it functions, etc.) and what it’s historical and theological roots are
A basic understanding of the history of the Orthodox Churches under Ottoman occupation
I am very sorry to say that I cannot offer even a short summary of these topics here simply because there is no way of shortly summarizing them. For those interested, I did touch upon these topics in the past, especially in this and in this article. I strongly recommend you read them to get at least a sense of what I am going to be touching upon below.
To say that this topic is very complex is an understatement. Sadly, very few Orthodox Christians nowadays have the kind of basic knowledge needed to develop an informed opinion about this. Not by their fault, by the way, but simply because the level of religious literacy (taken broadly) has been in free fall for many decades, including among the Orthodox people.
So what I want to begin with here are a number of “bullet point” observations which I want to share with you “as is”, without going into the kind of deeper analysis every single one of them would deserve. What I hope to achieve is just to give a sense of the issues involved and to convince you that things are nowhere nearly as simple and black and white as some would like them to be.
First a few historical bullet-points
First, I want to immediately set aside any discussion of Orthodox ecclesiology. Besides, 99.9999% of those discussing this issue today do not really refer to Orthodox ecclesiological arguments anyway (even when the pretend to), so there is no point in arguing about this from this perspective. I will just say that a reasonable case can be made that the territory of what is today the Ukraine should be considered separately from the rest of Russia. Simply put, the history of Orthodoxy in southwestern Russia (roughly what we think of as the Ukraine today) and northeastern Russia (roughly what we think of as Russia today) between the 13th and 18th century have been dramatically different: the Orthodox people in these regions had to live, and sometimes survive, in very different circumstances, overcoming very different crises and, for a long while, they lived in dramatically different realities (primarily thanks to the Lithuanian and Polish occupation of western Russia and the systematic anti-Orthodox policies of the Vatican and its agents). Yes, Orthodoxy in the Ukraine and Russia have the same root, but then their paths took them along very different roads, so to speak.
Second, the Russian Orthodox Church underwent a dramatic and bloody internal schism during the 17th century (the so-called “Old Rite” schism) which saw the state (not so much the Church!) violently crush the opposition. This left deep wounds inside the Russian society and these events deeply alienated the masses of the Russian people against their leaders.
Third, the Russian Orthodox Church lost her independence and was gradually subordinated to the Russian state since, at least, the reforms of Czar Peter I (called “The Great” by westernizers) who reigned from 1682 to 1725. Furthermore, starting with Peter I, Russian ruling classes were gradually replaced with “imported” West European elites, which only further alienated the common Russian people.
Fourth, much of the Ukraine was liberated from the Polish Latin yoke by Catherine II (also called “The Great” by westernizers) who reigned from 1762 to 1796. However, by liberating the Ukraine, Catherine also inherited a population which included a large number of westernized elites, both Orthodox and Latin, and a huge Jewish population.
By the late 19th early 20th century the Russian elites were largely secularized and westernized while the traditional Orthodox ethos was severely disrupted inside the Russian society at large. Furthermore, there were very diverse movements inside the Russian Orthodox Church ranging from hesychastic monasticism (I think of Saint Theophan the Recluse) to rabid modernism (which resulted in the “living church” movement). This created severe internal tensions inside the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Bolshevik Revolution resulted in massive and genocidal religious persecutions against all religions in Russia, especially against Orthodox Christians which the Bolsheviks saw as 1) class enemies, 2) crypto-monarchists, 3) anti-Semites, 4) subversives 5) reactionaries 6) supporters of Grand-Russian chauvinism.
Orthodox clergymen in the first Soviet concentration camp in the “Solovetsky Special Designation Camp” (late 1920s)
As a result of vicious and widespread religious persecutions, at least four distinct groups appeared among Russian Orthodox Christians: 1) those who fled abroad 2) those who openly opposed the new regime 3) those who went into hiding 4) those who fully embraced the new regime. The first group left Russia and eventually founded the so-called “Russian Orthodox Church Abroad”. The second group (often called the “Josephites” after their leader Met. Joseph of Petrograd) was completely exterminated. The third group (the so-called “Catacomb Church”) split into many small subgroups and survived until our days, albeit with great difficulties and in very small numbers. The fourth group formed the basis of what is known today as the “Moscow Patriarchate” which today represents the overwhelming majority of Orthodox Christians in Russia.
During the Soviet era, the Moscow Patriarchate became the loyal instrument and supporter of the state in exchange for the exclusive control of all parishes, monasteries, cathedrals, seminaries, etc. The Department of External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate was basically run by the KGB and while the rank and file faithful had no choice which Russian Orthodox parish to attend, the Soviet state was in full control of the Moscow Patriarchate. This is what the famous Russian singer Igor Talkov, later murdered, referred to when he sang in his famous song “Globe” “Show me such a country, Where the churches are boarded up, Where the priest hides under his cassock, KGB epaulettes” (Покажите мне такую страну, Где заколочены храмы, Где священник скрывает под рясой, КГБ-шный погон).
In 1991, following the end of the Soviet era, the Moscow Patriarchate initially was challenged in its legitimacy by various groups of people, but with every passing year the Russian state under Eltsin and then Putin re-gained full control of the Moscow Patriarchate and a wave of repressions was unleashed against those small, but surprisingly numerous, Orthodox Christians groups who challenged the legitimacy of the Moscow Patriarchate.
In 2007, the majority of the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, allured by a strong sense of religious revival in Russia and a completely secular type of patriotism, reunited with the Moscow Patriarchate thereby conferring upon it a degree of legitimacy it had never enjoyed in the past.
In the Ukraine, officially independent since 1991, the situation remained far more fluid and a number of schisms occurred creating at least two versions of an “independent” Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Latin Uniats also played a key role in the re-ignition of Ukrainian nationalism and even though most Orthodox bishops in the Ukraine remained under the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, the pressure began to remove this “Moskal” jurisdiction and replace it by a “purely Ukrainian” one.
The main problem with the so-called “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate” (a self-proclaimed and therefore completely illegitimate ecclesiastical body) is that it is a pure product of the Moscow Patriarchate. It’s founder, Metropolitan Filaret (read about him here), was even considered a likely candidate to become Patriarch of Russia, this is might seem outright bizarre, but this is true. It gets even more surreal – in 1990 the Moscow Patriarchate actually gave the Ukrainians a bizarre status of “autonomy” (but not quite independence) thus creating something called the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate”, not to be confused with the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate” or, for that matter, with the “Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church” (all three are “sort of” official in the Ukraine).
As for the Latins and their Uniats, they have played a key role both during Bandera’s years in WWII and then in the resurgence of Ukronazi nationalism since 1991. They are one of the key factions of the Ukronazi regime in power since the coup in 2014 (the Poles and the Latins have always attacked Russia every time they perceived her as weakened by some internal or external problem; this is really nothing new).
Next, the term “canonical” and its misuses
There is a term which you will hear used a lot by all sides in this, and other, disputes. This term is “canonical”. Originally, the word “canon” simply means “measure” or “rule”. The correct modern meaning of the word “canonical” should be, but is not, “in accordance with, or in harmony/compliance with, the canons”, i.e. in conformity with the praxis and rules agreed upon by the Church Fathers and which were proclaimed by local and ecumenical Church Councils. Alas, this is not AT ALL what the word “canonical” means nowadays. Nowadays, the world canonical is used as an equivalent/substitute for “official” or “officially recognized” or even “majority endorsed”. From a strictly Orthodox point of view, this is an absolutely absurd interpretation of the notion of canonical since there were MANY times in Church history when the secular rulers backed heretical bishops and when most bishops had fallen into heresy (the times of Saint Maximos the Confessor and the Monothelite heresy come to mind). This misunderstanding of the word “canonical” is a sad witness to the deep state of secularization which so many putatively “Orthodox” Churches have undergone. But it gets even worse. Since many, or even most, “official” Orthodox churches have some very serious problems with their legitimacy and/or with their compliance with Church canons and traditions, they came up with a new trick: they confer “canonicity” upon each other. That is, one illegitimate bishop or Church declares itself the “only canonical one” in region A; another does the same in region B, and then they recognize each other and together proclaim themselves as “the only canonical” bishops/Churches worldwide. Conversely, those who do not have the support of secular powers and who cannot use the local riot police to seize parishes or monasteries are therefore decreed as “uncanonical” and dismissed as “fringe extremists”. From a purely Patristic point of view, this is all totally nonsensical and if anything, sheds a great deal of doubt upon the putative “canonicity” of the self-proclaimed “canonical” bishops or Churches. Let me give you just one example:
The 3rd Canon of the 7th Ecumenical Council says:
Every appointment of a bishop, or of a presbyter, or of a deacon made by (civil) rulers shall remain void in accordance with the Canon which says: “If any bishop comes into possession of a church by employing secular rulers, let him be deposed from office, and let him be excommunicated. And all those who communicate with him too.”
All the most authoritative interpreters of canons (Aristenos, Balsamon, Zonaras) agree that this canon categorically forbids the appointment of bishops by the interference of secular powers. In fact, the Canon quoted in this Canon is the 31st Apostolic Canon and says exactly the same thing:
If any bishop makes use of the rulers of this world, and by their means obtains to be a bishop of a church, let him be deprived and suspended, and all that communicate with him.
Pretty clear, no? This is what the Apostles themselves decreed! And yet it is undeniable that in many Orthodox countries nowadays (and in the past) bishops have their bishopric primarily, and often solely, by the intervention of secular state rulers. Christ said “my kingdom is not of this world” so how can the support of the (often secular and even atheistic) powers that be confer legitimacy aka “canonicity” upon modern bishops?! In reality, this practice itself is completely uncanonical!
The sad reality is that none of the so-called “Orthodox Churches” involved in the current dispute in the Ukraine have a “canonical leg” to stand on. While from a political or secular point of view, some might appear to be preferable to others, from a strictly canonical and Christian (Patristic) point of view, they are all illegitimate, to begin with.
What the various Ukrainian nationalistic Churches are doing now to the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate” is absolutely no different at all from what the Moscow Patriarchate did to the Josephites or the Catacomb Church and what the Moscow Patriarchate is still doing nowadays to the various small groups who refuse to recognize the Moscow Patriarchate and who often refer to themselves as “True Orthodox” (for the latest example of such persecution those of you who read Russian can see these articles). During the Soviet era, those belonging to such “True Orthodox” groups were simply jailed. During the 1990s the Russian riot police OMON was sent many times to seize churches, monasteries and other buildings run by Russian “True” Orthodox Christians whose only “sin” was to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Moscow Patriarchate. Yet the victims of those persecutions are now called “uncanonical” whereas their persecutors are “canonical”. Go figure…
Now back to politics
The sad truth is this: both in the Ukraine and in Russia the official (aka “canonical”) Orthodox Church is but an instrument in a larger toolkit of state power. In both countries the “official” Church embodies primarily national, not spiritual or theological, categories and while in Russia the current ruler is one of the most capable ones in the history of Russia (which cannot be said about the Uberloser Poroshenko), this was also the case under Eltsin (one of the worst people to ever rule over Russia) and all his Communist predecessors and this will probably remain the case for the foreseeable future regardless of who sits in the Kremlin.
I submit that when the Church is subservient to the state this is by definition extremely bad, even if the ruler of the day just so happens to be a very good one. But never mind my opinion. The Apostles and the Church Fathers all unanimously held that the Church cannot be subjected to the secular powers. At best, when the secular power is truly Orthodox, they can function together “in agreement” (symphony) one protecting and one guiding the other. But the Church should always remain the conscience of the secular leader, not his or her butler.
In my article entitled “A negative view of Christianity and religion in general” I wrote something which I would like to repeat here because I believe it to be absolutely crucial:
Think of it – does it not strike you as paradoxical that Christ said “If the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18-19) and yet the very same corporate media who serve the AngloZionist Empire and its planned New World Order also would give putatively “Christian” leaders the kind of coverage which normally goes to Rock stars?
When was the last time you ever heard one of those “superstar religious leaders” dare to denounce the modern rulers of our world as the genocidal mass murderers they are, or even simply as hypocrites? But no, they meet with them and they hug, they smile, they kiss – each time a big love fest. Long gone is the time when Christian leaders had the courage to openly criticize an Empress (like Saint John Chrysostom) or dare to speak to a modern leader like Saint Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow, who refused to bless the Czar Ivan the Terrible after a church service and instead publicly castigated him in the following words:
I don’t recognize the Orthodox Czar anymore. I don’t recognize him in his rule, O Lord! We are here bringing a sacrifice to God, while behind the alter the blood of innocent Christians is shed. Since the sun shines in the sky it has never been seen or heard that a pious Czar would outrage his own kingdom in such a way! Even in the most impious and pagan kingdoms there is the rule of law and the Truth, and there is mercy towards the people, but not in Russia! You are high on your throne, but there is an Almighty Judge above you. How will you face his judgment? Covered in the blood of the innocent, made deaf by the sound of their tortured screams? Even the stones under your feet are demanding vengeance O Lord! I am telling you as a pastor of souls – fear the One God!
Can you imagine an Orthodox Patriarch or a Latin Pope addressing, say, Obama with such words? And while Saint Philip was eventually tortured and murdered for his courage, modern Patriarchs and Popes incur no such risks. And yet they remain silent: they see nothing, hear nothing and, above all, they say nothing.
This is not a uniquely Russian or Orthodox problem, by the way. My Muslim friends tell me that they have exactly the same problems with many of their religious leaders in Russia. And not only in Russia, we also see the same abject subservience of so many supposed “Islamic” scholars to the House of Saud. And I won’t even mention western Christian denominations here, who are all integral to the Empire on too many levels to count.
In this context, what are the Ukronazis actually really up to?
In reality, they are doing two very basic and potentially dangerous things:
They are provoking Russia by any and all available means (see the recent seizure of a Russian fishing vessel in the Sea of Azov)
They are demonstrating their utility (russophobic credentials) to their AngloZionist patrons
These, along with many other signs, are indicators that a war is in the making and that sooner rather than later the Ukronazis will attack the Donbass and try to force the Russian Federation to openly intervene militarily to prevent the Ukronazis from doing to the Novorussians what the Croats and Albanians did to the Serbs in the Serbian Krajina and in Kosovo (or what Saakashvili attempted to do with South Ossetia). The current campaign to declare the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate” as an “enemy organization” of the “occupier” is just one more way to create tensions and prepare the public opinion for the inevitable violent climax. The fact that none of the Churches involved in this conflict have any true (canonical) legitimacy won’t make this less tragic and, and probably violent, for the people involved. As usual, the common people will pay the price while the fat cats on all sides will do just fine, thank you.
This is really a sad and tragic situation. The overwhelming majority of the people on both sides are both sincere and mislead, and their best feelings are used in what is a very dangerous political game by people who themselves will never have to suffer for their faith (or lack thereof).
Debunking the “Orthodox Pope” myth
Here I need to begin by debunking a misconception: there is no such thing as an “Orthodox Pope” or some “Eastern Pope”. The entire concept of the Papacy is a Frankish notion forcefully (and brutally) imposed upon the Western Romans by their Frankish occupiers. However, the fact that no such thing exists does not prevent some Orthodox bishops from dreaming about it (pride is a core component of our fallen human nature). I will try to clarify this issue in the simplest possible terms.
All bishops are successors to the 12 Apostles and although some of them have left a deeper mark in the history of the Church than others, there was no hierarchy among them. The famous “thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18) refers not to Peter himself, but to his confession “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” just spoken by Peter in the previous verse. That was the Patristic consensus (consensus patrum) interpretation during the first 1000 years of Christianity (yes, even in the West). If anything, it was Saint James which was the first bishop of Jerusalem, and Saint Paul who, while not even part of the 12 Apostles, was the main interpreter of Christ’s teachings. The Apostles, who were assisted in their works by presbyters/priests, then further consecrated more bishops. Some of them had their see in regular towns, others in major important cities and capitals. The titles of “Archbishop” or “Metropolitan” or “Patriarch” simply refer to bishops whose see is in a major capital city (“Pope”, which just means “Father”, was the one used for the Patriarch of Rome). These are purely *administrative* titles and do not indicate any qualitative differences. Needless to say, the bishop of the Roman Empire’s capital was considered as holding the most important position as he spoke to the Emperor on behalf of the Christian people. When in the 5th century the city of Rome was sacked and eventually fell the Western Roman Empire collapsed. But in the east, the Roman civilization survived by a full 1000 years. When in the 11th century the Pope in Rome decided that he was a super-bishop (1054) which had the authority to impose his absolute rule over the entire Christian world (see the infamous 1075 Dictatus Papae) the rest of the Christian world categorically rejected such an anti-Patristic innovation and, since the first, original Rome (the city) had first fallen to the Franks and then lapsed into apostasy, the Patriarch of Constantinople found himself to be the bishop of the eastern (and only surviving) capital of the Roman Empire: Constantinople. However, and this is crucial, unlike the western Pope who claimed to be the “Vicar of Christ” and some super-bishop (a pontifex maximus), the Patriarch of Constantinople did not make any such claims of primacy just because he happened to be the bishop in the imperial capital (nowadays his official title is a modest “His Most Divine All-Holiness the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch” – more about that below). Then, when in the 15th century, Constantinople was invaded by the Ottomans, the Roman empire truly came to an end. So, at that moment in time, which should have been considered the most important city in the Christian world? Some in Russia felt that Moscow had become the “Third Rome” (especially after the False Union of Florence in 1439), an ecclesiologically speaking controversial proposition, but which was greatly strengthened over time when Russia became the biggest, strongest, richest Orthodox country on the planet (most others were under Ottoman occupation) and the Russian population (and military might) was much larger than the one of any other Orthodox country.
You see where this is heading, right? The Patriarch of Constantinople used to be the “first among equals” for 1000 years, but now the Patriarch of Moscow was threatening this status, especially since the former was truly ruling over just one neighborhood of Istanbul (the Phanar). Without going into further details (like the attempts of the Patriarch of Constantinople to present himself as the head of all the various Orthodox diasporas worldwide), let’s just say that there is not much love lost between the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Moscow Patriarchate. Both sides try to keep things civil, but there are cyclical tensions and regular outright disputes.
The reality is that even if we accept the notion that Moscow was the Third Rome, that status ended for Moscow in 1917, just as it ended for the Second Rome in 1453 and for the First Rome in 476. In fact, no Patriarch, Archbishop, Metropolitan or Bishop can today lay a claim to any “primacy of honor”, especially when most of them have their reputation soiled by their participation in the so-called Ecumenical Movement, their abandonment of the Church Calendar, their subservience to the secular powers, etc. In truth, the Orthodox world is undergoing a deep crisis on many levels and there is something profoundly indecent about these fights for some primacy of honor at a time when the majority of the population of historically Orthodox countries is only very superficially religious, if that. If there is no such thing as an “Orthodox Pope” there sure are a lot of Orthodox bishops acting as if they wanted to become one (hence the “historical” meetings, with hugs and all, between the Latin Pope and the Orthodox Patriarchs and wannabe-Popes).
Introducing another toxic phenomenon: (ethno-)phyletism
Things are made even worse by the outright nasty streak of nationalism infecting many Orthodox Churches.
The sad reality is that we live in a post-Christian world. This is also true for nominally “Orthodox” countries such as Russia, Greece or Serbia where truly religious people constitute a minority and where being “Orthodox” is primarily a national, patriotic category (at least for most people). Some even call themselves “culturally Orthodox”. These people ought not to be dismissed by the way. They are participants in what is undeniably a spiritual revival and when they conflate national/ethnic categories with spiritual ones it is often because their nation or ethnicity has been persecuted, often viciously. But when spiritual and theological categories and language are used to cover up political and secular goals, this is the time to speak up and denounce this farce for what it is: a gross misrepresentation of what true (Patristic) Christianity truly stands for and embodies.
Christian ecclesiology rejects the notion that each ethnic group ought to have its own, separate Church. This idea, that each ethnic group ought to have its own separate Church, is called “phyletism” or, sometimes, “ethno-phyletism” and is an already condemned heresy. Yes, since the Apostolic times there have been local Churches, but all these Churches were administratively autonomous for practical purposes. But in theological terms, there can be only One Church and the local Churches are simply autonomously self-organized parts of the single One Church. As for ethnicity and nationality, these are modern categories which are not even part of the Patristic theological language. And while there is nothing wrong with the French praying in French, or the Japanese in Japanese, or the Congolese in Lingala, and they all should have their own priest and bishops, and while liturgical rites have naturally and organically evolved and incorporated elements of various local cultures, the idea of the primacy of an ethnic identity over the unity of all Orthodox Christians is fundamentally wrong. This is why the Scripture says “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all” (Col 3:11) and “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28) and “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph 4:5) and “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal 3:7). In theological terms, all Christians, regardless of their ethnic origin and culture, form one single “Body” with many “members” all united by the same faith and their participation in the life of the Church, which is the Theandric Body of Christ.
Ideally, there should be one bishop in each region/province and all of these bishops united in local councils which themselves should be united into only one Church church of our entire planet. In the real world, with all its wars, millions of displaced refugees, vicious anti-religious repressions and members of many different cultures living in one country (as in, for example, the USA) this ideal has been very difficult to achieve. The individual ambitions of some less than spiritually-inclined bishops have just made things worse.
Summary: a very difficult situation but also reasons to keep hoping
The reality is that in most Orthodox countries, including Russia and the Ukraine, the majority of the people are “Orthodox” primarily in a cultural and even national sense. Centuries of subservience to the secular state have made many local Orthodox churches tools in the hands of politicians. There is an ugly competition for power and influence among many of the local Orthodox Churches, and especially between Constantinople and Moscow. Most putatively “Orthodox” Churches and jurisdictions have been deeply infected by modernism, secularism, national (identity) politics and are now actors in political struggles in many countries. The words “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36) have been forgotten by many, if not most, Orthodox bishops.
That is not to say that there is not a real spiritual revival in countries like Russia. There is. But it is also true that this revival often takes place in spite of the attitudes of “official” religious leaders (that goes both for Orthodoxy and for Islam). Still, bad as this situation is, it should be assessed in the larger historical context: in one way or another, the Church has always been undergoing crises and persecutions during almost every year since Her foundation. Many of those crises took centuries to be resolved. So the fact that so much looks bleak today should not discourage anybody. There is really nothing new under the sun.
Still, the very real spiritual revival in Russia (and in other Orthodox countries) is still in its early stages and while things are generally heading in the right direction, there is a lot of “mental ground” to be reconquered before most people return to the spiritual roots (or phronema) of the true, original, Christianity. Eventually, the Orthodox Churches will have to regain their full autonomy from the secular powers, not just in grand statements and words, but in reality. This is a long road, it will probably take many decades, if not more, to heal from the devastating consequences of the terrible events (and ideological dead-ends) of the 20th century. But as Russians (and others) rediscover the true history of their countries, I believe that this is bound to happen.
I wish I could have presented a simple, optimistic picture here, with on one side, the totally evil Ukrainians and on the other, the noble and heroic Russians. Alas, the reality is much more complex and, frankly, much uglier. The fight over which side gets to declare itself THE “Ukrainian Orthodox Church” is an ugly one and while, in this case, it is pretty self-evidently obvious who the aggressor is (those supported by the Ukronazi nationalists), any serious analysis of the historical context for this dispute will inevitably yield a much more complex picture. It is my personal conviction that as long as Orthodox Churches are controlled by bishops who are much more concerned with pleasing Caesar (Matthew 22:21) than they are with pleasing God, political and nationalist consideration will continue to pollute the spiritual realm. I hope that the example of Saint Philip II, Metropolitan of Moscow mentioned above, and the millions of Orthodox New Martyrs who died in the 20th century, will inspire a new generation of Orthodox hierarchs who will eventually replace the current Soviet-era faithful servants of the state (regardless of who is in power) and who will return to the true faith “which the Lord gave, was preached by the Apostles, and was preserved by the Fathers. On this was the Church founded; and if anyone departs from this, he neither is nor any longer ought to be called a Christian” (St. Athanasius).
Orthodoxy in the Ukraine
Saker analysis
Stuart Harlan Doblin on April 27, 2018 · at 1:09 am EST/EDT
Thank you Saker. What breadth and depth, very well written too.
A question was posed a while back : “What is the beginning of Wisdom?” Or for that matter, “What is the Beginning of Creation?” Or of a child? Or us? The answer is all the same: Desire!
Now our Will arises from Desire – for what ought to be – and with Purpose beside Desire fulfillment is near by; ergo, the beginning of wisdom is the desire for union with the self-same thought that desired us into creation. This is an Act of Will (and thank God for that!).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all that act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever and ever” (Psalm 110:11).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of saints is understanding: for to know the law is [the character] of a sound mind” (Proverbs 9:10).
T1 on April 27, 2018 · at 7:07 pm EST/EDT
“Fear” is not a good translation.
More like fear of disappointing your Father.
Bessarab on April 28, 2018 · at 11:07 am EST/EDT
Yes . The German word > Ehrfurcht < is much closer to the original . Literally translated it clumsily says : Honouring in awe. Or praising in awe (honourably).
In German a. Russian you can create a new and deeper word out of two or even three ones. Hence the translations are so good.
Stuart Harlan Doblin on April 28, 2018 · at 12:30 am EST/EDT
Anonymous: Psalm 110 (110:10) has only ten verses, not eleven (110:11). Your 11 is actually 10.
Secondly, let us compare the Latin from two reputable bible sites on Psalm 110:10.
(1) Latin Vulgate.Com: http://www.latinvulgate.com/verse.aspx?t=0&b=21&c=110
(2) Sacred Bible.Org: http://www.sacredbible.org/studybible/OT-21_Psalms.htm#110
[1] res principium sapientiae timor Domini sen doctrina bona cunctis qui faciunt ea thau laus eius perseverans iugiter alleluia
[2] initium sapientiæ timor Domini. Intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum laudatio eius manet in sæculum sæculi.
Interesting no? Not precisely the same are they? Yet, both chapter 110, line 10.
Nonetheless, in both cases the critical Latin word is : timor : fear [http://latindictionary.wikidot.com/noun:timor] or dread [http://www.latin-dictionary.net/definition/37218/timor-timoris]
Dictionary.com. Dread: Definition 3. Archaic. to hold in respectful awe [http://www.dictionary.com/browse/dread]
Stuart: now let us take a look at sapeintia: wisdom, discernment, memory, science, skilled practice (Noun. sapientia f (genitive sapientiae); first declension (link: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sapientia))
Same root for “sapiens”: discerning, wise, judicious, discreet (masculine substantive) a wise man, sage, philosopher (Participle. sapiēns m, f, n (genitive sapientis); third declension (link: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sapiens#Latin)).
Ok. ‘initium’ = ‘to make a start’ (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/initium) or principium: “first, foremost” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/principium).
So here goes: Anonymous, let us take as axiomatic that God never fears; “For what can God fear who is All Power?”
Ergo, don’t go offering God something that God has no comprehension of. Please.
Now yes, to us humans our fear is real, to the Holy Spirit, not so, to God, incomprehensible. At least in fear we have a friend, the Holy Spirit.
For remember, in fear we lose our relationship with both God & Jesus of Nazareth, who remain always in love. Which is why Jesus of Nazareth said, “When I go to love, I will bring down The Holy Spirit to you, so that you will have a friend in your loneliness in Hell – to which I can no longer join you, as I – am in Love with The House of The Lord – and will remain in Bliss beside The Lord & His Treasure – however, Worry not! The Holy Spirit will guide you back to Love and Me!”
The Modern Translation for the Latin: “Initium sapientiæ timor Domini” of Psalm 110: 10 would be:
“Begin today, make an effort, a start, and practice : “Respectable Discernment” : – and gaze – as a wise [Wo]man, or sage, or philosopher does, with awe….with awe upon the Lord of the Most High in respectable discernment (and learn to appreciate your inner self and permit your inner self to be instructed by your inner guide, your conscience, The Holy SheSpirit, so that you may one day love – just who you really are – and through the Atonement – join me and The Lord of Hosts in Heaven while you are on Earth”) and be One with The Lord (Domini).
Latin Vulgate .com: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continueth for ever and ever.”
Sacred Bible.Org: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding is for all who do it. His praise remains from age to age.”
Your quote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and all that act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever and ever” (Psalm 110:11).
[Link: https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Psalm%20111:10%5D
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do His commandments. His praise endureth for ever!
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do his commandments: His praise endureth for ever.
The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; A good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the Lord; His praise endures forever.
AMPC
The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.
CEB
Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins; sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws. God’s praise lasts forever!
the first and foremost point of wisdom is the fear of Adonai; all those living by it gain good common sense. His praise stands forever.
Respect and obey the Lord! This is the first step to wisdom and good sense. God will always be respected.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do [his precepts]: his praise abideth for ever.
The wicked shall see, and shall be angry, he shall gnash with his teeth and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Wisdom begins with fear and respect for the Lord. Those who obey him are very wise. Praises will be sung to him forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All who do his precepts have good understanding. His praise stands forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
ESVUK
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever!
EXB
·Wisdom begins with respect for [L The beginning/foundation of wisdom is fear of] the Lord [Prov. 1:7]; those who ·obey [L do] ·his orders [L them] have good ·understanding [insight]. He ·should be praised [endures; L stands] forever.
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord: all they that observe them, have good understanding: his praise endureth forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Good sense is shown by everyone who follows God’s guiding principles. His praise continues forever.
The way to become wise is to honor the Lord; he gives sound judgment to all who obey his commands. He is to be praised forever.
HCSB
Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord. Those who obey his orders have good understanding. He should be praised forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; sound understanding belongs to those who practice it. Praise of God endures forever.
Resh The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; Schin A good understanding have all those that do his will; Tau His praise endures for ever.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; all who do them have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
How can men be wise? The only way to begin is by reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying his laws. Praise his name forever.
Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God’s works are so great, worth A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial— This God of Grace, this God of Love. He gave food to those who fear him, He remembered to keep his ancient promise. He proved to his people that he could do what he said: Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift! He manufactures truth and justice; All his products are guaranteed to last— Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof. All that he makes and does is honest and true: He paid the ransom for his people, He ordered his Covenant kept forever. He’s so personal and holy, worthy of our respect. The good life begins in the fear of God— Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God. His Hallelujah lasts forever!
MEV
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who live it have insight. His praise endures forever!
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. Good sense is shown by everyone who follows God’s guiding principles. His praise continues forever.
NABRE
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who practice it. His praise endures forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
NCV
Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord; those who obey his orders have good understanding. He should be praised forever.
To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. He will receive praise forever.
If you really want to become wise, you must begin by having respect for the Lord. All those who follow his rules have good understanding. People should praise him forever.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
NIVUK
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
NLV
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All who obey His Laws have good understanding. His praise lasts forever.
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
NRSVA
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever.
NRSVACE
NRSVCE
OJB
The fear of Hashem is the reshit chochmah; seichel tov have all they that live by it; His tehillah (praise) endureth forever.
Where can wisdom be found? It is born in the fear of God. Everyone who follows his ways will never lack his living-understanding. And the adoration of God will abide throughout eternity!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His praise endures for ever!
RSVCE
The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom. All who follow His precepts have good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Reverence for the Eternal is the first step toward wisdom. All those who worship Him have a good understanding. His praise will echo through eternity!
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
the beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord. Good understanding is to all that do it; his praising dwelleth into the world of world. (the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord/the beginning of wisdom is to revere the Lord. All who obey his commandments grow in wisdom; praise shall be his forever.)
The beginning of wisdom [is] fear of Jehovah, Good understanding have all doing them, His praise [is] standing for ever!
Full Psalm 110 from Latin Vulgate.com
[Psalm 110]
{110:1} Alleluia. Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo: in consilio iustorum, et congregatione.
{110:1} Alleluia. I will confess to you, O Lord, with my whole heart, in the council of the just and in the congregation.
{110:2} Magna opera Domini: exquisita in omnes voluntates eius.
{110:2} Great are the works of the Lord, exquisite in all his intentions.
{110:3} Confessio et magnificentia opus eius: et iustitia eius manet in sæculum sæculi.
{110:3} Confession and magnificence are his work. And his justice remains from age to age.
{110:4} Memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum, misericors et miserator Dominus:
{110:4} He has created a memorial to his wonders; he is a merciful and compassionate Lord.
{110:5} escam dedit timentibus se. Memor erit in sæculum testamenti sui:
{110:5} He has given food to those who fear him. He will be mindful of his covenant in every age.
{110:6} virtutem operum suorum annunciabit populo suo:
{110:6} He will announce the virtue of his works to his people,
{110:7} Ut det illis hereditatem gentium: opera manuum eius veritas, et iudicium.
{110:7} so that he may give them the inheritance of the nations. The works of his hands are truth and judgment.
{110:8} Fidelia omnia mandata eius: confirmata in sæculum sæculi, facta in veritate et æquitate.
{110:8} All his commands are faithful: confirmed from age to age, created in truth and fairness.
{110:9} Redemptionem misit populo suo: mandavit in æternum testamentum suum. Sanctum, et terribile nomen eius:
{110:9} He has sent redemption upon his people. He has commanded his covenant for all eternity. Holy and terrible is his name.
{110:10} initium sapientiæ timor Domini. Intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum: laudatio eius manet in sæculum sæculi.
{110:10} The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding is for all who do it. His praise remains from age to age.
Thank you for correcting the typo. It is actually Psalm 110:10 (according to the Septuagint: ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος Κυρίου, σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσι τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν. ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος).
But since you love so much quoting the Scriptures, can you tell us where in the Scriptures did Jesus say:
“When I go to love, I will bring down The Holy Spirit to you, so that you will have a friend in your loneliness in Hell – to which I can no longer join you, as I – am in Love with The House of The Lord – and will remain in Bliss beside The Lord & His Treasure – however, Worry not! The Holy Spirit will guide you back to Love and Me!” ??
How vulgar !
The Psalms were not written in Latin.
Christine on April 28, 2018 · at 2:34 pm EST/EDT
@ Bessarab
That was my knee-jerk reaction. Nothing in the Bible was ever said in Latin, French, Russian, English or any language currently in existence. Languages define thought process (people think in words) and, therefore, how perceptions and emotions are also processed, experiences are lived and conclusions are drawn.
Any current Bible will always come short of the truth as it is tainted by the historical context in which it was first written, and by the translators’ inherent human bias, borne out of personal experience, cultural and historical context and conditioning and mental limitations.
This reminds me of Roman Gary’s “The Ski Bum”:
“Au début, Lenny s’était pris d’amitié pour l’Israélien, qui ne parlait pas un mot d’anglais, et ils avaient ainsi d’excellents rapports, tous les deux. Au bout de trois mois, Izzy s’était mis à parler anglais couramment. C’était fini. La barrière du langage s’était soudain dressée entre eux. La barrière du langage, c’est lorsque deux types parlent la même langue. Plus moyen de se comprendre.”
“At the beginning, Lenny had taken a liking to the Israeli who didn’t speak a word of English and thus they both had excellent relations. After three months, Izzy had become fluent in English. That was the end of it. The language barrier had suddenly been erected between them. The language barrier is when two guys speak the same language. No way to understand each other any longer.”
That is why talking about religion is such a treacherous minefield and exercise in futility and yet such an eternal powerful weapon of hatred and division. To the point where I finally posted on my living room wall: “Welcome to my home. If you wish to be invited again, please do not talk to me about your religion. Rather show me what it’s making of you.” People who are offended by it never return and are never missed. Those who do return belong to every religion under the sun and they all have, at their core, the same yearning: love, with all that it entails of peace, acceptance, understanding, patience, honesty, integrity, joy and humility.
Fascinating read which, in many respects, bridges the gapping trenches humans have dug between themselves over the millennia and keep digging for want of perspective about their place, mission and role on Earth and their oneness in consciousness.
Stuart on April 28, 2018 · at 6:34 pm EST/EDT
Bessarab & Catherine, it bears repeating, all Scripture is lyric based – to be heard in the native tongue -directly from The Holy Spirit!
Here’s how: from first an inhalation and then an exhalation, but understood as first an exrecrudescence, and then, a recrudescence. This brooking source of breath begins, initiates, arises, develops, and goes forth from the diaphragm of the human body and then, ribbing under pulsing waves of skeletal pressure is propelled upwardly to be later nuanced and filtered through the voice box of the singer bringing to life the personality of The Holy Spirit in our native tongue.
Try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf4fbX7Z9cU or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edwX4akkCP8.
Wikipedia: Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Ha%C3%AFk-Vantoura
Suzanne Haik Vantoura – NPR Morning Edition 1986: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a38vuOmWcIs.
Bill Osborne Jr on April 27, 2018 · at 3:12 am EST/EDT
This was one of the most impressive analysis’ that I have ever read. I apologize if that sounds hyperbolic but it is the truth. The Saker’s insightful observation that religions have been taken over by secular governments/politicians is spot on. His comments that Christians should put down their political differences and embrace each other is the answer. Reading this made me, a person of weak faith at best, smile!
Eimear on April 27, 2018 · at 4:25 am EST/EDT
This was a most illuminating article.
I would add only one thing – the battle between the spirit and the material world is ongoing and has largely been won by the latter in the West.
Until the psuedo-scientism that has ‘disproved’ the existence of soul/spirit is vanquished, I see little chance of resolution.
The commodification of human life continues apace.
What position do any of the Orthodox churches have on genetic engineering, if they have any at all?
Because I believe this is a new threat to the very nature of humankind.
Dimitar on April 27, 2018 · at 6:56 pm EST/EDT
There is no battle between the spiritual and the material worlds, only battles between “spirits in the material world”. Or more specifically, immature Souls who are enamoured of power and who have yet to reap the hard lessons of their actions. Soul, an eternal entity in a temporal setting, measures It’s mettle against other Souls, in a long, drawn out Shakespearian saga over countless lifetimes, until It learns that the purpose of existence is to gain a capacity to love. The reason many religions today are not able to serve the spiritual needs of their followers is because those who inherit the leadership seldom have the spiritual standing of the founders, and the religion slowly becomes overwhelmed with matters of survival on the physical plane.
Eimear, material things had power over humans forever. Greeks, have a saying: “Christ was crucified for money”
we could put it another way “money crucified Christ”
Christine on April 29, 2018 · at 11:54 am EST/EDT
@Anonius,
Money in itself didn’t. The “love” of money. Intent is everything. In the end, it was still a human decision.
Dimitar on May 12, 2018 · at 9:50 pm EST/EDT
B.F. on April 27, 2018 · at 5:13 am EST/EDT
“Catholic” means universal, ie. universal dictate of the pope in Rome. “Orthodox” does not subscribe to this philosophy, where every Orthodox state has an independent Christian Orthodox Church headed by a patriarch. The schism of 1054 occurred when the Greek churches in the East refused to accept the supreme rule of the Latin Church in Rome, headed by the pope.
All this of course raises the question of Ukraine. Does Ukraine have any right to be independent, bearing in mind that the first Russian state was centered in Kiev ? There is no such thing as the Ukrainian ethnic group (western Ukraine being the exception, as people over there are of mixed blood, German, Polish, Balt, Russian – this does not apply to central and eastern Ukraine). Also, there is no such thing as the Ukrainian language, whose vocabulary is at least 90 % Russian, the rest being imported foreign words, like Polish).
To the Western elites the Orthodox church is a political problem, as the Orthodox Church backs the sovereign and free status of the state and it’s people. In the 13th century the Vatican sent the Teutonic knights against Alexander Nevsky, who defeated them. In 1204 Constantinople was sacked by the crusaders. The West is today backing the so-called “Unionists”, who advocate the union of Orthodox Churches with the Vatican, headed by the pope. Their influence, luckily, is not great.
The Orthodox Church in Russia has to be placed right next to the Russian state, as both are targeted for Western subversion. However, this subversion will fail. The Western elites are losing their influence. As for the Vatican, one has to wonder if it exists at all. The current pope has neither influence nor popularity, leaving the impression of a bureaucrat who ended up in the Vatican by mistake.
Layman on April 27, 2018 · at 12:07 pm EST/EDT
““Catholic” means universal, ie. universal dictate of the pope in Rome.”
There’s no “ie”. Orthodox Church also considers itself to be “Catholic”, that is, universal, whole (from Gr. katholou); it’s part of our creed. Independence of local Churches doesn’t contradict the universality, which is a wider concept than organisational unity.
“every Orthodox state has an independent Christian Orthodox Church headed by a patriarch”
Not true; some Orthodox states do, some don’t – depending on their history. E.g. there’s an Orthodox Church of America (recognised by some but not all as an independent Church), which doesn’t have a patriarch. There’s no patriarch in Ukraine, either, only a wanna-be one, head of an entirely politically motivated schism.
Both of your statements
“Orthodox” does not subscribe to this philosophy, where every Orthodox state has an independent Christian Orthodox Church headed by a patriarch.
The Orthodox Church in Russia has to be placed right next to the Russian state, as both are targeted for Western subversion.
show that The Saker didn’t manage to get his message to his readers. The (Orthodox) Church shouldn’t be a tool of the state. There shouldn’t be one single human leader (like the pope) ruling over the other bishops/priests, the Church itself should be a unity (independent of states).
Alexander on April 27, 2018 · at 5:20 am EST/EDT
Great article but linking articles from ekhokavkaza.com (part of RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty which are official American propaganda) about persecution have the opposite effect too be honest. The fact that american propaganda is paying special attention to these “breakaway” Churches means the have future plans for them.
I can easily see them being used to spread nationalism/russophobia , Ukraine is a very good example of how the church can be used to manipulate ppl.
Promoting all sorts of conflicts between “centre”(Moscow) and the “regions”(the rest of russia) is part of the Wests current strategy of destroying Russia. If you want another example check the Ural republic that they keep promoting. Frank-Walter Steinmeier read a lecture in Ekaterinburg when he was still Germanies foreign minister (his president of Germany now) in which he openly declared that urals should be independant (not sure if there is English version anywhere here is a link to some http://www.proza.ru/2015/08/24/791 sums it up in russian). Most of this stuff is either completely made up or greatly exaggerated.
Not really sure why you would even bother reading that site.
I don’t. But what I did find there is a summary of events which I know from other sources to be true, that’s all. I happen to personally know the bishop involved, and I happen to know that what is reported in these articles is factually correct. This is also why I use Wikipedia, because while no “authority” by any means, it does contain factual and well written articles. There is also this to consider: since the events described in these articles are simply NOT covered by the pro-MP Russian press, and since nobody in the West gives a damn about what happens to an Orthodox bishop in faraway South Ossetia, it is hard for me to find a source which describes these events. If I had more time I would write it all myself, but I don’t. So I did the best I could: used the only source I could find to describe to those interested the kind of stuff the pro-MP political forces still do even today. That’s all.
Ralph on April 27, 2018 · at 6:36 pm EST/EDT
Saker, it’s a pity you didn’t publish this after you returned from your break.
I am leaving tomorrow morning
In 1 of your 4 part series from 2013, interesting that you mentioned kirill as possibly being a catholic agent or similar,
Correct. A “cardinale in pectore”. To be honest, there is only circumstantial evidence of that in him. But his mentor, Nikodim Rotov, was indeed a Latin Cardinal.
because I was wondering why he met the white pope (the PR man of the church, while there is another, the black pope – both are alleged to be jesuits, and the 1st time both are such since the late 18th century)…the vatican obviously wants to take over or destroy the Russian Orthodox church.
Correct. But that would make no difference to Kirill Gundaev. He used to serve his Soviet masters, now he serves the Kremlin, tomorrow why not the Latin Pope? Serving secular powers is what he has done all his life
Regarding the Ural republic, when camoron was pm, in 2014? he stated arrogantly and rudely that he wanted to see the EU from the Atlantic to the Urals. Obviously he didn’t consult Putin about that; another dumbf*** who’s gone, while Putin is still in power.
If you can believe it, the Russian liberals are still discussing this. In a recent conference in the Baltics they were discussing the issue of “how to hand Siberia to the Chinese”
Some things never change :-)
Saker, I wish you a safe trip to wherever and back – with God’s protection (I did tell you you were being prayed for) and hope you have an enjoyable time.
Do you have some other sources in which the West promotes the Ural republic? I’ve seen some regional (German) newspapers reporting about closer ties to Mongolia and read some nationwide reports about the future economic potential about that country. Our Western governments are definitely not up to anything good. They’re trying play the old game of divide and conquer. I’m wondering how German politicians would react if some Chinese official would recommend for Bavaria to split from Germany (funny thing is that they have some special rights that would permit breaking away).
Father Francois Chazal on April 27, 2018 · at 6:12 am EST/EDT
This is the main problem that caused the separation of the Orthodox from the Catholics: Cesaropapism.
That the author of this article recognizes the existence of the problem is a step in the right direction into solving the schism. As a Catholic, i can only rejoice.
Be not afraid, the Roman Catholic Church has been infiltrated by its enemies, all the way to the top, and its hierarchy is just a tool of the judeomasons who run all western states today.
Only a very little number of bishops, who have been thrown out of the mainstream Church, are totally independent politically. The consecration of four bishops by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988 was done without any consultation of the State, who returned the favor by blocking the legacies of his religious order, at the behest of Cardinal Lustiger to the French government… Who knows that bishops are selected from a group of candidates presented by the “Ministere des Cultes”? Who know that the western Church is also a prisoner? If you pay attention to Pope Francis words, you will see that he is political tool, who even intervened in favor of the agressors of Bachar al Assad. On immigration, same thing.
What Russia enjoys today is the union of Church and State, but, alas with a subordination of the Church to the other, contrary to the natural subordination of the end of the State to the end of the Church.
To break free from the interference of the State you need either:
1. Very brave Christians who can defy the exagerate claims of modern States, especially if they are secular humanists. The key is that the nomination of bishops is free from state interference.
2. A head of State who is not afraid of the “Liberty and the exaltation of the Church.”
The greatest example of this was the president of Ecuador, Gabriel Garcia Moreno, and the freemasons got his message and shot him dead.
Throughout the Middle Ages the Church fought to keep this liberty from the interference of the state, and the fight ended as a draw, more or less. It was a tough fight, and the imperfect solution was the signing of Concordats with all Christian States. Then came the Revolution, both in 1789 and 1962.
The Saker on April 27, 2018 · at 9:43 am EST/EDT
This is the main problem that caused the separation of the Orthodox from the Catholics: Cesaropapism. That the author of this article recognizes the existence of the problem is a step in the right direction into solving the schism. As a Catholic, i can only rejoice.
And as an Orthodox Christian I can only be saddened by the fact that you put words in my mouth I never used (“Cesaropapism” is a purely western concept used by those who simply never understood the theory of symphony between the Emperor’s power and the Church) and that, even worse, you would say that this false concept is at the root of the schism. True, Latins have been lying about this topic for now close to 1000 years and I would expect no less from their modern successors. Still, as a clergyman, you should at least know that schisms are solved by one mechanism only: the repentance of the schismatic, not by some convergence of theories and analyses. Finally, if, indeed, the Latins always considered Orthodox as “Photian Schismatics”, you should be aware that at least since the time of Saint Mark of Ephesus the Orthodox Christians have made clear that the problem with the Latins is not schism, but heresy. Furthermore, the Latins have since introduced numerous new and additional heresies (such as the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, for example), making that doctrinal departure and innovation only deeper and wider (I won’t even go into the original Filioque thing).
This has been a pattern for centuries: each and every time there has been some internal crises inside the Orthodox Church the Latins have immediately pounced on it with the idea “what’s in it for us, how can we make use of it?” (the last time in Russia in 1917-1918). Your “rejoicing” is of exactly the same nature and I can already tell you that it is misguided. Whatever problems Orthodoxy might be suffering, there is one thing which 90%+ of the Orthodox Christians agree with: we want no part at all from your Latin heresy, of the “trad” or “non-trad” type.
The best thing you can do to REALLY improve relations with us is to stop trying to convert or otherwise “reunite” us under the Papacy. Just leave us alone, and we will be deeply grateful.
Fr. Trancois Chazal on April 27, 2018 · at 10:47 am EST/EDT
I am not going to debate about words, and the dogmatic aspect of the schism is not the object of this thread.
The ennemy is that enslavement of the Church to the State.
Whichever Church succeds to break free from it has all the chances to be the true one.
The Saker on April 27, 2018 · at 11:36 am EST/EDT
That is an entirely secular definition of the Church.
As for me, what was good enough for the Fathers is good enough for me.
Still, and just to re-arrange your words, I would say this
“It will be the Church which will be crucified by the state which has all the chances to be the true one” :-)
see how different our faiths, and ethos, are?
Hajduk on April 27, 2018 · at 4:44 pm EST/EDT
Haha…how true. Jesus is with the kids sheltering in a cellar from bombing, in an old inflatable boat crossing the sea seeking refuge, or running through the night across the desert. ‘Terrorist fanatic’ is how they described Jesus. Oil and water.
Fr. Francois Chazal on April 28, 2018 · at 3:11 am EST/EDT
Your choice of words is more precise and mystical.
And your article was very informative.
Vaya con Dios.
fc+
No, it is the state(s) being used by the roman catholic church in line with Revelation 17 & 18.
Anja Böttcher on May 01, 2018 · at 5:26 am EST/EDT
Your undignified lamentation here is deeply alienating. And while I can fully understand the Saker’s scorn, I would contradict his conclusion that indulging in such unchristian alienation you are typical of Christians of Catholic faith.
As a Christian of Rhinish Catholic background, I know what Creed I confirm in every single mass I attend: In relation to the Church it is the confirmation that she is the Bride with Christ as Bridegroom, the Body of which Christ is the Head, and the gates of hell will not prevail against Her. She is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and She is ONE. In Saint Cyprian’s words: “Hence the universal Church is seen as a unity brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
So talk of the kind “whichever Church succeeds” is alien to Creed, as unity in His Church can only grow from purity of faith of all His children, who can only spread His light by giving testimony in His love and in the Holy spirit of His invitation to salvation.
Your whole crooked views can clearly be discerned from your basically political concern right from the beginning. Your lamenting that ‘the Roman Church’ was in a state ‘political custody’ (I cannot judge whether this is the case with the Vatikan) does not lament political abuse of creed as such, but the alleged abuse by political powers you resent, while doing so, your underlying political preferences show the same contempt for human beings you blame on others.
Just to pick up your notion of “refugees”: Being German, I am the opposite of a fan of ‘Angela Merkel’s refugee policies’, as I see what they really are. That woman has been a supporter of all criminal US wars in the Middle East (only in case of Lybia a German government under her lead abstained in the UN from endorsing the US’ and France’ criminal slaughtering of the Lybian government), like all other head of western states she neglected paying UN adequately for their refugee care and she ignored the burden Italy and Greece had for years. But when she thought a pseudo-humanitarian show would be a great coup for fighting through centralised EU control of European borders (by which she meant German control), she made some selfies with refugees, gave them the wrong message they would be welcome in Germany, while they have been shifted back in their battered countries as urgently as possible afterwards.
This woman’s policies were cynical, as they were not in the least guided by the perception of the dignity of the involved people. It was simply a game of power – whose outcome did not meet her expectations.
You, however, are not interested in people either. By argueing against “refugees” you do not in the first place blaim western elites for battering countries, destroying their infrastructure and slaughtering people, but you worry for the perseverance of an alleged “white Christian Europe” as a homogenous political construction, that can afford to ignore the problems in the rest of the world, which it has helped to create.
This is cynic and – anti-Christian. To defend Church authorities in that case, I need to say here that I have perceived that, for example, Radio Vatican and other Catholic media were the rare exception within the hostile chorus of western media, that did not only offer a fair and balanced coverage of the war in Syria, but showed serious concern for the plight of oriental Christians, but did not deny Muslim victims of that war empathy either. In your notion of refugees, on the other hand, I cannot discern the slightest concern for what US and Nato wars have done to oriental Christianity. Do you call that “Christian”?
You call Pope Francis “a political tool”. I have no insight what influence big politics have on him. I agreed with his warning that “capitalism kills” and that mounting political hostilities pose the danger of a big war. I could not perceive him as supporter of US and Nato agenda – but somehow he was not much present in the media, I suppose for exactly that reason. I would, however, like him, in the name of all these threatened and war traumatised war victims, to speak up much more clearly against western cynism.
By wishing that, I do certainly not want Catholic clergy to turn political, in the sense that they should follow a political agenda – as you clearly do, and not even one that deserves support. I want them to speak up for human beings batttered by politics. This clearly goes along with Creed, what you suggest here, definitely not.
As a Christian and bishop of Rome he could, however, rightly turn against the warriors and tell them what they do to themselves by abusing human beings as pawns in their structure for hegemony, by telling them in His words:
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
That would be Christian, what you suggest here not.
You call Pope Francis “a political tool”. … I agreed with his warning that “capitalism kills” and that mounting political hostilities pose the danger of a big war. … speak up much more clearly against western cynism.
At the first glance Pope Francis seems like some humble person who’s concerned about the well-being of the poor and those left behind. Until nearly the end of last year I regarded him as a person with good intentions, but his proposal to change the words of The Lord’s Prayer set alarm bells off (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42279427).
Clergy in general, be it Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant should get political in one important aspect. Wars and production of weapons aren’t part of the New Testament and shouldn’t be approved by anyone. Clergy should oppose such things, but there’s a deafening silence in this regard. Even more are priests like (deceased) Kardinal Meisner approved military interventions and even held ministries for soldiers (Soldatengottesdienst). Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not against preaching to soldiers, but I’m against empowering them by approving their job. I’m also against priests giving their blessings to military installations like Schnöggersburg, the training center for urban warfare (https://www.az-online.de/bilder/2017/10/27/8812716/534839124-2017-10-26-123037-QI6b.jpg ). Those priests serve politicians and mammon.
Clergy of other Abrahamic religions should also get involved in those matters, finally wars (and the lies used to start them) are a disregard of the Ten Commandments, which apply to Jews, Muslims and Christians.
yuck … some words went missing due to editing.
Even more are priests like (deceased) Kardinal Meisner approved …
Even more worrisome are priests like (deceased) Kardinal Meisner who approved …
Anja Böttcher on May 02, 2018 · at 4:49 pm EST/EDT
Don’t even mention Cardina Meisner! – I have grown up in Cologne and have still most of my family there. He was the most despised archbishop in Cologne since Siegried II in the 13th century, whom the citizen of Cologne defeated in the Battle of Worringen, through which they pressed through that all secular power was in the hands of the city council. As a consequence the citizens of Cologne and all parish priests were excommunicated by the pope for fourteen years, till Rome got weary of dispensing with payments from Cologne.
Meisner was battered onto us by Karel Woitila, and the dismay was so high that even the “Dom Kapitel” considered refusing him entrance. The Cathedral of Cologne is the only church in the world which is a legal person, thus four local priests guard the keys of our “Dom”. Parish priests went as well in opposition to him as the overwhelming majority of ordinary Catholics in Cologne.
Meisner, originating from the feudal Catholic region of the Eichsfeld in Thuringa, who was a deeply authoritarian persona in the negative and bossy way, did not only produce one scandal after the other, he additionally had close ties to the clerical fascist organisation “Opus Dei”, which dates back to Franco’s Spain and had splendid relations to the fascist Ustaca regime in Croatia, and called utterly disgraceful Opus Dei priests to Cologne. He even called the most unpleasant of them in one of our old Romanic churches, St. Panthaleon, where the relics of the late Roman martyr and saint, who is called St. Panteleimon by Greek and Serbian orthodox, and who is worshipped, except by Orthodox Christians, solely by Rhinish Catholics, where this man dedicated one of the chapels to Josemaria Escriva, the founder of the deeply sinister Opus Dei society. Ordinary people fled that parish and went to the neighbour church.
Meisner definitely presents the most sinister and evil faction within the Catholic clergy.
Of course every priest and bishop should speak up for peace, which is only his Christian duty, but should stay away from all messing in state or other power hierarchies. Speaking up for peace is taking the side of the oppressed and to confront oppressors and the massmurder of war.
Anonius on May 04, 2018 · at 12:59 pm EST/EDT
Anja, I think you are missing the point totally.
The so called alienation, in your opinion, towards Catholic church has historical background, which started with the “crusades” against orthodox church in the Central and Eastern Europe in IX century. Examples? Czechs saw total destruction of all Orthodox Churches and murder of the clergy in 800’s AD (actually I do not remember which one of the two either Methody or Cyril was brutally murdered in Prague. Later on Red Rus Aleksandr Nevsky defeated the cross wearing western thugs (Catholics) I do not remember but I would guess it was in 11-something. Later again the Red Rus (today’s Ukraine) saw the same at the hands of Polish-Lithuanian Catholic Church. Today’s Romania (North Western part of it) saw similar from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, their Orthodox Church was forcefully converted to what’s called today Orthodox-Catholic. In 1204 Constantinople was plundered raped and burned by the Crusaders (Some people call those thugs Francs, I call them Venetians and their western gangs). I think this should be enough.
I don’t think I have missed your point, Anonius. What I have stated is that not only Orthodox Christians, but as well the vast majority of western Chatholic Christians object to the abuse of Christianity for political or even geopolitical reasons. I neither approve of nor justify any subjection of people under any institutional rule.
You rightfully mentioned Cardinal Meisner (who died last year) as a worrisome example in that context; I have only confirmed that he was seen exactly the same in my home town, where he was the appointed archbiship, by the vast majority of ordinary Chatholics and parish priests.
There are 6 million Christians on this globe; 2,7 million of them are Chatholic Christians. More than 99% of them have never had the slightest intention to crusade against Orthodox Christians. What, in my view, seeing the degree of poison, hate and war on this planet, should be our first concern is to give testimony together against that hate, poison and bellicism. From personal enocunters of ordinary people I have not the impression that what believing people view as their creed is really different. To strive for humility and purity of creed and for peace on this planet, should be the primary goal of Christians.
In classes I teach I have Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Oriental Christians plus Shia and Sunni Muslims. Two third are from families, who have experienced war and emigration in the last two decades. These kids have no message that divides them, but have all been victims of the same unworthy geopolitical muscular game.
I am fed up of all poison and divisions.
Jean-Marie L. on May 09, 2018 · at 8:24 am EST/EDT
There is nothing unorthodox about the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which was defended by no less than Saint Gregory Palamas. Only towards the end of the 19th century was it added to a laundry list of differences with Rome (several decades after 1854). In Orthodoxy, however, it is not a dogma, but a theologoumenon that one is free to accept or reject. There’s a very informative article on the subject at https://afkimel.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/the-immaculate-conception-and-the-orthodox-church/.
Carmel by the Sea on April 27, 2018 · at 10:26 am EST/EDT
Father Francois Chazal,
President Gabriel Garcia Moreno had gone to Mass at 6:00 a.m. and when it was over he left to go to the Presidential Palace. As he was climbing the steps he was was first attacked 14 times with a machete by Rayos and 6 bullets from the other four killers. President Gabriel Garcia suffered a gruesome death, as the killer Faustino Lemos Rayo hit him with much hatred with a machete on his head, shoulder and back. The pious and defenseless man only had a cane to defend himself.
Pres. Gabriel Garcia had attended Mass at 6:00 a.m. and had a rosary hanging on his neck and a Cross of Christ relic on his person. Both were full of blood when he was taken to the Cathedral to receive immediate aid and last rites.He was an extremely religious man from childhood to the end of his life . Few days before his assassination he’d accused Germany of instigating hatred of other neighboring countries against him.
He was so religious he insisted that his country had to be under God and his presidential mandates subservient always to God.
The pious president’s last words were : ” Dios no muere”. God does not die.
His assasin Faustino Lemos Rayo did not live but a few minutes after. A soldier bayonet passed through his leg.
The coward begging for mercy was dragged through the streets and was finally shot in the eye by a soldier.
I am not sure what happened to the other four killers.
There is more information here:
http://sanluisespolon.blogspot.com/2010/08/6-de-agosto-de-1875-asesinato-de.html
ProtoSec on April 27, 2018 · at 8:37 am EST/EDT
Fascinating from many angles, with the usual masterful summarization . It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same don’t they? Theo the recluse book title is must read.
Quote: “Every appointment of a bishop, or of a presbyter, or of a deacon made by (civil) rulers shall remain void in accordance with the Canon which says: “If any bishop comes into possession of a church by employing secular rulers, let him be deposed from office, and let him be excommunicated. And all those who communicate with him too.”
Does this not just remind of someone, in some walled refuge just west of Rome. The name of the place will only be referred to by the letter V in order to protect the privacy of the occupant (as well as his NWO master “Lord” Rothschild) I suppose.
Swan on April 27, 2018 · at 8:42 am EST/EDT
Saker,
Thanks ever so much for such a truly wonderful and insightful summation of a terribly complex topic. Pride seems to be the eternal enemy of excellent human thought. He who looks up to Almighty God with profound humility understands that there are much greater forces at work than most of us could possibly understand. Alternatively, those who seek to manipulate religion, politics, and history for their own purposes reveal that they seek not Truth, but their selfish and prideful power. Perhaps we can be assured that Almighty God will, and does, provide the correct path for all those who seek humbly with Truth in their hearts. May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you, and give you Peace.
I think this is a universal existential human problem.
From these two statements, it appears that the Russian Orthodox Church has not been independent of the State, whether that of the Czar or of the Soviets since at least 1725, or close to 300 years.
That is, the Church as an institution has a deep influence on those who believe in its teachings. And by extension, its hierarchy. Want to control the people? Control the institutions that control the thinking of the people. How to control the institution? Control its hierarchy.
As the Saker points out, Muslims have noted the same thing in their countries, and it is obviously true in most countries with a religious hierarchy, such as Shinto in Japan, or Buddhism in China and Tibet, or Hinduism in India. Gosh, look at the state of Christian authority in the USA! Who was the last real religious authority to challenge the State? Martin Luther King, whom the State murdered. A few clerics here and there who challenged the war machine were jailed, such as Daniel and Philip Berrigan. Most US religious leaders are cheerleaders for Manifest Destiny.
Centers of power and influence and their leaders are coopted by the central authority, whether they are religious or otherwise. Or, those centers coopt the central authority, aka ‘The Government’. In order to enhance their own authority and status.
A further complication is that as the Saker points out, within all institutions, and in this case the religious institutions, individual egos seek domination and control–to be seen as ‘the authority’. Hence, the need for ‘heresies’. Meanwhile the average sincere practitioner is caught in these conflicts. The question arises, “Who decides what is correct or not correct, or heretical or non heretical?” The winner of what are essentially internal political conflicts.
Sooner or later, all things pass. The healthy and strong become old and weak, and institutions with the best of intentions initially become corrupted. This is unavoidable. What to do? No easy answer since such problems are as inevitable as the law of gravity, at least on this planet and this universe.
Keep it simple. Follow the teachings of the teacher you choose to follow. Or choose to do the right thing. Some of the greatest crimes are perpetrated in the name of righteousness. So even devout followers of any religion can make grievous errors based on their own selfishness, and regardless of the validity of the teaching. And Good Samaritans exist as well.
As for what to do about the Ukrainian Church, as Saker points out, it is a pawn and the Saker does a service by speaking the simple truth.
s.m. de kuyper on April 27, 2018 · at 9:29 am EST/EDT
Wonderful explanation and real future hopes that are very possibly healed Orthodox Christianity will lead from this horrible US inspired globally revealed, reprehensible world chaos. The Roman Catholic version’s partnership with Hitler will haunt it for centuries. WW11, not even over yet, was less than one hundred years ago.
Bill on April 27, 2018 · at 9:39 am EST/EDT
It is true that Christ is head of the Christian Congregation and as Matt 28, last verses, tell us his father has given him all authority and he assures us that he is with the true Christian congregation until the end of this system of things. The true Christian congregation will even now be doing as directed.
Christ tells us that the religeous leaders of his day were totally corrupt (Matt 23 etc). They followed their traditions rather than the scriptures. Many religeous leaders today serve the State first and God second. Christ said you cannot serve 2 masters, so they are also corrupt. They ignore the Scriptures and follow popular satanic ideas; many priests are homosexual. The scriptures say to hate what is bad, but church leaders often welcome unrepentant practisers of what God hates. They do not keep their congregations clean; Christ’s message at Rev 2:20 is ignored.
This corruption of Christ’s teachings was prophesied in the Scriptures. It is clear most would be on the wide road leading to destruction. 2 Tim 3:1-5 explains where the world is on God’s timeline. Psalm 2 shows how world rulers refuse to accept Christ as King of Gods Kingdom. Jeremiah 25:31-33 shows what awaits them and their supporters.. The end of Satan’s world rulership seems very near. We can recognise the season, but not know the day.
So the true Christian congregation will active worldwide. It will be loyal to God and Christ rather that nationalism. It will obey man’s law unless it conflicts with God’s law as clearly stated in the Scriptures (Psalm 1:2).
Wade on April 29, 2018 · at 6:02 pm EST/EDT
For what it’s worth, Bill, if you’d like to read something very interesting regarding the season of Christ’s Return (the End Time), then by all means read the following webpage and the two documents on it: http://www.unhyp.com/the-end.html
Give it a good chance… it is not the same old broad-brushed, generalized guesswork based on cherry-picked verses that many discussions regarding Bible prophecy consist of; it is very simple, yet specific, detailed, and thorough, and backed up with many Bible verses that are, of course, consistent, when seen in the right light.
It would be hard to disprove, using Bible Scripture, the time frame (not the day or hour) it puts forth for the end of this world.
Scott on April 27, 2018 · at 10:12 am EST/EDT
The situation in Ukraine is a mirror image of what took place after the minority revolt and the Western powers occupation of Russia in 1917-1926. “The Ukraine,” which is the Southwestern territory of Russia populated by majority of Russian Orthodox people, is occupied by NATO members and ruled by Talmudist managers, most of whom came from the Communist party background, as I disclosed in my book Pokémon in Ukraine.
Everything that took place after the Bolchevik revolt, when the new authority comprised of 85% Talmudists and the rest of Latin minorities with the help of invading Antanta countries murdered 18 million Russian Orthodox, destroyed the Church, culture, and pillaged wealth of the nation via ” economic concessions” with the Bolsheviks. So called “the White Movement” was also supported by the Antanta as anti-Church and anti-Russian force.
The same situation is in the Ukraine, right now. The Talmudists and the Latins are destroying the Orthodox Church and drive millions of Christians to leave the country. In four years population of Ukraine went from 45 million to approximately 25 million, with the majority of people fleeing to Russia.
Simultaneously, Pharisees and the Latins together are attacking the Orthodox Christianity in general.
Every day we see articles like “Why Orthodox Christian Nations Remain Stuck: Their religious roots, not their Communist experience, support authoritarianism and risk aversion” written by Talmudist Leonid Bershidsky for the Bloomberg.
GQ magazine placed the Christian Bible (but not Talmud) on a list of over-rated literature and described the Bible as “self-contradictory, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned.”
Rabbi Tuly Weisz rewrote the Bible and published it as the “New Bible” for 70 year anniversary of Israel.
http://religionnews.com/2018/04/18/new-bible-seeks-to-connect-modern-and-ancient-israel/
Orthodox Christians are hiding and not saying anything about the Pharisees raiding and burning churches, murdering priests and nuns, making fake churches in the Ukraine, publishing fake bibles and even publishing racist fake scientific “research” about alleged inferiority of the Orthodox Christians. The Latins worship Pharisees, Pharisees worship anti-Christ, we worship Christ, and we are losing grounds to them every single day.
Edward on April 27, 2018 · at 10:28 am EST/EDT
I would question whether Poroshenko has legitimacy to speak on behalf of Ukrainians on anything; millions of Ukrainians are in exile and one faction among several monopolizes political power in that state. Are opposing points of view able to express themselves? If a neutral poll were taken of all Ukrainians what would be the result?
This is somewhat off topic but there has been a problem with the Orthodox Church in Palestine. I think the story goes like this: during Ottoman rule the leaders of this church in Syria and Palestine (then a single province) were Greeks selected by the Greek hierarchy. The Syrians revolted against this practice and were able to obtain local rule but this did not happen in Palestine. After the Zionists occupied Palestine, the Greek official managing the church there has basically collaborated with the Israelis. He does not listen to Palestinian opinion, does not care that Palestinians are in a life-and-death struggle to continue to exist as a community, and has been selling off church properties to the Israelis against Palestinian protests. For years Palestinians have been asking the church to replace this fellow with a local person but they are simply ignored.
Scott on April 27, 2018 · at 12:15 pm EST/EDT
Palestinians should start applying for Russia’s citizenship, with their Muslims joining Russia’s Muslims and Christians joining the Moscow patriarchate, like people on Donbass have done. This will create a proper conditions for Russia to assist them. Palestinians should join the realm of the Russian Mir.
Edward on April 27, 2018 · at 1:35 pm EST/EDT
Many Palestinians have actually attended Russian/Soviet universities. Ironically, many Israelis are of Russian extraction. A Palestinian from Gaza with a Russian mother told me once of the strange encounters she had with Russian Israelis at checkpoints. Both had Russian ethnicity but one was an oppressor and the other oppressed. They would ask how her mother could have lowered herself to marrying a Palestinian. I think if Palestinians acquire Russian citizenship it should be for honorable motives and not to use Russia. In many ways Palestinians, Russians, and many others face a common problem– Western imperialism, and this brings them together. Russia’s promotion of a rules-based multilateral world is a direct challenge to the Empire. By itself this helps Palestinians and others.
Scott on April 27, 2018 · at 2:36 pm EST/EDT
If the Patriarch of Constantinople grants Porotshenko-Waltzman his own personal “Orthodox Church” it would make this Talmudic Pharisey to be equal to Apostles.
Next, the rabbis ruling the cult based state of Israel will proclaim him to be their moshiach and the Pope will crown him as an “unificator” of the Eastern and Western churches.
I am surprised that those of our readers who rightfully consider the Bolsheviks to be Satanists, don’t have the same notion about the current rulers of Ukraine. Many of them are direct descendants of those Bolsheviks.
You are right about our former citizens. Now, you can imagine what they did to us when they had power in Russia, and what they are doing now with Russians in Ukraine.
Hopefully, after presidential inauguration in May we will see a new government of Russia, without the lefts, and it will become possible to bring all Palestinians, Muslims and Christians, under Russia’s wing.
It will also help in closing the lid over Israel, for their own good, of course. Only for their own good. We see that Jews unable to restrain their thirst for blood, so it’s time for us to help them to calm down. We have enough flying, floating and underwater sedatives for that.
Scott, I think you have to factor in the vatican through biden the catholic controlling ukraine.
Then of course, there is waltzman, the jew, or ‘jew’ & even zuckerberg the jew/’jew’ who erroneously believes the region in/around ukraine as a second ‘jewish’ homeland, which is, of course, totally unbiblical.
jon on April 27, 2018 · at 10:53 am EST/EDT
As an Orthodox Christian, I have much to learn about church politics, especially of the Russian Orthodox Church. Thanks for this summary of what is going on right now. I hope and pray that the church leadership will put aside their differences and their pride to seek a way forward that recognizes the universality of our faith regardless of national borders.
mike k on April 27, 2018 · at 11:09 am EST/EDT
The deepest truth is only available to those who actively seek it, and then strive to practice it in all their affairs. It is more a matter of the heart and the deep spiritual intuition than any external aids, although these can be useful and sometimes essential. A good student can learn, even from a bad teacher. But a bad student cannot learn even from the best teacher. It is our human responsibility to seek and find the truth; no one can do this for us. Even Christ could do nothing for those who refused his teaching, except to pray for them that they become more open to the truth.
Even those of us intent on sharing the secular truth of our present perilous situation find most minds closed against us. It is said, many are called, but few are chosen. Today there are not many who are even called to the deeper truths of being human in this mysterious universe. Often we are confronted with the futility of casting pearls before swine.
What do flowing robes, other “religious” garb and paraphernalia, and church “power plays” have to do with Jesus Christ ? Nothing. Also, what do titles such as “father” and “patriarch” have to do with Jesus Christ ? Nothing. In fact Jesus forbids True brethren from using such terms, which people use to exalt themselves. If one is unwilling to keep even the simplest of His Commandments, then why should anyone else trust them ?
The True Gospel of Jesus Christ is not hard, friends. After all, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3:
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (NKJV)
Therefore, it is not hard. Truly, it is as simple as reading the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and then for the True-hearted, doing what Jesus teaches. One cannot claim to believe in Him otherwise.
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46, NKJV)
And what does Jesus want for us ? To repent. To forgive. And to keep God’s Commandments, including the Two Most Important Commandments which serve as the Foundation for the Ten Commandments, which themselves provide the basis for the moral code we are to live by.
Thus, Love is the foundation for living by the Truth, as manifested in Godly thoughts, words, and behavior.
It’s not hard. So before trusting any church to filter Jesus’ Message for us, we should make sure to know His Word – which is easy to do – beforehand. Only then can one know if what any given church (or person) says actually agrees with Jesus.
This is not to say that all churches are “all bad”. Anything a given church does well in accordance with Christ does not need correction. But wherever a given church disgrees with Christ, we should at least know about it from the Master Himself, so to not be misled.
On that note, where exactly is Sunday-keeping in the Bible ? Not one verse institutes it, not even for Gentiles.
And who gave man the “right” to try to change God’s Fourth Commandment for the Seventh-Day Sabbath ?
In fact, Daniel 7:25 (NKJV) says this:
“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.”
Whoever “he” in the verse above is, we obviously should not follow “him”, because “he” gets destroyed forever in the very next verse (Daniel 7:26). That’s because “he” in the verse above is the one who not only persecuted/persecutes the saints, but who also has attempted to change God’s times and law. How ? By attempting to change the only Commandment in God’s Law dealing with “times” – the weekly Sabbath Day defined by God’s Fourth Commandment, by attempting to change God’s True Sabbath to Sunday instead.
The “he” in the verse above comes through religion that was corrupted by those who seek to “own” religion.
The “he” in the verse above lives in luxury, literally within his own nation.
The “he” above is not of Christ, no matter how “religious” he tries to appear.
And therefore, let no church that claims to be of Christ follow what the “he” in the verse above does.
Let the church “schism” remain, and let the East come back fully to God.
The Saker on April 27, 2018 · at 2:37 pm EST/EDT
What do flowing robes, other “religious” garb and paraphernalia, and church “power plays” have to do with Jesus Christ ?
Good. Explore these questions, and others, and then offer and opinion. So far you are done things in the reverse order.
Wade on April 28, 2018 · at 12:00 pm EST/EDT
The point of the above comment, Saker, is this:
“Big” lawless religion has always teamed with “big” (national level) government to do bad things.
We only have to look at the “big” lawless so-called “religious” leadership of Jesus’ day, and how it teamed with the Roman government to have Jesus crucified on the Cross. (Although Jesus put the “greater sin” on the Jewish leaders, because they knew who He was. From John 19:11 (NKJV), Jesus speaking to Pilate: “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”)
The Orthodox churches too, of course, are not innocent, as you know. They too have kept, and keep, many of the lawless, self-exalting, earthly power-seeking things that their (former) brethren the Roman Catholics keep: from the small – the way their leaders dress to appear “religious” to the self-exalting titles with which they refer to themselves; to the big – breaking God’s Law, His Fourth Commandment, by attempting to keep the sabbath day of their own choosing, versus the Sabbath Day of God’s choosing.
(And yes, the Roman Catholic church is the “he” referred to in Daniel 7:25, the ones who persecuted, and still persecute, the saints, and who have kept a vain attempt to change God’s times and Law.)
These churches do some things okay, sure, but that veneer does not fully cover the power-seeking and lawlessness that still shows through.
From Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV): “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
How one could wish the Orthodox churches would have rejected the Roman Catholic ways completely, and started over with the simple, Jesus-based, Word-based religion of the original Apostles. But sadly, once an earthly power-structure exists, the human beings at the top of it almost never let go, but seek only more.
So it comes as no surprise that “big” religion, such as the Roman Catholics and Orthodox churches, in their quest for more power and the influence that comes with it, not only end up competing with each other (as the “violent take it by force” as Jesus says in Matthew 11:12), but also seek to team with “big” government.
“Big” religion “pawns” of “big” government ? More like co-equals with slightly different approaches; one has guns, the other has the pretense of piety (not that the two don’t cross from time to time). And both have money, and lots of it.
But by seeking earthly gain, they do not use what they have in a manner trustworthy to God and Jesus:
“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:10-11, NKJV)
Thus, by the lawlessness and hypocrisy of “big” religion (much like the Pharisees), God and Jesus don’t trust them, and certainly not with anything having to do with God’s Kingdom (the ‘true riches”).
So why should anyone else ? Who should trust “big” religion any more than the “big” governments they team with ? Politicized religion is toxic to people’s Salvation, blocking the door to God’s Kingdom (Matthew 23:13).
So what should one should do regarding “big” politically-connected religion ? Simply follow God’s Word:
“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”
Revelation 18:4 (NKJV)
Thank you, Saker, for this forum for discussion.
About @Wade:
Why the implementation of the human Ego as sel-entitled base of Christian exegesis, which followed Luther’s short-sighted error, has been the worst distortion of Christianity, to which we owe the global threat of US suprematism:
“And yes, the Roman Catholic church is the “he” referred to in Daniel 7:25, the ones who persecuted, and still persecute, the saints, and who have kept a vain attempt to change God’s times and Law.”
Presenting Scriptures as testimony of abyssmal foolishness is a severe heresy. And that is exactly what self-enabling fools like this Wade do. Knowing about the history of canonization of the Old Church and the challenges she faced, the mania of so-called preachers of ‘literal understanding’ of the Bible, which is – as a one-and-for-all ‘neutral’=universally valid interpretation of any text – is simply hermeneutically impossible, is nothing but enthroning the subjective Ego of every heritical as absolute.
The nonsense that guy wrtites is so anachronistic, that its foolishness strikes every single person who has learnt to use his brain.
The sharp-thinking German enlightenment author Georg Christoph Lichtenberg wrote a strikingly true aphorism:
“A book is like a mirror. If an ape looks into it, is is hardly likely that an apostle will like out.”
This says everything about these Protestant “truthers”.
It is Calvin’s heresy to which we owe the current threat by the Lunatic States of America.
Ole Grizz on April 27, 2018 · at 1:37 pm EST/EDT
I have been following The Saker for some time now but have never left a comment. But I regularly pray for and sense a kindred spirit with this incredible man and many of the commentators on this site. Over 20 years ago I wrote a song which I believe is apropos to the subject matter at hand. The following link will take you to the music video which I would to share with my brothers (and sisters) in arms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PiNNfkzLVQ
mike k on April 27, 2018 · at 2:01 pm EST/EDT
Jesus supposedly said, “the law killeth, the Spirit giveth life.” The Pharisees used the laws and religious dogmas to oppress the people. Rather than proposing new laws, Jesus called on people to cultivate their true and loving hearts, so that this could be their inner guide to what is right or wrong.
mike, a Christian’s inner guide is the indwelling Holy Ghost.
But first you have to receive the Holy Ghost inside you through Baptism.
“I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”(John 14:16-21).
Wade on April 28, 2018 · at 12:01 am EST/EDT
For what it is worth, in the Bible Jesus does not say that “the law killeth”. I believe you are referring to the Apostle Paul, as noted further below.
But before that, if I may, here a few quotes from Jesus regarding the Law (not Jewish law regarding priests, feasts, sacrifices, and rituals like circumcision; but rather God’s Law of Commandments, the Two Most Important Commandments and the Ten Commandments working together): (all quotes from the NKJV)
Matthew 5:17-20:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Matthew 13:41-42:
“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
“So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
(comparing to the two verses above, we can see that “the wicked” are those who “practice lawlessness”)
Matthew 23:23:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”
Mark 10:17-19:
Now as He (Jesus) was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
Luke 10:25-28:
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He (Jesus) said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
John 14:15:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Also, from the First Letter of the Apostle John:
1 John 3:4:
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
1 John 3:24:
“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
1 John 5:2-3:
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
Referring to your quote about, though, Jesus does say something somewhat similar in John 6:63:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.”
Thus, if one tries to live merely by their “flesh” (or “self”), that is, by their mental, physical, and emotional states whereby they mostly just do whatever they “feel like” or physically desire, then they will live a non-Spirit-led life, which is basically a carnal life lived in sin. Even if one tries to keep the Law “on their own” without connection to God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit, they will fail (the flesh profits nothing).
Now, as noted above, the Apostle Paul is the one who delivers the quote you gave, from 2 Corinthians 3:5-6:
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
In short (and as you note very well in your comment), Paul was pointing out that the keeping the Law is much easier and better through the New Covenant by which one has Jesus in their heart and the Holy Spirit within them; versus the Old Covenant where the people tended to see the Law through a more legalistic, technical lens, most especially due to the burdens the Pharisees and their scribes put on the people regarding it. The Law was still glorious in the Old Testament, but the so-called “religious leaders” made it seem like death.
Closing with Jesus, from Luke 11:46:
“Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”
And also from Matthew 23:1-12:
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Peace to you, Brother Mike.
the real history on April 27, 2018 · at 2:31 pm EST/EDT
A while back, on the old saker’s website somebody provided good links to a bunch of important PDF books and articles on the subject of Orthodox teachings and some spiritual specifics of the Russian church. My hard drive got fried and I can’t locate these important files any longer. Can somebody point me to any good resources that would cover this subject matter. I really would like to go deep into it and looking for a starting point. This article gave me a certain sense of urgency and I’d love to dive into it without too much delay. Thank you in advance
Layman on April 28, 2018 · at 7:40 am EST/EDT
There’s a lot of great material at myriobiblos:
http://www.myriobiblos.gr/library%20home_en.htm
the real history on April 28, 2018 · at 10:26 am EST/EDT
Some very powerful materials in there. Thank you for responding to my request.
“On February 12, 2016 a historic event took place: Pope Francis and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill met in Cuba, paving the way for the reunification of the two Churches – the Eastern and Western.No doubt other Orthodox Churches will join the Uniate (the act of unity) between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches. There is still time left before the all-Orthodox Council for all Orthodox Church leaders to meet with the Roman celebrant, who is also a Jesuit.Thus the Vatican can finally become the Church of Freemasonry: Templars, the Society of Jesus, the Order of Malta and Opus Dei, which henceforth will determine the policy of the Orthodox Churches.
Is that good or bad? For the Russian Orthodox Church it is a sign of end times, according to Jesus: “And I say unto thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 18)
In other words, the Russian Church that has kept the apostolic tradition until this day, would not be destroyed, would not be an abode for heretics like the Catholic Church, but would stay alive until the last day. How can this be possible, since the Uniate was signed with the Catholics, signifying the violation of apostolic rules and the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils? This can only be explained by the mighty works of God that are beyond human understanding. ”
the complete article you may find here :
http://russia-insider.com/en/christianity/joint-declaration-pope-patriarch-may-split-russian-orthodox-church/ri12987
ioan on April 27, 2018 · at 4:39 pm EST/EDT
The above Anonymous on April 27, 2018 · at 3:45 pm UTC was me, forgot to sign, sorry
You are missing the point. There is nothing to reunite, because there is only one Christian church, which is the orthodox Church.
We will wait for another 1000 or 2000 years for the Latins to come back to their senses and become Christians. But, if they remain Noahidists and the younger siblings of Pharisees, that’s also fine with us.
We see the Pope of one of the Western rulers, a political figure and nothing else.
During this one meeting at the airport, the Pope promised to stop raids of the Orthodox churches and parishes in Ukraine by the Catholics and Uniates. He lied, to no one’s surprise. End of story.
Scott, the true Christian church is united in Spirit, in one spiritual body, and yes, they can even be in the Catholic church, but, Revelation 18:4 – ‘4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’
Andrew on April 28, 2018 · at 11:03 am EST/EDT
Ralph, you cannot separate the “spiritual body” of the Church from its “physical body” i.e. the people who are baptized, chrismated, and eat and drink the same Body and Blood from the same cup. That’s the Orthodox Church. To pretend otherwise is a desperate attempt by the children of the Radical Reformation (we call them, ironically, Baptists today) to justify their bizzare doctrines that completely contradict what every Christian has believed and practiced since the time of the Apostles. It’s actually a modern Nestorianism. There’s a decent wiki page on that ancient heresy if you’ve never heard of it.
according to your words the only real authority is the Orthodox Church. Basically you’re telling others (most South Americans, Africans, …) they’re not part of the club. That reminds me of the approach of leaders of different religions and even of some of other Christian denominations. Why should anyone believe you?
A funny aspect of your approach is that it isn’t entirely new. Think of taking interest from others. If the online sources that I’ve read are correct, then it’s permitted to take interest from Gentiles. Others go even a step further and insist that The Ten Commandments only apply to a certain religious group or denomination, so it’s permitted to kill those. This reasoning had been used in the past and some still think it’s their obligation to assist in fulfilling prophecies by taking to the arms. Maybe that’s the way how prophecies are fulfilled, but those misled to kill others clearly violated The Ten Commandments (and the teachings of Jesus – if those violating them think of themselves as Christians).
You’re free to believe whatever you want, but be careful with statements like “we’re on the right path, you others are all wrong”. Everybody tries to use this approach.
… so it’s permitted to kill those
… so it’s permitted to kill those not belonging to the religion / denomination
@Scott
I understand what you are saying, no, I didn’t miss the point just pointed at that article which somehow fits here. I am aware of the obvious difference between the Orthodox and catholic Churches, therefore I was skeptic about that meeting back in 2016 and my only plausible explanation was : the Russian Patriarch has given maybe a last try, a last chance to a peaceful coexistence – since the deep roots of discord cannot be solved by man’s hands and minds. Also, this meeting has something to do with the End Times but I’m not gonna enter in that subject now. Just remember the events which have preceded this meeting and the events which followed after this meeting and there is a clearer picture. We all know it is war : first is at the spiritual level (which is the bigger) and then at the material level, which is unfolding step by step, as we witness. Sorry for my two day late reply (and thank you for yours) !
You can find my own take on this so-called “historic meeting” right here:
https://thesaker.is/a-negative-view-of-christianity-and-religion-in-general/
under the section “The modern “ecumenism” of pseudo-religions”
sherlock_holmes on April 27, 2018 · at 8:32 pm EST/EDT
” Ecumenism is the common name for the pseudo-Christianity of the pseudo-Churches of Western Europe. Within it is the heart of European humanism, with Papism as its head. All of pseudo-Christianity, all of those pseudo-Churches, are nothing more than one heresy after another. Their common evangelical name is: Pan-heresy. Why? This is because through the course of history various heresies denied or deformed certain aspects of the God-man and Lord Jesus Christ; these European heresies remove Him altogether and put European man in His place. In this there is no essential difference between Papism, Protestantism, Ecumenism, and other heresies, whose name is “Legion.”
Saint Justin Popovich :The Orthodox Church and Ecumenism
Thanks for that, I just read it now again. Conclusion : The Truth lies within our heart if we allow Jesus to be there. To understand the mysteries behind the Truth, there are no human words who can tell, be it King, be it Pope, be it Patriarch or simple believer or not. We are soul and spirit, just visitors of this earthly world, which is longer, or even short, embedded in a mortal body, naked we came and naked we’ll leave…even the Kings, the Pope, the Patriarchs and all. Who will be the last, who’ll shut down the Light, the King, the Pope, the Patriarch ?
I’ve just noticed the article. Saker, you have to postpone the break ( just kidding)
Saint Lawrence’s Prophetic Words About Heresies and Schism in the Ukrainian Church. ( A title in the link below,you can jump there )
http://orthochristian.com/77399.html
Our saints who know the future…
There is so much to say about what Saker posted, we need a full year to cover it a little bit.
” What are, on the other hand, the fruits of the God-Man society , the Church?—Saints, Martyrs, and Confessors. That is its goal, that is its meaning and design, that is the proof of its indestructible strength. Not books and libraries, systems and cities—all things that are here today and gone tomorrow. The various pseudo-Christian humanisms fill the world with books, while Orthodoxy fills it with the hallowed.” ( Saint Justin )
Tomsen on April 27, 2018 · at 7:27 pm EST/EDT
Beautiful article!
Not much to add, other that these political and organisational struggles and fights are what makes many true believers leaving the churches. Ohhh not again.
After all our submission to God is between ourselves, the bible and God.
It seems any organisation above 1500 cant function without dogfights about who should be in charge.
Babuška on April 28, 2018 · at 4:48 am EST/EDT
Were not the twelve apostles continually bickering, questioning and jostling for ‘positions’?
You say 1500 but I say even 12 pose challenges
Anomalous on May 02, 2018 · at 1:46 pm EST/EDT
There is a passage in NT where the disciples are debating amongst themselves about their relative positions which seems a little strange but to someone familiar with monastic customs it is quite ordinary. When Buddhist monks meet they have to establish amongst themselves who has ordained before who so that they know in what order to sit and who bows to who. It is not proper for a monk to sit ahead of a more senior monk. For the apostles it would have been the same.
Pax nobiscum
Per on April 27, 2018 · at 7:46 pm EST/EDT
Thank you for making me think, you are right i fear. God bless you.
Tom Zavist on April 27, 2018 · at 11:39 pm EST/EDT
“The entire concept of the Papacy is a Frankish notion”? The bishops of Alexandria were the first to be considered popes–before Rome adopted Christianity. The bishops of Rome adopted the same title later–after Rome adopted Christianity.
You are conflating and confusing the words and their meaning. Show me the Alexandria Dictatus Papae :-)
The Greeks call ‘Pappas or Papas’: Παππάς, Παπάς) the “priest”. In Orthodox countries Papas/Popa/Pop is a common surname, derived from the occupation.
Anonius on May 04, 2018 · at 8:18 am EST/EDT
I would like to add to the above the subtle difference in Greek naming of Pope vs Priest (the place of an accent):
Πάπας = Pope and Παπάς => priest
And yes, Papadopoulos in a one very popular last name which means the son of priest.
Chad on April 28, 2018 · at 1:20 am EST/EDT
Thank you for taking the time to write this article, Saker. I want to reassure you that your discussion of these topics is definitely Not futile. I know that in time you will expand this essay, because I can sense your passion for the subjects you covered here. St. Phillip II was a truly brave and remarkable man–quite unlike the recently deceased Billy Graham, backslapper of presidents and politicians, “America’s favorite pastor”, the corrupt media called him. – -I wonder if Jesus thought of Graham as His “favorite pastor”……Keep the prophet Elijah in mind–, he was definitely not preaching the hard truth because he was trying to win some kind of popularity contest.
The problem of the relation between Church and State is a very thorny one.
“16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a coin. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way” (Matthew 22:16-21).
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. 2Consequently, the one who resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work. 7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due 8Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.…(Romans 13:1-8)
We have the example of Peter and other apostles at Acts 5:29. “We must obey God as ruler, rather than men”. Romans uses the term “Gods servant” to refer to governmental authorities so when a government is not acting as God’s servant then a Christian should follow his Bible trained conscience. For example when Christians are arrested for their beliefs then love for fellow Christians means that we do not identify other members of Christ’s congregation to the authorities should they demand it. Similarly if our conscience tells us that Christians do not learn war anymore, then we will refused military training.
So obedience to God’s law for a Christian is mandatory. Obedience to man’s law comes second. So our subjection to the governmental authorities is relative. Ultimately we render an account for our actions to Christ
Saker, excellent take on the situation. First of all, I would like to say that when I speak of the Church, I mean Christian Orthodoxy. Also, when I say Christians I mean Orthodox Christians. I find it very interesting that you actually recognize “Cultural Christians” as a valid group. Many times, I have heard people criticizing the church and its leaders, while strongly identifying themselves as Christians.
The reason for that was the fact that all throughout the history church leaders have been known
to collaborate with invaders or oppressors. Many explained this as the survivalism. This may be one of the reasons why church survived the Turkish, Communist or other invading yoke. I have admit that as this is possibly an important fact, for today there would be no church to speak of, and we would call ourselves Muslims or communists.
Today, Church, needs to survive the new threat which is the “liberal attack on Christianity” whose intent is to destroy Christianity by an excuse of promoting “non religious society” while protecting the “so called religious minorities”. Russians, perfectly recognize this phenomenon, as this is what they had to endure under the Communist yoke. The same animal, just different name.
On the other hand, the rulers have always recognized church’s power over the people’s minds,
thus attempting to ensnare the control over the church and by extension people’s minds.
Funny, you mention the word “Phanari”, which means “source of light” and which perfectly identifies
the Constantinople as such for the Christians. In the West this word was stolen, maybe not, by the “Illuminati”.
In the 1800’s, it was the Greek Phanariotes, who lead the independence or awakening war against the Turks
in all of the Balkans.
While on the subject, the word Pharaoh (from Greek Pharos – Light used at sea). He was representing the God of Light (Apollon?).
Interesting point: Albania has more than ~65% Christians, yet we have been brainwashed to think that it’s populated by Muslims. The same goes for Palestine.
Again, thanks for great article.
I appreciate the positive attitude, but I’d also appreciate the sources for Albania and Palestine being Christian. I think less than 5% of Palestinians are Christian, and that seems like a hard number to fake. BTW I attend an Antiochian church in the US with a few Arab immigrant families, and they believe the 5% number.
Also regarding your comment about the Phanar, they had some horrifically bad Patriarchs in the early 20th century it’s been downhill ever since. Very sad. The current one actually isn’t that bad compared to his predecessors. He still has a chance to ruin everything in Ukropistan, though.
Andrew, the sources for Albania are Greek. Albania is also a home to about 35% of Greeks who are referred to as Arvanites. And, no they are not Albanians (it actually works the other way around), they are Greeks from the days of Pelasgoi (prehistoric times). Their local dialect is referred to as Arvanitiki Glossa and it’s an ancient Greek language, I’ll leave it at that. As for the Palestine, I have no sources, but your 5% is fabricated by the occupier simply because officially half of Israel’s population is Arab, most of that population has been displaced and forced to live in other countries. So, anyone looking at the percentages, will have to rely on Israeli stats which most certainly will be fabricated to suit the cause.
Sorry, add Vlachs to Arvanites. Yes, Vlachs are Romanized Greeks, even the ones in Romania. Romania’s indigenous people are Dacians. Interesting thing from Romania’s history. Again in 1800’s Greek General Ipsilantis, who happened to serve in Russian Army. Decided to mobilize Vlachs from Romania against the Turks. His army was more of a Brigade by modern standards. When he layed siege to Turks in Bukarest, Austrian Emperor thinking that this was going to become another part of Greece, panicked and called Tsar asking him to do something about. Tsar feeling sorry for his cousin, ordered Ipsilantis to withdraw. This decision happened to be a death blow to Ipsilantis’ plans and giving Turks time to bring in the reserves in order to destroy his army. Thus putting an end to Romania becoming a part of independent Greece.
There is a bit of a confusion here. The ‘Vlachs’ from Greece are not Greeks ‘Romanized’, but the ‘Romanized’ descendants of the large population of the Carpatho-Danubian-Balkanic area known as Thracians, Dacians and Illyrians mixed with Slavs. They call themselves Aromâni/Armâni, speak a Latin language and were spread all over the Peninsula, as shepherds, carriers, merchants, bankers. Their occupations made them multilingual. Some of them became ‘Hellenized’ and participated in the struggle for Independence. Some migrated to the Danubian Principalities of Valachia and Moldova, where they have been perceived as ‘Greeks’, but mostly assimilated with the local population. But the ‘Valachians’ of Valachia and Moldova were in no way Greeks.
Romanian Principalities have been vassals of the Ottoman Empire, with a large autonomy. They allied with the Russians in their struggle against the Turks. For 100 years, the Turks, to ensure the loyalty of those countries, imposed as Princes Greeks from Phanar. These Princes played a big role in the diplomatic and military games played between Turks, Austrians and Russians. The started to dream in secret of the restoration of the Byzantine Empire under their leadership. In that context they thought of the Romanian Principalities as part of the new Byzance. But that was not what the Romanians thought of. They were more inclined, naturally, towards the Russian ‘Greek plan’ which envisaged the restoration of Byzance under Russian leadership and the restoration of a “Kingdom of Dacia” which would have include all Orthodox Romanians (including those from Transylvania, at the time occupied by Austria) under a Russian King (Potemkin). That might be a reason why Russians did not support Ypsilantis.
On the other hand the Phanariots have been perceived by Romanians as representatives of the Ottomans and spoliators of the country on behalf of the Turks (and of their own pockets). They did not want to see the Phanariots back on the thrones of the Principalities, demanding the restoration of Romanian Princes. That led to frictions between Romanians and the Filiki Hetairia, which assassinated the leader of the Romanian revolt, Tudor Vladimirescu, definitively alienating the Romanians from the ‘Greek’ cause. Romania would gain her own independence in 1878 under the aegis of Russia.
Sorry my friend but you are wrong. I wont’ go there. In 1930′ Greek language professor from Knossos, together with Roamnian professor studied Vlach language nad concluded that more than 60% of the words used by them are ancient Greek words usually referred to as Homeric. Funny as it may sound, people in Romania spoke Greek, and the language taught in schools was Greek. Accordingly to one Greek history writer from Canada, who claimed in his book that around 1860 Romanian authorities scrambled to create their language and national identity. This was the time when they forbade the use of Greek language. Kings in Vlach Kingdom had Greek names. Going back to Roman times, The famous 5th legion, was the one that Vlachs referred themselves to as belonging, they referred to themselves as “Tsintsari”, you understand that don’t you. This is why they called themselves as Aromanians => “non-Romans”. In Polish the naming difference is beautifully represented as: Itally – Włochy, Vlachia – Wołochy. You can see the difference, as Italy and not quite Italy. I happened to see in my young days some Romanian propaganda movies about Brave Dacians defeating the ugly Romans. No different than English BS about the Picts and the Romans. Finally Romania means just that “Country of Romans => Greeks”. Have good national dreams.
I would like to gripe on Movie BS. I just watched, with difficulty, movie called “Centurion”. What I would like to point out is the fact that Romans are portrayed as idiot oafs, who managed to conquer the World yet never learned the art of war. Here is the example. They expedite legion to fight and destroy Picts. They have their heavy foot soldiers, yet not even one bowmen, not one pelter, not one catapult. They walk into an area presenting itself as a perfect place for an ambush yet they do not send out the scouts? Were they born yesterday? Real amateurs, oh yes the guy (centurion) says this is new type of war, without an honor, and Romans never had to fight dirty war before? Right. Picts roll some fire balls down the hill and yet Romans stand there like the idiots letting the balls roll over them? Did the primitive Picts have the technology to make the balls that would keep together while soaked up with some fire media (petroleum) and the Romans would not have a clue about this fact? Enough gripes, lets face it Romans left the Englaterra not because of some picts, but the lack of funds to keep those legions all over the World. Lack of money can to that to anyone, except if you have the presses to print useless paper.
ioan on May 01, 2018 · at 3:18 pm EST/EDT
I’m really sorry I don’t have the necessary time to get into this discussion, maybe on a later occasion but thanks for the interesting thoughts, arguments and counterarguments.
Anonius on May 04, 2018 · at 1:14 pm EST/EDT
OK. My final reply to this. Romania, playing a dirty game of Vlach’s Carpathian origins approached UN with a request to recognize Vlachs as a minority in Greece. Vlach Representatives in Greece officially replied to the UN and Romanian history-twisters that they are not a minority, they are just bilingual Greeks. But, this BS does not stop. Just look at Wikipedia.
I’ll add to my other note about their language, only ~25% of their language is Latin, the rest is a split of Arvanite (also ancient Greek, but older than Homeric) and Slav from the north. This is the result of them sheep herding all over the place.
When people can talk about a ‘Greek language professor from “Knossos”‘ you know instantly that the talker is an ignorant who tries to impress the audience with apparently scientific mumbo-jumbo. The more when he is ‘supporting’ it with the authority of unnamed “Roamnian professors” and “Greek history writers from Canada”.
Well, we know that Greek chauvinists always refused to acknowledge the existence of the Vlachs in Greece pretending that the language they speak was imposed on them by school teachers sent from Romania in the time of the Ottoman Empire. We know all that. Things are in the same vain as the circus they make about ‘Macedonia’. Now, if Greek claims over Macedonia may have some semblance of reason although the ancient Macedonians were not Greeks at all, albeit culturally ‘Hellenized’, claims over Romania are in the realm of ridiculous fantasies. It was a pipe-dream of some Phanariots intent to restore the Byzantine Empire extending their leadership of the ‘millet-i Rûm’ (the Orthodox populations of the Ottoman Empire including besides Greeks also Bulgarians, Serbs, Vlachs, Slavs, Georgians, Arabs, Albanians) over the North-Danubian Principalities where they occupied for a century their thrones.
Anonius on May 05, 2018 · at 10:35 am EST/EDT
Please, your ignorance and reply is insulting: Chauvinist? Fascist maybe? I am going to venture the guess that you can read Greek like the Nikola Gruyevski, of Fyrom who is actually from Macedonia (Greece).
Let me quote a guy who identifies himself as Vlach.
It is hard to reconcile this picture with the idea, cultivated in an atmosphere of misconceptions and disinformation, that the Vlachs in Greece are oppressed or, even worse, the victims of persecution. The truth is that the associations and the Federation receive frequent grants and subsidies for the whole range of their activities from the Ministry of Culture. Knowing the past as we do, it is clear that none of this would exist if the Greek state really harboured any hostility to the thousands of members of these Vlach associations and their activities.
The spasmodic and largely ineffectual activities of a number of small ‘Irredentist Organisations’ – most of them from outside the Balkan region – took on a new lease of life as their members endeavoured to pose as the only advocates and defenders of any Vlach identity. The irredentist revival culminated in the celebrated Proposal 1333 of the Council of Europe. In the early 1990’s an official observer, Mr. De Puig, spent a few days travelling in Greece, made casual visits to just one or two of the dozens of Vlach associations, and to one or two Vlach villages. Without any serious or meaningful scholarly intention, he then casually threw together a report which was subsequently adopted without question, and with no small degree of naivetι, by the Council of Europe. At the same time foreign, non-Vlach researchers had begun to tour the Vlach communities and settlements on either side of the Balkan borders, seeking out the Vlachs and investigating their identity. During the same period various NGO’s – some of them of international stature, like the Helsinki Watch – dedicated to the monitoring of the rights of various minority groups, officially recognised or otherwise, attempted to voice their own opinions on the subject. Official departments and agencies of the European Union, like the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages (EBLUL) also became involved. Semi-official state organisations, like the Centre for Research into Minority Groups (KEMO) began to take an interest in the Vlachs, perhaps wishing to foster the impression that the Greek state now had a more tolerant, European image. It is also true that the official Romanian state – usually acting behind the scenes, but sometimes quite openly – once again turned its attention to the Vlachs of other Balkan countries, contriving to inject new life into old and familiar nationalistic views. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was officially recognised by Romania when it agreed to describe its Vlach population as a minority. In its annual reports on Greece, the US State Department refers to the Vlachs as a minority group. Even the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions the Vlachs and the need to protect minority rights on its official website, perhaps unaware of the existence of several thousand Muslim Vlachs within its own borders. Certain Greek nationalist circles now began to draw attention again to the treachery of a number of Vlachs during the Axis Occupation. The official Greek state appeared to be taken by surprise, hesitant and slow to react.
In all this confusion the reaction of the Vlachs of Greece was what one might expect, whether that expressed by ordinary people who were passive spectators of these developments, or the more official reaction of the collective associations. They had the impression that spectres from the past, and new self-appointed protectors and patrons, were blatantly ignoring their own sense of identity, their hard-won achievements of recent years, and generating wave after wave of disinformation, cultivating a new cold-war climate. I shall always remember the indignation expressed by a woman from Larissa: ‘Enough is enough! All these people need to understand that we Vlachs are not some savage tribe somewhere in the jungle of Papua – New Guinea waiting for the missionaries to come along and save our bodies and souls’. Her reaction appears to be well-founded. I know of no individual Vlach or Vlach organisation which officially invited the intervention of these various parties, with their academic studies and their rash political speeches. The current reality of the Vlachs in Greece, the sense of identity shared by the overwhelming majority of the Vlachs, has always been quite different. The mere mention of the word ‘minority’ is enough to cause them an allergic reaction.
Of course, the truth is that these achievements endure, evidence to any objective and well-disposed observer that the Vlachs in Greece enjoy a position of stable equilibrium between their linguistic or any other ‘otherness’ and their inalienable right to be considered members of Romiosyni, the modern Greek nation – sharing their history with that of the rest of the Modern Greeks. Perhaps the only unresolved issue is that of their language – a language which is in any case now used by fewer and fewer people, and is almost unspoken among the young.
However that may be, those who are genuinely interested in the Vlachs must give serious consideration to the views, feelings and concerns of the Vlachs of Greece. The individuals of Vlach descent living in Greece outnumber all their fellow Vlachs living in the other Balkan countries; even more, they continue to live in what is indisputably the ancestral land of all the Vlachs. How can we call ourselves democrats while we speak of – and even worse act on behalf of – the Vlachs without seeking the consent of the majority of the Vlach people? Is the interest of all these self-appointed experts in Vlach affairs, academics and politicians, really to be their salvation? Or does it not rather threaten to hasten the conscious process of discarding the Vlach identity? Perhaps, finally, if the ‘missionaries’ were not so grimly dogmatic, if they renounced indoctrination in favour of cooperation, they might succeed in allaying the concerns of the Vlachs and overcoming their reservations. Yet the fact is that in the contemporary world there is no longer any place for missionary activity. The best course would appear to be to leave the Vlachs of Greece to deal with the issue of their identity by themselves. They have already proved that they possess the necessary talent and ability to speak out for themselves. The main objectives, especially for the Vlachs living beyond the Greek borders, must remain peace, prosperity and progress. If these can be secured, perhaps things will be different.
Read the rest at
http://www.vlachs.gr/en/various-articles/contemporary-vlach-identity-and-reality-in-greece
More at:
http://www.vlahoi.net/
More about their language:
http://www.vlahoi.net/vlahiki-glossa
Sorry, the prof studying their language was from University of Crete not exactly from Knossos
and it was published in 1909 not in 1930.
http://anemi.lib.uoc.gr/metadata/5/4/3/metadata-01-0000671.tkl
Greek roots of Vlach language:
http://almyros.vlahoi.net/language.htm
Romanian propaganda:
http://almyros.vlahoi.net/propaganda.htm
Interesting map, notice The Greekness (Vlachs) starts just below Tirana (Albania):
http://almyros.vlahoi.net/almiros.htm
This time I promise not to beat on this horse anymore.
You indeed flog a dead horse. We were speaking about Romania.
Sorry my friend, your side track won’t work. All Vlachs are Greeks, no matter where reside. I am guessing you haven’t read the quotes above. Quite typical of the “ignorantuses”. Let me requote: “Their ancestral lands” = “Greece”.
Uniate supporter on April 28, 2018 · at 6:05 pm EST/EDT
An excellent article. However, there is one comment that is not correct, or at least requires some further information. The Uniates are condemned as a kind of political tool of the Catholics in attacking Orthodox weakness. In fact, the Uniates are an inconvenience for many in the Vatican, and they are very keen to get rid of them. They want Catholics in Rssia to go to the Latin rite, not the Orthdox rite, and the Uniates are a nuisance, so they are subject to obstruction and death of a thousand cuts. It is a tiny Church, and unloved by pretty much everyone. That it is based on the hope of unifying the one true Church, yet has no friends, pretty clearly reflects the intractability of the situation in the Churches. Its isolation also gives it many canonical problems, which are not being helped by either the East or West. Yet it is based on a love of the Orthodox liturgy, and it stands for the unity of the Church which The Saker acknowledges cannot be split. A little more research might reveal the true situation: the Church that believes there is only one Church and Christ has no friends, only enemies.
Uniates became a nuisance for everyone. There are in the typical situation of wanting to have the cake and eat it. They wanted to be Orthodox and Catholic at the same time and ended up being neither.
So wanting a unified Church is ‘having your cake and eating it?’ It is true that is the general thinking, which is why the Uniates are so friendless and the split is is intractable, but it is bizarre if you reflect on it for a bit. As the Saker implies, there is only one Christ and only one Church.
Oh, I beg your pardon (note to self) apparently there is one bit that is a cake and another that is sort of digested cake crumbs …
The Church is one, this is a truism. But it is one when ‘in one mind we confess the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity in one essence and undivided’. The Roman Catholics ceased to confess the Creed of the One Church, making a Creed of their own and making their own rites which diverge and contradict the practice of the One Church.
Now, the Unia was not the result of a desire to ‘unify the Church’, but an attempt to submit her to the Popes and their heretical propositions. Unia accepted the unacceptable heresies of Papism for material advantages, becoming one with it. The preservation of the ‘oriental’ liturgy and rites was conceived as a transitory measure to not alienate people from the start, but which was to be slowly and unobtrusively changed in time to full Latin rite and Unia fully absorbed into the Papist ‘church’. This is how the problem is seen today both by the Papists and Orthodox. You want to be ‘Catholic’? Go for it. Uniats delude themselves that by keeping the external trappings of ‘Orthodoxy’ they would be able to attract the Orthodox to submit to the Pope. Perhaps deep down they feel that they had bee tricked, but they can’t face it.
There is one more consideration. Unia was clearly a weapon against ‘Muscovy’ embraced by Ukrainian nationalists and that’s why they stick to it, although from the point of view of the Catholics themselves it outlived its usefulness.
Even if that were true, and it is not – I suggest you look a little closer at the history and origins – what do you propose as the way to unify the Church? Given that the split is wrong.
Both the Catholics and Orthodox recognise the legitimacy of each other’s sacraments, which they hav to do because they both have undeniable Apostolic succession.
As for the Ukraine, isn’t the point of the Saker’s article that politics should be considered Caesar’s realm, as it were? What I like about his article is that he starts from the religious realities and sees politics as merely the temporal/political arena, the fallen world riddled with evil, as ever.
So what is the solution to this phenomenon described by The Saker:
@way to unify the Church?
The Church is not dis-united. The parts which separated from the Church are outside the Church (properly the Roman-Catholic church is not really a church). The only way is their repentance, renunciation of their heresies and schism. Apostolic succession is the tracing of a direct line of apostolic ordination, Orthodox doctrine, and full communion from the Apostles to the current episcopacy of the Orthodox Church. All three elements are constitutive of apostolic succession. Apostolic succession is broken in heresy when Apostolic Faith is trampled on, and in schism when communion with all other Orthodox bishops is broken.
Catholics ‘recognize’ Orthodox ‘sacraments’ as valid, but one can hardly say that the Orthodox recognize the validity of the Catholic ‘sacraments’, except perhaps some ‘ecumenically’ minded clergymen who actually create confusion and maintain the delusions of the schismatics. An Orthodox cannot receive Communion from Catholics. Orthodox cannot ‘unify’ with error, they don’t need such ‘unity’.
And was not Unia ‘infected’ by nationalism
Uniate supporter on April 30, 2018 · at 1:05 am EST/EDT
Wow, you really are extreme. Shouldn’t be surprised, i suppose. So on what basis do you argue that the See of Peter is no longer canonically legitimate, given that there is direct Apostolic succession (a succession that, as The Saker points out, is very troubled in many parts of Orthodoxy)? That is, in what way does ‘schism’ invalidate Apostolic succession and where do you derive your authority for that? And how do you define ‘schism’ and how does it invalidate the sacraments? I can see how that occurs when there are huge differences in theology, such as the consubstantiation/transubstantiation divide. But struggling to see it here, given the similarities in theology. I’d also be interested in how you interpret the Old Russian disagreements from that point of view.
I presume the ‘heresy’ you are referring to is the role of the Pope? Not any theological difference? The only ones I am aware of are the Filioque and maybe some differences over Mary, which I very much doubt is where the real problem lies. The Pope ‘controversy’ looks more ecclesiastical than theological to me.
I might add you have very little to concern you at a practical level here; there have been active attempts to undermine the Uniates from the Latin/West, who don’t want them to exist, and they are pretty much driven underground in Russia. Not sure how it survives at all, really.
It seems that you did not read what I wrote. I repeat then: Apostolic succession is the tracing of a direct line of apostolic ordination, Orthodox doctrine, and full communion from the Apostles to the current episcopacy of the Orthodox Church. All three elements are constitutive of apostolic succession.
Papal ‘church’ broke the communion with the other Apostolic Churches on matters of doctrine, worship and ecclesiastical discipline. That is schism. They preach a different doctrine than the Apostles. That parts of Orthodoxy have not been exempted of ‘troubles with succession’ does not confer upon the Papal schism a greater validity.
The ‘Old Believers’ schism is a case in point. There is even a nuance of ‘phyletism’ about it.
Canon XLV of the Holy Apostles
“Let any Bishop, or Presbyter, or deacon that merely joins in prayer with heretics be suspended, but if he had permitted them to perform any service as Clergymen, let him be deposed.”
Canon LXV of the Holy Apostles:
“If any clergymen, or laymen, enter a synagogue of Jews, or of heretics, to pray, let him be both deposed and excommunicated.”
Canon XLVI of the Holy Apostles:
“We order any Bishop, or Presbyter, that has accepted any heretics’ Baptism, or sacrifice, to be deposed; for “what consonancy hath Christ with Beliar? or what part hath the believer with an infidel?”
What do you say when you see the Popes entering the synagogues of the Jews and being ‘blessed’ by the Rabbis (in secret ceremonies) and the mosques of the Muslims and praying with them?
I can see what your argument is in relation to ‘ecclesiastical discipline’; how much of the Orthodox church has observed that in your view?
Can you elaborate on the failures of ‘doctrine and worship’? I think that is where we probably disagree.
As for your question, I don’t know anything about it. But the behaviour of the Vatican is often less than exemplary (not least in relation to the Uniates, who they want gone). If you are suggesting some kind of devil’s bargain I would be sceptical, but the behaviour of the clergy is not the Church.
@‘ecclesiastical discipline’; how much of the Orthodox church has observed
This is a problem that must be looked at historically. It requires in depth study (of the Scriptures, of the Synods, their decisions and canons, of Church history, of history, of Christian art). It cannot be solved by throwing a ‘you too’ at any objection to Papacy or Unia.
Zastros on April 28, 2018 · at 6:25 pm EST/EDT
Ukraine is so going to get its arse kicked. Israel and CIA pushed them into attacking. When this war kicks off in Syria western Ukraine will be flattened.
A recent Bloomberg effort by Leonid Bershidsky — not sure how to read it … some truth perhaps but the IMF report referred to looks to be framing the Russian domain as ‘backward’ etc. I’d be interested in comments etc.
https://www.bloombergquint.com/opinion/2018/04/26/why-orthodox-christian-nations-remain-stuck
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/303241522775925061/pdf/WPS8399.pdf
correction:as a World Bank report (not IMF). my error.
JEinCA on April 29, 2018 · at 2:54 am EST/EDT
Andrei My Orthodox Brother,
I cannot and will not pass judgement on you for your views of the Moscow Patriarchate. I do not come from your background. I am not Russian. I am not the son of White Russian Refugees. I don’t know the history of Russia and the Church and the Soviet Era like you do.
However at this particular time in history I can say I am not ready to follow your lead to the self proclaimed “Genuine Orthodox Church” (GOC). Before I converted to Orthodoxy in a parish of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Former Soviet Union I was a Roman Catholic. When I was a Roman Catholic I was constantly searching for more traditional manifestations of Catholic worship eventually leading me to a Latin Mass Parish in communion with Rome.
Before I converted to Orthodoxy I struggled with the legitimacy of Vatican II and hence the legitimacy of the Pope of Rome and the Novus Ordo Liturgy. For a brief time I flirted with the idea of Sedevacantism (St. Pius V Society) which is the traditionalist Roman Catholic Group that adheres strictly to the Tridentine Latin Mass and considers Pope Pius the 12th to be the last “real Pope” and since then the Vatican has fallen into modernism and the Chair of St. Peter remains vacant.
All though I love the Tridentine Latin Mass I could not wholeheartedly commit myself to the Sedevacantist position. Eventually I found myself drawn back to Orthodoxy which I had been introduced to as a teenager in San Francisco (I had unbeknownst to me walked into an Orthodox Mission ran by monks from Platina, CA where Father Seraphim Rose had helped establish a Monastery). I had always felt deep down that Orthodoxy was the ancient Catholic faith of my European ancestors and today I wholeheartedly believe the Orthodox Church to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church (the One True Faith). I know the human side of The Church has and has always had it’s shortcomings (and always fallen short of the mark) but I am not ready to separate myself from communion with that which calls itself the “Canonical” Church but at the same time my eyes are not shut to truth. I do have a good amont of trust both to ROCOR and to the Antiochian Patriarchate which have been absolutely key to evangelizing to the non-Orthodox Americans like me. God be with you and yours Andrei and let us never forget that which is impossible for men is possible for God.
You have a great skill in writing. Thanks for making it easier for us to understand. The history and the subject are themselves interesting, you crafted this article well.
Dutch on April 29, 2018 · at 3:20 pm EST/EDT
Juncker admits in interview Dutch newspaper: “Putin is my old friend, has been for many years. We must love Russia”. Juncker hates the current Cold War climate.
https://www.trouw.nl/democratie/jean-claude-juncker-je-mag-tegenwoordig-niet-zeggen-dat-poetin-je-vriend-is~a7236236/
milan on April 29, 2018 · at 6:28 pm EST/EDT
Saker, Saker Congratulations!!!!!!!! I must say I’m impressed truly impressed. You of all people would be flabbergasted by my testimony. I should really write a biography of my life and how i came to know Christ. Being from a Roman Catholic family I grew to hate all things religious until that is I came to a point in my life at the tender age of 18 when I sought out answers from God Himself. 2 questions I asked of him in prayer one was why are there so many different religions and churches? and then the second which one did He want me in. To make a long story short God directed me to the teachings of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians and how Paul was faced with the same kind of issues ie: I follow Paul. I follow Apollos. still others I follow Peter. etc etc 1 Corinthians the first three chapters has all the answers about the why of so many different denominations and such. As for following political rulers well I think Christ said it best in Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
This scripture came to a head for me especially when I came across a book by a world renowned religious leader who fell from grace and lost his entire ministry and brought terrible shame upon our Lord. In a biography he wrote he confessed that he could never understand what was meant by the words ‘depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you.’
Wow, i thought too myself how does someone who claims to be a follower of Christ and yet totally and completely is oblivious to this one scripture? If some one had asked me at the tender age of 18 for an explanation the answer would have been really quite simple.
DOES CHRIST JESUS KNOW WHAT SIN HE HAD TO DIE FOR IN YOUR LIFE AND DO YOU KNOW THAT HE KNOWS IT?
And I must say that down to this very day I am still flabbergasted that this fool of a minister had the ignorance to actually confess this in a book.
Something has gone wrong, terribly, terribly wrong with the entire Christian Church on a global scale it really has. No wonder we have lost so much respect in the eyes of the world. I think its called carnal Christianity.
I am even remembered by a missionary who was sent to my parents homeland of Croatia from USA to start a church and upon hearing of it I became so full of disgust thinking too myself what are you going to do? rechristianize a people who are already Christians many of whom who could care less about following Christ. It’s just a cultural thing for many though my mother almost disowned and hated me for leaving the Catholic Church.
the good news however is to be found in Ephesians 4:14-16
Stay tuned I believe God is going to act in the Church on a truly global scale before Christ returns!!!!!
Svetolik on April 30, 2018 · at 4:50 am EST/EDT
We Serbs are grateful to our Father St Sava for establishing Serbian Church, as we have had issues with clergy from Constantinople. We called them Fanariots. Ever since they have had the only mission – to dominate the Church. This is why a national church establishment was not a bad solution.
Sal on May 04, 2018 · at 1:07 pm EST/EDT
There were many faithful Christians among the Soviet era clergy, according to Everyday Saints. May God help each one of us acquire the Holy Spirit so a thousand around us will be saved.
This is a very scholarly, informative and thought-provoking article.
This said, I beg to disagree on a few points.
First of all, it’s all very well to put forward canon law and declare the Moscow Patriarchate illegitimate. But where was a Soviet citizen to turn to if they wanted to practise their faith without defecting to protestantism?
To be sure, not all of the New Martyrs were Josephites. Persecutions extended well beyond the 20’s. The Hrushchev years were years of persecution for the Orthodox Church after the relative truce that followed WWII. Tihon Shevkunov’s “Everyday saints” gives very good and lively examples of the heroism and sometimes, indeed, sanctity it took to protect the faith during those years. (Most prominent from his book is the loving figure of Ioann Hristjankin, with his spontaneous forgiveness of his torturer and the “brother” who turned him in.) If one is to judge a tree by its fruit, I find the faith and radiant love of some priests and hieromonks of the Moscow Patriarchate the living proof that this Church is healing its past lapses.
Second, I don’t see how being an offshoot of the Moscow Patriarchate can be the main problem of the Kiev Patriarchate, since this offers the hope, albeit a tenuous one, of repentance and reunification, or at least friendly relations. What the maneuver is about is division of Christians in what is a deeply Christian country, which is why the plight of the Ukraine is so painful.
Then, I’d be very surprised if there were a unanimity among apostolic fathers to say that the rock upon whom Christ’s Church was to be edified according to Matthew 16:18-19 was exclusively the truth of Jesus’ Messiahship. The ROCOR priest that introduced me to orthodoxy did interpret it as giving Peter personally an exalted role, as does Kallistos Ware in “The Orthodox Church”, where other “Petrine passages” are also adduced, namely Luke 22:32 (“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”) and John 21:15-17 (“Feed My sheep.”). Of course, from this election of Peter to the exaltation of future holders of the See of Rome, there’s a step that Orthodox theologians do not take.
Last, the political fall of Rome to the Franks does not in itself deprive Rome of its legitimacy. And indeed, for the first 8 centuries, the Bishop of Rome was regarded as a reference of orthodox doctrine, a resource to rely on in the fight against heresies. It’s only later that, from what I understand, Frankish Knights maneuvered to drive a wedge between Rome and Constantinople, notably by insisting that the filioque clause, which came from Latin areas where the fight against arianism was hottest, be imposed on all churches.
The ‘Petrine passages’ do not really give Peter any ‘exalted’ role. Actually they are mild rebukes for Peter’s weakness:
“31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou turn back (i.e. after your fall), strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me” (Luke 22:31-34).
“15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God” (John 21:15-18).
Clearly the rebuke to Peter comes after a quarrel among the Apostles about ‘primacy’! And it is clear that Peter was the one claiming the greater ‘greatness’ among the Apostles!
21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! 23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. 28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. 29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; 30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” ( 22:21-30).
Again we see that Jesus bestowed the ‘kingdom’ upon all the Apostles. Even Matthew 16:19 says not ‘I give you…’, but “I will give you…”, in the future when Jesus will give it to all the Apostles:
“21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:21-23).
Rome was seen as a reference to Orthodox doctrine, but not ‘the’ reference. If Rome jeopardized her legitimacy was not because her submission to the Franks, but because she fell into heresies (there is not only the ‘filioque’ at stake) and schism and lost the ‘Apostolic succession’ and therefore any claim at ‘shepherding and feeding’ the flock.
Another Anonymus
Deddy on May 10, 2018 · at 11:02 pm EST/EDT
I’ve never been happier to reflect on my decision not to join a church.
Iconodule on May 11, 2018 · at 10:35 am EST/EDT
For the Saker? (Shahna)
I fear that this post is a little biased and extreme. While I do respect Saker’s viewpoint, and have tremendous respect for Saker’s geopolitical analysis I disagree on this matter.
I am a member of one of the main Orthodox “jurisdictions” in America, and I openly admit that there should be no “jurisdictions”. The situation in America is not traditional, not canonical (according to the canons) and not endorsed by the main Orthodox Churches in the world today.
I agree with Saker that the use of “canonical” is problematic today, and not according to the Holy Fathers. However, just since there exist problems in the main Orthodox Churches in America today we are joined in Communion. It appears that Saker is not in communion with us. See http://www.assemblyofbishops.org/ for list of Orthodox Churches in communion.
I suggest that you study the list of bishops in communion at the times of Saint Maximos the Confessor. You will then realize how absolutely non-Orthodox your argument is.
I agree with you dear Saker that there exists plenty of nominal Orthodox, plenty of problems with our clergy and scandals. Unfortunately, that has existed since the time of the Apostles. I just cannot agree to draw the conclusion you have and join a “traditional Orthodox Church” that is not in communion with the rest of the Orthodox in this Country.
If you will allow me I will explain why, and appeal to all other readers. The Holy Orthodox Church is THE ONE HOLY CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC Church that has existed from the time of the Apostles until today, and it will exist to the end of time with the gates of hell NOT prevailing against it.
From my personal experience from my conversion in 2003 until 15 years later I see numerous miracles in my personal life and the corporate life of the Church on a weekly if not daily basis.
1.) After converting and being brought into the Church I ceased struggling with sins that I could not overcome prior to joining.
2.) My sister who was unable to conceive received a blessing from Saint Irene of Chrysovalantou Monastery (http://www.stirene.org/) and ate one of the blessed apples there. She conceived and nine months later the baby was born on Saint Irene’s Saint Day.
3.) I have seen several miraculous icons that have been filled with fragrant myrrh and have seen the powerful Grace of God with my own eyes – http://byztex.blogspot.com/2012/02/myrrh-streaming-icon-attracts-attention.html
Despite the weakness of us humans God is loving and merciful and is working in His Holy Church. I cannot deny these miracles and take the position that Saker does. I cannot deny the Grace of God I have witnessed and see in His Holy Church.
Last, forgive me if I offend anyone or you dear Saker. My words are nothing, but if you have time please read what this dear contemporary Holy Elder says: http://orthochristian.com/91448.html
Also, if people think that Orthodoxy is not reviving in the official Russian Church please read “Everyday Saints and Other Stories”. It is impossible to deny the Grace of God in world Orthodoxy and the numerous Saints being produced. I’m not a son of Russia or the Russian Church, but I can see God’s Grace at work powerfully. So, brother and sisters – keep the faith! Do NOT despair. The enemy of our souls will NOT win.
Much Love to all.
Do you realize that NONE of your arguments are patristic? Not *one*. This is a sad case of what I call “post-patristic “Orthodoxy””. A religion whose doxa only is externally similar to the one of the Fathers and who is completely integrated in, and part of, the modern world. It is sad to see the phronema of the Fathers so completely lost.
Spectator on May 17, 2018 · at 6:57 am EST/EDT
Well, this is all very nice, but the Saker has obviously forgotten how the Christianity came to prominence in the 4th century – through the (still) mysterious conversion of emperor Constantine and his mother. Since then, each and every Christian church that wanted to survive long enough, had to lobby for support by the local secular power, be it an emperor, king, duke, or whatever. Without secular power support, it would even today be a kind of collection of local sects, without much influence on historical events!
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Tracy McGrady’s Houston Return: Before, During and After
Day 7 of Houston Rockets Training Camp
Tracy McGrady attends Rockets practice
Don’t Blame Me, I Didn’t Vote For Yao
Before Tracy McGrady was relaxed.
Published on December 8, 2010
Tracy McGrady was relaxed.
On the other hand, I was nervous. The visiting team’s locker room was unexplored territory for me. After a while, you get more comfortable talking to the Rockets players. Entering the Pistons locker room and seeing Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace… it takes you back to the beginning.
McGrady appeared ready for his Houston return. He was hanging out at his locker, finishing up a call on his cell phone. Honestly, it was bizarre seeing him decked out in Pistons gear. He said being in the “other” locker room wasn’t as strange as he thought it was going to be.
“If this was my first time, it would be, but I’ve been on this side before in a Magic uniform,” said McGrady. “It feels weird, but not as weird as I thought it was going to be because I’ve been on this side before.”
McGrady thought of Yao Ming first when asked about his best moments in Houston.
“It was a pleasure to be Yao’s teammate,” said McGrady. “I was really looking forward to that when I first got traded here. The 22-game winning streak as a team, that’s the second best in NBA history. Those are two of the best for me.”
The reaction from the crowd shocked me.
I was asked 4-5 times what I thought would be the reaction from the Toyota Center crowd when McGrady entered the game — I thought for sure he would be cheered. There would be a few jeers, but they would be drowned out.
That wasn’t the case at all. The arena filled with boos when McGrady entered the game and it truly surprised me.
It wasn’t that the reaction was not justified. I wrote a year ago about the day T-Mac lost the city of Houston, but Rockets faithful cheered him loudly when he finally came back last season, and that too surprised me. I think they got it backwards… it would have been nice to send a clear message then, but now might have been the time to reflect a bit more on the positive.
Here is both the reaction on TV when McGrady entered the game and the amateur fan cam view from the stands.
If McGrady was rattled by the fan reaction, he certainly wasn’t going to let it be known in his words.
“I don’t have no reaction at all,” said McGrady.
But it was obvious that T-Mac didn’t have the same demeanor that he showed pregame. He was more defensive and almost seemed a bit hurt. He definitely wasn’t basking in the backlash, like he did in Orlando. McGrady really didn’t have a clear answer when asked how he wanted to be remembered in Houston.
“Whatever comes to mind. I really don’t have any … I don’t know,” said McGrady. “Whatever I did for them when I played here, if they enjoyed me when I suited up at night. If they didn’t, it’s whatever they feel.”
Listen closely. A reporter mentions that it wasn’t like the first trip back to “Orlando,” and McGrady agrees, saying the first trip back to “Toronto” was actually worse.
And I think that collection of burned bridges sums it up. McGrady had truly amazing talent, the kind that can put you in the Hall of Fame, but you never see true superstars booed at every place they once called home.
Related Topics:tracy mcgrady
In quest for size, Adelman turning to Courtney Lee as backup point
Houston Rockets – 44 Years of Tradition
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Weekly News Update on the Americas covers news from Latin America and the Caribbean, compiled and written from a progressive perspective. It is published by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, P.O. Box 20587, Tompkins Square Station, New York, NY 10009, weeklynewsupdate@gmail.com.
WNU #1030: Puerto Rican Students Strike Against Cuts
Issue #1030, April 25, 2010
1. Puerto Rico: Students Strike Against Budget Cuts
2. Honduras: Anti-Sweatshop Campaign Hits Nike
3. Guatemala: NGO Blasts Maquilas’ Abuse of Women
4. Haiti: Government Suspends Forced Evictions
5. Uruguay: Junta Foreign Minister Gets Jail Term
6. Links to alternative sources on: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Haiti, US
ISSN#: 1084 922X. Weekly News Update on the Americas covers news from Latin America and the Caribbean, compiled and written from a progressive perspective. It has been published weekly by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York since 1990. For a subscription, write to weeklynewsupdate@gmail.com . It is archived at http://weeklynewsupdate.blogspot.com/
*1. Puerto Rico: Students Strike Against Budget Cuts
As of Apr. 25 students were continuing an occupation of the Río Piedras campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) in San Juan to protest plans to cut next year’s budget by $100 million. The cutbacks might mean an end to exemptions for students with less resources at the public university. About 65,000 students are enrolled in the UPR’s 11 campuses, of which Río Piedras is the largest.
The occupation began on Apr. 21 as a 48-hour protest; two days later the students announced that the protest would be open-ended strike. Student representatives met with UPR president José Ramón de la Torre on Apr. 23, but the strikers said on Apr. 25 that the university still hadn’t responded to the demands they presented at the meeting. According to press reports, about 70 students were carrying out the occupation at the Río Piedras campus. Giovanni Roberto, a spokesperson for the strikers, said the number of protesters had stayed about the same since the beginning, with some students joining during the weekend while others went home to visit their families.
Support for the strikers has come from a number of groups, including the Teachers' Federation of Puerto Rico (FMPR) and the All Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico Coalition, which had led the struggle against layoffs of government employees last fall [see Updates #1006, 1008]. Supporters have come to the locked gates of the campus to demonstrate, hold press conferences and visit the strikers. “Support has been growing from the beginning,” Roberto said on Apr. 25. “We thought we were going to die of hunger, but it was the opposite—people have come by bringing us food. We expect the support to go on increasing and that this will get to the administration.” (EFE 4/23/10; Primero Hora (Puerto Rico) 4/25/10 from Inter News Service, 4/25/10 from staff reporter)
*2. Honduras: Anti-Sweatshop Campaign Hits Nike
On Apr. 9 Biddy Martin, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison, announced that the institution was cancelling its sports apparel contract with Oregon-based Nike, Inc because of the company’s failure to provide legally mandated back pay and severance packages worth some $2.1 million to more than 1,600 workers for two Nike contractors in Honduras. This was the first victory in a campaign started by students at various North American campuses last fall around the closing of two plants, Vision Tex and Hugger de Honduras, in January 2009 [see Update #1016]. UW made some $49,000 in 2008 and 2009 for allowing Nike to use the university logo on its clothing and products.
Chancellor Martin’s decision followed organizing on the campus by the Student Labor Action Coalition (SLAC) and a rally of more than 100 students on Apr. 8, with the support of two campus unions, AFSCME Local 171 and the Teaching Assistant Association. A week later, on Apr. 17, two of the Nike subcontractors’ former employees, Gina Cano and Lowlee Urquia, visited the campus as part of a North American tour. The workers said the management of the two maquiladoras—tax-exempt assembly plants producing mainly for export—didn’t compensate them for overtime, imposed unreasonable quotas, and failed to pay required contributions to the national health benefit program. (Socialist Worker 4/14/10; In These Times 4/21/10)
Meanwhile, the California-based Dole Food Company, Inc--formerly Standard Fruit Company--has announced plans to close 13 estates in Yoro department in northern Honduras, leaving about 2,300 agricultural workers without jobs. The company said the estates are unprofitable and indicated that it would pay the workers their benefits.
The employees are represented by the Unified Union of Standard Fruit Company Workers (Sutrasfco), which is affiliated with the Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), one of the country’s three main labor federations. Hilario Espinoza, the CTH’s general secretary, has said that the company was really trying to destroy Sutrasfco by replacing the unionized workers with a non-union workforce. “We would need to carry out a strike if it’s necessary,” he added, “because it’s not possible that they should be able to fire workers to bring in other people.” (El Tiempo (San Pedro Sula) 4/10/10; La Tribuna (Tegucigalpa) 4/23/10, 4/24/10)
[Toro department is near the Aguán River Valley, recently the scene of tension over a land dispute between campesinos and influential landowners; see Update #1029.]
*3. Guatemala: NGO Blasts Maquilas’ Abuse of Women
On Apr. 22 the French nongovernmental organization (NGO) Doctors of the World (MdM) released a report on the condition of women in Guatemalan maquiladoras in the apparel and food processing industries. “The job is unstable and badly paid, the work is dangerous for health, there is psychological and sexual harassment, insults, physical abuse, unjustified firings and interminable workdays,” according to the report, based on interviews in 2006-2009 with 530 women working in 16 factories in Chimaltenango and Sacatepéquez departments in western Guatemala.
The investigators found that workdays were as long as 11 hours, while the pay was 51.75 quetzales a day ($6.46), below the minimum wage of 56 quetzales ($7). In the apparel maquiladoras, 65% of the women received less than 1,500 quetzales a month ($187.5), while in the food processing plants some 70.5% of the women got less than 1,000 quetzales ($125) a month. About 34% of the food processing workers interviewed were minors, while 4% of the apparel workers were minors. Some 56.2% of the food processors were indigenous, while 41% of the garment workers were indigenous. Just one third could read and write. Seven out of 10 of the women in food processing were single mothers, as were more than half of the women in the apparel plants.
The report found that 90% of the women interviewed had suffered either psychological or physical abuse. The workers put up with the abuse because “they are regularly threatened with being fired if they try to defend their rights,” said Pilar Giraux, the head of the MdM mission in Guatemala. There are 180 maquiladoras in Guatemala, employing 75,000-100,000 people. (EFE 4/22/10 via terra.com (Spain))
*4. Haiti: Government Suspends Forced Evictions
The Haitian government decided on Apr. 22 to declare a three-week moratorium on forced evictions of homeless Port-au-Prince residents from improvised encampments at schools and other private property where they have been living since a Jan. 12 earthquake devastated much of southern Haiti. The government made the decision because “there are a lot of tensions,” Edmond Mulet, a Guatemalan diplomat and the acting head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), said at a press conference later on Apr. 22. “There are pupils who want to return to their schools to continue their studies; there are displaced people who are installed in the schools,” Mulet explained. “Well, instead of having confrontations, a moratorium has been established.” (Radio Métropole 4/23/10 from AFP)
The Haitian government had been evicting thousands of people from the encampments since early April, from sites that included private schools, a golf course and a soccer stadium [see Updates #1028 and 1029]. Although the government claimed the homeless would be moved to two new camps prepared outside the city, by most accounts many people were left living in the street.
On Apr. 14 the nonprofit Bagay Dwol [“Strange Things”] Haiti Relief Fund reported on evictions at Caradeux Delmas 75, in eastern Port-au-Prince, where it said some 3,200 families were living in five camps: Camp Benediction, “Toto” Terrain Crisis Committee (CCTT), Camp Canaan, Refugee Camp and Camp Toussaint Louverture. Residents said government bulldozers came without warning the evening of Apr. 4 with Haitian National Police (PNH) escorts. “The use of batons [was] reported, and firearms were discharged into the air six times. The residents then reported that their homes were destroyed, first by the officers and then by the…bulldozers.” This continued for three nights, driving out 500 residents, who are “now living on the streets,” according to the remaining camp residents. (Bagay Dwol blog 4/14/10; Christian Science Monitor 4/20/10)
*5. Uruguay: Junta Foreign Minister Gets Jail Term
On Apr. 20 Uruguayan criminal judge Juan Carlos Fernández Lecchini handed down a 20-year prison sentence to Juan Carlos Blanco--foreign relations minister from 1973 to 1976, at the beginning of a 1973-1985 military dictatorship—for "especially aggravated homicide" in the case of the schoolteacher Elena Quinteros. With the judge’s decision, all the principal figures accused of human rights violations during the dictatorship have received prison sentences, although some face additional charges. Former dictator Juan Bordaberry (1973-1976) has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, former dictator Gregorio (“Goyo”) Alvarez (1981-1985) to 25 years, and eight other former officials to 20-25 years for homicides, kidnappings and forced disappearances.
Quinteros was abducted from the grounds of the Venezuelan embassy in Montevideo on June 28, 1976, when she sought asylum there. The abduction led to a break in diplomatic relations with Venezuela until 1985. Blanco still faces charges, along with Bordaberry, in the homicide of four Uruguayans in Buenos Aires. Under Uruguayan law, his sentence in the Quintero case will be appealed automatically. (Prensa Latina 4/21/10; AFP 4/22/10 via Notiero Legal)
*6. Links to alternative sources on: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Haiti, US
Protests Mark Auction of Brazil's Belo Monte Dam
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2462-protests-mark-auction-of-brazils-belo-monte-dam-
Cochabamba: Evo offends global gays
http://ww4report.com/node/8553
Cochabamba: police bar Ecuadoran indigenous march
http://ww4report.com/node/8551#comment-320086
Climate Change Conference in Bolivia: In Defense of Pachamama
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2457-climate-change-conference-in-bolivia-in-defense-of-pachamama
Bolivia: Reflections on the Tenth Anniversary of Cochabamba Water War
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2456-reflection-on-the-tenth-anniversary-of-cochabamba-water-war
Photo Essay From Bolivia: Memories of the Water War and Preparation for the World Climate Conference
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/bolivia-archives-31/2455-bolivia-memories-of-the-water-war-and-preparation-for-the-world-climate-conference
News Roundup: World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/component/content/article/2458-news-round-up-world-peoples-conference-on-climate-change-and-the-rights-of-mother-earth
Bolivian Climate Conference: Morales and International Peoples' Proposals for Change
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/bolivia-archives-31/2460-bolivia-climate-conference-morales-and-international-peoples-proposals-for-change-
Scenes From the People’s Climate Change Summit in Bolivia
https://nacla.org/node/6523
Colombia: An Anti-Coke Campaign Effervesces at NYU
Colombia’s DAS Carried Out “Political Warfare” Against Journalist Hollman Morris, Files Indicate
http://latindispatch.com/2010/04/16/colombias-das-carried-out-political-warfare-against-journalist-hollman-morris-files-indicate/
U.S. Advises Security Apprenticeships in Colombia
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/colombia-archives-61/2463-us-advises-security-apprenticeships-in-colombia
Honduras and the Political Uses of the Drug War
Broadcasting Women's Voices in Haiti's Reconstruction: Women's Community Radio
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-bell/broadcasting-womens-voice_b_547686.html
Defense Secretary Gates' week in Latin America
http://justf.org/blog/2010/04/20/defense-secretary-gates-week-latin-america
For more Latin America news stories from mainstream and alternative sources:
http://americas.irc-online.org/
http://nacla.org/articles
http://upsidedownworld.org/
http://ww4report.com/node/
For immigration updates and events:
http://thepoliticsofimmigration.blogspot.com/
Your support is appreciated. Back issues and source materials are available on request. Our weekly Immigration News Briefs has ended publication; for news, information and announcements in support of action for immigrant rights in the United States, subscribe to Immigrant Action at:
https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/immigrantaction
You can also visit the Immigrant Action blog at:
http://immigrantaction.blogspot.com/
Order The Politics of Immigration: Questions & Answers, from Monthly Review Press, by Update editors Jane Guskin and David Wilson:
http://thepoliticsofimmigration.com/
Posted by Weekly News Update on the Americas at 8:54 AM No comments:
Labels: Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, human rights, labor, Puerto Rico, women
Reports from Cochabamba: Climate Summit Closes, Calls for Ecological Tribunal
by Bill Weinberg, World War 4 Report
[World War 4 Report editor and WBAI host Bill Weinberg was in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for the World People's Conference on Climate Change. These are his last two on-the-scene reports.]
Cochabamba: Evo agrees to meet with Table 18
As the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (CMPCC) convened for a third day April 21 at Tiquipaya, outside the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba, Aymara indigenous leaders and their supporters continued to meet just outside the official summit at the dissident "Table 18," on social conflicts related to climate change. Greivances centered on ecological impacts of mineral projects, including the Japanese-owned San Cristobal mine in southern Potosi department and the state-owned Corocoro mine in La Paz department. [...]
Read the full report:
Cochabamba summit calls for ecological tribunal
The World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (CMPCC) at the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba closed on Earth Day, April 22, issuing several resolutions, including: that the UN adopt a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth; that an International Committee be organized to hold a global referendum on climate change on Earth Day 2011; that the industrialized nations provide annual financing equivalent to 6% of their GDP to confront climate change in the developing world; and that an International Tribunal on Environmental and Climate Justice be created, with its seat in Bolivia. The conference called for a new global organization to press for these demands, tentatively dubbed the World Movement for Mother Earth--or, by its Spanish acronym, MAMA-Tierra. [...]
Labels: Bolivia, environment
Report from Cochabamba: Dissidents Push Limits of Free Speech
Despite "the anti-capitalist discourse of Brother Evo," Pablo Regalsky charged that "foreign capital" still often plays a decisive role in Bolivia's development policies.
[World War 4 Report editor and WBAI host Bill Weinberg is in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for the World People's Conference on Climate Change. He plans to post daily on-the-scene reports.]
As the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (CMPCC) convened for a second day April 20 at Tiquipaya, outside the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba, Aymara indigenous leaders held their own dissident "Table 18" on social conflicts related to climate change. Barred by organizers from the official summit grounds on the campus of the University del Valle (Univalle), Aymara elders of the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Cullasuyu (CONAMAQ) and their allies convened the dissident forum in a Brazilian restaurant just off the campus.
Cleared of tables to make room for rows of chairs, the premises filled with pungent smoke as incense and coca leaves were ritually burned for the opening ceremony. With many drawn by the controversy, the unofficial Table 18 was as well-attended as the many tables held at the official proceedings on the campus--despite a contingent of UTOP, the national police anti-riot force, stationed at the restaurant's door. [...]
http://www.ww4report.com/node/8550
Posted by Weekly News Update on the Americas at 6:08 PM No comments:
Labels: Bolivia, environment, human rights, indigenous
WNU #1029: Honduras Government Settles With Campesinos
1. Honduras: Lobo Settles With Aguán Campesinos
2. Honduras: OAS Annual Report Cites Violations
3. Haiti: Government, UN Evict More Quake Victims
4. Haiti: Clinton Warns of Violence Like Mexico’s
5. Links to alternative sources on: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico
*1. Honduras: Lobo Settles With Aguán Campesinos
On Apr. 18 Honduran president Porfirio (“Pepe”) Lobo Sosa signed an agreement with the Unified Campesino Movement of the Aguán (MUCA) granting some 2,600 campesino families about 11,000 hectares of land in the lower Aguán River Valley in northern Honduras. MUCA has fought since 2001 for 20,000 hectares which the group says were bought illegally by three wealthy business owners, Miguel Facussé Barjum, Reinaldo Canales and René Morales. The agreement came after several months of heightened tension in the area, with four murders of MUCA members in March and April; around Apr. 11 Lobo’s government launched an unprecedented mobilization of soldiers and police agents into the area, with troops surrounding some campesino communities [see Update #1028].
Under the agreement the government is to grant the campesino families 3,000 hectares of land for planting African oil palm trees and 3,000 hectares of uncultivated land; within a year the government will turn over another 1,000 hectares for African palms and 4,000 hectares of uncultivated land. In exchange, the families will leave the private estates they have been occupying. Despite early reports, the government apparently didn’t agree to a withdrawal of the troops and police agents.
Government and MUCA negotiators worked out a preliminary agreement on Apr. 14 after a 14-hour bargaining session. All but three of the 28 cooperatives that make up the MUCA ratified the agreement on Apr. 17. The remaining cooperatives will continue with pending court actions to regain land that they claim should be theirs.
Hundreds of campesinos and other activists used the Apr. 18 signing ceremony, which took place in the colonial city of Trujillo in Colón department, to protest President Lobo’s rightwing policies. “Golpistas [coup perpetrators] out of the Aguán,” they chanted, referring to a June 28, 2009 coup d’état that removed then-president José Manuel (“Mel”) Zelaya Rosales; current president Lobo backed the coup and was elected in a vote organized in November by the de facto government that replaced Zelaya. Protesters also repeated a demand of the grassroots resistance for a Constituent Assembly to write a new Constitution.
"This agreement isn’t a definitive solution to the conflict,” Rafael Alegría, who heads the local branch of the international campesino organization Vía Campesina, said on Apr. 14, “but it brings calm to the region.” The big landowners involved seemed less satisfied, although the government is apparently compensating them for any land taken from them. A few hours after the signing ceremony a report circulated that Miguel Facussé Barjum had filed a legal action against the president’s decision. (Honduras Culture and Politics blog 4/14/10; Prensa Latina 4/14/20; Nicaragua y Más blog 4/18/10 via Vos el Soberano (Honduras))
*2. Honduras: OAS Annual Report Cites Violations
On Apr. 15 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR, or CIDH in Spanish), a Washington, DC-based agency of the Organization of American States (OAS), issued its 2009 report on human rights in the hemisphere. For the first time the IACHR included Honduras among the countries that it “believed warranted special attention.” The inclusion of Honduras is based on a report, “Honduras: Human Rights and the Coup d’État,” by an IACHR commission that visited Honduras in August 2009 to investigate the human rights situation following a June 28 military coup [see Update #1001].
According to an IACHR press release from Apr. 15, the commission “confirmed during its visit to Honduras that…there have been grave human rights violations, including deaths, arbitrary declaration of a state of siege, repression of public demonstrations using disproportionate force, criminalization of social protest, arbitrary arrests of thousands of people, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment and poor conditions of detention, militarization of the territory, an increase in instances of racial discrimination, violations of the rights of women, serious and arbitrary restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, and grave violations of political rights.”
The four other countries cited in the 2009 report have been criticized in previous IACHR annual reports: Colombia for a “persistent pattern of violation of the rights to life and to humane treatment”; Cuba for “structural situations that seriously affect the full enjoyment of human rights”; Haiti for “structural situations that seriously affect the enjoyment of the fundamental rights of its inhabitants”; and Venezuela for problems including the absence of “conditions…for human rights defenders and journalists to freely perform their occupations.” The report also criticized the US for its 50-year-old trade embargo against Cuba. (Hoy Digital (Dominican Republic) 4/15/10 from EFE; IACHR press release 4/15/10, English and Spanish)
In remarks published on Apr. 16 the Honduran government’s national human rights commissioner Ramón Custodio [see Update #979] said the IACHR had the “bad faith to want to damage the interests of the Honduran state and people.” It has “stopped being an ethical organization,” he said. “It’s an organization that serves political interests. Its president is a Venezuelan professional of recognized political membership.” (La Tribuna (Honduras) 4/17/10) [Apparently Custodio was implying that IACHR president Luz Patricia Mejía Guerrero had acted in support of Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chávez, despite the report's criticisms of Venezuela.]
*3. Haiti: Government, UN Evict More Quake Victims
The Haitian government, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the intergovernmental International Organization for Migration (OIM) have been intensifying efforts to relocate Port-au-Prince area residents left homeless by a Jan. 12 earthquake and now living in as many as 900 improvised encampments in the capital and its suburbs. After having forcibly removed some 7,335 people from the Sylvio Cator soccer stadium the weekend of Apr. 9 [see Update #1028], on Apr. 12 the government said it was starting to relocate another 10,000 people.
The government opened a site it had prepared at Corail–Cesselesse, 20 km north of the city, on Apr. 12, and as of Apr. 16 it had moved 248 families, 896 individuals, there from a golf course in the upscale suburb of Pétionville. The OIM said it was expecting to move 2,500 people from an encampment in the Bourdon Valley in Port-au-Prince to a site in Tabarre Issa (apparently in the northwestern suburb of Tabarre).
According to the government, earthquake survivors needed to be moved to safer locations as the rainy season begins; it said the relocations were voluntary. But observers found that many of the homeless were unwilling to relocate and that the removals seemed to target improvised camps on private property that the owners wanted to put back into service. “We were told we had a week to leave, and we could go in Tabarre Issa,” Mathieu Thomson, who had been living in a tent near the Saint-Louis de Gonzague prep school, told the Agence France Presse (AFP) wire service. “But there's nothing there. No toilets, no showers.” According to the OIM, the Tabarre Issa site has sanitation services, schools, a community garden and a soccer field.
The site in Corail–Cesselesse is “isolated,” residents told the Support Group for the Repatriated and Refugees (GAAR), a Haitian nonprofit group, on Apr. 14 at “Camp KID,” where about 2,000 people were living at the entrance to Christ-Roi Street. People who were to be moved to Corail from the Pétionville golf course told GARR on Apr. 10 that they didn’t know how they would get to their schools and their jobs. “We’ll be far away from downtown Port-au-Prince, where, for better or worse, you could find little jobs,” one said, “but what will there be for us up there? Nothing.” “Sending us to Corail, isn’t that another way of leaving us to our fate, of exiling us?” asked a group of young girls. (AFP (English) 4/13/10 via France 24); Radio Métropole, Haiti, 4/16/10, 4/17/10, __)
On Apr. 17 members of Haiti Response Coalition (HRC), a coalition of nonprofits and international solidarity groups, reported on plans to remove 213 families, about 1,000 individuals, that morning from the grounds of a church and a private school, the Centre Pédagogique Rural Protestant, Ecole Normale de Frères, at Delmas 95. There seemed to be no effort to provide a new location for the temporary residents, who said the Methodist pastors who ran the school hadn’t spoken to them for two weeks and that they had been denied use of the facility’s water and the restrooms. The residents, many of them camped out on a basketball court, thought private security guards would be carrying out the eviction. A sign at the camp’s gate read, in French: “NOTICE TO CAMP, the Methodist yard must be cleared out on Saturday, Apr. 17, 2010.” (Email report from HRC 4/17/2010)
*4. Haiti: Clinton Warns of Violence Like Mexico’s
Former US president Bill Clinton (1993-2001), now United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon’s special envoy for Haiti, said on Apr. 17 that the international community needs to stay involved in Haiti if it wants to prevent violence from breaking out there. "We know one thing for sure: If you like the gunfight that's going on in northwest Mexico, you will love Haiti 10 years from now," he told reporters during a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. "If that's what thrills you--this horrible chaos from Monterrey to the border--you will just love Haiti if you walk away from it."
Clinton--who apologized on Mar. 10 for his role in the virtual destruction of Haitian rice production [see Update #1026]--said he loved Haiti and its people and was optimistic about plans to rebuild the country. Along with former president George W. Bush (2001-2009), Clinton sent a letter to the US Congress earlier in the week asking it to extend the 2008 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE II) to 2025. The act gives preferential treatment to Haitian apparel exports to encourage the development of garment assembly plants in Haiti. (Radio Kiskeya (Haiti) 4/17/10, some from AP; Examiner.com 4/17/10 from AP)
*5. Links to alternative sources on: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico
Locals and Indigenous Groups Combat Big Real Estate in Greater Buenos Aires
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/argentina-archives-32/2445-preserving-culture-protecting-the-environment-locals-and-indigenous-groups-combat-big-real-estate-in-greater-buenos-aires-
A Short Talk With Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Indians and Activists March Against Amazon Mega-dam
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2449-indians-and-activists-march-against-amazon-mega-dam
Bolivia: remains of "disappeared" guerilla exhumed
Masonic connection seen in Bolivian separatist plot
Campesino, squatter actions rock Bolivia
Bolivia’s Lithium Challenge
World War 4 Report to blog Bolivia climate confab
Peru: campesinos block roads to protest mining operation
Colombia: indigenous journalist assassinated
Indigenous Justice Threatened in Colombia
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2448-indigenous-justice-threatened-in-colombia
Fighting Corruption or Persecuting Political Opponents in Venezuela?
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2450-fighting-corruption-or-persecuting-political-opponents-in-venezuela-a-response-to-the-new-york-times
Honduran campesinos under the gun
WOLA Statement on Honduras
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2451-wola-statement-on-honduras
Disappearing Truth in Honduras: Commissions Cover Up Demands for New Constitution
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/component/content/article/2443-disappearing-truth-in-honduras-commissions-cover-up-demands-for-new-constitution
The Second Killing of Pablo Bac: Deafened by Canadian Silence and Impunity in Guatemala
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/guatemala-archives-33/2452-the-second-killing-of-pablo-bac-deafened-by-canadian-silence-and-impunity-in-guatemala
Mexico: US consulate in Nuevo Laredo closed following attack
Labels: Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, human rights, Venezuela
WNU #1028: Haitian Cops Evict Earthquake Survivors
1. Haiti: Cops Evict Earthquake Survivors
2. Haiti: President Satisfied With Donor Meeting
3. Honduras: Army Moving in on Aguán Campesinos?
4. Mexico: Electrical Workers Plan Hunger Strike
5. Links to alternative sources on: Environment, Operation Condor, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti
*1. Haiti: Cops Evict Earthquake Survivors
On the evening of Apr. 9 agents of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) began removing some 1,300 families—about 7,335 people—from Port-au-Prince’s Sylvio Cator soccer stadium, where they had camped out since a Jan. 12 earthquake destroyed much of the city, killing as many as 230,000 people and leaving some 1.3 million without homes. “Soccer has to be brought back to life,” said stadium director Rolny Saint-Louis. “There are players waiting to be able to play and feed their families from their work.” The stadium’s managers say the Taiwanese are planning to repair the bleachers and replace the artificial turf, which the earthquake survivors had reportedly damaged.
“When they throw us out without telling us where we’re going to sleep in the evening, without offering us an alternative, it’s irresponsible, because families are going to end up in the street,” one camp resident told the local station Radio Métropole. “Nothing’s been prepared to receive them in another center,” said a man wandering in the stadium. “The government’s not serious.” The stadium managers offered each family a tent to replace the improvised shelters the police agents had smashed during the removal, but one resident said the tents were too small: only two or three people could fit in each tent, while many of the families were quite large.
Heavy rains fell on the city in the evening as some of the stadium’s former residents were still looking for a new place to camp out. (Radio Métropole (Haiti) 4/10/10; Haiti Press Network 4/9/10; Asia One News (Singapore) 4/12/10 from AFP)
There are about 400 encampments in the metropolitan area, many on private property. Some 11,000 people are living on the St-Louis Gonzague prep school’s field. The school failed to reopen on Apr. 5, the date the government set for a partial resumption of classes. Other homeless people are camped out at a golf course in Pétionville, an upscale suburb southeast of Port-au-Prince; the authorities say the encampment is overcrowded and prone to mudslides and flooding.
The Haitian government and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have a plan to move people out of many of these camps as the rainy season starts. In contrast to the forced removal at the Sylvio Cator stadium, the authorities claim that people in other encampments will voluntarily relocate to two new sites the government has prepared. One is at Corail–Cesselesse, 20 km north of the city; the other isn’t ready yet.
People are understandably reluctant to leave the existing camps, where residents have often organized themselves and some aid groups have set up facilities. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has established a field hospital at the St-Louis Gonzague field and has constructed latrines. "We’ll see what the government’s going to do, and then we’ll react,” Salha Issoufou, MSF’s mission head in Haiti, said about the plan to move the homeless people. “It’s not in our nature to help displacements of population.” (L’Express (France) 4/8/10 from correspondent; Asia One News (Singapore) 4/12/10 from AFP)
*2. Haiti: President Satisfied With Donor Meeting
Speaking at an Apr. 6 press conference at the ruined National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haitian president René Préval expressed his satisfaction with the results of an international donors meeting held by the United Nations (UN) in New York on Mar. 31 to discuss the reconstruction of Haiti after the devastation of the Jan. 12 earthquake [see Update #1026]. The donors pledged nearly $10 billion in aid and about $350 million in direct support for the government’s 2010 budget. During the next 18 months the management of the various projects will be overseen by a commission made up of Haitians and international representatives. Haitian prime minister Jean Max Bellerive and former US president Bill Clinton (1993-2001), now the UN’s special envoy for Haiti, are currently the co-chairs of the commission. Préval insisted that the Haitian president would always have the last word on the plans.
Préval, who is not permitted to succeed himself when his term ends on Feb. 7, 2011, insisted that national elections will be organized in the fall. These would combine the presidential election with legislative elections that were scheduled for Feb. 28 but were postponed because of the earthquake. “Elections are necessary,” he said. “It’s important for stability, for the reconstruction.” He admitted that there are serious administrative problems, including the destruction of voting offices and the displacement of a large number of voters from their places of residence. (AlterPresse (Haiti) 4/6/10)
*3. Honduras: Army Moving in on Aguán Campesinos?
The pro-government Tegucigalpa daily El Heraldo reported on Apr. 11 that Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa had ordered a “strong militarization” of the lower Aguán River Valley in northern Honduras, the site of a land conflict between influential landowners and some 3,000 campesino families. “Today, the lower Aguán has been totally militarized, and we’ve detected at least 30 military vehicles with troops carrying high-caliber weapons,” said Yony Rivas, a member of the Unified Campesino Movement of the Aguán (MUCA), which has fought since 2001 for some 20,000 hectares of land it claims were bought illegally by three wealthy business owners, Miguel Facussé Barjum, Reinaldo Canales and René Morales.
Andrés Pavón, director of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH), said the troop movements are unusual, since “the police, not the military, resolve conflicts of a civilian character.” (El Heraldo 4/11/10; Honduras Culture and Politics blog 4/11/10)
The militarization followed a week of growing tension in the Aguán region.
On Apr. 2 MUCA charged that the military, police and paramilitaries were planning to remove thousands of campesinos “in a violent and bloody manner” from lands they had occupied in the Aguán region. The area is used for cultivating African oil palm trees, a source of cooking oil; a Facussé family business, Grupo Dinant, is exploring ways to use palm oil in biofuel production as well [see Update #1027].
On Apr. 5 the government rejected a plan from MUCA that would restore 28 cooperatives formed under the country’s agrarian reform law, giving each of the 3,000 campesino families about five hectares of land. The government has proposed buying 4,500 hectares from the landowners and distributing the land to the campesinos, which would give about 1.5 hectares for each family. (Honduras Culture and Politics blog 4/9/10)
On Apr. 7, two men on a motorcycle killed a MUCA leader, José Manuel Álvarez Guerra, with five shots as he arrived at his home in the Manga Seca neighborhood in Tocoa, capital of Colón department. This was the fourth murder of a MUCA member in less than a month [see Update #1027]. (El Financiero (Mexico) 4/7/10, some from Notimex; Prensa Latina 4/8/10)
On Apr. 9 the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP, apparently the former National Front Against the Coup d’Etat, a coalition of labor and social organizations) charged that US soldiers were carrying out patrols in two Black Hawk helicopters on both sides of the Aguán River. The helicopters were taking off from the US miliary’s Soto Cano Air Base (the former Palmerola base) in the central department of Comayagua, the FNRP said. From inside the Black Hawks “US military personnel take photographs and carry out observation, search and intelligence-gathering work over the terrain.” (Prensa Latina 4/9/10)
On Apr. 12 the Quixote Center, a Washington, DC-based human rights group, called for people to contact Ambassador Craig Kelly at the US State Department (202-647-6754), the State Department Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs (202-647-0834, WHAAsstSecty@state.gov ) and the White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/ or 202-456-1111) to “express alarm” over the situation in the Aguán region and possible US air support for Honduran military repression. (Quixote Center email 4/12/10)
*4. Mexico: Electrical Workers Plan Hunger Strike
On Apr. 11 the Mexican Electrical Workers Union (SME) announced that some 2,300 members were planning to start a mass hunger strike in Mexico City’s central plaza, the Zócalo, as part of the union’s continuing protest against President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa’s sudden liquidation of the government-owned Central Light and Power Company (LFC) the night of Oct. 10. The union says 17,247 of the 44,000 LFC workers laid off in the liquidation have refused to accept the government’s severance package; they are demanding either the reopening of the LFC or jobs at the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), which has taken over LFC’s operations. These workers have carried out a series of protests, often large and militant, over the last six months, but without success [see Update #1020].
The SME leadership said some 5,000 workers volunteered for the hunger strike. A medical laboratory provided examinations and determined that 2,300 of the workers were healthy enough to undertake a hunger strike. “The strike will be open-ended,” SME labor secretary Eduardo Bobadilla said. The protest “isn’t an act of desperation, but a sign that we electrical workers will fight to the end.” (La Jornada (Mexico) 4/11/10)
*5. Links to alternative sources on: Environment, Operation Condor, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti
Americas Program Biodiversity Report—March 2010
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6706
New Evidence: Kissinger Rescinded Warning Against Condor Assassinations
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2442-new-evidence-kissinger-rescinded-warning-against-condor-assassinations
Argentina: Central Bank Independence ... Independent from Whom?
Earthquake and Tsunami in Chile: The Militarization of Natural Disasters
Brazil: A Tragedy of Local and Global Dimensions
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50985
Bolivia: Moderate Gains for Morales' MAS Party
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/bolivia-archives-31/2440-bolivia-moderate-gains-for-morales-mas-party
Peru to Investigate Uncontacted Tribes’ ‘Possible’ Existence
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2436-peru-to-investigate-uncontacted-tribes-possible-existence
Terrorist Attack Points to Ongoing Violence in Key City for US-Colombia FTA
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/colombia-archives-61/2434-terrorist-attack-points-to-ongoing-violence-in-key-city-for-us-colombia-fta-
Chavez Fuels the South Bronx
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/venezuela-archives-35/2441-chavez-fuels-the-south-bronx
Venezuelan Yukpa Appeal for Use of Indigenous Legal Customs in Murder Case
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2437-venezuelan-yukpa-appeal-for-use-of-indigenous-legal-customs-in-murder-case-
El Salvador: Monsignor Romero, 30 years later
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/el-salvador-archives-74/2431-el-salvador-monsignor-romero-30-years-later
U.S. covering up reality in Honduras
WOLA vs. Honduran Democracy
http://www.counterpunch.org/pine04122010.html
Coca-Cola Sued for ‘Campaign of Violence’ in Guatemala
Goldcorp Mining Project in Guatemala Faces Cross Border Opposition
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/guatemala-archives-33/2435-goldcorp-mining-project-in-guatemala-faces-cross-border-opposition
Mexican Soldiers Murder Two Children, US Media Covers Up the Crime
http://mywordismyweapon.blogspot.com/2010/04/mexican-soldiers-murder-two-children-us.html
Cananea Mine Battle Reveals Anti-Labor Offensive in Mexico, United States
Mexico: Phase 2 of the Drug War
http://americas.irc-online.org/updater/6715#1
National Assembly of Environmentally Affected Groups Warns of an "Environmental Disaster" in Mexico
Mexico's New Dirty War
NGOs and the Business of Poverty in Haiti
Labels: Haiti, Honduras, labor, Mexico
WNU #1027: New Violence in Honduran Land Dispute
Issue #1027, April 4, 2010
1. Honduras: New Violence in Aguán Land Dispute
2. Dominican Republic: Thousands March Against Barrick Gold
3. Argentina: “Dirty War” Witness Murdered
4. Links to alternative sources on: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti
*1. Honduras: New Violence in Aguán Land Dispute
A private guard shot Honduran campesino Miguel Alonso Oliva dead on Apr. 1 when a group of campesinos attempted to occupy an African palms farm in the northern Honduran department of Colón, according to the German-based organization FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN). The victim was a member of the Unified Campesino Movement of the Aguán (MUCA), a group based in the Aguán River Valley that has fought since 2001 for some 20,000 hectares of land it claims were bought illegally by a group of influential landowners, Miguel Facussé, Reinaldo Canales and René Morales [see Update #1022]. Morales holds the title to the farm where the Apr. 1 killing took place.
FIAN reports that this was the third killing of MUCA members in less than a month. José Antonio Cardoza and José Carías, directors of the Brisas de COHDEFOR cooperative in Bonito Oriental, were murdered on Mar. 17, according to FIAN. (Prensa Latina 4/2/10, 4/4/10; Vos el Soberano (Honduras) 4/4/10)
On Apr. 2 MUCA charged that the military, police and paramilitaries were planning to remove thousands of campesinos “in a violent and bloody manner” from the land they are living on in the Aguán region, and that this operation might come as early as Apr. 6. The security forces to be used were trained in the Fourth Infantry Battalion facilities in La Ceiba, Atlántida department, MUCA said, under the command of retired captain Fernando “Billy” Joya Amendola. There was also training in a number of other locations, according to MUCA, including a factory belonging to Exportadora del Atlántico, a subsidiary of the Facussé family’s food company, Grupo Dinant.
Billy Joya was a notorious leader of the Battalion 316 death squad in the 1980s. A Honduran court ordered him and nine others arrested in October 1995 in connection with the 1982 abduction and torture of six students; at the time he was living in Spain [see Update #445]. Apparently Joya has been operating freely in Honduras at least since the military carried out a coup in June 2009. (Prensa Latina 4/4/10; Vos el Soberano (Honduras) 4/3/10)
Conservative Honduran media have been depicting MUCA as a violent and intransigent armed group receiving help from Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. The Tegucigalpa daily El Heraldo reported that the campesinos were armed during the Apr. 1 incident at the Morales farm and that two security guards were killed, although the paper gave no further information about the guards. According to El Heraldo, the government of President Porfirio Lobo Sosa was trying to resolve the conflict by offering to buy 3,000 hectares where Miguel Facussé now grows African palms; presumably the land would be distributed to the campesinos. El Heraldo said MUCA hadn’t responded as of Apr. 2.
The paper also reported that “thousands of Hondurans employed by the Dinant company took to the streets to demand that private property be respected, along with national investment and the right to have a job. At the head of the peaceful demonstration was business leader Miguel Facussé himself; it ended in the Presidential House” in Tegucigalpa. The article didn’t give the date of the demonstration. (EH 4/2/10; Honduras Culture and Politics blog 3/4/10)
Founded by Miguel Facussé Barjum in 1960, Grupo Dinant produces snacks, other food products and cooking oil (including the Central American brand of Mazola). In June 2009 the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) approved a $7 million loan for Dinant, in part to help finance increased cultivation of palm trees. At that time the company had started working on biodiesel production based on oil from palm trees, jatropha, and tempate. (CentralAmericaData.com 6/16/09; ICC 1/16/09)
*2. Dominican Republic: Thousands March Against Barrick Gold
Up to 3,000 Dominicans marched in Cotuí in the central province of Sánchez Ramírez on Apr. 3 to protest against the Pueblo Viejo gold mine, which is operated by the Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. Many of the protesters were local, but several dozen youths had walked the 105 km from Santo Domingo, starting on Mar. 31. An encampment was set up in Cotuí by the same young activists that successfully demonstrated last year for a suspension of construction of the Consorcio Minero Dominicano’s cement factory near Los Haitises National Park [see Update #994].
The protests against Barrick targeted what the organizers said were irregularities in the government’s contract with the company, which owns 60% of the mine--the Vancouver-based multinational Goldcorp Inc. owns the other 40%. The protesters also accused Barrick of damaging the environment and archeological sites.
Rice farmers joined the protest because of pollution issues; Mauricio María, president of the National Rice Producers Federation, said the rice farmers of the northeast would disappear if Barrick and the government couldn’t control pollution of the water going into the Hatillo dam near Cotuí, a source of water for rice farms. Juan Rodríguez Acosta, director of the Museum of the Dominican Man, has charged that Barrick Gold is dynamiting mountains whose caves contain traces of the indigenous Taino culture.
Adding to the bad publicity for Barrick, 326 workers from the mine’s night shift had to be hospitalized on Mar. 15 for food poisoning—nearly 10% of the operation’s 3,500 employees. Barrick said the problem was bacterial and blamed it on the company that contracts to supply food at the mine, but the Academy of Sciences and the Autonomous University said the cause was a toxic agent of chemical origin. (El Nuevo Diario (Dominican Republic) 4/3/10; El Nacional (DR) 4/3/10; La Raza (Chicago) 4/3/10 from El Diario-La Prensa correspondent; Primicias (DR) 4/4/10; Winnipeg Free Press 3/15/10 from AP)
*3. Argentina: “Dirty War” Witness Murdered
On the morning of Mar. 29 unidentified people assaulted and stabbed Silvia Suppo in her crafts shop in the small town of Rafaela in Argentina’s northeastern Santa Fe province; she suffered 22 knife wounds and died later that day in a hospital.
As a teenager Suppo was kidnapped, tortured and raped by the military during the “dirty war” carried out against leftists by a 1976-1983 military dictatorship. Recently Suppo was a witness in the trial of former federal Víctor Brusa, Juan Calixto Perizotti, Héctor Colombini, María Eva Aebi, Mario Facino and Eduardo Ramos, who on Dec. 21, 2009 were given prison sentences of 19 to 21 years for the crimes they had committed against her in the 1970s. Suppo was also pursuing the case of Reinaldo Hammeter, her companion at the time of her kidnapping; he was kidnapped and disappeared on Jan. 25, 1977.
Police say some objects were missing from the shop, pointing to a robbery, but Supppo’s friends and local human rights activists considered the killing political. This was “a murder in her capacity as a witness,” said attorney Lucila Puyol, from H.I.J.O.S. Santa Fe, the local branch of an organization dedicated to seeking justice for the crimes of the dictatorship. (La Jornada (Mexico) 4/2/10 from correspondent; H.I.J.O.S. communiqué 3/30/10 via argentina.indymedia.org
*4. Links to alternative sources on: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti
Argentina: Fathers of the Disappeared
Update: Communitarian Socialism in Bolivia
Climate Change: From Copenhagen to Cochabamba
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2425-climate-change-from-copenhagen-to-cochabamba
Latin America's Indigenous Reject Market Mechanisms as Solution to Climate Change
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2427-latin-americas-indigenous-reject-market-mechanisms-as-solution-to-climate-change
Freed FARC Hostage Thanks Efforts of Venezuelan President to Win His Liberation
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2426-freed-farc-hostage-thanks-efforts-of-venezuelan-president-to-win-his-liberation
A Human Rights Perspective on Clinton's Visit to Central America
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2428-a-human-rights-perspective-on-clintons-visit-to-central-america
Honduras: Deadliest Month Ever for Reporters
Disappeared But Not Forgotten: A Guatemalan Community Achieves a Landmark Verdict
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/guatemala-archives-33/2429-disappeared-but-not-forgotten-a-guatemalan-community-achieves-a-landmark-verdict-
Mexico: Coalition Takes on the PRI in Oaxaca's Crucial 2010 Elections
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/mexico-archives-79/2422-mexico-coalition-takes-on-the-pri-in-oaxacas-crucial-2010-elections
Interview: Climate Justice Organizing in Mexico
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/mexico-archives-79/2424-interview-climate-justice-organizing-in-mexico
Mexico Backslides on the Merida Initiative’s Human Rights Conditions
The Upcoming Donors' Conference for Haiti Tectonic Shifts?
http://www.counterpunch.org/schuller03262010.html
Labels: Argentina, Dominican Republic, Honduras
About the Update
ISSN#: 1084 922X. From 1990 to 2015 Weekly News Update on the Americas covered news from Latin America and the Caribbean, compiled and written from a progressive perspective. It was published weekly by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York. We continue to post occasional links or articles. For more information, write to weeklynewsupdate@gmail.com.
WNU #1030: Puerto Rican Students Strike Against Cu...
Reports from Cochabamba: Climate Summit Closes, Ca...
Report from Cochabamba: Dissidents Push Limits of ...
WNU #1029: Honduras Government Settles With Campes...
WNU #1028: Haitian Cops Evict Earthquake Survivors...
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World War 4 Report
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Playwrights Partner to Tell East Wheeling Tale
Navigating Yesterday - A Haibun Poem
Alice Hembra
Weelunk Writer Takes Readers on a Sparkling Tour of Oglebay
Christina Fisanick
Developer Cuts Negative Faction No Slack
Dougherty Named to National Trust '40 Under 40'
The Elby’s Empire: Part 3 – The Grub
(Writer’s Note: This is the third in a series of stories that will concentrate on the history of one of the most storied restaurant franchises in Wheeling since the 1950s.)
He looked like the Big Boy, and he even answered to it when a customer would summon him with the nickname, and that’s because Jim Edge looked like the statue standing just outside the front door.
“It really never bothered me, and I think after a while even some of the employees probably didn’t know my real name,” Edge recounted. “When a customer hollered out, ‘Big Boy’ I knew who they were talking to, that’s for sure.
“Customers would tell me that I looked like the Big Boy all of the time, and a lot of it had to do with the way I combed my hair, and I have a round face and dimples,” he continued. “And I still get it these days. People still call me that, and most of them have no idea that I worked for the company for as long as I did. They just still remember Elby’s.”
Jim Edge, still a Karate enthusiast, spent 32 years with Elby’s as a short-order cook, assistant manager, manager, and district manager.
Edge scaled the ladder to assistant manager, manager, and then was a district manager supervising Elby’s in Ohio and then Pennsylvania until he departed at the time of the sale to the Elias Brothers in 1999. When initially hired, though, the cooks were paid $1.25 per hour, dishwashers earned $1.15, and the waitresses were offered 65 cents per hour.
Ironically, though, Edge, who began his Elby’s career in 1967, when he was hired as a short order cook for the restaurant located on National Road in Wheeling, still has never eaten a Big Boy, double-decker cheeseburger.
“I made thousands of Big Boys during my years with the company, but I never ate a Big Boy in my life,” Edge admitted. “I’m not really sure why that was, but it was probably because of how many times I had to make them for the customers.
“I used to have to go on the training trips when we were opening a new store, and on the first day we would make Big Boys for everyone working there so they would know the product as well as they could so they could answer the questions that the customers had about it,” he said. “On those days I wouldn’t eat lunch.”
He realized the passion that was present for the Big Boy very quickly after he was assigned to prepare the to-go items and items from the curb-service menu.
“The first year I was there, one of the specials they had was Big Boys at half price, and the reaction was huge. It was nothing to be an hour behind during that special. I made one after another after another,” Edge recalled. “The first day of that special I worked a 17-hour day because I just kept making Big Boys.
“But all the time it was nothing to have 15 to 20 orders for Big Boys in the window at any given time, and then they sent out all of the coupons for free Big Boys to all the area Little Leaguers; we were crushed for at least a couple of weeks. And that was all Big Boys, too,” he continued. “When I first got the job, I was 17, and I figured the Big Boy was a pretty big item because, well, there was a statue out front. But I had no idea how popular it was. None at all.”
Gregg Boury, the youngest son of co-founder George Boury, explained that the passion for the double-decker continued for many years, but as eating trends swayed away from high-calorie items, some of the love for the world-famous sandwich began to fade.
“During the early years the Big Boy was the big draw. By the later years the attention to it had dwindled because people’s preferences were changing away from a double-decker hamburger, but it was a big item for Elby’s for the majority of the time the restaurants were open,” Boury explained. “For a long time you could not look at the kitchen window and not see four, five, six Big Boys waiting to be served. The Big Boy was huge for a lot of years.
“The trend as far as customer preference was concerned went toward healthier preferences and away from fried foods and the big burgers,” he continued. “But when we made those Big Boys, the Big Boy sauce was put in a circle on all three buns so it usually got pretty messy before you were finished eating it.”
But it wasn’t just the Big Boy that proved popular, Edge insisted.
“Bucket after bucket of fried chicken. One after another,” he said with a laugh. “To this day I have no idea how many pieces of chicken I’ve fried through the years, but it’s got to be in the thousands. People really loved the chicken; that I remember very, very clearly.”
“But then I was moved to the frontline, and that’s where I had to start cooking the whole menu. While we still had the curb service, the menu was limited to the sandwiches and things that made sense for that kind of service, but in the front kitchen there were all the dinners to make, too,” he recalled. “Everything from spaghetti to the half-pound ground round to the fish and chips to the Brawny Lad and so and so on.
“And you can’t forget about the strawberry pie and the other desserts. The pies, the Hot Fudge Cake, and banana splits and the sundaes. And those milkshakes. I think we had the best milkshakes of any place selling them, and that was because of the attention that was paid to the quality. It was a system, and it worked.”
Elby’s celebrated their employees often with the company’s “Family News” magazine that was distributed quarterly. (The Family News)
Order In!
Eight minutes. Or 10 minutes for a steak dinner.
When orders were placed at an Elby’s Family Restaurant, the server took the requests to the window and time stamped it. When those orders were complete and placed in the window, the short order cook time stamped it again and hit a button that illuminated a server’s “number” so she or he would know it was delivery time.
And every single server was trained to serve the hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
“We had a room of auditors at the commissary, and they did nothing else other than checking those times,” said Boury, who was employed as a manager for more than 20 years. “That’s how important it was to the overall satisfaction. The quality of the food was paramount, and so was getting it to the customers as quickly as possible.”
Donna Holmberg, originally a waitress in Center Wheeling before she was promoted to service supervisor, said the Boury brothers employed a system that consistently delivered satisfaction.
It was a rare occasion when Mike Boury (far right) was not in his commissary kitchen, but he joined George, Tom Johnson, and Ellis for the opening of the Elby’s Big Boy in Washington, Pa. (The Family News)
“In the restaurant industry you have to have of both quality food and quality service. You really can’t have just one or the other,” she explained. “Those two things have to go together because the food can be great, but if the server is not nice to the customer or is slow, that customer isn’t going to come back. That goes for the food, too.
“It’s a difficult business to satisfy people when you’re talking about their food and their experience,” she said. “That’s why the Boury brothers had the steps they had and why they selected the products they used to make what was on the menu.”
It was the little things, too, Edge recalled, like the onion rings, the Grecian bread, and the cole slaw, and often the quality was inspected by members of management and evern by the Boury brothers.
“And they checked on the consistency all of the time. One of them would do walk-throughs, take a taste of this and that to make sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. Mike and (operations manager) Tom (Johnson) used to do that all of the time, and so did the other brothers,” he said. “They checked everything, including the salad dressing like the blue cheese dressing. We called it our house dressing because we would add a little French dressing to it to make it just a little different than what people could get anywhere else.
“If George, Mike, or Ellis noticed something wasn’t right during one of their visits, they let us know about it, and the investigation began,” Edge continued. “Some people may have thought that they were control freaks, but that’s not what that was about. It was more about the experience and getting the customers to come back again, and it worked for a lot of years; I can tell you that.”
Elby’s first commissary was located along Market Street in downtown Wheeling. (Photos archived by James Thorton)
Edge reported the roles filled by the brothers. Ellis was the people person, George was the ideas and the moneyman, and Mike Boury was all about the food.
“Mike knew everything about everything when it came to what was on the menu and how it was prepared,” he said. “If something wasn’t slightly right, it may not have been obvious to the common customer, but it was blatant to him instantly, and he sure let you know about it.”
Gregg Boury, in fact, owns memories of his uncle’s temper.
“All three of the brothers had a temper, but I believe my Uncle Mike had the shortest fuse of the three, especially when it came to the quality of the food,” he revealed. “I’ve seen the veins pop out in his neck over the food, and that was because of how important he believed the food was.
“He instilled something throughout the entire chain, and that was a dedication to making sure things were right and the way they were supposed to be. And that held true for all of the restaurants all the way down to the commissary’s production kitchen where things like the pie shells, the strawberry glaze, the many different sauces, and several other ingredients were,” he said. “That was Uncle Mike’s domain, and I believe everyone just left him alone because he filled his role very, very well.
As many as 10 short-order cooks were on the job at any given Elby’s during lunch and dinner services. (The Family News)
“Everyone knew the food on the menu was Uncle Mike’s thing, and it was left to him. Nobody disputes that, not even my father,” Boury recalled. “The food at Elby’s was my Uncle Mike’s world. He had a knack for everything from the quality of the food, the visual presentation of the food, and conceptually taste wise, and price wise. That was all Uncle Mike.”
While George and Ellis had their offices within the Boury Inc. building or in the Boury Center after it was constructed on Main Street in downtown Wheeling, Mike’s office was always at the company’s commissary in downtown, on 19th St. in East Wheeling, or along Ohio Route 7 in Martins Ferry.
“And that was because Uncle Mike was 100 percent hands-on when it came to the products that were used to produce the items on the Elby’s menu,” Boury reported. “He was there for every step for a food-product decision. That’s what he did. That was his role.
“My Uncle Mike was very passionate when it came to food quality, and he selected products that were very unique to this area, but that’s because he was always striving for the best possible,” he continued. “And I’m pretty sure he went to bed every night thinking about it and coming up with his plan for the next day at his office at the commissary.”
The Fare
Jim Edge still prepares a few of his all-time favorites from his decades with Elby’s, like the Grecian Bread and some of the burgers, as well as the Hot Fudge Cake, the cream pies, and, of course, the strawberry pie.
“I grew up with those things, and so did my kids,” he explained. “I have my favorites, and so do they. But my cream pies are not made exactly the same way, but it’s really close to it.
“Every once in a while one of my kids will ask or I’ll just feel like something, so why not. I spent enough time learning how to make them and it’s not like those recipes and the procedures are going to fade from memory,” Edge said with a laugh. “It’s engrained, and it should be after 32 years.”
Gregg Boury admitted that his favorite menu item of all-time was the Slim Jim sandwich, an offering prepared with lettuce, tomato, two ounces of ham, a half-ounce of Swiss cheese, and Slim Jim sauce between two pieces of sesame-seeded French bread.
Breakfast also was a popular meal at most Elby’s, and the breakfast bar revolutionized the food service industry.
“I also really enjoyed the fried oysters, and our shrimp dinner was absolutely delicious,” he said. “The spaghetti dinner was also one of my favorites, and so was the fish and chips. I really loved our tartar sauce, so the fish and chips was something I ordered often.
“But as far as what sold the most really depended on what the weekly special was because that was usually the leading seller across the entire chain. I remember when shrimp would go on sale, we would peel, devein, soak it to get that iodine taste out of it, and then we would bread so much pounds of shrimp during those times because we knew it was going to sell like crazy,” Boury continued. “As far as the general menu, there were several big sellers like the Big Boy, the Slim Jim, the spaghetti dinner, the fish and chips. They were consistently great sellers.”
Elby’s also featured a pair of different food festivals each year of operation, and both were successful attempts to take advantage of cheaper pricing for strawberries and a plethora of seafood items.
“They were the Seafood Festival usually during Lent, and the Strawberry Festival, and when they were going on those items went through the roof,” he said. “The decorations would change inside the restaurants, and the prices were decreased a good bit because of the great deals my Uncle Mike would find on the market. I know the customers loved those festivals, and I’m sure the employees got pretty tired of making those strawberry pies.”
The sandwich prices, circa 1982.
The price of a Big Boy in 1982 was only $1.25, and if you added the fries and the cole slaw to complete the platter, it was a dollar more. The Slim Jim was $1.50, the fish and chips dinner was $2.65, and the Hot Fudge Cake sold for just 95 cents.
If sold today, Boury estimated, the Big Boy would be $4.50, the Slim Jim $5, the fish and chips would be $6.50, and the Hot Fudge Cake likely would sell for $3.50.
“But those price estimates are only guesses because I haven’t been in the restaurant business now for several years,” he admitted. “But the way the brothers went about it, it was all about getting the customers back in the door so they were convinced that offering great prices was the best way to achieve longevity.
“And the same went for the breakfast service, and breakfast was huge for Elby’s,” Boury said. “There were really two eras of breakfast for the chain, and that was the pre-breakfast buffet era, and then there were the years when we had the breakfast bars in almost every restaurant. The buffet was a complete revolution throughout the company, and that idea came from Big Boy.”
The restaurants in mall complexes were not retrofitted for the breakfast bar feature, an area that doubled as the salad bar after 11 a.m., but the amenity was in-house constructed for at least 95 percent all of the eateries, and on weekends the scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links and much more were served late-night, too.
“When the breakfast bar was put into the Elby’s in Woodsdale, the amount of food that was consumed was incredible. It was nothing to go through 160 pounds of bacon on a Sunday morning,” he continued. “The entire staff had to get mentally prepared on Sundays because we all knew when church was over, and we knew the restaurant would quickly fill up, and then the lobby would have a big crowd waiting on tables.
“And the late-night breakfast bar was a big hit, too, for the people who were out and about on Friday and Saturday nights,” Boury recalled. “I think for some people who went pretty late at night, the breakfast bar was the best part of what Elby’s served. I think that’s crazy, but that’s what some people have told me.”
Bob’s Lunch has five different “Elby-esque” menu items. (Photo by Steve Novotney)
He didn’t have just one favorite menu item when he trekked to the Moundsville Elby’s, a location consistently in the restaurant company’s top 20, and that is why Gary Workman placed five different sandwiches on his menu at Bob’s Lunch on 3rd Street.
The Brawny Lad appears on that menu as the same, but the Brawny Swiss is the, “Bob Swiss;” the Big Boy is named the “Bob Boy;” the Slim Jim is the, “Slim Gary;” the Patty Melt is the, “Patty Bob;” and the Club Sandwich is, “Bob’s Club.”
“I didn’t have the same thing when I went to Elby’s, and I went to Elby’s a lot. We all did,” Workman said. “I mixed it up, but one thing I always had on Friday nights was the Hot Fudge Cake. We have that here, too, but only during the warmer months. It will be back on the menu in April.
Gregg Boury bites into a replica of his all-time favorite – the Slim Jim – at Bob’s Lunch. (Photo by Steve Novotney)
“We have those sandwiches on the menu because of how popular Elby’s was here in Moundsville. That place was packed every evening of the week,” he recalled. “You went there with the guys before or after bowling at the Reilly Lanes or before you went to the drive-in for a double feature. And it was always great.”
Bob’s Lunch first opened in 1947, and the eatery moved to its current location in 1952, when it was still owned by Bob and Dick Hicks. Workman has owned the restaurant twice, once with his ex-wife until the late 1990s, and then he purchased the property again in 2011 after Bob’s was closed for close to three years. That’s when Workman decided to make these former Elby’s items available.
Workman’s recipes are, of course, close but not exact because that’s an impossibility today. Not only have the Elby’s recipes remained locked away from the public since the Boury brothers sold the chain, but many of the ingredients are no longer available.
“But those items today are not the same as they were, and there are good reasons for that,” explained Gregg Boury, who has ventured to Bob’s Lunch. “No one grills the outside of the buns anymore; they can’t get the same quality of meat anymore; the cole slaw is never right; and the Jamaican relish that they used for the tartar sauce is not even made anymore. So to replicate those recipes today is impossible.
“The fish is no longer available anymore because the Iceland cod is no longer allowed to be fished, so that recipe cannot be sourced. The glaze for the strawberries is not available, and what’s available in the stores today is horrible by comparison,” he continued. “Today is a different time.”
Plus, Workman has altered a few of the basics, too. A perfect example is the “Bob Boy” because at Elby’s the Big Boy did not arrive at the table with onion beneath the buns.
The “Slim Bob” at Bob’s Lunch. (Photo by Steve Novotney)
“Our customers seem to like it that way, so that’s how we serve it,” he said. “All of those sandwiches are very popular here, and the people know the history of Elby’s, too. We all have our stories about it, and even the younger people here wish it would come back because they feel as if they missed out on something. And they sure did.
“I know I went to Elby’s three times a week, maybe more,” Workman said. “It was packed even late-night after bowling or a high school football or basketball game,” Workman continued. “So those items are on our menu because it’s a tribute to those memories, and because people still enjoy them very, very much.”
“I thought they’re doing an outstanding job with these items,” Boury said. “I know Gary was nervous about me coming to Bob’s to try them all, and I thought that understandable because he knows I know exactly how these sandwiches are supposed to taste and how they’re supposed to be built.
“There were a few differences, but I didn’t notice anything critical,” he continued. “Of all of them, I thought the Slim Jim was the closest to what we used to serve at Elby’s. They got the ham right, and the Slim Jim is all about the right ham.”
There was a distinct difference between the sauces for the Slim Jim and the Big Boy, insisted Gregg Boury. (Photo by Steve Novotney)
But there was one difference between the “Big Bob” and the “Slim Bob,” Boury said.
“If you looked at the sauces for the Big Boy and for the Slim Jim side by side, you probably thought they looked pretty much the same. But there was a very important difference between the two,” he revealed. “It was considered sacrilege if a short order cook put Slim Jim sauce on a Big Boy and vice versa.
“The difference between the two sauces is something that some may consider minor if they knew it, but it wasn’t. I won’t explain it because it was a trade secret, but it made a big difference to my Uncle Mike and to the customers, too,” he continued. “I do not have a problem with the fact that Gary and some others in the area serving those kinds of meals. It’s somewhat flattering, really.”
T.J.’s Sportsgarden has been opened for more than 30 years and is owned and operated by T.J. and Bonnie Radeveski, and Bonnie is the daughter of the late Mike Boury. The restaurant/sports bar features televisions everywhere, also a plethora of pool tables, video games, and local sports-related memorabilia.
On the menu appear the fish and chips and the Patty Melt, but so do the “Big T” (the Big Boy), the “Slam Jam” (the Slim Jim), the “Brawny Mt’neer” (the Brawny Lad) , and the “Mt’neer Swiss” (the Brawny Swiss). In a single hour while sitting at the counter at T.J.s Sportsgarden and Restaurant, situated just a little east from the original location of Elby’s in Wheeling, veteran cook Bill Grigsby prepared eight “Big T’ double-decker cheeseburgers, seven “Slam Jams,” and four “Mt’neer Swiss” sandwiches.
“A lot of people still remember Elby’s and everyone had their favorite item on that menu,” said Grigsby, who began his cooking career as a short-order cook at Elby’s. “We have several of those items on our menu here at T.J.’s, and I make them several times a day every single day when I work.
“And I’m not real sure which is more popular than the other, the ‘Big T’ or the, ‘Slam Jam,’ which is what a Slim Jim is called here,” he said. “We have a pretty big menu here now but without fail our customers find those items and that’s what they order every single time they come here.”
Elby’s Family Restaurants may be a mere memory now, but many of the traditions live on at TJ’s and Bob’s, and in the minds of many in the Upper Ohio Valley and beyond.
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Elby's
The Elby’s Empire: Part 6 – Rumors & Truth
The Elby’s Empire: Part 5 – The Distance Race
The Elby’s Empire: Part 4 – My Elby’s
The Elby’s Empire: Part 2 – 9 Steps
JACK HATTMAN February 22, 2016
MY COLLEGE DAYS AT WHEELING COLLEGE IN THE LATE FIFTIES AND EARLY SIXTIES WERE ENRICHED BY SLIM JIMS, BRAWNEY LADS AND BIG BOYS. THANS FOR REMINDING ME.
Gregg Boury February 21, 2016
Themn Zeins? Lol
April February 21, 2016
I left the Valley back in the spring of ’90 to move to SW NY. Was shocked when I found “my” Mdsv Elby’a was gone. My aunt Lenora worked there when it was a park & eat under the metal canopy. Then her sister, my aunt Linda worked there a little later. We had Big Boy banks galore, lol. Looking forward to article on Peking Gardens. Loved it there. Thanks for the down home memories flash back. Peace from NY.
I have lots of great memories of working at elbys. I learned a lot and made a lot of great friends. Elbys really was a special place… I could go on for hours!!! The Bourys, and Tom Johnson were such good people to work for. Miss those days!
Mike Breiding February 20, 2016
In the late 50s and early 60’s I went to Day Camp at Oglebay.
Sometimes they would have guests in to speak to the whole camp.
I remember two of them: Wanda Gag (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_G%C3%A1g) who wrote the famous children’s book “Millions of Cats” which she recited to the whole camp.
The other one was Johnny Weissmuller. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Weissmuller) At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Weissmuller won two gold medals in swimming.
He also played Tarzan in about a dozen films. To me he was the one and only Tarzan.
So why did Tarzan show up at Day Camp and keep all the adoring campers spellbound with tales of the jungle which culminated in his famous “Call of the Jungle”?
We found out at the end of his appearance when each camper was given an 8×10 glossy photo of Johnny standing next to the Elby’s Big Boy with his arm up as if he were holding up the Big Burger.
That was quite a memorable day for lot of easily impressed little kids.
Daniel Skiba February 20, 2016
Very nice article. Sitting here in Colorado brings back pleasant memories of all the great meals I had at many of the Elby’s family restaurants in the Ohio Valley. I grew up in Wheeling in the 50’s & 60’s and the first time I had a Big Boy hamburger was at the Woodsdale location (where Perkins restrauant presently resides. I believe the burger only cost 55 cents at that time. Thanks for the great article! I often long for the great menu items Elby’s used to offer!
Diane Bonyak February 20, 2016
Thank you again for this series! I will never forget working my last Mother’s Day in 1988 and preparing FORTY strawberry pies before I finally got to go home at 4 p.m.
Lol, yep….everyone’s last side job of the day…make strawberry pies till your hands looked like strawberries!
Sandra Norman February 20, 2016
Becky Schmitt—did not know that the Elby’s employees lost their pensions. When I was hired in the summer of 1965, was told about the long term benefits, but I didn’t pay attention to it. I remember a waitress who had been employed by the Boury’s for 10 years. Sad to think of her losing her pension.
Worked at the Elby’s across from the Court Theater. Never got any overtime.
But I love eating at TJ’s when we are back in Wheeling. Love the Brawny Lad.
Becky Schmitt February 20, 2016
Thanks for another wonderful story Steve !
Kudos to my friend Jimmy Edge , he is indeed “the big boy ” Jimmy was loved by all that worked with and for him and he still to this day is ” the best cook ” around ! The sad fact is that many of the employees lost their pensions when Elbys went under and was sold . Years of hard work and loyal service and no reward . Jim picked himself up and became even better , he is without a doubt one of the hardest working guys I know , he went on to graduate from West Virginia Northern after His Elbys days , worked at the Civic Arena , did the banquets and concessions and then on to The Children’s Home in Wheeling ,where he was in charge of the meals for all the kids . Jim retired in Feb of 2015 and is now no longer “the Big Boy ” but now he is ” The BEE Man ” ( ask him about his new passion ) . His wife Terry ( one of my BFF ‘s ) has been with Jim from those early Elby days , she was a car hop, theirs is a true Love story and I’m blessed to called them my friends ! Love you both !
Brad Kolling February 20, 2016
Liver & Onions !!! That was the special I remember most, Every Sr. citizen within 10 miles would come in . I can’t stand liver but a couple times a year i’ll buy 5lb of onions and 3lb of baby beef liver and make it for my wife and send meals to a couple of our close Sr citizen friends , and they all love it. Thanks again Steve, another great job !
Maryann Corrigan February 20, 2016
Oh yes I remember Jim Edge from the Elbys by Oglebay Park. Fun times, great food. It was my first job and I still have some amazing friends from back then. Nan Johnson, Cathy
Another great feature! Weelunk is such a good publication ! I do wish someone would do a story on Peking Gardens
Steve Novotney February 20, 2016
Working on it … THANK YOU!
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Pharmacists Making House Calls: METHODS
The Fraser Health Authority is 1 of 6 health authorities in the province of British Columbia, serving the health care needs of about 1.5 million people. This health authority comprises 12 acute care hospitals, as well as Home Health services for the communities it serves. The Medication Management Program is provided through Home Health and was established in 4 health service delivery areas within the Fraser Health Authority.
The patients included in this evaluation were those who received the home pharmacy intervention in the first 2 fiscal years of the Medication Management Program’s existence: April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2007. The intervention consisted of a visit by a pharmacist to the patient’s home to assess his or her medication regimen for the purposes of identifying and resolving drug-related problems, as well as reconciling the medications the patient was taking at home with what was prescribed at the time of hospital discharge.
The following data were retrieved from program records to determine the pharmacist’s activities performed as part of the intervention: the number of patients visited, the total number of visits, the amount of time per visit, and the number of recommendations made to improve drug therapy, as well as the number of other services provided as part of the pharmacist’s consultation (provision of medication teaching, clearing of medicine cabinets, recommendation of compliance aids, requests for laboratory monitoring, and nonpharmacologic interventions, such as blood pressure and glucose monitoring, reporting of adverse drug reactions, or referral to another health care professional). Apcalis Oral Jelly
The following sources were consulted to obtain Ministry of Health administrative data: Discharge Abstract Database for information about hospital stays, Medical Services Plan for fee- for-service billings for physician office visits, and PharmaCare for information about medications dispensed.
Data about the costs of running the program during the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 fiscal years were also collected. These costs related to salary and benefits, mileage, technology, and data management and analysis.
The main outcome was resource utilization by recipients of the intervention, calculated by the following conservative formula: resource utilization ($) = length of hospital stay in days (multiplied by $1000/day) + Medical Services Plan costs + PharmaCare costs.
The data were analyzed by comparing each patient’s resource utilization over the 1-year periods before and after the intervention, a method of analysis that was also used in the HRPIP. A subgroup analysis was also performed to investigate resource utilization among low resource users (those at the 30th percentile or lower on overall resource utilization) and high resource users (those at the 70th percentile or higher on overall resource utilization). Because resource utilization for the year before the intervention would include the hospital stay that precipitated the intervention, the cost of the index hospital stay was calculated and subtracted from the resource utilization for the “before” year.
Excluded from this before-and-after analysis were patients who died within a year of the intervention, since less than a full year’s worth of post-intervention data was available for those patients. Patients whose referral to the Medication Management Program pharmacist was not a result of a hospital stay were also excluded from the main analysis. An additional analysis was performed for these patients to determine whether the pattern of resource utilization for this group differed from the pattern for those whose receipt of the intervention resulted from a recent hospital stay.
After initial data analysis for the main outcome, it was decided to perform a post hoc analysis to determine if the pattern of resource utilization differed for patients with care episodes (e.g., hospital stays) costing $50 000 or more. It was thought that the reason for the high-cost episodes of care might have been one-time, high-cost procedures that would not be affected by the intervention and that might have artificially skewed the data.
Statistical significance was tested with the Mann-Whitney test for nonparametric data.
A secondary outcome measure was the net cost of the Medication Management Program over the 2-year period. This calculation took into account the cost of the program for each year, which was calculated as a sum of the cost data. Also included in the calculation of net cost was the median difference in resource utilization in the 1-year periods before and after the intervention. For the purpose of the net cost calculation, the median per-patient difference was multiplied by the number of patients in the analysis to generate the total median difference. The net cost of the Medication Management Program for the 2-year period was calculated with the following formula: net cost of program = total cost of program – total median difference. To calculate the net cost per patient, the net cost of the Medication Management Program was divided by the number of patients included in the evaluation.
Ethics approval for this study was granted by the Fraser Health Research Ethics Board in December 2007.
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Home » Collections » Special Holdings
American Jewish Congress Chartered Bus, New York to Washington for the March on Washington, 1963
HIAS Collection I-363
This collection contains the institutional records of HIAS (1909-2013, bulk 1954-2000), a national resettlement agency and international refugee service organization. It includes records of three predecessor organizations: HIAS-ICA-Emigration Association (HICEM), National Refugee Service (NRS), and United Service for New Americans (USNA).
The Jewish-American Hall of Fame
The Jewish-American Hall of Fame was founded by Mel Wacks in 1969 at the Judah L. Magnes Museum (Berkeley), and it became a division of the American Jewish Historical Society in 2001. You are invited to visit the Jewish-American Hall of Fame’s award-winning web site www.amuseum.org/jahf, where you will find biographies and quizzes about our approximately 50 inductees—ranging from the Jews who helped Columbus to Barbra Streisand. On our website you can also find out why Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe are Jewish, you can view an exhibit of over 100 Albert Einstein medals, learn about the first American Jewish medal, and much more.
You are also invited to visit a permanent exhibit of our Jewish-American Hall of Fame plaques at the Virginia Holocaust Museum (Richmond), and you can collect Jewish-American Hall of Fame medals--one of the longest and most distinguished series of art medals produced in America.
In addition, the Jewish-American Hall of Fame is one of the sponsors of The Norman E. Alexander Award for Excellence in Jewish Student Writing
United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York Collection I-433
This collection contains the institutional records of United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York, 1909-2004, and includes its predecessor organizations: United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York; The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York; The Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies of New York City; and the Brooklyn Federation of Jewish Charities.
Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement
The goal of the American Soviet Jewry movement (circa 1960s through 1991) was to obtain equal rights for Soviet Jews as an ethnic and religious minority within the Soviet Union, and for the right for Jews to emigrate from the USSR. The American Jewish Historical Society has assembled the largest and most comprehensive archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement incorporating collections from large and small organizations and individual activists spanning more than 1,400 linear feet. The Archive includes a plethora of exciting documents such as correspondence and memoranda, Refuseniks and Prisoners of Conscience case files, USSR trip reports, thousands of photographs, hundreds of posters, many hours of audio and video recordings, buttons, stickers, and various other memorabilia.
Loeb Portrait Database
The Loeb Portrait Database of American Jewish Portraits gathers over 400 known portraits of Jews in American prior to 1865. Each portrait contains (where information is available), the subject’s name, birth and death dates, the artist and artist dates, the date of the portrait, the medium, dimensions, and the repository that holds the image. Of additional value are the biographies that accompany each portrait, a full listing of all repositories from which the images originate, and a rich array of related reading for additional research.
Jews in America
The Portal to Jewish American History is a "one stop shop" for researchers, students, and interested members of the public to access information on American Jewish history archival and digital collections. The site aggregates records from a number of historical societies throughout the country so researchers can search many small repositories at once.
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FROM JERUSALEM TO GAZA: TIME FOR A EUROPEAN PARADIGM SHIFT ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE
Commenting on the recent events in Israel/Palestine, EuroMed Rights condemns in the strongest possible terms the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem as well as the dozens of killings by the Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border.
The opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem yesterday afternoon does not erase the fact that Israel occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, nor does it change a reality of 51 years of entrenched control over the occupied Palestinian territory. Rather, it contributes to the rapidly deteriorating context by acquiescing and rewarding Israel’s outright disregard of international law.
While officials from Israel, the US and other diplomats, including some EU member states were celebrating the opening of the embassy, the Israeli military violently repressed Palestinian protests in Gaza. Seven consecutive weeks of demonstrations, which began on 30 March 2018, have so far resulted in the unlawful killing of 84 unarmed Palestinians in protests. Only yesterday, according to the Gaza-based organisations, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Al Mezan, the Israeli forces killed 43 Palestinians, a predictable outcome of Israel’s unlawful open-fire policies. After 11 years of a comprehensive blockade and closure, Palestinian residents in Gaza continue to be subject to unlawful collective punishment and severe economic deprivation, which has a devastating impact on their daily lives. These policies include hindering patient access to lifesaving medical care, with the Gaza healthcare system on the verge of collapse after dealing with over 2,000 injured in a single day.
Ahead of us lies an unsustainable reality of cementing annexation of the West Bank, imposing a Jewish majority in Jerusalem and brutally silencing peaceful dissent against the Occupation. Unequivocal European actions that address the situation on the ground could nonetheless draw a different horizon for Israelis and Palestinians. However, set against the prevailing context today, anything short of a paradigm shift in European policy will only serve to pave the road to the perpetual occupation of the Palestinian territory.
EuroMed Rights calls on European Union leaders to contribute to the emergency of another reality in Israel/Palestine, one that would bring us closer to the full realisation of human rights, equality and self-determination.
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Blu-ray Review: OCCUPATION
OCCUPATION was written and directed by Luke Sparke and stars Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Stephany Jacobsen, Rhiannon Fish, Zachary Garred, Izzy Stevens, Charles Terrier, Charles Mesure, Trystan Go, Felix Williamson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Aaron Jeffery and Bruce Spence.
A town is suddenly plunged into darkness. In the sky, a fleet of spaceships appears. The aliens have been watching Earth for centuries; now they have arrived to seize control of our planet. As alien storm troopers cut a deadly swath through the countryside, a ragtag group of townspeople realize they must band together for a chance to strike back at the invaders in this explosive sci-fi film that grips from start to thrilling finish.
Occupation takes place in a small Australian community and follows a group of locals turned survivors that have to come together and fight back against a mysterious alien invasion. The heavily armed aliens land and begin taking out the stronger humans while they imprison the weaker ones so they can use them as slave labor. The band of human rebels quickly realize that they’re no match for the invaders when it comes to the heavy artillery and advanced technology that the aliens possess so they have to come up with other ways to counter the invasion. Think Red Dawn!
The small group of rebels end up finding out that there are other groups of survivors all over the land and as the old saying goes, there’s strength in numbers. When the growing human resistance really starts to fight back against the extraterrestrial threat using guerrilla warfare, this is when they end up discovering that their mysterious enemy’s world was destroyed, so that’s why they came to Earth, to start all over again. After many lives are lost, the two warring sides end up making a truce that is hopefully a sign that they can coexist and live in peace together on Earth.
The packaging comes with a slipcover/o-card. The front features the artwork you see at the top of the page and the back includes movie details, an image and list of special features. The Blu-ray disc also features its own individual artwork. Inserting the disc, the menu screen was simple and easy to navigate. The picture and sound quality for this high-definition release were crisp and clear. I didn’t have any issues with the video and audio.
Bottom line is, Occupation ended up being a pretty cool alien invasion thriller that’s a cross between the fan favorite sci-fi drama Falling Skies and the two Skyline movies. Even though the story treaded a little on familiar territory, it was still interesting enough and so were the main characters because they were fun to follow and cheer on. I really enjoyed watching this small band of rebels take on the alien invasion and there was a lot of action to go along with that. I was also impressed with the design of these alien invaders, their weapons and ships because it all looked pretty darn cool. The movie had a modest budget of around $6 million dollars and you can tell they didn’t waste a penny because it all looked as good as what Hollywood has to offer, especially when it came to the impressive special effects. Sure, it’s not going to blow you away or anything like that but it is an exciting sci-fi movie that has a lot of heart. Occupation will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital) on September 25th and is worth checking out.
Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Video: 1080p High-Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.39:1)
Blu-ray Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish
Special Features: N/A
Tags: Dan Ewing, lionsgate, luke sparke, occupation, Stephanie Jacobsen, Temuera Morrison
Posted in Blu-ray, Digital, Movies, Review, Sci-Fi, Thriller
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RunSmart
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Cycling, Doping, And The Perceived Limits To Human Performance
Imagine this: more doping claims in the world of cycling. At this point, there are three things we can count on in life – death, taxes, and allegations of drug use in cycling.
The question has reared it’s ugly head once again: has Lance Armstrong been cheating all these years? Floyd Landis is the latest in a long line of people to point the finger at him. But before you even think of passing judgment, there are some rather important pieces of this puzzle that lend a great deal of context to what is becoming a made-for-TV-reality-show.Or a circus.Or both.
I’ll be the first to profess openly that I am a fan of cycling. I was introduced to it in my youth, and watching the Tour de France on TV has been an annual extravaganza that closely resembles March Madness in it’s ability to draw my attention. So it’s safe to say that I come into this discussion with a love of cycling.
I think it’s also safe to say that when discussing the issue of doping in cycling (or any other sport), we need to consider the context of the debate, the personalities involved, and the motives underlying the debate. We need to utilize the sports sciences research, and we need to examine our own belief systems. More on that later.
But back to Lance Armstrong. Over the years, Armstrong has faced accusations from a number of people that have been close to him in the cycling community.The most recent, Landis, has a rather intriguing and perhaps sordid tale. Here’s the storyline:
He wins the 2006 Tour de France, tests positive, is subsequently stripped of his title, then goes on a legal battle to clear his name. He then writes a book about how he has always been clean, and raises $2 million to fight his legal battle. So at this point, you have to think he’s really fighting the good fight. Poor Floyd, name and reputation tarnished.
He then loses his legal battle. In the midst of all of this, he has an arrest warrant with his name on it, undergoes a significant hip surgery, a divorce, and now has a rather limited future in the sport of cycling. I’d say it would be reasonable to say (no offence intended) that he is in a bit of a free fall at this point. He then reverses his stance, states that he did in fact knowingly take drugs, and that cyclists A, B, and C were involved (which includes Armstrong). And he has yet to provide any factual evidence to support his claim.
Case in point #1: The story has flip-flopped more times than John McCain’s “I’m a Maverick, no I’m not, I never was” story line. Sadly, when you look at the big picture of Landis’ claims, it’s pretty difficult to look at him as a credible party anymore. Does this sound like someone that truly ever believed his own words?
So you still think that isn’t the total picture and that Armstrong is a doper? Moving right along now, we have …
Case in point #2: The RadioShack Cycling Team is sponsored by none other than Genentech (owned by pharmaceutical company The Roche Group) and Amgen, a biotechnology company. Armstrong has been integral to the success of anti-cancer initiative LiveStrong following his well-documented success in fighting testicular cancer. These are HUGE corporations that, frankly, stand to lose untold millions of dollars if he suddenly tests positive. These are organizations that would suddenly face a world of public outcry (especially LiveStrong) if he should suddenly be found to have tested positive. Frankly, neither can afford the public ramifications of being associated with a cheat.
So you’re still not believing it, hmmm? Still think that Lance is a doper? Let’s bring some sports science into the discussion.
Case in point #3: The assumption is made that it requires drugs to win the Tour de France – or any other high level athletic event from high school to the pros. It is assumed that we have attained the highest level of training, and now in order to go beyond that, we have to dope. At this point in time, in the history of sports sciences, I would strongly urge that this is a quantum leap in thinking.
While making that quantum leap, there are those that have nonchalantly forgotten that drugs actually have adverse effects (summarized nicely in this article). As but one example, blood boosting with EPO and having a greater number of red blood cells would make the blood thicker … which in turn makes it more difficult for the heart to pump it. That would have some not-so-favorable results. And there are a number of published studies that go so far as to debate the performance-enhancing effects of drugs.
Add to this the fact that Landis’ stunning solo performance on the 17th stage of the 2006 Tour was preceded by an absolute collapse in the stage the day previous. If he’d been doping consistently, where was the performance advantage he’d “gained” from drugs on the days of utter implosion?
In the following video, Dr. R. Amadeus G. Mason, a sports medicine physician at Emory University, says there's a reason Lance Armstrong has not been caught using any performance enhancing drugs.
Per Mason:
“A lot of these people have been caught ... and always point the finger at Lance Armstrong. The tough thing is that he's been subject to the same testing that they have, and they're telling us that he's using the same kind of drugs but he has not been caught. There's a reason for that. To me, that's saying that either he's using something super that they're not using or he's not using.”
Novel concept, isn’t it? The guy has been tested how many times? And not once has he tested positive. I can guarantee you one thing – if he did, you would never hear the end of it. If you thought the response to Tiger Woods’ indiscretions was a media circus, it wouldn’t hold a candle to this bombshell.
Still not convinced? Well, how about this rather large challenge to the belief systems of many.
Case in point #4: Perhaps this is the biggest one. Perhaps the biggest challenge in this is not one of “is he clean or not”. Perhaps it is “can we accept the possibility that we have not seen the limits of human performance, and perhaps, just perhaps, Lance was on his way to giving us a glimpse of what is possible”?
He’s the strongest mind in the peloton. Having fought (and beaten) cancer, he certainly knows the importance of mental strength. He’s lived far worse than Alpe D’Huez on a July day. All you have to do is watch “The Look” over his left shoulder at Jan Ullrich, and you know the power of the mind.
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Perhaps that same power of the mind is the performance enhancer that won’t sell newspapers, but is in fact integral to pushing the limits of human performance.
I don’t know what the truth is, and I like many others I hope that Lance is clean. I may end up eating each and every word of support I’ve ever given him over the years. We like heroes, and I’ve no doubt that Armstrong has become exactly that to many. But more importantly, we admire and respect those that have shown us what we can do when we dig deep inside of ourselves, focus on the task at hand, have undying dedication to the goal, fight the adversity that life brings us, and trust ourselves, our training, and our recovery. And perhaps Armstrong has simply shown us exactly that.
Photo credit: paulcoster
Landis admits doping, accuses Armstrong (windsorstar.com)
Where's the proof? IOC asks Landis (thestar.com)
Cycling Champ Admits Doping, Accuses Others (wired.com)
Armstrong dismisses doping claims made against him (guardian.co.uk)
Buy a used confession from Landis? Not all of it. (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Run Towards Or Run Away?
Simplicity And Civility
A Pause For Many A Cause
Evolution Or Revolution?
Join The Smart Life Revolution!
The Deafening Silence
Three Common Examples Of Self Image, Self Sabotage, And Comfort Zones In Action
Learning How To Live
McKenzie’s Derangement Syndrome In A World Of Pathoanatomy
The Homeostasis Of Writing
Patient Access To Physical Therapy And Groundhog Day
One Nation – Under Gold
Why HB 1263 Matters
The Flow Of Running, The Flow Of Life
Smart Physio
posts are on professional and career-related topics such as health, fitness, training, and health care.
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posts are commentary, perspectives, opinions, humor and insight on all of my favorite topics: music, sport, and politics/current events.
Top 10 Smart Physio
Civil Rights And Your Health
Top 10 Rhubarb Diaries
The Paradox That Is World Cup Soccer
Rhubarb Ruminations: Episode 3
Longhorns Update: Missing In Action
Stay In School - And Work On That Jump Shot
The First Amendment And Fanaticism
One Small Step For Man … One Huge Step For Thought
The Tifosi Are Coming! Formula One Heads To Austin
PT Blog Awards
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
Allan Besselink
Allan Besselink, PT, Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sport and health care, one that has been defined by his experiences as physiotherapist, mentor, McKenzie practitioner, coach, innovator, author, educator, patient, and athlete. Read more about Allan, contact him, get updates via email, or connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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‹ Previous ArticleNext Article ›× BACK TO CISO ARTICLES
City of Los Angeles CISO on the Future of Cybersecurity
Timothy Lee, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the City of Los Angeles, examined the cybersecurity landscape during his keynote presentation to Argyle's CISO membership at the 2017 Chief Information Security Officer Leadership Forum in Los Angeles on November 9. In his presentation, "The Future of Cybersecurity," Lee explored the evolving role of the CISO in the age of digital transformation.
According to Lee, CISOs are responsible for helping an organization limit risk, and identify and capitalize on opportunities.
With the proper measures, CISOs can identify cyber-attacks, as well as help organizations avoid business disruptions due to malware and data breaches.
"Opportunity and risk coexist," Lee said. "A good system finds the right balance between opportunity and risk. But a better system enables a business to maximize opportunity and minimize risk."
How a CISO approaches digital transformation may have far-flung effects on an organization's success.
"You no longer can run your security operations in silos. Everything needs to be built in collaboration."
CISOs that embrace digital transformation may help an organization adapt to a rapidly evolving global marketplace. Conversely, a CISO who fails to allocate time and resources to drive digital transformation may struggle to contribute to an organization's success.
"We, as a CISO, our job is not just about managing opportunity and risk. Our role is shifting toward making cybersecurity a business enabler and part of the foundation of digital transformation," Lee indicated.
Today, the cloud, big data and analytics, social media, and mobile devices reshape the cybersecurity landscape for CISOs at organizations of all sizes. A CISO must understand the risks and opportunities associated with these technologies to ensure an organization's sensitive data is protected at all times.
"There is a massive amount of data, and it is our responsibility to secure it," Lee noted.
In addition, a CISO must be ready to evolve, particularly as new technologies become available. As the Internet of Things (IoT) morphs into the "Internet of Humans," CISOs must be willing to deploy new security measures to ensure full protection of an organization's sensitive information.
"We, as a CISO, our job is not just about managing opportunity and risk. Our role is shifting toward making cybersecurity a business enabler."
A CISO also must ensure security protocols are designed to safeguard customers and employees, as well as their respective environments. Failure to deliver complete protection of both people and environments could result in business disruptions, leading to brand reputation damage, revenue losses and other cost- and time-intensive problems.
"The model of cybersecurity is going to change," Lee said. "We need to have privacy and safety measures in place to protect both people and environments."
Collaboration is essential for CISO success as silos may leave organizations susceptible to cyber-attacks. If a CISO fosters an environment of camaraderie and innovation, he or she can further limit cyber risks across an organization.
"You no longer can run your security operations in silos," Lee stated. "Everything needs to be built in collaboration … and there needs to be a cybersecurity alliance between machines and people."
Moreover, Lee offered the following recommendations to ensure CISOs can prepare for the future of cybersecurity:
Develop a security awareness program. With a security awareness program in place, employees at all levels of an organization can take the necessary steps to identify and address cyberattacks.
Build your soft skills. A CISO who is able to highlight the value of cybersecurity to a CEO and other C-suite leaders may be able to get the necessary support to deploy meaningful cybersecurity strategy improvements.
Take a business-like approach to day-to-day activities. "We have to learn to think like businesspeople," Lee noted. "We are part of the business team, and we need to make sure that we're aligned with the business strategy.
Keep your security operations center (SOC) team up to date. New cyber threats are emerging. A CISO must ensure a SOC team keeps track of cyber threats and can act quickly to address such dangers.
Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important, and a CISO must continue to explore innovative ways to help an organization resolve cyber-attacks before they escalate.
If a CISO is committed to ongoing improvement he or she may discover innovative ways to address cyber-attacks. Perhaps best of all, this CISO may be able to keep an organization, its customers and its employees safe against cyber-attacks both now and in the future.
ABOUT TIMOTHY:
Timothy Lee is the Chief Information Security Officer at the City of Los Angeles. He is responsible for overall cybersecurity policies and initiatives for America’s second largest city. One of those initiatives is the City’s first Integrated Security Operations Center, which won several awards including Center for Digital Government’s Cybersecurity Leadership and Innovation Award. His work affects all 40 City of Los Angeles departments. Prior to his current position, Lee was the CISO at the Port of Los Angeles where he established the Port’s cybersecurity program and was the project manager for the Cyber Security Operations Center, which won the American Association of Port Authorities IT Award of Excellence. He has a total of 20 years of experience in information security, network and telecommunication field. Tim is a recipient of the 2016 StateScoop 50 Award in the category of State Leadership and has spoken at several conferences.
Tagged With: Argyle Executive Forum • Los Angeles • Argyle Journal • collaboration • CISO • Internet of Things • IoT • cybersecurity • Artificial intelligence • digital transformation • machine learning • AI • Timothy Lee • City of Los Angeles • Chief Information Security Officer
Next: Co-Founder and CTO at CloudPassage Dissects the Security Impact of Agile IT
Thought Leadership Spotlight Presented by Seculert: You Can’t Stop What You Can’t See: Richard Greene, President, Seculert
2015 Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Leadership Forum: Cris Ewell, CISO, Seattle Children’s Hospital
ObserveIT’s CEO Provides Best Practices for Building an Insider Threat Program
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War and Social Criticism
by Nimra Khan
It is not often that art audiences in Pakistan get to experience works that offer a glimpse into history, into a different era and the motivations that drive artists of the time. Goethe-Institut recently presented an exhibition that allowed for just such an opportunity, with an extensive collection of 86 prints and etchings by German artist Otto Dix, dating back to the early 1920s. The exhibition title, “War & Social Criticism”, is an apt summarization of the works on display, which range from Dix’s explorations of the marginalia of German society with provocative flair, to a gripping look at the devastation of war — two themes that he is known and celebrated for.
The German painter and printmaker is known for his realistic and brutally honest depictions of German society during the Weimar Republic in the 1920s. His style ranges from Expressionism to Dadaism, but hemost widely recognized as one of the most important artists of the New Objectivity movement. The works on display paint a picture of 1920s Germany, and the post-war climate that shaped its society. The imagery is provocative, gruesome, and at times heartbreaking, using the language of caricature to satirize the ills of society, critiquing its center through a look at its peripheries, and portraying those aspects that most did not want to see or talk about. “Procuress” is a portrait of a heavyset, perhaps middle-aged woman with a cigarette between her lips, which, as art historian Andrea Welz explains during her guided tour, was a shocking image for that time when cigarettes were a new thing, and smoking in public, especially for women, was not common. As Welz puts it, Dix’s art “knows no taboos”.
“Sex Murder” shows the corpse of scantily clad prostitute, a gruesome display of sexual violence, while “Sex Murderer” reveals the face of the monster in the middle of the act, amongst sliced up limbs. Multiple works depict unconventional sexual relations between prostitutes and their clients, while a number of works champion outcasts of society, such as circus performers, as “Scorners of Death”. However, a large number of his works focus on war cripples, which paints a true depiction of the post war era and the ways in which it affected the veterans. “Matchseller”, which he also turned into a painting, shows a crippled beggar on the streets, ignored by the passersby. It is interesting that the artist ignores rules of perspective and skews the standing figures to display as much of their legs as possible to pronounce their privilege and the contrast between them and the protagonist of the piece. There is a lot of such subtle symbolism in his works, where composition choices that appear random actually serve a purpose, such as the dogs in the foreground of “Sex Murder” which signify a kind of animal instinct that lies at the heart of both sex and violence.
One of Dix’s most iconic paintings “Grosstadt (Triptych)” in a way combines his depictions of upper class intellectuals and outcasts of society to critique what lies at the heart of both, creating a true encapsulation of post-war German society of the ‘20s. While the panels on the right show us a scene from a nightclub, with jazz musicians, dancing women with short hair and knee-length skirts, and ample wine, the left panel depicts the scene outside where crippled beggars and prostitutes roam. These dichotomous scenes are both symptoms of the same ailment: war; while one is a direct consequence, the other is a deeper, more psychological manifestation of it, born from the need to escape its realities.
The rest of the show focuses on some 50 prints from his series of 500 which are a more direct depictions of the brutality of war and the devastation the First World War caused. As a volunteer soldier on the front lines, Dix saw his share of the harsh realities of war, its horrors and the consequences on not just human lives, but on the landscape and wildlife as well. From dead horses, to pockmarked smoking fields, to mangled faces stricken with pain and horror, to destroyed homes and cities under attack, every gruesome aspect is covered in these works with strikingly blatant and raw visuals.
In all these works, Dix’s relationship with the body is intriguing, as there is a somewhat deliberate rejection of idealistic depictions. From caricatures faces and stylized bodies, to mangled faces, crippled soldiers and violently sliced up bodies, none of his depictions adhere to the rules of the perfect human form. Perhaps it was a reaction to the art that came before, or the fact that he himself survived the war physically whole while so many fellow veterans were living crippled lives, but there seems to be something about the imperfect, unconventional and desecrated form of the body that seems to attract Dix and inspire his imagery.
Unfortunately, as Welz explains, Dix’s promising career of the 20s was soon thwarted by the Nazi regime in 1933, when his anti-war rhetoric and provocative imagery was dubbed “degenerate” and he not only lost his teaching job but was also not allowed to exhibit or sell his work. Perhaps this is a testament to his influence on public moods and sentiments, and the power art holds to drive certain narratives and shape societies and their mindsets, but it also sadly reflects the tendency of certain parties to exercise control and manipulate these mindsets through censorship and suppression of free speech. The world soon forgot the ugly truths about war and its pervasive negative influence on society, and history soon repeated itself.
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Stanfill Named Community Bank Director For Arvest, Benton County
Thursday, October 15 at 04:40 AM
Greg Stanfill, a long-time Arvest associate, gains additional leadership responsibilities in Northwest Arkansas.
ROGERS, Ark. — Arvest Bank is pleased to announce that Greg Stanfill has accepted the position of Director of Community Banks for Arvest Bank in Benton County. He will continue in his previous position as the community executive for Rogers and Lowell.
Stanfill first joined Arvest Bank when it was known as First National Bank and Trust Co. of Rogers in 1992 as branch manager in Lowell. He was promoted to community bank president in Lowell in 1994 and to community executive for Rogers and Lowell in 2012.
“I don’t think we could have found anyone more qualified for this position than Greg Stanfill,” said Craig Rivaldo, president and CEO for Arvest Bank in Benton County. “He knows Northwest Arkansas and Arvest, as well as best practices for Arvest associates to help their customers reach their financial goals.”
A graduate of Greenwood High School, Stanfill attended Westark Community College (now known as University of Arkansas at Fort Smith) and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is also a graduate of Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Stanfill is a member of the board of directors for the Area Agency on Aging and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes NWA. He currently serves as the president of the Lowell Recreation Association. He is a past president of the Rogers Rotary Club, a past chairman of the Rogers Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and past vice chairman of the United Way of Benton County. He has also been named a “40 Under Forty” honoree by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.
He and his wife, Sonia Stanfill, live in Rogers. They attend First Baptist Church in Lowell.
Tags: Arkansas, Arvest Benton County, Associates, Press Release
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What Success - February 18, 2019
Brian May is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist who is best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen born on 19 July 1947, In London, England.
He is the son of Harold May and Ruth May.
In 1974, He had married Chrissie Mullen. The couple has three children Jimmy, Louisa, and Emily Ruth. In 1988, The couple divorced.
In 1984, He had studied at Hampton Grammar School and formed his first band, with Tim Staffell.
In 1968, May and Tim Staffell, together with drummer Roger Taylor, formed the band ‘Smile’. The band dismissed in two years with Staffell’s exit. In 1970, May and Taylor had joined Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, to form the famous British Rock band ‘Queen’. In 1985, The band had written the song ‘One Vision’ together after the famous ‘Live Aid’ concert. He had also played the guitar for Steve Hackett’s album ‘Feedback 86’. In 1989, He had composed ‘I Want It All’ and ‘Scandal’ for the band’s album, ‘The Miracle’. In the same year, He had worked with other bands like ‘Black Sabbath’ and ‘Living In a Box’, playing guitar solos for a song in each of their albums. In 1991, After the death of Freddie Mercury, He dealt with the loss by devoting himself to work and completed his solo album ‘Back to the Light’, which released in the next year. He had appeared as a guest alongside Eddie Clarke for the song, ‘Overkill’ at the Motorhead 25th Anniversary show. In 2007, He had returned to Imperial College London to complete his Ph.D. in astrophysics which He had left before to pursue his musical dreams. In 2008, Queen + Paul Rodgers had the first solo album ‘The Cosmos Rocks’ had been released. Following this, the band did another world tour before splitting the next year.
Harold is his middle name.
Master Stroke:
Brian May added to singles like ‘Tie Your Mother Down’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’, ‘Hammer to Fall’, ‘Save Me’, ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ and ‘I Want It All’ which had changed the face of rock and made him the legendary guitarist he is today.
In 2011, He had been given the Global Icon Award for ‘Queen’ at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
In 2011, He had also made Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the ‘100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’.
Like Brian May, Believe in your strength. Never disappointed in one failure. always think positive.
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Former Selma mayor Charles Hester dies at 83
Former Selma mayor Charles Hester is pictured with his wife Barbetta. The three-term mayor died Monday, Feb. 25 at the age of 83.
Steve Reed | Johnstonian News file photo
Posted Thursday, February 28, 2019 4:24 am
By Steve Reed | sreed.jhn@wilsontimes.com | 919-740-6834
SELMA — Former mayor Charles Hester was a towering figure who, at times, could be gruff and intimidating in town council meetings. But the three-term mayor, who died Monday at age 83, was a patriot who friends recalled would spontaneously sing "God Bless America" and whose "bark was always worse than his bite."
"Charles Hester played a pivotal role in the development of Selma. He demonstrated his love for Selma by his service to our town as well as his financial investments in Selma properties," said Mayor Cheryl Oliver. "You did not need to know him long before you knew he also loved his family, church and country. As a proud U.S. Marine, he was known to spontaneously sing 'God Bless America' on numerous occasions. The town of Selma is glad that he and his family came our way. We will miss him."
Selma Town Attorney Chip Hewett agreed.
"Charles Hester was a great man that did a lot for Selma. He was a devoted family man and loved Selma Baptist Church. His bark was always worse than his bite and although he would never admit it, he was a gentle giant," said Hewett. "He was known for helping many in need. He had a habit of slipping silver dollars to people as a way of congratulating them for a good deed.
"In politics, whether you agreed or disagreed with him, you always knew where he stood. He enjoyed being mayor and relished his role as the leader of the town. He was a patriot that proudly flew flags all over his properties, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war, and a Marine until the end. Semper Fi," said Hewett.
My Kids Club board member Jean Kelly recalled Hester's support of the former Boys and Girls Clubs of Johnston County.
"All of us at My Kid's Club really appreciate what Mr. Hester did through the years to support our young people in Selma, especially during his tenure as mayor., said Kelly. "As retired military, he recognized the benefits of having a Boy Scout program and he worked diligently to build our scouting program within the club. He often dropped in to talk with our club members.
"I was there one of these times and as we walked out together, he said to me our program was doing a fantastic job working with our children. I asked him, how did he know? His reply, 'Well, I've heard a few good things, but mainly I haven't heard anything bad and bad news always travels first and fast, so it must be good.' I will certainly miss him as I stopped by his office often to seek his advice."
Hester and his wife Barbetta celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in October. Hester was grand marshal of the 2018 Selma Railroad Days Parade last October.
A Greensboro native, Hester attended Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) on a basketball scholarship. That's where he met future wife Barbetta Godwin.
Hester, like his father, joined the Marine Corps. He trained at Quantico and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He then came back to marry Barbetta.
The Hesters went to Dillon, South Carolina, and got married. "The total cost of the wedding was only $20 and we got a free oil change while we got married," Hester said in an interview last year.
The Hesters have three grown children Chuck, Ron and Melissa.
Hester's military career took him to many places including Vietnam and Cuba. Barbetta accompanied him to Cuba.
She returned to Selma in 1975. Hester, a retired lieutenant colonel, was stationed at Marine headquarters in Washington. He would drive back and forth to Selma on the weekends. He came back home to Selma in November 1977.
When he returned home, Hester and Barbetta Hester's brother ran Brad's Red and White grocery store in Selma.
Her father dabbled in real estate. Hester said he served on every community board one could imagine.
In 1978, Hester Properties was born. Hester was the president and his wife was the office manager. There are several buildings in uptown Selma that bear his company's name. They invested more than $2 million in uptown Selma
Hester's company built 60 group homes for the mentally handicapped, built 22 post offices and had buildings throughout the state.
Hester entered politics in 2005 and served as Selma mayor for three terms.
Hester's funeral will be held Thursday at Selma Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Selma Memorial Gardens.
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Some bodybuilders use drugs such as anabolic steroids and precursor substances such as prohormones to increase muscle hypertrophy. Anabolic steroids cause hypertrophy of both types (I and II) of muscle fibers, likely caused by an increased synthesis of muscle proteins. They also provoke undesired side effects including hepatotoxicity, gynecomastia, acne, the early onset of male pattern baldness and a decline in the body's own testosterone production, which can cause testicular atrophy.[43][44][45] Other performance-enhancing substances used by competitive bodybuilders include human growth hormone (HGH), which can cause acromegaly.
The word diet first appeared in English in the 13th century. Its original meaning was the same as in modern English, “habitually taken food and drink.” But diet was used in another sense too in the Middle and early modern English periods to mean “way of living.” This is, in fact, the original meaning of diet’s Greek ancestor diaita, which is derived from the verb diaitasthan, meaning “to lead one’s life.” In Greek, diaita, had already come to be used more specifically for a way of living prescribed by a physician, a diet, or other regimen.
Alexander the Great reached India in the 4th century BCE. Along with his army, he took Greek academics with him who later wrote memoirs about geography, people and customs they saw. One of Alexander's companion was Onesicritus, quoted in Book 15, Sections 63–65 by Strabo, who describes yogins of India.[107] Onesicritus claims those Indian yogins (Mandanis ) practiced aloofness and "different postures – standing or sitting or lying naked – and motionless".[108]
In 1990, professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon announced that he was forming a new bodybuilding organization named the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF). McMahon wanted to bring WWF-style showmanship and bigger prize money to the sport of bodybuilding. A number of IFBB stars were recruited but the roster was never very large and featured the same athletes competing; the most notable winner and first WBF champion was Gary Strydom. McMahon formally dissolved the WBF in July 1992. Reasons for this reportedly included lack of income from the pay-per-view broadcasts of the contests, slow sales of the WBF's magazine Bodybuilding Lifestyles (later WBF Magazine), and the expense of paying multiple six-figure contracts while producing two TV shows and a monthly magazine.
Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the West,[15] following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century with his adaptation of yoga tradition, excluding asanas.[15] Outside India, it has developed into a form of posture-based physical fitness, stress-relief and relaxation technique.[16] Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is more than physical exercise; it has a meditative and spiritual core.[16][17] One of the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism is also called Yoga, which has its own epistemology and metaphysics, and is closely related to Hindu Samkhya philosophy.[18]
The important role of nutrition in building muscle and losing fat means bodybuilders may consume a wide variety of dietary supplements.[42] Various products are used in an attempt to augment muscle size, increase the rate of fat loss, improve joint health, increase natural testosterone production, enhance training performance and prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.
In addition, the healthy habits and kinds of foods recommended on the Mayo Clinic Diet — including lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish and healthy fats — can further reduce your risk of certain health conditions. The Mayo Clinic Diet is meant to be positive, practical, sustainable and enjoyable, so you can enjoy a happier, healthier life over the long term.
The Bhakti movement was a development in medieval Hinduism which advocated the concept of a personal God (or "Supreme Personality of Godhead"). The movement was initiated by the Alvars of South India in the 6th to 9th centuries, and it started gaining influence throughout India by the 12th to 15th centuries.[178] Shaiva and Vaishnava bhakti traditions integrated aspects of Yoga Sutras, such as the practical meditative exercises, with devotion.[179] Bhagavata Purana elucidates the practice of a form of yoga called viraha (separation) bhakti. Viraha bhakti emphasizes one pointed concentration on Krishna.[180]
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Sandow organized the first bodybuilding contest on September 14, 1901, called the "Great Competition". It was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Judged by Sandow, Sir Charles Lawes, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the contest was a great success and many bodybuilding enthusiasts were turned away due to the overwhelming amount of audience members.[4] The trophy presented to the winner was a gold statue of Sandow sculpted by Frederick Pomeroy. The winner was William L. Murray of Nottingham. The silver Sandow trophy was presented to second-place winner D. Cooper. The bronze Sandow trophy — now the most famous of all — was presented to third-place winner A.C. Smythe. In 1950, this same bronze trophy was presented to Steve Reeves for winning the inaugural NABBA Mr. Universe contest. It would not resurface again until 1977 when the winner of the IFBB Mr. Olympia contest, Frank Zane, was presented with a replica of the bronze trophy. Since then, Mr. Olympia winners have been consistently awarded a replica of the bronze Sandow.
The winner of the annual IFBB Mr. Olympia contest is generally recognized as the world's top male professional bodybuilder. Since 1950, the NABBA Universe Championships have been considered the top amateur bodybuilding contests, with notable winners such as Reg Park, Lee Priest, Steve Reeves, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Winners generally go on to become professional athletes.
Theosophists including Madame Blavatsky also had a large influence on the Western public's view of Yoga.[210] Esoteric views current at the end of the 19th century provided a further basis for the reception of Vedanta and of Yoga with its theory and practice of correspondence between the spiritual and the physical.[211] The reception of Yoga and of Vedanta thus entwined with each other and with the (mostly Neoplatonism-based) currents of religious and philosophical reform and transformation throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Mircea Eliade brought a new element into the reception of Yoga with the strong emphasis on Tantric Yoga in his seminal book: Yoga: Immortality and Freedom.[212] With the introduction of the Tantra traditions and philosophy of Yoga, the conception of the "transcendent" to be attained by Yogic practice shifted from experiencing the "transcendent" ("Atman-Brahman" in Advaitic theory) in the mind to the body itself.[213]
During the 1950s, the most successful and most famous competing bodybuilders[according to whom?] were Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Leroy Colbert, and Clarence Ross. Certain bodybuilders rose to fame thanks to the relatively new medium of television, as well as cinema. The most notable[according to whom?] were Jack LaLanne, Steve Reeves, Reg Park, and Mickey Hargitay. While there were well-known gyms throughout the country during the 1950s (such as Vince's Gym in North Hollywood, California and Vic Tanny's chain gyms), there were still segments of the United States that had no "hardcore" bodybuilding gyms until the advent of Gold's Gym in the mid-1960s. Finally, the famed Muscle Beach in Santa Monica continued its popularity as the place to be for witnessing acrobatic acts, feats of strength, and the like. The movement grew more in the 1960s with increased TV and movie exposure, as bodybuilders were typecast in popular shows and movies.[citation needed]
The tantra yoga practices include asanas and breathing exercises. The Nyingma tradition practices Yantra yoga (Tib. "Trul khor"), a discipline that includes breath work (or pranayama), meditative contemplation and other exercises.[192] In the Nyingma tradition, the path of meditation practice is divided into further stages,[193] such as Kriya yoga, Upa yoga, Yoga yana, Mahā yoga, Anu yoga and Ati yoga.[194] The Sarma traditions also include Kriya, Upa (called "Charya"), and Yoga, with the Anuttara yoga class substituting for Mahayoga and Atiyoga.[195]
The early practice of Jain yoga seems to have been divided into several types, including meditation (dhyāna), abandonment of the body (kāyotsarga), contemplation (anuprekṣā), and reflection (bhāvanā).[256] Some of the earliest sources for Jain yoga are the Uttarādhyayana-sūtra, the Āvaśyaka-sūtra, the Sthananga Sutra (c. 2nd century BCE). Later works include Kundakunda's Vārassa-aṇuvekkhā (“Twelve Contemplations”, c. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE), Haribhadra's Yogadṛṣṭisamuccya (8th century) and the Yogaśāstra of Hemachandra (12th century). Later forms of Jain yoga adopted Hindu influences, such as ideas from Patanjali's yoga and later Tantric yoga (in the works of Haribhadra and Hemachandra respectively). The Jains also developed a progressive path to liberation through yogic praxis, outlining several levels of virtue called gunasthanas.
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Biography – KING, BOSTON – Volume V (1801-1820) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography
KING, BOSTON, Methodist preacher and author; b. c. 1760 near Charleston, S.C.; d. 1802 in Sierra Leone.
Boston King was born a slave on Richard Waring’s plantation near Charleston. His father, who had been “stolen away from Africa when he was young,” was on good terms with Waring, and his mother also was well treated because of her skills as a nurse and seamstress. King was trained as a house servant but at the age of 16, still under Waring’s control, he was sent to a nearby town to be apprenticed as a carpenter. The time he spent learning his new trade was far from pleasant, for his employer often beat him “without mercy.” Fortunately, when the American revolution broke out Waring adhered to the rebels, which meant that if King could flee to the British he would gain freedom. His opportunity came when the British took Charleston in May 1780. Joining a mass movement of runaway slaves to the royal standard, King now “began to feel the happiness of liberty.”
The treatment provided by the British did not match the generosity of their offer of freedom. Squalid and overcrowded accommodation promoted disease, and King was one of the many to contract smallpox. After his recovery he became useful to his benefactors. As a carpenter he might have been one of that sizeable minority of black loyalists with specialized skills, many of whom plied their trades in the British service, but the absence of tools forced him to seek alternative employment as a servant. Like countless black loyalists, however, he soon was engaged in military action. By carrying dispatches through enemy lines he was responsible for the relief of 250 besieged British soldiers at Nelson’s Ferry (near Eutawville), S.C., and as a crew member on a British man-of-war he helped capture a rebel ship in Chesapeake Bay. Later he was taken and re-enslaved by the American navy but escaped for a second time to British safetet threats to his freedom came not only from the rebels, for innumerable runaways were betrayed and sold as slaves by loyalist militia officers. Once King himself was taken by a militia captain, but his talent for escape saved him again.
As the war drew to a close, thousands of loyalists converged on New York City, King among them. While there he supported himself as a servant and casual labourer, and married Violet, a fellow runaway who had escaped from a master in Wilmington, N.C. The publication of the preliminary peace agreement in late 1782 destroyed King’s comfort, for article 7 required the British to return all American property, including slaves. As King wrote later, the prospect of being returned to bondage filled the black loyalists with “inexpressible anguish and terror,” and their fears were certainly not diminished when former masters entered New York City and began seizing blacks in the streets and in their homes. At this critical point Sir Guy Carleton, commander-in-chief of British forces, announced that his interpretation of article 7 was that black loyalists were not in fact American property at the time of the agreement and so must be allowed to evacuate with other loyalists. Issued with certificates guaranteeing their freedom by Brigadier-General Samuel Birch, the city commandant, New York’s black refugees boarded the transport ships and had their names, descriptions, and personal histories recorded in the “Book of Negroes.” Between 26 April and 30 Nov. 1783, 3,000 black loyalists were shipped to Nova Scotia. King, described as a “Stout fellow” aged 23, embarked with his wife on L’Abondance and sailed for Port Roseway, recently renamed Shelburne, on 31 July.
The first loyalists had reached Port Roseway in May 1783, including a party of blacks who set to work clearing the town-site and preparing roads. At a discreet six miles from Shelburne, surveyor Benjamin Marston* laid out a separate town-site for the blacks. King arrived there on 27 August in time to witness the survey and participate in the establishment of Birchtown, named for their New York protector. A muster held in January 1784 showed that Birchtown, with a population of 1,521 blacks, was the largest free black settlement in North America. Each of them received a town lot large enough for a garden, but the delay in granting farms forced them to continue to labour in Shelburne where construction assured plentiful employment.
A great religious revival occurred in Birchtown during the winter of 1783–84, part of a phenomenon seen all over Nova Scotia as the former slaves flocked to the churches for baptism. William Black*, the Methodist evangelist, paid special attention to Birchtown, which contained the largest Methodist society in Nova Scotia. Even John Wesley remarked upon the religious enthusiasm of the Birchtown blacks, and in 1785 American Methodist Freeborn Garrettson was sent from Baltimore, Md, to assist in the harvest of souls. The first person in the settlement to be converted was King’s wife, Violet, who owed her deliverance from “evil tempers” to the preaching of Moses Wilkinson, a black loyalist and Birchtown’s leading Methodist. In early 1785 King, too, was converted. Describing his feelings at this time, King wrote: “All my doubts and fears vanished away: I saw, by faith, heaven opened to my view; and Christ and his angels rejoicing over me.” For the next few years King preached in black settlements from Shelburne to Halifax. Owing to his and other preachers’ efforts, by 1790 black loyalists constituted one-quarter of Nova Scotia Methodists.
With most of his Birchtown neighbours King worked in Shelburne, as a carpenter, and supplemented his income with his garden. Because they accepted lower wages, the blacks attracted the hostility of white workers, who launched a riot in July 1784 and attempted to drive them out of Shelburne. That issue disappeared as the whites were given farms, but by 1789 Shelburne’s economic difficulties created unemployment and abject distress for the blacks. King, appalled by the “poverty and distress” around him, left Birchtown and found work on a fishing boat operating out of Chedabucto Bay, where he continued to preach at every opportunity. In 1791 William Black, by then presiding elder of Nova Scotia’s Methodists, appointed King preacher to the black settlement at Preston near Halifax. The Preston black community was closely knit, and the preachers in the Anglican, Baptist, and Methodist chapels were its natural leaders. King knew comfort at last, earning a decent living from his work in Preston and nearby Dartmouth, and enjoying the respect of his flock. His stay in Preston, however, was brief. Although satisfied with his life in Nova Scotia, he had a strong desire to spread “the knowledge of Christianity” amongst his African brothers, and in 1791 he joined other prominent Nova Scotia blacks, such as David George and Thomas Peters*, in assisting John Clarkson of the Sierra Leone Company to recruit emigrants for a colony of free blacks in West Africa. The support he gave Clarkson in this endeavour yielded results: almost the entire black community of Preston, many of whom were motivated by the promise of free land and self-determination in Sierra Leone, joined in the exodus.
A fleet of 15 ships – King and the Preston blacks sailed on the Eleanor – left Nova Scotia for Sierra Leone in January 1792. After arriving in Freetown, Violet King succumbed to a fever epidemic, but King survived to establish a Methodist chapel. His ambition was fulfilled when in August 1793 the Sierra Leone Company appointed him teacher and missionary to the Africans on the Bullom shore, opposite Freetown, making him the first Methodist missionary in Africa. To improve his qualifications for this work, the company in March 1794 sent him to England, where he attended the Kingswood School near Bristol for two years. While there he wrote a memoir of his life to 1796. On his return to Africa in late September 1796 the company employed him as a teacher in Freetown and its vicinity, but he seems to have been dissatisfied with this work since his personal goal was to minister to the indigenous Africans. He soon left the colony for a company post located amongst the Sherbro people, some hundred miles south, where he probably resumed his missionary activity. He and his second wife both died there in 1802.
King was one of three black loyalists to leave a personal account of his experiences. John Marrant*’s influential Narrative of the Lord’s wonderful dealings is his most important legacy, and David George, still remembered as the founder of the black Baptist church in the Maritimes, published a revealing account of his life in the Baptist annual register. Boston King’s “Memoirs” was not a major literary or historical work, but through his reminiscences it is possible to gain an impression of the life of the ordinary black loyalist during the American revolution and in early Nova Scotia.
James W. St G. Walker
The original “Book of Negroes” is in PRO, PRO 30/55/100. A photocopy is available in the NYPL, British Headquarters papers, doc.10427, while transcript versions with slight variations can be seen in PAC, MG 23, B1, 55, and PANS, RG 1, 423. Boston King was the author of “Memoirs of the life of Boston King, a black preacher, written by himself during his residence at Kingswood School,” Methodist Magazine (London), 21 (1798): 105–10, 157–61, 209–13, 261–65.
BL, Add. mss 41262A–64. Huntington Library (San Marino, Calif.), Zachary Macaulay papers. N.B. Museum, F50, “Muster roll of the Black Pioneers, 1779–80”; F53, “State of the Guides & Pioneers, 27 Nov. 1780” (transcript). NYPL, Emmet coll. PAC, MG 23, D1, ser.1, 24 (transcripts at PANS). PANS, MG 1, 219; 948, docs.196, 340; MG 4, 140–41, 143 (copies); MG 100, 169, no.27a (photocopy); RG 1, 47, doc.13; 137; 213, 5 Aug. 1784; 302, doc.11; 346, doc.89; 371; 419–22. PRO, AO 12/54, 12/99, 12/102; AO 13, bundle 79; CO 217/63, 217/68; CO 267/91; PRO 30/8, bundle 344 (transcript at PAC); PRO 30/55, nos. 1215, 4331, 6480, 7419, 7448, 8668, 8800, 8886, 9130, 9304, 9955 (photocopies at NYPL); WO 1/352. USPG, Dr. Bray’s Associates, minute-books, 3; unbound papers, box 7; Journal of SPG, 23: 379; 25: 18–19, 24, 97. [David George], “An account of the life of Mr. David George, from Sierra Leone in Africa; given by himself in a conversation with Brother Rippon of London, and Brother Pearce of Birmingham,” Baptist annual reg. (London), 1 (1790–93): 473–84. [John Marrant], A narrative of the Lord’s wonderful dealings with John Marrant, a black . . . , ed. Rev. Mr Aldridge (2nd ed., London, 1785). SPG, [Annual report] (London), 1784. Benjamin Quarles, The negro in the American revolution (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1961). J. W. St G. Walker, The black loyalists: the search for a promised land in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone, 1783–1870 (London, 1976). E. G. Wilson, The loyal blacks (New York, 1976). R. W. Winks, The blacks in Canada: a history (Montreal, 1971). P. R. Blakeley, “Boston King: a negro loyalist who sought refuge in Nova Scotia,” Dalhousie Rev., 48 (1968–69): 347–56. W. O. Raymond, “The founding of Shelburne: Benjamin Marston at Halifax, Shelburne and Miramichi,” N.B. Hist. Soc., Coll., 3 (1907–14), no.8: 204–77.1. W. St G. Walker, “Blacks as American loyalists: the slaves’ war for independence,” Hist. Reflections (Waterloo, Ont.), 2 (1975): 51–67. A. F. Walls, “The Nova Scotian settlers and their religion,” Sierra Leone Bull. of Religion (Freetown, Sierra Leone), 1 (1959): 19–31.
Authors – Diaries, memoirs, and correspondence
Religion – Methodists
North America – Canada – Nova Scotia – Mainland
CARLETON, GUY, 1st Baron DORCHESTER (Vol. 5)BLACK, WILLIAM (1760-1834) (Vol. 6)MARRANT, JOHN (Vol. 4)MARSTON, BENJAMIN (Vol. 4)PETERS, THOMAS (Vol. 4)GEORGE, DAVID (Vol. 5)
CARLETON, GUY, 1st Baron DORCHESTER
BLACK, WILLIAM (1760-1834)
PETERS, THOMAS
James W. St G. Walker, “KING, BOSTON,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed July 16, 2019, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/king_boston_5E.html.
Permalink: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/king_boston_5E.html
Author of Article: James W. St G. Walker
Title of Article: KING, BOSTON
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Tuesday Talk explores themes of caves and water sources
University and research coordinator Sarah Bartle spoke to Chincoteague Bay Field Station staff, students currently taking college courses and professors teaching those courses on Tuesday evening about her research titled “Tracing Methods to Identify Recharge Sources and Quantify Discharge from a Submerged Spring.”
Sarah’s research began in 2011 at Shippensburg University, and it is still currently being conducted. To begin her presentation, she showed different examples of caves including carbonate, gypsum, quartz and marble, halite and wild caves.
She also explained how people’s fears of caves have changed over time. For example, people used to believe salamanders were actually baby dragons that lived in caves. Now, people are afraid of bats living in caves.
The significance of her research was that there is a lot of non-point source pollution in environments which means there is pollution that has no known source. Conduit streams which flow through caves have short residence times, or times that material is flowing through them, and they do not have enough time to get rid of the toxins that are flowing through. This also makes it difficult to know who is to blame for the toxins in the water.
For her research, Sarah mainly looked at Welsh Run where the stream seemed to trail off underground at one point and suddenly a spring appeared at another point. Sarah and her research group used dye dilution by time to determine the quantity of the sources of water that led to the spring.
“What goes down must come up again. So, if it goes underground, the water, the losing stream, it has to come back out at a spring and usually into a stream,” Sarah said.
The purpose of her research was to identify methods of locating connections between surface water and ground water and to find out if there are one or many sources that are contributing. She became interested in studying Welsh Run because there were cave fish, or surface fish, that were only there in the winter and not during the summer.
The group put Sulforhodamine B, or SRB, which is a non-toxic dye, into the stream that was detected on charcoal bags that were set up. This was used to determine if the stream flowed through the cave and out to the spring. The results were successful.
“That was a pretty good indicator that our hypothesis was correct that that little stream that was losing went to the cave and then to the spring,” Sarah said.
After, Sarah and her group did discharge measurement to figure out how much water was being lost in the stream swallet. The flow conditions played a large factor, and up to 50 percent of the water that was flowing through the cave was not from the stream swallet. The water could have been coming from a pond nearby.
The biological study found that the Welsh Run stream had a lot of algae, the pond had a lot of diatoms and the cave had both algae and diatoms. Because of this, her group continued on with the dye trace.
Sarah dumped the dye into the stream and an automatic water sampler was set up at the spring to take samples every 15 minutes. This found the quantity of water in the spring that came from the stream that flowed through the cave and out to the spring.
“[The study] showed a lot about how every site is site specific so it showed a lot about different methods you can use to trace water and determine sources based on quantity of water,” Sarah said.
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The Mafia and the antimafia fight: an analisys beyond the stereotypes
Umberto Santino
Premise. The term “Mafia” first used only to define a Sicilian phenomenon, is now used to describe any organized criminal group and it is certainly the word of the Italian language best known and most used internationally. This is due to two reasons: the influence of the media, who tend to simplify reality with labels often incongrous and misleading; the characteristics of the Sicilian Mafia which have made it a frame of reference for similar organizations developed elsewhere in more recent times.
Among the ideas of the Mafia we can distinguish the descriptions without scientific criterion (stereotypes) and the descriptions having a scientific foundation (paradigms). The stereotypes most widespread are the following: Mafia as an emergency (Mafia exists only when it shoots someone, is worryng only when it affects important people and is a national issue when it affects the highest levels); Mafia as an antistate (this interprets the crimes of the Mafiosi as a war against the State, when these crimes have political representatives as victims).
The Mafia is not a temporary emergency, but a permanent, structural phenomenon. It is not anti-state, because the relationship between Mafia and State is very complex. Mafia as criminal organization is against the public institutions, doesen’t recognise the State’s monopoly of power and force (the Mafiosi “dispense justice themselves”) but Mafia operates inside political institutions as far as its economic and political aspects are concerned (contracts for public works, control of voters etc.)
The paradigms best known are the following: Mafia as criminal association with specific aspects (Mafia -type association) and Mafia as economic enterprise. These ideas get only a part of the Mafia phenomenon: the criminal organization and the economic aspects.
My analysis trys to go beyond the stereotypes and to integrate the paradigms, considering the Mafia like complex phenomenon, produced by the interaction of various aspects.
1. The Sicilian Mafia and the other Mafia-type groups
1.1. Mafia-type association: the official definition. The Italian antimafia law of September 1982 defines for the first time Mafia-type association in the following way: the intimidatory power of the bond of association, the condition of subjection and of “omertà” derived from intimidation.
The Mafia organization par excellence is that called Cosa Nostra, the structure of which has been disclosed since 1984 via the testimonies of various mafioso State’s witnesses, the so-called “pentiti”. Cosa Nostra has been described by judges as a unified organization, pyramid-like and with a powerful summit (the “commissione” or “cupola”). Cosa Nostra is a type of elite of the Mafia organizations which includes external and contrasting groups.
Official reports identified 181 Mafia groups operating in Sicily, with about 6.000 members.
1.2. The Mafia-enterprise: a sociological definition. This definition has a double meaning: the first meaning is that the criminal activity is conducted in the same way as an enterprise, with a rational combination of the means and the results (illicit enterprise). The second meaning implies that there are legal economic activities which nevertheless have certain characteristics, identified by the antimafia law: they are run by Mafiosi, they employ illegally-earned capital and use intimidatory tactics against the competition.
1.3. The paradigm of complexity. To get a comprehensive idea of the complexity of Mafia phenomenon, I have proposed the following definition: Mafia is a system of violence and illegality that aims to accumulate wealth and positions of power; which also uses a cultural code and which enjoys a certain popular support. In this way the Mafia phenomenon is seen to be a complete unit with multifarious aspects; criminal, economic, political, cultural and social.
In this view the actual criminal association is part of a network of relationships which is much vaster: a social block with an interclass composition that ranges from the lowest social levels to the highest (probably some hundreds of thousands of people in Sicily). Inside this system of relationships, the dominant function is carried out by the legal-illegal subjects most rich and powerful (Mafia bosses, politicians, entrepreneurs, lawyers, financial advisers etc.) defined as the mafia bourgeoisie (probably tens of thousands of people).
The Sicilian society is a society producing Mafia (“società mafiogena”) for many reasons: many people consider violence and illegality like survival means and ways of acquiring a social role; violence and illegality are usually unpunished, the legal economy is too weak to offer substantial opportunities, the State and the institutions are seen as distant and foreign, approachable through the mediation of the Mafiosi and their friends, the struggles against the Mafia have been lost and the consequences for many people are the mistrust and the belief that it is impossible to change the situation, social life is lacking because of a crisis of political parties, an insufficient role for trade unions and civil society is too weak and precarious etc.
Mafia is a form of totalitarian State and its peculiarity is the territorial control (“signoria territoriale”), from the economy to politics, to private life. For the Mafia rights don’t exist, there are only favours.
1.4. Brief history of the Mafia: continuity and transformation. Usually one speaks of “old Mafia” and “new Mafia”, but the history of the Mafia is a weaving of old and new aspects. It is possible to identify 4 phases:
1) A long incubation period which goes from the 16th century to the early 19th century, during which period there was no Mafia as we know it now but a pre-Mafia phenomenon existing within the transition from feudalism to capitalism.
2) An agrarian phase, which started even before the formation of the unified State in Italy, and which continued up until the 1950s.
3) An urban-entrepreneurial phase existed from the mid 1950s until the 60s.
4) The present day Mafia, from the 70s to today, could be defined as a financial Mafia. The financial Mafia has an international range, resulting from its illegal gains (one speaks, for Mafia and other Italian criminal groups, on 69,000 billion Italian Lira per annum: 45 billion dollars, but according most recent estimates the wealth of Mafia would be 350-400,000 billion Lira) as well as its infiltration into the financial system, taking advantage of the international rule that ensures banking secrecy, the proliferation of tax havens and the possibility of avoiding controls on capital, making use of the new forms of the circulation and raising of money (the so-called “financial innovations”).
1.5. Mafia as political subject: double Mafia in a double State. Mafia is a political subject for two reasons: 1) because it is a political group (Weber) having the territorial control; 2) because Mafia takes part in the decision making, interacting with the institutions.
The problem of the “third level”: there isn’t a summit of politician, financiers etc. superimposed above Mafia (the “supercupola”); the relationship between Mafia and politics is more complex than this description.
In its relationship with the State and other institutions, Mafia is two faced: it is simultaneously outside and against the State, because it doesn’t recognize the State’s monopoly on violence and naturally resorts to murder (having the death penalty in its code). It is inside and with the State because a series of activities are connected with the use of public finances (for example, contracts for public works) and imply their active participation in public life (elections, control of the functioning of institutions).
Even the State when dealing with Mafia has been characterized by the use of double standards. The impunity may be considered a form of legitimation, therefore, it may be said that in Italy there have been two ways of dealing with violence. This may be explained by the fact that Mafia violence, that has had as victims mainly political and social opponents that symbolize renewal, has been useful for the maintaining of power by the dominant classes. Since the end of the second world war Italy’s democracy has been blocked, formally open but virtually “off limits” to the opposition (gap between the formal Constitution and the material Constitution). It was an effect of international “bipolarism”: there was an interaction of internal and international policies. In this context Mafia has been aninstitutionalised criminality and inside the State have operated the criminal institutions (secret services connected with the neofascists, masonic lodge P2 etc.). Proof of this criminalization of power: the unpunished massacres; from 1969 to 1984, 8 massacres with 150 dead and 688 injured. But this process began before: massacre of Portella della Ginestra in 1947: 12 peasants dead and 33 injured.
1.6. Mafia today. The crimes and the massacres of 1992 ad 1993, especially the murders of the magistrates Falcone and Borsellino, have had many boomerang effects: the arrest of bosses hiding from justice, new laws, the army in Sicily (essentially a symbolic presence), the increasing number of “pentiti”.
Probably today the bosses still fugitives and the new bosses are thinking that it is more convenient to abandone the blood-line and to ritourne to the classical Mafia model: mediation instead of war, to submerge and not to show off, less violence and more business. The problem is to find new links with the political world in the phase of transition from the “first republic” to the “second republic”.
The new government (Berlusconi) is a form of privatisation of the State and of legalisation of illegality: a context very hospitable for Mafia and other criminal groups.
1.7. The ‘Ndrangheta from Calabria. The ‘Ndrangheta has rural roots and, like the Sicilian Mafia, has full control of its territory, in particular of isolated areas like Aspromonte, the scene of many of the kidnappings that have taken place in Italy. During the 70s, the ‘Ndrangheta began to take a greater part in legal entrepreneurial activities and also assumed a significant role in drug trafficking. There are 160 criminal organizations operating in Calabria, with 5,700 members.
1.8. The Camorra of Campania. The Camorra has urban origins and a notably discontinous history. At the moment, the camorristi of Campania have an important role in drug trafficking. There are 145 Camorra organizations, with 7,000 members.
1.9. Other Mafia-type groups. In Apulia there is the “Sacra corona unita” and there are Mafia-type organizations in other regions of Italy.
1.10. At international level today many old and new criminal groups are similiar to the Sicilian Mafia, because they have, besides specific aspects, homologous characters, connecting criminal activities with the accumulation of capitals and a political role. For instance: the American Cosa Nostra, the Japanese Yakusa, the Chinese Triads, the Latin-American Cartels, the Russian Mafia, the Nigerian Mafia etc.
It is not the Mafia that has invaded the world, it is the world, in the phase of “globalization”, that has produced more and more groups and organizations of the Mafia type (the crimes of globalisation). There isn’t an universal Octopus (Piovra) with a worldwide summit.
2. The law enforcement against Mafia and organized crime
2.1. The laws on Mafia and Mafia-type groups in Italy. After the antimafia law, in ten years, from 1982 to 1992, 114 laws regarding organized crime were introduced. All of these laws are connected with terrible crimes that shocked both local and international public opinion, and are considered the offspring of the emergency situation, that is, they are answers to the criminal challenge and not part of a coherent law enforcement program.
2.2. European Union: a continent of variable legality. The European Economic Community (EEC) has begun to deal with the problem of organized crime in the last few years but is still far from political unity. The member States have diversified situations, therefore it may be said that it is a “system of variable legality”. A few examples: organized crime of the Mafia type exists only in the Italian code; penal action is obligatory in Italy and Germany, optional in the other nations.
The European plan of action for the fight against drugs with three main points: the reduction of the demand, the fight against illegal trafficking and international measures. The Europol and the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction).
In June 1991 the EEC Council approved a directive on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the laundering of profits obtained from illegal activities. Since September 1, 1993, became effective the European Council’s Convention on laundering and seizure and confiscation of profits from crime, signed by about twenty States, but ratified by few States.
2.3. International Conventions and activities on organized crime. After the signing of the Vienna Convention of December 1988, the United Nations in 1990 created the UNDCP (United Nations Drug Control Program) working in four sectors: the reduction of illegal production of drugs, the prevention and reduction of illegal demand, the control of illegal drug trafficking, the reinforcement of the judicial and legal system to strengthen the fight against drugs.
In 1992 was established in Vienna the Commission on prevention of crime, with the task to fight the money laundering and economic criminality.
The conference on money laundering (Courmayeur, June 1994) proposing the limitation of banking secrecy, and the ministerial conference of United Nations on transnational crime (Naples, November 1995) suggesting the adoption at international level of the crime of Mafia-type association.
In December 2000 in Palermo was signed the Convention against transnational organized crime. The most important points are the following: the definition of the transnational organized crime and the adoption of the crime of Mafia association, the rules against the laundering dirty money, the corruption, the trafficking of human beings and for the confiscation of illegal capitals.
3. The antimafia movement
3.1. The movement against the Mafia in Sicily. From the “Fasci siciliani” – Sicilian Bunches (1892-94) to today. Before the fight against the mafia was a peculiar aspect of the class struggle in Sicily; in the last years has been a form of civil engagement.
Three phases: 1) from the last decade of the XIX century to the 1950s (the peasant movement and the political parties of the Left); 2) period of transition in the 1960s and 1970s (small minorities: the role of Giuseppe Impastato, a son of Mafioso who broke with the father and became a militant of the antimafia movement, assassinated by the Mafia in 1978); 3) since the 1980s to today: demonstrations, associations, many activities after the murders and the massacres. Problems: continuity and project.
3.2. The antimafia movement in Italy. Since the 1980s there have been many activities in many regions of Italy, especially in the schools. In 1995 has been founded “Libera”, a national network of associations. In many Italian regions the antiracket associations have been constituted.
The most important points for a project: the activities in the schools, the antiracket associations, the social use of confiscated goods.
3.3. NGOs initiatives in Europe. Since five years some NGOs work together in the ENCODD (European NGO Council on Drugs and Development): an informal network which main aims are to increase European public awareness about the links between drugs and development. An example of international cooperation: the campaigne Coca ’95, organized by some European and Latin-American NGOs, to help the coca producers and against the narcotraffickers.
A proposal: a network of NGOs, local communities, Universities, schools, churches and other subjects using nonviolent methods, against Mafia and other forms of organized crime, for democracy, social justice and human rights. The struggle against Mafia like a part of a general project of renewal.
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Focus on the Facts: “F” is for Maryland
The institute’s Focus on the Facts No. 2 described Marylanders’ relatively low utilization of public schools, compared to other states.
And can you blame them? Regardless of all the educrat back-patting following the release last December of the most recent scores on the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) test, two recent, independent studies of education standards each give Maryland a failing grade.
In the Fordham Foundation’s study of state geography standards, Maryland ranked 34th out of 39 participating jurisdictions. In the same foundation’s examination of history standards, Maryland ranked 26th out of 38.
We can do no better than to quote directly from the reports themselves. Of the state’s geography standards, the foundation says, “Maryland receives an F with a score of 27. Maryland’s Social Studies Outcomes and Indicators are weak in geography content and skills. The High School Core Learning Goals, which present geography in the context of government, U.S. history and world history courses, are even weaker.”
As for history, the foundation is more caustic still:
“The Maryland standards are formulated at an exceedingly high level of generality, which, when not vacuous, call for the intellectual sophistication of a history professor. They are also doctrinaire – in a ‘big government’ direction…. The treatment of U.S. and world history is flimsy and superficial.”
Douglas P. Munro
Susan Munroe and Terry Smith, State Geography Standards: An Appraisal of Geography Standards in 38 States and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, February 1998)
David Warren Saxe, State History Standards: An Appraisal of History Standards in 37 States and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, February 1998).
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Cancer information / Cancer types / Bone / Prognosis and survival
American Cancer Society. (2016, January). Bone cancer.
Bauer HC. Osteosarcoma. Gospodarowicz, M. K., O'Sullivan, B., Sobin, L. H., et al. (Eds.). (2006). Prognostic Factors in Cancer. (3rd Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. 22: pp. 175-179.
Brierley JD, Gospodarowicz MK, Wittekind C (eds.). (2017). TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours. (8th Edition). Wiley Blackwell.
Gerrand C, Athanasou N, BrennanB, et al. UK guidelines for the management of bone sarcomas. (2016). Clinical Sarcoma Research. 6:7 DOI 10.1186/s13569-016-0047-1.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. (2016). NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Bone Cancer (Version 1.2017).
O'Donnell RJ, Dubois SC, Hass-Kogan DA. Sarcomas of bone. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA. (2015). Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. (10th Edition). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 91: 1292-1313.
Samuel LC. Bone and soft-tissue sarcoma. Yarbro CH, Wujcik D, Holmes Gobel B (eds.). (2016). Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice. (8th Edition). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. 46:1243-1277.
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Departments & Offices E-Z
Brian attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and received a degree in Civil Engineering in 1989. He started with the Contra Costa County Public Works Department in July 1989 as an Entry Level Engineering staff member in the Construction Division, serving as a Resident Engineer on many projects before rotating through every engineering division within the Department. Brian had the opportunity to serve one year as the first City Engineer for the City of Oakley when it incorporated in 1999. He promoted within the Department to a Deputy Public Works Director in 2007, Chief Deputy Public Works Director in 2016 and Public Works Director in 2018.
Brian has been active in CEAC and has served as the Chair or Vice Chair of Land Use Policy Committee of CEAC for the last 7 years. He is also active in APWA and is the current Northern California Chapter President. Brian believes that continuing education is important and he recently completed the CSAC Institute Credentialed California County Senior Executive Program.
Brian is an avid Bay Area sports fan, having rooted for the 49ers and Giants since he was a kid. He waited his whole life for the San Francisco Giants to win a World Series and never would have dreamed they would win 3 in 5 years! His hobbies include hunting, fishing, diving, hiking and camping. The last several years he has enjoyed fishing in the Sea of Cortez in Baja and Petersburg Alaska, among more local trips as well. Abalone diving has been a passion of his since he was nine years old and something he still enjoys today with his father.
Brian has two adult sons, Brandon and Brett, who make him very proud every day. He is recently engaged to an incredible fiancée and partner, Nicole. They enjoy traveling together and take weekend getaways whenever possible. Camping and hiking are two of their favorite things.
Stephen graduated from the University of California Davis with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering and received his Masters degree in Business Administration from California State University East Bay. He has been with the Contra Costa County Public Works Department since 1990 working with various Divisions including Transportation Engineering, Design and Construction, Environmental, Flood Control (including Watershed and Clean Water), Airports, Print & Mail, Capital Projects, Real Estate, and Information Technology. He also served as the Interim Program Manager for the SR4 Bypass Authority and the East Contra Costa County Fee and Financing Authority.
Currently Steve is Deputy Public Works Director in charge of the Transportation Engineering and Airports divisions of Public Works. Some of his recent achievements include developing and implementing a balanced scorecard performance measurement system for the Department, leading a process improvement effort to improve the project delivery process and leading the effort on the Department Strategic Plan.
Steve is active in the County Engineers Association of California (CEAC) and the American Public Works Association (APWA). He has served as the Regional Director for the Bay Area Regional Committee of CEAC and as Chair of the Scholarship Committee and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. He is also currently serving a 3-year term on the APWA Accreditation Council. He has made formal presentations on the Department's balanced scorecard performance measurement system at both the association's annual conferences. He has also taught a session of the APWA's Public Works Institute on the importance of community outreach and managing stress in the workplace. Steve played an active role in providing a local agency perspective in a statewide effort to develop California's Highway Safety Improvement Plan, the Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment, and served as the County's staff liaison for the Countywide Bicycle Advisory Committee.
On his own time Steve enjoys supporting his son's youth hockey travel team and is a HUGE San Jose Sharks fan.
Joe received a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He began his professional career with Contra Costa County Public Works Department in 1986 and he has worked in Transportation Engineering, Design, Construction, and Maintenance divisions. Joe currently oversees Design/Construction, Fleet Services, Custodial Services, Materials/Recycling and Print & Mail divisions. Joe's success comes from following his core beliefs and values to:
Do the right thing and be accountable.
Care about the people we work with and those we serve.
Try to make things a little better than you found it.
Balance work and life commitments.
Joe also gives back to the Department through our mentoring program. He believes there are more mistakes than can be made in a lifetime and mentoring allows him to share lessons he learned so others can avoid some of his mistakes and better plan their path to professional and personal success.
Joe is a Bay Area native born and raised in San Francisco. In his spare time, Joe enjoys tinkering and fixing/restoring broken items.
Carrie graduated from California State University Hayward with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and received a Master's degree in Public Administration from California State University East Bay. She started with the Public Works Department in 1996 as a student intern while attending college.
Carrie is a Deputy Director responsible for the Department's administrative and business programs including personnel, finance, purchasing and contracts, media relations, the accreditation program and records management. Carrie is involved in the Northern California Chapter of APWA which is an organization that promotes training and networking among public works professionals. She was Chapter President in 2011, co-chaired the Chapter's annual 2 day conference in 2012 and 2013 and presented at the 2015 and 2017 conferences. Carrie is involved with APWA National and serves as an accreditation evaluator for public works agencies going through the accreditation process.
Warren attended the University of California, Davis, and received a degree in Civil Engineering in 1998. He began his career with the Contra Costa County Public Works Department in May 1998 and has worked in various Divisions including, Transportation Engineering, Design/Construction, Engineering Services, and Environmental. He was promoted to Division Manager overseeing Engineering Services and Special Districts in 2010 prior to his promotion to Deputy in 2018. As Deputy he currently works with the Facilities, Capital Projects, Real Estate and Engineering Services divisions.
Warren is a member of the American Public Works Association (APWA) and believes in furthering the careers of all professionals in the public works industry. He has had an opportunity to speak at the APWA National and local Northern California conferences on a number of topics to assist others in career growth. Warren recently completed the CSAC Institute Credential California County Senior Executive program.
Warren and his wife enjoy traveling and experiencing the outdoors. One of Warren's favorite past times is fishing, including fly fishing for Sierra trout or Delta stripers, and hunting for trophy fish in the open waters of Alaska, Sea of Cortez and Gulf of Mexico.
Allison attended the University of California, Davis, and received a degree in Civil Engineering in 1994. She started with the Public Works Department in 1993 as a student intern in Transportation Engineering. After graduation, Allison began her engineering career working in the private sector. She has been an engineer for 25 years and has been with the Public Works Department for 21 years. Allison has worked in various Divisions including Flood Control, Design, Construction and Maintenance. Recently promoted to Deputy Director she now works with the Maintenance, Flood Control, Clean Water Program and Environmental Services divisions.
Allison’s philosophy (borrowed from Maya Angelou) is ”When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” At work, Allison enjoys working with newer staff through the mentoring program. Outside of work, Allison enjoys working in community programs enhancing the lives of women and children who experience homelessness.
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With: Francois Leterrier, Charles LeClainche, Maurice Beerblock
Written by: Robert Bresson, based on the account by Andre Devigny
Directed by: Robert Bresson
MPAA Rating: NR
Language: French with English subtitles
A Man Escaped (1956)
Bresson's Breakout
Not long ago, I wrote that Diary of a Country Priest (1950) was probably Robert Bresson's best-known film and it may be his masterpiece. Well, as with all great filmmakers, it's difficult to choose a single great film from their body of work. As it happened, shortly after I reviewed Diary of a Country Priest, I saw A Man Escape (Un Condamne a mort s'est echappe) (1956) and I liked it even more. It's so good that I submit that just about anyone -- even people who hate French films -- will love it. Anyone within earshot of my words should immediately put it at the top of their rental list.
There have been prison breakout movies before, from Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion (1937), to Jacques Becker's Le Trou (1960), to John Sturges' The Great Escape (1963), to Jonathan Demme's Caged Heat (1974), to Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and even the current Chicken Run, but none like this.
A Man Escaped is a prison film condensed. Bresson based his story on the real-life account of a French Lieutenant who escaped from a Gestapo prison in 1942. As with his later Pickpocket (1959) -- also a great film -- Bresson is more interested in the everyday details of the escape, and not the suspense. But the suspense arises naturally from the details.
Our lieutenant, Fontaine, played by Francois Leterrier (a philosophy student at The Sorbonne), narrates his thoughts and spends almost the entire running time in his cell. We never once see his captors. The only other humans we see are a few other cellmates at feeding time or washing time, and then only briefly. An older prisoner next door to the lieutenant lends some helpful advice by leaning out the window to talk. Late in the game, another prisoner arrives and is made to share the lieutenant's cell, throwing his plan off. These people are all almost incidental. They only matter insofar as they affect the lieutenant's state of mind.
At first, Fontaine learns how to communicate with other prisoners and the outside world. Then makes a tool out of his spoon and scrapes at the door, loosening one of the boards, so that he can get out of his cell and into the compound. But that doesn't help -- there's no way to make it outside. He then crafts a rope out of his bedding and grappling hooks out of the metal lamp frames in his cell. Bresson spends considerable time watching the lieutenant at work; we feel imprisoned, but we never feel cramped or bored. The reason for this is Bresson's use of offscreen sounds. We can hear the real world out there, so we know it still exists.
There's not much else to say except that the photography, by Leonce-Henry Burel, is more beautiful than it has a right to be, and the Mozart music is perfectly chosen. I don't want to give away the ending, because, unlike a Hollywood movie, the question of whether or not our lieutenant will make it could go either way.
A Man Escaped is one of world's great films.
DVD Details: New Yorker has finally released this masterpiece on DVD, and they've done a bang-up job. The black-and-white transfer is crisp with just a hint of film grain left for texture. The extras include a theatrical trailer, as well as trailers for Bresson's Lancelot du Lac -- also recently released on DVD -- and The Son, Taking Chances and The Stone Reader.
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Ascension & Holy Trinity offers study the Book of Job in Lent
e-Connections, Lent 2019
Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming, approaches study of the Book of Job in Lent (March, 2019) with several presentations, Bible study and book study. Book study will be held on Saturdays at 10 a.m. Bible study will be held on Sundays at 9 a.m. Other presentations will be offered with times listed below.
BIBLE STUDY
March 10-31 (Sundays at 9 a.m.)
Colleen Matthews, Group Leader
The heart of our series is spending time reading, meditating, praying, and discussing Scripture. Do join us for this weekly engagement with the Man from Uz! For the first session on March 10, please prepare by reading Job, chapters 1 & 2.
BOOK STUDY
March 9-30 (Saturdays at 10 a.m.)
Robyn Gibboney, Group Leader
At the Scent of Water: The Ground of Hope in the Book of Job, by J Gerald Janzen.
(Available at Amazon) Our Guest Theologian for this series draws on a lifetime of teaching, research, and personal experiences to assert that The Story of Job is indeed about hope: “the gracious, kindly, and unobtrusive presence and grace” of God.
“The Book of Job in Literature and the Arts” March 10, 11 a.m.
Ted Gibboney, Minister of Music
This presentation will use slides, recordings, and readers’ theater to suggest the wide scope and variety of ways that the Story of Job has been represented in the arts. Four examples from orchestral and organ music, cathedral sculpture and drama will be demonstrated in some detail to show that artists not only tell the story, they interpret it and reflect their own contexts.
“The Book of Job and the Parish Priest” March 17, 11 a.m.
Eric Miller, Rector
The power of Biblical stories is that they meet us in our daily living, reflect our personal joys and hardships, and serve to shed God’s grace on each of us. Pastor Eric shares his own journey, and the impact of this ancient story on his own ministry.
“Job the Impatient: From Sinner to Righteous Rebel in the Jewish Tradition”. March 24, 11 a.m.
Jason Kalman, Guest Lecturer
Jason Kalman is Professor of Classical Hebrew Literature and Interpretation at the Cincinnati School of HUC-JIR. He received his Ph.D. in 2005 from the Department of Jewish Studies at McGill University and is a research fellow affiliated with the University of the Free State, South Africa. He also holds a degree in education and MA from McGill. He specializes in the history of Jewish biblical exegesis and his specific research interests include Dead Sea Scrolls reception history, rabbinic anti-Christian polemic, medieval intellectual history as reflected in biblical commentary, and biblical interpretation after the Holocaust. http://huc.academia.edu/JasonKalman
“Thanks for Your Input: The Role of the ‘Friends’ in the Book of Job” March 31, 11 a.m.
John Brolley, Guest Lecturer
John Brolley is fortunate and delighted to be UC’s director of undergraduate studies for Judaic Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Liberal Arts. He typically teaches courses on biblical studies, creation myth, angelology, demonology, and historical Jesus studies, and also coordinates undergraduate certificates in religious studies and biblical studies. This March he will be presenting a paper entitled Pontius Pilate: A Case Study in Interdisciplinary Approaches to Biblical Studiesat the 2019 International Conference on Social Science, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies in scenic Houston, Texas. He lives across the big water in Erlanger, Kentucky with amazing wife Teresa, awesome kids Maria and Ian (though Ian technically lives in Clifton these days), and wonderful dogs Charlie and Lulu.
“God’s Rule: By Fear or by Trust?” April 7 , 9 a.m.
Key passages: Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-6; 4:17-19, 15:14-16, 25:2-6.
J. Gerald Janzen, Guest Lecturer.
J. Gerald Janzenis MacAllister-Pettigrew Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Janzen is a native of western Canada, a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan(B.A.Hons.), Emmanuel College, Saskatoon (Licentiate in Theology), and Harvard University (Ph.D.). A priest in the Anglican Church of Canada, he is on extended leave from the Diocese of Saskatoon. He taught Old Testament at Emmanuel College, 1965-1968; and at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, 1968-2000 as MacAllister-Pettigrew Professor of Old Testament. He has published numerous essays in academic journals, and commentaries for clergy and laity on Genesis, Exodus and the Book of Job. His most recent books are At the Scent of Water: The Ground of Hope in the Book of Job (2009), and When Prayer Takes Place: Forays into a Biblical World(2112). He and his wife Eileen have two children and two grandchildren.
“Job’s Storyteller: The Character We Forget to Notice.” April 7, 11 a.m.
Marti Steussy, Guest Lecturer
Marti Steussy is MacAllister-Petticrew Professor of Biblical Interpretation, emerita, at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, where she continues to teach on a part-time basis. Her primary expertise is in Hebrew Bible, but she also teaches in the areas of spirituality, theology, and religion and science. She is an ordained Disciples minister and maintains an active speaking and teaching schedule in congregations and larger church gatherings, Disciple and otherwise. From childhood she has been fascinated by storytelling, and she is particularly interested in the dynamics of biblical narrative. She has been keynote speaker at Network of Biblical Storytellers festivals in the US and Canada, offers regular workshops at the Network’s national gathering, serves on its Board, and is a founding member of and regular program planner for the Network’s Seminar. In addition to her five books in the field of biblical studies, she has published two science fiction novels. She loves to walk and has hiked the Camino de Santiago and parts of Japan’s Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail, not to mention a couple of hundred miles a month on the sidewalks of Indianapolis. She also enjoys baking bread, splitting wood, and exchanging recipe ideas and cute cat pictures with her husband Nic and adult children David and Cally.
Job, for Organ, music by Petr Eben April 7, 4 p.m.
(To be presented in the Church) Gerald Janzen, Theological Introduction; Marti Steussy, Biblical Storyteller; Ted Gibboney, Organist
The ancient story of Job probes the nature of God and human existence, expressing both its pathos and hope. Come and experience the story in a new way through the direction of a gifted theologian, the drama of an expressive storyteller, and the color and imagination of a twentieth-century organ composer. Child care provided Please call the church office at 513.821.5341 for more information.
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Public policy news alerts for July 9, 2018
Rural churches can thrive beyond numbers
The Diocese of Southern Ohio
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Hot Tomatoes: Eating to control blood pressure
By: Avery Hurt
Tomatoes, with their wealth of antioxidants and potassium, may help control blood pressure.
The tomato, long beloved for its juiciness and rich flavor, is quietly earning a place in disease prevention. Beyond its celebrated role in warding off prostate cancer, the garden favorite can now add mild hypertension to the list.
The news comes from a recent study at Ben Gurion University in Israel where for 16 weeks investigators measured the effects of daily tomato extract supplements on 31 volunteers with mild hypertension. The extract reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number) by an average of 10 points and diastolic (the bottom number) by an average of four points, a significant decrease, according to the researchers.
More studies are needed to determine whether results could be sustained for a long period of time, but the tomato extract is particularly appealing because, unlike some medications for hypertension, it has no side effects. The researchers suggest that it may be the tomato’s antioxidants, including lycopene, beta carotene and vitamin E, that cause the benefits. Potassium, also found in tomatoes, has been associated with improved blood pressure as well. According to Thomas D. Giles, M.D., president of the American Society of Hypertension, “Artery walls are subject to oxidative stress—we are all rusting away. Anything with antioxidants may be helpful.”
Lyc-O-Mato capsules are available in health-food stores, but a half-cup serving of tomato sauce contains a similar dose of antioxidants. Commercial tomato sauces can be high in sodium, though, a problem for anyone with hypertension. Giles suggests choosing low-sodium products (with 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving) or making homemade sauce from “good fresh tomatoes.”
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The true price of priceless treasures
Posted at 8:38 pm in British Museum
Institutions such as the British Museum often refuse to put a monetary value on much of their collection, instead classifying it as priceless. Sometimes this is the case, even though the item was originally bought for a price – so a current fair price ought to be possible to assess. This lack of a clear idea of an items worth is often a stumbling block in negotiations for the return of an artefact, where some form of compensation may be required. Certainly, many of these artefacts may be impossible to replace if they were lost – but at the same time, there are few tangible objects in the real world that can not have some financial value attached to them.
New regulations coming in are likely to make it harder for institutions to avoid valuations of their collections.
Balance sheet reprieve for cultural gems
Mario Christodoulou, Accountancy Age, 25 Jun 2009
ASB releases new guidelines which encourage museums, galleries and other cultural institutions to place their collections on their books in a bid to increase transparency
The days when museums and galleries could leave their most precious items off their balance sheets are not quite over yet, according to new standards aimed at increasing the transparency surrounding heritage assets.
The Accounting Standards Board last week released new guidelines which encourage, but do not force, museums, galleries and other cultural institutions to place their collections on their books.
The board decided not to compel cultural institutions to undertake exhaustive valuations of their collections, believing the process to be expensive, time consuming and simply unrealistic. However, the new rules do require ongoing maintenance and stewardship costs to be included on financial books, in an attempt to increase transparency.
The new rules try to tackle the thorny issue of valuing what are generally considered ‘priceless’ artifacts and vast collections. The British Museum alone has about seven million artifacts with some collections taking up to ten years simply to catalogue, along with unique international draws such as the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.
The prevailing accounting wisdom was simply to leave such assets off the balance sheet but the ASB launched a program in 2006 aimed at changing this culture.
The new rules were announced as Greece used the opening of its Acropolis Museum in Athens to repeat its call for the Elgin Marbles to be returned. Museum director Dimitris Pantermalis said the museum’s opening provided an opportunity to correct ‘an act of barbarism’.
There is some historic precedent for valuing cultural assets. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, which this week attracted 35,000 campers to the prehistoric site to experience the summer solstice, was valued and sold for £6,000 in 1915, shortly before being bequeathed to the public.
ASB project director Alan O’Connor said the new rules were no silver bullet but nevertheless represented a step in the right direction and were aimed at changing a culture which has seen large historic and artistic collections being unaccounted for on balance sheets.
‘The main difference is the new disclosure rules which will provide much more information on an entities holding of heritage assets,’ he said. ‘There are two problems really the technical difficulty in obtaining a valuation, because these assets are unique and there is no established market, and the second issue is cost…the cost of getting the valuation and the resources that would need to be put into it.’
ASB chairman, Ian Mackintosh, said he hoped the new reporting standard would lead to better financial management in the arts’ sector. ‘A museum’s collections and exhibits are its greatest assets, yet under the current accounting practice many museums and galleries publish accounts that do not adequately reflect the collections that they exist to safeguard and preserve,’ he said.
What is the value of Britain’s heritage : January 28, 2007
British Museum to take charge of administering Treasure Act : March 25, 2007
Insurance cover for restitution claims? : August 12, 2006
Change in the law regarding human remains in Britain’s Museums : October 8, 2005
Australia to return artefacts to British Museum : May 26, 2005
US Museums bring in stricter antiquity acquisition guidelines : June 4, 2008
Should we safeguard our own heritage before hanging on to that of other countries? : January 31, 2012
British government asks for opinions on returning Nazi loot : July 12, 2006
Tags: Accounting, British Museum, Economics, Financial Director
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EMJMD ACES Consortium rmcki 2018-10-02T14:34:31+00:00
EMJMD ACES+ Consortium
EMJMD ACES+ PARTNERS
Scottish Association for Marine Science & the University of the Highlands and Islands (SAMS-UHI)
SAMS-UHI is a partner of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in AquaCulture, Environment and Society +(EMJMD ACES+). It delivers marine research and education aimed at improving our understanding of the sustainable use of our marine environment. Established in 1998, it is a learned society that is among the oldest oceanographic organisations in the world.
We are an international marine research institute working on multi-disciplinary research themes that investigate marine renewable energy, Arctic seas, dynamic ocean processes, and marine robotics and technologies. We also provide a multitude of services to business through our consultancy subsidiary company, SAMS Research Services Ltd. We provide innovative higher education degrees and short training courses. To deliver our research and education activities we are supported by outstanding research-grade facilities, capabilities and infrastructure. During your time at SAMS-UHI you will find out more about our research activities, and we hope you will be as excited about what we do as we are!
SAMS-UHI has specialised in the environmental impacts of aquaculture for over 25 years. We have particular interests in cold water marine environments, new innovative technologies and systems to reduce this impact and coastal policy integrating natural, socio-economic sciences to implement an ecosystem approach to the planning and management of coastal environments. All senior staff members have considerable experience in influencing policy at European and international level. SAMS-UHI has also recently gained Associate Institute Status of the United Nations University and is the only institute out of 13 focusing on marine issues. This places us in a unique position to influence industry and stakeholders at a global level and provide marine-related policy advice to the UNU and other international organisations.
University of Crete, Greece
The University of Crete (UoC) is the co-ordinator of the EMJMD ACES+ and you will spend the second semester in Year 1 based at this University. The UoC has many years’ experience in supporting international students with their studies.
The UoC was established in 1973 and accepted its first students in 1977-78. It now has 16 Departments in five Schools (Philosophy, Education, Social Sciences, Sciences & Engineering, and Medicine) as well as a number of affiliated research-oriented institutions, including the Skinakas Observatory, the Natural History Museum, and the University General Hospital. Currently, over 16,000 undergraduates and 2500 postgraduate students are registered at the University. They are educated by an outward looking academic faculty of around 500 members, supported by adjunct lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, laboratory support staff and instructors, as well as around 300 technical and administrative support staff.
The international orientation of the University is reflected in its track record of collaborations with many of the leading research and educational institutions in Europe and worldwide as well as active promotion of mobility and exchange programmes.
During your time at the University of Crete, you will be based at the Department of Biology and you will work closely with a range of aquaculture organisations including the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture which is based at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR). The HCMR and a range of other aquaculture based organisations host internships for ACES+ students during Semester 2. We fully encourage you to engage with staff and researchers at the HCMR. The Biology Department is a centre of excellence focusing on fish physiology, endocrinology, behaviour, welfare, fish and product quality, as well as aquaculture-environmental interactions of Mediterranean marine species. Many of the key staff involved in the delivery of the programme have international reputations in aquaculture-related topics and also considerable experience in coordinating Erasmus placements in industry.
University of Nantes, France
The University of Nantes (UoN) is a partner of the EMJMD ACES+ specialising in shellfish biology. You will spend the first semester of Year 2 at this University. The UoN has over 45,200 students and 1,560 professor and researchers, catering for a wide range of research interests and topics.
You will be based in the Faculty of Sciences at the University (Faculty of Sciences), which has strong research links with the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER). Researchers in this faculty are internationally recognised for research focusing on shellfish biology, and physiology and coastal zone management issues related to shellfish aquaculture. Key staff have considerable international experience in shellfish-related topics, postgraduate teaching and supervision (Laboratoire Mer Molecules Sante MMS). Again, we fully encourage you to not only work hard but to explore the city and take part in the social activities organised by the University during your stay.
University of Radboud
Radboud University Nijmegen has an international reputation for research and teaching on stress and welfare of aquaculture species, the effects of fish feed on bone formation and the welfare of fish in recirculating aquaculture systems. The University has considerable experience in research and teaching collaborations through Erasmus exchange programmes with Norway, Crete, Spain and France. Key members of staff also have wide ranging experience in influencing policy at European and international level. Staff at the University will be available to deliver guest lectures and seminars during semesters 1, 2 and 3 of the EMJMD ACES+ and will also be happy to host research dissertation projects during the fourth semester of the course.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT ACADEMIC STAFF TEACHING THE COURSE
The programme also has two Associate Partners, which both bring many benefits to the course:
United Nations University – The UNU IN-WEH programme will provide guest lecturers and project supervisors, bringing to the group well-established connections with partner and third country institutions throughout the UNU network. These connections will enable the course to be promoted world-wide as well as bringing highly innovative teaching and expertise to the programme based on issues that impact on these regions.
Huinay Scientific Field Station (HSFS), Chile is the only scientific field station in the vast Chilean Patagonia. It has direct access and strong collaborative links with the aquaculture industry in the region. This field station will host an optional 10 day field trip for the EM JMD ACES students, including field visits to finfish, shellfish and macroalgal production sites. Throughout the trip, networking events will also be provided.*
*Please note that the costs of this fieldtrip are in addition to the course fees and need to be met by the student.
“This proposed initiative is quite timely and spans UNU-INWEH’s research priorities around food security and integrated coastal management. It is particularly of interest because it covers a wide spectrum of stakeholders ranging from the research community down to the growers.”
Dr Z. Adeel, Director, UNU-INWEH
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Gov’t Mule Reveal Live Video For ‘Life Before Insanity’
Published on 15th May 2019 in News by Sam Holt
Rock titans Gov’t Mule have released “Life Before Insanity,” the first cut from their forthcoming live album and film package, Bring On The Music – Live at The Capitol Theatre out June 28th
The film, directed by renowned music photographer and director Danny Clinch (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Phish) in a 9-camera shoot, was captured during two special nights at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, on April 27th and 28th, 2018.
Led by the rich, honeyed vocals of Gov’t Mule front man GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, producer, and revered guitaristWarren Haynes, “Life Before Insanity” showcases the band’s jam-packed live spectacle and master musicianship through a cinematic lens that is sure to thrill fans. Haynes shares, “I’m happy we included the song “Life Before Insanity,” the title track of our third record, as it is a good representation of that era of the band. The fans will enjoy it as it hadn’t been performed in quite a while and we just recently started playing it again.”
PRESS HERE to pre-order the live album/film package and receive an instant download of the live rendition of “Life Before Insanity,” a song that first debuted as the title track to Gov’t Mule’s 2000 studio album. This is the first time that Gov’t Mule’s updated stage set and production have been filmed, bringing the excitement and spectacle of a Gov’t Mule show directly into fans’ homes. The release will be available in a variety of configurations: a 2 CD/2 DVD deluxe package (the CD and DVD feature entirely different track lists and includes bonus videos of “Soulshine” and “Traveling Tune”), two separate double-vinyl packages, digital, Blu-ray and a 2-CD package (featuring audio from the film). Check out the first interview about the release with Warren Haynesvia Rolling Stone.
The title, Bring On The Music, taken from Gov’t Mule’s song of the same name that touches upon the passing of time and appreciating life’s journey, is a nod to the band’s treasured relationship with their fans. The Capitol Theatre has been the backdrop of many unforgettable shows for the band and is one of Gov’t Mule’s favorite venues to play. Inviting longtime Mule photographer and friend Danny Clinch to direct the film was also something of a destined choice, as Clinch’s relationship with GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, producer, and revered guitarist Warren Haynes pre-dates the band’s formation. A wide-ranging song selection from Gov’t Mule’s acclaimed catalog is featured on the releases.
Gov’t Mule will travel across the pond for their UK/European run which kicks off on May 27th in Glasgow before returning for the US leg of their summer tour on June 21st in Cincinnati, OH. Please visit www.mule.net for all ticketing details. Gov’t Mule will also headline Mountain Jam with a double-header performance on June 14th and 15th at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Warren Haynes will return as co-presenter of the festival for its 15th year.
Tags: Bring on the MusicDVD releaseGov't MuleLife Before Insanity
Gov’t Mule Reveal Live Video for ‘Mr. Man’
Gov’t Mule have revealed the video for Mr. Man taken from their forthcoming live album and film package.
Posted on 3rd May 2019
Gov’t Mule Announce New Album ‘Bring On The Music – Live At The Capitol Theatre’
Rock titans Gov’t Mule have announced the release of Bring On The Music – Live at
Gov’t Mule May-June 2019 European Tour
Gov’t Mule will be returning to Europe in May for a run of 11 show as
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Gov’t Mule have revealed the video for Mr. Man taken from their
Rock titans Gov’t Mule have announced the release of Bring
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Home > Laws > 2018 Florida Statutes > Title XIV > Chapter 196 > Section 24
Title XIV TAXATION AND FINANCE
Chapter 196 EXEMPTION Entire Chapter
Exemption for disabled ex-servicemember or surviving spouse; evidence of disability.
196.24 Exemption for disabled ex-servicemember or surviving spouse; evidence of disability.—
(1) Any ex-servicemember, as defined in s. 196.012, who is a bona fide resident of the state, who was discharged under honorable conditions, and who has been disabled to a degree of 10 percent or more by misfortune or while serving during a period of wartime service as defined in s. 1.01(14) is entitled to the exemption from taxation provided for in s. 3(b), Art. VII of the State Constitution as provided in this section. Property to the value of $5,000 of such a person is exempt from taxation. The production by him or her of a certificate of disability from the United States Government or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor before the property appraiser of the county wherein the ex-servicemember’s property lies is prima facie evidence of the fact that he or she is entitled to the exemption. The unremarried surviving spouse of such a disabled ex-servicemember is also entitled to the exemption.
(2) An applicant for the exemption under this section may apply for the exemption before receiving the necessary documentation from the United States Government or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor. Upon receipt of the documentation, the exemption shall be granted as of the date of the original application, and the excess taxes paid shall be refunded. Any refund of excess taxes paid shall be limited to those paid during the 4-year period of limitation set forth in s. 197.182(1)(e).
History.—s. 1, ch. 16298, 1933; CGL 1936 Supp. 897(1); s. 2, ch. 67-457; ss. 1, 2, ch. 69-55; s. 16, ch. 69-216; s. 1, ch. 77-102; s. 8, ch. 84-114; s. 5, ch. 93-268; s. 1000, ch. 95-147; s. 31, ch. 95-280; s. 1, ch. 2002-271; s. 2, ch. 2005-42; s. 28, ch. 2012-193; s. 16, ch. 2018-118.
Note.—Former s. 192.11.
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Michelle Wright talks 'Impact Award,' new songs and technology Special
By Markos Papadatos Aug 24, 2018 in Music
Canadian country star Michelle Wright chatted with Digital Journal about her two new songs "Lovin' This Day" and "Attitude Is Everything," which will be released on August 31.
On her two new songs, Wright said, "That is always a unique challenge. They come in different ways and different fashions. I was busy writing and listening to different songs. I just fell in love with them. These songs helped me add a few more chops to my vocal toolbox. I am pleased with how it sounds, and that's the best place I can imagine being right now."
Wright noted that the song "Lovin' This Day" was pitched to her about 15 years ago. "I absolutely loved the song, but it wasn't right for the format at the time," she admitted. "You are always trying to record singles that work on radio. I always loved the song and I am so thrilled that I finally got to record it."
These two songs will be released on August 31, while Wright continues to work on more music. "That is what I like about this process. Before you would have to wait until the entire album is done, but now, I can introduce a few new songs in my shows," she said.
This past May, it was announced that Wright would receive the 2018 Impact Award by the Country Music Association of Ontario sponsored by Canadian Music Week. "That was a delight. It is a relatively new award in our award show in Ontario," she said. "Every province in Canada has an award show like that. Previous recipients of this prestigious Impact Award were Blue Rodeo and Gordon Lightfoot. I don't mind being in the company of that Canadian lineage."
Digital transformation of the music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, Wright said, "There are pros and cons to a lot of these changes that have been going on. I simply embrace technology, and the best part of it is that you can make your music available immediately. That to me is really cool. Being able to perform a song on stage and then telling people that they can download it or stream it on iTunes or Spotify. That is really wonderful."
Wright continued, "Economically, it might not be as abundant as it used to be. It's an interesting conversation. For me, I am so thankful that I came up at the time that I did. I am thrilled that I get to be a part of what is going on now. I went from album to cassette to CD to downloading and streaming. It is just amazing. I consider myself an incredibly fortunate artist."
To learn more about Canadian country sensation Michelle Wright and her music, check out her official website, and Facebook page.
More about michelle wright, Canadian, Country, Technology, Songs
michelle wright Canadian Country Technology Songs
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Who Are the Oath Keepers?
I've been hearing about this group for a number of years now.
It was interesting to see how Police Magazine handled the topic and I think they did a good job.
If they practice what they preach, I'm all for them.
This article garnered a lot of comments - which I always recommend reading, especially paying attention to the kind of attitudes shared by the gun toting, badge wielders you are likely to interact with.
http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2013/04/who-are-the-oath-keepers.aspx
Painted as radicals and racists by some, this organization of law enforcement officers and military vets says its only purpose is to uphold the Constitution.
April 04, 2013 | by Dean Scoville
Photo by Vince Taroc.
It started with Katrina. The sight of U.S. military troops, law enforcement officers, and armed government contractors seizing firearms from citizens in the aftermath of that terrible storm shocked the conscience of Yale constitutional law scholar Stewart Rhodes. That these actions were later recognized as wrong by the U.S. Supreme Court did little to assuage Rhodes' concerns. The fact remained that an illegal precedent had taken place, and could well occur again; indeed, it appeared that that the seeds sown in Louisiana might not only take root, but germinate elsewhere, as well.
After witnessing what he saw as an unconstitutional outrage in the wake of Katrina, Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers, an organization for peace officers and soldiers who adhere strictly to the letter of the Constitution and swear not to obey any orders that they believe to be unconstitutional.
The Oath Keepers are essentially a reflection of American political thought in the 21st century. How they are perceived is determined by the ideological bent of the beholder. Lionized by some leading conservatives and libertarians, they have been attacked from the left as radical patriots, tea partyers, birthers, 9/11 truthers, nativists, and racists. The Southern Poverty Law Center has even mentioned them in the same reports that analyze hate groups and white supremacy movements.
Oath Keeper founder and president Rhodes says his organization merely stands for a strict interpretation of the Bill of Rights, which service members and law enforcement officers swear to uphold. He also believes one of the primary purposes for his organization is to educate officers and military personnel about the laws they've promised to defend.
Rhodes' perspective is that the officers' actions after Katrina and other unconstitutional excesses by officers are a matter of ignorance at work. Whether it is institutionalized or willed ignorance is immaterial, he says.
"An honorable man who is doing his very best necessarily becomes knowledgeable," Rhodes observes. "Because if you don't know what's right or wrong, you can be an honest person with great integrity and courage and still do the wrong thing."
According to Rhodes, the Oath Keepers' mission is simply to get back to basics—to ensure that at least part of the country's constituency knows and understands the Constitution and its ideological underpinnings to a sufficient degree that they refrain from violating its tenets out of ignorance, apathy, or fear of political reprisal.
"It's not about finding like-minded officers," says the former Yale history instructor and public defender. "It's about creating people who are knowledgeable about the Constitution. What we're trying to do is cure the dumbing down Americans have gotten from the schools. They're not taught history and they're not taught the Constitution. I can't tell you how many times I've talked to rank and file military officers who haven't read the Constitution. Police officers, too. Have they read the Federalist Papers? The writings of the Founders? It's very rare. That's what we're trying to do: Simply show the intentional ignorance of the American population."
Rhodes—whose 2004 Yale Law School paper, "Solving the Puzzle of Enemy Combatant Status," won the school's award for best paper on the Bill of Rights—says the root of the problem lies within our country's basic curricula. But he also believes there is a silver lining to be found in addressing this deficiency: It's easier when the person reading the Bill of Rights isn't approaching it with notions instilled in them by revisionists.
Tip of the Spear
Rhodes, a disabled Army paratrooper, determined very quickly that he wanted his grassroots organization to work with the men and women serving in the trenches of law enforcement and the military. "We focus on the guys at the tip of the spear, the ones who will be giving the orders," Rhodes says. "The big concern we have is if we have a legion of oath breakers and traitors in Washington, D.C., who have utter contempt for the Constitution then all they care about is power. They just do whatever they think they can get away with."
Rhodes quickly gained the attention of like-minded officers. "In late 2008 I heard on the Internet about the group forming, so I e-mailed Stewart to get more information," says Oath Keeper board member and law enforcement officer John Shirley. "Shortly after that, I had a conference call with him and some other founding members and discovered the group was exactly the kind of organization I had felt was needed for several years."
Shirley got involved and was soon asked to serve as the Texas Chapter's vice president. Less than a year after joining the organization, Shirley addressed a 5,000-member strong Tea Party rally in San Antonio with a speech that was to become a model for future Oath Keepers calls to arms. By July 2010, Shirley was appointed Texas Chapter President and later National Peace Officer Liaison, and he now serves on the organization's board of directors.
Patriot Movement
Since the birth of the organization, Oath Keepers' members have found themselves subject to all manner of suspicion and labeling, and repeated criticism by the anti-Klan Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which cites the Oath Keepers as "a particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival." Responding to the SPLC report on the Lou Dobbs radio show, Rhodes said, "They think the word 'patriot' is a smear."
The intent of the SPLC and other critics like the Anti-Defamation League is to characterize the Oath Keepers as a bunch of Timothy McVeigh wannabes. And unfortunately for those who defend the group, there are some fringe elements that are not so much pro-Bill of Rights as anti-government. One Oath Keeper, a former naval officer, actually participated in a plot to take over a Tennessee courthouse to free a man who was arrested for trying to enforce a citizen's arrest on a judicial official who refused to investigate President Barack Obama's citizenship. There are also elements in the group's "Declaration of Orders We Will Not Obey" that smack to some of black helicopter globalist paranoia. Rhodes says the list doesn't mean the Oath Keepers believe all of these actions are imminent, merely that they will refuse to participate in them should they happen.
Perhaps the criticism that makes Rhodes bristle most is any insinuation that Oath Keepers promote white supremacy. Opining on the Oath Keepers, a visitor to the SPLC Website asserted that its members are "nothing but the Ku Klux Klan with a new name and without the silly robes and pointed caps." Oath Keepers refutes such charges formally as evidenced by its bylaws and informally by the demographic of its membership. Rhodes himself says he is one-quarter Mexican and part Apache.
Rhodes also laments that Oath Keepers has borne the brunt of attacks from Democrats simply because that party currently occupies the White House. "That is the unfortunate reality of our political system," he notes. "When your party is in political power and anybody criticizes them, you attack." The mission of Oath Keepers crosses political boundaries, he says. "I support the Constitution. I don't like oath breakers, whether they're Republicans or Democrats."
While the organization's stance on the Second Amendment has garnered the lion's share of media-related attention revolving around the Oath Keepers, it is another amendment that looms ever larger as a barrier against the organization communicating its message.
Many active law enforcement officers find their First Amendment rights cramped by their employing agencies. In some cases, such suppression is due to strict departmental regulations barring officers from voicing personal opinions about law enforcement in public forums, whether printed in newspapers and magazines or posted online in social media. In other cases, the lack of a clear policy may lead officers to err on the side of self-suppression. In either instance, many officers are fearful to stand up and openly voice their opinions.
Because of the restrictive policies of many law enforcement agencies, Shirley finds it difficult to believe that "there are officers out there who are working the streets, fighting crime, protecting the public who, when they hang up the uniform at night, can't exercise their basic rights under the First Amendment."
As an active duty police officer with the Houston Police Department, Shirley clearly and repeatedly states that when he advocates for Oath Keepers, he does so as a private citizen and not as a representative of his department. In doing so, he is careful to act within the department's policy.
In Shirley's estimation, "Just because you wear a badge doesn't mean you surrender your First Amendment rights. I look at it like departments should not try to squash the First Amendment rights of their officers and step all over the fact that because they happen to carry a badge doesn't mean you hang up your constitutional rights so you retire. That's a very unethical and a very dangerous place to go for an agency."
Eroding Rights
In recent months, the Oath Keepers have argued against what they say are new and alarming overtures by the Obama administration. While the need for greater intelligence sharing between law enforcement and military parties is a legitimate one, the melding of their responsibilities through interventionary operations relating to homeland security and narcotic investigations further elevates Rhodes' concerns.
High on the Oath Keepers' list of concerns is Eric Holder's stumping for the usage of drones on domestic targets and the drumbeat for gun confiscation among some liberal political camps.
"They don't understand that they are putting police officers on a collision course with veterans and gun owners in their communities," notes Shirley. "The Oath Keepers' message for both sides is to not to bleed for corrupt politicians. That means that police officers have to refuse to use force."
The Oath Keepers believe that what they see as the transgressions against the Constitution committed under both Bush's and Obama's watch will encourage Americans to educate themselves as to the true breadth of their rights and to re-examine their society.
"Educate yourself," advises Shirley. "The main impetus of the education you got in whatever police academy you've been through has been liability control for whatever agency you work for. Educate yourself on the Constitution. Educate yourself on the founders. Educate yourself on what is expected of you on the street vs. what the Constitution says. If you apply what the Constitution says, you're not going to get crossways with the people or in most cases your department. It's errant policies and errant oath breakers and politicians who are going to push you to do things that you've never done before. Trust your gut and educate yourself on what you really swore to that day you held your hand up and swore an oath. Be prepared to stand up for what you believe in and what you swore an oath to."
Rhodes and Shirley are reaching out to active law enforcement officers to help spread the word and renew their oaths to uphold the ideals within the Constitution.
"One guy at the right place at the right time can make all the difference for an entire unit," says Rhodes. "It's nice to have police officers use their quiet discretion and make it known within their communities that they are on your side. But it's also critically important for the tip of the iceberg to be there too. There are very vocal and very public peace officers who step up and risk their careers like John [Shirley] is doing to say there are people among us who understand the Constitution and will not do this."
In the meantime, Rhodes sees the organization as a means of preventing confrontations and de-escalating situations both through finding common ground with less predictable sources and mitigating the prospects for needlessly precipitous actions by law enforcement administrators.
"It helps the people feel more secure," explains Rhodes. "Because what other securities do they have? If they can't rely on the politicians to not trample on their rights in the first place, and they can't rely on the judges to fix it, they have to have some reliance that the police officers are not going to do it."
10 Orders Oath Keepers Swear to Disobey
We will not obey any order to disarm the American people.
We will not obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects—such as warrantless house-to-house searches for weapons or persons.
We will not obey any order to detain American citizens as "unlawful enemy combatants" or to subject them to trial by military tribunals.
We will not obey orders to impose martial law or a "state of emergency" on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state's legislature and governor.
We will not obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.
We will not obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.
We will not obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.
We will not obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to "keep the peace" or to "maintain control" during any emergency, or under any other pretext. We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an invasion and an act of war.
We will not obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any emergency pretext.
We will not obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.
Ima Leprechaun @ 4/4/2013 2:11 AM
If you are going to swear an oath to your State Constitution and the U.S. Consitution you must first read the entire U.S. Constitution from the Preamble through the Articles and all the Amendments. The US Constitution keeps with the "reasonable man" principle meaning that if your conduct is legal and reasonable then the Constitution will back you up. But if you never bother to read it, then how do you know what it says and how can you swear an oath to it? So read the entire U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights for yourself and never take the word of a lobbyist like the NRA as to what they think it says because they are completely wrong. Read it for yourself and follow all of the U.S. Constitution not just the parts you agree with. Any illegal orders given by a supervisor you are not required to follow by law. All legal orders must be obeyed whether you agree with them or not but only by reading the entire U. S. CONSTITUTION will you know the difference between an illegal or legal order. Order number 1 in the list above is an illegal order because it is so vague. Order number 10 is also too vague since many protests become violent quickly and have to be monitored to keep the peace for everyone. To blindly obey any list is to enlist disaster. Read the Constitution for yourself because that is your standard bearer that you took an oath to protect and defend.
Jon @ 4/4/2013 4:17 AM
Ima Leprechaun is really a troll. He needs to go read the Constitution himself - after he learns English well enough to understand it. Until then, go back and hide under your bridge like a good little troll...
Hefe @ 4/4/2013 6:42 AM
Ima Leprechaun is totally wrong. The NRA characterizes the Second Amendment in much the same way as a majority of US Supreme Court justices do, and consistent with recent SCOTUS opinions on the subject. NRA has always held these beliefs, borne of deep study of the historical facts. The Left insists on ignoring inconvenient facts and trying to rewrite history. Thank God it isn't working. Leprechausn is EXACTLY the kind of nascent traitor the Oath Keepers are concerned about--a power-loving thug with a gun, badge and radio system. It was the same in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and we MUST prevent America from getting to that point politically.
Raymond Shurtz @ 4/4/2013 10:48 AM
I learned a lot reading this article! Thanks again, Dean, for a well rendered, very literate article. Although I've read the Constitution, The Bill of Rights, etc, and did study it in High School, I didn't memorize them as I don't think most people have. I think there are jobs, like in law enforcement, where it would be advantageous to be very familiar with the both documents, I think the majority of the American people do still trust, (somewhat) that the country is not suddenly going to run amok with peoples' guns being confiscated and that cities will suddenly be blockaded--I just choose not to believe that way. I think part of the problem lies (as it does with religion) as to the interpretation of said documents. I remember in my college theology class, we were taught the principles of interpretation as the literal, the symbolic, and the mystical. I suppose the 'mystical' is interpreted as such by the Supreme Court, and I will allow them to do this for me. I'll stop here, keep it simple, just want to state that there are some mystics out there, who choose not to interpret hell as a hot place of eternal suffering that smells exactly like sulpher, and that perhaps, doctrine can be interpreted as to suit and fit the time in which we live. As for Hefe, I could say the exact same thing in regard to the 'right' and the rewriting of history. As always, there is your version of what happened, my version of what happened, and the truth, and the truth considers as much to left as it does to the right. Great article, Dean, except I don't see much allowance for 'freedom of speech' here, without once again name calling and self-righteousness, which doesn't move anything forward. Just one mans's opinion. Traitor? I don't thinks so...
Anonymous @ 4/4/2013 10:13 PM
Ima Leprachaun is a good example of what a lot of normal citizens like myself think of cops and why we fear them. He hates the NRA because he hates the idea of normal citizens having the right to bear arms and the ability to defend themselves. Thank God for the Oath Keepers and I hope that they continue to grow.
Ima Leprechaun @ 4/5/2013 5:03 PM
Define "normal". Jeffery Dalhmer may not see what you consider to be normal based upon your ideal of the word or perhaps he would. I don't hate the NRA actually I have no interest in the NRA, I just want Law Enforcement Officers to actually read the State and Federal Constitution that they swore an oath to protect and defend, why is that so hard? Normal seems so subjective to me. But I do know there are quite a few bloggers here that are not really in Law Enforcement.
Jess Bernstein @ 4/7/2013 4:38 PM
Support your local sheriff who remains true to their constitutional oaths. Here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we have a great one in Sheriff Clark. We also have a lousy police chief for the city of Milwaukee, who violates citizens rights concerning open carry. Support Good police who don't mind cameras and expose corrupt ones. Are you oath keepers? Or oath breakers. If there is a G-d, then remember who has the big camera.
I still don't understand the need for a concealed permit with the second amendment...what’s the difference between open carry and concealed? they know what you have or they don't. You don't need a permit to open carry, so why do we need one for concealed carry?
And it’s funny, a permit by its very name grants a privilege where a right exists already. The state will grant you permission, will permit you to carry??
Now people are starting to see... ask yourselves, why was the bill of rights written in simple language by such brilliant people? So, that there should be no misunderstanding in their intent. And that was so that the rights of the people shall not be infringed, without cause and due process.
just some thoughts.
please feel free to respond.
John Wesley Nobles @ 4/8/2013 2:21 PM
Every man or woman in this country should be an Oath Keeper. For those of us that have lost our fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, and children we will not allow their sacrifice to be in vain. Supporting our constitution is the very reason we have freedom. Supporting our constitution meant making the ultimate sacrifice by hundreds of thousands of our patriot countrymen, we must never forget we share that same duty. We know that freedom has never been free. Every American Citizen should be an Oath Keeper.
Phil @ 4/9/2013 12:03 PM
Every badge carrier out there took an oath like the one that I did when you started your career. I swore to support and defend the Constitution not someone's political agenda. I do not support radicalism but with what is happening out there today in CT and other states, the public is being pushed around unconstitutionally and this could cause a huge rift between the law enforcers and the law abiding who get fed up with unwarranted laws that challenge their freedoms. A few out of control wackcos should not cause punishment on the law abiding citizens of this country. I know for most of us following orders are part of the job and what we do but I pray that our leaders follow their heart and their oath when issuing those orders.
" I, ___________________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.
jon @ 4/9/2013 6:13 PM
Ima Leprechaun should change his name to, Imajackass...
Who's side are you on anyway?? Are you a peace officer?? Than stick to your OATH.
The Law is being perverted by liberals. Thats why Oath Keepers were created, because they saw that something was wrong with these UnConstitutional acts and the direction these liberals were taking the country in.
Being that "Ima" Criminal Justice graduate, let me educate you about Policing & Law. In case you didn't know...
Law should be used for nothing less than a universal administration of JUSTICE. LAW IS JUSTICE. It is the purpose of the law to PREVENT injustice from reigning. Not the other way around.
Justice is achieved ONLY when injustice IS ABSENT.
What was witnessed during Katrina, with the door to door gun confiscation, was criminal. Period.
MLK once said:
"InJustice anywhere, is InJustice everywhere"...
Morning Eagle @ 4/9/2013 7:45 PM
Thanks Dean. Finally, here is a fair and more objective assessment of the true purpose of the Oath Keepers organization. Most of what the media puts out about them is just reiterating the intentional misconceptions the SPLC and other left-wing liberals spew out about them or anyone else that supports the Constitution and Bill of Rights or objects to the methods being employed by too many government agencies today. As a former law enforcement officer and retired U.S. Army Veteran I was immediately attracted by OK the first year they were formed and joined them. When I suggested to others that they check them out I found that some were hesitant because they had “heard” that it was a conglomeration of subversives and extremists who advocated opening fire on law enforcement officers. Nothing could be farther from the truth and I greatly admire the efforts and dedication of Officer J. Shirley and many others to educate other officers, members of the military, and the general public on the meaning of the oath we all took.
ScotcopsUSA @ 4/9/2013 9:04 PM
I am a proud Oath Keeper, and have been for many years.
Jess, IMHO permits are required now because too many hand wringing irrationally fearful people decided that the mere presence of a firearm somehow breeds violence. Instead of being able to openly carry a firearm, as guaranteed by the Constitution, you now have to prove to the government you deserve the privilege of exercising your rights. Some state “public safety” or “public order” as the reasons for needing the permits, some claim you needlessly “alarm and panic” the sheeple who view guns as bad or evil, and some just plain want to keep you from having something they are too afraid to own themselves. Hence if they think it is bad for you, you must be too dumb to realize it yourself, so they will just have to take it away before you hurt yourself or someone else.
Wow that sounds a lot like communism, fascism and socialism to me, not a democracy of, by and for the people. I guess that is why the Founding fathers had the foresight to explicitly enumerate our rights as citizens of this country in the Constitution and Bill of rights.
Jim A @ 4/9/2013 11:30 PM
Reading the Constitution does not mean that we will be able to interpret the Constitution. The Supreme Court can't even seem to agree on what is says. The normal man, or even normal police officer cannot begin to understand the ins and outs and the changes that occur in the interpretation every day. And that interpretation is swinging to the far left, if you know what I mean.
Ima Leprechaun obviously understands the "to the left" comment.
But Jess, I also agree with you. The language seems clear to me. I am not sure why there is so much confusion on some issues (Second Amendment) but I understand why the line is blurred in other areas. But suddenly, the law-breakers seem to have more rights than the honest citizen who sits at home and shakes in their boots, afraid they will be harmed in some way by the bad people out there!
Liberalism is killing America. Not necessarily any political party, but everyone is becoming more liberal. Not everything is ok. Not everyone is ok. Some things are wrong, sinful, and illegal. Drugs are bad. Kids need to be led by responsible adults, taught, and corrected. Bad people need to be punished. Some "SICK" people cannot be fixed and ought to be GONE. Some things are worth fighting over. People murder people. We cannot blame it on guns, knives, or baseball bats. It is bad people, sick people, angry people, people with mental health problems. I do not care the reason - just punish it. Draw a line in the sand and say NO.
But I do thank you Ima for creating the discussion issue.
Trigger @ 4/10/2013 5:16 AM
I took my oath when I began my law enforcement career in 1978. I wonder now many of the "Oath Keepers" have actually lived up to their "Oath"? When given a lawful order or directive and you do not agree would you turn in your id and badge? Reading something on a piece of paper is one thing, standing up for your beliefs is something completely different..
AJ @ 4/10/2013 7:33 AM
re: Ima Leprechaun... DNFT (do not feed the troll)
I'm going to attend a local meeting and check it out.
Jim A @ 4/11/2013 2:01 AM
Just a word to the wise. Be very careful of what groups you put your name on. I can imagine that with the ways things are going that attaching your name to this group (even though they may have good intentions - up to your point of view) or any of the other groups around may have negative consequences that we are not thinking of today. Imagine going on vacation and finding your name on a "No-Fly List" because you are seen by the Government as a danger or possible anti-government activist / terrorist! Just a thought.
Also I was reading about the Texas college stabbings (15 at one time). Because of that, I think the Democrats might be proposing new laws putting limitations on steak knives, limiting the length to 3/4 inch (thickness of an average steak), number you can buy, and requiring a background check before you can buy one. We could have a national knife registry by the end of the week?
Liberalism and Hemorrhoids hang out in the same place.
So there are my words for the week. Everyone be safe.
Ripley @ 4/14/2013 6:18 AM
@ Jim A. "Reading the Constitution doesn't mean we can interpret it". Really? Brother, its not written in Swahili. It's written in plain English. And the Supreme Court doesn't possess the only magic decoder ring. If you are a law enforcement officer (or anyone who took an oath), then reading the Constitution should have been part of your to do list. I am glad that Constitutional issues are being talked about. I am also glad that there is an organization that is being a proponent for officers keeping their oaths. It's just sad that organizations like the SPLC apparently look down on organizations that advocate honor and character.
edmarshall1968@yahoo.com @ 4/17/2013 7:31 AM
F Excellent, I have had doubts on elected officers that have read our foundation of this country, combat vet from Nam with total 20 years of service. Read oath hundreds of times soldiers staying on active duty. I am a constitutionist and I do believe there to many folks that just take for granted without study.
Hill, Bill E. @ 4/17/2013 3:10 PM
Excellent article! And I'm glad to see it in this magazine.
To every Peace Officer out there who works and lives within their Sworn Oath, we have your back!
And Thank You for your work.
HB.
Oath Keeper, Veteran, Patriot, Constitutionalist, American.
Gerald @ 4/19/2013 1:40 AM
Thank you for this fine article, Dean.
With a little embarrassment, I admit that I hesitated on “pulling the trigger” to join Oath Keepers.
I was concerned about getting on a “Govt. Shxx list.”
Then I thought about the Oath I took when I joined the military and how I had written a blank check to this country payable in an amount up to and including my life. I wasn’t too fearful then. So why now? Was it because I was older and wiser? Was it because I had a family now?
I was given a piece of paper years ago and on it was the historical accounts of the prices the signers of the Declaration of Independence paid for using their discretion and daring to stand up for what was right, even though “The Crown” had declared it illegal.
The checks those men cashed to give us our great nation can never be repaid, nor can all the countless ones cashed since then for us to keep it. They were both young and old and most of them had families.
So, I felt kind of cowardly, for being afraid of merely just getting on someone’s list.
After thinking about what countless men and women before me had sacrificed, suddenly just being on someone’s “list” or being called names or even losing my job, didn’t seem like too big a price to pay for doing the right thing compared to the prices paid by others that allowed me to call myself an American.
The founders didn’t have a constitution to protect them back then. We do, all we need to do is learn it and follow it! We don’t need to fight again.
Needless to say, once I figured all this out for myself, I clicked the “Join” button on the website right away. But I am still embarrassed that it took me a couple of days to figure it out. Bottom line is that every man or woman must decide for themselves what their “line in the sand” is and then take the appropriate action. Let your conscience be your guide.
I enjoyed this article and comments thus far. Thank you, my brothers and sisters for your service and for doing what is right.
David Wright @ 4/19/2013 7:10 PM
@ Jim A>> Attaching your name to this 'group' means you take the Oath that it took to wear that uniform and badge seriously. It means you will protect the Constitution against all enemies. There is a process in place that amends the Constitution and this 'group' believes in, and will protect that process as well.
SCOTUS has held that:
UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAW NULL & VOID
To be that statutes which would deprive a citizen of the rights of person or property without a regular trial, according to the course and usage of common law, would not be the law of the land. Hoke vs. Henderson,15, N.C.15, 25 AM Dec 677.
All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void, Chief Justice Marshall, Marbury vs. Madison, 5, U.S. (1 Cranch) 137, 174, 176, (1803).
STATES MUST OBEY CONSTITUTION
The United States Supreme Court stated further that all rights and safeguards contained in the first eight amendments to the federal constitution are equally applicable in every State criminal action, "because a denial of them would be a denial of due process of law." William Malloy vs. Patrick J. Jogan, 378 U.S. 1, 84 S. Ct. 1489, argued Mar 5, 1964, decided June 15, 1964.
SURRENDER OF RIGHTS INTOLERABLE
We find it intolerable that one constitutional right should have to be surrendered in order to assert another. Simmons vs. U.S. 390, U.S. 389 (1968).
This "group" happens to agree.
David Wright Jr.
Florida Oath keeper
Brevard Chapter
Ken Fruit @ 4/20/2013 8:21 AM
David put it in very clear, concise terms. I am not just saying that because he is a fellow Oath Keeper. I'm saying that because it is the simple truth.
There is so much literature available outside the actual Articles of the Constitution for the United States, written by several members of the generation that founded this nation; literature which succinctly renders their EXACT thoughts on why the 2nd Amendment, and indeed many other amendments were proposed, added and ratified as part of our nation's governmental charter.
In the simplest terms, the 2nd Amendment exists as a final statement of natural rights the citizens and lawful resident aliens in the U.S. have. A right is NOT a privilege. It exists beyond the will of individuals, groups, governments, indeed even beyond religious or spiritual commands and beliefs. The sole requirement for a person to have such rights is that person be alive. That's it.
Someone mentioned above that "these liberals" are responsible for abridging rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Anyone with eyes to see can tell this isn't a left-right issue. BOTH major political parties, through many of their candidates elected to office, have been responsible for the erosion of civil liberty in the U.S.
Fear bordering on paranoia is the largest, loudest excuse. Once upon a time, this nation and her people were not afraid. America has done extraordinary things, not because of some crazy idea of exceptionalism, but because America's PRINCIPLE IDEALS are extraordinary. The founders were simply people. They became heroic forgers of a new nation because of their unwavering dedication to principles, to duty, honor, and to their sworn oaths.
Kenneth Fruit
Broward Chapter
Dave Dube @ 4/24/2013 5:04 PM
I killed my TV many years ago and divorced myself from social interaction - until two months ago. My son drug me to a 2ndA rally in front of our State Capitol building. I met a young National Guardsman that iinvited veterans and LEOs to renew their Oath. Which I did. I then began looking into Oathkeepers as an organization. I believe LEOs, particularly publicly educated younger men, are unfamiliar with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through no fault of their own. I spent 4 years in the Navy, one of which I spent as a Marine in South Vietnam. As I remember what I came home to find was a Progressively Liberal generation of young people who disdained authority, particularly police. As I remember it, they were called 'PIGS'. I could never understand it. I still don't. But I see no attitude like that in this day and age. There are 'bad people' in every career path I can think of, and I have spent at least twenty years with an organization that had men who wore a firearm as part of their uniform. There were 'bad' men in that career path as well. As a Computer Security specialist, I know this to be a fact. I respect ANY man who does his duty, and I expect every man who chooses a career in Law Enforcement. I was reluctant to join the Oath Keepers because of the 'bad' publicity. I've spoken face-to-face with a number of members. I AM an Oath Keeper, if in name only. I was invited. I'm reading the Federalist Papers because I didn't read them when I probably should have read them. The principles behind the organization made sense to me. This forum is an excellent place for a little good publicity for the organization.
R.E.Massey @ 4/28/2013 10:20 AM
It's good to see so many honorable Peace Officers discussing their oath to the constitution here. Most of my family have been or are Peace Officers. As a young man of 18 I was admitted to the Missouri Highway Patrol Academy. Perhaps this was my father’s way of getting his son to walk in his footsteps, he was an early member of the OSS in WWII thru the Korean War, then he became an FBI agent working in the covert section investigating the KKK and other organizations that were of a subversive nature back then.
I was all ready to go when I got a phone call from a U.S. Army Colonel who's first statement was "Russell, I would like you to enlist in the United States Army to learn to jump out of airplanes and eat snakes for a living.” That too was most likely was influence by my father, so with the two choices, both vocations bound by an oath to the U.S. Constitution and to serve the citizens of this Republic I chose the Army. That was in 1978 when the Brown Shoe Army was winding down but the type of training that I attended was led by combat Rangers and Special Forces who had received the baptism of fire in South East Asia, (Vietnam War). These men taught us boots to be true to the oaths to the constitution that we had sworn to at the MEPPS station before moving on to boot camp and to always consider the constitutionality of any orders given to us by those appointed above us before carrying out those orders and before that can be done in the split second of time that it would take, we first had to know the constitution and Bill of Rights like we knew the back of our hand, it had to be ingrained in our minds to accomplish this task that we may find ourselves facing because believe me the decision that was made could mean serious repercussions to your person or those around you in the fog of battle. What I am getting here is that today our enlistees in both the criminal justice and military vocations are not getting these types of individuals as their primary train
trainers and if they do have those types of people to lead them and train them, these leaders are often hamstringed and not able to reinforce the principles that can make the difference if and when the issue of constitutional and lawful orders arises. That’s where the Oath Keepers organization comes into the picture. The Oath Keepers are men and women who are non-partisan and strictly educational in respect to the United States Constitution the obligation that was sworn to at the beginning of ones career and the need for men and women already on duty with the life experience on the job to step up to start to educate the younger members of an agency is imperative, a must do for an honorable and ethical individual in an important and serious position of leadership, even if you do not hold a position of leadership it is only logical that a person of honor like most of you are would want to have yourselves surrounded by like minded individuals that you could depend on watching your six and backing you as well as you being able to honestly back them in decisions that you may have not considered yourself. One poster has stated it already, that our young people are not being taught the constitution in the public school system and have not been taught it for some time now. That is why you as leaders of men and women have an obligation if you consider your oath of fealty and support to our constitution as sacrosanct and uncompromising, to teach your charges and fellow officers that the solemn oath that they swore to is probably the most important thing that they have ever done as an adult and citizen to the United States of America. Thank you for your service to our Republic in what ever capacity that you are in and thank you too for staying true to your oath to our constitution and the precepts that it espouses for us to honor and pass along to the next generation of guardians.
Ron Howell @ 4/29/2013 1:43 AM
After reading the comments here on defending our constitution I can't put in words how proud I feel to be an American and how glad I am police, military, firefighters are re examining their oath to office. God bless you, and God bless America!
Mike Chism @ 4/30/2013 6:14 PM
It is of great importance that we ensure everyone who has sworn that Oath, truly understands it's responsibility. I thank this magazine for it's article and the many who commented. I, as other Oath Keepers, try to help bring together those that believe in OUR Republic. Those that are in positions of authority in many ways have the greatest of responsibilities . Once I said to a Friend, "With knowledge comes one's responsibility to control their fears". Mike....For OUR Republic
R.E.Massey @ 5/15/2013 12:22 PM
As a State Forum Moderator and a Georgia State Chapter District Coordinator, I would like to invite you all to the Oath Keepers intuitive, Operation Sleeping Giant at http://operationsleepinggiant.com/. Oath Keepers, founded by Stewart Rhodes, Constitutional Scholar, Lawyer and a Veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational outreach organization with a primary mission to reach out to our guardians in Police Forces, County Sheriffs Offices, Fire Fighters, EMT’s, Paramedics, National Guard Units, Regular Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine personnel to remind and educate these fine Americans who serve our cities, states, counties and nation under their sacred oaths to our United States Constitution that the Constitution must under all circumstances be followed and that they have the duty to disobey illegal orders contrary to the law of the land the United States Constitution. The Oath Keepers organization is made up of Active, retired and honorably discharged members of these local, state, county and federal organizations and citizens that have never taken the oath to the Constitution but believe that it must be upheld and protected are also welcomed to become associates of our organization.
. Operation Sleeping Giant is a way that citizens of our nation can come together in mutual support and defense of each other and support of your local Peace Officers, mainly your county Sheriffs. You see, we as citizens of the United States do not need an all powerful Federal Government to maintain order and protection. In fact the Constitution explicitly gives the Federal Government few and enumerated powers which sadly it has been aloud to grow by our servants in congress and ourselves through non-vigilance of this body of representatives to expand to such a degree that it is now becoming a danger to both our way of life, personal security and frankly becoming tyrannical beyond all comprehension. So I would like to invite all like minded American to visit our web page set up to help you form your own mutual support and security groups in your own local areas and help you weather any and all storms that may befall our great nation in the future. Thank you for your due diligence and Good Luck to you all in your future endeavors in liberty and the American way which has made America so great.
R.E.Massey
Georgia Region 8
Jim B @ 6/17/2013 10:36 AM
A 45 year business career, 4 military reserve units, and 10 1/2 years as a local elected official. I've been a proud OathKeeper for several years, and I believe OathKeepers and the NRA are the 2 most vital organizations to help maintain our American freedom.
Dennis @ 6/18/2013 8:14 AM
God Bless you Oath Keepers speaking here. Almost all of you understand the concept and are Oath Keepers whether you are a member of the organization or not; by your perspective and your sense of right and wrong. You folks don't need tags but I support the formal organization as well. We are all in this... Maybe not tomorrow or the next day by every subversive communist political movement that has taken over countries always turned on those whom they used to get a foothold. Everyone of them puts their ideology ahead of human beings, it is an historical fact.
If you need guidance about the Constitution look into the Federalist Papers. Here is a site to download a PDF version that you can do searches on.
www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/poldocs/fed-papers.pdf
The Declaration of Independance is mentioned in the Papers as "the declaration", study it as well. This will leave you with little doubt as to what we have and what was intended. This is not Republican or Democrat and it is not political, it is the Law of the Land. You have heard that "ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it" well this is the law. Every power delegated to the government by the People is in here. As Madison said in Paper 45, the powers delegated to the government are "few and defined". Look it up do not take my word on it, I would not take another's on what I have given my oath to defend. We are all brothers and sisters here. When we make the journey, when we face the judgement for the way we have lead our lives before the Master Judge by whatever name you may call, I hope we all can say that we kept our solemn promise to God and our fellow human beings. Thank you for Oath.
Again God Bless you all,
Dennis Jackson
APfromFR @ 6/18/2013 11:41 AM
Did you guy had ever heard of the battle of Athens Tennessee, 1946?
A link to wikipedia about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_%281946%29
This is the illustration of why the second amendment is so important. There will always be politicians who will try to use the laws and the political systems to set up they own power. This is why the Founding Fathers had given the ultimate barrier for freedom in the Bill of Rights.....
Hitler when to power through legal vote using the laws and political system of hes country.
What gave the right the Founding Father to say "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness" and reject the British laws and government. Had they lost, they would have been convicted by British court for rebellion, and all sort of crimes. They would have been shown as criminals and terrorist leaders. Unfortunately, the first thing dictators do when they get the power is purges, they will get rid of all people who won't obey to them blindly. So may God protect and bless people like the "Oath keepers".
De_Oppresso_Liber @ 6/18/2013 4:03 PM
I applaud those that have stood up and re-affirmed their oath and continue to learn the history of the US Constitution. It is a rich history that has it's basis in recognizing every human being's natural rights enumerated as early as Magna Carta. The US Constitution was and is nothing less than a monumental breakthrough in philosophy and governance.
Unfortunately, It has been dismantled and neutralized over a very, very long period of time. So much so that every war since WWII has been illegal, and to the point that every time a LEO puts on his or her uniform most are violating their oath somehow that day. It is a sad state. It's all well and good to affirm your oath, it's something entirely different to uphold it.
Most don't have the courage to put themselves out there; to stop a fellow officer that is beating a suspect into the ground for possession of a plant, or just sitting there; or to protect people's right to buy unpasteurized milk from their neighbor, if they so choose. Instead, the man with the plant dies from massive trauma while a dozen officers stand and watch him scream for help "daddy!"; and the family farm is raided by a federal swat team, their animals destroyed, livelihood lost... Surely, many officers have been in a similar situation, have been compelled to stop the madness, but were simply unable to gather the courage to step forward, across that thin yet expansively vast chasm of a blue line. After all, everyone has family, bills, commitments, and you need that job. Meanwhile, little by little, society is slowly remade into a dystopian scene from Orwell's "1984", or Kafka's "The trial". Secret courts, secret evidence; no need for a jury trial for misdemeanor offenses, thought crime; the Boston bombers surely deserve to be treated like enemy combatants, no need for constitutional protections... and the precious little light of freedom flickers out.
J3 @ 6/18/2013 5:11 PM
Excellent article, and some fine responses that boost my faith in the current crop of LEO / Peace Officers. Our country has seen such a complete inversion of values and morals by the current regime, that a 'rapper' who calls himself 'Li'l Wayne' makes a video of stomping on an American flag and saying vile trash about this nation, and gets defended for his brave exercise of the First Amendment - while a 14 year old kid who wears an NRA T-shirt to school is led off in cuffs, and threatened by a judge with a fine and a year in jail Is it any wonder that people are saying, "No more!" ? The good thing about the Oath Keepers is that we KNOW what they stand for. If I see an Oath Keeper, in uniform or out, I know he will have my back if the SHTF; and he can count on me having HIS back, too, come what may. Semper Fidelis.
B Woodman @ 6/18/2013 7:14 PM
To all those who are concerned about confusion in interpreting the intent of the Constitution, it should always be done to a lowest common denominator that gives the most freedoms to We, The People; and restricts the Gubbment to ONLY those duties ennumerated.
Wynne @ 6/19/2013 7:20 AM
Here's something that's been worrying me for awhile: when stuff hits the fan, the Oathkeepers will be attached to their units; how are we to know the good guys from the bad?
Nous Defions @ 6/19/2013 9:10 AM
@Wynne We will know by their actions.... God Bless the Oathkeepers
Josh @ 6/19/2013 10:04 PM
There is no confusion in the plain language of the Constitution. The only issue is that tyrants wish to bend or break it. This requires them to muddy the waters for those who do not understand its importance. They know perfectly well what it says, what it means today and what our founders meant when they wrote it. Obama was a professor of Constitutional Law, for Heaven's sake!
SMS Morton @ 6/21/2013 5:09 PM
Reading the above comments makes feel both privileged and proud to be an American. I would like to weigh in on a couple of the comments however.
The Constitution does not require interpretation. While the language is somewhat archaic from our point of view, which may cause some disagreement on what is said, it is not difficult to find and read the discussions that surrounded it's writing and ratification.
I do find the concept of getting a permit to exercise a right repugnant, however, at least one SCOTUS (I don't have the citation at my fingertips.) opinion held that while we have and absolute Right to be armed, doing so in the context of a group (or mob)can be interpreted as inciting to violence, and so is not protected, and neither is the carrying of a concealed weapon protected. Let me say this about that, to paraphrase one of my favorite authors, ' a majority opinion of politically appointed black robed priests is not required for me to understand my Rights.'
It is also important to remember that the Constitution did not give us any Rights, it merely enumerated some of the Human Rights that all Mankind is endowed with. Our Government has no Rights, it is merely our Servant, so it can neither bestow nor remove them.
The real hazard for any for any LEO has been summed up by Chris Hernandez in his blog article "My life as a tyrant." Well worth reading.
JayQue @ 7/11/2013 7:25 AM
Politicians MUST stop violating the Constitution !!! We do not need new laws,we need to enforce the present laws. The Supreme Court should enforce the Constitution without looking for loopholes to save their political reputations. Powerful government agencies should not be used to destroy political opposition. Enforcement supervision without looking inept, should be able to explain facts about an ongoing major investigation and his boss should not be able to violate the Constitution at will. This is an American tragedy,shame on this present regime,it is despicable and reprehensible. After serving my country in the military and law enforcement for 30 years, I consider it an honor to be an "OATH KEEPER"...
Labels: 2nd Amendment, America, Bill of Rights, Civil/Natural Rights, culture, Founders, Oath-Keepers, Police, Police State, Sociology
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Design software plays central role in sliding sports equipment development
Written by: Tim Fryer | Published: 13 February 2015
When not hurling himself down bob-sled tracks at 90mph on a small high tech sled, Kristan Bromley designs and manufactures sleds for 22 nations preparing for the next Winter Olympics.
In 2008, Bromley became the first man to win the World Championship, European Championship and World Cup in the same season. The British media nicknamed him Doctor Ice because he gained a PhD from Nottingham University with a thesis entitled 'Factors affecting the performance of skeleton bobsleds'.
His company, Bromley Sports, ships between 100 and 200 bespoke sleds to athletes around the world, but is currently moving into the recreational arena, having designed and developed a patented sled for an exciting new snow activity, Baseboarding.
"Over the next two to three years, we're changing from providing a low volume, highly customisable Olympic governed sled, to manufacturing up to 10,000 Baseboards for a mass market. Our mission is to become the most advanced sliding sport product manufacturer in the world."
Bromley has always had the ethos of optimising processes. This stems from his extremely competitive goal driven nature, tuned through four Olympics, combined with his engineering background at BAE Systems. He is never happy with the status quo and is naturally innovating and looking to add value in every way possible.
Key to this optimisation is VISI, from Vero Software, which is used for creating both high precision performance parts and for carbon fibre lay-up tooling.
It has made the progression from design, which is undertaken using PTC's Creo, through to machining virtually seamless – almost making the design engineer a production engineer as well.
Bromley said: "We have found that combining the two roles has opened up considerable opportunity for creating products that can be manufactured more cost effectively and efficiently."
Baseboarding has recently been introduced at the Whistler Olympic Park in Canada, and Bromley describes it as 'bodyboarding on snow'.
"The Baseboard has a low friction curved base and parallel runners that create a highly agile board with easy-to-learn steering using feet and subtle upper body movements. It's a safe recreational way for families visiting snow resorts to experience the head-first ride position of skeleton racing – which is an amazing adrenalin rush."
Although the Baseboard is extremely light, it is strong and stylised. The product is underpinned with thermoplastic composites, creating a super-tough 3D structure that can withstand temperatures of -30°C. Bromley also uses a CFD package FloEFD from Mentor Graphics, which embeds in to Creo.
He said: "The product design capabilities of Creo coupled with the power and ease of FloEFD enables fast and very accurate analysis of designs with respect to aerodynamic and fluid dynamic performance without leaving the design environment."
However, the design and production requirements of the two markets – the competitive and the consumer – are very different. "At the elite end of the market, we focus on developing products that improve the performance of the athlete," said Bromley. "This requires designs that are customised to give athletes tangible improvements, for example; improved aerodynamic drag, improved ride response and better fitting. Design focuses on small batch numbers, specialise materials and cost effective tooling for one off production runs.
"At the recreational end, we focus on design and performance in a different way. Design is driven more by achieving set price points and delivering large volumes of a more standardised product offering. This requires considerable design expertise in tooling and materials for high volume manufacture."
Bromley Sports made its name in the highly competitive world of skeleton racing. "We're giving athletes the tools to fight for Olympic medals and VISI is pivotal in creating maximum-performing sleds by pushing boundaries to improve performance. Reducing aerodynamic drag by 5% can cut an athlete's time by one, two, or even three tenths of a second, and that's enough to take them from tenth place right through to Gold."
With more than 60 carbon fibre and stainless steel components in the skeleton sled, and the prospect of mass producing Baseboards, he says it was important to bring the whole operation in-house. Previously, most of the tooling work was sent to sub-contractors, but he realised that by bringing tool design and manufacturing in-house they could create new designs, develop products faster, and innovate more efficiently.
The company, which was established by Bromley and his brother Richard in 2000, now uses VISI for every component in its skeleton sleds and Baseboards.
"And it's not just the components that go into making up the products. We develop everything that supports the manufacturing process in VISI as well – the tooling and jigs. Tools are designed in both Creo and VISI. If we are happy with the design at an early stage, we design the tool in Creo and then drag and drop it into VISI for developing a machining strategy. If we need to redesign tooling at a later stage, the direct modelling of VISI can achieve late changes faster. VISI is a very powerful surface modeller, which when it comes to machining tooling to give class A surface finishes is critical. We often find ourselves using the power of VISI to clean up surfaces imported from other CAD packages."
The development process includes ensuring the sled is tailored to an individual athlete's body.
"We design it around the athlete's ergonomics, reflecting the pressure points of their shoulders and knees," he added.
Bromley Sports uses Hexagon Metrology's ROMER Absolute Arm with integrated laser scanner to reverse engineer the athlete's form.
"We scan an athlete's body shape and generate accurate mesh data for Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis in less than an hour."
Once the design is completed in Creo, he seamlessly drops the file into VISI and starts to work on machining strategies.
"Although VISI is extremely powerful and flexible, it's also simple to use. When we're machining new tooling for the carbon fibre composites, being able to approach that particular tool with different machining strategies, and having the ability to manipulate those cuttings paths, is critical. To achieve the precision we need to help athletes win medals, we've found we can't use a 'one toolpath suits all' approach. We need to tailor those toolpaths and the cutting strategy in order to reduce machining time and produce a part with a high level of surface finish that requires minimal hand polishing."
Bromley also points to the loop between design and production environments. "After running different machining strategies on the same component, we often find ourselves going back to Creo and redesigning small features that, at the time, did not have real functional value but at the manufacturing stage have huge impacts on machining time. From a design standpoint we find the machining strategy capabilities in VISI of enormous benefit in the iterative design process."
It is a design to manufacture service that Bromley Technologies offers to other companies looking to balance product performance and manufacturing efficiency.
Referring to the software tools employed by his company, Bromley concluded: "Gaining performance is all in the detail, and as an organisation trying to help athletes win Olympic medals we need the world's best, to help the world's best."
http://www.bromleysports.com
http://www.mentor.com
http://www.ptc.com
http://www.verosoftware.com
Mentor Graphics (UK) Ltd
Vero Software Ltd
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Sunday 17th March, 2019
GRA boss endorses Punctuality Education Campaign
Accra, March 17, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, the Commissioner-General Ghana Revenue Authority, over the weekend signed a pledge of punctuality with Punctuality Ghana Foundation, a demonstration of his commitment to timekeeping and discipline at the workplace.
He said although he has already made strong commitment in ensuring punctuality at GRA through the signing of attendance books, he thought it necessary to reiterate that stand with the signing of the pledge.
He said the move by Punctuality Ghana came as no surprise, as the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has on many occasions stressed the need for Ghana’s working force to adopt the habit of punctuality.
Speaking at the signing session at the Head Office of the GRA, Mr Nti said, the move, by Punctuality Ghana to campaign for punctuality was a laudable one and key to changing the mindset of Ghanaians.
He said the move called for an effective change in attitudes and called on Ghanaians to support the punctuality campaign.
Mr Nti said being punctual requires discipline, so people would have to be disciplined to be able to stay punctual, adding; “we cannot tolerate indiscipline and develop our nation at the same time.”
“As we have attitudinal change as a people, we will then see development going with it,” he said.
Mr Nti was happy about the need for collaboration with the campaign to ensure that Ghanaians pay their taxes on time, adding that the GRA was moving into digitsation to ensure that taxpayers could easily meet their tax obligations in various ways such as mobile phones.
Also speaking at the signing session, Miss Naa Meryeh Quaynor-Mettle, the Project Co-ordinator for Punctuality Ghana Foundation, said the visit to the GRA was part of Punctuality Ghana’s ongoing public education campaign on punctuality since June last year.
She said as a Civil Society Organisation, Punctuality Ghana’s mission is to facilitate Ghana becoming the most efficient African nation in the world, and to achieve that, their horizon must spread beyond going to work at 0800 hours and closing at 1700 hours to offering of a 24-hour service.
Miss Quaynor-Mettle said it is the mandate of her outfit to measure punctuality in terms of productivity, growth, development, increasing government revenue, minimising corruption, and making Ghana attractive for foreign investment.
Mr Emmanuel Amarquaye, Punctuality Crusader, said there is the need to look at the long bureaucracies that consumed time and money to an effective delivery of timely services that people would be willing to pay for.
The public education campaign project aims to promote punctuality and effective time management in the country and to harness potentials for rapid socio-economic development.
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Ottoman coffeehouses in the U.S.
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Işıl Acehan Jan 5, 2019 0
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Mobile Phones For Children: Do We Want Them?
Eight-year-old kids with mobile phones might sound like a crazy idea, but according to a report carried out last year, that is the average age of a child owning their first mobile phone. The age is expected to drop to five years old this year -- but why are we buying mobile phones for our young children? The answer is peace of mind, according to the report, which was carried out by the Dhaliwalbrown consultancy.
One company that has picked up on the concerns of parents is Disney Mobile. Disney Mobile was set up in the US this June and provides families with mobile phones specifically designed for "tweens, young teens and parents who want to keep an eye on them", according to the Disney Mobile Web site. Unlike standard mobile phones, these handsets feature software that allows parents to limit texts, calls and downloads, restrict phone usage and even locate their children via GPS.
Their latest phone, pictured on PhoneArena, is the Disney D100 (pictured), which features a Mickey Mouse-style keypad and a picture of Winnie the Pooh on the casing -- Disney Mobile seems to be marketing itself as a family solution, aimed at concerned parents, and not directly at children. At the moment Disney Mobile only provides mobile content in the UK, but it may sell mobile phones in the future.
You can already buy similar products in the UK, from companies like EazyTrak. There's no doubt that the service is useful, but by making the phones look like toys means they might well create competition among children for who has the coolest new gadget. This will undoubtedly lead to more children asking their parents to buy them a phone.
So what's the problem? The jury is still out on whether or not mobile phone radiation is harmful to children and Sir William Stewart from the National Radiological Protection Board recommends that children do not use mobile phones for prolonged periods of time.
The other issue is privacy, something that should be respected no matter how old you are. Of course you want to know where your child is at all times, but there are times when not feeling like you're being watched is important. Everyone will remember when they snuck off to the corner shop or park with friends in the knowledge that their parents had no idea about it. It wasn't particularly safe, but then again life isn't, and developing some sense of independence at an early age is important.
Finally, do we really want our children picking up bad mobile habits? Spelling gr8 instead of great and developing RSIs at the age of 14? There's no denying that we live in a dangerous world and that children are overwhelmingly important, but so is learning to deal with life's hardships. Some day your mobile phone will turn off or will lose a signal, but fortunately for you there was a time when you didn't have one so you won't completely freak out. What about the next generation?
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Cervical cytology tests (smear tests) are recommended for all women between the ages of 25 and 65. Our Practice follows the national screening programme.
Croydon Primary Care Trust and the Practices recall women for these tests on a 3 to 5 yearly programme.
Appointments for this smear test should be made with one of the Practice Nurses at the surgery.
View picture summary
Explanation taken from NHS Direct On-Line Encyclopaedia
The cervix (or neck of the womb) is the part of your womb that you can feel at the top of your vagina. Examining a smear taken from the cervix is a useful way of finding out whether you might have early cancer of the cervix. Cancers that start here often remain in the surface layer for quite a long time before spreading in more deeply. The smear test can detect this early stage so that the cancer can be removed by a simple operation before it has gone too far.
Most women will have heard about this test (also known as the Pap smear test), which is performed by nurses as well as doctors and is offered by your local doctors' surgery or family planning clinic. You can ask for a female doctor or nurse and book a conveniently timed appointment. It has saved millions of women's lives and is one of the most successful kinds of cancer screening test.
Why it is necessary
Cervical cancer starts on the surface of the cervix, where it causes particular changes in cells. These changes can be recognised by trained experts when the cells are examined under a microscope. The cancer will not always be limited to the surface, but the smear test can detect large numbers of cases in which cancerous change has begun but has not yet had time to spread below the surface.
There is a virus that is very commonly spread among people living a sexually active life. It doesn't do much harm to men (at worst causing some small warts on the penis), but women who get this virus are more liable to cervical cancer than those who stick to one partner. This is believed to be the main reason why cervical cancer is commoner in young women than in older women. For this reason, the cervical smear test is really essential in sexually active women.
Why it should be done
If cancer of the cervix is detected at this surface stage, it can be removed by a local operation that is much less serious than the surgery needed for cancer that has spread deeper. But the best reason of all for having the test is that it is perfectly safe, not especially uncomfortable, and greatly reduces your chances of developing womb cancer.
How it is performed
The doctor or nurse carefully pushes a metal or plastic tube-like instrument called a speculum into your vagina to hold it open. He or she then uses a small, round-ended plastic or wooden strip to scrape some cells gently from in and around the opening of the womb. These cells are then smeared on a microscope slide, which is labelled and sent to the pathology laboratory to be examined.
The cervical smear test is done on over three million women a year in Britain and has been found very worthwhile. As a result of routine cervical smear testing, there has been a considerable increase in the number of women in whom cancer is detected at a stage at which simple treatment can eliminate it altogether. Most of these women would otherwise have developed fully established womb cancer and would have needed extensive surgery. Many of them would have died from the disease.
At the worst, there may be some slight local discomfort, but this will pass in a few days.
The cervical smear test cannot totally eliminate the possibility of womb cancer, but it can greatly reduce the risk
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Scientist Urges Curbs On Children's Use Of Mobiles
Journalist: Edna Fernandes
Children should be discouraged from using mobile telephones because of potential health risks, the chief of a British government-commissioned inquiry into the phones' safety said on Thursday.
Sir William Stewart of Tayside University in Scotland said however that there was no firm evidence that mobiles damage the general population's health.
But it could take a decade for evidence of risks to emerge and if harmful effects were found, they would be more likely to be seen in children because their bodies are still developing.
"In line with our precautionary approach at this time we believe the widespread use of mobile phones by children for non-essential calls should be discouraged," he told BBC radio.
Stewart and other scientists working on the inquiry were set to publish their report later on Thursday.
The report, which could spark alarm among Britain's 24 million mobile phone users, will be a blow to the huge cell phone industry which has sought to tap the vast youth market.
The inquiry's findings come just days after the government gained a 22 billion pound ($34 billion) windfall from an auction of mobile phone licenses.
Stewart said there was some preliminary evidence that emissions from mobile phones could cause subtle biological reactions, such as changes in response times.
"That does not mean that these effects lead to disease. But this is a new technology and we are recommending...that a precautionary approach be adopted until new information is available," he said.
Children had thinner skulls, smaller heads, and their nervous systems were still developing, which made them more vulnerable to any adverse effects from the phones, he said.
The inquiry committee was established last year after reports that radiation from mobile phones could trigger cancer, memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.
Stewart said the public ought to have more information when they buy mobiles, and there should be better planning about the location of mobile phone masts.
He said he would continue to use a mobile phone but would not recommend that his grandchildren did so.
On Wednesday, a source close to the inquiry told Reuters that the scientists were worried by "odd findings."
"One odd finding came up when we looked at microwave radiation on nematode worms. That showed odd changes to the protein structure," said the source. "It was a kind of heat shock on the protein. You know, slightly cooked."
The Health Ministry declined to comment ahead of the report's publication.
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Grace Fellowship Church
Discover Grace
Grace Kids
Grace Youth
Raleigh’s Place
Membership Class Recordings
Kevin Corley
Kevin was raised in Birmingham, AL and came to know Christ through the ministry of Reformed University Fellowship at The University of Alabama. After graduating, Kevin served as Director of Student Ministries at the First Presbyterian Church of Meridian, MS for four years. Kevin married his wife, Rebecca, in 2007 and the two moved to Jackson, MS to complete his Master of Divinity degree at Reformed Theological Seminary. Kevin graduated in 2010 and was called as Assistant Pastor of Grace Fellowship in February of 2011. In June of 2015, Kevin was called as Pastor. He and Rebecca are the proud parents of three boys, Weston, William and Knox.
Zac Martin
Ministry Apprentice
Zac was raised in Clanton and graduated from Chilton County High School. He attended the University of South Alabama and graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He recently married his wife, Kaley, in December of 2016. Zac has served as a pastoral intern both at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Mobile, AL and here at Grace Fellowship. His role on staff is to learn pastoral ministry while working primarily with our students.
Jennifer Vinson
Jennifer adds a dynamic to our worship service that is engaging and up lifting. She is uniquely gifted to lead our congregation in praise and worship through a number of different styles of music. Jennifer is married to Neal, one of our elders, and they have 4 children: Ivey, Clay, Baylie and Zach.
Stacy Conner
Stacy is our Church Administrator and is also involved in women’s counseling and discipleship. She is married to Paul, one of the elders at Grace, and they have three children and six grandchildren. Stacy is originally from Birmingham and went to The University of Mississippi.
1208 4th Avenue North
Sunday School 9:45 AM
office@graceclanton.com
© 2019 Grace Fellowship Church – Powered by ChurchThemes.com
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UPDATE: The Tax Cut Bill Signed Into Law
By: Richard M. Blau, Chair Nationwide Alcohol Industry Team
This morning, President Donald Trump signed the tax cut bill into law. The bill, along with all the provisions detailed below, will take effect January 1, 2018.
Please contact the member of the nationwide alcohol industry team with whom you normally work with any questions.
The Tax Cut Bill Heads to the President's Desk - The Impact on the Alcohol Industry
Today the U.S. House of Representatives again passed the tax cut bill (H.R. 1), which was approved by the Senate earlier this morning. It now heads to President Donald Trump who is expected to sign the bill into law once it goes through the enrollment policy. Most of the new law’s provisions, including those of special interest to the alcohol industry, will take effect on January 1, 2018.
How does this affect your industry?
The bill contains the tax-related provisions of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which includes a reduction in the Federal Excise Tax for craft distilleries, breweries and wineries.
For the distilling industry, the rate will drop from $13.50 to $2.70 for the first 100,000 proof gallons. This new tax legislation reduces the federal excise tax on distilled spirits producers for the first time since the Civil War, which will apply to more than 1,300 distilleries currently operating across America. Perhaps even more important to the distilling segment, this landmark legislation creates a more level tax structure for distillers, brewers, winemakers and importers of alcohol beverage products by equalizing the federal excise tax on spirits, beer and wine for the first 100,000 proof gallons. The new law also provides for the same in-bond treatment of spirits transferred in bottles as for beer and wine and exempts the spirits aging process from interest expense capitalization rules.
For the brewing industry, the federal excise tax on beer will be reduced to $3.50/barrel (from $7/barrel) on the first 60,000 barrels for domestic brewers producing less than 2 million barrels annually, and reduced to $16/barrel (from $18/barrel) on the first 6 million barrels for all other brewers and all beer importers; the new law maintains the current $18/barrel rate for barrelage over 6 million. Of importance to brewers, the new law also increases collaboration between brewers by permitting transfer of beer between bonded facilities without tax liability.
For wineries, the legislation would: (i) eliminate the existing phase-out based on production size and allow all wineries to claim a credit of between $0.535 and $1 per gallon on the first 750,000 gallons of production, while providing for an increased total credit ceiling of up to $451,700 per winery, based on producing the full 750,000 gallons; (ii) Allows sparkling wine to qualify for these new tax credits; (iii) Increase the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) allowed for the $1.07 tax rate from 14% to 16% ABV (wines with 14% to 16% ABV currently are taxed at $1.57 per gallon and would be taxed at the still wine rate of $1.07); and (iv) increase the carbonation allowed in certain low alcohol wines (8.5% ABV or less) taxed at the $1.07 rate from .392 to .64 grams of carbon dioxide per hundred milliliters.
The alcohol industry components of the new tax legislation will go into effect beginning January 1, 2018, and run through December 31, 2019, with reauthorization necessary in subsequent years.
Stay tuned for further updates from GrayRobinson’s Nationwide Alcohol Industry Team.
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Providence, RI (PVD)
Located at the base of the statehouse grounds, the current station, opened in 1986, is the city's third major passenger rail facility. An elegant, shallow dome hovers over the waiting room.
100 Gaspee Street
Annual Station Revenue (FY 2018): $57,743,704
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2018): 758,375
Facility Ownership: Amtrak
Parking Lot Ownership: N/A
Platform Ownership: Amtrak
Track Ownership: Amtrak
Acela Express
Northeast Regional
City of Providence
Amtrak Northeast Corridor
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Located at the base of the beautifully landscaped statehouse grounds, the Providence station is watched over by the “Independent Man,” a gilded bronze statue that surveys the city from its perch atop the capitol’s gleaming white marble dome. The station is conveniently accessed from the government center on Smith Hill, the residential and educational areas on College Hill, and the revitalized downtown business district.
Travelers at Providence can board the high-speed Acela Express or the Northeast Regional trains to head toward Washington, D.C., or Boston. The station is also served by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail that runs between Boston South Station and Providence’s T.F. Green International Airport on the southern edge of the city.
The current Providence station is the third major passenger rail facility to serve the residents of this Rhode Island city. Opened to the public in 1986, the building was financed with federal funds made available through the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project (NECIP). The renowned architecture and planning firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM)—designer of the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in Chicago—was hired to oversee various aspects of NECIP. A “Stations Program” was established to focus efforts on the rehabilitation or construction of passenger rail facilities. SOM’s Marilyn Jordan Taylor, who specialized in urban design and transportation related projects, was appointed as director of design for the Stations Program, and she is credited with drawing up plans for the Providence facility.
As discussion moved forward on upgrades in the Providence area, it was finally decided to realign the tracks and bury a portion of the right-of-way in order to free up downtown land for redevelopment. This decision meant that the old Union Station on Exchange Terrace would no longer be needed for passenger rail use and a new station that would better fit travelers’ needs.
Taylor created a station design that paid homage to its important and dignified neighbors, particularly the statehouse, which was designed by McKim, Mead, and White, the preeminent architectural firm of the American Renaissance. In deference to the capitol’s formal white Georgia marble exterior, the one-story concrete station was clad in a veneer of stone blocks laid in a coursed ashlar pattern. Subtle detailing includes a base of granite in a soft red tone that complements the stone’s light grey and beige coloring. Incised bands near the base and the parapet create strong shadow lines that give the impression of a watertable and belt courses, thereby reinforcing the building’s horizontal massing.
From the main entrance on Railroad Street, the station is approached via a gracious terraced plaza that creates a grand sense of arrival for those advancing on foot. Landscaped planters containing trees and shrubbery add a touch of greenery and softness to the stone and concrete surfaces while also acting as the walls for ramps leading to a parking garage beneath the plaza. Railroad Street acts as an entry drive to the station, and allows travelers to be dropped off or picked up at the front of the building.
A colonnade composed of paired columns runs across the main façade, offering a bit of shelter against inclement weather such as rain and snow. At the southern end, the colonnade leads to a clock tower, a design move that recalls stations large and small that were built across the country during the 19th and 20th centuries. The columns and the clock tower emphasize the vertical axis, creating a pleasing contrast to the station’s assertive horizontal lines. Reflecting the overall outline of the building—a trapezoid—the clock tower is not squared, but rather employs obtuse and acute angles. It therefore displays two clock faces towards the front—one is clearly visible to pedestrians approaching through the plaza, while the other is angled towards those coming up Railroad Street.
Inside, a shallow dome seems to effortlessly hover over the waiting room, an effect enhanced by the placement of lighting at its base. At the center of the dome is an oculus that draws comparisons to the classical architecture of the ancient world, such as the Pantheon. Ample sunlight enters the interior through the oculus and large floor-to-ceiling windows while transoms composed of glass block help to diffuse and soften it, thereby adding warmth to the tile and stonework. As their trains approach, passengers descend to the lower level for boarding.
Located where the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers meet to form the Providence River, which then flows into Narragansett Bay, Providence was founded as a refuge for those not welcome within the religious communities of the Puritan-led Massachusetts Bay Colony, centered at Boston. Prior to the arrival of European colonists in 1636, the land at the confluence of the rivers was a marshy cove ringed by wetlands that supported migratory birds, fish, shellfish, and other animals, and attracted members of various American Indian tribes for seasonal hunting.
The town of Providence was founded by Roger Williams, a London-born preacher. Two years after graduating from Pembroke College at Cambridge University, Williams was ordained as a minister in the Church of England, but grew unhappy with the church’s practices. In 1631, Williams decided to move to North America where many Puritans, who sought to “purify” the church of any remaining Roman Catholic traditions and theology, had settled in what is now eastern Massachusetts.
Williams did not concur with the Puritan leaders on all matters, and thus began a period in which he and his wife moved between various towns, including Salem and Plymouth. During this time, he also took up trade with the Wampanoag and Narragansett American Indians, forging links that would serve him well in the years to come. By fall of 1635, Williams had worn out his welcome in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and he was faced with deportation. To avoid arrest, Williams fled westward during the winter. With the help of Wampanoag friends, he survived the bitter cold and settled on the Seekonk River, east of current-day Providence. By the spring of 1636, some of Williams’ followers had joined him in building up a village, but they were soon informed that they were trespassing on territory belonging to the Plymouth Colony.
After a further search of the land, the party decided to settle on the cove where the rivers met and where a freshwater spring was found. The first houses were built at the base of College Hill, with the current North and South Main Streets forming the spine of the village. Thankful for the “providence” that God had shown upon him, Williams gave the town its name, and envisioned the community as a “shelter for persons distressed for conscience.” Negotiating a deal with the Narragansett, Williams gained title to the land in exchange for access to English-made goods.
Each household received a strip of land on College Hill, as well as a tract south of the cove to be used for agriculture. The allotments were of uniform size, denoting the equality present within the early town. Heads of household gathered periodically to consider issues of civic importance, and each individual was free to pursue his or her own religious beliefs. The bonds established with various American Indian groups were strong, but they eventually unraveled due to forces beyond Williams’ control. During King Phillip’s War between the English and regional American Indian tribes, Providence was burned to the ground by the Narragansett in 1676.
In the mid-18th century, Providence developed as a maritime center, and its inland site provided important trade links with towns in Massachusetts. Port facilities south of the cove accommodated ships participating in the “Triangle trade,” which brought rum, sugar, and slaves from the Caribbean as well as finished goods from Great Britain. On the eve of the Revolutionary War, the town had 4,321 residents and supported an industrial base that included distilleries, candle works, tanneries, and various trades such as silversmithing. Shipbuilding was carried out on the west side of the Providence River.
Education also became important to the town’s identity. Founded as the College of Rhode Island in 1764, Brown University moved to Providence in 1770 and received its current name in 1804 in recognition of a generous monetary gift bestowed upon the school by Providence businessman Nicholas Brown. In keeping with Rhode Island’s beginnings, the school welcomed students from all religious backgrounds. University Hall, the school’s oldest building, was erected in 1770 and stands on the College Green. During the Revolutionary War, it was used as a barracks and military hospital by the patriots, as the town avoided occupation by the British.
English immigrant Samuel Slater revolutionized American manufacturing in the 1790s when he introduced water-powered machines at a textile mill in Pawtucket, north of Providence. Within a generation, the state was a leader in the Industrial Revolution that swept New England. Providence became especially known for its expertise in metals and machinery, cotton and wool textiles, jewelry, and silverware production. Although highways and port facilities were improved to foster growth, business and municipal leaders began to search out better and faster ways to obtain raw materials and ship out finished goods.
Incorporated in 1831, the Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P) began construction the next year, and by summer 1835 had opened its line between its namesake cities. A terminal was built on the western side of the Seekonk River at India Point. While the B&P was under construction, the New York, Providence, and Boston Railroad (NYP&B) was formed in 1833 due to the merger of two smaller lines that had been chartered in Connecticut and Rhode Island. In November 1837, the section of track between Stonington, Connecticut and Providence opened to the public. To transport connecting passengers between the NYP&B station south of downtown and the B&P depot, a car float was operated over the waterways. At Stonington, located on Long Island Sound, travelers transferred to steamships to reach New York City.
By the mid-1840s, a union station was proposed and undertaken by the B&P and the Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W), a line that ran north into Massachusetts. The two railroads jointly owned the tracks running into the heart of the city, and decided to build their station on the southern edge of the cove which was partially filled in to accommodate construction. Designed by local architect Thomas Tefft in the Romanesque style, Providence Union Station was considered one of the first major passenger rail facilities in the nation. Opened in 1848, the station included a central two-story building constructed of red brick from which arcaded train sheds stretched out and curved gracefully to meet end pavilions. Soon after its completion, the NYP&B began serving the station, and by the 1880s, it united a handful of rail lines.
Improved transportation connections allowed manufacturers to prosper. Although the Civil War disrupted supplies of southern cotton to Rhode Island, its woolen mills turned out thousands of uniforms, coats, and blankets for the Union Army, and metal factories produced armaments. Post war, Providence grew in area and population as it annexed surrounding communities, and European immigrants supplemented the workforce. By 1900, more than 175,000 people lived in the city; one-fourth worked in local industry.
City business leaders boasted that Providence had the world’s largest tool, file, engine, screw, and silverware factories. Gorham, which became a byword for fine American silver, had its start in Providence in 1831. In 1899, the company used 70,000 dimes donated by American children to craft an eight foot tall “loving cup” presented to Admiral George Dewey, hero of the Spanish-American War. In addition, Providence was the home base of the textile company begun by brothers Robert and Benjamin Knight, co-founders of the Fruit of the Loom brand.
Toward the end of the century, the rail lines entering Providence would be absorbed into the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, commonly known as the “New Haven.” Through a series of acquisitions, it quickly became the dominant freight and passenger line in southern New England, and controlled the route between Boston and New York City. In the first decade of the 20th century, a group of investors headed by J.P. Morgan took over the New Haven and went on a buying spree to acquire steamship lines and trolley companies in an effort to completely monopolize regional transportation. By the 1920s, the New Haven had more than 2,000 miles in its portfolio and it was estimated that it carried 10 percent of American passenger rail traffic.
After Teftt’s station was destroyed by fire in 1896, the New Haven financed its replacement. Completed in 1898, the second Union Station consisted of five separate structures with walls of yellow mottled brick and red sandstone trim. The railroad’s plans called for elevated tracks, new bridges over the Woonasquatucket River, and a rail yard east of the capitol. The city oversaw the filling in of the cove, and new north-south roads were installed. To avoid an at-grade crossing, Francis Street was depressed to run under the viaduct on which the station was constructed. The 20 foot high right-of-way, popularly referred to as the “Chinese Wall,” would divide Smith Hill from downtown for the following seven decades; bridges to hold the new roadways and tracks covered much of the Woonasquatucket, hiding the river from view.
In the 1920s, the textile industry faltered as production moved to the South. The Great Depression further exasperated problems, as did the hurricane of 1938 that inundated downtown under seven feet of water and destroyed wharves and shipping facilities. Although World War II fostered a manufacturing boom for a few years, decline set in again post war. Between 1950 and 1970, the city lost almost a third of its population. City and business leaders understood that drastic action had to be taken to restructure the economy and revitalize the capital, a process that later became known as the Providence “Renaissance.”
As NECIP got underway in the late 1970s, city leaders and planners brought up the idea of realigning the tracks in downtown Providence in order to remove the viaduct and rail yards. NECIP authorized $15-$20 million to rework the tracks and build a new station, but the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) did not envision the major project which was eventually pursued. Rhode Island’s U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell lobbied FRA administrators to redirect the funding to support the plans to bury the tracks. In order to do so, the city and state needed to demonstrate the feasibility of the project, and had to get the principal landowners to consent.
The city, state, and Amtrak owned part of the land, but the core of the site belonged to the P&W, which had broken away from the New Haven after it was forcibly incorporated into Penn Central in 1969. The railroad owned a majority of what became Capital Center—77 acres of rail yards, parking lots, and other uses that were transformed into an extension of downtown with retail, office, and residential units, as well as an extensive public park system.
The Providence Foundation, led by Ron Marsella, led the planning effort with state and city leaders. As a result of negotiations with the landowners, a series of land swaps was engineered to ensure that all would benefit from the creation of Capital Center. SOM was retained to create a master plan for the area which was designated as a special development district overseen by its own governmental entity. The 1979 document crafted a vision for the coordinated redevelopment of 15 parcels that included a new Amtrak station, revamped street grid and bridges, public spaces, visual linkages between the statehouse and downtown, and the creation of marketable commercial land to attract tenants. To cover the extra costs of the proposed $110 million project, city, state, and federal agencies and the P&W provided additional funding.
The relocation of the tracks began in 1983, with 70 percent of the costs funded through federal sources and 30 percent through the city, state, and the P&W. At the urging of architect William Warner, the final redevelopment plan eventually included the uncovering of the rivers and the creation of a waterfront park. Over the next ten years, the Woonasquatucket River was realigned along its natural course, and Waterplace Park was installed along the banks of the three rivers. Amenities include a 1.5 mile riverwalk, boat landings, amphitheater, sculpture, pavilions, and fountains. The historic cove was recreated as a focal point, and the river was crossed by elegant bridges reminiscent of those found in Venice.
Since 1994, the three rivers have played host to WaterFire, an award-winning sculpture by artist Barnaby Evans. The installation features braziers that hold flickering bonfires just above the waters’ surface. In retrospect, Capital Center, Waterplace Park, and the new Amtrak station stand as testaments to the vision of city, state, federal, and private sector leaders who foresaw the value of new infrastructure and its ability to revive and transform a city.
Amtrak provides ticketing and baggage services at this station which is served by 41 daily trains.
ATM available
Quik-Trak kiosks
Amtrak Connect WiFi available
High platform
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Greece's Corruption Problem
Greece is a corrupt place. But how corrupt, in what areas, and it is getting worse?
A good place to start is estimating the size of the "shadow economy." Friedrich Schneider, an authority on the topic, has released new figures on Europe. He defines the shadow economy as activities that are "deliberately concealed from public authorities" to evade taxes or social security payments; to "avoid having to meet certain legal labour standards"; and to "avoid complying with certain administrative procedures."
According to Schneider, Greece's shadow economy was 25.2% of GDP in 2010, compared to an EU-27 average of 21.1% of GDP. However, Greece's shadow economy has shrunk since 2003. From seventh place in 2003, Greece was ranked eleventh in Europe in 2010. In that place, Greece is at the bottom of the EU-15 list but better than almost all the new member states (not the Czech Republic and Slovakia).
Looking at which economic sectors are most susceptible to the shadow economy, Schneider calculates that 22% of the shadow economy comes from services (hotels, restaurants, etc), followed by entertainment and the leisure sector (21%). The rest is split between "construction and skilled manual trades," "other trades and industries," and "miscellaneous trades and domestic services." Overall, the shadow economy in 2008/09 was estimated at €61.5 bn.
To zoom more into the question of corruption, Transparency International is the source. In 2009, Greece got a score of 3.8 (10 being least corrupt), which tied Greece in 71st place with fellow Balkan counties Bulgaria and Romania. These three were also the bottom of the European regional table, almost ten places below Italy which was next from the bottom. More worrisome is the deterioration in Greece's score in 2006; from 2006 to 2008, Greece ranked around 54th to 57th with a score of 4.4 to 4.7. So the main story is not just the extent of corruption but also the perception in 2009 that things got worse.
Transparency International also breaks down which sector the people perceive as most corrupt. The most distrusted institution is the political party - 58% of the respondents saw political parties as the "sector most affected by corruption." This number puts Greece at the very high end of concentration of corruption perceptions against political parties, tied with India (also 58%) and just below Nigeria (63%).
Notable also is how little distrust there is of business, at least in the sense of people perceiving business as corrupt. Just 4% of respondents thought the private sector was the most corrupt (versus 23% in Europe as a whole). Greece's corruption rating for business, however, at 3.4 is on par with the European average (5 being extremely corrupt). By contrast, the score for corruption perception for political parties is 4.4 versus a European average of 3.7.
Finally, Transparency International reports the share of the households that had paid a bribe in the last twelve months. In Greece, this was 18%, which is the second worst in Europe (behind Lithuania) and also more than three times above the European average of 5%. Other countries with an 18% response rate included Pakistan and Nigeria.
The picture one gets from these numbers is of a country at the bottom of the EU-15 scale in terms of a shadow economy and whose population is three times as likely as the average European to have paid a bribe. Greece is also one of the most political countries in the sense of political parties wielding excess power, which in turns means they both despised as well as admired, at least by the people who see them as the path to success.
Labels: Corruption
How Much Does Greece Matter?
Why Greece Needs a Repayment Extension from the Tr...
Banking Sector Review: October 2010
Foreign Investors in Greece, the New Barbarians?
Greek Budget Review: September 2010
Violence at the Acropolis
The Suckers in Greece
Lies, damn lies and (Greek) statistics
Greece's Revenue Challenge in 2011
Should Greece Default?
How Are Greek Households Coping?
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Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP)
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Klara's Gourmet for National Macaroon Day - May 31
Disclosure: I received samples of this product, at no cost to me, for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions in this post are my own or those of my family.
I'd never heard of National Macaroon Day, which is May 31, until I received an email from Klara's Gourmet. My husband is a huge fan of coconut macaroons, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try them. I'm posting this early enough that you can order your own cookies if you'd like!
First, though, let me tell you a little bit about Klara and her company. When Klara Sotonova emigrated from the Czech Republic at the age of 19, her dream was to own her own business. That dream came true in 2006 when she opened Klara's Gourmet Cookies. With recipes that have been handed down in her family for generations, Klara and her team make handcrafted cookies with real ingredients.
This year Klara's Gourmet has been honored as a finalist in the Outstanding Cookie category of the sofi Awards. They are among 109 finalists (selected out of 2025 entries) across all categories, and one of only four finalists in the Outstanding Cookie category.
But let's get down to the bottom line: the cookies.
We started with the Coconut Macaroons. As I mentioned, my husband is a huge fan of coconut macaroons. He described these as "the star of the show." My son said he "really like[s]" them, and observed that they're not overly sweet. The macaroons are sticky, even with a packet of silica gel in the package. Our only negative is that some of the cookies were more well-done than others. Overall, though, these are excellent coconut macaroons.
This is a Vanilla Walnut Crescent. It reminds me of a cookie that my mom makes for Christmas, except that Klara's version is more tender, almost melting in your mouth. The walnut flavor is mild. This was one of my two favorites of the cookies we sampled.
Lemon Poppy Shortbread is a new flavor for Klara's Gourmet, and it was not our favorite. The description says it has "loads of lemon," which is accurate. The lemon flavor is strong, and it has an interesting depth. I'm guessing that's because the cookies are made with lemon extract, lemon oil, and lemon zest. While we didn't care for the bitter aftertaste, we appreciated that the cookies aren't overly sweet. The poppy seeds didn't seem to add flavor, but they make the cookies look pretty! I had one of these, the next day, with a cup of tea, and it was quite good, quite satisfying, that way. It's possible that my initial impression wasn't as favorable because I'd just tasted one of the sweeter cookies. If you love lemon, you will probably like these cookies very much.
Ginger Shortbread, another new flavor, was our least favorite. We are not big fans of ginger. The cookie does, indeed, bring "loads of ginger," and it has a depth of flavor as the Lemon Poppy Shortbread does. These are made with candied ginger, crystallized ginger, and dried ginger. The candied ginger (or the crystallized) adds some chewy bits of extra ginger flavor. My notes, from our family tasting session, say, "Overpowering; has a spicy bite." However, I had one of these with my tea, as well, and like the lemon, it was quite good. If you're a fan of ginger, these are the cookies for you!
Chewy Chocolate Coconut Macaroons are similar to Coconut Macaroons, but with the addition of dutched cocoa powder. This adds a rich chocolate flavor without increasing the sweetness. I like them! My husband prefers the original Coconut Macaroons, because he says the chocolate masks the coconut flavor. He has always preferred his coconut macaroons without chocolate, so this was no surprise.
I started with the men's favorite cookie, and I'll finish with mine: Chocolate Sea Salt Shortbread. The dark chocolate is perfectly balanced with the sea salt flavor. While my husband didn't care for the crunch of the salt crystals, I found it very interesting. I don't know how they bake these cookies without losing the crunch of the sea salt, but the result is outstanding, different from any other cookie I've tasted.
To summarize, I'd say that the flavors of Klara's Gourmet cookies are full and distinct: if you like a flavor--lemon or ginger or chocolate/sea salt--you'll probably like the cookie. With the exception of my husband and the sea salt, we really liked the texture of all the cookies: the chewiness of the macaroons, the crisp-tenderness of the shortbreads. They are not even distantly related to the mass-produced cookies we buy at the supermarket. These do cost more, but you're getting all natural, real ingredients in handcrafted cookies. I'd consider them for a gift or a special treat.
Labels: food , reviews
~ Noelle May 20, 2014 at 10:04 AM
Don't think I have ever had a macaroon- but all the cookies you posted look delicious !
Petula Lloyd May 20, 2014 at 10:52 PM
It has been decades since I tried a macaroon. I didn't like it at the time so I've never even noticed them in the store. I wouldn't mind testing/tasting the brand you wrote about. I'm not sure I'd try the coconut variety again, but there are several cookies that look and sound divine.
Great review, btw.
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ITINERARY PROPOSITION
Here we illustrate some of the boat itineraries on Lake Garda for fun rides on the water. Starting from the charming harbor of Desenzano, the Capital of the lake, we suggest the navigation towards the tip of Sirmione, where you can admire the beautiful “Grotte di Catullo”: the largest and most important Roman villa in Northern Italy, as well as the crystal-clear waters surrounding it.
Let's skirt the tip of the peninsula, leaving the Scaliger castle on the right, and continue in the direction of Peschiera, the walled city, where the lake becomes the Mincio river. A short stop in Lazise, with its quaint harbor and the historic Dogana Veneta (Venetian Customs House), then let's continue towards Bardolino, cross the Garda Bay and get to one of the most spectacular spots of the Lake Garda: Punta San Vigilio.
This unmissable stop boasts incredible landscapes, besides the beautiful mermaids' bay to take a dip in, and the small port with a tavern where you can enjoy delicious snacks. Now let's head back north towards Torri del Benaco, another quaint village, and then cross the lake to the Brescia shores, where we can make a stop in the charming Toscolano- Maderno. Later on, let's go down to Gardone Riviera and its famous Vittoriale degli Italiani (“The Shrine of Italian Victories”), home of the important writer Gabriele D' Annunzio.
We continue cruising in the Gulf of Salò up to its large and convenient harbor, for a visit to the city that played a significant role for Italy during the Second World War.
Now let's sail to the beautiful Garda Island, also known as Isola Borghese: the residence of the Borghese-Cavazza family. A wonderful palace lies on this island, surrounded by a rich and particular flora. To the south, a stretch of rocks and shallow water, where stands the islet of San Biagio, better known as Isola dei Conigli (Rabbit Island), just under the imposing Rocca di Manerba (Rock of Manerba).
1-hour itinerary suggestion
in just one hour, you can visit the peninsula of Sirmione, with the following points of interest:
The Scaliger Castle, front and back
The Grotte di Catullo
The Maria Callas villa
The Thermal baths and their sulfur springs
The Scaliger Castle – a little bit of history and legends:
the Scaliger Castle of Sirmione is a fortress dating back to the Scala family period, and it's the only point of access to the historic center of Sirmione. It is one of the most complete and best preserved castles in Italy, as well as a rare example of a lake fortress. It has a very important detail: it overlooks Lake Garda, and it incorporates a dock.
The castle is surrounded by the lake, and a dock was built shortly after the construction of the castle itself, to harbor the Scaliger fleet. The walls and the three massive towers are characterized by swallow-tailed crenellations, typical of the Scaliger buildings: right behind, the imposing 47-meter high tower, under which were located the cells for the prisoners.
The construction of this fortress began in the mid-thirteenth century, probably on the remains of a Roman fort.
Its construction was ordered by the Podesta of Verona, Leonardino della Scala as known as Mastino I della Scala. The castle had a function of defense and of control of the harbor, for the town of Sirmione, being close to the border, was more exposed to aggressions.
About one century later, two courtyards and an independent fortification were added and connected to the main building through a barbican, to upgrade the defenses of the fortress. In 1405, Sirmione passed under the control of the Venetian Republic, and its defensive structures got furthermore strengthened.
During this time the dock was built, although probably there was already a wooden one. Sirmione held the record for the best defensive position until the sixteenth century, when, for political reasons, the fortress of Peschiera del Garda got modernized.
say that long ago, in the castle lived a young man named Ebengardo with his sweetheart, Arice: the two lovers spent a peaceful life, until their idyll was cut short by a tragic event. During a stormy night, a Venetian knight from the region of Feltre called Elalberto asked for shelter in the castle. The couple hosted the knight who, stunned by the beauty of the girl, tried to enter her room during the night. Arice started to scream, and Elalberto stabbed her. Ebengardo ran into the room to find Arice lifeless, and blinded by rage killed Elalberto with his dagger.
The legend says that even today, on stormy nights, you can see the soul of Ebengardo wander around the castle in search of Arice.
The Grotte di Catullo:
the Grotte di Catullo are the remains of a Roman villa built between the end of the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. in Sirmione, on the southern shore of the Lake Garda. The archaeological complex, studied since the beginning of the nineteenth century and brought to light in several stages, is today the most important evidence of the Roman period in the territory of Sirmione, and the most magnificent example of a Roman villa in Northern Italy.
Time and reasons of the decline of the villa are still unknown, but the discovery of graves, both inside and outside the building, dating from the fourth to the fifth century proves that, at that time, the structure had already been abandoned. Over the centuries, various chroniclers and travelers visited the ruins, but the first real studies on them were carried out only in 1801 by a general of Napoleon Bonaparte. At a later stage, Girolamo Orti Manara from Verona starts further excavations, making new and more extensive researches.
The outcome was released in 1856 along with a plan of the site: nowadays, this text by Manara is still crucial. In 1939, the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage launches an extensive program of excavation and restoration, acquiring in 1948 the entire area to allow an adequate protection of the complex in its natural environment.
The Villa Maria Callas
this villa is named after Maria Callas, the great soprano of Greek origins, who came here during the few pauses of his intense artistic activity.
2-hour itinerary suggestion:
two hours to spare, you may want to visit the beautiful Garda Island, located in the central part of the lake.
History and information on the Isola del Garda
Isola del Garda is a place of rare beauty. A treasure chest, full of history, memories and legends. A pearl surrounded by the clear waters of the lake. A picturesque rock that welcomed ancient peoples, from the Romans to the Lombards. It was then home to St. Francis, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bernardine of Siena and probably Dante Alighieri. Facing south, the beautiful and elegant building of the early '900 in the Venetian – neo-Gothic style.
This is an imposing yet harmonious building, full of surprising architectural details. At his feet, terraces and Italian gardens slope down to the lake. All around, the vegetation of both local and exotic plants is lush and intact. Rare species and unique flowers bloom in this special place, alongside a harmonious wood of pines and cypresses, acacias and lemon trees, magnolias and agaves. Isola del Garda is magic and mystery. The birdsong seems to be the joyous voice of the soul of those who, over the centuries, have respected, cared for and loved it. In ancient times, it was called "Insula Cranie". After 1000 A.D., the name was changed to "Isola del Garda", "Island of the Monks", "Lechi Island", "Scotti Island", "De Ferrari Island", "Borghese Cavazza Island". Already inhabited in Roman times, it was used as a hunting reserve until 879 A.D.. Then, its new owner Duke Carloman of Bavaria donated it to the monks. In 1221, St. Francis of Assisi established a simple hermitage in the north, on the rocks. The five monks of that settlement lived a life of contemplation, in absolute poverty, in their cells dug into the rock. In 1227, St. Anthony of Padua visited the site. Probably even Dante Alighieri landed on the island, in 1304. From 1383 to 1444, St. Bernardine of Siena adorned the garden of the convent (with lemon, lime, orange and olive trees). Subsequently, Francesco Licheto (a Franciscan) held public lectures on philosophy and theology. At his death in 1529, began the decline of the hermitage. In 1803 (Napoleon had founded the Cisalpine Republic six years before), the religious order was suppressed. The island became the property of the State, and then was sold to the Conter family of Salò. In 1817, the property passed to the Benedetti brothers (from Portese), to Giovanni Fiorentini (a merchant from Milan) and to the Lechi family (from Brescia). In 1860, the area was expropriated and used as a military outpost. At the beginning of 1870, the Scotti family won an auction on the site and then sold the island to the Duke de Ferrari (from Genoa). He decided to build the monumental building which still stands today. The works were supervised by an architect from Genoa named Rovelli and completed in 1903. The result was an impressive building, really complex, in a neo-Gothic Venetian style (which reminds of the Doge's Palace in Venice). At the death of Mary Annenkov (wife of the Duke de Ferrari), her daughter Anna Maria inherited the building. She enriched the garden with flowers and exotic plants. Anna Maria married Prince Scipione Borghese and their daughter Livia took great care of this paradise for over fifty years. She was the wife of Count Alessandro Cavazza and had three children: Novello, Paolo Emilio and Camillo.
The latter inherited the island, and the current owners are his wife Charlotte Chetwynd Talbot, and children: Sigmar, Livia, Eric, Ilona, Alberta, Christian and Lars Patrick.
Ohter suggested destinations:
Vittoriale degli italiani
The Vittoriale degli Italiani (“Shrine of Italian Victories”) is the monumental citadel built in Gardone Riviera, on the shores of the Lake Garda, by poet Gabriele D'Annunzio and architect Giancarlo Maroni from 1921 to 1938.
It is a complex of buildings, streets, squares, theaters, gardens and waterways. It was erected in memory of the "inimitable life" and of the accomplishments of the Italian troops during the First World War. The inscription at the entrance calls it a "book of living stones".
The Foundation of the Vittoriale degli Italiani is open to the public year-round, and visited by about 180,000 people a year.
The gardens of the Vittoriale are very large, covering about half the area of the complex. At the monumental entrance start two paths: the “esoteric” one takes you through the different squares to the house of D'Annunzio and to the mausoleum of Heroes, with the tomb of the poet; the "profane" one, instead, leads to the lake, the groves and the valleys of “Acqua Pazza” and “Acqua Savia”.
In the second part of the garden lies the violin-shaped "giardino delle danze" (garden of the dances), with two artificial streams called "Acqua Pazza", a rugged one, and the quieter "Acqua Savia".
The D' Annunzio villa, formerly Villa Thode and then renamed "Prioria", consists of twenty rooms adorned with engraved mottoes and diverse objects positioned to inspire suggestions, thanks to a vague monastic atmosphere. It holds a rich library of 33,000 books of Italian and French literature, history, art and rare editions including 16th-century books and incunabula.
In the lake there are five islands, all quite small. The largest is the Isola del Garda, where in 1220 St. Francis of Assisi founded a monastery for the monks of his order, a structure closed only in the eighteenth century and replaced in the nineteenth by a building in Venetian neo-Gothic style. Not far lies the second largest island, the San Biagio island, also called "of the Rabbits" because of its large population of hares and rabbits in the sixteenth century. The island, located in the south- eastern part of the Gulf of San Felice, is close to the coast and in dry periods it is reachable on foot.
Along the eastern shore there are three other islands, all of small size and located near Malcesine: the northernmost is the isola degli Olivi, then there is the isola del Sogno, also reachable on foot in dry periods, and finally, the southernmost isola del Trimelone (or Tremellone).
Malcesine lies 60 kilometers to the north-west of Verona. It is the northernmost municipality of the Verona province, on the coast of Lake Garda. Its boundaries go from the shores of the lake to the summit of Monte Baldo. In the nearby village of Cassone flows one of the shortest rivers in the world: the river Aril, about 175 meters long.
During the summer, there is a lively cultural scene with several concerts at the Lacaor Theater, a striking natural arena at the foot of the Scaliger Castle, and exhibitions of painting and sculpture.
Feast of St. Anne: on St. Anne's Day, the patron saints Benigno and Caro are celebrated with fireworks over the water;
Triduum: in February, the traditional Triduum is held in the local church: three days of prayer for the souls in purgatory. On this occasion, an impressive scenery is set, with hundreds of candles;
International competition for children choirs: a very important children choirs competition is organized every other year on a national and international level by the “Garda in coro” association, with the best Italian and foreign groups and the relative choral music composition contest.
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Vince Bodiford named publisher at The Daily Telegram
2.05.2018 John Crouch Announcements
Original text by The Monroe News staff
Vince Bodiford
Vince Bodiford, president and publisher of The Monroe News, was recently named publisher of The Daily Telegram in Adrian, Michigan.
The Telegram, Lenawee County’s daily newspaper, and The Monroe News are owned by GateHouse Media.
“Vince is a strong leader and has heavy experience with involvement in the local community,” said Orestes Baez, group publisher and president of Gatehouse Media, Michigan. “He has owned and operated his own papers and will bring a fresh set of eyes to our Adrian property and products.”
The Adrian publisher position was restructured, allowing Bodiford the opportunity to lead both publications. Michigan has four publishers overseeing 10 print and digital properties across the state.
“This is a great team of people and, like them, I am committed to ensuring that The Daily Telegram is a strong community voice and partner,” Bodiford said.
Bodiford is married with two grown children and four grandchildren.
His interests include boating, the outdoors, antiques and fine art. He also is an auto enthusiast.
He joined The Monroe News in March 2017.
Read the original story here.
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Комитет международного контроля за ситуацией с правами человека в Беларуси
About Committee
Position of the Committee
International Observation Mission
About Mission
Analytical reviews
Moscow Mechanism
Международная реакция
Analytical review No. 1-1b “Interference in the Work of Human Rights Organizations and Initiatives in Belarus from January 12th to March 8th, 2011”
The International Observation Mission has prepared an analytical review about the situation with human rights defenders and human rights organizations in the Republic of Belarus from January, 12 to March, 8, 2011.
This analytical review is a sequel to the work presented in the Analytical review №1-1 “Interference in the work of Human Rights organizations and initiatives in Belarus December 2010 – January 2011”, published earlier.
In this document the International Observation Mission of the Committee for international control over the situation with Human Rights in the Republic of Belarus presents analysis of the situation and a systematized selection of facts of intervention into activities of Human Rights organizations in the Republic of Belarus for the period from January, 12th to March, 8th, 2011, which was made taking account of the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders") and terms of the European Union Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders - "Ensuring the protection”. The materials of the review were collected from open sources, reports from human rights defenders and human rights organizations in Belarus, and also based on information given by the Centre for legal transformation, first of all.
In spite that the number of incidents of pressure on human rights organizations has decreased in comparison with the first observation period, actions of authorities in relation to human rights defenders are, as before, characterized as threatening personal security of human rights defenders and inhibiting work of human rights organizations.
Warning notices to human rights organizations and their heads can be considered as new threats to the civil society, which can lead to closing of registered organizations (incident with the Belarusian Helsinki Committee), and as well to criminal prosecutions against activists (incident with Andrei Belyatski). It can be said that such actions of the officials of the Republic of Belarus indicate their unwillingness to follow the numerous recommendations to matching the national legislation in correspondence with international standards of freedom of associations.
It is important to note that there is the great attention of the international society to the situation with the pressure upon human rights defenders and interference in implementation of their activities in the Republic of Belarus.
Thus it is obvious that it is well worth for the international society and intergovernmental institutions to reconsider their approach towards the policy of constructing interrelations with the civil society of Belarus and jointly work out a new work strategy.
Because the situation, as a matter of fact, has changed just slightly, the general recommendations of the International Observation Mission, aimed at improvement and stabilization of the situation with assurance of freedom for activities of human rights organizations in the Republic of Belarus, remain urgent.
The full text of the analytical review
News of Belarus
Tough sentences announced to Brest antifascists
A verdict was delivered today in the case of Brest antifascists acused of participation in a group fight with neonazis which happened on May 8, 2013.
Antifascists were tried under the art. 339.3 (malicious group hooliganism) and 147.2 (malicious bodily harm). The case was qualified as malicious due to the fact of pepper spray usage in the fight.
Dzmitry Stsyashenka got 5 years of penal colony with reinforced regime (339.3) and 500 euro of damages to be paid to the injured nazis.
Беларусь присоединяется к Конвенции о правах инвалидов
Submitted by admin on Sun, 09/27/2015 - 21:00
Exclusive: European Union moves to suspend sanctions on Belarus
Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/16/2015 - 21:00
The European Union is likely to lift some sanctions on Belarus, including its travel ban on President Alexander Lukashenko, after he freed a group of political prisoners last month, diplomatic sources say.
An arms embargo against the former Soviet republic would remain. But in an overture to the man the West calls Europe's "last dictator", diplomats are looking at suspending visa bans and asset freezes on most of around 200 people under sanctions for rights abuses, some since disputed elections in 2004.
Аналитика Заявления Новости Новости Киев Новости Комитета Новости Москва Рекомендации
Европейский Союз ОБСЕ ООН Совет Европы
Твиты пользователя @IOMission
© 2010-2011 The Committee on International Control
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Why don't we expose our kids to foreign language before 7th grade?
This chart was created by an LCPS mom concerned about the elimination of all elementary foreign language offerings in our schools. I organized a LEAP meeting last year with the WaPo reporter whose October, 2014 article on which this chart is based.
The eliminated program was never intended to produce kids who could speak fluent Spanish but instead to lay a foundation. That's what the mom who created this chart said it did for her child, and I've heard that from others as well. There was talk of replacing the old program with an immersion pilot program but it has never happened. There are numerous studies that exposure to foreign language at an early age makes it easier to learn not only that foreign language, but also English and increases critical thinking skills in general.
On the other hand, my opponent lists eliminating all LCPS elementary foreign language as an accomplishment he's proud of on his website, while the K-8 private school he sent his kids to teaches Spanish in every grade.
If I'm elected, I will work to provide early foreign language opportunities for our kids in Loudoun's public schools.
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Should Have Been Bigger: Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath The Tree”
Mike Wass @mikewassmusic | December 5, 2018 5:10 pm
Kelly's 'Meaning Of Life:' Album Review
We review Kelly Clarkson's 8th LP, the soulful and surprising 'Meaning Of Life.'
In the pantheon of modern Christmas songs, Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath The Tree” stands toe-to-toe with Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton’s “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” as one of the best. (Of course, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is in a league of its own). Released in 2013 as the lead single from Wrapped In Red, the Greg Kurstin-produced bop is positively bursting with good cheer. “Presents, what a beautiful sight! Don’t mean a thing if you ain’t holding me tight,” Kelly belts on the chorus. “You’re all that I need, underneath the tree.”
It’s cute, feel-good and very, very festive. Somewhat surprisingly, “Underneath The Tree” only peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100. And yes, it was difficult for seasonal fare to chart in the post-physical sales/pre-streaming era when radio reigned supreme. But Kelly’s Christmas anthem is so catchy that it transcends the holiday genre in the same way that Mimi’s seminal classic did in the 1990s. It’s just a hell of a good pop song dressed up in a little tinsel and crisp, red wrapping paper.
There is a happy ending to this story. “Underneath The Tree” has become one of those pesky Xmas songs that reemerges every December. It is currently sitting at number 70 on iTunes and could well reenter the Billboard Hot 100 before the year is out. Perhaps, Kelly could film a belated video or give the song a refresh with a remix? Anyway, there’s time. This is one of those classic tunes that has an indefinite shelf-life.
Do you love the song? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
Tags: Kelly Clarkson, Should Have Been Bigger
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Jewish World Review August 11, 2006 / 17 Menachem-Av, 5766
There's no retreat to the shroud
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Something happened yesterday in London but some of us aren't quite sure what it was, or even if it was.
Scotland Yard, just like in the movies, raided several rats' nests in London, Birmingham and High Wycombe to seize 21 men before they could put in motion their plot to blow up a dozen airliners over the Atlantic. The arrests, which continued yesterday, were the work of dogged detectives with the cooperation of authorities in Pakistan.
The cops no doubt enjoyed a run of the good luck that usually accompanies hard work. Some of us sighed a great sigh of relief, tempered by the chill brought on by the knowledge that maybe other plotters are still at large. Some of us, but not all of us.
Politicians on this side of the Atlantic seized on the opportunity to make a little noise. If you think this was one event that couldn't be spun as something wicked by George W. Bush, you obviously never heard of Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid, giddy over the resurrection of George McGovern in Connecticut. Not all of us are quick students of reality. Reuters, the London-based news service so high-minded that it won't even call terrorists "terrorists" and is perhaps preoccupied with figuring out how much of its coverage of the fighting in Lebanon has been faked, insists on calling it a "suspected" plot. Agence France-Presse sullenly calls it an "alleged plot," and suggests that the triumph of Scotland Yard is just more American politics, enabling the Bush White House to tag Democrats as wimps and wussies eager to raise the white flag. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said some of the right things denouncing "the suspected alleged plot," but spokesmen spent most of their Washington press conference yesterday lecturing the rest of us not to think that just because "the suspected alleged suspects" are Muslims the murderous plot has anything to do with Islamic jihad.
It's true that many perhaps even most of the Muslims in our midst mean no harm to anyone, and want only to be good Americans with tolerance and kindness for all, but it's a libel and a slander to suggest that Americans need to be warned not to engage in a "backlash" against Muslims. Americans, provoked no end by Islamic radicals, have nevertheless treated Muslims, as they should, with the respect they treat Methodists.
The London arrests will harvest a lot of one-day headlines and for a few days we'll hear pious tut-tutting from the usual suspects, and we'll be further harassed at airports by tightening of security. The security men collected a lot of perfume and cosmetics yesterday some of their wives may be the best-smelling women in their neighborhoods and blue-haired Lutheran grannies of Minnesota can expect to be pulled out of line again for questioning, not because the inspectors expect to find terrorists among them but because they would be accused of "profiling" if they question only suspicious-looking characters named Mohammed.
Whether modern Islam has anything to teach the world about tolerance and understanding is something best left to theologians and George W. Bush, but yesterday the president called the enemy in the war on terror "Islamic fascists," using neither the usual term "Islamist" nor his usual mantra paying tribute to the "religion of peace."
The foiling of "mass murder on an unimaginable scale," as a London police superintendent describes it, may be the last opportunity the West will have to get serious about the threat before we have to deal with death and destruction as we have not seen it before. The restrictions on movement through airports, the electronic surveillance of the flow of money through American banks, and the heightened police visibility would never have been tolerated by Americans in more innocent times, but will be necessary for a season. We don't have to like it and vigilance against unreasonable breaching of civil liberties will be more important than ever but necessity requires that we put up with it.
Most important of all, we must recognize that the madness foiled in London is part of the worldwide Islamist assault on civilization, and cannot be separated from the war in Iraq, the threat from Iran and the Hezbollah provocations of Israel in Lebanon. We can long for happier days, and imagine that we can retreat behind the ocean barriers that protected us for so long, but it will be the retreat to a shroud.
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Juniper Law
Blog In Law
Jamie Simpson
Jamie excels at understanding his clients’ interests and providing clear information and advice.
Above all, he knows the value of listening.
Jamie is an accomplished researcher and analyst and enjoys digging into thorny legal questions. His areas of interest include judicial review, administrative and regulatory law, human rights, aboriginal law, government liability, and environmental law. See Jamie’s TEDx talk on environmental rights here.
Jamie has appeared before the provincial courts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the NS Utility and Review Board. He is a past executive director of the East Coast Environmental Law Association, and completed the criminal law clinic with the Crown Attorneys’ office in Dartmouth, NS.
Jamie received his law degree and environmental law certificate from Dalhousie University, and completed his articles with Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Justice. He also holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Acadia University and a Master’s of Science degree in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick.
Jamie has been called to the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and to the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Jamie is also a member of the Association of Registered Professional Foresters of New Brunswick.
Jamie is the author of two regionally best-selling books, Journeys through Eastern Old-Growth Forests and Restoring the Acadian Forest, both with Nimbus Publishing, and is honoured to have received several awards for his academic and conservation work:
Elizabeth May Award for Environmental Service, Dalhousie
Edward Charles Foley Prize, Marine and Environmental Law Program, Dalhousie
Environmental law top mark prize, Dalhousie
Artistic project grant for writing, NS Department of Culture and Heritage
NS Federation of Hunters and Anglers Conservation Award
NS Environmental Network’s Honour in the Woods Award
Get in touch at 902-817-1737, or Jamie@juniperlaw.ca.
Juniper is a tenacious and graceful plant perfectly at home on our rocky Maritime coastlines.
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“Hero” combines music and film elements to honor Victims of Violence
Published on : January 3, 2018 December 29, 2018 Published by : Editor
Hollywood Cinematic Artist “Angel” Releases Debut Project “Hero” January 11th
LOS ANGELES, CA, December 29, 2017 — “There was a reason Hero found me, and I intuitively believe that reason was Christina Grimmie!” explains Hollywood Cinematic Artist Angel of her debut project, the short film music video “Hero.” The idea for “Hero” came to Angel after seeing the aftermath of two horrible acts of violence, the tragic shooting of Christina Grimme and the Manchester Arena Bombing at the Ariana Grande Concert. Angel took it upon herself to express the emotions and perspective of the female victims and how they must have felt.
“I wanted to write, film and perform an emotive piece that would reflect the tragedy of this loss, from the victims perspective and how this cowardly act, affects us all !” says Angel when asked about her inspiration for “Hero.”
For the Worldwide debut of “Hero” on January 11th, Angel collaborated on the arrangement with 2017 Oscar Eligible Film Composer and Multi-Instrumentalist Jamie Messenger (The Orchestra) whose previous work includes collaborations with Sia, Hilltop Hoods and the top Symphony Orchestras in Australia.
The music video/short film was possible because of the amazing crew and talent behind the camera. Angel wore many hats on the production as writer, director, producer and musical arrangement. Liam Lacey co-wrote the screenplay with Angel. Anysha Rankin was the cinematographer, and Angel’s look was styled by personal stylist Channing CE. “Hero” was filmed on location at Gold Coast Studio, Queensland, Australia.
Jamie Messenger and Angel arranged the music for “Hero, and also produced along with Siew. The music was recorded live at Red Door Sounds, Melbourne, Australia.
“Be beautiful beyond description in everything you do,” Angel advises. This ethos is the reason she chose the stage name “Angel.” Angel personifies united global symbolism and uses her work as a messenger to spread her message of peace and unification.
Angel’s next project is soon to be announced. The project is currently under wraps, but it features a collaboration with a well known Hollywood film composer and promises to showcase Angel’s signature Hollywood Glam style. The project is slated for release in May 2018.
Hollywood Cinematic Artist “Angel” is a Los Angeles and Sydney based socially conscious artist who composes “Statement” Cinematic Soundtracks and Music Short Films/Videos. As a child, her mother introduced her to Hollywood Musical and style icons such as Ginger Rogers, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn, who have shaped her work. She is a well rounded triple threat who has been trained in acting, singing, and dancing, as well as Honours Degrees, in BioMedical Science, Medicine and Surgery. Angel has won 6 Awards for songwriting and instrumental soundtracks in both the UK Int.Songwriting Contest and the Australian Songwriters Association. It was after completing the Hans Zimmer MasterClass in Film Composing that Angel felt compelled to adopt her signature style. Angel’s Worldwide Debut is set for release in early 2018. Follow Angel on Facebook (angel.cinematic), Instagram (@angelcinematicartist) and Twitter (@anglesbbbd)
Official Website: www.angelcinematic.biz
Categorized in : Video, TV, Movies
Angela C. Howell Bids Farewell to 2017 With Three Songs on Top 100 Chart
Footprint TV Launches in Time for New Year Defying Stereotypes
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Article Info.
Journal of the Korean Chemical Society (대한화학회지)
Pages.424-430
Korean Chemical Society (대한화학회)
DOI QR Code
Thermophysical Properties of Acetophenone with Ethylchloroacetate at Temperatures of 303.15, 313.15 and 323.15 K
Saravanakumar, K. ;
Baskaran, R. ;
Kubendran, T.R.
Received : 2011.08.12
Accepted : 2012.07.03
Published : 2012.08.20
https://doi.org/10.5012/jkcs.2012.56.4.424
Citation PDF KSCI KPUBS JATS XML
Densities, viscosities, refractive indices and speed of sounds of the binary mixtures of Acetophenone with Ethylchloroacetate were measured over the entire mole fractions at (303.15, 313.15 and 323.15) K. From these experimental results, excess molar volume $V^E$, viscosity deviation ${\Delta}{\eta}$, refractive index deviation ${\Delta}n_D$, deviations in speed of sound ${\Delta}u$, deviations in isentropic compressibility ${\Delta}k_s$ and excess intermolecular free length ${\Delta}L_f$ were calculated. The viscosity data have been correlated with the equations of Grunberg and Nissan, Hind et al., Tamura and Kurata, Katti and Chaudri, Sedgwick, Krishnan-Laddha and McAllister. The thermo physical properties under study were fit to the Jouyban-Acree model. The excess values were correlated using Redlich-Kister polynomial equation to obtain their coefficients and standard deviations. It was found that in all cases, the data obtained fitted with the values correlated by the corresponding models very well. The results are interpreted in terms of molecular interactions occurring in the solution.
Viscosity;Density;Refractive index;Ultrasonic velocity;Molecular interactions
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Roux, A.; Desnoyers, J. Indian Acad. Proc., Chem. Soc. 1978, 78, 435.
Fort, R. J.; Moore, W. R. Trans. Faraday Soc. 1966, 62, 1112. https://doi.org/10.1039/tf9666201112
Iloukhani, H.; Rostami, Z. J. Chem. Eng. Data 2007, 52, 921. https://doi.org/10.1021/je600519p
Thermophysical and thermoacoustical properties of acetophenone with ethyl butyrate at temperatures of 303.15, 313.15, and 323.15 K vol.25, pp.2, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1134/S1810232816020077
Thermo-physical properties for the binary system of propiophenone-methyl acetate at 303.15–313.15 K vol.89, pp.10, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1134/S0036024415100040
Total ionization cross section of cyclic organic molecules vol.150, pp.6, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5081841
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The Book of Haftarot
For Shabbat, Festivals, and Fast Days
By Sol Scharfstein
The Book of Haftarot is a companion volume to the highly successful The Five Books of Moses: An Easy-to-Read Torah Translation. The reading of the Torah as part of the synagogue service on Sabbaths, festivals, and fast days is followed by the reading of a selection from one of the prophetic books. This reading is known as the Haftarah, from the Hebrew word that means "conclusion" or "to take leave of."
The haftarah reading for each week was selected by the ancient rabbis because it has a correlation of some kind to the week's Torah portion. Many haftorot deal with the same theme or subject as the Torah reading, so that the haftorot seems to be an expansion or commentary on the Torah portion. Other Torah readings and haftorot are related in other ways.
The origin of the custom of reading a selection from the Prophets after the Torah reading is unknown. Rabbi David Abudarham, who lived in the 14th century in Spain, claimed that the custom originated during the persecution that led up to the revolt by Judah Maccabee in the 2nd century B.C.E. Antiochus, the Syrian king, prohibited Torah reading in a brutal effort to stamp out Judaism. The haftorot readings were introduced as a substitute. Later on, when the Jews won their freedom and restored the Torah reading, they retained the Haftarah readings in memory of this event.
The prophets of ancient Israel were a diverse group: some were farmers, some were shepherds, and some were members of the aristocracy; most were men, but a few were women. Whatever their background and training, they all boldly spoke out for God with prophetic messages calling for justice and peace.
Praise for The Book of Haftarot
Haftarot, the Hebrew word for "conclusion" (of the biblical lesson, that is), is the reading from the five prophetic books that follows the reading of the Torah on the Shabbat and festivals in synagogues. The reading for each week was selected by ancient rabbis and has a correlation to the week's Torah portion. On festivals, it relates to that day's service. In most congregations, it is considered a special honor to be called to read the Haftarot. Scharfstein, the author of The Five Books of Moses (2005), posits that the historical factors that led to the readings have been lost "in the clouds of antiquity," but Jews from the earliest times gathered to pray and to listen as Levites, priests, prophets, and rabbis explained and taught the messages found in the Torah. Here are the five books in English, along with commentaries; Scharfstein has written a readable and judicious study of a most difficult subject.
~ American Library Association
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Lawyer Limelight: James E. Ferguson II
By Lawdragon NewsJanuary 5, 2012Lawyer Limelights
Photo provided by Ferguson Stein
Growing up in Ashville, N.C., James E. Ferguson II saw racial discrimination and inequity first hand. While in high school in the 1950s, he formed a student group to desegregate public facilities in his hometown. As a lawyer, he has devoted his career to advocating for the underprivileged, wrongfully accused and injured. One of Ferguson’s best-known cases is his representation of Darryl Hunt, an African-American man convicted of murdering a white woman in 1984. After nearly 20 years of trials and appeals going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Hunt was finally exonerated in 2004. Ferguson also succeeded in getting convictions overturned for the “Wilmington 10,” who were convicted in 1971 on charges of arson and conspiracy to fire upon firemen and police officers during riots that grew out of racial tension over school desegregation.
In recent decades, the name partner of Charlotte-based Ferguson Stein Chambers Gresham & Sumter has focused his practice on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. He talked to Lawdragon about his life and career, including his efforts to bring trial advocacy training to black South African attorneys. Ferguson also shared his views on civil rights and other matters from Martin Luther King through President Barack Obama.
Lawdragon: What got you into law in the first place?
James Ferguson: Well, there were a couple of things that directed me into law very early on. One was a high school experience where I had joined with some friends of mine to desegregate public facilities in Ashville, North Carolina, where I grew up and was going to school. This was right after the sit-ins broke out in Greensboro, North Carolina, and we didn’t have a black college in Ashville. My colleagues and I wanted to be involved so we formed a group called the Ashville Student Committee on Racial Equality. One of the first things we did was seek legal advice.
We contacted the only two African American lawyers in town. They agreed to meet with us. Instead of giving us the legal discourse we thought we were going to get, they said do what you have to do and we’ll be there to help you. I decided then that I wanted to be available to help the community just as these lawyers were willing to help us. My passion from that time on was to be into law to try to make our communities better and to help those people who needed help most.
LD: Did you have any important mentors?
JF:: At that time, of course, I admired those lawyers and watched what they did and was certainly inspired by them. Once I became a lawyer and came here to Charlotte, I had the opportunity to work with one of them and he certainly was a big help to me. In terms of an actual mentor, my partner Julius Chambers was a great inspiration and a great mentor for me. I could not have asked for a better person to work with, a more caring person, a more understanding person, a more committed person. He was all of that and still is. [Chambers is a famed civil rights lawyer and activist who litigated, among many other cases, the Swanndesegregation case, in which the Supreme Court in a 9-0 decision ruled that it was permissible for a judge to order racially explicit transportation or assignment of school children in order to desegregate schools.]
LD: What has been your firm’s focus—it’s goals—and have they changed over time?
JF:: I’m not so sure we had goals as much as we did vision. And that vision was to give and help those who needed help most and to try to help people in every aspect of their lives. That has sort of been our guiding principle and that’s what we’ve always tried to do. We’ve tried to help people who didn’t have rights gain rights, people who didn’t have opportunity to gain equal opportunity and to help those who are injured get just and adequate compensation for their injuries and to promote and protect rights. So that led us into a number of different areas.
We did a lot of the early civil rights cases in North Carolina. We did criminal defense and we represented those who were injured, particularly those who were catastrophically injured. All of that stems from this whole notion that you help people who need it most, who need a voice, who need someone to speak for them. A lot of the interests in our society have resources and they can go out and hire anybody they want to. A lot of the people who we represented had few or no resources. And in the legal arena, you’ve got to have resources; you’ve got to have someone going to speak for you. We try to be their voice.
LD: What types of cases are you presently handling?
JF:: I do a variety of cases. Right now my concentration is more in catastrophic injury than in anything else. I do quite a few medical malpractice cases, wrongful death cases, police misconduct cases where people have been badly injured. That’s a lot of what I do now in contrast to what I did starting out. When starting out, I did quite a few core cases, constitutional rights cases, civil rights cases and that sort of thing, which we still do but my own concentration has shifted more toward the catastrophic injuries right now.
LD: What are you most proud of personally or professionally?
JF:: One thing I take great pride in, although I don’t know that it is above everything else, but it certainly stands out to me in my mind of things that I find to be quite rewarding, is the experience I’ve had in training lawyers in South Africa who were operating under the Apartheid system at one time. I joined with a colleague of mine, Ken Broun, who had been Dean of the law school at University of North Carolina and we took trial advocacy training to South Africa and did the very first trial advocacy training that South Africa had for practicing lawyers. We were working with lawyers who were seeking to end the Apartheid system. Many of them were black lawyers who were marginalized at best and arrested and worse. We were able to work with them, teaching and training them in development of trial skills that would be useful to them in dealing with their court system there.
I’ve been involved in that work since 1986 and I’ve been back and forth to South Africa on a regular basis since then doing that work. I see many of the lawyers there who at the time we went down were excluded and marginalized and had no real impact. I’ve seen them develop and actually become people who are running the government now. It’s just a gratifying experience for me. And I think being fortunate enough to be able to practice law, we ought to try to give something back and try to help society in all ways we can.
LD: Do you feel there is a particular case that made you who you are today?
JF:: I don’t think there is one particular case. There have been a lot of cases that have great meaning. I don’t elevate one case above another. I look at the totality of cases I’ve had that have had an impact on people’s lives and have made a difference for them. I suppose if I wanted to talk about a case that stands out in my mind it would be the Daryl Hunt case that I handled with my colleagues. Daryl Hunt was charged with a heinous murder when he was 18/19 years of age and he insisted on his innocence. I believed in him and some others believed in him and I decided to represent him. He had already been convicted when I joined the case. As it turns out, we worked on the case for 20 years. Eventually, he was exonerated by DNA.
LD: I read that over 15,000 hours were devoted to that case and the fee should have been $2.5 million but the court only awarded $100,000. Why didn’t you pursue further compensation?
JF:: I wasn’t in it for that. I was in it to help and that was important to me. We were devoted to the case. That’s what we did. Even if we had gotten fees, it wouldn’t have been close enough to compensate for the time we had devoted to the case. At times we have pursued fees, but we were invested in this case for different reasons. That’s where our focus was.
LD: Tell me about the Wilmington 10 case—where the defendants were sentenced to a total of 282 years in prison and you got their convictions overturned?
JF:: That case involved nine young men and one young woman who were trying to get as much equity as they could in a newly desegregated school system and as they sought to do that they were threatened by whites in the community. They met in a church and the church was placed under siege by white vigilantes but they stood their ground, protected themselves, protected the church and out of that came some challenges and a terrible ordeal and peril for them. We fought for them for nine or 10 years before we were able to get a court to vindicate them. That was a case where we started out not knowing when or how we would get payment for it but it was one where we felt we ought to act. Then somewhere along the lines, the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice got interested in the case and provided some financial help in carrying the case forward.
LD: You talked about them facing peril, but you also faced personal safety issues and threats through the years. How did you go forward? You had to be afraid for your life.
JF:: No. If you’re afraid for your life you’ll never get anything done. You don’t focus on that. You focus on the importance of what needs to be done. You do that and everything takes care of itself. I don’t mean by that that you should be foolish or foolhardy. You operate as safely as you can, but you operate. You do what you have to do. And if some danger comes of that, so be it. I guess like Martin Luther King said, if a man has nothing to die for, he really has nothing to live for. So you have to follow your beliefs and hope you’ll be safe in doing that. There’s always a chance that some harm will come.
LD: You’re been around through great change—from before Martin Luther King and now there is the first African American President, Barack Obama. What are your thoughts on Obama as President and how the world is changing?
JF:: I think the election of Barack Obama is one more giant step toward achieving equality in this country. I think he stands as a great beacon of light and hope for the country and for the world. He is, in some ways, the culmination of the dream that Martin Luther King spoke about back in 1963. When he spoke out he was an outsider and Barack Obama I suppose in contrast speaks as the ultimate insider, as the leader of the free world. So things change, things pass. It’s been a long time since Martin Luther King spoke in Washington, but we’ve kept on and now we have an African American president who is the right person for the right time and I think he’ll take us further along this course. Of course this does not mean that the movement for civil rights is over. It just means that it has reached a certain plateau from which we go forward. We have to hope that.
LD: How do you see the economic downturn impacting diversity and employment?
JF:: They do become less fair. And it’s the job of lawyers to try to keep it fair and to always bring us back to those core principles that make us who we are and to insist that the gains we’ve made remain and that the law is responsive not just to those who are in power but to those who are not in power. We’ll have to resort to some of the principles that have already been established to make sure that the people who are last in are not necessarily the first out. A lot of our struggle has been about creating more opportunity and in order to do that you have to hire and help more people to work toward that end.
LD: It’s hard to reach a position of influence and power, but you have. But I guess it is the support you receive from your family that made you who you are today.
JF:: That makes all of the difference. Power and position and all that doesn’t mean much in the long run. What does mean much is having people who care about you, love you, nurture you and support you with what they have to give. And we find that the most highly educated people are not always the best people in character and we look for people who have strong character irrespective of what kinds of material things they have. And I have always appreciated my parents for demonstrating to me that quality in people. And I can look at people and see them for who they are and not see them for what title they have been able to attain.
Reviving The Economy: Steps Taken So Far
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*** ONLINE AS OF AUGUST 5, 2011 ***
Swedish Lutheran Church - New Castle PA
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Swedish missionaries began holding sermons in New Castle as early as 1889 and discussions of opening a Lutheran church dedicated to Swedish immigrants began soon after. The congregation that became known as the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church of New Castle was organized in February 1894. A church building (shown above) was later erected on N. Crawford Avenue in Croton and opened in late December 1895. The church, which maintained close ties with the Swedish community in Bessemer, was in service until dwindling attendance saw it closed down in about 1939. The building was sold in 1940 and became the new home of the United Brethren Church in Christ. (1972)
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Poreddi V
Thimmaiah R
Math SB
Click on image for details.
Human rights violations among economically disadvantaged women with mental illness: An Indian perspective
Vijayalakshmi Poreddi1, Ramachandra2, Rohini Thimmaiah3, Suresh Bada Math4
1 Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Institute of National Importance), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2 Department of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
3 Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
4 Department of Psychiatry, Vydehi Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Date of Web Publication 4-Jun-2015
Background: Globally women confront manifold violations of human rights and women with poverty and mental illness are doubly disadvantaged.
Aim: The aim was to examine the influence of poverty in meeting human rights needs among recovered women with mental illness at family and community level.
Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study carried out among randomly selected (n = 100) recovered women with mental illness at a tertiary care center. Data were collected through face-to-face interview using structured needs assessment questionnaire.
Results: Our findings revealed that below poverty line (BPL) participants were not satisfied in meeting their physical needs such as "access to safe drinking water" (χ2 = 8.994, P < 0.02), "served in the same utensils" (χ2 = 13.648, P < 0.00), had adequate food (χ2 = 11.025, P < 0.02), and allowed to use toilet facilities (χ2 = 13.565, P < 0.00). The human rights needs in emotional dimension, that is, afraid of family members (χ2 = 8.233, P < 0.04) and hurt by bad words (χ2 = 9.014, P < 0.02) were rated higher in above poverty line (APL) participants. Similarly, 88.9% of women from APL group expressed that they were discriminated and exploited by the community members (χ2 = 17.490, P < 0.00). More than three-fourths of BPL participants (76.1%) believed that there were wondering homeless mentally ill in their community (χ2 = 11.848, P < 0.01).
Conclusion: There is an urgent need to implement social welfare programs to provide employment opportunities, disability allowance, housing and other social security for women with mental illness. Further, mental health professionals play an essential role in educating the family and public regarding human rights of people with mental illness.
Keywords: Human rights, mental illness, needs assessment, poverty, women
Poreddi V, Ramachandra, Thimmaiah R, Math SB. Human rights violations among economically disadvantaged women with mental illness: An Indian perspective. Indian J Psychiatry 2015;57:174-80
Poreddi V, Ramachandra, Thimmaiah R, Math SB. Human rights violations among economically disadvantaged women with mental illness: An Indian perspective. Indian J Psychiatry [serial online] 2015 [cited 2019 Jul 16];57:174-80. Available from: http://www.indianjpsychiatry.org/text.asp?2015/57/2/174/158182
Poverty is the greatest denial of the exercise of human rights. [1] Poverty causes human rights violations as those living in extreme poverty were not treated as human beings worthy of human rights, and are discriminated against, often exploited, marginalized and stigmatized, and denied access to rights and resources. [2] India has the world's largest number of poor people. Of its nearly 1 billion inhabitants, an estimated 350-400 million are below the poverty line (BPL), 75% of them in the rural areas. [3] Studies over the last two decade indicate a close interaction between factors associated with poverty and mental ill-health. [4] However, there have been conflicting views of whether poor socioeconomic situations create a vulnerability to developmental illnesses or whether individuals with mental illness relocate to poorer socioeconomic situations because of their illness. [5]
There is an emerging evidence from low- and middle-income countries that mental illness is strongly associated with poverty and social deprivation. [6],[7],[8] Studies from India have shown that poverty and deprivation were independently associated with the risk for common mental disorder in women and add to the sources of stress (e.g., multiple roles, unequal power relations with men) associated with womanhood. [9] Further, poverty has been described as a formidable obstacle for individuals with severe mental illness to overcome, [10] as it affects the ability to meet their basic needs, treatment seeking and to participate in educational, leisure, social, and community activities. [11] All the above findings put forward that the economic hardship affects the ability of individuals with mental illness to re-integrate into society. [12] Women's rights are grounded first in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948), to which India is one among the countries those are signatory. India also ratified other international conventions specifically banning discriminations against women, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. In addition, at national level, India also has a Mental Health Act and the Persons with Disability Act, which provide for treatment, protection against human rights abuses, and equal opportunities for the people with mental illness.
Persons with mental disorders often suffer a wide range of human rights violations and social stigma. People can be locked away for extensive periods, sometimes even for life, despite having the capacity to decide their future and lead a life within their community. [13] Women with poverty and mental illness are doubly disadvantaged. Indian women with mental disorders reported highest levels of stigma, in addition to that associated with separation or divorce, and were especially disadvantaged since they often received no financial support from their former husbands. [14],[15],[16] Nonetheless, there were no studies from India that focused human rights violations among women with mental illness in meeting their basic needs. Thus, the present study was developed to examine the influence of poverty in meeting human rights needs among recovered women with mental illness at family and community level.
Design and setting
This was a descriptive study carried out at a tertiary care center, among recovered women with mental illness from August to November 2010.
Study participants were selected through a random sampling method of the database of patients attending the outpatient department of a psychiatric hospital. All these patients had already been seen in detail by a junior resident, senior resident and consultant. They also had a detailed medical chart of their history, diagnosis, treatment and outcome on each follow-up. Those who met the inclusion criteria were interviewed. The study criteria were recovered women with mental illness with a diagnosis of either schizophrenic or mood disorders in the past, based on the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, 10 th Revision. In the present study, recovered patients meant a score of 1 (very much improved) or 2 (much improved) on the Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI-I) scale (Guy, 1976). The study sample comprised 100 recovered women with mental illness and covered an age span of 18-60 years. We excluded symptomatic and cognitively impaired patients. Hence, recovered women with mental illness who are symptom-free may be the true representative of the target population because, in the absence of mental illness, they can ascertain and defend their rights.
The poverty line is defined as the amount of income required to satisfy those needs. Following definition was adopted to define BPL and above poverty line (APL).
In the present study, BPL was considered, when the participants family source of income was below 1700 Rs./month (approximately 37$/month) and above that is considered as APL. This criterion goes per with World Bank poverty estimate.
The present study defines the basic needs as the absolute minimum resources (food, water, shelter, sanitation, education, and healthcare) necessary for survival usually in terms of consumption goods and we define human rights violations as abuse to right to life, liberty, freedom, education, health and so forth.
Clinical global impression improvement scale [17]
This was a standardized assessment tool used to rate the severity of illness, change over time, and efficacy of medication, taking into account the patient's clinical condition and the severity of side effects. The CGI-I is rated on a seven-point scale, with the severity of illness scale using a range of responses from 1 (normal) to 7 (among the most severely ill patients).
Sociodemographic schedule
The sociodemographic details taken were age, gender, educational status, marital status, employment, residence, religion, monthly income, type of family, diagnosis and duration of illness (in months).
Needs assessment questionnaire
This questionnaire comprises two sections. Section A was developed by the researchers, based on the UDHR [18] and a review of the literature, to assess the human right needs in the family domain. This tool has 58 items under five dimensions: physical, emotional, religious, social and ethical needs. This is a four-point (ordinal) scale, rated 0 (never) to 3 (always). There is no right or wrong answers.
items in the physical needs dimension (18 items) focus mainly on article 25 in the UDHR to assess the right to a decent life, including adequate food, clothing, housing and medical care services (e.g., availability of light, electricity, safe drinking water, food common for family members, etc.).
The items in the emotional needs dimension (18 items) were based on article 5 (No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) and article 12 (no one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation) of the UDHR to evaluate emotional needs (e.g., family environment helps to maintain dignity, commenting on physical appearance, privacy in terms of opening mails, monitoring phone calls, etc.).
The items in the religious needs dimension (4 items) assess the religious rights of the participants based on article 18 (everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the UDHR (e.g., forcing to practice other religious and witchcraft/black magic activities, etc.).
The items in the social needs dimension (8 items) were based on article 13 (everyone has the right to freedom of movement) and article 20 (everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association) of the UDHR to measure social and economic rights (e.g., allowing the participants to go out of the home, keeping them from going to a job/school by their family members, allowing them to handle money, etc.).
The items of the ethical needs dimension (10 items) were based on articles 1, 2, 3, 16, 17 and 26 of the UDHR to assess the right to equality in dignity, right to live in freedom and safety, right to marry, right to own property and right to education.
In section B, the researchers used a modified version of Taking the Human Rights Temperature of your community developed by World Health Organization [19] to assess human rights needs of people with mental illness in the community domain. This scale contains 25 items with a five-point scale, rated 0 (don't know) to 4 (always). The above-mentioned instruments were developed in the English language and administered in the format of a face-to-face interview.
This tool was modified to suit to the Indian context (related to mental illness), without losing the essence of questions. For example, "My community is a place where residents are safe and secure" was modified to "My community is a place where mentally ill patients are safe and secure." Items 12, 17, 18, 21 and 22 were completely changed as suggested by the experts. According to the Indian constitution and international covenants (International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), right to vote, right to continuing education and right not to be discriminated against are given more importance, and exploring these issues were more relevant to the present study.
Validity and reliability of the tools
The needs assessment questionnaire was validated by 11 experts from various fields such as nursing, psychiatry, psychiatric social work, psychology, human rights and statistics. The final questionnaire was modified according to the experts' suggestions. The scale's reliability assessment was done by using the test-retest method. The researchers administered the tool on 10 recovered psychiatric patients at the follow-up outpatient department over a 2 weeks period and found that the study was feasible. Any modifications deemed necessary were made. The reliability coefficient for the structured questionnaire was 0.96.
Data were collected by the primary author through face-to-face interview, in a private room at the treatment facilities where the participants were recruited. It took approximately 45 min to complete a structured questionnaire. The researchers educated the family members in groups regarding the rights of persons with mental illness.
Ethical consideration
The study protocol was approved by Ethics Committee of the concerned hospital. Written consent was obtained from the participants, and they were given freedom to quit the study. Participants' confidentiality was respected.
The present study was comprised of recovered women with mental illness of whom 54% of them were belonged to APL group. The mean age of the BPL participants was 34.28 ± 9.97 (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) and APL participants were 35.53 ± 1.01 (mean ± SD). More number of participants from both groups were married (78.3%, 72.2% BPL and APL participants respectively), homemakers (82.6% and 79.6%) and were Hindus (91.3% and 83.3%). Nearly half of the women from BPL group were illiterates comparing to 22.2% of APL participants (χ2 = 9.374, P < 0.05). Interestingly, an equal number of the participants from both groups were come from rural as well from urban areas. Though majority of the participants belonged to nuclear families, a significant association was found (χ2 = 7.463, P < 0.02). The number of women diagnosed as mood disorders (58.7% and 55.6%) was slightly higher than women with schizophrenic disorders (41.3% and 44.5%) [Table 1].
Table 1: Sociodemographic characteristics of the study population
[Table 2] represents perceptions of the participants with regard to meeting of their human rights needs in the family domain. Concerning basic facilities in the physical dimension, almost all the women from APL group were accessible to safe drinking water than BPL participants (χ2 = 8.994, P < 0.02). Similarly, almost all the APL participants were served in the same utensils (χ2 = 13.648, P < 0.00), had adequate food (χ2 = 11.025, P < 0.02), and allowed to use toilet facilities (χ2 = 13.565, P < 0.00). In the emotional needs dimension, more number of APL participants (53.7%) than women from BPL group (43.5%) were afraid of family members (χ2 = 8.233, P < 0.04) and hurt by bad words used by family members (χ2 = 9.014, P < 0.02). BPL participants were more deprived of their economic rights as 80.4% of them complained that they "never/rarely" allowed to handle the money (χ2 = 7.960, P < 0.04). More number of women from APL group (88.9%) agreed that their hair was cut unwillingly by their family members (χ2 = 13.746, P < 0.00).
Table 2: Participants' responses to needs assessment questionnaire
In the community domain, a significant association was observed to various items between BPL and APL groups. More number of women from APL group (88.9%) expressed that they were discriminated by the community members because of their mental illness (χ2 = 14.150, P < 0.00) and more than half of them felt that they were not accessible to health services equally at affordable cost (χ2 = 9.854, P < 0.04). More than three-fourths of BPL participants (76.1%) than women from APL group believed that there were wondering homeless mentally ill in the community (χ2 = 11.848, P < 0.01), cured mentally ill were never treated like any other citizen by the community members (χ2 = 16.130, P < 0.00) and never expressed their beliefs and ideas without fear of discrimination in the community (χ2 = 16.744, P < 0.00). On the other hand, nearly three-fourths of the APL group women (77.8%) felt that they exploited by the community members than BPL participants (χ2 = 17.490, P < 0.00).
This was a preliminary study from India that examined the role of poverty in meeting the human rights needs among women with mental illness at family and community level. Previous studies examined symptomatic psychiatric patients to assess their views in meeting the basic needs. [20],[21],[22],[23] Hence, the responses from the acutely ill psychiatric patients were questionable. Further, Lawska et al. explored asymptomatic patients' expectations from others, but it was only in the psychological dimension. [24] However, the present study was unique in nature as the participants were recovered from mental illness and they were well aware of their diagnosis and were able to comprehend the questions asked by the researchers related to the study.
According to UDHR, "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family." This provision sets out some of the elements of this right: (a) Food; (b) clothing; (c) housing; (d) medical care; and (e) necessary social services (article 25). The findings of the present study proved that women from BPL group were deprived of safe drinking water and adequate food than women participants from APL group. These findings support previous research that found more than half of individuals with severe mental illness were not satisfied with their living situations. They want safe, stable, affordable, and desirable housing that is appropriate for their level of functioning and located near the supports and services that they need. [25] Further, according to International Convention on ICESCR, 2002, a human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights (article I.1). Further, the right to water was defined as the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses. [26] Yet billions of people throughout the world still do not enjoy these fundamental rights. [27] Government should take an active role in providing safe drinking water especially for the poor people.
According to the survey by the mental health charity Rethink, in England, among 3000 people with mental health problems found that they feel most discriminated against by their family (36%), followed by their employers (35%), neighbors (31%), and friends (25%). [28] Similarly, present study also observed that the participants felt discriminated by their family members. For instance, more of the BPL participants were not served in the same plates (30.4%) and were not allowed to use the toilet facilities (21.7%) than participants from APL.
In the current study, more number of APL participants (53.7%) than women from BPL group (43.5%) were afraid of family members (χ2 = 8.233, P < 0.04) and hurt by bad words used by family members (χ2 = 9.014, P < 0.02). These findings were similar to a recent survey conducted in Andhra Pradesh to observe human rights of people with disabilities (includes mental illness). [29] The above findings indicate that the right to live with dignity has been violated by the family members could be because of their negative attitudes toward the people with mental illness. Stigma is painful and humiliating and worsens the lives of people with mental illness. In other words, stigma can be highlighted by commenting typical disgusting words like "loony," "psycho," or "crazy," though they may seem harmless but can be spiteful [24] provided evidence that people with mental illness wanted to be treated in the same way as the other people are, namely: with respect, good manners, and kindly. They also longed for empathy and a positive attitude toward them. The present study also supports the previous research that highlighted the deficits in emotional support for people with chronic mental illness. [30],[31]
Stigmatization of individuals diagnosed as having serious mental illness has been observed across the world. [32] The stigma associated with mental illness is questionably the greatest obstacle facing the mental health community in India. It hinders mentally ill Indians from obtaining the simplest human rights, prevents them from living with dignity, and forces them live in darkness, unaware about their own illness. Similarly, in the present study 88.9% of APL participants (72.4%) accepted that they were "discriminated and exploited by the community members due to their mental illness" (χ2 = 14.150, P < 0.00). These findings support previous studies. [33],[34],[35],[36] However, BPL participants felt discrimination as they felt that cured mentally ill were never treated like any other citizen (χ2 = 16.130, P < 0.00) and never expressed their beliefs and ideas without fear of discrimination in the community (χ2 = 16.744, P < 0.00). Surprisingly, more than half of the APL participants than Women from BPL group felt that they were not accessible to health services equally at affordable cost (χ2 = 9.854, P < 0.04). They reported that one visit to the hospital costs (600-700 Rs. per visit per person) (they have to lose 1 day daily wage (50-80 Rs./day), travelling cost for too and fro (100-200 Rs.) and cost of the food [30-50 Rs.] for person. Above expenses needs to take into account of the accompanying family members of the patient) and above this cost of medications adds to the severe burden to them. However, the burden of lost employment and days out of the role for family members caring for a relative with mental health problems is well documented. [37],[38],[39] Hence, there is an urgent need to provide free public transportation services to the patient with mental illness and to one family member from their residential place to the hospital or rehabilitation center. There is also need to implement an uniform policy across the country to provide disability pension to the people with mental illness.
In the current study, 76.1% of women from BPL group believed that there were wandering homeless mentally ill in the community (χ2 = 11.848, P < 0.01). According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, there are over 70 million people with some form of mental illness in the country and about a quarter of them are homeless. Homelessness is a crucial issue for women especially for those suffering from mental illness. A study conducted in Delhi with a population of 70 million is found to have nearly 2500 women with mental illness who have no hope to live and are virtually on the street. If it extrapolates for the whole nation, the country will have nearly 150,000 mentally-ill destitute women. [40] A homeless woman with mental illness is extremely vulnerable for sexual abuse and needs urgent support and care from both Government and nongovernment organizations. The misconceptions about mental illness and discrimination of women with mental illness can affect all aspects of their lives, denying their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and also impact negatively on their access to care and integration into society.
The study was restricted to the women with mental illness who attended outpatient department at psychiatric hospital, and smaller sample size made it difficult to generalize the findings. Therefore, further research should focus on larger sample size and qualitative approach including family members, exploratory studies focusing on socio cultural factors may be helpful for depth understanding of human rights issues among these disadvantaged populations.
In a nutshell, findings of the present study shown that women from BPL group were deprived of physical needs such as safe drinking water, adequate food and toilet facilities. Women from APL group were not satisfied in meeting their emotional needs at family level. While majority APL participants felt that they were discriminated, and mental health services were not accessible at affordable cost, BPL participants expressed that there were wandering homeless mentally ill women in their community. As poverty and mental illness are interrelated, government should take active steps for providing free treatment and free transportation service for people with mental illness to attend hospital or rehabilitation centers. There is an urgent need to implement social welfare programs to provide employment opportunities, disability allowance, housing and other social securities for women with mental illness. Further, mental health professionals play an essential role in educating the family and public regarding human rights of people with mental illness.
All the researchers' heart fully thank the participants for their valuable contribution.
Braveman P, Gruskin S. Poverty, equity, human rights and health. Bull World Health Organ 2003;81:539-45.
Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR). Human rights insights No. 1 - Draft for comments: Human rights and poverty: Is poverty a violation of human rights? 2002. Available from: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/povertyreductionguidelines.html. [Last accessed on 2014 May 21].
Pande R. Gender, poverty, and globalization in India. Development 2007;50:134-40.
Patel V. Inequality and mental health in developing countries. In: Leon D, Walt G, editors Poverty, Inequality and Health. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2001.
Murali V, Femi O. Poverty, social inequality and mental health. Adv Psychiatr Treat 2004;10:216-24.
Flisher AJ, Lund C, Funk M, Banda M, Bhana A, Doku V, et al. Mental health policy development and implementation in four African countries. J Health Psychol 2007;12:505-16.
Lund C, Breen A, Flisher AJ, Swartz L, Joska J, Corrigall J, et al. Mental health and poverty: A systematic review of the research in low and middle income countries. J Ment Health Policy Econ 2007;10 Suppl 1:S26-7.
Patel V, Kleinman A. Poverty and common mental disorders in developing countries. Bull World Health Organ 2003;81:609-15.
Patel V, Kirkwood BR, Pednekar S, Weiss H, Mabey D. Risk factors for common mental disorders in women. Population-based longitudinal study. Br J Psychiatry 2006;189:547-55.
Ware NC, Goldfinger SM. Poverty and rehabilitation in severe psychiatric disorders. Psychiatr Rehabil J 1997;21:3-9.
Wilton R. Putting policy into practice? Poverty and people with serious mental illness. Soc Sci Med 2004;58:25-39.
Kuruvilla A, Jacob KS. Poverty, social stress and mental health. Indian J Med Res 2007;126:273-8.
World Health Organization (W.H.O). Investing in mental health. Geneva; 2003. Available from: http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/en/investing_mnh.pdf. [Last accessed on 2014 Jan 23].
Thara R, Srinivasan TN. How stigmatising is schizophrenia in India? Int J Soc Psychiatry 2000;46:135-41.
Raguram R, Raghu TM, Vounatsou P, Weiss MG. Schizophrenia and the cultural epidemiology of stigma in Bangalore, India. J Nerv Ment Dis 2004;192:734-44.
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Flowers N, Bernbaum M, Palmer KR, Tolman J. The Human Rights Education Handbook: Effective Practices for Learning, Action and Change. Minneapolis, MN: Human Resource Center; 2000. Available from: http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/hrbap/Human_rights_education_handbook.pdf. [Last accessed on 2013 July 12].
Arvidsson H. Needs assessed by patients and staff in a Swedish sample of severely mentally ill subjects. Nord J Psychiatry 2001;55:311-7.
Roe D, Weishut DJ, Jaglom M, Rabinowitz J. Patients′ and staff members′ attitudes about the rights of hospitalized psychiatric patients. Psychiatr Serv 2002;53:87-91.
Perreault M, Tardif H, Provencher H, Paquin G, Desmarais J, Pawliuk N. The role of relatives in discharge planning from psychiatric hospitals: the perspective of patients and their relatives. Psychiatr Q 2005;76:297-315.
Badger TA, McNiece C, Bonham E, Jacobson J, Gelenberg AJ. Health outcomes for people with serious mental illness: a case study. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2003;39:23-32.
Lawska W, Zieba M, Lyznicka M, Sułek J, Półtorakk M. The mentally ill: The way they perceive their own illness and their expectations from the society. J Physiol Pharmacol 2006;57 Suppl 4:191-8.
Forchuk C, Nelson G, Hall GB. "It′s important to be proud of the place you live in": Housing problems and preferences of psychiatric survivors. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2006;42:42-52.
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United Nations Human Rights (UNHR). Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. Geneva; 2008. Available from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/WaterAndSanitation/SRWater/Pages/SRWaterIndex.aspx. [Last accessed on 2014, 2012 Mar 8].
Corry P. Nine out of 10 people with mental illness suffer discrimination. Rethink, UK; 2008. Available from http://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/jul/21/mentalhealth.socialexclusion. [Last accessed on 2014 Jan 28].
Swadhikaar Center. Monitoring the Human rights of People with disabilities Country report: Andhra pradesh, India. In: Swadhikaar Center for Disabilities Information Canada: Disability Rights Promotion International (D.R.P.I.); 2009. Available from http://www.yorku.ca/drpi/files/IndiaCountryReport.pdf. [Last accessed on 2013 July 30].
Bronowski P, Załuska M. Social support of chronically mentally ill patients. Arch Psychiatr Psychother 2008;2:13-9.
Clinton M, Lunney P, Edwards H, Weir D, Barr J. Perceived social support and community adaptation in schizophrenia. J Adv Nurs 1998;27:955-65.
Thornicroft G, Elaine B, Aliya K, Elanor LH. Reducing stigma and discrimination: Candidate interventions. Int J Ment Health Syst 2008;2:3. Available from http://www.ijmhscom/content/2/1/3. [Last accessed on 2014 July 30].
Buizza C, Schulze B, Bertocchi E, Rossi G, Ghilardi A, Pioli R. The stigma of schizophrenia from patients′ and relatives′ view: A pilot study in an Italian rehabilitation residential care unit. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health 2007;3:23.
Mehta N, Kassam A, Leese M, Butler G, Thornicroft G. Public attitudes towards people with mental illness in England and Scotland, 1994-2003. Br J Psychiatry 2009;194:278-84.
Chiu MY, Chan KK. Community attitudes towards discriminatory practice against people with severe mental illness in Hong Kong. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2007;53:159-74.
Lai YM, Hong CP, Chee CY. Stigma of mental illness. Singapore Med J 2001;42:111-4.
Kissling W, Höffler J, Seemann U, Müller P, Rüther E, Trenckmann U, et al. Direct and indirect costs of schizophrenia. Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 1999;67:29-36.
Ip GS, Mackenzie AE. Caring for relatives with serious mental illness at home: the experiences of family carers in Hong Kong. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 1998;12:288-94.
Goeree R, O′Brien BJ, Goering P, Blackhouse G, Agro K, Rhodes A, et al. The economic burden of schizophrenia in Canada. Can J Psychiatry 1999;15:597-610.
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Vijayalakshmi Poreddi
Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Institute of National Importance), Bengaluru - 560 029, Karnataka
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Democracy, Headlines, Human Rights, Latin America & the Caribbean, Press Freedom, Regional Categories, TerraViva United Nations
Brazil Will Test a Government in Direct Connection with Voters
By Mario Osava Reprint | | Print | |En español
Jair Bolsonaro and his vice president-elect are retired military officers, and the president-elect will appoint seven other officers to the ministerial cabinet. Since he was elected president of Brazil, the far-right politician has shown his predilection for participating in military ceremonies, such as the graduation of Navy officers in Rio de Janeiro seen in this photo. Credit: Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil-Fotos Públicas
RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 14 2018 (IPS) - The government that will take office on Jan. 1 in Brazil, presided over by Jair Bolsonaro, will put to the test the extreme right in power, with beliefs that sound anachronistic and a management based on a direct connection with the public.
“People’s power no longer needs intermediation, new technologies allow a new direct relationship between voters and their representatives,” Bolsonaro said when he received the document officially naming him president-elect by the Superior Electoral Tribunal on Dec. 10 in Brasilia.
It is no secret what role was played by the social networks, especially WhatsApp, in Brazil’s October elections, which led to the election of a lawmaker with an obscure 27-year career in Congress.
"Democracy is not in crisis because of WhatsApp, but because of the lack of a social pact, because trade unions and political parties are no longer representative…He (president-elect Jair Bolsonaro) knew how to use the social networks to present himself as the solution (and) they may or may not help him once he's in the government." -- Giuseppe Cocco
But now he has to govern. Based on his speeches and recent experience, Bolsonaro, 63, will continue to turn to the social networks as president and successful disciple of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“But they are two very different realities, the elections and governing. The president-elect has shown that he is still campaigning, but now it’s not about promises, it’s about presenting results,” said Fernando Lattmann-Weltman, professor of political science at the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ).
“Without satisfactory results, the greatest risk is that the government will become unviable, if its relations with the other branches of power and with institutions and organised groups deteriorate,” and the strong expectations of change created in the elections are frustrated, he said.
Bolsonaro also made the usual promise that he would govern for all, as “president of Brazil’s 210 million people.” But experts agree that direct communication with voters is biased and tends to fuel antagonism that lingers after the elections, as in the case of the United States of Donald Trump.
Social networks expand the possibilities of dialogue between people, as interactive media accessible to growing parts of the population. But they are not public like the press, radio and open television. They are limited to family, friends or circles of common interest.
As a political tool, they often give rise to groups of shared opinions and beliefs, or digital sects. They do not promote debate, argumentation and confrontation of ideas, also because in general they are used for short messages, slogans and “fake news”.
In this sense, they aggravate polarisation and antagonism. A government based on these connections would tend to accentuate conflicts, crises and threats to democracy, analysts argue.
“Democracy is not in crisis because of WhatsApp, but because of the lack of a social pact, because trade unions and political parties are no longer representative,” said Giuseppe Cocco, a professor at the School of Communication at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Social networks do have a “club effect,” but today they are “an indisputable aspect of our lives” in their various dimensions, whether it be material production, communication, services or even politics, he told IPS.
In Cocco’s view, “its use in the election campaign does not explain Bolsonaro’s triumph,” which he said was due to the desire of the majority of Brazilian voters for a change against corruption, a political system that has lost credibility, the economic crisis and growing crime and insecurity.
“He knew how to use the social networks to present himself as the solution,” he said, adding that “they may or may not help him once he’s in the government,” depending on how he uses them.
Jair Bolsonaro (C-L) receives the document officially naming him president-elect of Brazil, next to his wife, two of his five children – one of whom is a member of the lower house and the other a senator – and their wives. A staunch defender of the traditional family, his will have a strong presence in his government, which has already begun to spark conflicts and scandals involving some of his offspring. Credit: Roberto Jayme/Ascom/TSE-Fotos Públicas
But there are a number of researchers around the world who say the social networks have had a negative effect on democracy, due to their use in the wide dissemination of “fake news”.
They also refer to foreign interference in elections, such as the suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, and to pressure exerted by directly connected voters as if they were “the voice of the people.”
At the same time, Whatsapp has become the most widely utilised instrument when it comes to organising major social mobilisations, such as the truck driver strike that paralysed Brazil in May and the “yellow vest” uprising in France, which began on Nov. 17 as protests against fuel price hikes and ballooned into a much broader movement.
In the past that role was played by the landline telephone, now almost completely replaced by the cell phone. Social networks like Twitter and Facebook became decisive in elections like Trump’s in 2016 and mobilisations such as the “Arab Spring” in North Africa, said Cocco, an Italian who has lived in Brazil since 1995.
But it is not only a technical evolution; WhatsApp is a “closed network” that does not allow the provenance of the messages to be identified, or whoever is responsible when messages that could be criminal are disseminated, in contrast with other media.
This warning comes from Alessandra Aldé, postgraduate professor of Communication at UERJ and coordinator of a research group on this application, who repeated it in interviews given to local media after the October elections.
Bolsonaro used WhatsApp massively in his election campaign.
In addition, businessmen allegedly used their own money to spread false accusations on WhatsApp against the candidate of the leftist Workers’ Party, Fernando Haddad, in violation of the country’s election laws, reported the daily Folha de São Paulo on Oct. 18, 10 days before the presidential runoff election.
Many analysts point to similarities between Trump and Bolsonaro because of their electoral success driven by social networks and their extreme right-wing policies.
But the Brazilian leader was elected with “a more fragile support base,” without the backing of a party like Trump’s Republican Party, or of experienced lawmakers, Lattman-Weltman told IPS.
Bolsonaro comes from a military background. In 1988, the retired army captain became a city councillor in Rio de Janeiro. Two years later he was elected to the lower house of Congress, and was eventually re-elected six times. He never held an executive branch position and was not a leader of any political party.
Automated Digital Tools Threaten Political Campaigns in Latin America
Brazilians Decide on a Shift to the Right at Any Cost
The party he joined in May, the Liberal Social Party (PSL), only won a single seat in the lower house of Congress in 2014. But in October it garnered 52 of the 513 seats, and gained a foothold in the Senate for the first time, taking four seats – five percent of the total. A large part of its success was due to the sudden popularity of Bolsonaro.
Another risk, with perhaps more serious and immediate consequences, is the beliefs of the two central power groups in the next government, one deeply religious and the other military. “God above all” was the slogan of Bolsonaro’s campaign and of the government that begins its four-year term on Jan. 1.
Seven armed forces officers will form part of the 22-member ministerial cabinet. In addition there is the president and his vice president, retired General Hamilton Mourão, making up the most militarised government in the history of Brazil’s democracy.
Bolsonaro has rejected, for example, the holding of the world climate conference in Brazil in 2019, and threatens to pulls out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, saying it jeopardises Brazil’s sovereignty over 136 million hectares of Amazon rainforest, because of a plan to turn it into an ecological corridor, the Triple A.
This type of fear is widespread among the Brazilian military, who also suspect that land reserved for indigenous people may become part of the international domain or independent, which is why they resist the demarcation of indigenous reserves.
But actually the Andes-Amazon-Atlantic (Triple A) ecological corridor was proposed by a Colombian environmental organisation, Gaia Amazonas, and was neither approved by nor is part of the climate talks.
Follow @MarioOsava
Republish | | Print | |En español
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Chris O'Dowd never returns borrowed designer suits
Joan Rivers still in coma
Tilda Swinton Photos
Tilda Swinton info
Born: 5 November, 1960
Birth Name: Katherine Matilda Swinton
Height: 1.79 (5' 10½")
Nickname: Swilda
Awards: Won Oscar. Another 22 wins & 33 nominations
Known for: Constantine , The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and more.
Watch movies with Tilda Swinton online
Movie Year
Constantine 2005
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2005
We Need to Talk About Kevin 2011
Moonrise Kingdom 2012
Snowpiercer 2014
The Zero Theorem 2014
Only Lovers Left Alive 2014
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014
Tilda Swinton biography
This block contains the information about Tilda Swinton and provides an insight into the life of the celebrity. From here you can also learn when, how and why the profession of an actor was chosen. Some interesting facts are waiting for you here.
Catherine Matilda “Tilde” Swinton was born in November 1960. During her carrier as an actress, she performed in a few Hollywood movies, though mostly she performed in the genre of an independent movie. Tilde is from an old Scottish family. The history of her family counts more than one thousand of years. She was born in the family of John and Judith. Her childhood she spent in Germany, where was working her father. When she turned ten, she was sent to a close internal school in Kent. Her classmates were coming from aristocratic families; between them was even Diana Spencer, who in the future became princess of Wales. Tilde was studying very well, and was getting very good marks, also she was always between the winners in all the school competitions. While she was at school she felt interest towards the theater by appearing in the school plays, besides that she was singing in the school choir. After the college she went as a volunteer to Africa, where she spent two years, while teaching children in the Kenya schools. Swinton lived with John Patrick- who was an artist, and from whom she bore twins: a son and a daughter. Since 2004 the actress is in a relationship with the artist from New Zealand- Sandra Copp. Her family leaves in Scotland.
Where Tilda Swinton born?
With the help of the Google satellite map you can find the place where Tilda Swinton was born. By zooming in and out you can see the place itself and the area it is situated in and nearby. Find out where Tilda Swinton was born. Now you can see the place itself even not traveling.
Tilda Swinton filmography
Here you can learn about the movies Tilda Swinton acted in. You can see the names of the movies, their budget, years of release and the money gained from the screening of the certain movie. It is always interesting to know.
Movies & Videos Budget Year Opening weekend US box Office
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - The White Witch $225M 2008 $55M $142M
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - White Witch $180M 2005 $65.6M $292M
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - The White Witch $155M 2010 $24M $102M
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Elizabeth Abbott $150M 2008 $26.9M $127M
Constantine - Gabriel $100M 2005 $33.6M $75.5M
Vanilla Sky - Rebecca Dearborn $68M 2001 $25M $101M
The Beach - Sal $50M 2000 $15.3M $39.8M
Burn After Reading - Katie Cox $37M 2008 $19.1M $60.3M
Michael Clayton - Karen Crowder $25M 2007 $720K $49M
The Statement - Annemarie Livi $23M 2003 $37.2K $763K
Adaptation. - Valerie Thomas $19M 2002 $384K $22.2M
I Am Love - Emma Recchi, Producer $10M 2009 $248K $5M
Broken Flowers - Penny $10M 2005 $780K $13.7M
The Man from London - Camйlia $7.2M 2007
Julia - Julia $6M 2008 $12.5K $64.5K
Orlando - Orlando $4M 1992 $5.29M
Thumbsucker - Audrey Cobb, Co-executive Producer $4M 2005 $85.3K $1.33M
The Deep End - Margaret Hall $3M 2001 $142K $8.82M
Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies - Actress $37K 1994
The Garden - Madonna 1990
Matt Damon: I’ll return to New York if we become targets of paparazzi in L.A.
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Shawn Pyfrom opens up about drug addiction
Desperate Housewives actor Shawn Pyfrom wrote an open letter, revealing his drug and alcohol addiction. The 27-year-old posted on his Tumblr blog: ''I just read the news about Mr. Philip Seymour
Beyoncé doesn't want to go to Kim Kardashian's wedding
Beyoncé doesn't really want to go to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding and thinks it will be ''tacky''. The singer has reportedly agreed to be part of the ceremony only if she isn't
Born on the same day
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Judy Reyes
South Pasadena, California, U
Marietta, Georgia, USA
Demi Lovato feels body confident thanks to Kim Kardashian
McCanick
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Newtongrange masterplanning team appointed
Friday May 19th 2017
A design team has been appointed to revitalise and improve Newtongrange town centre.
LDA was among eight companies to bid for the contract to look at opportunities for beneficial changes to the central area including around Newtongrange Railway station.
A council spokesman said: “We’re delighted to announce LDA as the successful bidder. LDA has a sterling reputation for delivering excellent regeneration projects through genuine engagement with local communities.
“It’s great to have them on board so we can move forwards with plans to see Newtongrange town centre transformed for the benefit of local people.”
With the design team in place, a masterplan will be drawn up to promote thriving, vibrant neighbourhoods and bring longterm social and economic benefits to the local community.
It is anticipated the masterplanning work will be complete at the end of this year after which its implementation would take place over a number of years.
The spokesman said: “Local people will be consulted on all aspects of the redesign project to make sure the improvements benefit the community as a whole.”
The Borders Railway Blueprint partnership, which includes Midlothian Council, and which seeks to maximise economic benefits from the new Borders Railway, approved a major funding contribution towards this and three other masterplan locations along the railway corridor.
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Part XVU.K. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1Pt. XV (ss. 212-224) excluded (27.4.2002) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/544), art. 9J (as inserted by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/682), arts. 1(2), 4)
Pt. XV (ss. 212-224) modified (2.7.2002) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) (Credit Unions) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/1501), art. 5
C2Pt. 15 modified (29.9.2008 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 29 (with art. 30(6))
C3Pt. 15 modified (7.10.2008 at 9.30 a.m.) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 14 (with art. 15(8)
C4Pt. 15 modified (8.10.2008 at 12.15 p.m.) by The Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Limited Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2674), art. 15 (with art. 16(8))
MiscellaneousU.K.
[F1221ADelegation of functionsU.K.
(1)The scheme manager may arrange for any of its functions to be discharged on its behalf by another person (a “scheme agent”).
(2)Before entering into arrangements the scheme manager must be satisfied that the scheme agent—
(a)is competent to discharge the function, and
(b)has been given sufficient directions to enable the agent to take any decisions required in the course of exercising the function in accordance with policy determined by the scheme manager.
(3)Arrangements may include provision for payments to be made by the scheme manager to the scheme agent (which payments are management expenses of the scheme manager [F2except where the function in question is one under Part 15A]).]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 221A inserted (17.2.2009 for certain purposes and 21.2.2009 otherwise) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 179(1), 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch.
F2Words in s. 221A(3) inserted (12.10.2010) by Financial Services Act 2010 (c. 28), ss. 24(1), 26(3), Sch. 2 para. 23; S.I. 2010/2480, art. 2(e)(f)
222 Statutory immunity.U.K.
(1)Neither the scheme manager nor any person who is, or is acting as, its F3... officer [F4, scheme agent] or member of staff is to be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the discharge, or purported discharge, of the scheme manager’s functions.
(2)Subsection (1) does not apply—
(a)if the act or omission is shown to have been in bad faith; or
(b)so as to prevent an award of damages made in respect of an act or omission on the ground that the act or omission was unlawful as a result of section 6(1) of the M1Human Rights Act 1998.
F3Words in s. 222(1) omitted (24.1.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2013 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 10 para. 14 (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/113, art. 2(1)(c), Sch. Pt. 3; S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.
F4Words in s. 222(1) inserted (17.2.2009 for certain purposes and 21.2.2009 otherwise) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 179(2), 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch.
C5S. 222 modified (29.9.2008 at 8.00 a.m.) by The Bradford & Bingley plc Transfer of Securities and Property etc. Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2546), art. 32 (with art. 30(6))
C6S. 222 modified (7.10.2008 at 9.30 a.m.) by The Heritable Bank plc Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2644), art. 17 (with art. 15(8))
C7S. 222 modified (8.10.2008 at 10.10 a.m.) by The Transfer of Rights and Liabilities to ING Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2666), art. 14
C8S. 222 modified (8.10.2008 at 12.15 p.m.) by The Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Limited Transfer of Certain Rights and Liabilities Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2674), art. 18 (with art. 16(8))
223 Management expenses.U.K.
(1)The amount which the scheme manager may recover, from the sums levied under the scheme, as management expenses attributable to a particular period may not exceed such amount as may be fixed by the scheme as the limit applicable to that period.
(2)In calculating the amount of any levy to be imposed by the scheme manager, no amount may be included to reflect management expenses unless the limit mentioned in subsection (1) has been fixed by the scheme.
(3)“Management expenses” means expenses incurred, or expected to be incurred, by the scheme manager in connection with its functions under this Act other than those incurred—
(a)in paying compensation;
(b)as a result of any provision of the scheme made by virtue of section 216(3) or (4) or 217(1) or (6)[F5;
(c)under section 214B [F6or 214D].]
[F7(d)under Part 15A.]
F5S. 223(3)(c) added (17.2.2009 for certain purposes and 21.2.2009 otherwise) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 171(2), 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch.
F6Words in s. 223(3)(c) inserted (8.4.2010) by Financial Services Act 2010 (c. 28), ss. 24(1), 26(1), Sch. 2 para. 24(2)
F7S. 223(3)(d) inserted (12.10.2010) by Financial Services Act 2010 (c. 28), ss. 24(1), 26(3), Sch. 2 para. 24(3); S.I. 2010/2480, art. 2(e)(f)
Commencement Information
I1S. 223 wholly in force at 1.12.2001; s. 223 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 431(2); s. 223 in force for specified purposes at 18.6.2001 by S.I. 2001/1820, art. 2, Sch.; s. 223 in force in so far as not already in force at 1.12.2001 by S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)
[F8223AInvesting in National Loans FundU.K.
(1)Sums levied for the purpose of maintaining a contingency fund may be paid to the Treasury.
(2)The Treasury may receive sums under subsection (1) and may set terms and conditions of receipts.
(3)Sums received shall be treated as if raised under section 12 of the National Loans Act 1968 (and shall therefore be invested as part of the National Loans Fund).
(4)Interest accruing on the invested sums may be credited to the contingency fund (subject to any terms and conditions set under subsection (2)).
(5)The Treasury shall comply with any request of the scheme manager to arrange for the return of sums for the purpose of making payments out of a contingency fund (subject to any terms and conditions set under subsection (2)).]
F8S. 223A inserted (prosp.) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 172, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247)
[F9223BBorrowing from National Loans FundU.K.
(1)The scheme manager may request a loan from the National Loans Fund for the purpose of funding expenses incurred or expected to be incurred under the scheme.
(2)The Treasury may arrange for money to be paid out of the National Loans Fund in pursuance of a request under subsection (1).
(3)The Treasury shall determine—
(a)the rate of interest on a loan, and
(b)other terms and conditions.
(4)The Treasury may make regulations—
(a)about the amounts that may be borrowed under this section;
(b)permitting the scheme manager to impose levies under section 213 for the purpose of meeting expenses in connection with loans under this section (and the regulations may have effect despite any provision of this Act);
(c)about the classes of person on whom those levies may be imposed;
(d)about the amounts and timing of those levies.
(5)The compensation scheme may include provision about borrowing under this section provided that it is not inconsistent with regulations under this section.]
F9S. 223B inserted (17.2.2009 for certain purposes and 21.2.2009 otherwise) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 173, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch.
[F10223CPayments in errorU.K.
(1)Payments made by the scheme manager in error may be provided for in setting a levy by virtue of section 213, 214A, 214B or 223B.
(2)This section does not apply to payments made in bad faith.]
F10S. 223C inserted (17.2.2009 for certain purposes and 21.2.2009 otherwise) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 177, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch.
224 Scheme manager’s power to inspect documents held by Official Receiver etc.U.K.
(1)If, as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a relevant person, [F11or a successor falling within section 213(1)(b),] any documents have come into the possession of a person to whom this section applies, he must permit any person authorised by the scheme manager to inspect the documents for the purpose of establishing—
(a)the identity of persons to whom the scheme manager may be liable to make a payment in accordance with the compensation scheme; or
(b)the amount of any payment which the scheme manager may be liable to make.
(2)A person inspecting a document under this section may take copies or extracts from the document.
(3)In this section “relevant person” means a person who was—
(a)an authorised person at the time the act or omission which may give rise to the liability mentioned in subsection (1)(a) took place; or
(b)an appointed representative at that time.
(4)But a person who, at that time—
(a)qualified for authorisation under Schedule 3, and
(b)fell within a prescribed category,
is not to be regarded as a relevant person for the purposes of this section in relation to any activities for which he had permission as a result of any provision of, or made under, that Schedule unless he had elected to participate in the scheme in relation to those activities at that time.
(5)This section applies to—
(a)the Official Receiver;
(b)the Official Receiver for Northern Ireland; and
(c)the Accountant in Bankruptcy.
F11Words in s. 224(1) inserted (24.1.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2013 in so far as not already in force) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), s. 122(3), Sch. 10 para. 15 (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/113, art. 2(1)(c), Sch. Pt. 3; S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch.
C9S. 224 extended (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/2967, arts. 1(2), 8, 12(4)(c); S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)
C10S. 224(3) excluded (2.7.2002) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) (Credit Unions) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/1501), art. 5(1)
I2S. 224 wholly in force at 1.12.2001; s. 224 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 431(2); s. 224(4) in force for certain purposes at 25.2.2001 by S.I. 2001/516, art. 2(b), Sch. Pt. 2; s. 224 in force in so far as not already in force at 1.12.2001 by S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)
[F12224ZADischarge of functionsU.K.
(1)In discharging its functions the scheme manager must have regard to—
(a)the need to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the discharge of those functions, and
(b)the need to minimise public expenditure attributable to loans made or other financial assistance given to the scheme manager for the purposes of the scheme.
(2)In subsection (1)(b) “financial assistance” includes the giving of guarantees and indemnities and any other kind of financial assistance (actual or contingent).]
F12S. 224ZA inserted (1.3.2014) by Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (c. 33), ss. 14, 148(5); S.I. 2014/377, art. 2(1)(a), Sch. Pt. 1
[F13224AFunctions under the Banking Act 2009U.K.
[F14(1)]A reference in this Part to functions of the scheme manager (including a reference to functions conferred by or under this Part) includes a reference to functions conferred by or under the Banking Act 2009.
[F15(2)Any payment required to be made by the scheme manager by virtue of section 61 of that Act (special resolution regime: compensation) is to be treated for the purposes of this Part as an expense under the compensation scheme.]]
F13S. 224A added (17.2.2009 for certain purposes and 21.2.2009 otherwise) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 180, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch.
F14S. 224A renumbered as s. 224A(1) (8.4.2010) by Financial Services Act 2010 (c. 28), ss. 24(1), 26(1), Sch. 2 para. 25(2)
F15S. 224A(2) inserted (8.4.2010) by Financial Services Act 2010 (c. 28), ss. 24(1), 26(1), Sch. 2 para. 25(3)
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'World's Ugliest Pig' Spotted in Indonesia
Rare images of the "world's ugliest pig" have been captured in Indonesia, researchers said Friday, offering a window into a little-known species believed to be on the brink of extinction.
The number of endangered Javan warty pigs -- males are distinguished by large warts on their faces -- has plunged since the early 1980s due to hunting and forest habitat loss, according to the UK-based Chester Zoo.
British and Indonesian researchers laid camera traps in the forests of the Southeast Asian nation's Java island in the hopes of capturing images of the elusive creature.
Their goal was to get a clearer sense of population levels and find ways to boost conservation of a "highly threatened species."
"It was even feared that many, if not all, populations had become extinct until their existence was confirmed by the zoo's cameras," the zoo said as it released the images.
The research "could eventually be used to establish new protection laws for the species as, currently, they are not protected by Indonesian law," it added.
The pigs -- which are only found on Java -- are similar in size to European wild boars but are more slender and have longer heads, the zoo said.
"Males have three pairs of enormous warts on their faces," said Johanna Rode-Margono, Chester Zoo's Southeast Asia field program coordinator.
"It is these characteristics that have led to them being affectionately labeled as 'the world's ugliest pig' but, certainly to us and our researchers, they are rather beautiful and impressive."
ScienceOffbeat
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Some new 45's for the collection!
I have been on the hunt for 45’s recently as I truly find that they sound better than the LP’s. Although, since I am lazy, I usually still opt for the LP but lately I have been taking pleasure in the 45 as well. Sometimes it’s for the simple fact that I only have 10 minutes to do some quick listening. More often it’s because I have been drawn to these cool small discs lately and can see this part of my collection really starting to grow.
I am especially a sucker for picture sleeves. Just the fact that the cover is not as recognizable excites me. Everybody knows what “The Beatles – Revolver” cover looks like. But not everybody knows what the picture sleeve for Eleanor Rigby looks like! (btw. I’m looking for this picture sleeve, so if you have it or know somebody let me know!)
The next best thing about 45’s is that the shipping is cheap!. Absolutely the best bang for your buck when you’re buying vinyl online. I have some 45’s shipped for as low as $1.50 and they rarely cost more than $4. When they do cost $4 you can usually get 3 or 4 shipped for the same price.
First 45 on my bragging list is “Pearl Jam – The Fixer” b/w “Supersonic”. I am a huge “Pearl Jam” fan and “Backspacer” is one of my favorite albums by them. This 45 is pressed on white vinyl and has a nice glossy picture sleeve. The sound of this 45 was insane compared to the CD. I never had a vinyl pressing have such noticeable better sound than this 45!
I also picked up a copy of “Julie Doiron and the Wrong Guys”. I don’t know much about Julie and her music except that I know she was in “Eric’s Trip” and is responsible for the great “SappyFest” in Sackville every year. Also, I know that she is one of Keltie’s favorite artists. I have full trust in Keltie’s taste in music as we have always been fans of similar bands, so I picked up this 45 based on this alone. I really like this 45 and plan on buying her new LP “So Many Days”. This actually may very well be my next purchase.
Last but not least is “Jack White – Fly Farm Blues”. I purchased this 45 a few months back but really started to enjoy it as of late. It doesn’t have a “B” side song; however, instead it has the cool “Third Man” logo etched in the vinyl! Not as much music but it sure looks cool! This song was written and recorded by Jack White in 10 minutes. Jack feels that songs are over written and over produced lately, and recorded this song to prove his point.
I am a big fan of this concept.
Yes I know a few months back I wrote about how I didn’t understand lo-fi but Keltie and a few other friends have shown me the light! I get it now. It just has that raw feeling that I love so much. The same reason I love “Neil Young and Crazy Horse”, it just has that unpolished sound that is full of emotion. I am glad that I have finally come to terms with lo-fi because this past few months I have been introduced to some of the best music of my life.
I still have many more 45’s I picked up. I will post some more in the future!
Labels: Album Reviews, backspacer, collecting, fly farm blues, Jack White, Julie Doiron the wrong guys, Pearl Jam, Singles, vinyl
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - The Impossible Dream
I pulled up to the house and went to the door even though I still couldn’t find the house number. I had already been to his neighbours and through the process of elimination; I knew this house had to be it. The driveway is dark and there are no lights on in the house.
He replied to my online ad that I was looking for vinyl records and he assured me he would be home.
So I went up to the door and sure enough he was waiting sitting in the dark waiting with just a candle lit for light.
I have met some interesting people traveling around looking for record collections. Either a hippie finally parting with his beloved records or middle aged working man who inherited the records of his dead relatives. Even though the majority of the time I come out with no records, at the very least it is always entertaining.
This man was different. His house was packed full of what appeared to be garbage. I’ve seen this before, on the television show hoarders and I knew he suffered from the disease. As he led me down to the basement to view his collection he pulled the string next to the hanging light bulb to give us just barely more light than the candle.
His house smelled of stale cigarette smoke and all his belongs were stained by nicotine. He told me how he knew I would be excited for his records. I have heard this many times before, everybody thinks because their albums are old that they are worth thousands. They are always disappointed.
But there was something about this guy that I knew he wasn’t exaggerating. With his pale complexion and blood shot eyes he did not look like a guy that people took seriously often; however, the way he talked I knew he was intelligent about music at the least. He flipped through numerous boxes of records and pulled out one obscure album after another. He was not interested in selling the entire collection specific records that he knew he had a CD copy of. I could tell that he was a hoarder that was slowly trying to get rid of his belongings to come to terms with his disease. Getting rid of all of his albums would have been too hard on himself, even though the thick layer of dust on them proved that they had not been enjoyed in years.
Ok ok ok .. I think I set the Halloween mood. The best part is that this is all true. This was the most memorable guy I ever visited to buy records. He was definitely a hoarder and chain smoker and it looked like he was already dead. But the excitement in his voice when he talked about the music he loved so much made me take him seriously and I took any album he suggested to try, and I loved them all.
Every year at Halloween I always think of this encounter as it’s where I bought one of my favorite albums. Even though it is one of my favorites, it only gets played around Halloween.
What’s your favorite Halloween album? (Besides “Thriller”… stop being so damn obvious…)
There are so many albums in my collection that only make an appearance at a specific time of the year.
As much as I want, I can only play “Elvis Christmas” albums during the Christmas season (I tried to give it a spin in August.. just ask my wife).. The new Paul McCartney LP “Kisses on the bottom” has Valentines season written all over it and Jimmy Buffett only makes it out when the sun is shining and its 30+ degrees outside.
There are also a few albums that only get on my turntable around Halloween.
My favorite album for this time of the year is hands down “The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – The Impossible Dream”.
Why this album? Are the songs written with Halloween in mind? I doubt it. But it’s the sound of this album that fits the mood so right. His voice has that “Monster Mash” type sound to it and the music is great. It reminds me of cross between “Queen” and “Motley Crue”.
I really don’t know much about Alex Harvey except that he was a Scottish Glam rock musician who was big in Great Britain but never made it huge in the USA and Canada. Watching video clips on YouTube, he put on one hell of a great live show.
Tragically, he died very young from a massive heart attack in 1982. It’s a shame because I think he could have really fit in and been huge in the 80’s.
This is the only Alex Harvey album I own and have ever heard, so my knowledge on him is very minimal. I always plan on getting more of his LP’s but always forget until Halloween shows its face again. I’m going to try to make it a point this year to grab a few more
I often wonder what type of people are fans of Alex Harvey. I think the guy I bought this album from could definitely be an Alex Harvey stereotype.
Maybe it was this experience that reminds me so much of Halloween rather than the album itself.
Anybody else have any favorite LP’s to spin at this time of the year? Let me know and I’ll post it on the blog!
Anybody have any experience listening to Alex Harvey?
Labels: Album Reviews, Alex Harvey, Halloween, music hoarder, record collecting, The impossible dream, The sensational Alex Harvey Band, vinyl collecting
Clash on Broadway!
I had a nice thrift store score recently finding the box set released by ‘The Clash” called “Clash on Broadway”.
Once upon a time, most of the Clash LP’s lived within my collection. Then like many others, I traded them for other albums. Never again will I trade my last copies of albums, I always regret it! It never fails that later on I’m searching for the very albums that I traded. It’s a vicious cycle full of record collecting regrets. No more!
Regardless, I found this CD box set at the thrift store and it gave me a chance to gain a lot of “The Clash’s” music through one cheap purchase.
I can’t believe I was so passive with “the Clash” prior. I can’t get enough of this box set!
This box set walks you through heir career from beginning to end containing 63 of their best songs. Their sound evolved so much over their short career, You can virtually hear a difference in every song how their sound changed.
Unfortunately to me their sound peaked at London Calling and changed dramatically afterwards. Once “Sandinista” and “Combat Rock” came out the sound was not as appealing to me. I mean they are still great records, but just not want I want to hear from “the Clash”. I’m more drawn to their old school punk rock style songs than their later more mainstream hits.
It kind of reminds me of when “Motley Crue” released that album without Vince Neil. If you never knew it was the Crue it was totally a good album. However when people bought this albums, they wanted the Crue sound they were accustomed to. This album was not their normal sound, but if you put that aside, it wasn’t bad! (sorry for the hair metal references.. I’m still in the Anvil state of mind!)
So for all you music collectors looking for a great introduction to “the Clash”, this box set is a great bang for your buck. You can easily get it for under $20 on eBay and it is worth every cent.
Labels: Album Reviews, cd box set, cd collecting, Clash, Clash on broadway, Joe Strummer, vinyl
Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day - by Keltie Harding
Today was Celebration day for me. I saw a screening of the new Led Zeppelin concert film "Celebration Day" this evening. This amazing concert movie was filmed at the O2 Arena in London, England. The show was a tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun who passed on in 2006. The date of the O2 show was December 10, 2007, almost a year to the day of Ertegun's passing.
The show marked a triumphant return for Led Zeppelin. This was the first time the band actually rehearsed for a full show since 1980. (The '85 Live Aid show and '88 Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary were both plagued by little to no rehearsal and a bit of a lackluster performance.) The band was in great shape and once again, Jason Bonham (son of original Zep drummer John Bonham) sat proudly on the drum throne and played as if he'd been with the band all his life. (Well, by default, he was in a way!) Jimmy played beautifully, as did John Paul Jones. Robert Plant was in TERRIFIC vocal form. He certainly gave his all and could still hit a few high notes when it needed it.
Of course with the band being much older now, some of the songs had their key's changed slightly, to better compensate Plant's older voice. "Good Times, Bad Times", Stairway To Heaven" & "The Song Remains The Same" are all now in slightly different keys, but that's OK. Songs like "Kashmir", "Trampled Underfoot" and"Rock & Roll" all were in their original key (as heard on the records) and Plant nailed every one of them. The entire band was spot on. There were a few little fluff ups along the way, but that's to be expected. Especially when a band that really hasn't played together in 20-some odd years and were given 6 weeks to rehearse. Its all part of what makes this show so special. That its real. There were a few minor overdubs and fixes in the studio, but not very many as the bulk of the show was high quality.
One thing that struck me was despite the enormous stage, the band stuck really close together. You can see the band interaction, the smiles, the grins, the laughing. They were very connected during that show. And they were enjoying ever second of it. According to Page, that connection was there from the first rehearsal onwards.
I was already familiar with the O2 reunion show, having obtained audience recordings via the web just days after the event. At the time those circulating documents were the best and only way to relive the show. The circulating video of the show was filmed from the audience so as amazing these sources were (especially for fans who were unable to attend the show), fans hoped one day for a legitimate and proper issue. In "Uncut" Magazine in 2008, Page said "It was recorded, but we didn't go in with the express purpose of making a DVD to come out at Christmas, or whatever. We haven't seen the images or investigated the multitracks. It's feasible that it might come out at some distant point, but it'll be a massive job to embark on" Well 5 years on, the wait HAS been worth it. Celebration Day indeed.
Directed by Dick Carruthers, Celebration Day is a beautiful document of a triumphant show. Exquisitely shot & well done, but this has the earmarks of Carruthers' style, namely the super 8 and cellphone camera style footage interspersed with the hi-def footage.
The Audio portion of the show was mixed in 5.1 surround and was produced by Jimmy Page and mixed by Alan Moulder (who worked with Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode and Them Crooked Vultures, feaurting Zep bassist John Paul Jones.) The audio was quite well done but not without its flaws. I found a little too much reverb was used to re-create the live feel. At times, Jimmy's guitar was a bit buried and murky in the mix. This also could be due to the effects and pedals Page would use in that particular section of the song. But overall, it was very enjoyable.
Highlights for me was the track "For Your Life" (originally from "Presence") which made its live debut on this gig, "Dazed and Confused", "Kashmir" & "Rock and Roll". Of course there isn't a bad song in the whole show. "Ramble On" also made its live debut as well.
Unfortunately the 30 minute renditions of "Dazed" and 20 minute "No Quarter" are all in the past. The O2 show stayed true to the studio renditions, but some songs were extended slightly as a nod to the shows of the 1970's. Pagey did bring out the bow during "Dazed". How could he not. The bow is an integral part of the live renditions.
I was hoping that the live recording of "Celebration Day" from "The Song Remains The Same" would be played over the end credit roll. Unfortunate as it was, I think it would have been a nice finishing touch.
The show will be officially released in various configurations (CD, Vinyl, DVD,Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray Audio, digital download) beginning on November 19, 2012. I'm sure it'll be a top seller and under many trees this upcoming holiday season.
So was it worth 5 years to see this come to light? ABSOLUTELY. I would go back and see it again tomorrow if I could. I now need to wait for the Blu-ray.
Is there a Zep reunion on the horizon? Well, Page, Jones and Bonham are all up for it, but Plant seems to be content doing his own thing. In an interview he gave to The Times in January 2010, Page recalled: "We played really, really well. But we played with a totally different urgency, if you like, from how we played in the rehearsals — although the rehearsals were pretty damn good, too. I suppose in retrospect the fact there was only one gig then it’s great that everyone afterwards would say that it was an historic and inspiring gig for people to hear. It is a shame that there weren’t any more that followed on and now we got to two years later and everyone’s doing their own thing and that’s how that is at this point of time or certainly into next year. So that’s it" If this is in fact the last ever show Led Zeppelin gave, is sure was a hell of a show to go out on!
To quote from the title song of this release "we're gonna sing and dance in celebration, for we're in the promised land". Thank you Robert, Jimmy, John Paul and Jason. Bonzo, you would have been proud of your mates and your son. Thank you also for being a part of this event. Rock and roll dreams really do come true.
Labels: Celebration Day, led zeppelin, maritime vinyl, Posts by Keltie, review, vinyl
In Praise Of CAULDRON - by Keltie Harding
In Praise Of CAULDRON
Cauldron is an amazing 3 piece classic metal band from Toronto that was formed in 2006 by Jason Decay (bass, lead vocals) after the demise of his previous band "Goat Horn". The other co-founding member is guitarist/vocalist Ian Chains. After several previous drummers, Halifax/Moncton singer/musician Myles Deck brought his hard hitting drumming style to the band.
The band has played some pretty high profile gigs since their formation. They've played the "Keep It True" metal festival in Germany and has toured Canada, the US and Europe extensively. The band also scored a major coup by signing with influential Heavy Metal label Earache Records.
Cauldron has also appeared on the Moncton-produced web series "The McDon's House", produced by Kyle McDonald and John Jerome. The band was filmed & recorded playing live in the studio and the footage is stellar. You can check out this episode (and other just as amazing bands) at http://www.youtube.com/user/themcdonshouse?feature=watch
I can't say enough good things about Cauldron. The band sometimes gets described as being part of the "new wave of traditional heavy metal" scene. I'm not a guy to slap any band with a certain "label" but these guys do that label justice and then some. First off I enjoy GOOD metal. And Cauldron has taken the best of classic early 80's speed/thrash metal (ie: Anvil, Motorhead, Angel Witch) and "L.A." metal (Motley Crue, Dokken), mixing powerful riffs, catchy hooks, and searing vocals from Jason with Myles and Ian providing killer harmonies. Cauldron is definitely one of my newest favorite bands, carrying high the torch in Canadian metal.
I'm coming off of a epic music high. I saw Cauldron 2 times this weekend. Once at an in-store free all ages show at Spin-It Records, then the traditional bar show at Plan B lounge (both in Moncton, NB.) Their live show was amazing. No flashy sets, no crazy lights. Just 3 guys, their gear and a sound that draws you in and makes you want to listen and soak it in. Of course the bar show was a "tad" bit more wild than the all ages. Cauldron are a great live band and I strongly urge everyone to see them.
Their new album is entitled "Tomorrow's Lost" and is out on Earache Records, available on vinyl, CD and cassette. YES. Cassette. The cassette artwork looks exactly like the CBS Canada cassettes of the mid 80's with the band name in bold red lettering and the classic "Chromium dioxide" banner at the bottom. How cool is that! (The cassettes were self-produced and not manufactured by Earache.) The band is sold out of vinyl & tape copies and they've only been out a few weeks. (The vinyl is still available from Earache.) I unfortunately was not able to get either the vinyl or cassette of "Tomorrow's Lost" but I did score a first pressing of thier debut 12" EP "Into The Cauldron". And a cool poster as well.
And they are really nice guys as well. I know Myles better, from the Moncton scene, being at shows and from his old band "Myles Deck & The Fuzz". Jason was super cool and thanked me for coming out (and buying the EP) as did Ian. Really down to earth guys. I bet they can sure throw a bad-ass party too!!!
The show at Plan B this weekend was also recorded for an upcoming live album. The recording was made by Kyle McDonald and I'm sure it's going to sound great. Keep your eyes peeled.
Go check out Cauldron, on YouTube, at the McDon's House, at
www.earache.com and at your local music emporium. Support Canadian music. Support GOOD metal! You will not regret it. Take it from me!
Labels: Cauldron, Heavy Metal, into the cauldron, maritime vinyl, Posts by Keltie, The McDon's House, tomorrow's lost
Keltie's response to my Anvil post!
The following is Keltie's response to my Anvil post from yesterday! (see my post here).
I was familiar with Anvil from the 80's when I heard "Metal On Metal" on a K-Tel compilation called "Masters Of Metal" (great compilation by the way ) but never really heard much about them. I knew they were a Canadian band. And, like most people, forgot about them for years.
The first time I heard about Anvil in many years was on CBC Radio's "Q" with Jian Ghomeshi. Lips & Robb were on plugging the movie which had just made the rounds of influential film festivals & was set to be shown nationwide. They were both very humble & passionate about keeping their brand of metal alive. So it gave me renewed interest in the band.
I found a website that was streaming the film for free, and yes it was sanctioned by The band & the film's producer. The movie was one of the most direct, real & heartfelt movies I have ever saw. Plus it's one hell of a rockumentary! After watching the movie I immediately became a hardcore fan, searching out their music. And I developed a deep respect for these guys who were slugging it out on their terms.
Not to give anything away to Brad, this movie does echo another very famous rockumentary of ages past. On another Jian Ghomeshi interview with Sascha Gerbaisi, he was asked if this was a deliberate artistic choice & he said it was,, as an homage to said film.
So with the film making me a fan, I hoped that they would play in NB sometime. And last year they played a SMOKING show at the (now defunct) Manhattan Bar in Moncton. (My friends in Iron Giant opened the show.) these guys were tight, and one of the BEST metal shows ever. Robb is a monster on the drums, and has the stamina of a young Turk. Amazing drummer. One of the best. PERIOD! Lips is a great guitarist & went from rhythm to lead & back with ease. Glenn Five was solid on the bass, propelling the band with a thunderous bottom end.
What really brought the whole experience home was that after they played, they came down to the main floor to meet the fans, sign autographs, take pictures and connect with the fans. I stayed for almost an hour afterwards & they made time for EVERYONE who wanted to talk to them. And they were ever so appreciative of every single fan! That's what I loved most about them. They were genuinely happy to be there. Plus I got quite a bit of merch too.
Most of their CD's had become collectors items & were getting harder to find. Recently they have been reissued on a domestic label & are easily obtainable. I'm working on getting the back catalog completed.
So an appreciation goes to Anvil for sticking with it, and fighting on their terms, and keeping it real, and I am happy that they've found success after all this time. JOIN THE HEAVY METAL FIGHT!!!!
Keltie (Anvil Metal Pounder's Union, Local 666, member 666-02345)
Labels: Anvil, Heavy Metal, Lips, Manhattan, Moncton, Posts by Keltie, Rob Reiner, the story of anvil, vinyl
Anvil!
I have just been introduced the world of Anvil!
I picked up their book “Anvil-the story of Anvil” at Chapters on a whim. I completely did the ‘no-no’ and judged a book by its cover. It really worked out for me!
Who wouldn’t like this cover?
I’m sure many people have already seen their highly praised documentary of the same name. I’m perhaps only one of the few who read the book first. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. This book was ridiculously good! It was definitely not just a recap of the documentary so if you’re not picking it up for that reason I would highly suggest getting your hands on a copy.
The documentary only comes into play in the last few short chapters of the book. Everything else in here is way before the documentary and it rocks! This book is broken up written by both of the member’s perspective.
A quick background: Anvil is a speed metal band founded by Rob Reiner and Steve “Lips” Kudlow. They were a big influence on many of the biggest names in metal including Metallica, Anthrax, megadeth and Slayer. Regardless they never got mainstream success like all of the bands that they influenced. Anvil never had the big break they were hoping for, however they never let go of their dream and to this day are still together.
Regardless, Anvil never got the recognition that the rest of these bands achieved. A string of bad luck was always pulling them back from being the massive rock stars that they so strongly wanted to be.
Lips and Rob basically signed the first contract they were offered. During this time they played many big shows with many other big bands. The only problem is that they were never paid. Regardless of the thousands of fans that turned up, the money always went elsewhere than in Lips and Rob’s pockets.
Anvil finally seemed to get their big break when Aerosmith’s manager David Krebs promised them a major label contract and convinced their current label ‘Attic’ to release them. When they broke free from their ‘Attic’ contract they had a disagreement with Krebs over shipping Rob’s drums overseas. This caused Krebs to cut all contact with Anvil and he never followed through with a major label contract. Eventually Krebs dropped Anvil which allowed them to pursue other record deals.
Regardless Anvil continued to move forward. However with no proper management or record deal it was always a battle. They were always faced with problems such as no proper advertising (therefore no fans); or they played a show but couldn’t get paid afterwards. Nothing came easy for Anvil.
Reading this book really makes you fall in love with these guys. They always have such good intentions and great positive attitudes regardless of their bad luck.
There were even touching heartfelt moments. They came close to making me cry when they talked about losing their fathers.
Once I finished the book I couldn’t wait to watch the documentary.
This documentary, that’s based on them never getting their big break, turned into their big break. This documentary was so well done and completed by their longtime friend Sacha Gervasi (read the book! His name comes up lots!). This film brought them so much respect that they much deserve. It gave a great insight into what it has been like for them to be struggling to be heavy metal musicians for their entire lives.
Lips and Rob are always so grateful for everything they experience. This stands out in the film especially when you see Lips run over to Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Ozzy, etc..) like a kid when he sees him back stage at a concert. He is so genuinely happy to meet him.
It really makes you sad witnessing the trouble that they go through. Virtually every time they play at a club they are fighting to get paid. It really shows how a good manager could really help them. At least he could be fighting for the money and looking out for their best interest, Instead or all of this stress being on them. This is shown in a scene when Lips is literally fighting for his money on the film. He is seen grabbing a club owner by the collar of his shirt and yelling “you fucking piece of shit! You pay me! I’ll kick your fucking teeth in!” You really feel for him. If these guys don’t get paid they don’t have money for food or even travel to get to their next gig.
These guys are always so optimistic. They always get their hopes up and believe great things are coming. In the film they get so excited when they are told that their next show is expecting to have 5000-10000 people. Only 174 showed up for this gig. Regardless they still gave them an incredible show as if the venue was sold out.
These guys are true 80’s metal guys. Everything from wearing their own band t-shirts tucked into their jeans, to the 80’s hair. You have an idea of what they will sound like before they even play a note. Even though you can guess their sound you will be amazed at how good they actually are. They don’t just dress the part; they are very talented at their instruments.
I can’t help but compare this documentary to one of my favorite movies, “the Wrestler’. Even though one is fact and one is fiction they seem so closely related to me.
In “the Wrestler” Mickey Rourke’s character was a wrestler who never gave up on his passion, even after his 15 minutes of fame had passed. This is exactly the same for Anvil.
Mickey Rourke’s character always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. This is just like Lips! (Rob doesn’t smile much but he still seems to have the right attitude).
Mickey Rourke’s character works at a deli so that he can make enough money to survive while he wrestles at night. Lips works at a catering service and call centers to pay the bills and tours on his vacation.
I know it is kind of a weird comparison but I couldn’t help but notice the similarities.
Over all I really enjoyed the documentary, but the book was amazing! I never even heard of Anvil before this week and still do not own an album but I will be sure to pick one up in the near future. For all you 80’s metal fans out there, this book and documentary is a must have!
Labels: Anvil, Book reviews, documentary, Heavy Metal, Lips, metal on metal, records, Rob Reiner, the story of anvil
Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes!
Electronic music. I can’t say I have ever been a fan. But up until a short while ago I could say the same about jazz and funk, and now these two genres dominate my turntable.
A friend of mine who I talk and trade records with has always had an ear for electronic music. He seems super knowledgeable on the subject and if I’m not mistaken he records his own electronic music.
Although our musical tastes have differed, we always seem to be curious what the other is listening to when we cross paths. I tried a few Prince albums he recommended but could never enjoy them.
Lately as I started learning more about funk music and soul we finally seemed to have some common records that are in both of our collections. This made me think that now we seem to be getting closer in taste, so I can go to him for recommendations on some new artists to try out.
He recommended a handful of bands and although I could not find any specific albums he requested, I did find an album by one of the artists.
The album I picked up was “Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes”.
This album is classified under the electronic and electronic jazz genres.
I have to admit that the first three times I listened to this album I did not enjoy it at all. But the fact that I brought myself to try it three times rather than toss it aside after the first is what is strange about this experience.
This is similar to my reaction the first time I heard “Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew”. I could not understand the fuss everybody had over this Miles Davis album. It just sounded like a mess of noise to me the first few times I heard it.
But something kept drawing me back to it and putting on my stereo. The easiest way I can explain it is that it’s not that I didn’t like the music; it’s that I didn’t understand it. Not understanding it is what kept drawing me to it, I have to figure out what this crazy amount of noise is all about.
“Bitches Brew” is now one of my all-time favorite albums. ‘I get it’ now and I’m super happy that I kept returning to it after I never got it the first handful of times.
I seem to be getting a very similar feel about “Until the Quiet Comes”. Although I won’t go as far to say that I love it right now, I can sure see it being at the top of my list for great new music.
It was the same reaction as it was to the Miles Davis. I just couldn’t understand it.
I mean what are all these beats and crazy sounds? A few things helped me understand this album, the biggest being that I was not listening to it in the right environment. This album, to me, is not an album I can blast in the car.
If I start being one of those guys with the bass so loud that it rattles the windshield.. well.. I’ll have to kick my own ass.
Having it on my home stereo playing out loud didn’t quite work either.
This album requires the headphones for me to get the full appeal of it. It needs my undivided attention. Sit back, close my eyes, and it almost feels like it is walking me through a crazy dream.
While I could never tell how people could suggest that they can achieve ‘feeling’ in electronic music before, with this album I get it.
He seems to be able to express so many different emotions and feelings just by the insane beats, keyboards and other sounds (some sounds that I can’t even relate to a specific instrument).
While it is not a genre I can see myself digging in full tilt with, I can definitely see myself following ‘Flying Lotus’ releases and enjoying his other albums that he has already released.
Thanks so much for the recommendation!
Labels: Album Reviews, cd's, Flying lotus, maritime vinyl, Miles Davis, until the quiet comes, vinyl
Tom Cruise and Rock of Ages!
Friday nights we like to keep it simple. BBQ for supper, watch “Shark Tank” on the dish, and usually relax with a movie.
Last night on Pay per view we saw “Rock of Ages” coming on. I saw the previews before and thought it might be worth a watch. I love Alec Baldwin and Paul Giamatti as actors. This and the 80’s rock them, well, I would usually be all over a movie like this (I think I saw ‘Rock Star’ twice in the theatre!).
What stopped me from watching this movie was the fact that Tom Cruise was in it. There are not to many actors I dislike more than Tom Cruise. Not on an acting level, on a personal level.
Either he is preaching on television about Scientology or I see him on the cover of every gossip magazine being portrayed as a prince. Sure this annoys me but it was not what did him in for me.
What bothered me about Tom Cruise was the Matt Lauer interview with him when he was badmouthing Brook Shields for taking anti-depressants and generally bad mouthing anti-depressants in general. I know it’s an opinionated topic and Tom has just as much right as anybody for an opinion. It’s the way he approached it that I hated so much, he wasn’t stressing his opinion, he was basically dictating to people that it is wrong and there is no exceptions. Keep on acting Tom, make your decision on topics like this and leave everybody else to make their own opinions. Your filthy rich, had relationships with the biggest names in Hollywood, your healthy and charming.. A depression does not seem to be something you have any experience with. If you were depressed before you would change your tune on this topic pretty quick.
I think Craig Ferguson had the best response to this. This was in response to Tom Cruise saying that anti-depressants just mask the sym
Craig-
That’s what you do with depression, you mask the symptoms. The symptoms of depression IS depression, it’s not a symptom of something else. It’s not like you go “Oooh, I feel really sad” and then your arse falls off. The symptoms of depression is depression. You take away the symptoms of depression, HALLOOOOO! You’re cured! But Tom [Cruise] was like “No, no, no Matt. Matt, these drugs Matt, these drugs they’re just a crutch, these drugs are just a crutch!” and I’m thinking, “yes?” THEY’RE A CRUTCH! You don’t walk up to a guy with one leg and say, “Hey pal, that crutch is just a crutch, THROW IT AWAY! Hop ya bastard! That crutch is masking the symptoms of your one leggedness.”
Craig goes on to say that if you find a lump on your back and you want to know what it is.. well you don’t ask him! Go to a Doctor. Leave it to the professionals Tom and let people make their own decisions. Don’t dictate. If they don’t believe in them they don’t have to take them just like you. Allow people to make their own decisions. Go back to your Scientology cult and find another girl half your age.. ptoms of depression and they are just a crutch.
So for the longest time I refused to watch anything associated with Tom Cruise. I started to have second thoughts about this lately though. I was thinking that I have no right to judge him as much as he has no right to dictate to others. I have my opinion on him, but that doesn’t mean my opinion is right. Maybe Tom is right about anti-depressants, who am I to say. But again I just disagree with how he approached it.
The problem I have is that I think I have to like people as a person in order to like their talents. Well this is a problem I had. Like them on a personal level is irrelevant to liking their talents. This became even clearer to me lately when I read Bob Dylan’s new interview in the recent Rolling Stone magazine.
Bob-
“What others think about me, or feel about me, that’s so irrelevant. Any more than it is for me, when I go see a movie, say, Wuthering Heights or something, and have to wonder what’s Laurence Olivier really like. When I see an actor on the stage or something, I don’t think about what they’re like. I’m there because I want to forget about myself, forget about what I care or do not care about, Entertaining is a type of sport.”
This fits well with my current mindset. Sometimes when somebody else sums it up like that it clears up my own thoughts.
So who am I to judge Tom Cruise.
So we got the movie.
First off… I had no idea this was a musical.. NO IDEA.... I cannot believe I didn’t know this. I guess if I knew it was a musical I never would have gotten it. So it’s good that I didn’t know as I did enjoy the movie.
I’m not going to get into the details of the movie as I’m sure most of you have already seen it or are planning on seeing it.
What I am going to note is how well it worked for me to put my views of Tom Cruise aside. He did a great job in this movie acting as an 80’s rock star. The way he held the scotch bottle, roamed around tipsy and drunk. To the way he looked with the tattoos, long hair and leather pants on. He played the part great! When he was singing and leading the band, I don’t think they could have picked anybody better to play the part.
Now I know I shouldn’t have an opinion on Tom Cruise on a personal level but I can’t help it. I’m trying to change but at the moment I still have an opinion. My opinion is that he fit this part so well I think he should take this role on in real life. Now that you’re single Tom, get a drinking habit, cover yourself in tattoos, grow that hair out and quit wearing a shirt. Roam around in public half drunk and have the girls hanging off you. While the entire time your mouth is shut and your opinions are kept to yourself.
Gilmore, Mikal. “Bob Dylan the Rolling Stone Interview.” Rolling Stone Magazine 27 September 2012: 42-51 and 80
Caputo, Michelle (producer), & Hartman, Shannon (director). (2009). Craig Ferguson: A wee bit o’ revolution (TV). USA. Green Mountain West
Labels: Alec Baldwin, Craig Ferguson, movies, Paul Giamatti, Random, Rock of Ages, Tom Cruise, vinyl records
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NOT GUILTY : DAD ACQUITTED OF RAPING DAUGHTER
Wednesday, May 01, 2019 NewsdzeZimbabwe 0
A Mutare man, who was being accused of raping his seven-year-old daughter, was yesterday acquitted by Rusape regional magistrate Livingstone Chipadze after the State failed to prove a prima facie case against him.
Chipadze told the court yesterday that the mother of the complainant fabricated the rape charges and coxed her daughter into filing trumped-up rape charges after their relationship had broken down.
He said there was evidence that the seven-year-old complainant’s parents were going through serious matrimonial problems. Chipadze said the complainant’s mother tried to manipulate a maid by increasing her pay to falsely testify in court against the man.
The accused was represented by prominent Mutare lawyer Chris Ndlovu. The court noted that the complainant was a clearly coached witness and her evidence was rehearsed.
“The complainant’s mother showed the court that she is clearly a bitter person against the accused and in court did not dispute that her own sister had at one time used or raised false allegations of rape against her husband,” the magistrate said.
The complainant’s mother was also discredited by the maid as an alcoholic and an individual who had attempted to manipulate her to falsely testify against the accused.
In the application for discharge at the close of State case, the accused lawyer Ndlovu said the woman attempted to sway the maid, who testified in the matter, to lie to the police that she had heard the complainant screaming in the bedroom.
“She, the complaint’s mother had promised a pay increase of $30 if she falsely testified against the accused, such an unstable and manipulative mother and is capable of doing anything, faced with the prospect of losing custody of the children, she concocted the allegations,” he said. Newsday
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Vincent Jackson embraces hybrid role with Bucs
By Dan Hanzus
End Around Writer
Published: June 8, 2015 at 07:13 p.m.
Updated: June 8, 2015 at 07:35 p.m.
The Superstar Club: Out with the old, in with the new!
Brady has Rodgers beat in prank department
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are scheming up ways to get the most out of Vincent Jackson this year.
The veteran wide receiver put up another strong statistical season in 2014 despite playing on one of the worst offenses in the league. Jackson is in the process of learning his third offense in as many years under new coordinator Dirk Koetter, but he seems excited about the new direction of the group.
"Dirk is having some fun moving me around and playing me in multiple places, and it's been fun for me, too," Jackson said, according to The Tampa Tribune. "It's fun to play inside (in the slot) and outside, to be able stretch the field and cross the field.
"That's what's good about this system. We're going to put the ball all over the place. The (running) backs, the tight ends, everybody's going to be involved and that should make it fun for all of us."
Jackson is hardly unfamiliar with work on the inside. According to Pro Football Focus, 138 of Jackson's 582 routes came out of the slot last season, accounting for nearly 25 percent of his workload.
That percentage could go up as the team finds new ways to take advantage of Jackson's size, instincts and playmaking ability. Now entering his 11th season, Jackson may soon reach the stage where he cannot rely on speed alone.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses offseason clichés and who are the NFL's most valuable non-QBs. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
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Former Attorney Charged with Stealing in Real Estate Scam
Stephanie Abbott — July 5, 2018 — Leave a comment
Angela Fawn Wallace, 57, West Hills, California, a former attorney, pleaded not guilty today to the charges, which include multiple counts each of identity theft, grand theft, forgery and procuring a false document for recording. Wallace has been charged with 72 felony counts for taking $2 million from elderly property owners and others in a real estate fraud scheme
From June 2014 through January 2017, Wallace allegedly befriended elderly victims or located properties where the owners were already deceased in order to get her name placed on the title to the properties.
The defendant is accused of using her legal expertise to ingratiate herself with the victims, said Deputy District Attorney Walter Mueller of the Real Estate Fraud Section, who is prosecuting the case.
The scheme targeted four properties in different areas of Los Angeles, California and affected about two dozen victims, including property owners, estates, trusts, investment companies, property management companies and notaries, Mueller said. Wallace allegedly either obtained loans secured by the properties or sold them to innocent purchasers, purportedly keeping virtually all of the proceeds for herself, the prosecutor said.
In one case, she allegedly had her name placed on the title, then rented several of the units and kept the rental proceeds for herself instead of giving them to the estate of the deceased owner.
The defendant has several prior felony convictions, including grand theft in 2003, 2007 and 2013; forgery in 2003; and recording false documents in 2007.
She also denied special allegations that include taking of more than $200,000 and prior convictions.
Wallace faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years and four months in state prison if convicted as charged. Bail was set at $2.32 million.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 1, 2018 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Case BA468922 was filed July 2, 2018.
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office made the announcement.
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation.
In Mortgage Fraud California, forged documents, Title Fraud
Stephanie Abbott
Man Pleads Guilty to Making...
Couple Charged In Mortgage...
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Pew Playlist: 3 New Albums That Should Be On Your Radar, 8/19/16
August 19, 2016 Susan Hubbard Leave a Comment
Pushed To The Side – The Coal Men
Pushed To The Side is the fifth studio album from acclaimed Nashville roots-rock trio The Coal Men, “three solid dudes trying to make really honest, genuine music” as frontman Dave Coleman says. The tunes are atmospheric and moody, their protagonists forlorn, displaced, and drifting. “It’s not a concept record,” Coleman explains, “but the narratives of being pushed to the side, of being on the fringe or alienated; they’re part of the story of the record.” That includes the Nashville experience itself, as intimated in “The Payoff,” a faster-pulsed twanger about trying to break through in a town where too many people make music for the wrong reasons. “We’re just telling stories,” Coleman says. “And it felt good to tell these.” (Also, if you’re in Nashville on August 28th, you can see them perform up close and in person at Mother Church Pew’s 1-Year Anniversary Celebration. SWOON.)
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pushed-to-the-side/id1133720325
Magic Fire – The Stray Birds
Today, The Stray Birds release Magic Fire, which houses the most exciting and engaging music they’ve ever composed paired with their most outspoken and insightful lyrics yet. Produced by three-time Grammy Award-winning producer Larry Campbell (best known for his work with luminaries like Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Paul Simon, and Willie Nelson) and engineer, Justin Guip (another three-time Grammy Award-winner who worked with the late Helm), the album demonstrates the group’s remarkable growth as songwriters and performers, and brims with harmoniously groovy Appalachian-inspired Americana.
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/magic-fire/id1115300413
Just This EP – Birdtalker
Alt-folk group Birdtalker has released its anthemic debut EP, Just This, which reflects different themes of adulthood, touching on the evolution of founding members Zack and Dani Green’s marriage, to prioritizing what is most important in one’s life. MCP proudly premiered the band’s single, “Graveclothes”, and it, along with lead single “Heavy”, have garnered over 1.25 million plays on Spotify. No big deal.
Features, New Music album release, alt-country, alt-folk, Americana, Birdtalker, Just This, Magic Fire, new music, Pushed To The Side, The Coal Men, The Stray Birds
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