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New ad campaign challenges politicians over Human Rights Act. Peter Robinson among leaders featured ahead of latest TV election debates.
Amnesty International today launched a new campaign calling on the leaders of all political parties to “do the human right thing” and protect the Human Rights Act.
The campaign features full-page adverts in national newspapers with the message “Do the human right thing: Keep The Human Rights Act” slogan as well as the faces of party leaders, including Peter Robinson of Northern Ireland’s DUP.
There is also a dedicated website (www.keeptheact.uk) with stories of ordinary people who were able to use the Human Rights Act to claim their rights.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Programme Director, said:
“Human rights protect everyone and should be above party politics.
“Loss of the Human Rights Act would be a real backward step, particularly in Northern Ireland where it has underpinned public confidence in new political and policing institutions since the Good Friday Agreement.
“We want to see MPs of all parties, including those from Northern Ireland, defend the rights which were hard-won by ordinary people over many years.”
Cases highlighted by Amnesty’s campaign include
A woman with Multiple Sclerosis who was forced to spend all day, every day in bed was able to use the Human Rights Act to get her local council to increase the amount of care she received to a sensible level, and so was able to live a normal independent life again.
An elderly couple who were placed in separate care homes after 65 years of marriage. They were able to use the Human Rights Act to successfully persuade their local authority to allow the wife to move into her husband’s care home so that they could be together.
A young boy with a severe learning disability who required substantial care from his father was placed in temporary care when his father fell ill, but when the father recovered, the council refused to reunite the pair. They were finally reunited after a court concluded that the council had breached their human rights.
More than 18,000 people have already signed up to a call on the next government to protect the Human Rights Act. The website can be found at: www.keeptheact.uk
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Bassett, Vines among MLS's top 10 Homegrown players enjoying breakout seasons
June 20, 20199:21AM MDT
Follow@ mls
Every MLS season, several Homegrown players make the most of their opportunity and see their role vault from the periphery into the limelight.
Last year, that could certainly be applied to Tyler Adams with the New York Red Bulls and Alphonso Davies with the Vancouver Whitecaps, as well as several others.
As the CONCACAF Gold Cup break arrives, here are 10 Homegrowns who are growing in influence with each passing game. These youngsters, if you’re not already paying attention, are worth a check-in.
Brenden Aaronson
Aaronson, back in 2018, made the decision to bypass an Indiana University commitment and sign with the Philadelphia Union. After an extended spell with their USL Championship side, Bethlehem Steel, the 18-year-old midfielder has become an integral part of Jim Curtin’s Eastern Conference-leading team. Aaronson has made 13 starts and scored on the road at Atlanta United, playing in a variety of roles alongside veterans such as Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin.
Cole Bassett
Only 17, Bassett is playing beyond his years for a surging Colorado Rapids team that looks reinvigorated under interim head coach Conor Casey. Signed in August 2018, he made six appearances last year and nabbed his first professional goal in a win against FC Dallas. That foreshadowed what was to come, as he’s on track for around 1,300 minutes this season and already has one goal and two assists.
Gianluca Busio
By now, most American soccer fans know some version of Busio’s story: the North Carolina teenager heads to Sporting Kansas City’s academy, signs a Homegrown Player deal and gets into Peter Vermes’ good graces. That simplified version doesn’t quite do the 17-year-old justice, though, as he’s now scored three times this season and even featured in CONCACAF Champions League action. Busio was integral for the U.S. U-17 national team this past spring before they fell to Mexico at the CONCACAF championships.
The son of former MLS MVP David Ferreira, he signed a Homegrown Player deal with FC Dallas way back in November of 2016. Ample patience is starting to pay off as Ferreira, 18, is often FCD’s starting striker under first-year head Luchi Gonzalez. He has four goals and two assists through 15 matches, though could easily hit double-digits. Across his previous two seasons, Ferreira totaled just 22 minutes of game action.
Aaron Herrera
After drifting in and out of the lineup in 2018, Herrera has locked down the starting right back role for Real Salt Lake. Through 15 games, he’s already started as many games (14) as last season. A versatile outside back who loves to boom forward and join the attack, he signed in December 2017 after playing three years of college soccer at New Mexico. That makes him 22 and one of the older players included here.
Paxton Pomykal
It’s not often that a 19-year-old American is indispensable for an MLS team, but here we are. Pomykal’s named is etched in FC Dallas’ starting midfield, and he was dearly missed while recently with the US U-20 men's national team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He’s already generating buzz as the next Homegrown Player who could move to Europe, likely a nod to his defensive work rate and ability to dictate the tempo of a game.
Memo Rodriguez
After originally signing with the Houston Dynamo in 2014, being waived after 2015 and re-signing in 2017, it’s been quite the journey for Rodriguez. The 2019 chapter looks to be the best yet, as he already has five goals and two assists, with head coach Wilmer Cabrera clearly able to unlock some potential that other coaches haven’t. The next step for Rodriguez is becoming more consistent from week-to-week.
James Sands
The first Homegrown Player for New York City FC, Sands is a leading reason as to why they’ve shifted to a three-back system this spring under head coach Dome Torrent. Often the middle of two elder center backs, Sands’ athleticism and instincts have put out fire after fire in 13 starts. He easily could have been part of the US side at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
It’s been a season of transformation for the San Jose Earthquakes under new head coach Matias Almeyda, a truth that certainly applies to Thompson. He’s mostly played right back in the man-marking system, and even learned Spanish to bridge cultural gaps with the new staff. The 23-year-old has also grown into a leader, inspiring the group to a season-defining win over the Portland Timbers.
Sam Vines
This is only Vines’ second season with the Colorado Rapids, though the 20-year-old’s play might suggest otherwise. He’s featured at left back and been a bright spot amid a rocky start under former head coach Anthony Hudson. He'll look to lock down a role over the course of the rest of the season.
Homegrowns
Vines, Bassett ready to show skills on national stage
Bassett on Homegrown Game: It’s amazing how far we’ve come
Vines on Homegrown Game: It feels great to do this together
Bassett & Vines selected for MLS Homegrown Game
U-15s maintain unbeaten record through first year of DA playoffs
Diplomas at Red Rocks & Ws in LA for Cole Bassett
June 20, 2019 (4 min)
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Opinion | Line up alongside women of achievement
Seven more Memphis women honored for their efforts to break glass ceilings and other barriers.
Opinion | Line up alongside women of achievement Seven more Memphis women honored for their efforts to break glass ceilings and other barriers. Check out this story on commercialappeal.com: http://memne.ws/2p2vyrH
Miriam DeCosta-Willis, Guest columnist Published 1:51 p.m. CT March 9, 2018 | Updated 5:49 p.m. CT March 9, 2018
2018 Women of Achievement (from left): Wanda Taylor, Cherisse Scott, Miriam DeCosta-Willis, Rachel Sumner Haaga, Kamilla Barton and Tami Sawyer. (Photograph by Andrea Zucker Photography)(Photo: Memphis Area Women's Council)
Lois DeBerry shattered the political glass ceiling when she was elected the first woman speaker pro tempore of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1987. She also was the first African American woman elected to the House from Memphis and was among the longest-serving female lawmakers in the nation at the time of her death in 2013.
DeBerry will be honored Sunday with the 2018 Heritage Award from Women of Achievement Sunday. Six other Memphis area women will be honored as Women of Achievement: Kamilla Barton, Rachel Sumner Haaga, Tami Sawyer, Cherisse Scott, Wanda Taylor, and myself. All are change-makers.
Women of Achievement honorees and organizers are a band of sisters. Although they represent different faiths, races, professions and national backgrounds, they are united in their efforts to strengthen the Memphis area. Over 34 years, Women of Achievement has honored 248 women as well as groups such as the Yellow Fever Heroines and the Suffragists of Shelby County.
Previous honorees include Angie D'Agostino, who changed attitudes toward AIDS, mental illness, and domestic violence. At the YWCA, she trained staff, conducted workshops, and provided services to victims of domestic abuse. As executive director of the Aid to End AIDS Committee she raised community awareness about the suffering of patients, and she advocated for respectful treatment of the mentally ill as a supervisor at Case Management Inc.
Another previous honoree was Africa Gonzalez, who has struggled to change negative stereotypes about Latinos. She immigrated from her native Mexico in 1999 to work with the Memphis Police Department as a translator, and later joined the YWCA Immigrant Women's Services to help victims of domestic violence obtain legal services and medical assistance.
Other previous honorees were barrier-breakers. Some marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.across the bridge in Selma, and others marched with him in Memphis during the 1968 sanitation strike.
The late Joan Turner Beifuss, a previous honoree, documented the strike and interviewed sanitation workers. A former reporter, she labored 17 years on “At The River I Stand,” a book rejected by traditional presses as not “commercial” enough. She self-published her book, which was praised and formed the basis for a documentary by that name. Her work is particularly significant in 2018, as Memphis and the nation commemorate MLK50 and King’s nonviolent legacy.
Last year was dubbed by many as the “Year of the Woman,” as women marched to the National Civil Rights Museum, organized a bridge demonstration through Black Lives Matter, raised their voices in the #MeToo and Never Again movements, joined the Fight For $15, protested Confederate statues in city parks through takeemdown901,and went to Nashville in red shirts to protest gun violence with Moms Demand Action.
As Deborah Clubb, a co-founder of Women of Achievement in 1984, recently put it: “With glass ceilings in every field, the gender wage gap, predominantly male state and local elected official, and epidemic violence against women, we still need to hear these stories.”
Miriam DeCosta-Willis is a civil rights activist, historian, author and college professor.
Miriam DeCosta-Willis (Photo: Women of Achievement)
Read or Share this story: http://memne.ws/2p2vyrH
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Buses may pick students up before sunrise because of early school start times. Jim Young/Reuters
Suburban Sprawl Stole Your Kids' Sleep
Why does school start so early? Blame 1970s planning.
When Ameen Al-Dalli was a sophomore in high school in 2014, each weekday before sunrise he would walk the quiet, tree-lined streets of Fairfax, Virginia, to the school bus stop. Because Ameen’s public school, about five miles away, started at 7:20 a.m., the bus came early. “I feel drowsy and just like, ugh, I want to go home,” he told National Geographic filmmakers during his walk in the gloom.
This wasn’t always the case for high schoolers. A few generations ago, the bell rang around 9 a.m. for most American kids. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 75 percent of schools surveyed in more than 40 states for a 2015 report started before 8:30 a.m., with a significant number starting in the 7 a.m. hour.
What happened? A lot of things, including suburbanization, the energy crisis, and a big cultural shift around child safety norms. But the early start times for American schools have largely been imposed by transportation needs: Getting kids to school became a lot more complicated in the age of sprawl.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, when developers began to build housing on the peripheries of urban centers, they often neglected to consider the importance of locating schools centrally. Instead, schools were often built on even more peripheral (and inexpensive) land, and a lack of pedestrian infrastructure made walking to them difficult and dangerous. Cultural changes also kicked in: This was around the time that parents began to grow more fearful that a stranger would harm their child en route to school, and hoofing it to class became less prevalent. In 1969, for instance, almost half of children five to 14 usually walked or biked to school; by 2009, that percentage had dropped to 13 percent. These shifts in the built environment and cultural norms created a need for more busing.
The streets of this Des Moines suburb aren’t always conducive to walking to school. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)
But when the energy crisis hit in 1973, suburban schools had to cut transportation costs. Separate fleets of buses generally accommodated different ages so that elementary, junior high, and high school students all arrived at school at the same time. Their solution: A two- or three-tiered system that staggered school start times, so that the same fleet of buses could serve the entire student population. High-school students usually got picked up and dropped off earliest—no one wanted first-graders huddling in the pre-dawn darkness—then middle schoolers, and finally elementary school kids—with the result that high schools and middle schools opened earlier. Urban public schools often followed suit, even if they didn’t have the same busing needs, so that children and parents in the same region all followed the same schedule.
“This was great from a cost perspective,” says Terra Ziporyn Snider, co-founder and director of the nonprofit advocacy group Start School Later, which has been active in a growing national movement to, well, start school later. “During these same years, sleep research began to show adolescents’ need for more sleep, and at later hours than adults. However, the schedules had already been changed, and municipalities were reluctant to switch again.”
That research, which recently led both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics to urge later start times at American schools, shows that teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep a night, and that during puberty the body starts producing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin at 11 p.m.—a full two hours after adult bodies do. And teens keep pumping the stuff out until around 8 a.m.; perhaps not surprisingly, virtually all American teenagers don’t get nine hours of nightly rest.
The impact of that chronic sleep deprivation is not limited to their AP Calc scores: Studies indicate that this contributes to higher rates of car accidents, criminal activity, alcohol use, and mood disorders.
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Selena Hoy
The Simplicity of the Walking School Bus
Ziporyn Snider notes that those most vulnerable to early start times are economically disadvantaged children. “These kids don’t have enough compensating mechanisms,” she says. “If you oversleep and miss the bus, for example, your parents are less likely to have a car. So you’re not going to school.” And across the board, kids’ physical and mental health suffer when they are sleep-deprived. “A huge number of students are using stimulants,” she says. “They have eating disorders, depression, anxiety.”
The start-time issue has inspired fierce debates among parents in school districts nationwide. While municipalities are often reluctant to disrupt schedules and delay their schools’ start times, some have done so at the urging of parents or advocacy organizations like Start School Later. (Ameen Al-Dalli’s school, for instance, changed its start time to 8:00 a.m. during his junior year.) “We’ve found that once communities approach this issue as a non-negotiable health imperative, they move forward,” says Ziporyn Snider.
Not all parents agree: In Montgomery County, Maryland, which pushed its bells back in 2015, many have objected to the longer days for the young elementary school students, some of whom now don’t begin class until 9:25. Others note declining participation among older kids in after-school sports or activities. Recent research, however, has shown academic benefits: Schools that delayed their starting times to 8:30 a.m. or later during the past two decades are enjoying improved attendance and graduation rates.
And a 2011 paper from the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project argued that the overall economic benefits of delaying school start times by one hour for middle and upper grades delivered an extra $17,500 in lifetime earnings per student because of better academic performance.
“If you oversleep and miss the bus, your parents are less likely to have a car. So you’re not going to school.”
But delaying bells can also drive up costs: That same Brookings paper computed a cost of up to $1,950 per student for that extra hour of sleep. And the logistics involved in delivering far-flung suburban students to schools on time can be fiendishly complex: In suburban Howard County, Maryland, for example, a pair of University of Maryland researchers developed a computer algorithm to optimize the staggered start times of elementary, middle, and high school students in the county public school system. For maximum efficiency, the researchers found that high school needed to begin at 7:25. (The district is now weighing a series of possible start-time changes.)
A more long-term cost- and energy-efficient solution might involve ditching the buses and making suburban community schools more walkable, with more traffic lights and crosswalks so that kids can travel safely to school on foot. (This inner-ring Cleveland suburb, for instance, has got walking to school down—it doesn’t even use buses—though not all places have the benefit of its density.)
Top-down efforts are also having some success. Over the past three years, Maryland and New Jersey have passed bills that either mandate research on school start times or incentivize schools to start later. Last month, the California State Senator Anthony Portantino introduced a bill that would require the state’s junior high and high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. And the California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren has put forward federal bills that push for later school start times. Her latest requests a study examining the relationship between start times and adolescent health, well-being, and performance.
“People are sensing that change is coming,” says Ziporyn Snider, who’s confident that American kids, in city and suburb alike, will soon be getting at least a little more sleep. “Though it will likely vary from state to state and place to place, later school start times are going to become more the norm again.”
@msmimikirk
Mimi Kirk is a contributing writer to CityLab covering education, youth, and aging. Her writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and Smithsonian.
The Troubling Limits of the ‘Great Crime Decline’
The fall of urban violence since the 1990s was a public health breakthrough, as NYU sociologist Patrick Sharkey says in his book Uneasy Peace. But we must go further.
Mark Obbie
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By Paul Swinney
West Midlands mayor Andy Street and Prime Minister Theresa May learn a little something. Image: Getty.
Back in May, the West Midlands won the race with Greater Manchester to publish the first local industrial strategy. No doubt both will become the benchmark for other areas to follow as they produce their own strategies. But if these or other strategies are to be successful, they will need to focus on making their areas more attractive to highly productive businesses.
As with the national strategy, the purpose of the local industrial strategies is to improve the productivity of the economies that they cover. While the prevailing thought is that poor productivity is the result of a “long tail” of unproductive businesses, a point referenced in the West Midlands’ strategy, our previous work has shown how this isn’t the case. And looking at the West Midlands and Greater Manchester specifically shows this to be true for these areas too.
The charts below look at the distribution of businesses according to their productivity for the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and cities in the Greater South East. They show two key things.
Source: ONS, Annual Business Survey.
The first is that the long tai’ in all areas is dominated by local services businesses such as cafés, bars and hairdressers. And there is very little difference in the distribution of these businesses, meaning they do not explain the difference in productivity between the areas as a whole.
The second is that the difference between the areas is in the distribution of exporting businesses – those that sell beyond their local market – such as advertisers, finance businesses and software developers. While Greater Manchester has a higher share of higher productivity exporters than West Midlands (the distribution is more skewed to the right in the chart), both lag well behind cities in the Greater South East of England.
This difference is not because exporters in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester are performing below par, but because the nature of the activities is different, with highly productive, innovative activities more likely to locate in the Greater South East than elsewhere. So the challenge for both areas is to make themselves more attractive to this type of activity (such as software design), rather than the lower skilled exporting activities (such as back-office functions for a bank or data handling company).
This has been increasingly happening in Manchester in recent years. Bet365 have opened a city centre office in Manchester to locate its tech team, rather than at its headquarters in Stoke. Siemens engineers its wind turbines in the city that are then built in Hull. And JLR is to open a software, IT and engineering centre there too.
But the chart above and overall productivity figures for the city region show that even with these moves there is still a considerable gap. And so the challenge for the local industrial strategies will be to identify the specific barriers that prevent more investment from these types of exporting activities.
This holds true for many other places too, especially in the north of England. They will no doubt take great interest in the local industrial strategies of West Midlands and Greater Manchester, and take inspiration from them.
But if they want their own strategies to be useful, they must be clear in how the actions that they propose – be it investment in skills, transport or commercial space, for example – will help them be more attractive to higher productivity exporters in the future than they have in the past.
Paul Swinney is head of policy & research at the Centre for Cities, on whose blog this article first appeared.
Here’s how Britain can radically decentralise its economy
The next phase of the Preston Model is the Public-Commons Partnership
Is all economics local?
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Street Prostitution: How Young Girls Are Forced Into Commercial Sex Activity
Over and over again, human trafficking is executed through forcing individual girls to work as street prostitutes, call girls or escorts. They are forced to give sexual services to male customers in exchange of cash. They are controlled by someone referred to as “pimp.” A lot of pimps are victimizing both adults and minors to sell sex on the streets. But the outcome is usually through physical or sexual threats, manipulation, physical abuse and false pledges.
Street prostitution as a source of victimizing young girls
When young girls are forced to participate in any activities in street prostitution, a pimp can automatically use coercion, force and/or deception in order to hold control over the young prostitute or escort.
In a usual scenario, a pimp forces a prostitute to give a particular customer sexual services, which cause the prostitute to participate in money-making sexual acts. The victims’ earnings are all confiscated by the pimp and only a less amount or nothing at all is left behind for the victim.
The usual victims of street prostitution are young girls turned into prostitutes or escorts. When a prostitute is under the legal age of 18, she/he is considered as a victim of sex trafficking. This is regardless of the fact that a pimp forced or coerced him/her.
The common ways of controlling young prostitutes
Basically, there are three ways of controlling young prostitutes, call girls or escorts. Pimps use coercion, force and/or fraud to earn money from their young sex workers.
Pimps use coercion in order to get a young prostitute or escort provides commercial sex services. They give threats to embarrass the prostitute through exposing his/her profession to his/her family and the society. Pimps also give threats to do harmful things to the family of the prostitute. There are also abusive acts that happen just to make the victim work, including emotional, verbal and psychological abuses.
Pimps also use force in order to get an escort or prostitute work. They use sexual and/or physical abuse just to make the victim submit herself/himself. The abuse is usually in the form of frequent rapes done by one or more people at once. Pimps also confine their victims to the residence and give limitation on any kind of communication to friends and family. They do not allow any kind of movement that will let a family or friend know that the victim is suffering.
In the most sick cases there are people trafficking children here are some tips on how to spot them and also a woman who was arrested for it.
A Marrero woman is behind bars, accused of trafficking a child for sex. Investigators have not released any details about the case against Candice Caulfield, 38, but she was booked Friday with human trafficking, trafficking of a child for sexual purposes, second-degree cruelty to juveniles, contributing to the endangerment of a juvenile, promoting prostitution, enticing a person into prostitution, according to arrest records and the state Attorney General's Office.
The attorney general's Cyber Crime Unit arrested Caulfield following an investigation with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and U.S. Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations division, according to Laura Colligan, spokeswoman for the attorney general's office.
The Cyber Crimes Unit began looking into Caulfield's activities after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Colligan said. Investigators executed a search warrant at her home, 1840 Wellington Drive, Marrero, and arrested her.
In a written statement, Attorney General James Caldwell said his investigators joined forces with local, federal and non-profit agencies to “combat the buying, selling and abuse of innocent children.”
“It's important for people to know that child sex trafficking is not just something that happens in other countries or something you see in the movies. It's real, and, despite having some of the toughest human trafficking laws in the nation, it exists right here in Louisiana,” Caldwell said.
Caulfield was being held without bond Tuesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on the charges related to the investigation. She was also booked with three outstanding traffic attachments.
While the attorney general's office remained mum about Caldwell's case, officials offered the public red flags that can indicate a child is the victim of sexual trafficking.
Those warning signs include a child who:
Is not free to leave the place of residence or interact with friends.
Has unexplained absences from school for a period of time or demonstrates an inability to attend school on a regular basis.
Has bruises or other physical trauma, withdrawn behavior, depression or fear.
Has high-security measures in the home such as opaque or boarded up windows, locked gates, barbed wire or security cameras around the residence.
Is not allowed or able to speak or communicate for themselves; a third party may insist on being present.
Anyone with information Candice Caulfield or any other incidents of child sex trafficking should contact the Louisiana Attorney General's Cyber Crime Unit at 1.800.256.4506. Suspected cases of human trafficking can also be reported to local and state law enforcement agencies, or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1.888.373.7888.
Credits: Marrero woman booked with child sex trafficking, promoting prostitution – The Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
This is usually in a form of false promises of having a better life. Pimps usually use this kind of tactic to young immigrant girls from poor countries. They promise those young girls that they will earn bigger amounts of money when they work under their control.
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Sudbury conference imagines mining with no tailings or blasting
Jim Moodie The Sudbury Star
Published on: February 7, 2019 | Last Updated: February 7, 2019 3:35 AM EST
Johnna Muinonen, of RNC Minerals, takes part in a panel discussion at Beyond Digital Transformation Mining Conference in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday February 6, 2019. John Lappa/Sudbury Star
Sudburians are used to feeling the shudders from underground blasting and seeing the night sky lit up from slag, but mines of the future could be much more subtle and efficient.
“One of the things we’re looking at is mining with no tailings,” said Carl Weatherell, executive director of the Canada Mining Innovation Council, at the Beyond Digital Transformation conference on Wednesday.
As well, companies are exploring how to “get rid of drill and blast,” he said, which apart from being dangerous is “perhaps not the most effective way to break rock and is not creating value.”
An alternative, he said, is to utilize a mechanical cutting machine, powered by electricity, and to move material by rail conveyance instead of rubber-tired trucks.
“It’s electric and continuous, and you can put ore-sorting on it,” he noted.
To eliminate or at least reduce tailings, mines can also explore dry processing (rather than add water), he said, and look for ways to make comminution — the grinding of rocks into small pieces — more cost-effective.
“It consumes four per cent of the world’s energy, but it’s about five to 10 per cent efficient,” said Weatherell. “So for every hundred million you’re spending in energy in this process, you’re throwing out at least 90 per cent by design. So that’s a huge challenge. Can we find a new technology platform to replace that?”
Weatherell said it’s important for the mining sector to look at how technology has revolutionized other industries and to borrow, to some extent, from the playbooks of successful companies.
“True innovation is transformation,” he said. “Sears no longer exists because of Amazon, for example. What Amazon did is challenge the very paradigm of Sears and other companies, create a new platform, and basically put them out of business. What we need to do is adopt those business models and innovation models from other industries.”
Neil Milner, of KGHM, takes part in a panel discussion at Beyond Digital Transformation Mining Conference in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday February 6, 2019. John Lappa/Sudbury Star/Postmedia Network John Lappa / John Lappa/Sudbury Star
Collaboration is also key, he said, among mining companies as well as suppliers and organizations. “Let’s harness innovation potential around the world to solve complicated business problems,” he said.
Weatherell was one of several industry leaders to speak at the two-day mining conference, which drew participants from across the continent.
“This is an opportunity for us to showcase the technological advancement that we have here in Sudbury and share that with the world,” said conference chair Glenn Thibeault. “We’ve got folks and speakers here from Nevada and all over the country, and they’re coming to Sudbury because they know this is the hub of mining innovation.”
Thibeault pointed to digital innovations at Vale — where a nerve centre has been set up locally to coordinate all of the company’s North Atlantic operations — and Goldcorp’s use of drones for mine mapping as examples of being on the leading edge.
Technology doesn’t have to displace people, however, stressed Thibeault.
“We are going through a transformation that is going to make mining safer, more productive, and still create the good-paying jobs that we all know come from the sector,” he said. “I’ve heard several times today that this isn’t about laying off workers. This is about taking the same workforce and training them to do the job.”
Weatherell said Agnico Eagle, a Toronto-based miner, is already using a remote-controlled rail-veyor system supplied by a Sudbury company for an operation in northern Quebec.
Machines also exist now that can “do mechanical cutting with small blades or disks, and we’re looking at doing a demonstration in Ontario this year,” he said.
A rail conveyance eliminates the need for a fleet of trucks, he noted, while a mechanical cutter replaces blasting and drilling. In each case there would be less of an environmental impact and less risk of human injury.
John Oshaughnessy, of Vale, takes part in a panel discussion at Beyond Digital Transformation Mining Conference in Sudbury, Ont. on Wednesday February 6, 2019. John Lappa/Sudbury Star/Postmedia Network John Lappa / John Lappa/Sudbury Star
“You’re not using explosives, and there’s no one at the face drilling holes,” he said. “If you are doing mechanical cutting and ore sorting, you are also sending less material to the surface, therefore your tailings are automatically much smaller. You’re using less energy, so less GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. Everything is reduced — water consumption, environmental footprint and energy.”
While safety and the environment are always important considerations, the mining sector must also make these changes simply in order to survive economically, according to Weatherell.
“With nickel prices going the way they are, and as mines go deeper, it’s becoming more difficult,” he said. “It’s harder to raise capital, it’s harder to make margins, and as social conscience comes into play it takes longer to get permitting done.”
He noted two CEOs from different mining companies made a similar point earlier in the conference.
“They said if we don’t change the business of mining, we won’t have a mining business,” he said.
jmoodie@postmedia.com
Three face host of charges after OPP investigate traffic stop 'Wintery mix' of misery for Sudbury, northeast on Thursday
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Contractor UK Bulletin Board > Contracting > General > Vince Cable's Murdoch gaffe 'to cost £300,000
View Full Version : Vince Cable's Murdoch gaffe 'to cost £300,000
AtW
It will cost £300,000 to move civil servants dealing with Rupert Murdoch's bid to take over BSkyB, after Vince Cable's gaffe, the BBC has learned.
IT changes will cost an estimated £280,000 and moving staff and materials £20,000, an FOI request revealed.
The business secretary was stripped of his role overseeing media competition issues after being recorded saying he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is taking on those responsibilities.
Two full-time members of staff have been organising the move between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The figures were given to the BBC following a Freedom of Information request. The government said the estimated total cost was £300,000.
A government spokesman said: "Responsibility for all competition and policy issues relating to media, broadcasting, digital and telecoms sectors has been transferred from the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.
"The transfer of staff and associated resources is being handled as cost effectively as possible."
Mr Cable was secretly recorded by undercover Daily Telegraph reporters in December saying: "I have declared war on Mr Murdoch and I think we are going to win."
The Telegraph published some comments made by Mr Cable, but not those about Mr Murdoch - which were then leaked to the BBC's business editor Robert Peston.
Culture Secretary Mr Hunt has given News Corp more time to make alterations to their bid for full control of BSkyB after the media watchdog Ofcom recommended it be referred to the Competition Commission.
Ok, aside from fact that Vince was an idiot (btw Vince thanks for increasing CGT to 28% you **** :mad ) how the fook it can possibly cost £280k in IT stuff with other costs being £20k??!
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Cape Cod Business Owners Eligible to Receive Free Disability Training with CORD
Cape Community, Training | December 5, 2017
Did you know that you are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed if you have a disability? RespectAbility, an advocacy group for those with disabilities, reported that in 2015 the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 10.1% while those without disabilities was about half that at 5.1%.
CORD, the Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled, has worked tirelessly for people with disabilities on Cape Cod and the Islands since 1984 and is trying to improve the situation.
“People may wonder why there is such a strong reaction when someone with a disability is discriminated against. It’s because the history of the treatment of people with disabilities in the country is very scary,” said Cathy Taylor, Director of Services at CORD, “There were actually “ugly” laws in the past that said if you were maimed or disfigured you weren’t allowed to be in public.”
CORD has been breaking down stereotypes and giving assistance both to those with disabilities and to members of the public who want to understand the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), mainly to employers. They offer absolutely FREE sessions to businesses who want to have a better understanding of how to interact with people with disabilities and what’s required when hiring someone with a disability.
“We’ve been doing a lot of one-on-ones with business owners and hiring managers as well as group sessions,” said Taylor, “It’s a safe space to discuss any misconception or question you might have such as what words to use or not use, how to act around people with disabilities, and language.”
Language is a major issue when it comes to communication. First, some people’s disabilities cause difficulty with communication. But everyday language can also be hurtful. “People don’t realize there are sayings that are used that can be quite damaging such as ‘you’re crazy.’ We don’t want people to be afraid to say anything so we tell people to just apologize and move on. Language can empower or it can hurt,” said Taylor.
The sessions are tailored to each individual business and the situations that might arise as part of the services, location, or building of the business. Employers leave feel much more confident in not only the rights of employees with disabilities but also their rights as business owners.
“We cover quite a bit in the sessions on reasonable accommodations. Most employers are surprised to learn that they have rights in terms of the amount of accommodations they are required to provide when hiring an employee with a disability,” said Taylor.
Connect with CORD
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Subscribe to the CORD blog
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Child Trafficking, Clinton Foundation, Drug Trafficking, GLOBAL, Richard Branson
Shipwrecked on Ten Islands with Clintons & Branson – Part II
Please read Part I first.
What is Going On At Comoros Islands?
Comoros is one of the islands on their list that they wish to bring renewable energy to. It actually consists of three islands, with the largest island being the main focus. It is located just off the coast of Africa between Tanzania and Mozambique, with a population of 800,000. Comoros is a Tier 3 Island, meaning they have a severe problem with child and human trafficking, and the U.S. may be restricting aid to them.
In fact, in the U.S. 2018 ‘Trafficking in Persons Report’, the government of Comoros has literally done little to nothing to help exploited children or prevent trafficking. This is the assessment:
“The Government of Comoros does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore Comoros remained on Tier 3. Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking by funding the salaries of new personnel at a listening center that provided assistance to victims and by adding a second emergency hotline to ensure crimes from all three islands could be reported. However, the government did not investigate, prosecute, or obtain convictions for any sex trafficking or forced labor crimes, including those committed by complicit officials.
Since 2014, it did not identify or refer any trafficking victims to protective services, and lacked formal procedures to do so. Authorities continued to lack an understanding of trafficking, and the government did not provide adequate resources or training to law enforcement officials, including the office charged with investigating child abuse and exploitation. The extensive use of mediation and financial settlements in lieu of investigation and prosecution of crimes resulted in the return of children to their alleged exploiters. The Anti-trafficking Task Force, which became operational in 2016, made no discernible efforts during the reporting period.”
That being said, there is something oddly strange when viewing this island via satellite. A pattern of trees planted to form what literally looks like a profile of a pigs head, along with some strange grid pattern of additional trees atop it. Located within it, there is another strange image of what would appear to be a very large disc-shaped reflective material with an opening in the center. It looks to be inset on a slight pitch into one of the crater-like mounds. Is it some sort of a solar device, missile launch site, or entrance to some peculiar underground area? Hard to say. If it is some sort of solar mechanism, the nearest home would appear to be quite a distance from it, located north, outside the main perimeter of trees, within its own square perimeter of trees. Going further north and just a hair west, up near the figure eight shaped crater-mound, there is another home with a purple roof. Both seem quite a distance from this reflective disc-shaped material.
The overall outline of the tree pattern spans roughly 2 miles, accounting for one heck of a lot of trees. The silver disc is approximately 130′ across based on google map’s measurements. There are very interesting crater-like mounds on the north end of it as well. This was once a volcanic island, so that may explain these inverted mounds?
Despite all of this, members of the Clinton Foundation visited Comoros Island in February, 2018 to discuss sustainable development initiatives, moving full steam ahead.
Two months later, when April, 2018 rolled around, President Assoumani suspended the country’s constitutional court, calling it dysfunctional. He proposed a constitutional referendum would be held in July, and was gunning to end the system that rotated the single-term federal presidency among the three islands, as well as to allow a president to serve up to two terms. His hope was that if the referendum passed, he would be eligible in the 2019 elections for two new terms as president. There was a lot of resistance and he was accused of an attempted power grab.
In early July it was reported that vice president of Comoros was stripped of most of his duties due to denouncing President Assoumani’s plan. The referendum was held on July 30, 2018 and the proposed changed included elimination of a one-term presidency, would grant the president the power to dismiss the three vice presidents, as well as ending Comoro’s secular status, designating Islam as the state religion. Despite the incredible opposition boycott, there was a 60% turnout and the electoral commission claimed that almost 93% of the voters supported the referendum. Opposition leaders and others disagreed with the reported results. A story all too familiar. What is at stake for President Assoumani to stay the laws so he may remain President?
On August 13, 2018, President Trump nominated Michael Peter Pelletier of Maine to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros. Perhaps Mr. Pelletier will have a closer look as to what’s going on at the Comoros islands.
Who Are The Shipmates?
DNV GL: Technical Partner and Lead – industry standard, project development and procurement
Clinton Foundation: Technical Assistance and Procurement
Rocky Mountain Institute/Carbon War Room: Provides overview and recommendation of renewable solution, including technology risk/benefits, overview and recommendation of proposed project investment sites, and develop process steps and time for project schedule.
GRUPOTEC: Saint Lucia – An international firm founded in 2011 and based out of the United Kingdom, develops solar plants and undertook the engineering, procurement, and construction of the solar farm.
LUCELEC: Saint Lucia – Monopoly utility company in Saint Lucia who the government owns shares in, as well as EMERA being a top three shareholder, working with National project coordinator to facilitate development and implementation of renewable energy.
Solar Head of State: Based in Oakland, CA they began installations in 2010 and are entirely volunteer-driven and funded by donations since inception. A non-profit organization working with governments. They provide, free-of-charge solar photovoltaic systems on iconic buildings such as executive residences. Partner with the Clinton Foundation, Rocky Mountain Institute, IRENA, and several others. One of its advisors is Jigar Shah, Co-founder of Carbon War Room with Richard Branson. Another advisor is Danny Kennedy, former owner of Sungevity, who provides some of the free solar panels.
IRENA: International Renewable Energy Agency – promotes adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.
CARILEC: Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation – trains member utilities on renewable energy resource development
EMERA (Caribbean) Inc.: Electric services company that provides power to many islands (not on the Saint Lucia project but is a top shareholder in LUCELEC).
Plus several other utility companies and stakeholder agencies/organizations.
Staying The Course:
Their argument for the need to transition the islands into renewable energy is due to the costly importing of fossil fuels to these islands. In their ‘Project Document’ via GEF and UNDP, they state “For instance, Saint Lucia imports almost 100% of its oil needed to run its sole power plant on the island. According to the Caribbean Electricity Service Corporation (CARILEC), electricity prices average at least US$0.34/kWh, in a context where the average annual household income is US$12,800 (2011). The dependence on imported fossil fuels is a familiar story throughout the region and the lack of diversified resources leaves the Caribbean islands greatly constrained in its economic opportunities. The objective of the Ten Island Challenge (TIC) is to accelerate the transition of Caribbean island economies from heavy dependence on fossil fuels to a diverse platform of renewables and energy efficiency, thereby establishing a blueprint for other isolated economies.”
They state that their “Off-Island Stakeholder Groups” will include: financiers and investors, multinational renewable energy and energy efficiency companies, commercial vendors, consultants, regional media, multilaterals, tourism industry corporate HQ (cruise companies, large hotel chains, etc.), energy NGOs, non-profits, foreign governments and other donors, replicators, Caribbean diaspora, small island nations’ governments, and tourists.
Wow, that is a lot of responsibility and involvement. Their goal is to have all islands achieve renewable energy penetration that amounts to 20-50% share of RE in the power generation mix by 2030.
It’s interesting to note that DNV GL is in the oil and gas business as well as renewable energy. CEO Remi Eriksen, believes that renewables and gas will become friendlies, working together in the future because gas can also provide baseload electricity to grids. He takes the position that gas is the way to go, moving away from coal and other fossil fuels, and states that by 2022, the Norwegian Continental Shelf could host a CO2 storage hub. He feels that the “North Sea can be the CO2 storage hub for Europe and source a new billion-dollar industry, with huge cost savings for combating climate change, representing a massive upside for gas in the future energy mix.”
This was their initial plan, though it has grown since:
Ultimately, their end game is for “The Carbon War Room, through its Smart Island Economies program, will have the infrastructure in place to be able to expand the lessons learned from this experience well beyond the initial Ten Island Challenge participants.” All of this is being carried out in conjunction with the “Island Playbook” guidelines created by the Department of Energy.
Shipmate #1: Clinton Climate Initiative (Clinton Foundation)
According to their website, “The Clinton Climate Initiative has partnered with governments of island nations to develop renewable energy projects that will reduce fossil fuel consumption and assist the transition to a low-carbon economy – with the goal of replicating and scaling this model to significantly reduce the impacts of climate change by creating resilient communities.
By partnering with governments, utilities, financing institutions, and the private sector, we help islands realize their own vision for a sustainable future.”
“CCI, launched by the Clinton Foundation in 2006, is working with small island developing states around the world to create, advance, and scale diesel replacement solutions. Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room, under the banner of the Ten Island Challenge, which was officially launched at Rio+20, is working with ten island nations to accelerate commercial opportunities to transition island economies off fossil fuels.”
An ironic and rather comical quote on their website states “We do not let the fact that we have different email addresses interfere with getting things done”, and is posted twice by mistake. Or was it? After all, duplicate copies of emails are always good. Maybe it was symbolic?
By 2015 they had already partnered with governments of 25 island nations across three continents, prepared over 20 renewable energy projects in nine island countries, and commended the Norwegian government for making it all possible via grants. They also thanked the Dutch Postcode Lottery and their donors for their generosity. In another release, they stated that the project was made possible by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Just two months after Wikileaks launched a searchable archive of over 30,000 emails from Hillary Clinton’s private email server, the government of Norway posted a lengthy statement on their website as it pertains to their financial relationship with Clinton Climate Initiative, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Clinton Foundation. They state that they provided CHAI with NOK $533 million toward health projects between 2007-2015, and expected to provide an additional NOK $37 million. They contributed NOK $51 million, with anticipation of an additional $19 million toward CCI’s renewable energy to islands, and state that their contributions have created a tenfold increase in investments from the private sector. Cooperation agreements have been entered into with 21 small island developing states. They make it very clear that no funding was provided to the Clinton Foundation, CCI or CHAI before 2007.
It seems this ‘Ten Island Challenge’ has progressed quite a bit. According to Rocky Mountain Institute’s site, they list partnerships with 13 islands, Norway claims there are agreements with 21, and the Clintons stated in 2015 they had already partnered with 25 islands. The Clintons have a tendency to exaggerate, so it’s hard to say which number is accurate.
The Saint Lucia solar farm was a EC $20 million project, located north of Hewanorra International Airport. Now, the Clintons state that “it is the first utility-scale renewable energy project on the island and is funded, owned and operated by LUCELEC”, which is contrary to what all other websites, press releases, and the actual ‘Project Document’ that breaks down the funding reveals. In fact, nowhere does it state that funding came from LUCELEC. They are the monopoly utility company on the island which the government of Saint Lucia has 12.4% shares in.
It boasts nearly 15,000 solar panels which will generate approximately 7 million kWhs (or units) of electricity per year. Construction of the solar farm began in November 2017, and the solar farm began feeding the grid in April, 2018.
The Clinton Climate Initiative, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, stated they provided technical assistance during the procurement process for the project.
Shipmate #2: Rocky Mountain Institute & Carbon War Room
Carbon War Room, founded by Richard Branson in 2009, focuses on initiatives in operation including shipping efficiency, green capital, renewable jet fuels, and smart island economics, with emphasis in environmental areas such as energy supply, industry, buildings, transport and waste management.
The launch director for Carbon War Room was Peter Boyd, who worked for CWR until late 2014, shortly around the time CWR merged with Rocky Mountain Institute. He had also served as CEO of Virgin Mobile South Africa. While working for CWR, he also served as chief of the U.K.’s Energy Efficiency Deployment Office, and was on the advisory board for the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Network.
Richard Branson is a busy boy, from owning Necker and Moskito Islands to Virgin Group, and an energy company called BMR Energy, which it was recently announced that he will be buying the STX Solar Farm on St. Croix, and quite possibly the damaged facility in Estate Donoe on St. Thomas. In 2016 they installed a 36-megawatt wind farm in Jamaica and a smaller facility in Guatemala. He also initiated The Elders back in 2007 with Nelson Mandela and a lot of familiar faces, in an effort to combat HIV/AIDS and climate control. Let’s not forget he was the founding sponsor of ICMEC back in 1999 as well. This is only the tip of the iceberg with “projects” Branson is involved with.
In December, 2014 Carbon War Room joined forces with Rocky Mountain Institute, which had been around since 1982. Founded by experimental physicist, Amory Lovins and his then-wife Hunter, they are dedicated to consulting, research, publication, and lecturing in the field of sustainability. Their main focus is on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. They have nine initiatives: smart island economics, electricity platform, renewables solutions, shipping efficiency, sunshine for mines, sustainable aviation, trucking efficiency, mobility transformation, buildings, and reinventing fire: China. They have headquarters in Colorado, New York, Washing D.D., and Beijing, China.
Justin Locke, Director of Rocky Mountain Institute, also had connections to the World Bank. He served as disaster risk management specialist for the World Bank and managed one of the largest per capita investment portfolios in World Bank history. He accessed climate financing for Eastern Caribbean countries. Prior to that, he worked for UNDP as a development specialist at the UNDP Regional Center based in Fiji, providing technical assistance to 14 island countries, in addition to serving as the community/recover program manager for their multi-country office in Samoa. From 2002-2004, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Kiribati.
Shipmate #3: DNV GL
DNV GL is very involved in the ‘Ten Island Challenge’. In fact, they have a page dedicated to this on their website, which states: “DNV GL acts as the key technical advisor for assisting the three non-profit organizations, local governments and utilities in this transition.” The three non-profits being the Clinton Foundation, Carbon War Room, and Rocky Mountain Institute.
DNV GL is an international accredited registrar and classification society headquartered in Hovik, Norway, with 350 offices operating in over 100 countries, with additional subsidiaries in the shipping and offshore classification society, making them the leader in the industry. They provide services to numerous industries including maritime, renewable energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals, aviation, automotive, electrification, healthcare, food & beverage, and software & information technology.
Prior to becoming DNV GL in 2013, it was previously ‘Det Norske Veritas’, and was established in 1864 in Norway to head technical inspection and evaluation of Norwegian merchant vessels. It has a long history in the shipping industry. Just a few years after their inception, in 1867 Germanischer Lloyd was founded in Hamburg by a group of 600 ship owners, ship builders and insurers.
On December 20, 2012, the two companies announced a merger which was approved by competition authorities in the USA, EU, South Korea, and China. The merger was officially signed on September 12, 2013 when Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas (an independent foundation) owned 63.5% of DNV GL shares and Mayfair Vermogensverwaltung owned 36.5%. On December 14, 2017, Mayfair sold its shares to Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas, making it the sole owner of DNV GL.
Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas is a foundation with several levels of subsidiaries, all of which they now own 100%. Here is how it breaks down:
In a nutshell, Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas is an independent foundation which has no owners or shareholders and operates with a governing body consisting of 10 Board of Directors and 45 Council Members, and was majority owner of Det Norske Veritas Holding AS. Det Norske Veritas Holding AS owns its subsidiary DNV Group AS. After the merger in 2013, when DNV Holding acquired the GL Group, Germanischer Lloyd SE, they changed their name to DNV GL Group AS. Once they finalized their deal with Mayfair in December, 2017, Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas became 100% owner of Det Norske Veritas Holding AS. Confused? To summarize: Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas is an independent foundation with no owners or shareholders, yet owns all of its subsidiaries listed above, five of which are Norwegian limited companies, one is registered as a European Society public company, and one is registered as a Dutch private company with limited liability.
Whereas a foundation in Norway may not have external or internal persons with ownership of the foundation’s assets, the foundation itself can be an owner of companies, and it may accept obligations and financial commitments and be subject to agreements and processes. Foundations are governed by the ‘Foundation Law’ of June 15, 2001, and the Foundation Authority.
They state in their 2016 Annual Report:
“Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas is a free-standing, autonomous and independent foundation whose purpose is to safeguard life, property and the environment. This purpose is achieved through its ownership of companies – of which the most important is the DNV GL group, a classification, certification and technical assurance and advisory company.
In 2016, the Board continued to further develop and refine the company’s corporate governance model and role as a majority owner and holding company without direct involvement in business operations. This work is carried out continuously, in close cooperation with the other governing bodies of Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas.”
What’s not indicated above, is the fact that the DNV GL Group has additional subsidiaries such as KEMA (shipping), GL Noble Denton (Oil & gas), and GL Garrad Hassan Canada Inc. GL Noble Denton was originally two separate companies dating back to 1867. The two companies scooped up a dozen maritime and oil & gas businesses over the years, and merged in 2009 prior to DNV GL merging in 2013, taking them all over. They also reflect in their 2016 Annual Report that in 2015 they acquired ISC ‘International Standards Certification Pty Ltd.’ in Australia and Japan with focus on the healthcare industry. And, they acquired ‘Noomas Sertifisering AS’, a leading Norwegian inspection and certification body within the fish farming and equipment industry. In 2014 they acquired 70% of shares in Marine Cybernetics AS (Norway) with the agreement of acquiring the remaining 30% of shares over a 3-year period.
DNV GL is organized in a group structure with five business areas of focus:
Maritime: headquartered in Hamburg, Germany
Oil & Gas: headquartered in Hovik, Norway
Energy: headquartered in Arnhem, the Netherlands
Business Assurance: headquartered in London, UK
Software: headquartered in Hovik, Norway
The main shared service providers including HR, finance and IT support to all of the business groups, is headquartered in Hovik, Norway just outside of Oslo.
Det Norske Veritas Eiendom AS is their real estate arm which owns their headquarters in Hovik, just outside of Oslo, Norway, with their parent company Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas and DNV GL operating out of the same location. In addition to the headquarters, Det Norske Vertitas Eiendom AS brought in real estate revenues of NOK $238 million, of which NOK $18 million was revenue from companies outside the Group.
This company is quite expansive. They have offices located all over the world, with multiple locations close to home in Norway. They span the outskirts of the U.S. from Boston, Massachusetts in the East to Miami, Florida in the south, straight over to Houston, Texas, with several locations up the coast of California, and upwards to Portland, Oregon, up north to Seattle, Washington near all of the islands.
According to their 2017 Annual Report, their net profit for 2016 was NOK $876 million, in comparison to NOK $1,233 million in 2015. The significant difference is due to the arbitral award related to the financial settlement between Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas and Mayfair Vermogensverwaltung SE merge in 2013. It seems they had a little bit of a hiccup related to a pre-merger issue with Mayfair Vermogensverwaltung SE, which resulted in a NOK $42 million settlement. Apparently there were some disputes regarding representations and warranties in the Business Combination Agreement and on how to govern DNV GL in accordance with Norwegian law and the Shareholders’ Agreement. Mayfair was also ordered to pay NOK $9 million in legal fees. Google indicates their overall revenue to be at NOK $19.5 billion for 2017.
What Exactly Does The DNV GL Group Do?
It is the world’s largest classification society, providing services for over 13,000 vessels and mobile offshore units, representing 21% of the global market share. They are also the largest technical consultancy and supervisory to the global renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal, and solar) and oil & gas industry. 65% of the world’s offshore pipelines are designed and installed to DNV GL’s technical standards.
As a classification society, DNV GL sets standards for ships and offshore structures, known as Class Rules. They comprise safety, reliability and environmental requirements that vessels and other offshore mobile structures in international waters must comply with. DNV GL is authorized by 130 maritime administrations to perform certification or verification on their behalf. They also created ‘Navigator Port’ software that assists ships with managing electronic paperwork from ship to shore and makes for a smoother port clearance. It boasts more than 1600 forms and port papers required by local and national authorities worldwide, and they are pre-filled with ship’s information and crew data. It covers more than 13,000 ports and terminals, and offers electronic reporting directly to authorities, including US eNOAD.
DNV GL also operates the world’s largest high power and voltage test laboratory, working as an independent, accredited certifier of electricity transmission and distribution components. They are the leader in certifying the renewable energy industry and handling site assessments, permitting and design consultancy. Their energy arm of advisors also handles renewable integration, plant operations, transmission and distribution grids, energy store, and measurements for cyber security.
Additionally, they handle business assurance, having issued certifications to more than 70,000 companies in multiple industry sectors, and is an accredited certifier in 80 countries. They provide accreditation and clinical excellence certifications to American hospitals as well. DNV GL is a provider of digital solutions for risk management and improving safety and asset performance for ships, pipelines, processing plants, offshore structures, electric grids and smart cities. Most recently, they have been accredited by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) to issue certificates proving compliance with the AWS international standard for freshwater management.
According to their 2016 annual report, the world shipping and mobile offshore units (MOU) was the third highest year ever for scrapping, yet despite this, the world fleet grew by 1% in vessels and 3% in gross tonnage. There were 940 ships contracted in the newbuilding market. DNV GL led all classification societies with 25% of global orders by GT, and the DNV GL-classed fleet stood at 12,404 vessels and MOUs.
DNV GL has also received numerous U.S. government contracts for inspection and certification processes. Between 2015 and 2018 some of those contracts amounted to a combined total of nearly $1 million.
In 2017, they were selected by the World Bank to be part of a consortium to support the development of three new standards in offshore wind turbine support structures, offshore substations, and offshore wind farm power cables in China. They will also be advising the Chinese government on project financing and risk management.
Being a Norwegian company, one can see why the Norwegian Government has a vested interest in the ‘Ten Island Challenge’, and contributed $8,372,000 to the Clinton Climate Initiative for their solar farm projects. DNV GL has 45 overseeing council members and all but seven are from Norway. In addition to this, Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland was the “mother of sustainable development”. Dr. Gro Harlem is the former Prime Minister of Norway, former Director-General of the World Health Organization, and Deputy Chair of The Elders, a group that was initiated by Richard Branson in 2007 for the purposes of combating HIV/AIDS and climate change.
Who are The Elders? Another “humanitarian” adventure consisting of a group of members such as Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, Ban Ki-moon, and numerous others. In 2008, Nancy Becker Kennedy, from Los Angeles, CA, sent an email to John Podesta in the hopes that President-Elect Obama would consider her program she proposed pertaining to “creating millions of jobs through nationalizing in-home care for seniors and people with disabilities.” She went on to explain how she hoped Obama was planning to utilize the invaluable resource of the ‘Global Elders’ and included numerous links about all of the wonderful members.
Back in 2011, Jimmy Carter sent an email to former President Obama letting him know that ‘The Elders’ had accepted an invitation from North Korea to visit Pyongyang. They planned to make stops in China and South Korea as well. Their purpose was to learn as much as possible about humanitarian problems, the political and military situation, and to encourage peace and denuclearization of the Peninsula. Mary Robinson, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Marti Ahtissari would be joining him as well. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t seem much was accomplished on the denuclearization.
Interesting side note: Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland was the Director-General of the World Health Organization from 1998-2003. In 2002, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the current President of the World Bank, nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2012, was working with the World Health Organization on a Tuberculosis treatment, and became the advisor to the Director-General in 2003. Flash forward to May 24, 2018, the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group joined forces to strengthen global health security. World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim co-led the creation of the ‘Global Preparedness Monitoring Board’ which is co-chaired by none other than Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland. The focus appears to be on outbreaks, pandemics, and other emergencies with health consequences.
In regards to Saint Lucia and multiple islands in the region, DNV GL is the technical partner and lead, with CCI/CWR-RMI focusing on energy audits, feasibility studies, grid integration studies, Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs), and are developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for procuring IPPs and contractors.
According to DNV GL, they have already been working on projects on other islands such as the British Virgin Islands, Aruba, Bahamas, San Andrés and Providencia, and a utility scale solar project on Caye Caulker, Belize, which is partially owned by Harry Dole.
Shipmate #4: LUCELEC
Up until the beginning of 2016, LUCELEC was the only fully integrated electricity company in Saint Lucia with the exclusive right to transmit and distribute electricity. However, on December 16, 2015, Governor-General Pearlette Louisy enacted the National Utilities Regulatory Commission Act, and the National Utilities Regulatory Commission (NURC) was formed to grant licenses to independent power producers (IPPs) to generate electricity from renewable sources. This put a bit of a strain on LUCELEC since they had always maintained the monopoly position. The new ACT would allow for competition in the renewable energy area, but LUCELEC was confident they would maintain their position in transmission and distribution. Due to the mandate to achieve 35% of electricity production from renewable energy by 2020, LUCELEC was guided by the National Energy Transition Strategy (NETS) to pursue several renewable energy projects. Interestingly, NETS was developed jointly by the Government of Saint Lucia with LUCELEC, in consultation with the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Just for the record, Governor-General Pearlette Louisy is no stranger to Bill Clinton. She was Governor-General from 1997-2017. The Saint Lucia government website still hosts letters of gratitude toward Bill Clinton, such as this one from 1999 where “Dame Pearlette Louisy highlighted the historic visit of President Bill Clinton to the Eastern Caribbean two years ago:
“What was most memorable was the tremendous upsurge of hope and enthusiasm and generous goodwill that this visit generated as well as the new spirit of partnership that the Bridgetown Accord evoked between the Caribbean and its nearest neighbor, the United States. Dame Pearlette Louisy emphasized that there is need to recapture this spontaneous fervour and vitality which inspired the deliberations and decisions of this historic meeting, so that the efforts at preserving peace and democracy and at advancing the economic and social progress to which the Caribbean and the United States them committed themselves can be sustained.”
On January 18, 2003, after his presidency, Bill Clinton attended the Ballroom of the Sandals Grande Hotel for a dinner in honour of him. Many officials were there in support, such as Governor General Pearlette Louisy of Saint Lucia, Governor General of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Colleague Prime Ministers of the OECS, Members of the St. Lucia Cabinet of Ministers, Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean, Members of the Parliament, Their Excellencies the Members of the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests. Here is a snippet of what they had to say:
“More than ten years ago, the people of the Caribbean watched and followed the trajectory of the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton. Over that period of American prosperity, President Bill Clinton earned the admiration of most and captured the imagination of many. Tonight, we are honored with his presence among us. Tonight, we who have mostly seen greatness unfold from the proximity of our television screens, have the distinct pleasure and the honor of breaking bread with greatness – in person.
In the best tradition of Caribbean culture, a politician knows when he or she has made it or has lost it, when one becomes the subject of a Calypso. In the past week, one of our radio stations has been playing, over and over, a Calypso defending your record of achievement and accomplishment. The calypso was composed by the Mighty Sparrow — a Trinidadian singer, born in Grenada, a product of our Caribbean, acknowledged and honoured as the world’s greatest calypsonian. It’s most popular refrain is “Don’t Touch Me President”. Now, when a Caribbean Calypsonian whose favorite pastime is “dissing” politicians, tells the world Don’t Touch His President, then Sir, you know for sure that you have entered the annals of the untouchable, the invincible and the unassailable.
The ties that bind the United States and the Caribbean are not simply the links of history, but the association of family, migration, opportunity, and geography. It would be no exaggeration to say that not since John F. Kennedy has a United States President captured the minds and hearts of Caribbean people, as did President Bill Clinton during his tenure at the White House.”
It is remarkable how those words may otherwise be interpreted.
Shipmate #5: GRUPOTEC
The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Valencia, Spain. It also has a presence in the United States (California, Miami, and Puerto Rico), Morocco, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Algeria, and India.
Valencia International reported on Grupotec, stated that Grupotec is dedicated to engineering and architectural services and has been undergoing a spectacular growth period. However, the article is not dated. They state, “The company’s 2014 revenues have reached 134.389.659 euros thanks largely to contracts obtained in the UK in the areas of renewable energies and sustainable development. Overseas income in fact represents more than 90% of the income of this company founded in 1997.”
Oddly, Grupotec doesn’t even mention their project in Saint Lucia on their website. In fact, they haven’t added new projects to their website since 2013, and the news media coverage on their website only contains stories between 2010 and 2015. For a company that has expanded greatly, one would think they would promote such projects.
According to the videos (top of article) on the big solar farm project and the Governors House in Saint Lucia, Grupotec was the main builder/installer on this job, yet they have very little internet coverage.
Other Shipmates Working on The Ten Island Challenge on Other Islands
Note: This is the short list. More research is required to cover all partners on all islands.
Shipmate #6: Emera (Caribbean) Inc.
Emera (Caribbean) Inc. (EC), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emera Inc., a publicly traded energy utility company. Emera Incorporated has headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Canada, and as of 2017 it had revenues of $6.2 billion with assets of $29 billion. It originated from the provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power Incorporated in 1998 and the name was changed in 2000 to Emera. In 2013, Emera acquired Bridgeport Energy, Rumford Power, and Tiverton Power plants from Capital Power Corporation for $541 million. In 2016, Emera acquired TECO Energy, based out of Tampa, Florida, which included Tampa Electric, Peoples Gas (not the one in Chicago), and New Mexico Gas, for $10.4 billion.
In addition to the above utility companies, Emera also owns Nova Scotia Power, Emera Maine, Barbados Light and Power Company, Grand Bahama Power Company, Dominica Electricity Services, and Light and Power Holdings – LUCELEC. It also owns power plants and trades and markets natural gas and electricity as well as two natural gas companies.
Now follow this: Emera Inc. owns 80% of Light & Power Holdings. Emera Caribbean Limited, who is wholly owned by Emera Inc., sold its 19.1% interest in LUCELEC to Light & Power Holdings Ltd, also owned by Emera Inc., in 2011 for $25.8 million. This brought Light and Power Holdings to an equal top two shareholder in LUCELEC.
In 1994 LUCELEC went public. According to their 2016 credit rating report, as well as information on their website, the current makeup of shareholders include: EMERA (Caribbean) Inc. (20%), First Citizens Bank Ltd. (20%), National Insurance Corporation of Saint Lucia (16.8%), Castries Constituencies Council (16.4%), Government of Saint Lucia (12.4%), and individual shareholders (14.4%). LUCELEC’s shares are traded on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange.
Aside from Emera (Caribbean) Inc. being an investor in LUCELEC in Saint Lucia, they are also reaping the benefits from their Barbados Light & Power company in Barbados, Grand Bahama Power Supply, Emera Caribbean Renewables Ltd., and are a majority shareholder in Dominica Electricity Services Ltd.
Emera was working in St. Vincent on a geothermal project that was expected to commence in 2016. In their 2015 report they state “legal, policy and technical support continues to be provided by the Clinton Climate Initiative and Rocky Mountain Institute.”
In regards to their overall clean energy strategy, they are seeing a “driving change in the global energy arena” that include insights from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2015 that was held in Paris and “charts a new course in the global climate effort.” From their climate change agenda, they are seeing results with new energy policies made by Caribbean governments. They also state “Further impetus is coming from initiatives such as the Breakthrough Energy Coalition announced by Bill Gates and others that are expected to accelerate technology developments in the renewable energy sector and reduce the cost of alternatives.” As noted above in the timeline, this coalition’s goal is to raise billions from governments for renewable energy to various locations. The group consisting of the likes of Jeff Bezos, George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg, and numerous others contributed an initial investment of $2 billion of their own funds.
Shipmate #7: SIDS Lighthouse Initiative (IRENA)
IRENA was founded in 2009 by Hermann Scheer and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is an intergovernmental organization to promote adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It consists of 153 states and the European Union, and is an official United Nations observer. Herman Scheer was a socialist democrat member of the German Bundestag (parliament), president of Eurosolar and general chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy. According to Wikipedia, in 2010, “he suddenly died in a hospital in Berlin from heart failure after an unspecified short and severe illness.” Adnan Amin, Kenyan representative, was sworn in on April 4, 2011 as the first Director-General.
In 2015, IRENA developed the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative to support the strategic development and implementation of renewable energy in SIDS (small island developing states), and to assist policy makers with the required steps to enable targeted action. They provide coordinated support for islands to convert fossil-based power systems to renewable energy. They work together with private and public partnerships, intergovernmental and non-governmental stakeholder organizations, and offer technical expertise in planning, identifying, structuring and executing projects, in addition to assisting with financing stages. They state on their website that they have mobilized US $500 million.
The Climate Initiatives Platform website indicates the complete breakdown of information on the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative since its inception in 2015. According to this document, they claim to have an investment volume of $1 billion, representing 19 registered projects since the launch of the Caribbean portal at COP21.
Under participants, they list 19 members:
European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Indian Ocean Commission, IRENA, Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, UNDP, World Bank, ENEL, Clean Energy Solutions Center, Clinton Climate Initiative, Rocky Mountain Institute – Carbon War Room, SE4ALL.
They indicate they partner with:
Antigua and Barbuda, Mauritius, Bahamas, Nauru, Barbados, Palau, Cabo Verde, Samoa, Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cook Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Fiji, Seychelles, Grenada, Solomon Islands, Guyana, Tonga, Kiribati, Trinidad and Tobago, Maldives, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, ENEL, New Zealand, European Union, Norway, France, SE4ALL, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Indian Ocean Commission, United States of America, IRENA, UNDP, Japan, World Bank Group
According to the Clinton Foundation’s press release on September 1, 2015, they state that the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) is teaming up with Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room (RMI-CWR), and the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) Lighthouses Initiative to help island nations accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and transition away from fossil fuels. They refer to the small island developing states as (SIDS) for short. Not to be confused with SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) most people are familiar with.
Shipmate #8: CARILEC
The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) was founded in 1989 by USAID part of an electric utilities modernization project implemented by NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative) under a five-year co-operative agreement. It began with 9 members, and currently has 35 members, 67 associate members, and 5 affiliate members.
They have partnerships with Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room, Clinton Climate Initiative, IRENA, and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies, all of which are presented front and center at the top of their website.
CARILEC is an association of electric utilities, suppliers, manufacturers and other stakeholders working in the electricity industry in the Caribbean. Their goal is to become a major player in forging member states to develop an energy package.
In 2016, CARILEC signed a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room which entailed a framework for cooperation and coordination in the renewable energy sector and information sharing between utilities in the region.
Click here to continue to Part III
Who’s at The Helm?
The Endless Treasure Trove
No Person is An Island
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child traffickingClinton Foundationdrug traffickingRichard BransonTen Island Challenge
Shipwrecked on Ten Islands with Clintons & Branson
Organ Trafficking Co-Conspirators – A Worldwide Epidemic
martha p thacker
Emera is a Canadian company which bought out one of two large Maine electric suppliers. Hiked rates and give sorry service.
The gas….perhaps a use for the Keystone pipeline? It is of no use to Americans..TransCanada is the builder. So it is also Canadian.Because of Trump’s new tariffs, Europe is scheduled to buy gas that goes through this pipeline instead of Russia…Odd, the pipeline, the production of shale oil out of Canada and some in America is disaster for the environment.
But South America and Europe would be quite the market.
I’m not quite finished reading your article, but will do so tomorrow. But before I forget, you may want to look at the following links. There are some weird pics of things that look like missile silos or cisterns maybe (people can’t seem to figure out what they are) on an island off the coast of Washington state that was involved in some of the recent plane shenanigans out there: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1028453423505727489.html . You might also want to check out this reddit thread which talks about some of this as well: https://old.reddit.com/r/The_GreatAwakening/comments/96p7rp/wow_a_crazy_string_of_coincidences_on_the_q400/ . Thank you for your hard work on this article. Nice to see journalism alive and well. After years of MSM consumption, I thought it was permanently a lost art. Good job!
Thank you. I will check all of this out.
I can’t help but wonder if all these so called renewable energy “projects” are tied into the scams being passed off to the masses as the UN Agenda 2030 stated mission goals.
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Essentials of Global Health
Essentials of Global Health is a comprehensive introduction to global health. It is meant to introduce you to this topic in well-structured, clear and easy to understand ways. Much of the course will focus on five questions: What do people get sick, disabled and die from; Why do they suffer from these conditions? Which people are most affected? Why should we care about such concerns? What can be done to address key health issues, hopefully at least cost, as fast as possible, and in sustainable ways? The course will be global in coverage but with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, the health of the poor, and health disparities. Particular attention will be paid throughout the course to health systems issues, the linkages between health and development, and health matters related to global interdependence. The course will cover key concepts and frameworks but be practical in orientation. ESSENTIALS OF GLOBAL HEALTH WAS PRODUCED IN PART DUE TO THE GENEROUS FUNDING OF THE DAVID F. SWENSEN FUND FOR INNOVATION IN TEACHING. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Course Learning Objectives By the end of the course, learners should be able to: • Articulate key public health concepts related to global health; • Analyze the key issues in global health from a number of perspectives; • Discuss with confidence the burden of disease in various regions of the world; how it varies by sex, age, and location; key risk factors for this burden; and how the disease burden can be addressed in cost-effective ways; • Assess key health disparities, especially as they relate to the health of low-income and marginalized people in low- and middle-income countries; • Outline the key actors and organizations in global health and the manner in which they cooperate to address critical global health concerns; • Review key global health challenges that are likely to arise in the coming decades. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Value Added of the Course The course seeks to add special value by being comprehensive, by handling each topic in a consistent framework, and by helping learners gain an understanding of well grounded approaches to assessing global health issues and what can be done to address them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Readings and other materials for Essentials of Global Health For almost every session of Essentials of Global Health, you will see: - Required readings - Recommended readings - Recommended videos We have selected a small number of readings for each session that are central to understanding the content of the session. We have put these under “required readings”. For each required reading, we have also indicated how carefully you should read the material and on what parts of the material you should focus your attention. In addition, we have selected some additional readings that would be very helpful to your understanding the content of each session. The first is a textbook, Global Health 101, third edition. This is a comprehensive introductory textbook that closely follows the content of this Essentials of Global Health course. We have indicated for each session what part of the book you should read. Using this textbook can be very valuable to your mastering the content of the course. The second set of “recommended readings” is some additional readings, mostly from journal articles and reports. For these, too, we have indicated how carefully you should read the material and on what parts of the material you should focus your attention. Learners should note that to access articles from The Lancet they will have to register with the Lancet, if they do not have online access to a library that has The Lancet. Once they are registered, they will be able to sign into The Lancet and access all of its free articles. We have also indicated for most sessions one or two videos that relate to the topic of the session. These are meant to help the learner get a better feel for the topic which is being covered. Most learners will find the videos brief, easy and enjoyable to watch, and very enlightening.
Suggested: 5-7 hours per week....
This module introduces you to the course, some of the basic concepts of global health, and a number of key perspectives for considering global health issues. This module will also introduce you to the key actors in global health and the different ways in which they are organized and function.
4 videos (Total 58 min), 11 readings, 2 quizzes
Course Introduction13m
Key Perspectives on Global Health and Determinants of Health15m
Social Determinants of Health11m
The Global Health Context and Who Plays18m
Reading11 readings
About this course10m
Meet your instructor10m
Pre-Couse Survey10m
(Required) Koplan et al, "Towards a Common Definition of Global Health"5m
(Required) Fried et al, Global Health is Public Health5m
(Recommended) Skolnik, "The Principles and Goals of Global Health"20m
(Recommended) Jamison, DT, et al. "Global Health 2035: A World Converging within a Generation."20m
(Required) Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH)30m
(Recommended) Skolnik, "Health Determinants, Measurements, and Trends"5m
(Required) Major players in development cooperation for global health50m
(Recommended) Skolnik, “Working Together to Improve Global Health”1h
Quiz2 practice exercises
Key Perspectives on Global Health10m
Module 2: The Burden of Disease
Module 2 focuses on the “burden of disease”. It first examines the state of the world’s health. It then introduces you to key demographic factors and how they relate to global health. It concludes with several sessions that examine what people get sick, disabled and die from and to what risk factors and determinants these conditions can be attributed.
8 videos (Total 102 min), 14 readings, 5 quizzes
The State of the World’s Health18m
Demography and Health (Part 1)13m
The DALY16m
What Do People get Sick, Disabled, and Die From? (Part 1)7m
What Do People get Sick, Disabled, and Die From? (Part 2)12m
Key Risk Factors14m
(Required) “World Health Statistics 2016: Monitoring Health for the SDGs.”15m
(Required) “Health, Nutrition, and Population Statistics.”15m
(Recommended) Skolnik, “Health Determinants, Measurements, and Trends”1h
(Required) Haupt A, Kane TT, and Haub C. Population Reference Bureau’s Population Handbook20m
(Required) Kaneda T and Bietsch K. 2015 World Population Data Sheet.20m
(Recommended) Skolnik, "Health Determinants, Measurements, and Trends"10m
(Required) Chen A, Jacobsen KH, Deshmukh AA, and Cantor SB. "The Evolution of the Disability-adjusted Life Year (DALY)."15m
(Required) The Global Burden of Disease: Generating Evidence, Guiding Policy30m
(Recommended) Skolnik, “Health Determinants, Measurements, and Trends”10m
(Required) Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Compare.15m
(Required) Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Heatmap.15m
Demography and Global Health10m
The Burden of Disease – The DALY10m
What Do People Get Sick, Disabled, and Die From?20m
Key Risk Factors for Deaths and DALYs10m
Module 3: Health Systems and Value for Money in Health
Module 3 focuses on health systems. It first examines the notion of “value for money” in considering investments in health. It then reviews how health systems in different parts of the world are organized; some of the issues they face in effectively and efficiently providing appropriate services of acceptable quality; and what we are learning can be done to address those issues in cost-effective ways.
Value for Money in Global Health14m
The Organization and Aims of Health Systems (Part 1)7m
The Organization and Aims of Health Systems (Part 2)10m
Ethical Priority Setting in Health - Ole Norheim17m
Health Expenditure, the Quest for UHC, and Pharmaceuticals (Part 1)7m
Health Expenditure, the Quest for UHC, and Pharmaceuticals (Part 2)13m
(Required) Yazbeck AS. An Idiot’s Guide to Prioritization in the Health Sector.”30m
(Recommended) Skolnik, Chapter 3- “Health, Education, Poverty, and the Economy.”10m
(Required) World Health Organization. World Health Report 2000- Health Systems: Improving Performance.20m
(Required) World Health Organization. Health Systems Financing: The Path to Universal Coverage.20m
(Recommended) Skolnik, Chapter 5- “An Introduction to Health Systems”1h 20m
(Required) Latko B, et al. "The Growing Movement for Universal Health Coverage."10m
(Required) Kumar, AS, et al. "Financing Health Care for All: Challenges and Opportunities."15m
(Recommended) Skolnik, Chapter 5- “Introduction to Health Systems”25m
The Organization and Aims of Health Systems10m
Health Expenditure, the Quest for UHC, and Pharmaceuticals20m
Module 4: Cross-Cutting Themes in Global Health - Part I
Module 4 focuses on some of the most important cross-cutting themes in global health. These include the relationship between the environment and health, complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters and health, and nutrition and health. They also include an assessment of the health of women, children, and adolescents. A single session is devoted exclusively to childhood immunization.
Health Disparities (Part 1)9m
Health Disparities (Part 2)11m
The Environment and Health and Climate Change and Health (Part 1)12m
Nutrition and Global Health (Part 1)10m
Nutrition and Global Health (Part 2)8m
(Required) Gwatkin DR, et al. Socio-economic Differences in Health, Nutrition, and Population within Developing Countries.25m
(Required) UNICEF. Progress for Children: Achieving the MDGs with Equity.25m
(Recommended) Skolnik, Chapter 3- “Health, Education, Poverty, and the Economy”10m
(Required) Pruss-Ustun A, et al. Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments: A global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks.10m
(Recommended) Skolnik, Chapter 7- “The Environment and Health”30m
(Required) International Food Policy Research Institute. Global Nutrition Report 2015: Actions and Accountability to Advance Nutrition and Sustainable Development.15m
(Recommended) Skolnik, Chapter 8-“Nutrition and Global Health”1h
(Recommended) Mother and Child Nutrition15m
Health Disparities12m
The Environment and Health and Climate Change and Health10m
Nutrition and Global Health22m
55 ReviewsChevron Right
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Top reviews from Essentials of Global Health
By MM•Mar 18th 2017
It was one of the best courses I have done on coursera.Also the instructor explains detailed subject matter very well which makes it easier to understand the subject.Certainly a 10\10 for the course !
By JQ•Feb 19th 2018
GREAT REVIEW OF SOME INTERESTING AND VITAL ASPECTS OF GLOBAL HEALTH. THANKS, SO MUCH TO THE FOLKS WHO WORKED HARD IN PUTTING ON THIS COURSE AND ALLOWING ME TO TAKE IT GRATIS. DR QUINCY
Richard Skolnik
Former Lecturer, Department of Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health and Lecturer in the Practice of Management, Yale School of Management, 2012-2016
About Yale University
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Jackson Criminal Lawyers Coxwell & Associates Home
Contact Pearl, Mississippi Criminal Attorney Coxwell & Associates
Real Trial Stories - Criminal
Oral Argument - COA - Thursday, May 21, 2015 - Update - Changed to May 26
Mr. Mastin’s with the misdemeanors of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He did not believe he did anything wrong and that he was wrongly convicted. Coxwell & Associates attorney Charles “Chuck” Mullins appealed the convictions to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Mr. Mullins argues that the State and Federal case law show that a citizen cannot be arrested for “spoken words” directed at a police officer unless the words amount to “fighting words.” The language used by Mr. Mastin did not constitute “fighting words,” and therefore the arrest was not justified. Since the initial arrest was not supported by probable cause, the subsequent conviction for resisting arrest was also invalid and must be overturned.
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Economy Watch: Consumers Less Optimistic Despite Economic Growth
Consumer confidence about short- and long-term economic prospects declined in April, according to the Conference Board's latest Consumer Confidence Index,
D.C. Stribling
American consumers felt a little less optimistic about the U.S. economy in April than they did in March, according to a recent report from the Conference Board. Its Consumer Confidence Index came in at 124.9 in March, but dropped to 120.3 in April, with consumer confidence for both the present and future dropping.
Consumers are still confident the economy will expand, despite being less optimistic about short-term business, employment and income prospects, said Conference Board Director of Economic Indicators Lynn Franco. Only 23 percent of consumers expect strong job gains in the coming months, down a bit from 23.8 percent in March. Also, 24.8 percent of consumers now expect business conditions to improve throughout the next six months, compared to 26.9 percent who said that in March.
Separately, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia released its coincident indexes for the 50 states on Wednesday, pointing to decent growth in most of the U.S. economy. Over the past three months, the indexes increased in 45 states, decreased in three, and remained stable in two. In March, the indexes increased in 45 states and decreased in five.
The coincident indexes combine four state-level indicators to summarize current economic conditions in a single statistic. The four state-level variables in each coincident index are payroll employment; average hours worked in manufacturing; the state’s unemployment rate; and wages and salaries adjusted to take inflation into account. The trend for each state’s index is set to the trend of its gross domestic product, so long-term growth in the state’s index matches long-term growth in its GDP.
Consumer Confidence Index
Lynn Franco
The Conference Board Inc.
What to Expect From Deutsche Bank’s Reorganization
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A Vindication of Tradition
James Kalb
Modern times don’t like the authority of tradition, any more than they like prejudice or deeply rooted social stereotypes. We know more today than people did in the past, so why should we view the unreflective habits and attitudes they happened to fall into as somehow binding?
People today believe in science, which relies on observations that can be repeated and checked; expert bureaucracies, which base their decisions on the latest objective studies; and free markets, which determine prices by reference to current supply and demand. Those methods have been enormously successful in many important settings, and they don’t care what people did or thought last year, 200 years ago, or in the days of Gregory the Great.
So if that’s what people want to rely on today, what should the Church do? The obvious answer is that she should adapt to her setting. If the Church wants to impress people, especially those at the top and the ever-growing and ever-more-influential ranks of the miseducated, she has to do things the way that makes sense to her audience. Modern methods work better in many connections, and people have come to expect them, so they won’t take anything seriously that doesn’t follow them even if the advantages don’t carry over.
Perhaps for that reason, there has been a tendency in recent decades to downplay tradition and traditional observances in the Church. Traditional devotions are less used today, liturgy has been brought in line with popular culture, and the angularities of Catholic doctrine are softened where possible. Such tendencies have been accompanied by demands for greater scope for theological innovation, more popular influence on Church governance, and other supposedly progressive reforms.
Unfortunately, the apparent effect of the changes has been growth of bureaucracy, loss of focus and influence, and loss of interest among ordinary believers. So it’s worth considering the function served by past attitudes in the Church. In Pascendi Dominici Gregis, his encyclical against modernism, Pope Saint Pius X summarized those attitudes as he saw them:
For Catholics nothing will remove the authority of the second Council of Nicea, where it condemns those “who dare, after the impious fashion of heretics, to deride the ecclesiastical traditions, to invent novelties of some kind … or endeavor by malice or craft to overthrow any one of the legitimate traditions of the Catholic Church” … Wherefore the Roman Pontiffs, Pius IV and Pius IX, ordered the insertion in the profession of faith of the following declaration: “I most firmly admit and embrace the apostolic and ecclesiastical traditions and other observances and constitutions of the Church.”
That kind of traditionalism is out of favor today, but there’s something to be said for it. Revelation and conversion aren’t a matter of neutral scientific analysis. Religion deals with the transcendent, with aspects of reality that observation may point to but doesn’t contain. The methods of modern science and scholarship, which restrict themselves to what is observable, can’t deal with such matters. For that reason religion evaporates where modern methods have supreme authority. If only naturalistic explanations are admissible, for example, it becomes impossible to understand the Bible and Church history as vehicles of revelation.
Nor is religion a simple matter of authority. Authority is necessary, but a movement of resistance to radical modernity that (for example) simply relies on papal leadership is not adequate to the situation. Such a movement fights an over-emphasis on what is explicit and demonstrable by emphasizing something explicit and demonstrable, and that’s not enough.
What’s needed is for the faithful to feel spiritual truths as concretely real. The sensus fidei fidelium—the sense of the Faith on the part of the faithful—can seem a bit mysterious, and indeed the Catechism refers to it as supernatural. Still, grace completes nature, so the sensus fidei has something in common with other forms of knowledge. It is a grasp of transcendent reality that goes beyond clear demonstration in somewhat the way recognition of beauty goes beyond objective measurement and analysis of proportions. As such, it has a great deal to do with the ability, an ability that can be cultivated, to recognize and respond to patterns and what they express.
That ability is extremely important. We can’t deal with many actual situations scientifically, by measuring all their aspects, reducing them to their elements, and applying principles of mechanical causation. There are too many uncertainties, subtleties, and complications. Instead, we must deal with them through recognition of patterns and their implications. “What sort of situation is this,” we must ask ourselves, “and what does it point to?”
Modern tendencies of thought degrade our ability to do so by reducing assertions either to will, which ignores realities because it looks only to itself, or modern scientific objectivity, which makes meaningful patterns disappear because it abolishes meaning and downplays patterns in favor of immediate mechanical causation. The result is that we become less able to deal with the world. Modern tendencies have made evaluation and belief seem a matter of individual choice, so that people are convinced that beauty is simply in the eye of the beholder, and orthodoxy and heterodoxy are just “my doxy” and “your doxy.” The result is that decisions become arbitrary. Those tendencies have also resulted in the disappearance of common sense in public life, for example with regard to abandonment of natural moral law, and with regard to adoption of “zero tolerance” policies that on principle reject common-sense exceptions.
Common sense, it seems, is just not demonstrable enough to accept today. To get beyond that situation we need to develop what Pascal called the intuitive mind (esprit de finesse) and Newman the illative sense, the ability to grasp complex matters through sensitivity to multiple indications, each of them ambiguous in itself, and the patterns of converging probabilities to which they give rise. That ability is partly a matter of natural talent—some people will always be better at picking stocks or horses than others—but it can be greatly developed through attention and experience.
The latter sources of knowledge are not merely individual: writ large and made social they become tradition. When a symbol, practice, or belief, a devotion or way of making music perhaps, grows up and fits the patterns of experience people become attached to it. As it gathers support and becomes widespread and habitual it becomes a tradition. When a network of such things forms a structure sufficient to order the life of a community it becomes not a collection of single traditions but the overall tradition of the community.
So tradition is not simply a matter of doing what’s been done before. It is a way of dealing with the world that allows fleeting insights, successful accidents, half-understood implications, and a huge variety of experiences to accumulate and take concrete form in symbols, practices, and beliefs that respond to the obscure patterns found in life, put them in usable form, and carry them forward so a community can live consistently with them. A tradition of cooking, to take a simple example, takes the patterns of human need, function, and response relating to the availability, preparation, and consumption of food, and brings them into a concrete but flexible system that enables people to make that side of life far more civilized and rewarding than it would be otherwise.
Tradition and traditionalism have their critics, and the criticisms are familiar: traditions differ by time and place, and they are sometimes wrong or misleading, so they are not altogether reliable. The problem today though is not over-reliance on tradition, but its neglect. Traditions sometimes conflict, and they may need to be tested and corrected by other sources of knowledge, but the same can be said about expert opinion, popular consensus, conscientious decision, and every other way of deciding an issue. Tradition is necessary to knowledge, to the arts, and to any remotely satisfactory way of life, because it is uniquely able to make insights and experiences available that would otherwise be lost because they relate to matters that are difficult to state explicitly. Without it, we will never succeed in acquiring a true sensus fidei. With that in mind, we can’t toss it out or treat it as a mere collection of suggestions.
Tagged as Pope St. Pius X, Relativism, Science, sensus fidelium, tradition
By James Kalb
James Kalb is a lawyer, independent scholar, and Catholic convert who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is the author of The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command (ISI Books, 2008), and, most recently, Against Inclusiveness: How the Diversity Regime is Flattening America and the West and What to Do About It (Angelico Press, 2013).
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disability Discrimination: Meaning of 'Day to Day' Activities
Thanks to Ed McFarlane of Deminos HR for preparing this case summary
Are 'warehouse operations', such as manually lifting and moving cases of up to 25 kg, 'normal day-to-day activities' for the purposes of disability under the Equality Act 2010?
Yes, held the EAT overturning an employment tribunal's decision in Banaszczyk v Booker.
The Claimant, a picker in a distribution centre, had been found not to be disabled at a preliminary hearing. The Employment Judge, having accepted medical evidence regarding the Claimant's long-term back condition, considered that it did not have a substantial adverse effect on his carrying out 'normal day-to-day activities' as its impact was limited to manual lifting of items of up to 25kg at work, which the Employment Judge regarded as not being a 'normal day-to-day' activity.
The EAT disagreed, noting that the scope of 'normal day-to-day activities' extended to warehouse work (and work generally). So, on the evidence accepted by the employment tribunal, the only conclusion was that the Claimant was a disabled person.
The EAT cautioned against regarding a work rate, such as a warehouse 'pick rate', as an impaired activity, e.g. a target of moving 210 cases per hour, but rather to look at the impairment of the activity itself, e.g. the lifting and moving of cases.
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John Kinsella '15th.Apr 1912'
“Kinsella’s pacing and shaping of the music, quite apart from the technical demands he makes on the instrument, keep one riveted while listening” THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE—© 2018 Lynn René Bayley
"Generally speaking, my style is very bold, but it has not the slightest tendency to subvert any of the constituent elements of art. The prevailing characteristics of my music are passionate expression, intense ardour, rhythmical animation and unexpected turns." Quotation: Berlioz. Aspiration: mine.
John Kinsella immediately came to mind while thinking in 2012 of a composer to write a piece in commemoration of the sinking of the Titanic, having known him from my earliest professional days. Upon contacting him, I learned that quite independently he was reading about the Titanic and was very keen on the idea of composing a piece. And so ‘15th April 1912’ was born. Wonderfully original and inventive, using the fullest range of the double bass with a variety of novel techniques, the piece portrays the voyage of the great liner from her launch to the shocking and tragic climax.
“Daly plays it [the Kinsella] with tremendous feeling as well as a superb technique. This is clearly one of the great highlights of this album!” THE ART MUSIC LOUNGE—© 2018 Lynn René Bayley
Born in Dublin in 1932, John Kinsella pursued two careers in artistic administration and in composition, until 1988 when he resigned from his position as Head of Music at RTÉ to fully devote his time to composition.
Since then he has composed ten symphonies, a second violin concerto, a ‘cello concerto and a fifth string quartet, all of which have been publicly performed, and many solo and chamber works.
He has been commissioned by, among others, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Dublin International Piano Competition and The Arts Council of Wales.
Recent premieres include a fifth string quartet for 2013 West Cork Chamber Music Festival and a piano piece for the 2014 New Ross Piano Festival. He also composed an orchestral work to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. His Symphony No.10 was premiered in 2012 by The Irish Chamber Orchestra with conductor Gabor Takacs-Nagy.
John Kinsella is a member of Aosdana and is a recipient of the Marten Toonder award. Some of his works are recorded on Chandos, Naxos, RTÉ lyric fm and Irish Chamber Orchestra labels. He is currently working on an eleventh symphony.
Read about 'Arpeggione' ➞
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Actor inside me was restless: Anup Soni on moving to films
August 16, 2018 DayAfter
Mumbai, Popular TV actor Anup Soni says he has taken a “selfish call” to do movies as the big screen space is more exciting today.
Soni, who has been the face of crime drama series “Crime Patrol” for about nine years, has bid adieu to the show to focus on his film career.
He admits the show helped him earn credibility and respect as an actor.
“The (hosting) stint went on for long. The show became popular and I did not think it will run this long. I am focusing on films now.
“The actor inside me was restless and I wanted to focus more on acting. I had to take this call, it was a selfish call as an actor,” the actor told PTI.
It was during the last quarter of 2017 that Soni decided to leave the small screen.
Fortunately, at the same time, he says, he got Ekta Kapoor’s webseries “The Test Case”.
“I was somewhere missing acting in films. I requested makers that I would like to focus on films and they were ok with it. They wanted me to complete my contract that ended this March-April.”
In the past, Soni has been a part of films such as “Gangaajal” and “Aparahan”. He also did a film called “Yeh Hausla”, which did not release.
“People often used to say to me that they thought I was busy with TV and did not want to do films. There are some offers that I wished I could have somehow managed and done it. I can’t take the names. But what is gone is gone.”
Today, Soni, 43, says he wants people to know that he is open to working all mediums – be it feature films, short films and on the digital platform.
Soni will next be seen sharing screen space with Sanjay Dutt in “Prasthnanam”, a remake of a Telugu political thriller film.
He says initially he had concerns about how his role would pan out in the film.
“I was returning to the big screen after a long time and the role and its length matters to you,” he says.
“The director told me to watch the Telugu film. I got to know that I play a crucial role,” he adds.
HP dominated India printing market with 47% share in Q2 2018
Kerala flood situation grave, says SC
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CalPERS’ 1% annual return on investments falls…
CalPERS’ 1% annual return on investments falls far short of projections
By Associated Press | |
PUBLISHED: July 16, 2012 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 6, 2017 at 7:31 am
SACRAMENTO – The nation’s largest public pension fund collected a dismal 1 percent annual return on its investments, a figure far short of projections that will likely bring pressure on California’s state and local governments to contribute more money, officials said Monday.
The return reported by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System was well below its projected return of 7.5 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30 and is prompting administrators to consider changes to investment strategies.
The investment returns are critical because taxpayers are on the hook for the difference if the pension funds fail to meet their performance targets.
“The last 12 months were a challenging period for all investors,” chief investment officer Joe Dear said about the stock market’s performance amid the ongoing European debt crisis and slow global economic growth.
The fund was most impacted by a 7 percent drop in returns on global equities. Half the pension’s assets are in public equities, Dear said.
The fund, known as CalPERS, runs a $234 billion pension system for more than 1.6 million state employees, school employees and local government workers.
The preliminary returns reported Monday were even lower than the state’s pension fund for teachers, which earned just 1.8 percent from investments over the past year.
Dave Hitchcock, director of state and local government ratings at Standard & Poor’s in New York, said the fund’s low returns were symptomatic of the entire financial industry.
“We’re in an age of lower global returns than what we saw 10 years ago,” Hitchcock said.
Local government officials expressed disappointment with the return. They said it should underscore the need for pension reform.
Dwight Stenbakken, deputy executive director of the League of California Cities, said the current system relies too heavily on earnings. When stocks, bonds, real estate and other pension investments don’t reach targets, the difference has to be made up by taxpayers.
“We are going to be experiencing this problem for a long time to come,” Stenbakken said.
Dear said the CalPERS returns would result in increased contributions from the state, school districts and municipalities, most of which are already financially stressed. It wasn’t immediately clear how much contributions would increase.
He said the fund’s long-term 7.5 percent target remains realistic but noted that recent returns have been the lowest in a generation. For the past five years, CalPERS earned just 0.1 percent. Over 20 years, it collected 7.73 percent.
“It does imply that we’re going to have to employ new strategies in terms of where we invest and how we manage risk if we were to retain that 7.5 return target,” Dear said.
The fund has been actively restructuring its investments in global equity, private equity and real estate, he said.
California taxpayers are already on the hook for billions of dollars in pension and health care benefits promised to public workers when they retire. The current unfunded liability for CalPERS is around $85 billion and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System is short by about $64.5 billion.
State spending on pensions has been on the rise. The latest budget includes $3.5 billion in pension contributions, nearly the amount the state spends to run its court system, from trial courts to the state Supreme Court.
Local governments, which have been cutting back police and fire services, have seen their pension burdens increase even faster.
The problem has been most evident in Stockton, which filed for Chapter 9 protection on June 28. The Northern California city of nearly 300,000 people became the largest American city ever to declare bankruptcy.
Its unfunded liability for those benefits is $417 million.
San Bernardino, a city of 210,000 people some 60 miles east of Los Angeles, is also contemplating bankruptcy in the face of a $45 million budget shortfall. While city officials blame weak tax revenues and a loss of redevelopment funds, they also cite escalating pension costs as a contributing factor.
“You just can’t rely on these optimistic assumptions that somehow the investment returns are going to be so great that you don’t have to worry about paying for this stuff,” San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said in an interview.
San Jose, the nation’s 10th-largest city, overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure pushed by Reed in June to roll back municipal retirement benefits for current and future employees.
So far, Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers have not been able to strike a deal on statewide pension reform. Talks will continue after lawmakers return from a monthlong recess next month.
Brown, a Democrat, issued a comprehensive proposal last fall that focused on raising the retirement age to match Social Security and moving new workers to a hybrid system in which defined benefits are combined with a 401(k)-style plan widely used in the private sector.
Lawmakers said they want to allow workers to retire before age 67 with reduced benefits. They are refusing the governor’s call for a defined contribution plan that places some of the risk on employees.
Master chef David Slay does steak and fish right at his South Bay restaurant
Surfer scientist will bring shark tours to Redondo Beach, hoping to dispel fears
Invader mosquitoes expected to arrive early – and in droves – this year in Los Angeles and Orange counties
Roof collapses at Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino in Gardena, injuring 11
Jim Morrison’s alleged son facing life in prison
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UC Berkeley alumna Sabine Mackey discusses calendars, co-ops and her creative process
Isabella Schreiber/Staff
By Camryn Bell | Senior Staff
Last Updated September 9, 2018
UC Berkeley student musician Grey Davies speaks on the soul of Bay Area music scene
UC Berkeley alumnus Bishal Dutta talks Cannes-premiering short film ‘Life in Color’
UC Berkeley student Ellis Newton talks DJing in the Bay Area
Name: Sabine Mackey
Age: Old enough to have been a practicing artist for more than two decades
Hometown: Somewhere on the East Coast — she values her privacy.
Current residence: Kingman Hall
What’s inspiring her: Fashion, travel, co-ops at UC Berkeley and beyond.
Who she is: A Berkeley-based artist who, over the last 23 years, has created monthly calendars with individual pictures representing each day. She draws these images to represent the best thing that happened to her on a given day.
Her voice: Sabine Mackey arrives totally prepared. As I rush into the Daily Cal office, fresh off of a predictably late 52 line bus from Downtown, I turn into a cubicle to see Mackey waiting patiently, surrounded by a large black portfolio, stacks of papers and a big suitcase filled with who-knows-what.
As I scramble to open my laptop, we start talking — just banalities at this point. She mentions she lives in a co-op, and I do as well. We briefly discuss Cloyne Court, which she knew in its pre-substance-free days and which I had just moved out of. Then Mackey launches into a story that I wasn’t even prepared to discuss but that ultimately sets the tone of the interview. Like I said, she came prepared.
Mackey had recently returned from a trip to New York, where she visited the Manhattan offices of Guinness World Records in an attempt to register her 23 years of calendars as a new world record.
“I waited 3 1/2 years and decided on a whim to fly New York and see what happens,” Mackey tells me. The trip was successful, by her measure. While Guinness couldn’t add the record formally to its roster, it sent Mackey an emailed letter of recognition for her art. “They said, ‘We have decided that this is art,’ and, ‘What you’ve done is made art,’ ” Mackey says.
Mackey’s monthly calendars — the original focus of our interview — are large, colorful creations on paper, with each day designated as a square filled with a unique drawing. The pieces are colorful and dynamic, with characters weaving in and out of the weeks and months. The medium is simple: black and blue ballpoint pen, colored pencils. Watercolor would be too messy, Mackey tells me.
The subjects of her drawings are the best things that happen to Mackey on the given date: “Every day there’s this tiny little thing, and it’s absolutely perfect. It happens every day.”
Mackey is originally from the East Coast and came to Berkeley as a re-entry student in the mid-’90s. She initially studied history but has made electrical engineering her lifelong educational pursuit. Her start with the calendars is also closely tied to this pursuit: She began her calendars the night she began studying electrical engineering.
“I came to the Bay Area to become a smart, resourceful, really cool woman that was smart and amazing, knew everything and was peace-loving,” Mackey says.
We speak of her time in the co-ops, where she started living as an undergraduate. Our conversation is punctuated often by an exuberant “as a co-oper!” in response to any type of question I ask. According to Mackey, the co-ops have been a crucial part of her life, providing her with support and resilience over the years of her education and artistic endeavors. The co-ops themselves are also sites of her work: from the 15 murals in Casa Zimbabwe to a new one in Lothlorien’s dining hall, depicting a couple.
Mackey’s former home, Casa Zimbabwe, or CZ, is home to one of her major works. It’s a 22-page biographical graphic novel on the life of Granville Woods. Woods, whom I had never heard of before, was the inventor of the wireless telegraph and an early patent holder of the third rail. As Mackey explains this to me, she is quick to clarify various points and technical details.
“I’m artistically stretching the word ‘wireless’; an EECS major will say there can’t be one wire to be wireless,” Mackey explains to me. She brought a few pages to the interview, but the rest are hanging at CZ, and they are stunning — full of color and art-deco-like characters. I comment at some point that the book is the perfect intersection of many of Mackey’s points of interest: electrical engineering, history, art. We don’t dwell on it long, but rather turn to yet another topic.
Mackey is also interested in fashion — particularly its intersection with electrical engineering.
“I love the geometry of it, the calculus of it,” Mackey says. “I’m particularly interested in dresses with stepper motors built into the dress. The stepper motor is activated by remote control signal, and the dress unfolds and changes, origami-like, into a completely different dress.”
She then suggests that I look up fiber optic fashion and that I find a YouTube video of a certain designer whose name she can’t think of. I do a quick Google search until we figure out it’s Hussein Chalayan, a Turkish fashion designer. A few days later, I look the video up and slowly descend into a internet hole of these “transformer dresses.” They’re truly mesmerizing.
Mackey typically practices her art at an unspecified location on Telegraph Avenue but has considered moving to a studio, which would allow her to live with her work. It would also be a place for anyone in Berkeley who wanted to visit her — and a place to showcase the notice from Guinness World Records, she adds.
“(They) put it well when they stated, ‘This is art. This is magnificent art.’ ”
Contact Camryn Bell at [email protected].
Bay Area, berkeley, calendars, Casa Zimbabwe, Cloyne Court, Co-ops, CZ, drawings, East Coast, EECS, electrical engineering, fashion, geometry, Granville Woods, graphic novel, Guinness World Records, history, Hussein Chalayan, Kingman Hall, lothlorien, Manhattan, murals, New York, Sabine Mackey, Telegraph Avenue, transformer dresses, Travel, UC Berkeley, visual art
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Liliya Rodnikova, Stocksy
How Common Are Food Allergies? Science Says People Are Confusing Food Allergies With Food Intolerance
By Jordan Bissell
In many restaurants these days, you can find tasty choices to fit just about any dietary need. Gluten-free pastries adorn bakery shelves, dairy-free flavors are popping up in ice cream shops, and icons denoting soy-free or nut-free dishes are becoming more common on restaurant menus. For people who have serious food allergies, these kinds of options can mean the difference between satisfying their hunger on-the-go and having to stick to cooking at home. But how common are food allergies, anyway? According to a new study, they actually might be slightly less common than you'd think.
The study, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, surveyed over 40,000 adults about their eating and lifestyle habits, and found that, while one in 10 adults in the U.S. has a food allergy, almost one in five thinks they have a food allergy, but don't. Those who believe they have an allergy without a doctor's confirmation might just have a food intolerance or another food-related health condition, suggested the study's lead author Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Hold up, though: "Food intolerance" and "food allergy" sound like two different ways of identifying the same thing, right? Wrong. According to Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist/immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network (who was not involved in the new study), the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance could actually be the difference between life and death in some cases. "A food allergy is a reaction involving your immune system and can be life-threatening," she tells Elite Daily in an email, "whereas an intolerance is more like a side effect of a food and you can still eat the food in smaller quantities and it is not a life-threatening reaction."
For example, someone who's lactose-intolerant can't eat lactose in some forms, but can still ingest it in other forms, Dr. Parikh explains. Someone with an actual milk allergy, on the other hand, cannot tolerate lactose in any form, and ingesting some could lead to hives, rashes, vomiting, trouble breathing, or anaphylaxis, says the allergist.
One possible reason why someone might be confused about whether or not they have an actual food allergy is that, sometimes, a food can have an effect on how you feel without threatening your life, says Dr. Parikh. "For example, gluten and carbohydrates make most people feel bloated or sluggish, but that is a known feature of the food, rather than a gluten allergy such as celiac disease," she tells Elite Daily, "which can be very dangerous for the patient to continue eating gluten, as it is an autoimmune condition."
If you suspect that a certain food isn't sitting well with your body, Dr. Parikh suggests you keep an eye out for symptoms on your skin, as that is where almost 90 percent of people notice food-allergy reactions, she explains, such as hives, rash, itching, or swelling. People with more severe food allergies, Dr. Parikh adds, might also experience breathing difficulties, wheezing, vomiting, and/or loss of consciousness, for which you should seek immediate medical attention.
Unfortunately, even if you're the kind of person who could stomach everything as a child, it's certainly not impossible that you could develop a food allergy as an adult. In fact, Dr. Parikh says, "fish and shellfish allergies are most common to develop as an adult." And get this: According to the JAMA study's data, shellfish was the top food allergy, affecting 7.2 million adults — though the study authors noted that further research is needed to understand exactly why that is.
If you suspect that you might actually have a food allergy, be sure to book an appointment with a board-certified allergist for testing, says Dr. Parikh, instead of trying to self-diagnose. "There are a lot of 'food allergy' tests that do not have scientific evidence behind them," she cautions. Good to know, right?
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What Is Ford's New Game On 'Westworld'? The Man In Black Is Ready To Play
By Ani Bundel
Westworld Season 2 time jumped to a few weeks in the future for the opening of the premiere, but when it came to the Man in Black, time seemed to have slid backward to only a day or so after the massive slaughter in Escalante. William got what he wanted: a game that had consequences, and he's currently enjoying it to the hilt, even if it means the Hosts are no longer as friendly. But that's just the beginning. What is Ford's new game on Westworld?
Because there is a new game, a bigger game, something that's more than just Ford's "New Narrative," which, face it, is rather swift and brutal and comes to an end before the players were planning. William wanted a new game. He told Ford so. And so Ford has provided, as part of his last act in the park.
William finds out there's a new game to play from Young Robert Ford, the very old Host model that Arnold made back before the park opened. He's come to make sure William isn't lost, and that he knows there's a path her should be following.
That's what I always appreciated about you. Never rested on your laurels. You made it to the center of the Maze. But now, you're in my game.
So what is Ford's new game?
In this game, you must find the door. Congratulations, William. This game *is* meant for you.
This is a callback to last season. William spent the whole season looking for the center of the Maze. Basically, it was his vacation. The year before he had come to the park, right after his wife died, and the Maze revealed itself to him. And yet, all throughout last season, as he tried to find the center, Host after Host would suddenly turn and say "The Maze is not meant for you."
They were right, of course. William wanted to solve the Maze because he thought in the center he might find Arnold, or something Arnold left behind that would trigger free will in the Hosts, and the ability for Westworld to have real stakes. What he didn't understand is that the Host themselves had to find the center of the Maze and then make the mental leap to the deeper meaning. William couldn't do it for them.
But now it's done. Dolores has free will and she's using it to run down the humans who treated her people so bad while opening her fellow Hosts' eyes (mostly violently) to the reality of the world they've been inhabiting for three decades and counting.
So now William must return to the beginning, as Young Ford says. (Everything there really is code. The entire place is based on code for heaven's sake.) But what does that mean? The beginning like Sweetwater? The beginning like Escalante? It doesn't really matter. The game is programmed to find William, and put him on the proper path and keep him there.
William notes drying that Young Robert doesn't really need to remain in this story then does he? The old robot is already verbally malfunctioning. Best to put it out of its misery before someone else does.
So William finally has everything he ever wanted out of Westworld as a theme park. The Hosts have their own agendas, and the stakes are real. Moreover, they're not programmed to be losers, so William will have real satisfaction blowing through them. And he will be blowing through them, on his way to solving Robert's new game. But first, he'll have to go back to the beginning, wherever that is. Let's just hope at the end, William doesn't find himself facing down Dolores for the prize.
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Home » ANTIDEPRESSANT??? EX- EMPLOYEE SHOOTS AND KILLS 2 ON AIR
ANTIDEPRESSANT??? EX- EMPLOYEE SHOOTS AND KILLS 2 ON AIR
Posted on August 26, 2015 June 7, 2018 by Ann Blake-Tracy | No Comments
This morning a gunman who was an ex-employee at WDBJ-TV7, in Roanoke, Va came in shooting and video taping the killing while the news was ongoing. He had sent a 23 page fax to the station. After he recorded the shooting he then posted it on Facebook before he headed out in his car and shot himself resulting in a total of three deaths.
We had one like this at a news station in Salt Lake City on KSL but it was a shooting by a woman – an oriental woman. One died in the attack – a woman in a nearby office who had just returned from maturity leave and a station employee was shot three times. Luckily none of those shots were life threatening. Nothing ever made it out in the media here about the medications this shooter was on – even from the station it happened in.
If it had not been for me working with the Chief of Police in Salt Lake City on the Family History Library Shooting and Columbine happening as we spoke and him asking me if I thought these drugs might be involved in that ongoing shooting, I don’t know that he would have disclosed that the KSL shooter was also on these medications.
I am sure that KSL makes far too much on their drug advertising to ever run a story of the truth of what happened. Even on the 10th anniversary of the shooting they ran a story but still omitted the medication issue, stating only that the shooter has never yet been found competent enough to go to trial.
Hopefully the lives of these two in the VA shooting will mean more to this station than their advertising money and they will be willing to search for answers and speak out.
VESTER FLANAGAN ORDERED TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP FOR BEHAVIOR IN 2012
“Vester Flanagan, the gunman who killed two journalists in Virginia, was told by his bosses to seek medical help after colleagues at the television station where he worked with his victims repeatedly complained about him, according to memos obtained by the Guardian….Several flare-ups were detailed in internal messages from Dan Dennison, then the news director of WDBJ7, that were sent to Flanagan and copied to senior colleagues” He was told to seek help or lose his job if he did not.
VA TV SHOOTER WAS A DISTURBED AND UNHAPPY MAN
“WDBJ7 station manager Jeffrey Marks described Flanagan as “an unhappy man” who had a reputation as someone who was “difficult to work with” and was quick to “take offense”.” He made allegations against many that seemed false as they could not be verified. He had a real anger problem according to most he worked with at the station. And when fired he had to be escorted out by police. “Eventually, after many incidents of his anger coming to the fore, we dismissed him,” said Marks.”
Just three or four months before the shooting “Heather Fay, general manager at a Jack Brown’s beer and burger restaurant, said she received a 15 to 20 page letter from Vester Flanagan II …. In the letter, Flanagan criticized the restaurant staff for using the phrase “have a nice day” to departing customers instead of “thank you.”
These long letters of complaint that ramble on and on and make little sense are almost always reason for concern in these cases. It is evidence to me that someone is about to crack or already well on their way. I see this too often in these cases not to be concerned.
AFTER HE WAS FIRED HE KILLED HIS TWO CATS WHO HE LOVED!
Additional evidence that he was stark raving mad by the time he was fired: “He admitted to killing his own cats—because he was fired unfairly. He said how much he loved them, then gave a long, sadistic account of the execution; he killed his favorite first, and she didn’t go quickly. Then he described the extreme trauma on the second cat’s face as he killed her. He called it a gruesome scene—then decided he owed them a decent burial. Through the rambling diatribe, victimization is a constant theme: “Haters” hounding, demeaning, and harassing him at every turn. “I have a right to be outraged!!!”
EVERYONE’S NEIGHBORHOOD IS AFFECTED
This is happening in everyone’s backyard across America and spreading rapidly around the world. News used to be boring but we now live in a war zone with the shootings even happening live on TV now! The Ozzie and Harriet life we all once knew is gone with all of the violence we now have in our society as a result of these drugs. Yet the ones profiting are continuing to get away with it because they know how to buy off nearly everyone involved.
ANTIDEPRESSANTS PRODUCE A SLEEP DISORDER KNOWN
TO INCLUDE BOTH MURDER AND SUICIDE
What the world remains unaware of is the fact is that 86% of those who are diagnosed with the most deadly sleep disorder known as REM Sleep Disorder (RBD) are currently taking antidepressants. REM Sleep Disorder is a condition in which there is no paralysis during sleep thus allowing the patient to act out the dreams or nightmares they are having. Tragically 80% of those going into this sleep disorder hurt themselves or others including both murder and suicide as a result.
This is possibly the most deadly of all reactions one can have to antidepressants. Even more frightening though is to learn that before the introduction of the SSRI antidepressants RBD was known mainly as a drug withdrawal effect. Thus the chances of going into this dangerous reaction should be expected to increase as one goes into withdrawal. This is why it is so important to avoid as much of the withdrawal effects as possible by tapering off the antidepressant very, very slowly.
EXCESS SEROTONIN PRODUCES EXTREME VIOLENCE
What so many were not aware of is that an increase in serotonin by an accompanying decrease in one’s ability to metabolize serotonin was long known to produce both impulsive murder and suicide. See this study demonstrating that the key to human violence is excess serotonin – exactly what antidepressants are designed to produce:
https://www.drugawareness.org/mutant-mice-key-to-human-violence-an-excess-serotonin/
ORIGINAL ARTICLES: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765679627/Reporter-cameraman-killed-on-air-suspect-in-hospital.html
http://www.news9.com/story/29882706/deadly-shooting-during-live-tv-news-report-in-virginia
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/26/virginia-gunman-vester-flanagan-wdbj-2012-memos-medical-help
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/26/vester-lee-flanagan-virginia-tv-news-shooter
http://wlns.com/2015/08/26/journalists-killed-who-is-vester-flanagan/
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/122669/injustice-collectors-how-understand-vester-flanagans-manifesto
drugawareness.org & ssristories.NET
WITHDRAWAL HELP: You can find the hour and a half long CD on safe and effective withdrawal helps here: http://store.drugawareness.org/ And if you need additional consultations with Ann Blake-Tracy, you can book one at www.drugawareness.org or sign up for one of the memberships in the International Coalition for Drug Awareness which includes free consultations as one of the benefits of that particular membership plan. The book is available on our website at www.drugawareness.org (500 plus pages) with more information than you will find anywhere else and can be obtained three ways: #1 download an e-book for $25 #2 order a DVD containing a triple combo of the e-book, the withdrawal CD, and a two hour lecture by me for $39 #3 order a month long membership at www.drugawareness.org for $30 which gives access to the e-book, the withdrawal CD and ALL 7 DVDs for a month (a $113 value) plus dozens of radio shows done over the past 25 years with multiple in depth 3 & 4 hour long interviews (And this last option is definitely the best option to save outrageous postage charges for those out of the country!)
Posted in Highly Publicized Cases, ICFDA Investigates, Murder-Suicides.
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Dufry Group posts solid results increasing turnove ...
Dufry Group posts solid results increasing turnover, EBITDA and cash flow, and presents its new corporate structure, logo and branding strategy
In the first nine months of 2015, Dufry posted a good performance. Turnover grew by 43.9% in the year to September and reached CHF 4,216.3 million from CHF 2,930.9 million one year earlier, with organic growth contributing -4.9%. EBITDA grew by 22.5% and reached CHF 508.0 million with an EBITDA margin of 12.0%. Cash generation continues strong with free cash flow[1]of CHF 327.1 million, 18.2% higher than in the first nine months of 2014. This performance includes the contribution of World Duty Free, which has been Dufry consolidated from August onwards.
Basel, November 3, 2015
Dufry Group posts solid results increasing turnover, EBITDA and cash flow,
and presents its new corporate structure, logo and branding strategy
Following the two transformational acquisitions of Nuance and World Duty Free, Dufry has adapted the Group organization and the operating business model to the considerably increased footprint and number of operations to benefit from further efficiencies going forward. Operations have been restructured into five new well-balanced divisions, directly managing their related countries, thus being closer to customers and landlords. Last but not least, Dufry has also renewed its branding strategy to clearly structure its portfolio of retail brands under the umbrella of the new Dufry corporate identity.
Nine Months 2015 Results
Turnover grew by 43.9%and reached CHF 4,216.3million in the first nine months of 2015 from CHF 2,930.9million in the previous year. Reported organic growth came in at -4.9%, while organic growth adjusted for the impacts from Russia and Brazil showed a positive performance of 4.7%. Like-for-like growth of World Duty Free reached 5.0% in the first nine month. Net new concessions (adjusted) was 0.7%, to which gross new openings contributed 2.4%, mainly from shops opened and refurbished in Athens and Milan Malpensa airports.
Changes in scope[2] contributed 48.3% to the turnover growth, to which the Nuance acquisition contributed 29.7% and the WDF acquisition 21.6%. Last but not least, the translational effect from the movement of the Swiss Franc was 0.5%.
Turnover in Region EMEA & Asia achieved CHF 779.0 million in the first nine months of 2015 from CHF 941.2 million in the same period in 2014. In constant exchange rates (CER), turnover in the region declined by -9.7% in the year to September. Overall, European markets performed well, except for locations with high exposure to Russian passengers. In Greece, this impact has been partially mitigated by the record number of tourists visiting the country this year. A remarkable positive development has been seen in Italy, due to recent refurbishments and expansions in the Milan Malpensa and Bergamo airports. In Eastern Europe, Czech Republic and Serbia continued to post solid growth.
In Africa, Dufry’s existing business started to stabilize in Q3. The comparable basis of the region has been impacted by the exiting of the travel retail operations in Tunisia. In Middle East and Asia, most of the operations posted good growth, including our operations in China, South Korea, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Turnover in Region America I grew by 7.3% and achieved CHF 586.0 million in the first nine months of 2015, from CHF 546.2 million in the same period in 2014. When measured in local currencies, it grew by 9% in the period. In Central America, Mexico was largely stable and the Caribbean continued to present good performance, especially in the Dominican Republic. In South America, Argentina continued to see a solid performance.
Region America II turnover stood at CHF 382.6 million in the nine months of 2015 from CHF 511.3 million one year earlier; compared in local currency the development was nearly flat. The decline was caused by the devaluation of the Brazilian Real, which intensified in the third quarter
(-56% in Q3 vs -29% in H1). The weakening of the local currency lowers the purchase power of Brazilians, representing the main consumer group in the region. Dufry has continued to extend its footprint in Brazil by opening 19 new stores in the first nine month, implementing different duty-fee and duty-paid retail concepts such as the Hudson travel convenience shops and branded stores, such as Apple shops.
Turnover in Region United States & Canada rose by 9.3% to CHF 780.1 million in the first nine months of 2015 from CHF 713.6 million in the same period in 2014. Measured in CER, turnover grew by 3% in the period. Dufry’s operations in the region continue to follow the resilient growth in passenger numbers and to add at the same time spend per passenger, mainly through productivity gains.
The Nuance Business generated a turnover of CHF 1,025.3 million in the first nine months of 2015. Overall on a pro forma basis, Nuance’s performance has been similar to Dufry, with good performance in Sweden, Macau, Canada and Australia (Melbourne), to name a few.
World Duty Free reported a turnover of CHF 630.4 million, since the beginning of its consolidation in August. The like-for-like growth of World Duty Free reached 5% in the first nine month 2015.
Gross profit grew by 41.9% to CHF 2,449.5 million in the first nine months of 2015, versus CHF 1,725.9 million one year earlier. Gross margin in the third quarter 2015 reached 58.3% practically equalling the same performance level of the previous year, with 58.4%. Over the first nine month the gross profit margin was reduced from 58.9% in the previous year to 58.1% , as a result of the consolidation of Nuance and World Duty Free.
Selling expenses reached CHF 1,144.8 million in the year to September, versus CHF 702.9 million in the first nine months of 2014. As a percentage of turnover, selling expenses went to 27.2%, compared to 24.0% in the previous year, as an effect of the consolidation. For Dufry’s standalone business, selling expenses as a percentage of sales remained largely flat.
Personnel and general expenses, as a percentage of turnover, followed the trend seen earlier in the year and decreased further by 70 and 110 basis points respectively. In Swiss Francs personnel expenses stood at CHF 585.9million or 13.9% of turnover, while general expenses reached CHF 215.2million or 5.1% of turnover.
EBITDA[3] amounted to CHF 508.0 million in the first nine months of 2015 from CHF 414.7 million in the same period last year, growing by 22.5%. The respective EBITDA margin reached 12.0% in the first nine months of 2015. Up to September, synergies from the Nuance acquisition already contributed more than CHF 20.0 million. The integration remains on track to be finished by the end of 2015, and the initial target of CHF 70 million of synergies is confirmed and will be delivered in the full year results of 2016.
Depreciation, as a percentage of turnover, reached 2.1% flat compared to 9M 2014. In absolute terms, it reached CHF 90.4 million, from CHF 61.3 million in the respective period in 2014. Amortization increased by CHF 109.7 million to CHF 214.5 million in the first nine months of 2015 from CHF 104.8 million in the last year. The increase reflects the amortization generated due to the acquisition of Nuance and the first two month of World Duty Free. In the third quarter of 2015 amortization reached CHF 98.4 million.
Linearization amounted to CHF 9.1 million in the first nine months of 2015. This is generated by the difference between the minimum guaranteed fees of certain concessions in Spain that amortized on a straight-line basis, and the minimum concession fees payable. In the Q4 2015 alone we expect linearization of negative CHF 20 - 25 million and for FY 2016 in the range of negative CHF 25 - 30 million. It is worth mentioning that linearization is a non-cash item.
Other operational result (net) was CHF -78.0 million in the first nine months of 2015, of which CHF -55.2 million are due to restructuring costs of Nuance and transaction costs related to the WDF acquisition. EBIT went to CHF 134.2 million in the year to September from CHF 208.9 million in the first nine months of 2014.
Financial results (net) increased by CHF 13.5 million to CHF 117.4 million in the 9M 2015, from CHF 103.9 million in the same period in 2014. The increase in financial results is explained by the additional debt in relation to the acquisition of Nuance and WDF, as well as by one-offs of
CHF -19.1 million related to these transactions.
Income taxes reached CHF 26.0 million in the first nine months of 2015, versus CHF 23.7 million reported one year before.
Net earnings amounted to CHF -9.1 million in the first three quarters of 2015. Excluding one-offs related to acquisitions, Net Earnings reached CHF 65.2 million, versus the CHF 81.4 million reported in the 9M 2014. Net earnings to equity holders achieved CHF -37.3 million in the period. Excluding one-offs from the WDF acquisition, Cash EPS amounted to CHF 4.81 from CHF 4.28 in the first nine months of 2014.
Solid financial structure
Cash flow before working capital changes increased by 16.8% and reached CHF 443.0 million in the first nine months of 2015 versus CHF 379.1 million one year earlier. Both net working capital and Capex, as percentage of turnover, were reduced to 7.9% and 2.7% respectively, before WDF. As a result, Free Cash Flow grew by 18.2% to CHF 327.2 million in the first nine months of 2015.
Reported net debt at the end of September 2015, was CHF 2,806.9 million, which includes proceeds not yet used in relation to the WDF acquisition. Adjusting for that, net debt would have reached CHF 3,872 million, compared to the CHF 2,354.4 million at the end of December 2014. The main covenant at Group level, Net debt/adjusted EBITDA, stood at 2.82x as of September 30, 2015. Following the adjustment mentioned above, net debt/adjusted EBITDA was 3.90x.
Update on World Duty Free acquisition
With respect to the World Duty Free acquisition Dufry has successfully completed the Mandatory Tender Offer on October 9, 2015, by reaching a total ownership of World Duty Free shares of 93.45%. During the subsequent Sellout Period foreseen by Italian law and started on October 19, 2015, Dufry reached the 95% ownership of WDF shares on October 23, 2015. This threshold has now triggered the Squeeze Out process leading to the full buy-out of minorities and the delisting of World Duty Free by mid-November, 2015. Meanwhile, Dufry already executed the taking control process and has started the detailed integration planning with an in-depth assessment of the World Duty Free organization and its operating model.
New Group Structure and Business Operating Model
Dufry’s dedicated growth strategy has brought the company to the leading position in the travel retail industry, with a 24% market share in airport retail, and a doubling of turnover and EBITDA when compared to FY 2013. Compared to many previous acquisitions of Dufry, the two most recent ones are considerably different due to their size, geographic spread and business models. In this regard, the acquisitions of Nuance and World Duty Free mark the start of a new phase for the Group.
(FY 2013)
Dufry including Nuance and WDF (Sep/15)
Retail space (m2)
Employees (FTE)
New Business Operating Model generating additional efficiency
The overall goal of the new business operating model is to generate additional efficiencies at group level and to reduce time to market of new concepts and processes. To this purpose the operating structure has been streamlined by eliminating the former business units. This allows the divisions to manage their countries directly, to further simplify processes and to gain speed and efficiency, by shortening response time between group functions and local operations.
Furthermore, the new business operating model will further increase the group-wide standardization of processes and the centralization, with which global functions will focus even more in the development of new concepts and on generating efficiencies – such as procurement, logistics, IT, finance, legal, marketing, in all of which economies of scale can be realized. This will result in an even stronger commercial alignment of global and local teams, providing one single and seamless process allowing to create synergies throughout the whole organization.
New Group Structure
As of January 1, 2016, Dufry will operate according to the new divisional and operational structure consisting of five divisions, representing a well-balanced and diversified geographic split, and which will at the same time become the reporting segments complemented by the existing “Distribution Centers”. The new divisions are:
• Southern Europe and Africa
• UK, Central and Eastern Europe
• Asia, Middle East and Australia
• Latin America
The first division, Southern Europe and Africa, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, connects businesses from the three former Groups, such as Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain, and thus strongly consolidates Dufry’s leading position in the Mediterranean. The second division, UK, Central and Eastern Europe, will be headquartered in London, UK, and will also include important markets such as Switzerland, Sweden and Russia, among others. The division combines an attractive portfolio of markets with a well-balanced passenger mix from developed and emerging countries.
By creating the new division Asia, Middle East and Australia, headquartered in Hong Kong, Dufry underlines its increased footprint in the region, where the critical mass has now been reached. For the Group this region represents an important growth area with the potential to drive expansion in new and existing markets.
The division Latin America, with headquarters in Miami, has been redefined with the integration of Brazilian and Bolivian operations as well as the WDF businesses in Peru and Chile. This will allow the division to generate additional synergies and efficiencies in a geographic area, where Dufry has a long-lasting market know-how and an important footprint.
The division North America, based in New Jersey, USA, – even if geographically unchanged – will see an improved footprint and an increased diversification of its retail concept portfolio through the integration of the former Nuance and World Duty Free operations. This represents an additional asset for brand partners and landlords, allowing to further expand operations in these resilient market.
The new geographic segmentation is also reflected in the Group Executive Committee – announced on October28, 2015 – which has seen five new appointments and includes executives from all the three former Groups.
New Dufry branding strategy and corporate logo
The unique character of the acquisitions of Nuance and World Duty Free and their integration into Dufry has considerable implications at internal and external level. Three established corporate cultures and three well-recognized duty-free brands need to be integrated and aligned. Dufry’s new corporate logo and clearly structured branding strategy provide both a common starting point with respect to corporate culture and identity for all Group employees, and a consistent branding approach for the markets, allowing to maintain the powerful commercial brands at local level and to benefit from their recognition and positive image established with landlords and customers.
The design of the new Dufry logo creates a symbiosis of Dufry’s Swiss heritage and the shopping basket as symbol for the Group’s key activity – to successfully operate travel retail shops – with the commitment to be WorldWide.WorldClass!
The existing portfolio of brands which are successfully established in specific regions, such as Hellenic Duty Free in Greece for example, or which represent specific commercial concepts, such as Hudson for our travel convenience stores, will be continued and also implemented on a case-by-case basis going forward. The three main identities of our traditional duty-free business, Dufry, Nuance and World Duty Free will also be continued and used according to their brand recognition at country or regional level. Going forward, Dufry will therefore assess in each situation which is the most suitable brand to be used for a specific project and implement it accordingly. This will allow to benefit from the positive local recognition of the existing commercial brands and to successfully drive global expansion. The implementation of the new logo will be executed on a step by step basis.
Introducing the new Dufry
Julian Diaz, CEO of Dufry Group, said: “The performance shown by our company during the challenging period we have been facing due to the high volatility of several emerging market currencies, makes me confident on the resilience of our business model. Our strategy of diversification has prepared Dufry to mitigate temporary disturbances in specific markets, while benefiting from the positive long term trend in travel retail. Our financial solidity is also a case in point that we have shaped the Group the right way.
In the last quarter, we have worked on several initiatives to drive organic growth. The initiative launched to accelerate the refurbishment of shops has already shown results. So far, Dufry has refurbished 34,600 m2 of retail space in the year. Among many shops, the refurbishments in Greece and Italy, where the revamp generated double digits sales growth, are good examples for the impact that this initiative can have. Within the brand plan initiative, we have already agreed upon individual plans with seven major brands. On the cost side, the efficiency plans put in place in Brazil and Russia were fully implemented and will generate savings of CHF 20 million in 2016. In terms of the integration of Nuance most of the streams are completed and we can confirm that all synergies will be implemented by end 2015 and will be fully reflected by full-year 2016. Last but not least, we are well on schedule on the WDF acquisition, having already crossed the 95% threshold, with which the squeeze out of the remaining minorities and the delisting of World Duty Free by mid-November will be only a formal step left to be made.
But most importantly, I am very proud to present our new corporate structure, the new branding and of course, the new logo: three essential and most relevant elements of Dufry’s further growth and value creation. During the many years of growth Dufry has always adapted its structure in smaller steps, but after the combination with Nuance and WDF, we needed to take a deep look at our foundations and rethink our entire company. I am confident that with the new business operating model and new corporate identity we are ready to combine the best of the three companies and benefit from the incredible possibilities that it entails. On the one hand, our new organization and the simplified processes will allow us, to create new concepts and growth opportunities, while at the same time accelerate the speed of implementation and benefit from additional potentials of efficiencies. On the other hand, the new corporate identity symbolized with the new logo provides a new common starting point for all employees and unique set of values. This will allow us to accelerate the integration of the different cultures and to align our teams and ways of working along with the Group strategy.
We are very excited to explore the new avenues that Dufry has ahead. We invite all our employees, suppliers, landlords, investors and business partners to take part in this journey.”
Key Figures Dufry Group
In CHF million
EBITDA (before other operational results)
Net Earnings to Equity Holders
Cash EPS (in CHF)
Excl. one-offs from WDF acquisition
Dufry’s 9M 2015 Report is available on the following link: http://www.dufry.com/en/Investors/FinancialReports/
Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Lubna Haj Issa
lubna.haj-issa@dufry.ch
Dufry Group – A leading global travel retailer
Dufry AG (SIX: DUFN; BM&FBOVESPA: DAGB33) is a leading global travel retailer operating around 2,200 duty-free and duty-paid shops in airports, cruise lines, seaports, railway stations and downtown tourist areas.
Dufry employs over 31,000 people. The Company, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, operates in 63 countries in all five continents.
Dufry cares for children and supports social projects from SOS Kinderdorf in Brazil, Cambodia, Mexico, Morocco and Ivory Coast. SOS Children’s Villages is an independent, non-political and non-demonstrational organization established for orphaned and destitute children all over the world.
[1] Excludes transaction costs and restructuring of operations
[2] Changes in scope includes acquisitions and divestments
[3] EBITDA before Other operational result
Previous Press Release
Purchasing of World Duty Free Shares 11/02/2015
Next Press Release
Conference Call on Dufry’s First Half 2019 Results on July 30, 2019 07/16/2019
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People are at the heart of everything we do. From our winemaker and the crew that tends to each vine, to our chef and our team in the tasting room, we aim to provide a stellar experience
Ben Jordan, Winemaker
Ben Jordan oversees all aspects of winemaking, vineyards and production at Early Mountain. A native Virginian who began his winemaking career in Sonoma County, Ben previously held the position of GM and Winemaker with Michael Shaps Wineworks.
He brings to Early Mountain a philosophy representative of our mission to craft high quality wines that showcase a commitment to the vineyard and the expression of place. Ben works with his brother to run his family's vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley and makes an aromatized wine called War & Rust. Outside of the wine world, Ben enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. Ben is a graduate of Duke University and received his MFA from Carnegie Mellon University.
Dave Kostelnik, General Manager
Dave Kostelnik has been enamored with Virginia wine since relocating to the area more than a decade ago. He previously served as general manager of Charlottesville's specialty food store Feast, and understands the vibrant local food and wine landscape and its significance to Virginia.
Before entering the world of food and wine, Dave spent time in marketing and public relations for tech start-ups and financial companies in Silicon Valley and Manhattan. In his role at the vineyard, Dave's goal is to ensure that each visitor experiences top-notch Virginia wines in an exceptional atmosphere. When not at the winery, Dave enjoys cooking for his wife and keeping his two sons out of trouble.
Jean Case, Owner
Jean Case is an actively engaged philanthropist and investor, and a pioneer in the world of interactive technologies. Jean spent more than two decades as an executive in the private sector, where she led marketing and branding efforts for AOL, before she and her husband, Steve, created the Case Foundation in 1997.
A Virginia resident for 30 years and chairman of the National Geographic Society, Jean believes strongly in the potential for the state to be amongst the world’s top wine regions. Jean opened Early Mountain Vineyards in 2012 to showcase her passion for the best wine and food that Virginia has to offer.
Peter Hoehn, CEO
Born and educated in Switzerland, Peter Hoehn is a true world traveler. He’s managed hotels and resorts around the world for 30 years, from the Caribbean to California to Virginia, to North Carolina. Virginians, however, know Peter as a former executive at the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville, where he fell in love with and promoted Virginia wines.
Having grown up near vineyards experiencing the magic that transforms delicate grape buds into complex wines, Peter is driven by a sense of purpose to advocate for the Virginia wine region and the beverage that fascinates him.
Maya Hood White, Associate Winemaker & Viticulturist
With an excitement for environmentally low-impact viticulture, wine chemistry and sensory, Maya manages the vineyards at Early Mountain and supports wine production in the cellar.
Born in California, Maya has found a new love of wine in central Virginia. She earned an M.S. in Viticulture and Enology from U.C. Davis, with her research focusing on time-dependent sensory profiles and bubble nucleation of sparkling wine, as well as studies of Viognier wines from France, California and Virginia. She gained previous experience at several local boutique wineries around the state. Before getting into wine, Maya studied mathematics and engineering.
Aileen Sevier, Director of Marketing
Aileen combines her passion for wine with a love of business strategy and storytelling while overseeing marketing for Early Mountain. She previously managed a portfolio of iconic family owned wineries from around the world at Terlato Wines International and directed the beverage program at Legal Sea Foods, a multi-unit restaurant group renowned for its wine program.
Aileen graduated with honors from Kenyon College with a BA in Anthropology and Asian Studies and Brandeis University’s International MBA program. She is currently a student in the prestigious Master of Wine program. She loves to travel, especially now that her twin daughters Elodie and Muriel can come along for the adventure.
Melissa Rice, Director of Events
Melissa oversees the sales and execution of Events at Early Mountain, including weddings, private events and vineyard festivals. Having 14 years experience in the events space, Melissa was formerly with University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Farmington Country Club.
Born and raised in New York, Melissa attended University of the Arts in Philadelphia as a dance major. Married to a local chef, she has two of the best kids a mom could ask for. Tragically, she is allergic to red wine, but Melissa will never pass up a glass of Virginia bubbles!
Dustin Wade, Vineyard Manager
Dustin Wade joined Early Mountain Vineyards in 2012 as property manager and was promoted to Vineyard Manager in 2019 after years of hands on learning. Together with our Viticulturist Maya and the rest of our team, Dustin ensures every single one of our vines and grapes receive the utmost care.
When not in the vineyard, Dustin loves cheering on his favorite sports teams and learning to play golf. His desert island wine- definitely Riesling, especially if its German.
Jenna Ford, Tasting Room Manager
Jenna oversees all the day-to-day operations in the Tasting Room with a focus on advancing the overall quality of service for guests. Jenna grew up in the restaurant industry locally - her father is a respected chef in the area and she began her service career at The Bavarian Chef as a young woman before joining Early Mountain in 2014.
A native of Madison County, Jenna's husband is also from Madison County. Together they have two spunky kids and a lively house where you're likely to find upbeat music or the latest Disney hit playing. When not in the tasting room at Early Mountain, Jenna enjoys cooking and attempting to bake.
Shawn Lawrence, Member Club & Hospitality Manager
Shawn joined the Early Mountain team in 2017 as a tasting room associate, but was quickly promoted to Wine Club Manager in 2018. With a Culinary Arts degree and MBA in hospitality from Johnson & Wales University and stints at Walt Disney World and Corkbuzz Wine Bar, Shawn was destined for a path in the restaurant world.
A study abroad trip to Italy redirected him towards wineries and Shawn loves that Early Mountain offers both spectacular wines and delicious food. A native of Philadelphia, he dreams of the pretzels and Wawa snacks of his homeland.
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Biosynthetic fibers could be key to battling microplastic pollution
By Kay Vandette
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, spanning an area larger than the size of Texas, is often cited in articles and studies that highlight the severity and scope of the world’s plastic pollution crisis.
However, a large majority of the plastic polluting our oceans has been broken down to millimeter size particles that fish mistake for food and isn’t easily noticeable to the naked eye.
Millions of tons of microfibers and microplastics are added to the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers each year. Microfibers and microplastics have turned the ocean into what scientists are calling a plastic soup, and the problem is only getting worse.
A major contributor is synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon. Clothes and textiles using these materials shed small microfibers when washed.
These synthetic fibers are not-biodegradable, and they pose a major environmental and health risk. As fish can easily ingest the fibers, humans also risk consuming microplastics when they eat harvested fish.
In a presentation at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Melik Demirel, a Penn State materials scientist, suggested four different approaches to tackling the microfiber problem.
“These materials, during production, processing and after use, break down into and release microfibers that can now be found in everything and everyone,” said Demirel.
One solution is to reduce synthetic fibers and produce more textiles and fabrics made from natural materials like cotton and wool, but these put stress on water and land resources and are more expensive compared synthetic fibers.
A second possibility would go a long way in trapping the fibers at the source to keep them out of waterways, and Demirel suggested that washing machines be fitted with microfiber filters that can be placed in outflow hoses.
Advancements have been made in the development of plastic-eating bacteria, but it will be a long time before this third possibility becomes a viable, large-scale, alternative.
Demirel’s last suggestion is one of the most promising because it could help make fibers and fabrics easily manufacturable and accessible but also produce recyclable and biodegradable clothing. According to Demirel, biosynthetic fibers, are recyclable, could be used as a substitute for synthetic fibers and blend with natural fibers.
One example of a biosynthetic fiber developed by Demirel is Squitex, which is comparable to the silk found in squid ring teeth. Squitex, made from squid teeth proteins, is self-healing and completely biodegradable.
Soon the tags on your clothes may no longer list rayon or polyester blends, but rather, biosynthetic fibers that have the same durability and price point as the synthetic fabrics that flood the market today.
By Kay Vandette, Earth.com Staff Writer
Image Credit: Patrick Mansell
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Home › Glasgow City › Top 5 Glasgow Visitor Attractions
Top 5 Glasgow Visitor Attractions
Thursday 23rd of July 2015
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is internationally renowned, and houses one of Europe’s great art collections. It is amongst the top free-to-enter visitor attractions in Scotland, and is also one of the most-visited museums in the United Kingdom outside of London. Kelvingrove’s collections are displayed in 22 state-of-the-art galleries, and include superb paintings and sculptures, silver and ceramics, European armour, weapons and firearms, clothing and furniture. Visitors can explore the natural history of Scotland in depth, and there are displays of relics from Scotland’s history and prehistory. For more information and a list of exhibitions, click here.
Located in the southwest of the city limits, just 3 miles from the city centre, lies Pollok Country Park – a luscious, beautifully-rendered green space which provides an oasis of calm for those seeking a short break from the hubbub of the busy town centre. The parkland and house was gifted to the City of Glasgow in 1966 by the distinguished Maxwell Family, and has been enjoyed by millions ever since. As well as the beautiful surroundings of the park’s plants and flowers, Pollok features beautifully quaint walkways, impressive topiary, and stunning architecture throughout. A truly magnificent park, perfect for a stroll on a bright summer’s day.
For those with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Glasgow Science Centre is one of Scotland’s must-see visitor attractions, and aims to present concepts of science and technology in unique and inspiring ways. The site features exhibitions and interactive displays that will appeal to all ages, and covers everything from electric engineering to cryptography. The futuristic building is located right in the centre of Glasgow on the banks of the River Clyde, just a short walk from the Ibrox stadium, home of Rangers FC. For more information, and a full list of events and exhibitions, visit the centre’s official website.
For those whose tastes are a little more serene, the nearby village of Strathblane is a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Glasgow City Centre. With a population of just 1800, Strathblane is set in the beautiful surroundings of Strathblane Valley, at the foot of the Campsie Fells and Strathblane Hills. This picturesque village boasts stunning views of the Caledonian countryside, and is a must for ramblers. Local landmark Dumgoyne Hill, visible from Glasgow, is accessible for walks through Strathblane. Slightly further up the valley from Strathblane lies the nearby Glengoyne distillery, which offers guided tours to visitors.
Buchanan Street
With a seemingly endless stock of restaurants, bars, and high-end retail outlets, Buchanan Street is something of a one-stop shop for those looking for that ’big city’ experience. Every high street mainstay you’d expect of such a cosmopolitan city is present, along with a few welcome surprises, and the stunning architecture and vibrant atmosphere gives Buchanan Street a quintessentially Glaswegian feel. At night, the area takes on a life of its own, and is a perfect opportunity to sample Glasgow’s famous nightlife.
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Indians’ Carrasco not slowing down as he fights leukemia
by: TOM WITHERS, Associated Press
Posted: Jul 11, 2019 / 07:37 PM CDT / Updated: Jul 11, 2019 / 10:50 PM CDT
FILE – In this July 9, 2019, file photo, Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco, center without a hat, stands with Indians teammates during the fifth inning of the baseball All-Star Game in Cleveland, as part of Major League Baseball’s “Stand Up to Cancer” campaign. Carrasco, who was diagnosed with leukemia and was honored during Tuesday’s, July 9 All-Star Game, will throw a bullpen session and he’s confident he can overcome his condition and pitch again for Cleveland this season. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Carrasco’s smile remains bright, his mood and outlook as positive as ever.
Outwardly, the Indians’ right-hander doesn’t seem different. He’s determined not to let cancer change him.
“I never put anything bad on my mind,” Carrasco said. “Everything’s good. So I don’t feel different. I just push myself to work more and get stronger.”
Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia last month, the 32-year-old Carrasco spoke to media members Thursday for the first time since his life took a dramatic, unexpected turn. As he dealt with so many unknowns, Carrasco said he’s never once asked “why me” after learning of his condition.
“I’m not that kind of person,” he said. “If it’s happened, it’s for a reason.”
Carrasco said he first knew something was wrong after he took his annual physical at the start of spring training in Arizona. But after more blood work was done, doctors at The Cleveland Clinic told him he had a treatable form of leukemia but that he could continue pitching as long as he felt up to it.
He’s barely slowed down.
Carrasco has been throwing bullpen sessions, doing some recent workouts at Lake County (A) while Cleveland hosted the All-Star Game.
While he everything feels normal when he’s on the mound, Carrasco doesn’t know if he’ll be able to pitch for the Indians again this season.
“Man, I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just here. I’m just going to take it day by day. I don’t know. I don’t have the answer, but I’m glad to be here around my teammates.”
Carrasco said he’s been overwhelmed by the support he’s received from teammates, coaches and Cleveland’s fans.
During his interview session, manager Terry Francona stood just a few away from the popular starter, another sign of the club’s devotion.
On Tuesday night, Carrasco felt all of baseball’s love.
During the fifth inning of the All-Star Game, Carrasco walked on the field for Major League Baseball’s “Stand Up To Cancer” salute along with Francona and All-Star teammates Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, Shane Bieber and Brad Hand.
As the group stood in the third-base coach’s box, Carrasco held a sign that read: “I Stand” while the other Indians held placards that said: “Cookie,” Carrasco’s nickname.
When the group was shown on the ballpark’s giant scoreboard, the crowd erupted with loud cheers.
Francona described the powerful moment as perfect.
“Holy smokes,” he said. “You talk about putting an exclamation point on it. It was incredible.”
Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger, who was sitting in one of the dugout suites, said seeing Carrasco embraced like that was special.
“As hard as it was too watch, it was really moving,” Clevinger said. “It was good to see him feel that. I know he knew how much support was out there, but to really feel that not just from the league, but feel it from across America, behind the scenes even when you looked at Twitter afterward.
“That was big for him and definitely big for us.”
When he arrives each day at Progressive Field, Carrasco said he’s quickly greeted with hugs from teammates.
Shortly after the Indians learned about his condition, a meeting was held without him at which Lindor, Santana and others pledged to win for their ailing teammate.
“Everyone from the team, if I could show you, I had like 300, maybe 500 texts from them every day, asking how did I feel,” Carrasco said. “They are special to me. They feel like home. They feel like family. They always send me a text, even the guys that played here before, they send me a text every day. It feels great.”
Carrasco chose not to disclose the type of medical treatment he’s receiving.
In the meantime, the Indians are working off Carrasco and being mindful not to rush him.
“There isn’t a plan and I don’t mean that like we don’t care,” Francona said. “But the idea is for him to do as much as he can — or as much as he can tolerate — because it will be good for him. Other than that, we’re not pushing him. We’re just trying to be supportive.”
And as his teammates have backed him, Carrasco has returned the love.
For Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby, Carrasco wore a customized jersey with the names Santana, Lindor, Bieber and Hand on the back.
“The way they’ve been supporting me, I just came to the game to support them, too,” he said. “Why not?”
by ROB MAADDI, Associated Press / Jul 16, 2019
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a two-run double off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen with one out in the bottom of the ninth after pinch-hitter Matt Beaty hit a three-run homer off Philadelphia closer Hector Neris in the top half, rallying the Phillies to a 9-8 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
Pinch-hitter Andrew Knapp hit a double with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Cesar Hernandez singled. Scott Kingery followed with a bloop single to center that scored Knapp to get the Phillies within a run. Harper then ripped a ball to the gap that bounced off A.J. Pollock's glove and went to the wall.
by TIM BOOTH, Associated Press / Jul 16, 2019
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle's NHL expansion team is close to an agreement with Hockey Hall of Famer Ron Francis to become its first general manager, a person with direct knowledge tells The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the team had not made an announcement.
by JAKE SEINER, Associated Press / Jul 16, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, Didi Gregorius followed with a grand slam and the New York Yankees beat Tampa Bay 8-3 Tuesday night after another surly clash between CC Sabathia and the Rays.
A pitch after slicing a would-be homer foul by about two feet, Judge smashed a 3-2 pitch from left-hander Colin Poche (2-3) into the right-center field seats to make it 4-3. It was Judge's 10th homer, and he carried the bat nearly all the way to first base before tossing it down and shouting into New York's dugout.
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A Time to Destroy: I Cast Thee Out
2008-12-21 17:00:00by BulletMagnet
[Editor's note: BulletMagnet tells a wonderful tale about Capcom's Demon's Crest and how it messed with his religious beliefs for his A Time to Destroy Monthly Musing. -- CTZ]
This might be a bit too personal of a story to be appropriate for a blog like this, but I’ll try to avoid going too deeply into the stuff no one else would be interested in. Regardless, just be advised of what’s on offer here - if you don’t mind a bit of exposition, read on.
To briefly set the stage, I’ll mention that I was raised in a pretty religious household (I won’t bother saying which religion specifically) – granted, we weren’t the type of totally nutty faith that tells everyone who disagrees with them to their face that they’re all worthless sinners who deserve to be treated like garbage by true believers, but more to the point I was the recipient of a pretty strict upbringing in terms of morals, and the code of conduct that I was required to abide by. It was a fair amount of guidelines to keep in the back of your head, but I managed to keep myself mostly on the straight and narrow without much trouble. Some years down the road, though, some of the nitty-gritty stuff of my religious upbringing started making less sense to me as I looked more deeply into it, and suffice it to say that eventually I left its confines, and to date have not taken up similar spiritual residence elsewhere.
Now before you assume anything, I want to make it clear that I do not consider my upbringing a “deprived” or “wasted” one – while I don’t adhere to my former faith’s dogmas anymore, by my own choice I’ve determined to keep many of its basic lifestyle teachings in mind even now, as I can look back on quite a number of them and realize that they kept me out of a lot of potential trouble. To a large extent I could truthfully say that, aside from the absence of rituals in my schedule, as a person I haven’t changed a heck of a lot. In short, despite my differences with it, I really can’t say that my years of living in a religious environment really “cost” me anything.
Well, except one particular SNES cartridge.
It was the early-to-mid Playstation era, and I couldn’t have been much past age eleven or twelve. I had always enjoyed video games, and my first and still-favorite system was the Super Nintendo, which I played with relish, despite all the shiny new 3-D stuff coming out for “next-gen” systems. My folks didn’t mind my gaming in general (though like any parent they’d cut me off if I was glued to the screen too long for their liking), but any title I wanted to play had to go through them, and especially when it came to my father, “immoral” games were out of the question. For the most part this, too, was no problem for me – the SNES was one of the most “family-friendly” systems of the time, and there were plenty of quality games with no objectionable content for me to play as it was. I did occasionally sneak a few games of Mortal Kombat 2 and a handful of other “forbidden” games at a friend’s house now and then, but I honestly wasn’t nuts about any of them, and was perfectly willing to go back to my usual stuff when I got home, without a second thought. Gaming and God, for the most part, got along pretty well.
Then came that fateful trip to Blockbuster – granted, it was one of many, since I didn’t have enough money to afford my own games then, and much of what I played was rented but never bought. By this time the store’s SNES section was all but gone, replaced by rows of games that might as well have had their boxes printed in Martian – while I’d yet to acquire a PS1, I had recently received an N64 as a gift, but disappointingly few of its releases appealed to me very much. In fact, before the system’s lifespan had ended I would cancel my long-running subscription to Nintendo Power, as each successive issue, it would seem, featured less and less that I’d want to bother reading about, let alone play. However, thanks to said magazine I was at least up on Nintendo releases in general, and thus my eyes suddenly became affixed on a ten-dollar used bare SNES cartridge buried inside the bargain bin, a title that I could remember reading about, with some trepidation, down to the last detail –
Capcom’s Demon’s Crest.
Based on what you’ve read so far, you could probably guess that “occult themes” were a big no-no for me – in most cases, as with a gory or lewd title, I almost certainly could have just told myself to pass it by and continue my search elsewhere. This moment in time, however, was a perfect storm of temptation – not only was there little else on the shelves that remotely interested me, but this game had been generally well-received by reviewers (if not consumers, as I’d eventually learn), and most of all possessed that certain something, that little extra spark of quirky, abnormal ambience and personality, a little bit of deviation from the norm, that would in time come to define my taste in games in general (as has, again, likely become evident to most readers of this blog). Almost unconsciously I reached into the bin, and slowly took the cartridge into my hands - as my fingers curled around its edges, I simultaneously began to attempt to convince myself why I should ask for it, even as so many of my long-established instincts were setting off moral alarms like there was no tomorrow.
“…well,” I eventually managed to muster, “you’ve read enough about the game, you know what it’s really about – the cover image and the title are just there to make it seem edgier to everyone else, the companies always do that. After all, Firebrand’s not really a “demon,” he’s a gargoyle – same guy as was in Gargoyle’s Quest, right? No “demon” in that one! And even the setting – it’s not Hell, it’s the Ghoul Realm.”
Nintendo’s euphemism-slinging PR team of the era never had a stronger hold on a gamer as it had on me at that moment, but I wasn’t done – after all, I had previously managed to find gray areas within the Castlevania titles (“you’re fighting evil!”), and was determined to do so again here. Heck, there was no real blood or gore, no sex, no bad language, just the “thematic elements” – the former three were hard to gloss over, but the latter was just chock full of juicy loopholes. It was very possible for me to successfully repackage the “demons” as “monsters” or “creatures,” and the “fight for control of the underworld” as a non-specific “adventure” – not to mention that on this particular day my father was not out with us, and my mother, who was far less religious than he was (and eventually left the faith herself, years before I did), would be far more likely to go for it, and would probably not bother to tell Dad either, if I stated my case with enough conviction. It was settled – now was the best opportunity I was likely to get, and I determined to take it for all it was worth. I started off to find Mom somewhere amidst the maze of shelves and empty VHS boxes.
Somewhere in the recesses of my conscience, a voice whispered to me, “Satan is just loving you right now.” I ignored it.
Up to her I marched, and to make a long story short everything went pretty much exactly as I’d hoped – her brows predictably rose when she got a load of the game’s title, but following my “explanation” she rolled her eyes and plunked down the ten bucks for it, eager to get on with her day. Before long we, along with my new acquisition, were back home, and my father wouldn’t be returning himself for several hours – as Mom went about her business, I went about mine, and jammed the cartridge into the beckoning slot of my beloved SNES. Within the same moment the TV was switched on, and the system’s power button was clicked forward. I sat, rapt, controller in hand, and waited.
Following the predictable Capcom logo, the first thing I glimpsed was a single crimson ember, floating slowly up from the bottom of the screen – a few more like it followed, and a muffled rumbling sound gradually built within the television’s speakers. As I watched and waited, I blinked, but didn’t do so twice – the next moment, a wall of pixellated flames roared into view, consuming the entire screen in moments, and an ominous organ fugue was piped over the proceedings. Moreover, this forbidden ritual had yet to reach its climax – now, emerging from the blazing digital inferno came forth a sinister, shadowy figure. Once it was free from its fiery bonds, it spread a decrepit pair of wings, displayed the glowing Demon’s Crest logo, and flashed me a knowing, diabolical grin.
Oh, man… I thought. I’ve really done it, haven’t I? This is the real deal.
But I couldn’t go back now. The game told me to Press Start, and I did as I was commanded.
And I played.
On a basic, purely “technical” level, I was satisfied with my decision – the presentation was high-quality, the controls worked well, and the mix of platforming and exploration was engaging. Basically, it was cool to fly around shooting fire, breaking things, and finding stuff that would allow you to shoot more fire and break more things. The game was fun, and I should have been enjoying myself – but I wasn’t. I doubt that if anyone had been watching me play they could have guessed what was going on within, but I sure as anything felt it – every mangled skeleton in the background that I walked by, every piece of decaying Gothic architecture that I glimpsed, every guttural projectile that my character spewed at some other unholy creature made it worse.
I’d managed to procure the game for myself; I knew that I could keep it hidden when needed and play it to my heart’s content; I’d pulled the mother of all semantic Jiu-jitsu maneuvers to convince myself that what I’d done was justifiable. But, it gradually dawned on me, none of it had really worked – yes, I was there, pressing the buttons and watching the screen, but my heart just plain wasn’t in it. Even after the mighty struggle I’d put forth to get to precisely where I was at that moment, I still felt absolutely awful, far worse than I did when I didn’t have a new game to play. Somewhere deep down I still knew I’d been dishonest, selfish, impulsive, shamelessly, unrelentingly carnal – in short, that what I’d done was Wrong with a capital W.
Smack dab in the middle of whichever level I was on, I shut my eyes tight, reached forward, and clicked the system’s power off. And just like that the blaring sights and sounds of my transgression were gone, save one – the cartridge, and the merciless stare of the red-skinned corruptor on its label, persisted, and my air of shameful wrongdoing still surrounded me, as thick and constricting as ever. I shut my eyes again - a moment later, the eject button had done its work, and as I lurched, cart in hand, out my front door, I knew, once again, that there was no turning back.
Within moments, I was around the side of the house – there, on top of a low, loosely assembled rock wall bordering the path to the backyard, I gently laid that fateful copy of Demon’s Crest. I then proceeded to pick up a mid-sized rock from the wall, and hefted it overhead with both hands – then, to the sound of clattering plastic, I brought it down. And again I lifted it, and again struck without mercy – with each attack on the former object of my desire I grew angrier, at both the game and myself, for having so recklessly brought it and its foul influence into our very home. Each successive crushing blow was crammed farther past capacity with righteous fury than the last. For several agonizing minutes the reckoning wore on, until my zeal had abated – without a word I returned the rock I’d been using to its place, swept up the remnants of the cartridge and its shattered, shiny guts, walked back inside and dumped them into the trash. With time to spare before Dad got home, it was all over.*
I found my mother in the kitchen and told her what I’d done – again, she raised an eyebrow and looked at me funny, but said that if that’s how I felt about it then I’d done the right thing…and that I owed her ten dollars. To this day, however, I’ve never told my dad about any of what happened that day while he was out, and to the best of my knowledge he’s still unaware of it. I doubt that he’d make a big deal out of it if I related this story to him now, but I’m content to leave things as they are.
As someone who, at present, is not only non-religious, but has become a bona fide fan of the Shin Megami Tensei games, of all things (had Persona 4 on reserve since September), looking back at this unusual episode of my life always makes me feel a bit weird – not necessarily disturbed, or frightened at what I used to be or what I did, but mostly wondering how I could have ever viewed a video game (and a relatively mild one at that) as such a big deal. Granted, some of my tendencies from back then are still very much with me – to this day I have little taste for most ultra-violent or sexually explicit entertainment (games and otherwise), and to a large extent I’m still satisfied with this, and can still enjoy playing a wide variety of stuff without worrying much about “what I’m missing.” It is still a bit unsettling, though, to look back at some of the strange things that have transpired as I’ve grown and changed, both as a gamer and as a person.
Even after all that’s happened I doubt that my basic state of affairs in this area will ever change much - though I do like to think that I’m more likely to just return or sell off a game that rubs me the wrong way by now. Still, you never know.
* Just to clarify, it wasn’t until much later that I realized the parallels that could be drawn between what I was doing and the Biblical act of stoning – at that point in time I wasn’t at all concerned with “poetic justice” or anything of that sort, I just needed something to smash the bugger with and the rock was what was on hand. Believe me, I wasn’t THAT far off my rocker.
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Thanks kindly for paying my blog a visit. , so if you might want anything written shoot me a message (craighats at hotmail dot com). In case the contents of this blog don't make it obvious eno... more + disclosures
Filed under... #Opinion Editorial #Promoted stories
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Red Stripe - Lower Carbon, Lower Costs
Case study 31 JUL 2014
Our investment in more efficient plant at breweries like Red Stripe in Jamaica is saving energy and reducing costs.
Investment in the energy efficiency of our breweries can often bring several benefits at once, combining a reduction in carbon emissions with a reduction in our energy costs - a truly sustainable approach to making beer. Our Red Stripe Brewery in Jamaica is a case in point: in May 2014, we completed the commissioning of a £4m combined heat and power (CHP) generator designed to increase our energy self-sufficiency and allow the use of more sustainable fuels.
CHP plants are efficient because they simultaneously produce electrical and thermal energy from a single source by using the waste heat from electricity generation. The dual fuel CHP will initially use liquid propane gas, reducing the site's carbon emissions by 4,000 tonnes, or 25%, and saving an estimated £1.8 million per year. By 2016, the CHP will move to liquefied natural gas, saving a further 2,500 tonnes of carbon.
Further energy savings at the brewery, which makes brands including Guinness and Heineken as well as Jamaica's trademark Red Stripe, will come from improvements including more efficient cold rooms and fermentation tanks. The efficiencies are all part of our programme to halve our carbon emissions compared to a 2007 baseline.
Recognition for our global supply chain strategy
Baltimore’s Guinness Open Gate Brewery Introduces Ecofriendly Beer Carriers
Slow Turtle makes a leisurely arrival on the shores of the Seychelles
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Break Points
Remember Alice?
Jack Ganssle
Jack Ganssle-February 08, 2016
Arlo Guthrie (Source: arlo.net)
Am I referring to Still Alice, Lisa Genova’s 2014 fictional book about a woman overcome with Alzheimer’s? Poignant and a bit too real for those of us with family members suffering from this awful affliction, it’s a compelling story made into a movie starring Julianne Moore.
Or could it be Alice of Through the Looking Glass? The book, though almost ready to celebrate its sesquicentennial, is still a must-read.
But no, in this case it’s another Alice, once a proprietor of an eatery in Massachusetts and the namesake of Alice’s Restaurant, a song about, well, all sorts of things. Garbage, in part. The draft. In one version Richard Nixon.
Fifty years ago this past Thanksgiving an 18 year old Arlo Guthrie was visiting a couple who lived in the bell tower of an old church. Seeing as they had all that room downstairs, they didn’t bother to take the garbage out for a long time. Arlo and a friend decided to do them a favor, and loaded a red VW microbus with the half a ton of garbage and implements of destruction. But the dump was closed! They had never heard of a dump closed on Thanksgiving so sadly drove off till they spied a pile of trash at the bottom of a cliff. Figuring one pile was better than two, and rather than bring that one up they tossed theirs down.
So begins the song Arlo wrote about that incident. They get arrested for littering and go to court. That conviction makes the selective service leering of drafting him. He’s indignant the army feels he’s not moral enough to serve after being a litterbug.
The story is embellished but at its core true. At 18 minutes long this is a lengthy and funny ballad.
In the 30th anniversary edition of the song Arlo is invited (and this is apparently a true story as well) to Jimmy Carter’s inauguration, an invitation he accepts as he figures it’ll be the last one he ever gets. “Been right so far!” he exclaims. Chip Carter mentions that when they moved in to the White House there was a copy of Alice’s Restaurant in the Nixon music library. About president Nixon: “And he used to like to tape stuff. If you can image a world before VCRs and tape decks was everywhere, he was a man ahead of his time!” But then Arlo starts thinking about a certain 18 minutes of erasures on one of those tapes, and wonders if maybe Nixon was erasing Alice’s Restaurant!
Arlo and his band are on a 50th anniversary of Alice’s Restaurant tour, covering an exhausting number of cities between now and July. Last week the band played at the Strathmore Music Hall, a beautiful venue in Bethesda, MD. Marybeth, another couple and I attended. His daughter Sara Lee opened, and she and brother Abe, with three other musicians, backed him up.
There was a lot of gray hair in the audience.
I bought the Alice’s Restaurant LP in 1969 and CDs as they came out. Since my kids were little we’ve had a tradition of playing it on Thanksgiving. Now they are grown and on their own, but they have continued the tradition. It’s good clean fun that always puts a smile on our faces. Alice has, for me, seemed somewhat singular due to the long story that’s not sung but is set to music; his other songs are more traditional. Well, that simply wasn’t true at the show. The man is a natural raconteur (as is his daughter). He regaled the crowd with long tales about Woodstock, meeting his wife (married 43 years till her death in 2012), Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and a panoply of other colorful characters. He told us that officer Obie played himself in the film version of Alice’s Restaurant (which I thought was an awful movie) and became lifelong friends with Arlo. His dad was an over-arching presence. He played riffs on Woody’s music, and ended with This Land is Your Land, adding lyrics Woody wrote but had been lost till recently. An encore was a long-lost snippet of dad’s lyrics that Arlo set to music.
In the 30th anniversary edition, after going on for ten minutes about the garbage and his subsequent arrest, he completely changes the subject, saying “but that’s not what I came to tell you about. Just thought I’d mention it.”
And none of this has anything to do with embedded systems.
Just thought I’d mention it.
Jack G. Ganssle is a lecturer and consultant on embedded development issues. He conducts seminars on embedded systems and helps companies with their embedded challenges, and works as an expert witness on embedded issues. Contact him at jack@ganssle.com. His website is www.ganssle.com.
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High Church and Modern Aesthetics Meet in Fashion
"Totus Tuus" means "totally yours" in Latin and was the official apostolic motto for St. Pope John Paul II. || Photo provided by the PAL Campaign.
There’s a man in an old black-and-white photograph, looking right in the eye of the camera, wearing glasses only found in western Brooklyn, and surrounded by trees in the forest.
This is hipster St. Pope John Paul II, an icon for “cool” Catholics.
St. John Paul II has become a patron for many young Catholics looking for examples of extraordinary people living ordinary lives. There are photos of him camping in the woods, hiking in the mountains, and wearing Converse sneakers. Some Catholic bloggers even call him the “hippest” saint.
Christian college students are combining church aesthetics with modern trends to create a style that puts them in today’s world but reminds them that they’re not of it.
Joe Kim, the Creative Director of the apparel shop PAL Campaign said that one of the top-selling designs for the Catholic online store is the “Wojtyla” shirt. The “Wojtyla” design is a white shirt featuring a black silhouette of the “coolest saint ever” wearing a beret and sunglasses, with his birth name stamped beneath his head. PAL also sells mugs with the same design.
The "Wojtyla" T-Shirt || Photo provided by the PAL Campaign.
Saints such as Pope John Paul II “speak to the hearts of a passionate younger generation, inspiring them to be more than what our world tries to tell them to be,” Kim said.
Kim described how his designs draw inspiration from words in scripture, church symbols, the lives of the saints, designs on a magazine, contemporary art, and other t-shirts.
“Pope Francis said to ‘Make a Mess’ in our attempts to share the Gospel,” Kim said.
Anyone could scroll through PAL’s Instagram and see photos of students and young millennials wearing the company’s apparel. To the onlooker, it looks like any other Instagram apparel page— it has a coherent aesthetic, photos of people with blurry backgrounds, and promotional graphics— yet the caption under the photo quotes a saint or the Bible and there is a girl in Times Square with a shirt that reads “Dona Nobis Pacem,” which is Latin for “grant us peace.”
Kim added that while most Christian t-shirts are known to be “cheesy” or “second-rate versions of popular culture,” he hopes that the designs of PAL’s apparel can be a reflection of the “first-rate beauty” of the Church.
“In the spirit of St. Augustine, I believe the Church is ever ancient, ever new,” Kim said.
According to a Barna Group research survey released in February, younger generations are more curious about liturgical traditions, such as the Catholic, Episcopalian, and Orthodox churches.
Millennials are more likely than any other generation to shift from a non-liturgical church to a liturgical one, the survey results showed. About 22 percent of millennials moved to a liturgical tradition, compared to the 16 percent from generation X, 11 percent of baby boomers, and 12 percent of elders.
Shifted from Non-Liturgical church to Liturgical Church
Edison Cummings, a student at The King's College, grew up Pentecostal and began to attend Episcopalian churches later in his life. He said he was captivated by the timelessness of high churches, such as the Episcopal, Anglican, Orthodox and Catholic traditions. These churches are connected to a deep history, he said.
His frustration with a lot of churches is that they abandon their past to get people to sit in their pews. Churches are built like sports arenas and community centers, not a place where miracles happen.
“Churches should draw the eye up and should inspire contemplation and silence,” Cummings added.
Inspired by these ancient churches, Cummings uses the textures inside cathedrals to coordinate his outfits.
“I borrow and use,” he said.
Cummings tries to incorporate the wooden pews inside the church, the stone columns, the marble altar, and the natural color tones into his style. He also loves to mix the textures together.
“When you contrast those looks, it comes out a little eclectic, but if you can do it right, it turns out really cool,” Cummings added.
Cummings appreciates the high churches’ reverence of saints because there’s a wider community he can be a part of. The past and the present are revealed in church architecture.
“This is the house we built in fashion of those who came before us,” Cummings said.
The Christians of all time create a “social heterogeneity” to make up the Church, Cummings witnessed. People come from different time periods, cultures, languages, countries, and more and the differences make up the whole.
This is the house we built in fashion of those who came before us.
This idea translates to Cumming’s fashion choices. He likes to combine church textures with a “rock” and “grunge” style.
“You want things to synthesize to be unified in what the Bible describes as the Body of Christ,” Cummings said.
The combination of modern and high church aesthetics is symbolic of the collective whole of the Church body, according to Cummings. A Christian can have an appreciation of the rock style, the hipster style, and/or the punk style. Just by adding a touch of the traditional church, it reminds people, like Cummings, of the rich history that Christians have inherited and the history that they’re adding to.
“When you reinterpret it [Christian themes] with a new look, it feels so fresh,” Cummings said.
Olivia Swinford, a senior at Parsons School of Design, designed a production line for her thesis project inspired by the philosophy of the Dominican order.
“One of the mottos of the Dominican order is the fruit of contemplation,” Swinford said.
Swinford’s designs were crafted in a contemplative state. This meant that while sketching, picking out fabrics, embroidering, and sewing, everything was done either in prayer or with deep intent. Then, the final product was meant to be the fruit of her work.
Swinford hoped her fruit would bring others to reflect on the spiritual.
Photo credit to Kayla Wolfe and courtesy to Olivia Swinford.
Using the symbolism of fruit quite literally, Swinford designed a strawberry-shaped handbag that operated as a thurible, the vessel priests use to throw burning incense around a church. The bag was a collaboration with another Parsons student, Kayla Wolfe.
The strawberry-shaped container is attached to a chain connected to a golden plate with a circular handle. When the chain was pulled, the top of the strawberry bag opened, just like a thurible emptying itself to fill the air.
Swinford’s invention was inspired by Renaissance paintings that depicted the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child. She noticed that baby Jesus held fruits in his hand. Curiosity brought her to research the meaning behind it. Each fruit was a symbol of something the viewer was called to reflect on, she learned.
Pomegranates represent the Church. Figs represent the fall of man. Strawberries represent the sweetness and purity of the Virgin Mary.
Swinford knew she was going to have a handbag in her collection so she wanted “something you can hold, so you’re contemplating in your own hands,” she said. She hoped that the purse would bring the viewer to think about the sweetness of Mary and the beauty of ancient liturgies.
The rest of Swinford’s production line is a traditional take on modern styles.
“I try to incorporate things I see that are popular in modern fashion but with traditional shapes that relate to vestments and habits,” Swinford said.
Fashion trends such as pleats, off-the-shoulder dresses, and layers are reimagined in Swinford’s designs.
They become outfits intended to “reveal something higher” rather than revealing skin. For Swinford, she wants her fashion to remind girls that modesty can be beautiful.
Just like the Renaissance paintings, the viewers of her clothes are called to reflect on the deeper meaning of the universe and the creator behind it.
CultureBernadette Berdychowski May 6, 2018 bernadetteberdychowski
Blind and Managing Billions
CityWes Parnell May 24, 2018 Secondary Feature, wesparnell, savannahwhite
As King's Expands, Study Space Should Too
OpinionGrayson Logue May 5, 2018
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Wilkinson leaves Comment, launches Fieldnotes magazine
Financial District NEW YORK—On the move again, King’s writing instructor Alissa Wilkinson launched Fieldnotes magazine Sept. 4. The goal of this daily magazine is to give “practical wisdom and insights to emerging leaders in non-profits, for-profits, and churches,” Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson left Comment magazine, where she had worked for the past four years to jumpstart Fieldnotes this past May.
So far, Fieldnotes has had 6,000 visitors since its launch three weeks ago– about 300 per day. Last week saw a 50 percent increase of visitors from the week before.
Fieldnotes is a publication of the Max De Pree Center for Leadership based at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. The center focuses on raising leaders in non-profits, for-profits and churches.
As an extension of the Leadership Center, Fieldnotes is trying to “go beyond just sort of big theoretical things about leadership and get down to the nitty gritty,” she said. “Like what does it actually mean to run an urban inner city ministry or what does it actually mean to be a good middle manager?”
Fieldnotes is exploring how it can improve work and organizational life, and as Wilkinson said, “how we can exhort and encourage and give resources to people so they can do that.”
Wilkinson worked all summer under many titles, including editor, managing editor, webmaster, web designer, “brainstormer of ideas” and whatever else needed to be done. Although business and leadership are not really her areas of expertise, she said she saw Fieldnotes as a new challenge that she was willing to try.
Her initial struggle was trying to come up with a name for the publication. “We went through a lot of names,” Wilkinson said, “but I wanted something that was easy to pronounce, English and was available as a URL.”
Wilkinson explained that the name of the magazine, Fieldnotes, is based on the notes anthropologists and practitioners take while they’re in the field.
“I liked the idea of this as notes from people who are actually working in business, not just theorists but people who are actually doing the work,” she explained.
Tim Wainwright, a student at King’s, published an article in Fieldnotes last week entitled “How to Speed Read.” Wilkinson is always working on gathering content and said she is open to students contacting her with ideas. Fieldnotes pays authors to freelance articles.
Check out Fieldnotes at http://www.fieldnotesmagazine.com/
CampusCori O'Connor September 27, 2012 Alyssa Wilkinson, Fieldnotes, Max Dupree Center for LeadershipComment
Under a new captain, King’s baseball scrimmages in offseason
CampusKristen Lee September 27, 2012 Grant Olson, King's Athletics, King's baseball
Financial Services club starts investment fund
CampusRebecca Au September 27, 2012 Financial Services Club, New York Stock Exchange
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Online Education Companies Clicking On Hard Times
By Mark Walsh
At Hononegah High School in Rockton, Ill., the school Web site has been operated the past couple of years by an Internet company known as Highwired.com.
In exchange for displaying ads on the school's Web pages, Highwired hosted the site for free and provided a set of tools for improving the online look of the student newspaper, class schedules, and bulletin boards for parents.
"Our student newspaper looks fabulous, and teachers were jumping in to do more Web pages because Highwired does all the work for you," said Bruce Carlson, the technology coordinator for the one-school, 1,650-student Hononegah district in northern Illinois. "But I know they are in a state of flux right now."
Highwired has dropped its advertising-based revenue model and is planning to charge schools a subscription fee to use its services. The Watertown, Mass.-based company recently laid off 56 employees and eliminated some products and services while it retools its strategy.
Highwired is not alone among education-related Internet companies that are facing bumpy times. The overall downturn in the Internet sector, which began last spring, hasn't spared the dozens of education Web businesses that were just getting off the ground.
"It's fair to say the education economy is not immune in the downturn in the larger Internet economy," said Peter J. Stokes, the executive vice president of Eduventures.com, a Boston research firm that closely tracks the industry. "The next 12 months are going to be a period of increased clarity in the marketplace. By that, I mean the winners and losers will be clearer."
Scores of education-related businesses have set up shop on the World Wide Web in the past two years or so. Driven by the easy availability of venture capital and surging interest in Internet business models, entrepreneurs established sites with a range of education services aimed at children, parents, and schools. Web sites provide educational toys, tutoring, test preparation, and help for high school students in selecting a college, among other services. For schools and districts, other sites offer curriculum, scheduling, and administrative help, and at least four Web businesses offer online school purchasing.
Now, with a cloudier U.S. economic climate, some of those education sites have had to rethink their business strategies, lay off employees, or seek mergers with other companies. Others have gone out of business altogether.
A Slow Burn?
Simplexis.com, a San Francisco- based online-procurement site for schools, recently laid off an undisclosed number of workers, even as it acquired another company and formed a partnership with the International Business Machines Corp. The site attracted notice when it was launched a year ago because of the involvement of former U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander as co-founder and board chairman.
"Yes, there has been a restructuring," said Jared Cameron, a spokesman for Simplexis, who declined to say how many employees had been laid off. "This is simply the result of the end of the go-go, anything-goes, boom mentality of the Internet. What we've done is realign the company in line with current market conditions."
Simplexis has between 40 and 50 employees and is currently focusing on signing up larger school districts in which it can integrate its procurement system with the district's purchasing operations, Mr. Cameron said.
MaMaMedia Inc., a New York City company that developed a highly regarded Web site and online activities for children, had several rounds of layoffs last fall, going from about 150 employees to as few as 15.
"We have recently downsized and significantly reduced our burn rate so that we can be a surviving, operating business," said Rebecca Randall, a spokeswoman for the company. In the parlance of the Internet economy, the "burn rate" refers to the speed with which a company spends its pool of capital.
Varsity Group Inc., a Washington-based site that started out selling college textbooks online, has amended its business strategy in recent months to include targeted college marketing and exclusive textbook sales to high schools. Nevertheless, it has had to lay off dozens of workers to avoid going out of business, as one of its online competitors, Bigwords.com, did last fall.
In many cases, the struggles of the education dot-coms probably haven't had much effect on schools, since educators never got accustomed to relying on the companies in the first place. But one Internet-related business that had found a place in thousands of schools caused a big stir last fall with its lightning-quick exit from the education arena.
ZapMe! Corp. of San Ramon, Calif., which provided ad- sponsored Internet connections and computer labs in schools, was acquired in October by an Israeli company that decided to focus on high-speed Internet access to the business market.
Schools were soon informed that the free ride was over and they would have to fork over hefty fees if they wanted to keep their ZapMe! computers and Internet connections.
"We felt burned," Mary Conway, the superintendent of the 2,800-student Plainfield, Conn., school district, said in an interview last week. Her district spent more than $5,000 to pay for wiring the ZapMe! labs.
Once the district's plight earned media attention, other businesses offered to help. The district got a personal call from Steven Jobs, Apple Computer Inc.'s co-founder and chief executive officer, offering equipment for testing, as well as a call from a struggling Web business, Drugstore.com, that was trying to unload some fast computers at a discount, Ms. Conway said.
Whole-School Strategy
While the layoffs and belt-tightening are undoubtedly tough for those directly involved, some analysts say they are not necessarily bad for the overall health of the online side of the education industry.
"There are still many indicators that suggest there is a strong market opportunity for e-learning," said Mr. Stokes of Eduventures.com. "It's actually a good thing to have a thinning-out of the herd."
Jeffrey A. Fromm, the president of KnowledgeQuest Ventures, an education industry consulting firm in New York, says that while less venture capital may be available now for education entrepreneurs, "there is still a growing number of students, and a need for distance learning. There is still a lot of opportunity."
In fact, the current climate hasn't prevented a couple of major new Internet learning ventures from being launched in recent weeks. Earlier this month, former U.S. Secretary of Education William J. Bennett announced the formation of K12, an ambitious online school that is scheduled to open for business in the fall. ("Former Education Secretary Starts Online-Learning Venture," Jan. 10, 2001.)
Also this month, a major educational publisher, the McGraw-Hill Cos., launched an extensive Web site offering online textbooks and support resources for teachers and parents.
And sometime early this year, the test-preparation company Princeton Review Inc. is expected to go to the market with an initial public offering of stock, the first in many months for a K-12 education company. Much of the money is slated to expand the New York City-based company's growing Internet services, such as Review.com and Homeroom.com.
At Highwired.com, where 80 employees remain to work on the Web site's new business strategy, spokeswoman Kara Kilpatrick said the business would be offering schools more administrative and curriculum- related tools in addition to Web-publishing services.
"We're moving toward a whole-school solution," she said.
Mr. Carlson, the Hononegah district technology coordinator, said the district would decide this summer whether it will pay to subscribe to the service.
"If they can continue to provide a good product, we're going to pay for it," he said.
Funding for the Business Page is provided in part by the Ford Foundation.
Vol. 20, Issue 19, Page 8
Published in Print: January 24, 2001, as Online Education Companies Clicking On Hard Times
See the accompanying table, "Dot-Com Doldrums," Jan. 24, 2001, a list of Internet companies now financially struggling in the education sector.
"Cyber Learning at Online High," Jan. 24, 2001.
"Former Education Secretary Starts Online-Learning Venture," Jan. 10, 2001.
"Federal Study Details Major Barriers to Internet Learning," Jan. 10, 2001.
"Education Inc.," Nov. 29, 2000, about leading education investment companies.
"Technology Update: One-Stop Web Shops for Educators Build Coherence Out of Confusion," Nov. 29, 2000.
"Internet-Access Provider to Schools Getting Out of Education Business," and "Dot-Com Hopes To Write New Chapter in Book Sales," Nov. 1, 2000.
"Education Inc.," July 12, 2000, about school technology companies that attended last year's National Educational Computing Conference.
"Web Sites Worry Privacy Watchdogs," June 21, 2000.
"Some Schools Feel Burned by ZapMe! Offer," March 15, 2000.
"Schools Hope To Cash In On Online Sales," Dec. 15, 1999.
In "The Future Is Now," Jonathan Weber, editor of the Internet business magazine the The Industry Standard, predicts a few things that are not going happen to the economy in 2001.
From "The Online Education Bubble," by Joshua Green, Oct. 23, 2000, The American Prospect: "Online education could be the latest in a string of overhyped Internet concepts in which an excess of giddy supply overestimates the demand." The article deals largely with higher education ventures.
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The FCC and Net Neutrality: A Way Forward
By Corynne McSherry
EFF has long been critical of the Federal Communications Commission’s efforts to regulate digital technologies and services. We’ve warned against FCC rules and strategies that threatened to (or actually did) give the agency too much power over innovation and user choice. And with good reason: the FCC has a sad history of being captured by the very industries it’s supposed to regulate. It also has a history of ignoring grassroots public opinion. In the early 2000s, for example, the commission essentially ignored the comments of hundreds of thousands of Americans who opposed media consolidation.
When it came to the open Internet, the FCC’s confused legal arguments regarding the scope and limit of their power made us fearful that the FCC would abuse its power. With respect to net neutrality, it started out by claiming a broad “ancillary” authority to regulate the Internet – a claim that, if accepted, could be a Trojan horse for ever-expanding regulatory overreach. If the agency couldn’t articulate a reasonable and clear legal authority for its actions, how could we trust it to recognize the limits of that authority?
Until recently, those concerns have led us to largely stay out of the FCC’s various efforts to define “open Internet” rules. We’ve put our energies elsewhere: uncovering Comcast’s meddling with BitTorrent traffic; drawing attention to companies like Paxfire, through which ISPs diverted web searches; and developing software tools to Test Your ISP.
More recently we’ve worked to develop and support Open Wireless to give people more options for Internet access wherever they are. We are expanding that work to include stronger support for community and municipal high-speed Internet options. We’ve also strongly supported the FCC’s role in requiring transparency from providers.
Exploring our options
We will continue that crucial work. But in the meantime, the ground has shifted. The companies who have quasi-monopoly power over Internet infrastructure have gotten bigger and have begun to abuse that power. In addition, the D.C. Circuit appeals court told the FCC last January that the legal basis (called Section 706) it’s currently claiming to support its proposed open Internet rules doesn’t allow the FCC to pass the kinds of rules that would target those abuses, such as rules against blocking, discrimination among applications, and special access fees.
Against this background of quasi-monopolistic industry power and a confused regulatory agency, the question of how to ensure a neutral Internet that serves rather than inhibits innovation and user choice gets even harder. Is a carefully circumscribed role for the FCC part of the solution? Let’s look at the leading alternatives first.
We started by thinking about antitrust law. Some, including several witnesses at a congressional hearing last week, would like the FCC to stand down altogether on net neutrality. They argue that we should rely on antitrust law, not telecommunications policymakers at the FCC. There is strong appeal to that argument; if your concern is competition, isn’t that what antitrust law is for? But current antitrust law is no magic bullet. It focuses mainly on preventing monopoly prices, not harms to innovation, and it doesn’t protect free speech. Also, many tools of antitrust law can only be brought to bear where you can show that one company dominates a market. It is too easy to manipulate the definition of the “market for Internet access” and hard to tie the concept down so that courts can identify antitrust violations. Finally, antitrust litigation is slow and expensive for all parties, putting it out of reach for many startups and nonprofits that could be hurt by an ISP’s non-neutral practices. In the meantime, innovators and users face a climate of uncertainty and risk. We hope antitrust will help, but it can't be the only solution.
Another option is to leave the problem to Congress. A major revision to the Telecommunications Act is underway, and it could include new neutrality rules. Or Congress could pass a narrower law right now, focusing on promoting a neutral Internet. There’s at least one bill on the table already. That’s a fine idea and should happen but let’s face it: given the power of the telecom lobby, and Congress’s partisan gridlock, legislation that puts firm limits on harmful discrimination by ISPs will not happen anytime soon. While Congress dithers, or worse yet becomes beholden to the same forces that seek to capture the FCC, access monopolies and unequal treatment of Internet users are likely to become further entrenched. Moreover, any such legislation is likely to assign the role of enforcement back to the FCC, as did a proposed bill in 2007.
Looking to the FCC
So that leads us back to the FCC. While Congress does its work, antitrust lawyers weigh options, and Internet users work to promote competition, empower community solutions, and ensure transparency, the FCC can be acting to enforce a few rules of the road that target the non-neutral behavior we’re already beginning to see from Internet service providers.
We want to be very, very clear: the FCC’s regulatory role should be narrow and firmly bounded. Network neutrality rules should be limited to specific prohibitions—such as blocking, discrimination among applications and prohibiting special access fees—potentially combined with a renewed “open access” requirement that would foster local competition, and no more.
Luckily, the FCC has a way to bind itself and thereby limit its own regulatory reach. It’s called “forbearance.” While forbearance doesn’t set the limits on the regulatory agency in stone as Congress could, it does require the FCC to make a public commitment that is difficult to reverse. If it ever wants to change course, it has to engage in a contentious and tedious public process of notice and comment. We’ll have more to say about these very basic regulations in our comments on the FCC’s proposed rules, which we will also unpack in upcoming posts.
To get to a place where it can actually enforce neutrality rules and do nothing further, however, the FCC first needs to do one important thing: reverse its 2002 decision to treat broadband as an “information service” rather than a “telecommunications service.” This is what’s known as Title II reclassification.
That 2002 decision, as interpreted by the D.C. Circuit last January, now actually prevents the FCC from truly promoting a neutral Internet. That is because the court said that rules that actually do what many of us want—such as forbidding discrimination against certain applications—require the FCC to treat access providers like “common carriers, ” treatment that can only be applied to telecommunications services. Having chosen to define broadband as an “information service,” the FCC can impose regulations that “promote competition” (good) but it cannot stop providers from giving their friends special access to Internet users (bad). The result: a set of proposed rules that implicitly endorses paid prioritization and special deals that may not be available to new businesses at any price.
Some have said that reclassification would give the FCC too much power to regulate the Internet. That very concern is why forbearance is so important. Nor is it the case that the FCC has very limited power now—the D.C. Circuit affirmed that the FCC has broad powers to “promote competition” which could be just as vulnerable to misuse by a future FCC as any regulatory authority granted via a “common carrier” reclassification. More important than the potential breadth of power, however, is the fact that the powers that the FCC has now don’t match the real goal: protecting the neutral Internet we expect and need to flourish. Reclassification, combined as it must be with a commitment to forbear from imposing aspects of Title II that were originally drafted for 20th century telephone services and that don't make sense for the Internet, can give the FCC the right tool for the job without giving it regulatory tools it doesn’t need and may dangerously misapply.
While we would have preferred for the market to right this problem itself, the consolidation of Internet access providers and the increasing willingness to use their position to extract rents from downstream applications means that we need to do more than just shine a light with transparency and support alternatives with community and municipal infrastructure. We need some minimal rules of the road and, for better or worse, the FCC is in the best position to get those rules in place sooner rather than later. EFF will be working hard to make sure the FCC does just that – and no more. You can help.
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Ziggy Marley Explains the Real Genius Behind His Father's Masterpiece, Exodus
And listen to the son's remix of the title track, exclusively here.
By Jeff Slate
In his short lifetime, Bob Marley brought a revolutionary's message and zeal to mainstream popular culture. The man who introduced the world to reggae music was also, always, a man on a mission.
"People think of him as a peace-and-love guy, but there's much more to him than that," Ziggy Marley told me of his father. "Those were things he spoke about and sang about, but they weren't the only things he spoke about and sang about. Bob was a revolutionary. He was a person who wanted social justice in a real sense, in a real physical sense. There's a lot more to it than the whole 'Bob Marley, oh, love and peace and smoke weed.' No. It's deep! It's very deep."
And nowhere is that more prevalent than Marley's 1977 album, Exodus, reissued on June 2 in vastly expanded form. It includes a spectacular remaster of the original album—named "best album of the 20th century" by Time in 1999—alongside what has been dubbed a "restatement" by Ziggy Marley, who reimagined the album, remixing it from the original session tapes, with dazzling results.
Esquire is exclusively debuting Ziggy Marley's new mix of the Exodus title track. It's as powerful and urgent as ever. The track remains intimate while even packing some surprises into its familiar strains.
Exodus, recorded in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on Marley's life, featured an all-new version of Marley's backing band The Wailers: Brothers Carlton and Aston "Family Man" Barrett on drums and bass, Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion, the I Threes, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley on backing vocals; and Julian "Junior" Marvin on guitar. Ziggy Marley says the sound his father created with The Wailers—on full display in the stunning live version of the album included as part of the deluxe and super deluxe versions of Exodus—is timeless because they weren't just making music; it was a way of life.
"They all believed in a certain philosophy and way of life," Marley says. "They were a tight unit who had the same ideas, and the same kind of way of life that they wanted to live. That created a very tight, together sound. These guys were innovating at the time they were making this music. It was revolutionizing what reggae is and what reggae would become."
As for his father's unique and enduring mark on popular music?
"Bob's music is Bob's music," Marley says. "You can't really nail it down to roots reggae or something. It's Bob's reggae. In the world of reggae, Bob's reggae sounds different than any other reggae artist. It just doesn't sound the same."
But ultimately what makes Bob Marley's music more powerful than ever is the potency of the messages in his songs and in the uncompromising way he lived his life.
"Bob Marley helped me to be all I could be without compromise," says Marley's friend, the filmmaker Don Letts. "Bob didn't anglicize or Americanize himself. He did his thing and people either dug it or they didn't. Luckily for Bob, for the most part, they dug it."
We also need his voice now, more than ever.
Jeff Slate Jeff Slate is a New York City-based songwriter and journalist who has contributed music and culture articles to Esquire since 2013.
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/Collapse of Socialism in Russia
Collapse of Socialism in Russia
Essay by geetu92 • February 5, 2019 • Essay • 627 Words (3 Pages) • 49 Views
Essay Preview: Collapse of Socialism in Russia
The article discusses the emergence of socialism in Russia and its eventual collapse.
Modern Russia is not what it was a hundred or two hundred years ago. It has evolved from Russian Empire to Soviet Russia and then to Russian Federation, which we commonly called as Modern Russia. It has an entire history how Russian empire became part of USSR in 1915 and then again became independent county in 1991. The Soviet Era is considered as the era of emergence and then eventual demise of socialism. Russia was one part of the Soviet Union (known as Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). It was the union of Socialist Republics. They were Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. It broke up about 20 years ago and now all these nations run independently. One of those nations is Russia (Russian Federation).
Socialist planned economy combines public ownership and management of the means of production with centralized state planning, and can refer to a broad range of economic systems from the centralized Soviet-style command economy to participatory planning via workplace democracy. In a centrally-planned economy, decisions regarding the quantity of goods and services to be produced as well as the allocation of output (distribution of goods and services) are planned in advanced by a planning agency. This type of economic system was often combined with a one-party political system, and is thus associated with the Communist states of the 20th century. The revolutions in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the ex-USSR have been cited many times as evidence of the "death of socialism."
Soviet state socialism brought rapid economic growth during 1928-75. During those years the country was transformed from a backward, largely agricultural one to an urban industrial society. By the late 1970s Soviet living standards had reached first-world levels in many respects. In the mid-1970s Soviet economic progress slowed down sharply, as indicated both by the economic growth rate and the more difficult-to-measure rate of innovation. Stagnation set in after 1975. Although output still increased every year through 1989, real GNP was growing at only about 2% per year. This stagnation played an important role in Mikhail Gorbachev’s accession to power in 1985, as a representative of the reform wing of the Communist Party leadership. He lost no time in announcing his aim of a serious renovation of Soviet state socialism, a program known by its Russian name perestroika. Gorbachev and his allies viewed lack of democracy, in its broadest sense, as the central problem of the Soviet system, and in 1989-90 new elective institutions were set up across the Soviet Union. Political power was rapidly shifted from the General Secretary and to a new Presidency and elected soviets in the Soviet Union as a whole and in several key republics, including the huge Russian Republic of the Soviet Union, which had three-fourths of the land area and half of the population of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev and his allies saw democratization as necessary to renew socialism and bring out its true potential. But its implementation had huge risks and A group favouring the abandonment of socialism and its replacement by capitalism was rapidly developed, led by former Moscow Communist Party boss Boris Yeltsin. In the space of a few years this group came to power in the Russian Republic, and, from that power base, was able to dismember the Soviet Union. Gorbachev resigned as general secretary in late August, and soon afterward the Party's activities were indefinitely suspended—effectively ending its rule. By the fall, Gorbachev could no longer influence events outside of Moscow, and he was being challenged even there by Yeltsin, who had been elected President of Russia in July 1991.
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On Course: Privatize ATC? No Way!
Why handing over the nation’s $50 billion ATC system to a nonprofit corporation is a terrible idea.
By Stephen Pope
On Monday, President Trump unveiled his plans to turn the nation's ATC system over to a nonprofit entity. This is not a good idea.NATCA photos
The White House's proposal to privatize our nation's air traffic control system is nothing new. The original en route air traffic control system developed in the late 1920s, in fact, was owned and operated by the airlines. But by the late 1930s, after a number of high-profile airline crashes, the federal government and airlines jointly decided that a central authority should be in charge. The obvious answer was for the government to run the ATC system, which it has ably done for the past 80 years with a safety record unmatched anywhere in the world.
In the mid-1990s, the Clinton administration pushed for ATC privatization with a plan to create an autonomous corporation called the United States Air Traffic Control System, which would remain part of the Department of Transportation. Then as now, the major proponents of the plan were the airlines. This time around, calls for ATC privatization are being led on Capitol Hill by Rep. Bill Shuster, the Republican chairman of the airline-friendly Transportation Committee, who wants to remove ATC from the purview of the FAA and put it under the direction of a privatized entity called ATC Corp.
I can list any number of reasons why privatization is a bad idea. To start with, ATC Corp.’s board of directors would be heavily influenced by the airlines, to the detriment of general aviation. Privatization also means user fees. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association says it supported last year's House measure because, theoretically, it would stabilize the funding stream for ATC rather than leaving it up to the impulses of a gridlocked Congress. That means ATC functions would be paid for through fees charged to airline passengers, not tax dollars. Eventually general aviation could be forced to pay ATC user fees too, requiring an entirely new layer of bureaucracy to collect the cash.
I would never argue that moving ATC to the private sector couldn’t work, but that’s not what’s being proposed. Instead, Shuster is calling for a massive new nonprofit organization to run ATC. That’s a recipe for mediocrity. Nonprofits have very little incentive to excel at the kind of project execution, from idea creation through delivery, that makes for great companies. Ask yourself, if you were launching a startup with the aim of modernizing the world’s largest air traffic control system, who would you want running it? A corporate board consisting of members with vastly different agendas, chosen by groups that don’t really like or trust each other? Not likely. You’d want a smart, tenacious, passionate entrepreneur — somebody in the mold of Elon Musk, Steve Jobs or those guys from Google — who understands the problem, knows how to fix it and never wavers for an instant from that goal until the job is done right.
If we really want to overhaul America’s ATC system we should forget “corporatization” and instead start by reforming the FAA’s draconian personnel and equipment-procurement policies, which prevent the agency from implementing the best technologies quickly and at a reasonable cost. As dreamed up by Shuster and supported by the Trump administration, the current privatization proposal won’t come close to achieving this aim. But Congress has the power to make changes within the FAA that can dramatically increase the chances that the next big ATC modernization project is delivered on time and on budget.
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Alcohol And Cannabis Don't Mix, Says California Alcohol Beverage Control
Thomas Pellechia Contributor
Experienced independent writer with a background in the wine industry.
reports of supply outages across Canada surfaced just two weeks after recreational pot had been legalized.
cannabis use is prohibited in restaurants and hotels with a California license to sell alcohol, and that includes your hotel room
Getty Royalty Free
In mid-October the Canadian federal government officially legalized recreational cannabis. As has been reported in this space, the expected success of Canada’s decision can be viewed not only through the level of interest in the financial investment community, but also in the U.S. beverage alcohol community, namely the interest in cannabis across the border shown by U.S. alcohol distributors, producers and brand holders. That success may have already shown itself: reports of supply outages across Canada surfaced just two weeks after recreational pot had been legalized.
Cannabis use restrictions in Canada vary by province—some allow it only in private residences; some allow it in public. But the provinces allowing cannabis use in public generally prohibit its use where tobacco smoking is prohibited, and that restriction probably includes wine tasting rooms.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. the foreseeable future for legalized recreational cannabis remains a state-by-state phenomenon, under an ever present threat of federal crackdown at the whim of the Attorney General, whomever he or she may be now and in the future. And the view of the country’s largest wine-producing state’s bureaucracy—the California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC)—is that alcohol and cannabis don’t mix.
This past summer ABC issued an industry advisory on the subjects of alcohol and cannabis licenses. Soon thereafter, John Hinman, a founding partner in the law office that specializes in beverage alcohol legislation, Hinman & Carmichael, LLP, told California producers in an email that, “…even though cannabis use has been legalized in California, its sale and use on licensed premises is prohibited. This applies to licensees and customers.”
Straight from item number one of the advisory comes this: “Neither the Alcoholic Beverage Control (“ABC”) Act nor the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MAUCRSA”) prohibit persons from holding licenses to manufacture or sell alcoholic beverages from holding a license authorized under the MAUCRSA.”
Item number two of the advisory states that a holder of a cannabis license issued under the MAUCRSA “shall not sell alcoholic beverages or tobacco products on or at any premises licensed under this division.”
Conversely, consumers should not expect they can buy or fire up a joint in a wine tasting room, at a winery sponsored gathering, or anywhere on the grounds of a beverage alcohol producer, not according to Section 5026(c) of the Bureau of Cannabis Control (“BCC”) regulations (Title 16, Cal. Code of Regs., section 5026) says: “A premises shall not be in a location that requires persons to pass through a business that sells alcohol or tobacco to access the licensed premises, or that requires persons to pass through the licensed premises to access a business that sells tobacco or alcohol.”
The prohibition that applies to beverage alcohol producers as it relates to selling or allowing cannabis use on its premises shows up in Health and Safety Code section 11362.3, which applies to public places. The advisory states: “Businesses (including premises authorizing the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages under both retail and non-retail licenses) licensed under the ABC Act are considered “public places” for this purpose (this also includes premises licensed under club licenses, or any other premises to which entry may otherwise be limited). This restriction applies even if the ABC licensee is not exercising the privileges of the license, such as after hours, while closed, or if the ABC license is surrendered or suspended.”
It’s worth noting that cannabis use is prohibited in restaurants and hotels with a California license to sell alcohol, and that includes your hotel room .
There will be no wine, food and cannabis pairing events in California, at least not in an ABC-licensed facility, and if producers think they have found a loophole by infusing their wine with cannabis, they had better not talk about it, because that is not legal either.
In addition, beverage alcohol producers cannot sell or allow consumers to use on their premises products derived from industrial hemp, even though that product contains no (or an infinitesimal volume of) high-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The ABC cites a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that prohibits interstate commerce of any food to which THC or non-high-inducing cannabidiol (CBD) has been added, regardless of the source (industrial hemp or cannabis).
If you as a consumer decide to light up on the picnic grounds of a California winery not only will you be breaking the law, you’d also put the winery’s licensing in jeopardy. As Hinman wrote in his email, “We are now defending accusations (in more than one county) brought by the ABC seeking license revocation for allegedly permitting patron consumption of cannabis in otherwise legal smoking areas on licensed premises.”
Thomas Pellechia
I am an independent wine writer, but once was a writer and producer of audio visual presentations in New York City, and a home winemaker in my spare time. I followed th
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New evaluation and treatment recommendations are specific to perimenopause, the years before menopause, when women are especially vulnerable to mood problems.
By Beth Levine
The Paralysis of Analysis: On Overthinking
Be Here Now: The Vital Lesson Depression Has Taught Me
Women are more likely to experience depression in the years leading up to menopause, thanks in part to hormonal flux.
The field of medicine has really grown in its appreciation for the need to understand factors that contribute to women’s vulnerability to depression. For example, there is much more understanding, outreach, and treatment for depression during pregnancy and postpartum today compared with 20 years ago.
But depression during perimenopause is even more frequent than depression during pregnancy, yet very little is known about it. The good news: The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and the Women and Mood Disorders Task Force of the National Network of Depression Centers have released the first-ever guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of perimenopausal depression, published online on September 4, 2018, simultaneously in the journal Menopause and the Journal of Women's Health. These guidelines have also been endorsed by the International Menopause Society.
Related: 7 Common Myths About Depression
Breaking the Stigmas for Better Depression Care
“There is a lot of stigma around menopause generally, and we wanted to bring attention to this as another contributor to women’s higher prevalence of depression disorders,” says co-lead author Pauline M. Maki, PhD, of the department of psychiatry and the department of psychology at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Related: 9 Different Types of Depression
Depression Risk Is Higher During Perimenopause Than After a Women Reaches Menopause
Dr. Maki reports that data uniformly show that there is an increased risk in the years around the final menstrual period, as compared with the many years following the final menstrual period, because of this fluctuation. Estrogen levels may be low during menopause but at least they are somewhat stable. “That being said, the largest longitudinal study of women did indeed show that the risks do persist into the postmenopausal period,” she cautions.
According to Maki, an analysis of data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), in a report published in June 2015 in the journal Psychological Medicine, found that of perimenopausal and menopausal women, the risk for new onset depression (women who have never experienced depression before) is about 28 percent. For women who have a history of depression, that figure is 59 percent.
Determining Exactly When a Woman Reaches Menopause Is Tricky
Typically, menopause is diagnosed in hindsight, after a woman has not had a menstrual period, or any spotting, for 12 consecutive months.
What Is the Connection Between Perimenopause and Depression?
Most people think that the estrogen levels are what make a difference in moods, but studies have shown that it’s really the change in daily hormones that is related to mood disruption in women. “In other words, it’s not the fact that women’s estrogen levels are low that makes a difference, but that estrogen levels are fluctuating. Many people misunderstand how the hormones change around the perimenopause. People believe that it is a gradual tapering off of estradiol, but women experience tremendous and dramatic fluctuation of estrogen. Estrogen levels can be even higher than what women experience during regular menstrual cycles,” explains Maki.
Related: Kate Spade’s Suicide Brings Health Threat Back Into Spotlight
Hormones Flux May Mess With Menstrual Cycles, Healthy Sleep
The fluctuating hormones can also cause sleep problems because of issues such as hot flashes. Lack of sleep can lead to mood disturbances.
Women’s Life Changes in Forties Also Affect Mood Cycles
“The main thing is that women who are going through this understand what is happening because in addition to the biological factors, it is just as important to recognize the environmental factors,” says Maki. Women at midlife are experiencing big life changes: children growing up and taking off, taking care of elderly parents (sometimes both at the same time), career shifts, martial conflict, conflicted emotions about aging and body changes, and more. This combination of hormonal and life changes creates a complex causality that needs to be addressed in its totality.
Related: Resources for Managing Depression
Get Your Physician to Pay Attention to You
If you are suffering from depression and are perimenopausal, make sure your healthcare professional can connect the dots so he or she can correctly prescribe therapy for you. The North American Menopause Society offers a downloadable handout that you can bring to your practitioner that explains the connection between the two.
Related: Women, Hormones, and Depression
Diagnosis of Perimenopausal Depression
The causes of midlife depression are complex; it’s not easy to tease out what is biology and what is environment. According to the new guidelines, diagnosis of depressive disorders during midlife includes:
Clinical assessment of depression and other mental health issues
Review of previous psychiatric history
Identification of menopause stage
Discussion of the woman’s life stressors
Overview of sleep hygiene
You’ve Been Diagnosed With Depression — Now What?
“Treatment should be tailored. If a woman is experiencing difficulty coming to terms with aging or life changes, an antidepressant isn’t going to take that away,” says Maki.
Therapeutic options for depression include:
Antidepressants, especially SSRIs
Cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of talk therapy that teaches you how to retrain your brain
Treatment for vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), particularly if sleep is affected
Related: Menopausal Symptoms That May Surprise You
Do Complementary and Alternative Approaches for Midlife Mood Issues Help?
NAMS has studied those as well, says Maki: “We are recognizing the importance of things like mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, exercise, and a good diet. For women whose depressive symptoms don’t reach the threshold for clinical episode of depression — its not keeping them at home — yoga could help to improve mood a little bit. But really the only thing that has been shown to help significantly in the alternative area is exercise. Aerobic is good, and literature shows that it’s even better if you do it with people or outside.”
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Man Utd squad will NOT listen to this star if Jose Mourinho signed him - pundit
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC would not have a big influence in the Manchester United dressing room if he returned to the club on loan.
By Lewis Winter Lewis Winter
PUBLISHED: PUBLISHED: 06:45, Sat, Oct 13, 2018
Man Utd news: Steve Nicol does not think Jose Mourinho's squad would listen to Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Image: ESPN/GETTY)
That is according to Liverpool legend and ESPN FC pundit Steve Nicol.
Ibrahimovic has been linked with a move back to Manchester United in the January transfer window.
The 37-year-old only left United in March this year, joining Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy.
The Swede had struggled to gain a place back in the United side after recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered in April last year.
Man Utd news: Huge development sees Carrick backed to replace Mourinho
Man Utd news: Ibrahimovic deal compared to Beckham - 'it makes sense'
I would suggest that a player who isn’t going to start, regardless of the reputation or the personality, isn’t going to carry a lot of weight in the dressing room
Steve Nicol on if Man Utd re-signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic
However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proved many doubters wrong yet again by scoring 21 goals in his 25 appearances in MLS.
Nicol was asked if Ibrahimovic could solve some of the problems in the United dressing room if he returned, with manager Jose Mourinho’s future in doubt after falling out with some of his star players.
But the former Scotland international says because Ibrahimovic would not be a regular starter, the United squad would not listen to him.
“I would suggest that a player who isn’t going to start, regardless of the reputation or the personality, isn’t going to carry a lot of weight in the dressing room,” Nicol said.
Man Utd news: Nicol says Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not carry much weight in the dressing room (Image: ESPN)
Man Utd news: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been linked with an Old Trafford return (Image: GETTY)
“People that are listened to in the dressing room are people who are definitely on the field, who are definitely making a difference, who are the ones that will not only make a difference on the field, but in the dressing room.
“He doesn’t fit that bill anymore.
“He did previously, but I just don’t think it would work anymore.”
Nicol was then asked whether players having loan moves away from MLS in close season is disrespectful to the league.
Man Utd news: Manuel Akanji reveals he dreams of joining Red Devils
Man Utd news: Eric Bailly makes decision amid transfer interest
Man Utd news: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in fine form in Major League Soccer (Image: GETTY)
However, he said it was the complete opposite.
“No not at all (it is not disrespectful to MLS)," Nicol added.
"MLS would love to have quality of the likes of Zlatan around the league. And in fact I think it’s the opposite.
“If you’ve got a player who’s playing in MLS, who’s capable of going and performing and stepping on the field in the Premier League, that can only be good for MLS."
Paul Pogba RAGES after Kylian Mbappe tackle: Shocking pictures
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Manchester United Jose Mourinho
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Washington Grower Makes A Profit Farming Bamboo
FARM SHOW Magazine » Washington Grower Makes A Profit Farming Bamboo
In 1997, FARM SHOW published a story about bamboo farming and an Oregon farmer trying to make a go of it (Vol. 21, No. 2). When he eventually got out of the business, we continued to get calls looking for more information. So we recently set out to find another bamboo farmer who knew what's happening with this unique "crop."
Wade Bennett, owner of Rockridge Orchards & Bamboo Grove in Enumclaw, Wash., understands bamboo because he's been growing different varieties since 1989.
Bennett says bamboo's popularity started growing in 1997 after a forest and timber conference held in Washington brought out a lot of "alternative lifestyle" people. Many were unprepared for the time and labor involved to grow bamboo. "Those who weren't professional farmers washed out. The people who knew how to grow things for a living succeeded, and succeeded fairly well," Bennett says.
He started growing bamboo because the Cambodian workers he employs said bamboo would be great for supporting newly growing trees in his pear orchard.
He now grows 5 1/2 acres of bamboo on his 40-acre farm east of Tacoma and Seattle. "I'm within 15 minutes of about 2 million people," he says.
Bamboo is a multipurpose plant that can be used for everything from food to furniture. It grows like grass but looks more like trees. "Any place that grass will grow well, most of the hardy temperate timber bamboos will grow," Bennett says. They're hardy to about 0 degrees but some varieties can handle 20 below zero degree temps.
Some bamboo grows as tall as a silo. "I've got bamboo here that grows up to 54 ft. tall. The big bamboo will also get as wide as someone's leg in dia.," he says.
But bamboo doesn't always grow that tall or wide. "The problem with bamboo is that it's very site and weather climate specific. What grows 50 ft. tall here in western Washington, might grow to 70 ft. tall in Oregon or 5 ft tall in Texas," Bennett says.
Bennett sells all parts of the bamboo plant. The shoots are served as a garnish in high-end five-star restaurants. He also sells it to some brokers for Asian grocery stores. The bench price for bamboo shoots is $2.50 per lb. It retails for between $5 and $6.
The poles and canes are sold to furniture makers. Prices for cane depends on dia., straightness and quality. A 4-in. dia. cane that's 12 ft. is worth about $45.
Small poles and scraps sell as stakes to hold up flowers and other plants. During the winter, the Bennetts sell new plants to mail order nursery houses. Depending on the species, they sell for about $35 and $100.
"The return on a bamboo grove is $15,000 to $18,000 wholesale per acre. We don't have to do any advertising at this point. Customers find us," he says.
Bamboo has very few insect or disease problems. The plants need irrigating during mid-summer because it's hot and wet during the summer where these plants are from. Other than that, they're pretty carefree.
Bamboo doesn't like salt fertilizers so farmers need to use a lot of organic materials to keep up its growth. It sprouts new canes every spring or summer and those canes, depending on the age of the grove, can grow a few inches per day to a few ft. per day. "We have a few Japanese varieties that are capable of topping out at 50 plus ft. in 30 days," he says.
Harvesting the shoots is done manually and is similar to harvesting asparagus. It's fairly labor intensive. Cutting the full-grown canes is more like cutting wood. Harvesting whole plants, on the other hand, is done with a back hoe.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rockridge Orchards & Bamboo Groves, 41127 - 212th Ave. SE, Enumclaw, Wash. 98022 (ph 360 825-1962). Or visit the Washington State University, Vancouver Research & Extension Center's website: http://agsyst.wsu.edu/bamboo.htm).
Washington Grower Makes A Profit Farming Bamboo 29-4-7 In 1997, FARM SHOW published a story about bamboo farming and an Oregon farmer trying to make a go of it (Vol. 21, No. 2). When he eventually got out of the business, we continued to get calls looking for more information. So we recently set out to find another bamboo farmer who knew what's happening with this unique "crop." Wade Bennett, owner of Rockridge Orchards & Bamboo Grove in Enumclaw, Wash., understands bamboo because he's been growing different varieties since 1989. Bennett says bamboo's popularity started growing in 1997 after a forest and timber conference held in Washington brought out a lot of "alternative lifestyle" people. Many were unprepared for the time and labor involved to grow bamboo. "Those who weren't professional farmers washed out. The people who knew how to grow things for a living succeeded, and succeeded fairly well," Bennett says. He started growing bamboo because the Cambodian workers he employs said bamboo would be great for supporting newly growing trees in his pear orchard. He now grows 5 1/2 acres of bamboo on his 40-acre farm east of Tacoma and Seattle. "I'm within 15 minutes of about 2 million people," he says. Bamboo is a multipurpose plant that can be used for everything from food to furniture. It grows like grass but looks more like trees. "Any place that grass will grow well, most of the hardy temperate timber bamboos will grow," Bennett says. They're hardy to about 0 degrees but some varieties can handle 20 below zero degree temps. Some bamboo grows as tall as a silo. "I've got bamboo here that grows up to 54 ft. tall. The big bamboo will also get as wide as someone's leg in dia.," he says. But bamboo doesn't always grow that tall or wide. "The problem with bamboo is that it's very site and weather climate specific. What grows 50 ft. tall here in western Washington, might grow to 70 ft. tall in Oregon or 5 ft tall in Texas," Bennett says. Bennett sells all parts of the bamboo plant. The shoots are served as a garnish in high-end five-star restaurants. He also sells it to some brokers for Asian grocery stores. The bench price for bamboo shoots is $2.50 per lb. It retails for between $5 and $6. The poles and canes are sold to furniture makers. Prices for cane depends on dia., straightness and quality. A 4-in. dia. cane that's 12 ft. is worth about $45. Small poles and scraps sell as stakes to hold up flowers and other plants. During the winter, the Bennetts sell new plants to mail order nursery houses. Depending on the species, they sell for about $35 and $100. "The return on a bamboo grove is $15,000 to $18,000 wholesale per acre. We don't have to do any advertising at this point. Customers find us," he says. Bamboo has very few insect or disease problems. The plants need irrigating during mid-summer because it's hot and wet during the summer where these plants are from. Other than that, they're pretty carefree. Bamboo doesn't like salt fertilizers so farmers need to use a lot of organic materials to keep up its growth. It sprouts new canes every spring or summer and those canes, depending on the age of the grove, can grow a few inches per day to a few ft. per day. "We have a few Japanese varieties that are capable of topping out at 50 plus ft. in 30 days," he says. Harvesting the shoots is done manually and is similar to harvesting asparagus. It's fairly labor intensive. Cutting the full-grown canes is more like cutting wood. Harvesting whole plants, on the other hand, is done with a back hoe. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rockridge Orchards & Bamboo Groves, 41127 - 212th Ave. SE, Enumclaw, Wash. 98022 (ph 360 825-1962). Or visit the Washington State University, Vancouver Research & Extension Center's website: http://agsyst.wsu.edu/bamboo.htm).
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World Cup 2019: Pakistan leave out Muhammad Aamir from WC squad
Published: April 18, 2019 6:39:56 PM
Mohammad Amir has been left out of Pakistan's World Cup squad but has been included in their squad for their pre-tournament series against England.
The selectors reposed confidence in seniors Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Hafeez. (ICC)
Pakistan Thursday left out experienced but out-of-form pacer Muhammad Aamir from its 15-member World Cup squad while including batsman Abid Ali in the line-up. Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, announcing the World Cup squad and two reserve players, said the 11 from the 2017 Champions Trophy had been retained in the selection process. “We are hopeful and confident that Pakistan will give a good account of itself in the World Cup,” Inzamam said.
Read | Off-form Hashim Amla makes South Africa World Cup squad
The selectors, while not showing faith with left-armer Aamir who has taken just five wickets in his last 14 ODIs since the Champions Trophy two years back, reposed confidence in seniors Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Hafeez. Inzamam said that Hafeez’s final inclusion in World Cup was subject to him being 100 per cent fit before the tournament as he is still recovering from a thumb injury. “Doctors have advised him not to bowl or bat now but when his rehab is over he will be back in action in two weeks time,” he added.
Also read | Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad
Inzamam said hard-hitting batsman Asif Ali and Aamir were in the reserves for the one-day series against England and the side matches before the World Cup.
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfaraz Ahmed (Capt), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Muhammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Junaid Khan, Muhammad Hasnain. Reserves: Asif Ali and Muhammad Aamir.
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'For Prim' - One More 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2' Trailer
A creature as unquenchable as the sun. Lionsgate has debuted one more trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, with the film only a few more months away from opening. This trailer is helping build the anticipation for the grand finale even further as it's a look back "For Prim" and comes with another new poster featuring Katniss with an actual Mockingjay on her shoulder. Oh boy. The grand finale features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Sam Claflin as Finnick, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Natalie Dormer as Cressida, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, and many others. The final countdown is on, and Lionsgate is making sure Katniss goes out with a bang, not a whimper. Ready?
The new "For Prim" trailer for Francis Lawrence's Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, via YouTube:
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is once again directed by Francis Lawrence and written by Peter Craig & Danny Strong. With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced before. Lionsgate will release this finale on November 20th.
Find more posts: Hype, To Watch, Trailer
Finally this nonsense is over.
Nash on Sep 16, 2015
"A creature as unquenchable as the sun." ??? WTF?! That is the stupidest thing I have ever read.
DAVIDPD on Sep 16, 2015
Knew I wasn't the only who thought so lol
III on Sep 16, 2015
Terrible, terrible trailer. That was really, really bad. Seriously. Really, really bad trailer.
Wannabe on Sep 17, 2015
I think it's more geared toward the readers of the books. If you've read the books, you insanely get the video.
Lar Rackell on Sep 17, 2015
Enjoyed the first one, liked the second even more, then saw the third. . .
BNN667 on Sep 18, 2015
https://starwarsanon.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/obi-wan-scream1.jpg
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An Outlet of Expression
Flagrant Agenda is a Singapore-based, street fashion label that designs apparels with a contemporary and urban overtone with a strong focus on graphics and illustrations. Flagrant Agenda also serves as an outlet to express ourselves on issues we feel strongly about.
A Repository of Our Influences
We are influenced by issues related to our surroundings, the environments we grew up in, what we encounter in our everyday lives and the society at large. These influences in turn strongly guided the themes that appear in our apparels.
A Channel for Understanding
We seek to understand how people who grew up and live in different cultures, specifically the artists and designers that we work with, interpret these themes and hope that by doing so, allows us to gain insights into similarities and differences in the way how people think.
An Instrument for Change
We hope to trigger people’s curiosity to find out more about the themes behind our apparels and inspire them to engage in conversations on and ponder more deeply about the issues influenced by these themes.
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/ Live news
Israel opposition in dramatic split ahead of election
Labour party leader Avi Gabbay has dramatically split Israel's centre-left opposition ahead of an April 9 general election, breaking with veteran politician Tzipi Livni as their alliance languishes in the polls AFP/File
Jerusalem (AFP)
Israel's centre-left opposition dramatically split on Tuesday ahead of an April 9 election, with leader Avi Gabbay announcing he would no longer partner with veteran politician Tzipi Livni as she sat stone-faced next to him.
The announcement means the end of their Zionist Union alliance, which finished with the second most seats in the last general election in 2015 but which has since tumbled far in opinion polls.
Zionist Union included Gabbay's Labour party and Livni's Hatnuah.
It won 24 out of 120 seats in 2015, behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud, which won 30.
Since Gabbay took over as head of Labour in 2017, his partnership with Livni had been uneasy and it was unclear if the alliance would continue for the election.
He inherited the partnership from the previous Labour leader, Isaac Herzog.
"I still believe in partnership, in connections, in uniting a large camp committed to change, but successful connections necessitate friendship, upholding agreements and commitment to a course," Gabbay told a meeting of Zionist Union parliament members.
"That didn?t happen in this partnership," he said, adding that he believed voters agreed.
Livni approached the podium immediately afterwards and said tersely she would take time to reflect on Gabbay's announcement before responding. It was unclear if she was given advance notice.
In a statement shortly after Gabbay's announcement, Livni said it was "good that the doubts had been cleared," vowing to focus on winning the upcoming poll.
Gabbay's decision is the latest realignment ahead of the election and more are expected.
On Saturday, two right-wing ministers, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, announced they were splitting from their Jewish Home party to form a new one that they hope will attract a mixture of secular and religious voters.
A popular former armed forces chief of staff, Benny Gantz, has also signalled his intention to run by forming a new centrist party.
Polls show Netanyahu is likely to remain prime minister after the elections despite corruption allegations against him.
The attorney general is expected to announce his decision on whether to charge Netanyahu in the coming months. The premier would not be required to step down if indicted.
Netanyahu currently leads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israel's history and says he would like to have a similar coalition after elections.
"I won?t intervene in how the left divides its votes," he said in a statement after Gabbay's announcement.
"What?s important to me is that the right forms the next government too, and continues to lead Israel."
? 2019 AFP
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Great Philly Comic-Con 2019: Welcome To My Nerdmare With Alice Cooper
By Dr. Zaius | @ | April 23rd, 2019 at 3:00 pm
The Great Philadelphia Comic-Con was a place for geeks of all sorts. Living up to their motto, “Get Ur Geek On,” the con had guests covering all genres of the entertainment world including horror, sci-fi, animation, video games, cosplay and music. Fitting in perfectly amongst the multiverse of geekdom is Alice Cooper, a genuine rock icon going on fifty years in the business. Along with his near 30 albums and countless hits, Cooper is also a bonafide crossover star. The rocker, now 71 years old, earned a bevy of younger fans when he appeared on the Muppet Show in 1978. He appeared multiple times on Johnny Carson, before making a scene-stealing appearance in 1992’s Wayne’s World. It was there I first heard his music and I was hypnotized. He currently has two tours going: one with his main band and another with the Hollywood Vampires, a supergroup along with Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and members of Guns n’ Roses. On Saturday afternoon, April 13th, Cooper had a Q&A panel, entitled “Welcome to my Nerdmare,” answering questions about his career in music and entertainment.
Strolling out to shouts of “We’re not worthy,” Cooper certainly still controls a room. The moderator jumped right in with questions, and then we got to ask one too.
Topics: Conventions, Music, News
Tags: Alice Cooper, Great Philadelphia Comic Con, Philly Comic-Con, PHLCC
Great Philadelphia Comic Con 2019 Interview: Jeffrey Combs of ‘Re-Animator’ Fame
By Dr. Zaius | @ | April 16th, 2019 at 6:30 pm
This past weekend, The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center hosted 3 days of geek craziness at the Great Philadelphia Comic Con. The Con’s motto is “Get Ur Geek On” and fans poured in to meet celebrity guests, take in four panel rooms worth of Q&A discussions, weekend-long gaming tournaments, cosplay, and more. One of the celebrities I was most interested in meeting was Jeffrey Combs. A veteran character actor with over 130 credits to his name on IMDb, Combs was there in between co-stars from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jake Busey from Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners. While many know him from his classic role as Dr. Herbest West in Re-Animator (1985), Combs has been performing as Edgar Allan Poe in a one-man show for a decade. I was able to speak with him about the convention, his career, and his upcoming work. I totally got my geek on!
Topics: Conventions, Features, Interviews, Movies
Tags: Great Philadelphia Comic Con, Jeffrey Combs, Nevermore, Philly Comic-Con, Re-Animator, Sleepy Hollow Film Festival
PHLCC 2019: Great Philadelphia Comic Con Is THIS Weekend!
By Dr. Zaius | @ | April 11th, 2019 at 10:00 am
Rocky once famously ran through the city of Brotherly Love training for the fight of his life. This coming weekend the geeks will be running to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center for the Great Philadelphia Comic Con. Beginning Friday afternoon, April 12th at 1:00 PM, the convention is three days of celebrating comics and pop-culture for fans of all ages. The Con’s motto is “Get UR Geek On!” and whether you are into comics, movies, anime, cosplay, or all of the above, you can bet you’ll find something to entertain you in Philly besides a good cheesesteak.
Tags: Alice Cooper, Great Philadelphia Comic Con, PHLCC, SyFy, The Expanse
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US human trafficking report a farce, says Santiago
Robin Augustin
PETALING JAYA: A DAP MP has criticised the United States’ Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report following Malaysia’s improved rating for the second consecutive year although no significant action has been taken since the discovery of human trafficking camps and mass graves near the Malaysia-Thailand border two years ago.
In the recently released 2017 TIP report, Malaysia was upgraded from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2.
Last year, Malaysia was upgraded to the Tier 2 Watch List from Tier 3, at a time when the US was pushing the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that would have included Malaysia and 10 other countries.
Speaking to FMT, Charles Santiago said the TIP report has become a farce driven by political objectives.
He said it was a “major disservice” to the fight against human trafficking.
“It has been two years since the discovery of the migrant camps and mass graves in Wang Kelian in Perlis, yet no Malaysian nationals have been convicted and the report acknowledges this,” added the Klang MP.
Santiago was referring to the discovery of a jungle camp used by human traffickers where the graves of 139 victims, believed to be ethnic Rohingyas from Myanmar, were found near Wang Kelian.
The 2017 TIP report noted that the discovery “fuelled” reports that corrupt officials facilitated migrant smuggling, yet no Malaysian nationals had been convicted for the crime.
Then, locals told the media that they were used to seeing “starving” migrants in the area.
Following the discovery, 12 policemen were arrested for their alleged involvement in human trafficking but were later released due to a lack of “strong evidence”.
“The TIP report acknowledges how law enforcement officials have been complicit in human trafficking activities and how such officials have hampered anti-trafficking efforts, yet the US saw it fit to upgrade Malaysia to Tier 2.
“The basis for Malaysia’s upgrade clearly lacks credibility. I can understand if the government has done something significant about the Wang Kelian incident.
“It was the biggest discovery of mass graves in the country in recent years yet not one Malaysian enforcement personnel has been brought to court.”
Santiago said the US’ “glossing over” of human trafficking in Malaysia showed it wanted to please Putrajaya.
He also cited Malaysia’s upgrade in the 2016 TIP report, saying it was then clearly politically motivated due to the TPPA being promoted by the Barack Obama administration.
Lower standards
“Malaysia couldn’t be a part of the TPPA if it was still on Tier 3, so we can see how it was politically motivated.
“Now under the administration of US President Donald Trump, it appears as though the US just isn’t as committed to combatting human trafficking like before because the standards have dropped and this unfortunately sends out the wrong message to governments.”
Santiago said with lower standards, governments like that of Malaysia which had not done enough to eliminate human trafficking might feel they have done enough.
“If you look at the 2017 TIP report, you’ll see that it notes the government’s conviction of 17 employers for the ‘unauthorised retention of passports’ compared to zero during the previous years,” he said.
He said though there were no statistics on the number of foreigners who were not allowed to keep their passports, the conviction of the 17 was likely just a “drop in the ocean”.
This could be proven by “going to the ground” to ask foreign workers if they were allowed to hold onto their passports, he added.
The US State Department, which produced the TIP report, noted that the majority of trafficking victims were among the documented and undocumented migrant workers in the country.
Many migrant workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, India and Myanmar seek better economic opportunities in Malaysia. There are also large numbers of Rohingya refugees in the country.
According to the Human Resources Ministry, there are some two million registered migrant workers in the country, while the Malaysian Employers Federation estimates there are six million legal and illegal foreign workers.
“Migrant workers must be allowed to hold their passports. If not, it is forced labour.
“Anecdotal examples like the conviction of the 17 employers cannot be used to justify Malaysia’s upgrade when there are glaring examples on how we’ve failed to tackle human trafficking.
“The US should just suspend the TIP report unless it is really serious about combatting human trafficking or else the TIP report will only lead to lower standards and make the problem worse.”
Recently, on the anniversary of the Wang Kelian incident, human rights organisation Tenaganita asked the government to specify what action had been taken against the alleged perpetrators.
“There seems to be no transparency on the arrests, investigations and prosecutions.
“We know a few foreign nationals were charged for their involvement in the trafficking of the victims,” said Tenaganita executive director Glorene Das, but she questioned why no one in authority had been held accountable over the incident.
Charles Santiago
TIP Report
Wang Kelian
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Soil and Groundwater Remediation
Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
Methane Assessments / Mitigation
Asbestos-Related Service
Free Product Recovery and Removal
Groundwater Monitoring and Sampling
Subsurface Investigations
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Modeling
Environmental Compliance Management
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
FREY will perform the tasks required for a Phase I ESA “All Appropriate Inquiry” in order to identify any “recognized environmental conditions” at the Site. These tasks include, but are not limited to:
Conduct a Site inspection. The Site inspection will include a visual inspection of the Site and review of properties which bound the Site.
Photograph the Site and the properties which bound the Site;
Interview a person knowledgeable about the Site’s history of operations;
Completion of a questionnaire by a person knowledgeable of the Site’s history of operations.
Review and copy files for the Site maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Environmental Health Division;
Review building permits and files maintained by the local building department;
Review of records for the Site on file at the local fire department;
Review aerial photographs for the Site and surrounding Sites. FREY will obtain aerial photographs as part of the standard due diligence package Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR). In addition, FREY will obtain additional aerials photographs from Continental Aerial Photographs;
Review of Sanborn fire insurance maps, an environmental lien report, and reverse phone directories;
Review of a government agency database report specifically prepared for the Site by EDR.
Prepare a comprehensive report summarizing the findings of the information presented above. The report will document all recognized environmental conditions (REC) and detail the rationale for each item classified as a REC.
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA): An Environmental Review of Site History
The information collected will be evaluated and interpreted in context with the existing on-Site conditions. The final report will meet or exceed the standards set forth in the EPA “Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries and ASTM E1527-13, Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.” FREY will meet with the clients to discuss site specific investigation needs and the approach to meet the long term goals for the site. Following the conclusion of the meeting, a FREY staff member will be assigned to manage the project from start to finish. Available documents will be reviewed and developed into a background section for subsequent reports and to assist development of a remedial investigation plan.
The objectives of the scope of work described below is to assess past and present land use practices, site conditions, and identify the potential presence of hazardous substances in the soil and groundwater beneath the Site, pursuant to the processes described in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) guidelines and the “All Appropriate Inquiries” rule promulgated by the EPA.
Examples of FREY’s Environmental Consulting Services
FREY was retained to conduct a Phase I ESA for a property located in North Hollywood. The site consisted of a single story building operating as a car rental facility. FREY identified two RECs as a result of the assessment. Additionally, FREY identified two (2) off-site controlled recognized environmental conditions (cRECs) based on significant amounts of environmental investigation and remediation conducted on nearby properties and an off-Site REC that could be a source of vapor encroachment.
FREY was retained to conduct a Phase I ESA for a property located in San Diego, California. The site consisted of different addresses and several buildings. FREY identified several RECs at the site. FREY also identified chemicals stored at the site as potential RECs that could pose a threat of the property. Off-site RECs that were identified included a auto body and paint shop and a dry cleaner business historically located at neighboring properties. FREY recommended the conduct of an additional soil vapor survey at the site to assess if volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the off-site RECs have impacted the site
Under an As-Needed Environmental Site Assessment contract with the Community Development Commission of the County of Los Angeles (LACCDC), FREY was selected to conduct a Phase I ESA for the properties in Los Angeles, California. Based on FREY’s assessment, it was identified that the site was reportedly used periodically as an illegal dumping ground for construction debris. These identified items were considered RECs and FREY recommended conduct of a Phase II Site assessment.
Since it’s incorporation in 1989, FREY has provided quality professional consulting, engineering and construction services directed towards compliance and mitigation of environmental cases. Call us at (949) 723 1645
FREY Environmental Inc
2817 Lafayette Ave A, Newport Beach, CA 92663
freyinc@freyinc.com
www.freyinc.com
2018 © Copyright, FREY Environmental Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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GOC President commends government for AAG feat
Sports News of Monday, 29 October 2018
Source: thefinderonline.com
Ben Nunoo Mensah, President of Ghana Olympic Committee
President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah, has commended government on their commitment in ensuring Ghana won the hosting rights for the 2023 All Africa Games (AAG).
A powerful delegation, led by Magnus Rex Danquah, was tasked to put together a bidding document which was used to ensure that Ghana secured the rights.
According to the GOC boss, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) deserved commendation for the success chalked and assured them of his outfit’s support for the country to host a better competition.
He said Ghana’s decision to host the All African Games begun from the previous government and, therefore, paid tribute to them for taking the initiative to do so.
Ghana was last Wednesday confirmed as the host of the 2023 multi-sport event which would also be a qualifying event for the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France.
“Egypt was the biggest threat to Ghana winning the bid but the ministry’s delegation put up a good bid to secure the rights for the country,” he mentioned.
For the first time in the history of the Games, three cities, Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast have been selected as host cities for the games.
This will be the first time Ghana will be hosting the competition and will join the likes of Congo Brazzaville, Mali, Nigeria, Algeria, Kenya, Egypt, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique as the only countries to have hosted the event.
Egypt remains the most successful country in the All-Africa Games having won 1,362 medals in total.
Morocco will host the upcoming edition next year
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Grocery Leadership
Psychobrary
RANKINGS/
SJK/
Psychobrary/
low-fi reviews of new and old literary novels
Lake Success
September 21, 2018 / Stephen Kosloff
By Gary Shteyngart
Good Reads Rating: 3.68 out of 5
GL Rating: 6 out of 11
I picked up Lake Success with modest expectations, based on my recollections of Absurdistan, which I either put down without finishing or finished with ambivalence. I wanted to have a crack at Shteyngart’s latest to see how it fared relative to his earlier work.
Lake Success traces travails of a hedge-fund owner, Barry Cohen, and his family as they struggle with Barry’s legal problems and their son’s medical issues.
TLDR: Better than “OK,” but somewhat short of “good.” Lake Success has an aggressively middle-brow sensibility. it’s not a daring or inventive work. To its credit, it is competent, occasionally moving, and consistently entertaining; a picaresque page-turner guilty pleasure that I inhaled in four days.
Part of the allure stems from the book’s gossipy, voyeuristic qualities. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of high-end lives in New York’s high-end apartments are fluent, credible, and titillating.
LS also should be commended for sifting through the complexities of race and identity without stepping in the proverbial dog crap. The cast of characters reflects the city’s and the country’s diversity, and Shteyngart clearly did the homework writers need to do if they are writing across cultures.
I can also reveal that Success makes very good use of a group of German tourists and has a pretty inspired sex scene.
Success repeatedly points to other novels, particularly Gatsby, On The Road, and The Sun Also Rises. Other than attempting to situate his tale in a broader context, I’m not entirely sure what the objective was, but it felt belabored. LS perhaps makes more subtle references to The Odyssey, via frequent mentions of a one-eyed Mexican passenger on a bus and a well-stocked cave (an ex-employee’s dope crib in Atlanta). Although who knows, maybe sometimes a one-eyed Mexican passenger is just a one-eyed Mexican passenger.
Lake Success suffers from several deficiencies. First, Shteyngart is not a first-rate noticer of details, nor is he a visual writer. Descriptions of places and physical settings are functional, not inspired. The narrative itself, as mentioned above, is very conventional, which is fine if you don’t mind a story that doesn’t take chances with the form. Regarding character development, as with acting, good characters in literature are believable; great characters are both believable and full of surprises. The characters in Success fall into the former category.
There is also a vaguely superficial and disposable quality to the book; the protagonist’s emotional and spatial journeys feel like a bit of a lark. He’s a teflon, Peter Pan-esque figure.
The book was written shortly after a number of the 2016 campaign events it depicts. Success draws liberally on the particulars of the 2016 presidential race: 538.com, Pepe the Frog, Marco Rubio, etc. The political component, however, feels a bit like window-dressing.
The challenge with that kind of proximity to the events at hand is that you write without much perspective on them, and you run the risk of producing a book that feels dated 10 years later. Trump’s victory does play into the story, but maybe it’s nibbling at the edges too much when it should have been more central.
September 21, 2018 / Stephen Kosloff/ Comment
Stephen Kosloff
The Third Hotel
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GrowthiQ
IFRS: a route to growth
Although some see International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as a regulatory burden, the evidence suggests that global standards actually oil and accelerate the wheels of global economic growth.
Ten years ago, one-third of revenue at Indian technology business Rolta came from overseas, while two-thirds was generated in its home market. Today, that ratio has reversed, making Rolta (a Grant Thornton client) a truly international company.
Group CFO Hiranya Ashar says that the growth can be attributed partly to Rolta’s voluntary adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in 2005. “We acquired many companies, mostly in Europe and the US, and for those acquisitions we needed capital,” he explains. “IFRS helped us get the right kind of capital from the international markets.”
Rolta, and many other mid-sized listed companies like it, are finding out what larger public firms have long known – that IFRS oils and accelerates the wheels of cross-border trade and investment.
A recent report from the ICAEW, The Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption in the EU: A Review of Empirical Research, concluded that introducing IFRS in Europe probably helped to reduce the cost of finance on the EU capital markets, and increase cross-border investment and investment efficiency.
Why, then, do many still consider IFRS to be a regulatory burden?
Avoid the immaterial
There has always been a discrepancy between investors who want more disclosure to aid them in their investment decisions and companies that say enough is enough. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), which is responsible for setting IFRS rules, aims to balance these tensions. Nonetheless, recent years have seen a steady increase in disclosures – perhaps to the point of overload. This trend has undoubtedly added to the perception of regulatory burden. However, many listed firms are starting to push that tide back by taking a fresh look at what information is truly material.
There is no doubt IFRS provides a more detailed framework for the communication of financial information than most of the national accounting frameworks that it’s replaced. But companies have never been required to provide every piece of information specified by the standards. Some details simply might not be relevant – there’s no need to disclose information about a stock-based compensation scheme if you haven’t got one or if it’s immaterial. Later this year the IASB will publish draft guidance aimed at helping companies apply the concept of materiality to decide what information should be disclosed and what can be omitted.
Communication is the new focus
Once companies understand this and use the standards accordingly, the effectiveness of IFRS-based financial statements as a communication to investors is greatly enhanced. Effective communication using a financial reporting language that is understood worldwide then opens up significant growth opportunities. This is particularly the case for mid-sized businesses with ambitions to grow via global expansion. If this is you, at some point you’re likely to list on a stock market and seek funding from international as well domestic investors.
IFRS also brings other advantages compared to a proliferation of national accounting rules: multinationals don’t have to follow different accounting rules in subsidiary countries and investors can more easily carry out due diligence on overseas or multinational investment targets.
When adopting IFRS, the level of transparency required can seem daunting. The main points to be aware of are that, compared to local Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP), IFRS rules will be new and different, there will be more of them, more information will need to be gathered and this will require more complex calculations and evaluations. Proper planning is the key to successful adoption.
At Rolta, it took Ashar and his team six months to prepare the first set of IFRS financials. “We had to understand each and every difference between Indian GAAP and IFRS, understand the implications on our results and ensure the financials would make sense to international investors,” says Ashar.
For the initial years of reporting under IFRS, profits were lower than under Indian GAAP. This eventually evened out and then reversed, but during the transition Ashar says it was crucial to show a clear reconciliation between the IFRS and Indian GAAP financials so that investors could understand how those differences might affect Rolta’s medium- and long-term financials.
“Understand what the surprises are going to be and prepare stakeholders, including management and investors, so that they don’t come as a shock. That requires proactive communication,” says Ashar.
Rolta successfully raised $90 million from overseas investors after publishing its first set of IFRS financials and Ashar says that, since then, the increased disclosure and transparency IFRS demands has improved the company’s access to capital markets. That has allowed it to realise its continuing growth ambitions.
Integrating the financials and non-financials
Taking a fresh look at materiality to sift out unnecessary disclosures is a key tool to make IFRS-based financial statements more effective in communicating what matters. But many larger listed firms are going further: having eliminated immaterial information they are re-engineering how the important information is conveyed, all within the IFRS framework. We're in a period of innovation and different companies are taking different approaches. But common themes include: grouping related information together, improving how information is signposted and relegating necessary but less significant disclosures to an appendix.
Of course, IFRS addresses only financial information. Corporate reporting has traditionally been bracketed into financial and non-financial silos, but the advent of integrated reporting (IR) is now challenging this paradigm. IR results in a very different kind of annual report. Integrated annual reports address how a business has generated (and plans to generate) value in the short, medium and long term using not only financial capital but human, environmental and social capital too. 57% of business leaders now see IR as best practice, up from 44% just three years ago.
Interserve, a FTSE 250-listed support services and construction company (and Grant Thornton client), has been piloting IR for the past two years.
Group CFO Tim Haywood says IR allows Interserve to eliminate the immaterial and give more prominence to non-financial aspects of the business that might not have made it into the annual report in the past.
“With integrated reporting, we have a better story coming out and we have been able to focus readers’ minds on what’s important – the big risks, the big strategic issues,” says Haywood. “We still need to include a lot of disclosure required under IFRS but we might be able to cut back on that as we get more confident with integrated reporting.”
Haywood believes IR sends out a message that investors will find compelling.
“It says that we’re an organisation that values more than money. And that we believe that our community, social and environmental impact are important strategically to how we become a successful and sustainable business,” he says.
While larger firms are leading the way on IR, it is just as relevant for mid-sized businesses.
Potential investors want to know not only about a business’s financial position, but also about its track record, future potential, management team and the idea behind the entire venture. IR helps to communicate this story in a coherent and cohesive way.
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US warns China meddling in Hong Kong hurting business confidence
US-China trade officials speak at the conference. File Photo
HONG KONG: The United States warned in a report on Friday that increased meddling from China in Hong Kong had adversely impacted the city, straining international business confidence in the Asian financial hub.
The US State Department report cited incidents such as the expulsion of Financial Times editor Victor Mallet, the banning of a pro-independence political party, the jailing of young democracy activists and barring people from local elections.
The city is now also seeking to amend laws to allow individuals to be extradited to mainland China, despite grave human rights concerns towards Beijing.
“The tempo of mainland central government intervention in Hong Kong affairs — and actions by the Hong Kong government consistent with mainland direction — increased, accelerating negative trends seen in previous periods,” the US State Department said in its 2019 report on the Hong Kong Policy Act.
“Growing political restrictions in Hong Kong may be straining the confidence of the international business community.”
The 1992 US-Hong Kong policy act allows Washington to engage with Hong Kong as a non-sovereign entity distinct from China on matters of trade and economics.
The areas of special treatment for Hong Kong are fairly broad and now include visas, law enforcement including extraditions, and investment.
“Policies and practices of the mainland central government adversely impacted Hong Kong in multiple areas, and mainland pressure resulted in new constraints on Hong Kong's political space,” the report said.
“In some particularly concerning instances, Hong Kong authorities took actions aligned with mainland priorities at the expense of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
The continuation of the US Congress enacted policy is predicated upon China and Hong Kong maintaining a so-called “one country, two systems” arrangement.
This mode of governance, that came into effect after Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997, grants the city a high degree of autonomy, the rule of law and freedoms not allowed under the Communist China controlled mainland.
Some critics, including pro-independence activist Andy Chan, have called on the US to review the viability of this act in future, given China's tightening grip on the city's freedoms.
Hong Kong, which has long acted as a leading re-export and entrepot hub for US-China trade, has largely escaped the brunt of current US-China trade tensions, given its special status as a separate customs entity.
Should the policy act be reviewed, however, the economic impact could be much larger, say observers.
In 2018, the United States' largest worldwide bilateral trade-in-goods surplus was with Hong Kong, at $25.9 billion, the report noted.
The US Consul General in Hong Kong Kurt Tong in February expressed concerns about Hong Kong's autonomy, noting erosions to the “one-country, two systems” formula.
Italy signs contested Belt and Road accord with China
Italy on Saturday became the first member of the Group of Seven industrialised powers to endorse China's "Belt and Road" infrastructure project, with Rome brushing off the worries of Western allies as it looks to revive its flagging economy.
American free-market capitalism: Don’t underestimate the potential of this factor
American free-market capitalism has generated the greatest economic growth that the world has ever seen. At the core of its brilliance is its ability to create incentives to produce solutions to problems and to distribute those solutions worldwide. In doing so, it has paved the way for tremendous gains in efficiency and productivity while lifting millions of people out of poverty.
US envoy to Afghanistan to brief counterparts on peace effort
The US special representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, will meet with Chinese, Russian and European Union diplomats on Afghanistan on Thursday as he tries to forge a peace deal with the Taliban to bring an end to America’s longest war.
Xi, Macron hold talks as France seeks EU unity on China
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron were due to hold talks in Paris on Monday with the host leader seeking to forge a united European front to contend with Beijing’s advances.
Indian economy marches towards $5tr
Indian economy is likely to swell to $5 trillion mark ahead of its target of 2024 despite huge challenges and global trends. This was stated by T.N. Manoharan, non-executive chairman of India’s Canara Bank recently in Dubai,
UAE stands 1st and 2nd globally in 47 competitiveness indexes
In 2018, the UAE occupied the first and second positions internationally in 47 competitiveness indexes covering around 13 development sectors, reflecting its efforts to achieve comprehensive development and the UAE 2021 Vision.
DLD strengthens ties with RAK government entities
Dubai Land Department (DLD) signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Ras Al Khaimah International Corporate Centre (RAKICC) and with Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ)
SCCI and Sharjah Expo discuss economic cooperation with Uganda
Sharjah and Uganda have discussed prospects of cooperation and ways to further boost their bilateral relations in the economic and investment sector.
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We’re coming to Compton in August 2019! We are building the first innovation center in Compton to expose 25,000+ students from the Compton Unified School District to career pathways in S.T.E.A.M. and launch the first incubator for local Compton entrepreneurs. Our center at Centennial High School will feature a makerspace, mixed-reality lab, coworking space, and art studio.
We work with schools and municipalities to expose community stakeholders to career pathways in S.T.E.A.M. and entrepreneurship. We organize workshops, hackathons, and summits year-round where Hacker Fund members can access mentors and learn trade, technology, and business-development skills.
incubator program
We operate our incubator year-round, providing our members with technical mentorship, access to funding, prototyping tools, and work space. We act as a fiscal sponsor for our members who are building projects that help the disadvantaged, educate the broader community, and protect the environment.
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Caleb Orozco v. Attorney General of Belize
Country: Belize
Court: Supreme Court of Belize
Citation: Claim 668 of 2010
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Mental health, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of expression, Right to health, Right to privacy
The Claimant, Caleb Orozco, a citizen of Belize was a homosexual male and a health educator. In the Supreme Court of Belize, he challenged the constitutional validity of Section 53 of the Belize Criminal Code to the extent that it criminalized anal sex between two consenting male adults. Section 53 of the Criminal Code stated …Read more
Tags: Access to health care, Access to treatment, AIDS, Assault, Buggery, Bullying, Counselling, Depression, Diagnostics, Gay, Hazing, HIV, HIV positive, HIV status, Homosexual, Lesbian, LGBTI, Molestation, Most-at-risk, Non-disclosure, People living with HIV/ AIDS, PLHIV, Queer, Rape, Secrecy, Sexual abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual orientation, Sexual violence, Sexually transmitted diseases, Sodomy, STDs, STIs, Transmission, Trauma
Obergefell v. Hodges
Citation: 576 U.S. ____ (2015); 135 S. Ct. 2584
Health Topics: Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to family life, Right to privacy
The petitioners were same-sex couples from various U.S. states who challenged the constitutionality of bans on same-sex marriage in those states. They claimed that the bans violated the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Due Process Clause protects individuals from the arbitrary denial of life, …Read more
Tags: Bisexual, Domestic partnership, Gay, Homosexual, Lesbian, LGBTI, Queer, Sexual orientation, Transgender
Case of Angel Alberto Duque (Report on the merits)
Court: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Citation: Report No. 5/14
Health Topics: Health care and health services, Health systems and financing, HIV/AIDS, Medicines, Poverty, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to health, Right to life, Right to social security
Duque and his same-sex partner lived together as a couple for over ten years, until his partner died from AIDS. Four years prior to the death, Duque was diagnosed with HIV and was being treated under support from his partner. When his partner died, Duque asked the COLFONDOS (the pension service) to ask what requirements …Read more
Tags: Access to health care, Access to medicines, Access to treatment, AIDS, Antiretrovirals, ARVs, Domestic partnership, Gay, Health expenditures, Health funding, Health spending, HIV, HIV positive, Homosexual, LGBTI, Low income, Out-of-pocket expenditures, People living with HIV/AIDS, PLHIV, Poor, Queer, Sexual orientation, Social security
Download Judgment: English Spanish
Rhoades v. Iowa
Court: Supreme Court of Iowa
Citation: No. 12-0180
Health Topics: Health information, HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial
Rhoades was diagnosed with HIV in 1998 and began receiving treatment for the disease from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics every three to six months beginning in 2005. In 2008, Rhoades was informed that his viral load was non-detectible. Later that year, he met A.P. on a social networking cite that listed Rhoades …Read more
Tags: Buggery, Condoms, Disclosure, Gay, HIV, HIV positive, HIV status, Homosexual, Non-disclosure, People living with HIV/AIDS, PLHIV, Sexually transmitted diseases, Sexually transmitted infections, Sodomy, STDs, STIs, Transmission
Suresh Kumar Koushal and another v. Naz Foundation and others
Citation: Civil Appeal No. 10972 of 2013
Health Topics: HIV/AIDS, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to bodily integrity, Right to life, Right to privacy
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (the Section) penalized voluntary “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” and described them as “unnatural offences.” An offence under this Section was non-bailable and carried a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Naz Foundation, the Petitioner, was an NGO working in …Read more
Tags: AIDS, Bisexual, Buggery, Criminalization, Gay, Gender identity, HIV, Homosexual, Law enforcement, Lesbian, LGBTI, Sexual orientation, Sodomy, Transgender
Tomlinson v. Belize and Trinidad & Tobago
Country: Belize, Trinidad and Tobago
Court: Caribbean Court of Justice
Citation: Tomlinson v. Belize and Trindad & Tobago, CCJ (2013); CCJ Application No. OA 2 of 2013
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom of movement and residence
The petitioner was a homosexual man and an LGBT activist who had traveled to Belize and Trinidad and Tobago; he had never been denied entry into either state. When he learned that section 5 of the Belize Immigration Act and section 8 of the Trinidad and Tobago prohibited homosexuals, prostitutes, or any person who living …Read more
Tags: Gay, Homosexual, Immigration, LGBTI, Migrants, Queer, Sexual orientation
Tan Eng Hong v. Attorney-General
Country: Singapore
Court: Court of Appeal
Citation: [2012] SGCA 45
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination
Tan and another man were arrested for engaging in oral sex in a public bathroom. They were charged under section 377A for the commission of an act of gross indecency with another male person. Tan’s attorney argued that section 377A was inconsistent with Article 9 of the Singapore Constitution. Soon after, the Prosecution amended the …Read more
Tags: Buggery, Gay, Homosexual, LGBTI, Queer, Sexual orientation, Sodomy
Allpass v. Mooikloof Estates (Pty) Ltd.
Court: Labour Court of South Africa
Citation: Case No. JS178/09; [2011] ZALCJHB 7; 2011 (2) SA 638 (LC); [2011] 5 BLLR 462 (LC); (2011) 32 ILJ 1637 (LC)
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Health information, HIV/AIDS, Medicines, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to privacy
The Applicant, Allpass, was hired as a stable yard manager and horse-riding instructor for the Respondent, Mooikloof Estates. He had 27 years of experience in horse riding, instructing and stable yard management. At the time of his hiring, the Applicant had been living with HIV for 17 years and was in a same-sex civil union. …Read more
Tags: Antiretrovirals, ARVs, Asthma, Disclosure, Gay, HIV, HIV positive, HIV status, Homosexual, LGBTI, People living with HIV/AIDS, PLHIV, Sexual orientation
Kozak v. Poland
Citation: App. No. 13102/02, Eur. Ct. H.R. (2010).
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to housing
A homosexual man claimed that his sexual orientation had been the single ground on which Polish courts had denied him the right to succeed to the tenancy of a flat in which he had lived with his partner. The applicant believed he had been refused the status of a person who had remained in actual …Read more
Tags: Gay, Homosexual, LGBTI, Queer, Sexual orientation
Download Judgment: English Polish
Naz Foundation v. Government of NCT of Delhi, et al.
Court: High Court - Delhi
Citation: (2009) DLT 27
Health Topics: HIV/AIDS, Infectious diseases, Sexual and reproductive health
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to privacy
Overruled by Suresh Kumar Koushal and Anor. v. Naz Foundation and Ors. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (the Section) penalized voluntary “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” and described them as “unnatural offences.” An offence under this Section was non-bailable and carried a maximum punishment of …Read more
Tags: Condoms, Criminalization, Gay, Gender identity, Homosexual, Injecting drug users, Lesbian, LGBTI, Queer, Sexual orientation, Sexually transmitted diseases, Sexually transmitted infections, Sodomy, STDs, STIs
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Six months of the Obama administration
By Joe Kishore
Global Research, July 21, 2009
World Socialist Web Site 21 July 2009
Theme: Crimes against Humanity, Global Economy, US NATO War Agenda
Six months ago yesterday, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States.
The election of Obama represented a popular repudiation of the Bush administration and its domestic and foreign policies. The principal slogan of Obama—“change you can believe in”—struck a chord with a population fed up with eight years of war and single-minded focus on the interests of the corporate elite.
Obama’s persona and individual history symbolized, for broad sections of the working class and youth, this desire for change. The fact that Obama would be the first African-American president was seen by many as reason to believe he would instinctively sympathize with the poor and oppressed. In any case, it was thought, he would be very different from what had come before.
What evaluation can be made in light of six months’ experience? The facts speak for themselves. On every critical issue, Obama—presiding over substantial Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress—has continued the basic policy of his predecessor.
The direction of the administration on military policy was signaled early on. On January 23, three days after his inauguration, Obama ordered missile strikes by unmanned Predator drones on a location inside Pakistan, killing 18 people. With this initial blood on his hands, Obama proceeded apace.
The war in Afghanistan is now definitively “Obama’s war.” Under his watch, the US has set in motion a doubling of its forces, from 32,000 to 68,000, and is presently carrying out a major operation to wipe out popular opposition in the south. At least 30 US soldiers and 25 NATO troops have died so far this month, making July the deadliest month to date for occupation forces.
With Obama, however, the operation has become the “AfPak” war. US missile strikes within Pakistan, often killing dozens of Pakistani civilians, have become a regular occurrence. The administration has pressured Pakistan to carry out its own offensive in its northwestern territories, resulting in hundreds of thousands of refugees and massive causalities.
The occupation of Iraq continues. The drawback of US forces from the cities does not herald an end to US military involvement in the country. Some 130,000 troops remain in what amounts to permanent military bases outside the cities, and the administration has begun the process of relabeling troops as “advisors.” In the event that the fragile political situation breaks down, the US military will intervene with full force.
Economic and social policy
On domestic policy, Obama’s overriding concern has been to defend the wealth of the most powerful sections of the corporate and financial elite. Through cash injections, subsidies and loan programs, trillions have been handed out to the banks and financial institutions, with no strings attached. The administration has opposed any real constraints on executive pay or bonuses.
Utilizing the government handouts, the largest banks reported massive profits in the second quarter of 2009, including $3.44 billion for Goldman Sachs and $2.7 billion for JPMorgan Chase. The banks plan on handing out record bonuses this year to their executives and traders.
The very institutions that precipitated the economic crisis through their speculation and looting operations are doing better than ever. This is not an accident. It is the intended outcome of the policy carried out by the Obama administration.
Many auto workers looked to Obama for positive change. Instead, the administration has forced through massive cuts in wages and benefits, along with the destruction of tens of thousands of jobs. Obama has shepherded General Motors and Chrysler through bankruptcy court, where the two companies left billions in unwanted liabilities behind, including health care obligations to tens of thousands of retirees.
The administration is carrying out a similar policy in relation to state and local governments, refusing to give them the type of loans made available to the banks. The largest state in the country, California, is on the verge of economic meltdown, and the state government is seizing on the crisis as an opportunity to gut education, welfare and other social programs. Similar draconian measures are being implemented throughout the country.
As for the Obama’s principal domestic initiative—health care “reform”—the administration’s proposals are driven by the desire of corporations to slash their employee health care costs and are tailored to the demands of the major players in the health care industry—particularly the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Health care “reform” has been shifted from providing decent care for all to cutting costs. Obama insists that reducing health care expenditures is imperative for lowering the budget deficit and restoring the economy, even as he declares he will do “whatever it takes” to bail out the banks.
If a bill on health care eventually passes, it will require workers to pay more for inadequate health insurance and rationed care. This “expanded coverage” will be used as a pretext for slashing federal health care programs, particularly Medicare.
Like everything else, health care is being restructured as a more openly class-based system. Workers will have to choose between their health and their other needs, while the rich are afforded the best treatment money can buy.
The outcome of the administration’s policies to deal with the economic crisis is a massive redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top.
Democratic rights
On all essentials, the Obama administration has continued the antidemocratic policies of its predecessor. It has invoked “state secrets” to block court cases challenging torture and domestic spying. The administration reversed a promise to release photos showing US torture of detainees. It has continued the military tribunals and indicated it plans to adopt a policy of indefinite detention for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
Obama has repeatedly insisted that there will be no prosecution of any of the crimes carried out by the Bush administration. This means no one will be held accountable and that the crimes will continue.
The outcome of the 2008 elections is an object lesson on the failure of American democracy. These elections produced an outcome that is diametrically opposed to the aspirations of the voters who cast ballots for the victor.
It is not possible, through the existing political system, to effect a change in government policy. The basic reason is that the political institutions and parties are the unvarnished instruments of class rule. The financial elite exercises absolute control over every aspect of political life.
What is perhaps most remarkable is the fact that the Obama administration barely makes an effort to conceal its class character. It seems to assume that Obama’s persona by itself is sufficient to quell opposition. To the extent that the administration’s attention is focused on the Democratic Party and its periphery—the assorted coterie of “left” publications and organizations—this evaluation is correct.
However, there has already been a significant fall in Obama’s poll ratings, including substantial declines on the economy and health care. According to the most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, Obama’s overall approval ratings have dropped below 60 percent for the first time. We suspect that public unease is, in fact, far broader and deeper than these figures yet indicate.
Here, Lincoln’s famous aphorism is appropriate: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
Public disenchantment and anger are being driven by the objective impact of the economic crisis, the consequences of Obama’s wars, and the ever more glaring contradiction between the popular sentiments to which he appealed to get elected and the social interests that he serves. To the extent that the American people feel they have been taken for a ride and played for suckers, the mass opposition will be that much more intense.
The administration has yet to reckon with the independent intervention of the American working class. When this class movement does develop, it will seek new channels independent of and in opposition to the entire political and social system.
Copyright © Joe Kishore, World Socialist Web Site, 2009
Articles by: Joe Kishore
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Home :: Military :: World :: Vietnam :: Introduction :: History :: Dai Viet - 968-1802 ::
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Tran Dynasty (1225-1400)
In 1225 Tran family, which had effectively controlled the Vietnamese throne for many years, replaced the Ly dynasty by arranging a marriage between one of its members and the last Ly monarch, an eight-year-old princess. The Tran dynasty held the throne for 175 years of repeated military crisis, including prolonged conflict with the Kingdom of Champa.
The Tran, are best remembered for their defense of the country against the Mongols and the Cham. By 1225, the Mongols controlled most of northern China and Manchuria and were eyeing southern China, Vietnam, and Champa. Three invasions by the Mongol armies of Kublai Khan were repelled. In 1257, 1284, and 1287, the Mongol armies of Kublai Khan invaded Vietnam, sacking the capital at Thang Long (renamed Hanoi in 1831) on each occasion, only to find that the Vietnamese had anticipated their attacks and evacuated the city beforehand. Disease, shortage of supplies, the climate, and the Vietnamese strategy of harassment and scorchedearth tactics foiled the first two invasions.
The Vietnamese victory under General Tran Hung Dao in the last of these encounters is one of the most celebrated in the annals of the country's history. The third Mongol invasion, of 300,000 men and a vast fleet, was also defeated by the Vietnamese under the leadership of General Tran Hung Dao. Borrowing a tactic used by Ngo Quyen in 938 to defeat an invading Chinese fleet, the Vietnamese drove iron-tipped stakes into the bed of the Bach Dang River (located in northern Vietnam in present-day Ha Bac, Hai Hung, and Quang Ninh provinces), and then, with a small Vietnamese flotilla, lured the Mongol fleet into the river just as the tide was starting to ebb. Trapped or impaled by the iron-tipped stakes, the entire Mongol fleet of 400 craft was sunk, captured, or burned by Vietnamese fire arrows. The Mongol army retreated to China, harassed enroute by Tran Hung Dao's troops.
After the Mongol withdrawal, the Tran monarch sent a mission to Kublai Khan and reestablished peace as a tributary of Mongol ruled China.
The fourteenth century was marked by wars with Champa, which the Tran reduced to a feudatory state by 1312. Champa freed itself again by 1326 and, under the leadership of Cham hero Che Bong Nga, staged a series of attacks on Vietnam between 1360 and 1390, sacking Thang Long in 1371. The Vietnamese again gained the upper hand following the death of Che Bong Nga and resumed their southward advance at Champa's expense.
Under the Tran dynasty (1225-1400), the country prospered and flourished as the Tran rulers carried out extensive land reform, improved public administration, and encouraged the study of Chinese literature. During this dynasty, Confucianism, with its emphasis on learning, replaced Buddhism in importance. This scholarly atmosphere produced a number of literary accomplishments. The first extant historical records - a 30-volume official history of Dai-Viet (Dai-Viet Su-ky)-date from the Tran. Other historical writings and biographies also appeared - all written in Chinese.
Despite their earlier success, the quality of the Tran rulers declined markedly by the end of the fourteenth century, opening the way for exploitation of the peasantry by the feudal landlord class, which caused a number of insurrections. Economic and social crises, following the devastation of war, were intensified by the aggrandizement of big landlords at the expense of the peasantry and by incompetence and corruption in the bureaucracy.
In 1400 General Ho Quy-ly [Ho Qui Ly] seized the throne and proclaimed himself founder of the short-lived Ho dynasty (1400-07). Using reinstatement of the Tran dynasty as an excuse, the the Ming dynasty (1368-1662) took advantage of the situation to usurp the throne, thereby giving of China the occasion to intervene on the pretext of restoring the Tran dynasty. Within a year of the Chinese invasion in 1406, Dai-Viet was again a province of China. Trung-quang-de (grandson of Nghe-tong), the last king of the Tran family was taken prisoner by the troops of the emperor of China. While they were carrying him off in 1409, he threw himself into a river. The kindom of Tongking was now for fourteen years subject to China. Loi, a descendant of the kings of the Ly family, collected an army in 1418, and attacked the Chinese. After a war of ten years he expelled them, and reestablished the dynasty of Ly.
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GeoMegA Resources Inc.: Annual and Special Meeting Results
September 20, 2013 16:39 ET | Source: GeoMegA Resources Inc.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Sept. 20, 2013) - Geomega Resources Inc. ("GéoMégA" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:GMA) announces today that shareholders have approved all resolutions put forth at the Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held in Montreal, Quebec, on Thursday, September 19, 2013. Messrs. Patrick Godin, Denis Hamel, Mario Spino, Réjean Talbot, Paul-Henri Couture and Simon Britt were re-elected to serve as directors of the Company.
The Company is pleased to welcome newly elected Mr. Gilles Gingras, CPA, CA, to the Board of directors and would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Teodora Dechev for her contribution during the last few years.
In addition, the Company announces the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, Chartered Accountants as auditors for the ensuing year and re-approval of the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan.
Subsequent to the AGM, the directors appointed and renewed Mr. Patrick Godin as Chairman of the Board, Mr. Britt as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Erik Martin as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Alain Cayer as Vice President of Exploration and Mr. Sébastien Vézina as Corporate Secretary.
Stock Option Grant
Pursuant to the Company's Stock Option Plan, a total of 225,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.17 per option have been granted to a director. These options may be exercised for a period of 5 years after the grant date and they vest gradually over a period of 24 months from the day of grant, at a rate of 1/4 per six-month period, in accordance with the terms of the stock option plan of the Company.
Preliminary economic assessment of the Montviel lanthanides/niobium deposit
The Montviel project benefits from permanent access, public infrastructure and available labour in the immediate area. The mine design uses an underground approach via ramp access with paste backfill minimizing the environmental impacts. An initial annual production in the range of 2,000 tonnes of neodymium oxides is targeted. Anticipated project energy would be provided by the Hydro-Québec distribution grid using an average power line. A preliminary economic assessment by G Mining Services Inc. is expected by the end of calendar 2013.
NI 43‐101 Disclosure
Alain Cayer, Geo., MSc., VP-Exploration, is the qualified person who supervised and approved the technical information presented in this press release.
About GéoMégA (www.geomega.ca)
GéoMégA, which owns 100% of the Montviel lanthanides/niobium project located in Québec, is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery and sustainable development of economic deposits of metals, such as lanthanides, niobium and graphite, in Québec. GéoMégA is committed to meeting Canadian mining industry standards and distinguishing itself with its innovative engineering, stakeholders engagement and its dedication to local transformation benefits.
GéoMégA currently has 34,990,113 common shares issued and outstanding.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding our intentions and plans. The forward-looking statements that are contained in this news release are based on various assumptions and estimates by the Company and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from results forecast or suggested in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We caution you that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as discussed in the Company's filings with Canadian securities agencies. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral prices, success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program, and general business, economic, competitive, political and social conditions. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward- looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Simon Britt
GeoMegA
info@ressourcesgeomega.ca
GeoMegA Resources Inc.
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Chris Inglis Elected to KEYW’s Board of Directors
June 03, 2016 10:00 ET | Source: KeyW Corp.
HANOVER, Md., June 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The KEYW Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:KEYW) announced today the election of John C. (“Chris”) Inglis to its Board of Directors. The Board also appointed him to the Nominating and Governance Committee.
“I am extremely pleased that Chris has joined KEYW’s Board of Directors. KEYW will benefit greatly from his substantial experience serving in the highest levels of the U.S. Intelligence Community,” said Bill Weber, president and CEO of KEYW.
Mr. Inglis previously served for 41 years in the Department of Defense, retiring in January 2014 after 28 years at the National Security Agency (NSA) and seven and one half years as its senior civilian and Deputy Director. As the NSA Deputy Director, Mr. Inglis was the Agency's chief operating officer, responsible for guiding and directing strategies, operations and policy. He currently serves as the U.S. Strategic Command’s Intelligence Panel Chair on the Commander’s Strategic Advisory Group, and on several active panels of the Defense Science Board. He served as the U.S. Naval Academy’s Robert and Mary M. Looker Distinguished Visiting Professor of Cyber Studies from 2014 to 2016. He is a serving board member of FedEx Corporation and Convergint Technologies LLC and a trustee of Analytic Services, Inc. (ANSER), a non-profit public services institute.
Mr. Inglis is a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds advanced degrees in engineering and computer science from Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and the George Washington University.
About KEYW
KEYW is a total solutions provider for the Intelligence Community’s toughest challenges. We support the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of information across the full life cycle of the Intelligence Community’s mission. We employ and challenge the most talented professionals in the industry with solving such complex problems as preventing cyber threats, transforming data into intelligence, and combating global terrorism. For more information contact KEYW Corporation, 7740 Milestone Parkway, Suite 400, Hanover, Maryland 21076; Phone 443-733-1600; Fax 443-733-1601; E-mail investors@keywcorp.com; or on the Web at www.keywcorp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include but are not limited to statements about our future expectations, plans and prospects, including statements containing the words “estimates,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “will,” “potential,” “opportunities,” and similar expressions. Our actual results, performance or achievements or industry results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. These statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those risk factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated and filed March 15, 2016 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as required under the Securities Act of 1934, and other filings that we make with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. KEYW is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Chris Donaghey
More articles issued by KeyW Corp.
KeyW Corp.
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Saint Rita of Cascia - May 22
147 May 22
Saint Rita Of Cascia, May 22
Clicks5.9K
www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mPEE3MBKTo4O… May 22, 2010 Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community. Her holiness was reflected in …More
www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mPEE3MBKTo4O… May 22, 2010 Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community. Her holiness was reflected in each phase of her life. Born at Roccaporena in central Italy, Rita wanted to become a nun but was pressured at a young age into marrying a harsh and cruel man. During her 18-year marriage, she bore and raised two sons. After her husband was killed in a brawl and her sons had died, Rita tried to join the Augustinian nuns in Cascia. Unsuccessful at first because she was a widow, Rita eventually succeeded.
Over the years, her austerity, prayerfulness and charity became legendary. When she developed wounds on her forehead, people quickly associated them with the wounds from Christ's crown of thorns. She meditated frequently on Christ's passion. Her care for the sick nuns was especially loving. She also counseled lay people who came to her monastery.
Beatified in 1626, Rita was not canonized until 1900. She has acquired the reputation, together with St. Jude, as a saint of impossible cases. Many people visit her tomb each year.
Although we can easily imagine an ideal world in which to live out our baptismal vocation, such a world does not exist. An “If only ….” approach to holiness never quite gets underway, never produces the fruit that God has a right to expect. Rita became holy because she made choices that reflected her Baptism and her growth as a disciple of Jesus. Her overarching, lifelong choice was to cooperate generously with God's grace, but many small choices were needed to make that happen. Few of those choices were made in ideal circumstances—not even when Rita became an Augustinian nun.
For the Baptism of adults and for all the baptized at the Easter Vigil, three questions are asked: “Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God's children? Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin? Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?”
Difficult marriages
Impossible causes
Our visit to Cascia and the Vatican, 2009: Visit to Cascia & the Vatican, 2009
Saint Rita, the movie, pt. 1: Saint Rita of Cascia Pt. 1
pt. 2: gloria.tv
One more comment from Irapuato
Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community. Her holiness was reflected in each phase of her life. Born at Roccaporena in central Italy, Rita wanted to become a nun but was pressured at a young age into marrying a harsh and cruel man. During her 18-year marriage, she bore and raised two sons. After her …More
Like Elizabeth Ann Seton, Rita of Cascia was a wife, mother, widow and member of a religious community. Her holiness was reflected in each phase of her life. Born at Roccaporena in central Italy, Rita wanted to become a nun but was pressured at a young age into marrying a harsh and cruel man. During her 18-year marriage, she bore and raised two sons. After her husband was killed in a brawl and her sons had died, Rita tried to join the Augustinian nuns in Cascia. Unsuccessful at first because she was a widow, Rita eventually succeeded.
www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/Saint.aspx
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ECB unveils new 5 year strategy
by Luke Sellers | Jan 31, 2019 | Club Development, Latest News
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has unveiled its new strategy for the game.
“Inspiring Generations” is the blueprint for the future of cricket from grass roots right up to the top end of the professional game.
The new strategy – which will come into play from January 2020 – will see a significant increase in investment across six priority areas:
GROW AND NURTURE THE CORE – Ensure that there is a thriving county network at the heart of the domestic game
INSPIRE THROUGH ELITE TEAMS – Create and celebrate the heroes at the pinnacle of the elite game
MAKE CRICKET ACCESSIBLE – Give more people the opportunity to engage with cricket more often
ENGAGE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE – Inspire a new generation of players and fans to develop a love for cricket
TRANSFORM WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ CRICKET – Drive cricket’s progress to becoming a truly gender-neutral sport
SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES – Use our purpose to connect communities and improve lives more broadly across society
In creating its new vision the he ECB acknowledges that recreational cricket is the lifeblood of the game. In total 22 of the 26 strategic activities will be delivered and funded through the county network.
Gloucestershire Cricket Board (GCB) chief executive Steve Silk welcomed the new strategy.
He said: “It is an exciting time for cricket and we are delighted to see that the recreational game is at the very heart of developments over the next five years.
“In preparation for 2020 the Board and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club will be coming together in 2019 to develop a joint approach for the first time. This will help us not only to identify how we can improve on what we already do but also how can take advantage of the exciting new opportunities that will come about as a result of the new strategy.”
To read the strategy in full please click below:
Inspiring Generations-strategy-document-compressed
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Don’t blame us when we fight back, says Gani Adams on Fasoranti’s daughter
Gani Adams, aare onakakanfo of Yorubaland, says the Yoruba ethnic group should not be blamed if it decides to react to the killings in the region.
TheCable reports that he was reacting to the killing of Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Reuben Fasoranti, leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group.
She was shot dead by armed men along Benin-Ore road on Friday afternoon. Yinka Odumakin, spokesman of Afenifere, attributed the incident to herdsmen but TheCable could not independently verify his claim.
08099887255/ 08083061500
In a statement by Kehinde Aderemi, Adam’s media aide, said the Yoruba race was not short of ideas needed to put an end to atrocities in the region.
Adams, who is the leader of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), described the death of Olakunrin as an invasion of the peaceful atmosphere of the south-west region.
“We only want the whole world to know what has been done and being done to our people. They should be aware of the actions that preceded our reaction when it eventually comes,” he said.
“We are not bereft of ideas of how to stop this criminality on our land. It is just so that we should not be blamed when the reaction comes.
“We are like the proverbial goat that it being chased. When it gets to the wall, it will certainly react. We are at that stage now.”
He commiserated with Fasoranti, praying God to comfort him and his entire household.
“Papa, this is a very trying time, but it is certain justice will come,” he said.
The youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, had reacted to the killing, saying it could spark another “tribal war”.
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Ryan Gosling Memes Might Make You a Feminist, and Other News
January 30, 2015 • Contributed by Zawn Villines, GoodTherapy.org Correspondent
Feminism, the belief that men and women are equal and the political movement designed to support this equality, is relatively unpopular among men, with only 16% identifying as feminists. But Feminist Ryan Gosling, a popular Internet meme that merges pictures of the heartthrob with romantic overtures and feminist messages, might change men’s minds, according to a small study of 99 college students. The participants included both men and women, and researchers divided them into two groups. One group saw images of Ryan Gosling coupled with feminist messages, and the other did not. After the trial, men who saw the meme were more likely to identify as feminists.
The study’s authors did not explore why the meme promotes beliefs in gender equality. It could be, though, that men want to identify with the men women deem attractive. If those men espouse feminist beliefs, men may be more likely to see these beliefs as attractive to women or to perceive these beliefs as less threatening and a part of mainstream culture.
Revealing the Trauma of War
The trauma that soldiers returning from war face is often invisible to those who love them most, though 20% of Iraqi war veterans and 11% of Afghanistan veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress. Melissa Walker, an art therapist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), has worked with a number of veterans to bring their trauma to life, for all the world to see. The veterans paint their thoughts, feelings, and experiences directly onto wearable masks. The National Geographic article “Revealing the Trauma of War” includes photographs and audio from several of the veterans who participated in the project.
ADHD Linked to Earlier Use of Illicit Drugs in Teens: Study
According to a survey of 900 adults, ADHD is correlated with earlier drug use, though it’s unclear if there’s a causal connection in either direction. Thirteen percent of participants had been diagnosed with ADHD. Participants with ADHD began using alcohol at 13, an average of 1.5 years earlier than participants without ADHD. Cocaine users began using at the age of 22, an average of two full years earlier than those without ADHD.
Beer Compound Could Help Fend off Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases
Oxidative brain damage may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and new research suggests that a beer compound might fend off some of this damage. Xanthohumol, a chemical in hops, is an antioxidant with potential cardiovascular and anti-cancer benefits. A team of researchers tested its effects on brain cells, finding that it may protect neurons.
These Mental Health Patients Are Being Neglected On an Epidemic Scale
Two weeks ago, 2,600 California mental health workers began a strike in protest of Kaiser Permanente’s treatment of mental health patients. Strikers say that mental health is underfunded and understaffed, leading to ethical conundrums, neglect of patients, and patients who simply give up on mental health care.
New York City’s First Lady Shares Family History as She Unveils Push on Mental Health Care
Chirlane McCray, wife of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, revealed her own experience with mental health issues this week. McCray says her parents had depression, and that she later worked to help her daughter recover from anxiety, depression, and addiction. McCray used the revelation as a springboard for discussion about mental health policy, and announced plans for a comprehensive review of New York’s mental health system. The mayor’s office will work with the city health department and the Fund for Public Health, as well as the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, an organization for which McCray is an unpaid chair.
Institutional Neglect Changes Kids’ Brain Structure
Children reared in institutions are more vulnerable to a variety of mental health challenges, but new research offers insight into why. According to MRI scans of 69 children’s brains, institutional neglect fundamentally alters brain structure. The children were part of a study that left half of participants in an institution while moving the other half into foster homes at the age of 2. While the children reared in foster homes fared better, they too showed changes in brain structure, suggesting far-reaching effects of institutional neglect.
© Copyright 2015 GoodTherapy.org. All rights reserved.
Do Sexualized Images of Women Make Men Less Charitable?
Does Gender Equality in Marriage Benefit Men, Too?
Upcoming Film Challenges ‘Be a Man’ Message
LOVE Ryan Gosling!!
January 31st, 2015 at 8:30 AM
Just saw the movie American Sniper and this is the perfect example. That poor man was killed by someone with PTSD and he had survived all of these tours in Iraq and this is how he had to die. Very sad.
Men rejoice! Brain health could all be in the beer we drink! WooHoo!
Autumn F.
February 2nd, 2015 at 3:49 AM
Do you think that it is only institutional neglect that causes these brain changes in children or do you think that any neglect across the board would contribute to this?
I always applaud when I hear others who feel that they can share their own stories in a hope that sharing will therefore help others to get treatment and help. It can be painful talking about our own personal experiences so I know that this may not have been easy for the mayor’s wife, but I think that she recognized that by telling others the pain that she has witnessed and seen first hand, this may be some encouragement for others that there is help available and this is something that people from all walks of life may have to experience.
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By Ian Blair
Published in Film and TV
In 2011, the FOX reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis and a bunch of genetically enhanced chimps who get ready to take over the world, turned into a critical and commercial success, scoring nearly half a billion at the box office. Three years later, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel—and eighth film in the long-running franchise—picks up the story, and things look even grimmer for what’s left of the human race. A growing nation of smart, evolved apes, led by Caesar (Serkis), is in charge, thanks to the devastating virus unleashed in San Francisco a decade earlier. But a small band of human survivors (including Gary Oldman and Keri Russell) soon clashes with the apes in a struggle that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.
Michael Seresin, BSC, on set.
Directed by Matt Reeves, who helmed the science fiction-horror hit Cloverfield (2008), about the arrival of a giant monster in New York City, and horror-thriller Let Me In (2010), the film was shot by Michael Seresin, BSC, the New Zealand-born director of photography whose eclectic résumé includes such films as Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, City Hall, Angela’s Ashes and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
"I chose Michael because I’m a huge fan of all his movies and the way he uses light," notes Reeves, who says he viewed the project as a chance to make "an epic ape western, and take that premise and realize it in a totally naturalistic, believable and visually expansive way. Right from the start, I wanted a soft-light feel and to take all the CG characters and put them in an environment that would feel more real. I didn’t want that storybook, stylized look, or for it to feel or look like a fantasy. And Michael’s approach to light has always transported me, so when I found out he was available, I just jumped at the chance to work with him. Plus, I needed someone of his experience, given what we were taking on."
"It’s a hugely complex production, especially in terms of cinematography," reports Seresin, who at press time was back on the FOX lot still shooting pickups barely two months before the release date. "And the biggest initial challenge was that the decision to shoot it in 3D was taken a bit later than ideal. There wasn’t enough time to shoot 2D and post-convert, so we had to shoot native 3D, which was a first for me. [The DP, who previously shot about half of Gravity, notes that the Oscar®-winning film was largely done 2D and post-converted, thanks to a more leisurely schedule.] So I called up a bunch of DPs who had shot 3D films and picked their brains about all the pitfalls, and they all told me that if anything can go wrong, it does, as it’s so complex. Fortunately, I had a great team around me, which helped us pull it all together fairly quickly."
Seresin stresses that, "Whether it’s 2D or 3D, the principles are the same—telling a good story with light and composition—so I went through the normal process of testing lenses and then incorporating those into the rigs."
The team then settled on the key elements of the camera package: 3ality Technica rigs (TS-35 with the SIP 2101), ALEXA Ms and Leica Summilux-C lenses. "Once I had chosen the lenses, which for me are pretty much about resolution—some lenses are cool, some are warm, some are in between—the important thing is that they have the same quality throughout, so I can switch from one to another and keep it consistent, and the Leicas are incredible. And when you shoot 3D, ideally, you need the two lenses to be identical, or as close as possible."
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Margaret Taylor: ASDA might be fighting on, but its equal-pay case looks unwinnable
By Margaret Taylor @MagsTaylorish Business correspondent/Columnist
Supermarket giant ASDA has lost the latest round in a long-running equal-pay dispute brought by thousands of its female staff. Picture: Chris Radburn/PA Wire.
ISN’T it strange the lengths some employers will go to in order to continue discriminating against their staff?
Take ASDA. Just last week the supermarket giant, which is being pursued by thousands of mainly female staff in a mammoth equal-pay claim, vowed to battle all the way to the Supreme Court after losing the latest round in the long-running dispute. The retailer had gone to the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn an Employment Appeal Tribunal decision that said female shop staff could compare their jobs with the higher-paid roles filled by warehouse-based men to further their claim. Yet despite three appeal court judges upholding the earlier finding and refusing to give permission for ASDA to take the case further, the retailer has said it will apply directly to the Supreme Court in a bid to put the case to bed once and for all.
With the cost of settling the hundreds of thousands of claims lodged against ASDA and fellow retailers Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons reckoned to be in the region of £10 billion, you can see why it is being so dogged. And, while ASDA freely admits paying store staff differently to distribution centre staff “because the demands of the jobs are very different”, the fact that within stores and within depots men and women are paid the same would suggest it might have a point. After all, if, as ASDA says, its stores and warehouses “operate in different market sectors” and it pays its staff “market rates in those sectors regardless of gender”, surely the case is cut and dry.
The problem is we’ve been here before, with more than one Scottish local authority being forced to back down after trying to argue exactly the same thing. Glasgow City Council previously tried to kill off the case against it by arguing that female catering, cleaning and caring staff could not compare themselves to binmen and janitors because the former were employed by its wholly owned arms-length organisation Cordia while only the latter were the direct responsibility of the council itself. It was not successful, with the Court of Session finding against it in 2014. That ruling said that even though Cordia had its own distinct employment terms the council was the ultimate source of that employment. The women’s jobs were compared with the more-lucrative men’s as a result and, lo and behold, last month the council agreed to settle the hard-fought dispute for more than £500 million.
While the case came good for the women in the long run, the fact the council had bothered to argue the toss about comparators is more than a little surprising considering that the previous year the Supreme Court had ruled against Dumfries and Galloway Council on a similar issue. That case saw 251 classroom assistants, learning support staff and nursery nurses successfully argue that their positions should be deemed comparable with those of groundsmen, road workers and refuse drivers, setting a legal precedent in the process. That precedent – known as the North hypothetical – is what did for ASDA in the Court of Appeal. Given that the Dumfries and Galloway judgment was written by Lady Hale, who now presides over the Supreme Court, it would seem ASDA has almost certainly reached the end of this particular legal road.
Which can only be good news for the supermarket’s female staff, right? Well, not necessarily. You see even if the Supreme Court does refuse to hear ASDA’s final appeal – or if it hears it and, as would appear to be inevitable, dismisses it – the retailer’s female staff will be far from home and dry, with the agreement of comparators being just the beginning of a long and arduous process that could take several more years to reach a conclusion. Being able to compare shop staff to warehouse staff is one thing; working out if the roles they fill are of equal value and whether there is a good reason for them not to be paid equally is another thing entirely.
And, as has become obvious in the Glasgow case, making it to the final stage doesn’t wipe out discrimination in and of itself, with the awful by-product of righting past wrongs being that new inequalities are created in the process. Indeed, while Glasgow’s settlement will result in some women getting payouts in the region of £100,000, the disparity between what two people doing exactly the same job for exactly the same length of time will receive could be huge. As the law stipulates that claims can only be backdated for five years, the 750 women who filed in the week after the settlement was announced will receive significantly less than those who have been fighting the council ever since its pay scheme was put in place in 2007. Worse still, around 2,000 potentially eligible women who have never filed a claim will receive nothing.
Given the size of the settlement it is clear that lines have to be drawn somewhere, yet still the process would appear to be far from fair. But that’s the problem with discriminatory pay practices – they are so insidious they become nigh on impossible to fully iron out. No wonder ASDA – and all the other retailers that will be watching its case with bated breath – is trying its damnedest to make the whole thing just go away.
Fish discard ban not being enforced, Lords report warns amid fears of illegal dumping at sea
Letters: Brussels is far preferable to Westminster
Ruth Wishart: Sadly, privilege is still the established order in Britain
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Munak Canal issue: Haryana to approach Centre
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said his government will contribute in resolving the Munak Canal issue as soon as possible to end the water woes of the national capital.
Khattar, who was felicitated by BJP's Delhi unit here, said that he would approach the Centre to find ways to resolve water scarcity in Delhi and Haryana.
"We will approach the Centre and find out the source of water from Punjab, Uttrakhand, Rajasthan and try to supply water from these sources to the national capital. Haryana will definitely contribute in resolving this matter as soon as possible," he said.
Noting that Haryana does not have its own source of water, the chief minister said that the national capital should also understand its requirements.
"Haryana also doesn't have its own source of water. We have to take water from Punjab, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh. There is also shortage of water in our state as it doesn't have any river except Yamuna which only falls on the border of Haryana-Delhi," Khattar said.
Delhi High Court had recently directed Haryana to release water into Munak canal which could result in around 80-90 million gallons per day of water being saved that can be used by people here.
"You have to think that NCR is also developing as Delhi is growing. The water demand in Faridabad, Gurgaon is also increasing. Whatever we have to do in resolving water problem of Delhi, we will contribute to resolve it," the Haryana chief minister said while stressing on the increasing water woes of his state.
Union urban development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday took up the issue of Munak Canal with Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.
Water from the Munak canal is expected to be supplied to the water treatment plants which cater to the residential areas of West and South Delhi.
Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit had also raised this matter with Haryana government to end water woes in several parts, especially Dwarka, of the national capital.
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Recent False Claims Act Case Illuminates Scary Issues for Health Care In-House Counsel
Health Law Alert
A federal magistrate’s recent decision in U.S., ex rel. Baklid-Kunz v. Halifax Hospital Medical Center, a False Claims Act case pending in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, raises several troublesome issues. Although discovery disputes are oftentimes fact-specific, and a magistrate’s decision does not carry great precedential weight, the court’s analysis is instructive and should be a wake-up call to health care general counsel, compliance departments and outside counsel.
The magistrate addressed several discovery-related attorney-client privilege issues. At the outset, the court noted that when communications to and from in-house counsel are being analyzed, as opposed to communication between client and outside counsel, a different standard for determining privilege applies. The court pointed out that oftentimes in-house counsel wears multiple hats and therefore, unless the communication with in-house counsel was clearly and solely for the purpose of seeking or receiving legal advice, the privilege would not apply, no matter how the organization identified or treated the information.
The court’s analysis was illuminating and should be instructive for health care providers and their legal and compliance departments. The court rejected the attorney-client privilege claim for several communications between in-house counsel and various compliance personnel because the communication either sought “compliance” evaluation or the email was not specifically addressed “to” or “from” legal counsel. The court found that compliance referral logs were not privileged because they were a mere recitation of fact and were not compiled for the purpose of receiving advice or advising on legal issues. Further, a number of the emails merely “kept an attorney in the loop” or cc’d an attorney on a compliance-related issue. The court found many of those correspondence and emails not specifically “to” or “from” legal counsel not to be privileged. If people who were not part of the legal department were cc’d for informational purposes, the court found that the privilege did not apply.
The court rejected privilege protection for several emails relating to audits and reviews conducted by the compliance and finance departments. Again, these emails were not specifically addressed “to” or “from” legal counsel and the court determined that they were not for the primary purpose of legal communication. The court also made clear that it was not going to review “strings of emails” as if they were one communication. The hospital had to justify each individual email in a string as being privileged.
This analysis is troublesome because characterizing something as compliance does not mean, as the court seems to imply, that it does not involve legal advice or counsel. Indeed, most compliance issues are related to matters that must be addressed by legal counsel. It appears that the lesson here is that loose language, an imprecise email or inclusion of people who are not attorneys on an email chain may destroy the privilege.
The government had intervened in this case and subpoenaed voluminous documents. Defendant medical center did not object to the documents produced to the government and did not provide a privilege log for several months. It attempted to provide a belated privilege log and the court found that there had been a waiver and that those documents were not protected.
White collar counsel often see documents produced to the government prior to their entry into a case. This initial stage is significant when an experienced white collar counsel can help the client understand what documents may be protected and how to properly review each document for privilege. One lesson to be learned with this case is that those who do not do that review at the initial stage will probably be deemed to have waived any such privilege. Those kinds of documents can be explosive in the false claims, fraud and abuse areas.
A final troublesome aspect of this case involved the court finding that certain documents were not protected because of the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. The court found that the relator demonstrated a prima facie case that the hospital was engaged in, or about to be engaged in, fraudulent conduct when it sought counsel’s advice. The case involved finance employees making payments to certain doctors in an alleged violation of the Stark law. Again, this scenario should be a wake-up call to health care providers. When dealing with Stark and anti-kickback evaluations and determinations, internal counsel should be cognizant of the advice he or she is giving and how this will appear to someone reviewing emails after the fact. In-house counsel should not be penny wise and dollar foolish by failing to enlist the aid of able white collar counsel at an early stage. This will avoid the possible appearance of impropriety as viewed by a skeptical prosecutor assuming that in-house counsel has participated in obstruction of justice. (See U.S. v. Lauren Stevens, 771 F. Supp. 2d 556 (D. Md. 2011) where a general counsel was indicted for her part in providing documents to the government in an U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation.)
For more information, please contact Daniel M. Purdom (630.505.4110), head of our National White Collar Crime Group, or your regular Hinshaw attorney.
Daniel M. Purdom
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DANFS
Plunger III (SSN-595)
Boats-Ships--Submarine
Boats-Ships--Nuclear Powered
Ship History
Plunger (SSN-595) III
(SS: dp. 149 (n.), 168 (subm.); l. 85'3"; b. 11'6"; dr. 11'; s. 15 k. (surf.), 8 k. (subm.); cpl. 7; a. 2 18" tt)
A diver, a daring gambler.
Plunger, the first submarine torpedo boat to be built for the Navy, was authorized by Congress 3 March 1893; a contract for her construction was awarded to Holland Torpedo Boat Co. 13 March 1895. However, the boat and the contract were cancelled in April 1900.
(SSN-595: dp. 3,700 (surf.), 4,300 (subm.); l. 278'6"; b. 31'8"; s. 20+ k.; cpl. 100; a. 4 tt.; cl. Thresher)
The third Plunger (SSN-595) was authorized as an SSGN but was laid down as an SSN 2 March 1960 at Mare Island Shipyard, Vallejo, Calif.; launched 9 December 1961; sponsored by Mrs. Clinton P. Anderson; and commissioned at Mare Island 21 November 1962, Comdr. William M. Adams in command.
Following a trip to Puget Sound 27 November to test torpedo tubes and sound gear, Plunger departed Mare Island 5 January 1963 for shakedown to Pearl Harbor. Plunger next was homeported at Mare Island and operated to test the performance of sonar and the fire control system. In April she changed homeport to Pearl Harbor, where she became flagship of ComSubDiv 71, 1 April.
Continuing in a testing capacity, Plunger evaluated the most advanced class of nuclear attack subs. Operating off the U.S. west coast during the spring and summer, she proceeded to Wake Island 15 September 1964 for SubRon Operational Evaluation missile firing.
At Pearl Harbor again in January 1965, Plunger was selected to demonstrate the capability of the Navy-s latest ASW weapon system to Dr. Donald Hornig, Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. At Wake Island in May, Plunger participated in C/S-17, the SubRon Operational Training Test. In September she prepared for WestPac deployment, which continued into mid-1966. During this deployment, Plunger conducted evaluation exercises of AN/SQS-36 sonar and traveled as far east as Okinawa and Subic Bay. She also conducted ASW exercises and executed oceanographic and port surveys.
At Pearl Harbor with SubRon 7 in 1967, Plunger operated to improve the ASW readiness of the Pacific fleet; from 6 to 22 March, she participated in ASW exercises and later continued in advanced type-training work. During inport periods at Pearl Harbor Plunger provided services to Fleet Training Program Pearl Harbor. Homeporting at Puget Sound the last 6 months of 1967, Plunger returned to Pearl Harbor 1 February 1968 and continues operations with the Pacific Fleet into 1970.
Published: Fri Aug 21 09:53:02 EDT 2015
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Sports Calendar/Upcoming area events
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Monday. Central Lafourche, E.D. White Catholic, South Lafourche, South Terrebonne at Morgan City Tournament, TBA.
Monday. Terrebonne, Vandebilt Catholic, Thibodaux at Thibodaux Tournament, TBA.
Monday. Assumption, Ellender at White Castle Tournament, TBA.
Monday. H.L. Bourgeois at Opelousas Tournament, TBA.
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Today. Assumption, Ellender, Central Lafourche, Vandebilt Catholic and St. James at Battle on the Bayou, TBA.
Monday. Ellender, Assumption, Central Lafourche, Terrebonne, Vandebilt Catholic and St. James at Battle on the Bayou, TBA.
Monday. South Lafourche at Hoopfest Tournament in Lafayette, TBA.
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
Today. South Lafourche at the Fountainebleau Tournament, TBA.
GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
Monday. Terrebonne at Covington, 6 p.m.
Monday. Central Lafourche, E.D. White Catholic, Ellender Memorial, H.L. Bourgeois, South Lafourche in Central Lafourche Tournament, TBA.
Today. Northwestern State at LSU, 2 p.m.
WOMEN�S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Monday. Tulane at LSU, 7 p.m.
Monday. Packers at Saints, 7:30 p.m.
Monday. Hornets at Clippers, 9:30 p.m.
UPCOMING AREA EVENTS
Today. E.D. White Cardinals head baseball coach Shane Trosclair is holding a Christmas Baseball Camp on Dec. 22 and 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for ages 7-14. The camp will cover pitching, hitting, fielding, and baserunning and a lunch will be provided. Costs are $65 to pre-register or $75 to register the day of the camp. Mail to Shane Trosclair Att. Baseball Camp 19429 Simon Drive, Vacherie, Louisiana 70090.
Today. The Thibodaux Recreation Department is holding registration for its boys and girls youth basketball program at the Peltier Recreation Center in Peltier Park. Registration times are 8 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4 p.m. and is open for boys and girls ages 7-17. Registration can also be done online at www.ci.thibodaux.la.us. The free is $30. The season will begin Jan. 5 and games will be played at the Thibodaux Civic Center.
Monday-Wednesday. The KPR Thanksgiving Tennis Camp will be held Monday-Wednesday under the direction of Kevin P. Ramierz and Hassan Bani-Saaid at Renaissance Health and Racquet Club in Houma for children ages 5-16. It will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday. The cost is $120 per child, $190 for a family of two children and $270 for a family of three children. For information, call Ramirez at 872-2539 or e-mail kprtennis@internet8.net.
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David L. Phillips
Director, Program on Peace-building and Rights, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University
David L. Phillips is currently Director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights. Phillips has served as Foreign Affairs Expert and as Senior Adviser to the U.S. Department of State and as Senior Adviser to the United Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Phillips has worked at academic institutions as Executive Director of Columbia University’s International Conflict Resolution Program, Director of American University’s Program on Conflict Prevention and Peace-building, Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Future of Diplomacy Project Fellow and Fellow and at Harvard University’s Center for Middle East Studies, and Professor at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. He was Deputy Director of the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations, Senior Fellow at the Preventive Diplomacy Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Project Director at the International Peace Research Institute of Oslo. Phillips has also been a foundation executive having been President of the Congressional Human Rights Foundation. Phillips has been an analyst and commentator for NBC News and the British Broadcasting Company. He has authored books, policy reports, and hundreds of articles in leading publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune and Foreign Affairs.
SAVING THE ARCTIC
ARE THE SYRIAN KURDS NEXT FOR BETRAYAL BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?
IRAN IS THE BIG WINNER
AMERICA'S IRRELEVANCE IN IRAQ
KIRKUK IS UNDER ATTACK
BLOOD BATH IN IRAQI KURDISTAN
'Spirit' Of The Iran Nuclear Deal Is A Two-Way Street
WASHINGTON MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN IRAQI KURDS AND BAGHDAD, A SECTARIAN THEOCRACY SERVING IRAN
HISTORICAL DIALOGUE ABOUT THE ROHINGYA IN MYANMAR
DRAINING THE SWAMP OF TURKISH INFLUENCE
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Who Said It? Round 3.
"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."
A) Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
B) Eleanor Roosevelt
C) Samuel Clemens
D) Henry Buckle
E) None of the above
Keep reading for the answer.
The correct answer is ... E) None of the above. I'll allow partial credit for Henry Buckle.
If you're already familiar with this quotation, then you're probably under the impression it was Eleanor Roosevelt who first said this. Let me disabuse you of that idea. Although these words have often been attributed to her, it is done so without any citation to an original source. In 1931, The New York Times Review of Books and Art was already investigating the correct wording and origin of the expression. In the 1940's, this saying was frequently quoted as an anonymous proverb. In fact, this was not attributed to E. Roosevelt until the late 1980's or early 1990's. (First known attribution by a Hutchinson, Kansas newspaper in 1987 -- The Hutchinson News, October 28th 1987). The quote has also been attributed to Admiral Rickover. But although he is quoted as saying this, he prefaced it by saying the quote comes from an "unknown sage" thereby disclaiming credit for the quote. And although Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, might be renowned for his aphorisms, this one has not been attributed to him. There is some evidence Henry Buckle is the original source. Charles Stewart, in his 1901 autobiography said about Buckle,
"His thoughts and conversation were always on a high level, and I recollect a saying of his, which not only greatly impressed me at the time, but which I have ever since cherished as a test of the mental calibre of friends and acquaintances. Buckle said, in his dogmatic way: 'Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas.'"
Admittedly, this is not the simplified version we have come to know today, but it is the same idea. In 1918, Henry Derbyshire in his "Origin of Mental Species, put it this way,
"It has been said long ago that there were three classes of people in the world, and while they are subject to variation, for elemental consideration they are useful. The first is that large class of people who talk about people; the next class are those who talk about things; and the third class are those who discuss ideas. All of us are conscious of this and we have also realized how distasteful the lower thought is after we have accustomed ourselves to the higher."
So, who said it? In my opinion, Henry Thomas Buckle, the historian and author, should be credited with the idea or concept that is the foundation of the quote. But the original source of this variation and other permutations of Buckle's original idea is a mystery.
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Sylvia Kibet and Edna Kiplagat ahead of the 2013 EDP Lisbon Half Marathon (Victah Sailor) © Copyright
22 MAR 2013 Preview Lisbon, Portugal
Kiplagat and Koech take on debutants Galkina and Jeylan in Lisbon
The cloudy skies in Portugal threaten to rain at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (24) but that won’t stop both races being highly competitive.
The date of this race – the same as the IAAF World Cross Country Championships – could be the reason for some absences, but there are still several elite athletes in Lisbon hoping to set personal bests, while a world record will be rewarded with a $50,000 bonus.
World champion takes on Olympic champion
Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat, the World Marathon champion, leads the women’s entries. After a disappointing run at the Olympic Games where she finished 20th in the Marathon, Kiplagat bounced back to finish second at the Great North Run, smashing her personal best for the Half-marathon with 67:41.
But despite her impressive record over 26.2 miles, the former New York Marathon champion – who boasts a 2:19:50 Marathon PB – Kiplagat has not won a Half-marathon race since 2007. In Lisbon she will be keen to get back to winning ways, but she won’t have it easy.
Compatriot Pasalia Jepkoech is the fastest woman in the field with her PB of 67:17, set last year in Rio de Janeiro before she went on to take bronze at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She will be joined by fellow Kenyan Sylvia Kibet, the two-time World 5000m silver medallist, who is better known for her exploits on the track but has shown flashes of brilliance on the roads. This will be her first Half-marathon since 2009.
The other Kenyan in the field is Eunice Jepkorir, who has finished in the top two in all 11 of her Half-marathon races to date, winning eight of them. She has a PB of 68:39, set in Azkoitia last year. Tadelech Bekele is the sole Ethiopian in the field and is fresh from a PB of 69:31, set earlier this month in Verbania.
Although one of the oldest in the field at 36, Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka can never be written off. She recently finished fourth at the Nagoya Marathon in 2:25:46 – her fastest time since 2006 – while she broke her own national record in her last Half-marathon race, clocking 68:09 at the 2012 Great North Run.
But perhaps the dark horse is Russia’s Gulnara Galkina, the 2008 Olympic 3000m Steeplechase champion. The 34-year-old made her road-running debut last year, clocking 32:43 for 10km in Zhukovskiy. Although not quite in the form that took her to her 8:58.81 World record in the Steeplechase, Galkina boasts impressive range from the 800m (2:00.29) to the 5000m (14:33.13), so it will be interesting to see how she fares in her longest race to date.
As ever, the domestic challenge will be strong and Portugese fans will have high hopes for European 10,000m champion Ana Dulce Felix, who has a PB of 68:32, and European indoor 3000m champion Sara Moreira, who will be looking to finally break the 70-minute barrier.
Others to look out for include Morocco’s Malika Asahssah, South Africa’s Irvette van Blerk, and Italy’s Rosaria Console.
Expected battle between Masai and Koech in men’s race
Kenya’s Bernard Koech comes to Lisbon in the form of his life. Earlier this year he set a PB of 2:04:53 when finishing fifth at the Dubai Marathon, while in his last Half-marathon race he smashed his lifetime best with a time of 59:10 in Lille.
But he isn’t the only sub-60-minute runner in the field. Compatriot Titus Masai has a best of 59:51 and is familiar with the Lisbon course, having raced twice before in the Portuguese capital.
Other Kenyans in the field include Milton Rotich, runner-up in Gothenburg last year, Bernard Kitur, second at the 2012 Porto Half Marathon, Richard Mengich, winner of the Remich and Dresden Half Marathons last year, and recent Eldoret Half Marathon champion Peter Some.
But perhaps the most exciting men’s entrant is Ibrahim Jeylan, the world 10,000m champion. The Ethiopian’s 2012 season was cut short due to injury, but he is back racing and has chosen this weekend’s race in which to make his Half-marathon debut.
There’s a strong Eritrean challenge too. Although 2012 winner and World record-holder Zersenay Tadese is not competing in Lisbon this year, his team-mates have a good chance of a podium finish. Samuel Tsegay and Yared Asmeron have exchanged national Marathon records over the years and will be keen to break the one-hour barrier for the Half-marathon in Lisbon. Tsegay has twice finished in the top five at the World Half Marathon Championships, while Asmeron is a two-time winner of the Azkoitia-Azpeitia Half Marathon.
Also in the field are Zimbabwe’s Cuthbert Nyasango who finished seventh in the 2012 Olympic Marathon, Morocco’s Adil Annani, and Ethiopian trio Abera Kuma, Merkebu Birke and Seboka Fikadu.
The Portuguese field is headed by 2004 Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Rui Silva, who finished fourth in Lisbon last year, Fernando Silva and Hermano Ferreira.
António Manuel Fernandes and Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
22 MAR 2013 General News Australia to send 21 athletes to World Youth Championships
21 MAR 2013 Preview Merga now the man to look out for – Bydgoszcz 2013 senior men's preview
Titus Masai of Kenya at the press conference for the 2013 EDP Lisbon Half Marathon (Victah Sailor) © Copyright
Ibrahim Jeilan celebrates winning the 10,000m gold medal in Daegu (Getty Images) © Copyright
Gulnara Samitova Galkina winning in Bolzano (Lorenzo Sampaolo) © Copyright
Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat
Gulnara Galkina
Ibrahim Jeilan
Bernard Kiprop Koech
IAAF Label Road Races
EDP Half Marathon of Lisbon
25 MAR 2012 Tadese collects third consecutive win in Lisbon
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Infosecurity Magazine Home » News » US Law Firms Hacked by Chinese Nationals for $4M in Insider Trading Profits
3 Jan 2017 News
US Law Firms Hacked by Chinese Nationals for $4M in Insider Trading Profits
Tara Seals US/North America News Reporter, Infosecurity Magazine
Email Tara
Three Chinese nationals face US federal charges for allegedly hacking into two major law firms in a bid for insider trading information.
Iat Hong, Bo Zheng and Hung Chin have been charged with infiltrating the servers of two law firms in 2014 and 2015 and accessing nonpublic information about pending mergers and acquisitions. The three allegedly pilfered gigabytes upon gigabytes of documents with the use of malware on the firms’ web servers.
According to the indictment, the three then traded on that information about imminent deals in order to make $4 million in illegal profits.
They were also apparently incredibly tenacious: The indictment also alleges that the defendants launched at least 100,000 attacks on at least five other law firms between March and September 2015, trying to get unauthorized access.
“The attacks against law firms to gain secretive M&A information are going to become the next frontier of revenue generation for cybercriminals,” said Nathan Wenzler, principal security architect at AsTech Consulting, in an email. “While credit-card account theft has been big news in the past few years because of how it affects individuals at a very personal level, attacks aimed against intellectual property and proprietary financial dealings are becoming more popular with hackers due to the lucrative nature of exploiting this information.”
The indictment does not name the law firms, but details that Law Firm 1 advised Intel Corp. on its 2015 acquisition of Altera Corp. for $16.7 billion and represented a company that was in deal talks with InterMune Inc., which sold to Roche AG in 2014 for $8.9 billion. Law Firm 2 advised Pitney Bowes Inc. in the 2015 acquisition of New York-based e-commerce company Borderfree.
This information indicates that the hacked firms are likely to be Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Cravath, Swaine & Moore, according to Law.com. Both have so far had no comment on the situation.
Greg Reber, CEO at AsTech Consulting, said that the two have a history of security incidents.
“These two firms represent Wall Street banks and Fortune 500 companies—Pitney Bowes, Intel, Roche AG, etc. In other words, very big deals are made with their counsel. The bad news that should be shouted from every rooftop garden on top of buildings inhabited by expensive M&A law firms is this: this is not the first time these firms have been breached,” he told us. “Earlier this year, Cravath told the Wall Street Journal that an incident involved a ‘limited breach; of its systems and that the firm was ‘not aware that any of the information that may have been accessed has been used improperly.’ They were wrong.”
He added, “Law firms that believe they are protected by those little disclaimers at the bottom of emails should take note: Hackers simply don’t care about contracts.”
US Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York echoed the sentiment: “This case of cyber-meets-securities fraud should serve as a wake-up call for law firms around the world: you are and will be targets of cyber-hacking, because you have information valuable to would-be criminals.”
Hong, 26, was arrested on the charges on Dec. 25 in Hong Kong and is now facing extradition to the United States. Both Hung and Zheng remain at large. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a parallel civil enforcement action that seeks an asset freeze to prevent the three from cashing out on other stocks they may have purchased as part of the scheme.
Photo © photo.ua/Shutterstock.com
Hackers Mount Coordinated Attack on Prestigious US Law Firms
DoJ Prepping Criminal Probe of Huawei IP Theft: Report
Russia Denies Yahoo Hacking Charges
Deliveroo Under Fire After Hungry Hackers Defraud Firm
New York Times Targeted in Hack Attack
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Grey room
Pink room - Family room - Junior suite
Yellow room
YOUR NEXT DESTINATION? FERRARA!!
/ News and Events / De Chirico in Ferrara. Metaphysics and avant-garde
De Chirico in Ferrara. Metaphysics and avant-garde
From 14 November 2015 to 28 February 2016
Metaphysical painting and European avant-garde
Palazzo dei Diamanti
On the centenary of De Chirico’s arrival in the Este city, Palazzo dei Diamanti is to stage a grand exhibition in celebration of this vital moment in the history of 20th century art. An important collection of De Chirico’s paintings from his Ferrara years are to be echoed by works inspired by the metaphysical painting of Carlo Carrà, Giorgio Morandi and Filippo de Pisis along with several masterpieces of the biggest artists of the European avant-garde, including Raoul Hausmann, George Grosz, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst, all of whom were fascinated by his unique style and his capacity to illustrate the impenetrable mystery of things on canvas.
Giorgio de Chirico’s painting won over some of the biggest surrealist artists and had an extraordinary influence on twentieth-century art. De Chirico was the ingenious creator of metaphysical painting, one of the most important artistic trends of the modern era, thanks to which the riddles of existence take shape through suspended atmospheres pervaded with uncertainties.
De Chirico’s saw a radical shift when he arrived in Ferrara in 1915, having left Paris after the outbreak of the First World War, spending three and a half years in the Este city carrying out military service.
Overcome with emotion upon encountering the beauty and the Renaissance mysticism of the city, De Chirico painted a surreal world filled with wonders:
piazzas immersed in fantastic sunsets or secret rooms with breathtaking views formed the backdrop to enigmatic objects discovered wandering among alleys of the ghetto, or became the setting for recitals with tailor’s dummies and mute, faceless characters.
It was in Ferrara that the artist met Carlo Carrà and began to call his paintings “metaphysical” and it was the works he produced here that became true icons of modernity and which would have a profound influence on both contemporary Italian art and international movements such as Dadaism, Surrealism and New Objectivity.
Bed and breakfast stay in Ferrara ACCOMMODATION FOR THE EXHIBITORS OF BOLOGNA TRADE CENTER B&B stay in Ferrara ROOMS IN FERRARA GUEST HOUSE IN FERRARA YOUR NEXT DESTINATION? FERRARA!!
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Home > News Travel
Top Must-Visit Historic Monuments in Bijapur
Bijapur's medieval monuments are a testimony to stunning Islamic architecture.
Updated: April 22, 2019 5:09 PM IST
By Charu Chowdhary Email
Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Photo Credit: GettyImages
Earlier known as Vijaypura (the City of Victory), Bijapur has a long-standing history that dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It was founded by the Chalukyas, and then later ruled by the Adil Shah dynasty in the 14th century, during which time the city’s most important monuments were built. These structures have a story to tell, and are a must visit in this historic town.
Gol Gumbaz
Gol Bumbaz or the Round Dome was built in the 1600s to house the tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah. It is considered to be one of the largest domes in India and the second largest dome in the world. About 51 meters high and covering 18,000 square feet of land, the highlight of the structure is that it’s not supported by pillars. Also, the ‘Whispering Gallery’ inside the mausoleum is where even the softest sounds can be heard.
Ibrahim Roza
One of the structures that inspired the design of ‘Taj Mahal’, Ibrahim Roza is the mausoleum of Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II and his Queen. Built in Persian Muslim architecture, the structure is carved out of a single slab of rock. The decorative carvings on its minarets and gateways and the stunning stone awnings make it a class apart.
Ibrahim Roza, Bijapur 〰️ P H O T O | ✨@happie_soul_✨ Follow us and use our hashtag #travelkarnataka to showcase your work 〰️ #ibrahimroza #bijapur #monuments #history #nammakarnataka #kannadanadu #instagramhub #picoftheday #karnataka #karnatakatourism #kannada
A post shared by Travel Karnataka Official (@travel_karnataka) on Dec 23, 2017 at 11:20pm PST
Malik-e-Maidan
Malik-e-Maidan (or the Monarch of the Plains) is one of the largest surviving medieval cannons in the world. It weighs a whopping 55 tons and is approximately 4 meters in length. It is believed that the gunners would have to take a dip in a water tank to protect their ears from the sound of the cannon.
Jami Masjid
The oldest and the largest mosque in South India, Jami Masjid covers an area of 116,300 square feet. Known for its majestic designs, the interiors of this mosque are meticulously crafted and are decorated with stunning paintings and murals.
Upli Burj
This 16th century watch tower, gives the most impressive panoramic views of the city. The 24 meter high structure can be scaled through winding circular stairs that lead you to the top of the tower.
Published Date: April 22, 2019 5:00 PM IST
Updated Date: April 22, 2019 5:09 PM IST
BijapurKarnataka
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Austrian commemorative stamp issue
On the occasion of the "International Year of Crystallography" a postage stamp was printed in Austria to honour the mineralogist and crystallographer Felix Machatschki (1895-1970), who died 44 years ago. He was the first to describe the principle of the arrangement of atoms in the crystal structure of feldspars and other silicates, i.e. the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. In the course of his very productive career at the Universities of Graz, Oslo and Manchester (where he worked with luminaries V. M. Goldschmidt and W. L. Bragg respectively), Göttingen, Tübingen, Munich and Vienna, he greatly advanced our knowledge of isomorphism, crystal chemistry and structure of silicates, for which he received numerous honours and awards, inter alia the Roebling Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America. As one of the outstanding scientists from the early period of crystal structure determination by X-ray diffraction, he stands at the beginning of a great tradition of this science in Austria and had major influence on its development in the whole world.
The stamp shows a picture of Felix Machatschki, along with a nice feldspar crystal (adularia from East Tyrol) and a section of its crystal structure, relating to his scientific work on these minerals mentioned above. Commemorative envelopes with special postmarks will also be available.
Contact Robert Krickl
mail@r-krickl.com
URL http://www.r-krickl.com/iycrstamps
Category postage stamps
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Supreme Court ruling could impact Onslow Co.
AMANDA HICKEY - Daily News Staff
Area election officials say a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday could impact political representation in Onslow County, but they aren�t quite sure how.
The high court�s 5-4 decision concluded that times have changed since Congress first wrote the groundbreaking 1965 Voting Rights Act, and some key provisions � including the method for determining which voting districts should fall under the law � should be set aside.
The ruling could release certain states from the necessity of getting Justice Department approval for electoral revisions.
�There is no denying that the conditions that originally justified these measures no longer characterize voting in the covered jurisdictions,� Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority.
According to Onslow County Board of Elections Director Rose Whitehurst, Onslow County is one of the North Carolina jurisdictions affected by the act.
Before the court�s ruling, for example, any move to change the system of electing a governing board � such as the Onslow County Board of Commissioners, which at times has discussed expanding from the current five at-large seats � would have to be cleared by the federal government.
Now, such a requirement is up in the air.
Whitehurst said Tuesday that she was waiting to hear from the state Board of Elections regarding what impact the ruling will have.
The most notable example of the Voting Rights Act�s impact in the area is the review of municipal elections in the City of Jacksonvilleand, later, approval of a 4-2-1 ward system for the city council and mayor.
City Councilman Jerome Willingham was one of the leaders of a voting rights task force of local residents that sued the city over its at-large method of electing the city council. In the wake of the lawsuit, the city created two minority-majority wards.
The City Council adopted an ordinance on April 26, 1989, that changed the election method to four ward seats, two at-large seats and one mayor, according to information from the City of Jacksonville.
It was approved by the Justice Department on Oct. 2, 1990, and the first election under the system was held on March 12, 1991. The wards include two where the majority of the residents are minorities.
�As a voting rights activist, sure, I would have preferred a decision upholding the law in total. However, a decision striking down Section 5 would have been worse,� Willingham told The Daily News on Tuesday.
�Section 5 remains the law; namely, jurisdictions with a history of discrimination still have to get pre-clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before making election changes,� Willingham said. �All the Supreme Court did was to require Congress to derive a new formula in Section 4 to determine which jurisdictions should be required to pre-clear.�
The decision grew out of a case brought by Shelby County, Ala.
It leaves in place the clearance requirements under the 1965 law, but strikes down the formula used to decide which states are covered. It will be up to Congress to update the formula.
Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, designated states and jurisdictions must secure Justice Department approval before they change any voting practice or procedure. Changes that require preclearance include buying new voting machines and closing polling places to requiring photo identification and shifting district boundaries.
A related section, Section 4, provides the formula for determining which political jurisdictions must meet the preclearance requirements. The justices struck down this section as unconstitutional.
Nine states currently are covered in their entirety by the pre-clearance requirements: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Selected jurisdictions in an additional seven states also are covered, including parts of California, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York and South Dakota.
When Congress first passed the law in 1965, the pre-clearance measures were expected to last five years. The most recent renewal of the Voting Rights Act, in 2006, extended the provisions for another 25 years.
Amanda Hickey is government reporter at The Daily News and can be reached at amanda.hickey@jdnews.com. This report includes information from McClatchy News Service.
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City of London courts Aussie fund managers
Aleks Vickovich
The UK is “open for business” in the post-Brexit era, the 690th lord mayor of the City of London has told Australian investment managers.
Speaking at an Australian British Chamber of Commerce event in Sydney yesterday, lord mayor Charles Bowman said the Australian funds management industry should not be spooked by the UK’s inevitable withdrawal from the European Union.
“We would like to see greater collaboration between Australian and British asset management,” Mr Bowman said. “Britain is very much open for business.”
The Lord Mayor, who is the 690th individual to hold the office and also serves as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, said the city’s bourse should be particularly attractive.
“The city boasting the world’s most international stock exchange, the [London Stock Exchange], is a perfect launching pad for managers searching for overseas investment opportunities,” he said.
He also spruiked the advantages of listing on the LSE, heralding the 26 Australian companies that have already done so to a market capitalisation of £12 billion.
AustralianSuper’s foray into the UK market and backing of the King’s Cross restoration project is an example of the types of initiative that may appeal to other managers down under, he said.
The mayoral visit to Australia – just the 10th of its kind in the city’s 800-year history – comes alongside a research report his office commissioned that lists asset management as a key target for international collaboration, as well as fintech and green finance.
Australian banks Macquarie, CBA and ANZ are already working on green finance initiatives in consultation with the City of London, the mayor said, adding that the topic is obviously a “high priority for Australian financial services”.
In relation to Australia’s fintech industry, Mr Bowman said the country is hoarding “tremendous talent” and that he expects to see continued growth in the burgeoning sector.
“Australia’s fintech sector is flourishing,” he said. “We look forward to seeing more collaboration.”
Mr Bowman said Sydney is well-placed to grow as a global fintech hub as London has done.
“The sunny city is a perfect match for London’s fintech centre,” he said.
A number of UK funds management and technology executives have joined the lord mayor’s delegation, which will also visit Canberra and Melbourne.
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Our Charter, policies and Code of Conduct
Our corporate strategy and reports
Pioneers of Progress
IOSH is the Chartered body and largest membership organisation for health and safety professionals. Find out more here about who we are and what we do.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is the Chartered body and largest membership organisation for safety and health professionals.
We act as a champion, adviser, advocate and trainer for health and safety professionals working in organisations of all shapes and sizes, in around 130 countries. Our focus is to support our members in creating workplaces that are safer, healthier and more sustainable. And we do this in many different ways, including a professional development programme, events, helplines, and up-to-date technical advice. Our accredited training courses provide valuable knowledge, skills and qualifications for members and their colleagues.
At the same time, we are shaping the future of the profession and influencing important decisions that affect the safety, health and wellbeing of people at work worldwide. We collaborate with governments, advise policy-makers, commission research and set standards, and run high-profile campaigns to promote awareness of issues affecting workplace safety, health and well-being.
Formed in 1945, IOSH has become leader of a profession that has transformed the world of work, making it a safer, healthier place to be. It is a status identified by business and why Chartered Membership of IOSH is recognised worldwide as the hallmark of professional excellence in workplace safety and health.
Our vision is simple: a safe and healthy world of work.
This is why our mission is to be the professional body leading the way in global occupational safety and health. Because of our expertise, reach and reputation, IOSH is uniquely placed to influence the way organisations look after their people at work.
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Here’s What We Know about the Samsung Galaxy S10 Models
The new Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones are expected on Feb. 20. Here's what to expect, and how the new devices can benefit business.
Paul Heltzel | Jan 16, 2019
Update, 02/20/2019: Watch the livestream of the Samsung event at 1 pm PT.
Samsung’s three new Galaxy smartphones won’t appear until a launch event on Feb. 20, but leaks and details from parts suppliers have offered some insight into what we’ll see in the new flagship models.
The new Galaxy S10e, S10 and S10 Plus are expected to feature a number of business-friendly features, including a speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor in U.S. models and, in at least one version of the phone, a 5G-compatible modem. Outside of the U.S. it’s expected the new phones will use Samsung’s own new Exynos 9820 processor. The phones are reported to run the Samsung One user interface rather than Android Pie.
Another improvement in the new phones likely to appeal to enterprise users: a screen with more real estate, thanks to a hole-punch camera in a top left corner that eliminates the need for a notch at the top of the screen and reduces the size of the bezel. The phone’s uncluttered Infinity display should make it easier to launch multiple apps and get work done.
Security and device management should also get a boost in the upgrade, and we expect to see the introduction of new features that will put the smartphone at the center of connected enterprise devices.
“We can expect to see further enhancements to Samsung Knox, the company's device security platform addressing the enterprise market,” said Gartner analyst and vice president Mark Hung. “With the increased diversity of device types in the enterprise--including AR/VR, virtual personal assistants and wearables--the company will need to evolve the platform to seamlessly configure and manage these IoT endpoints, with the smartphone perhaps serving as the hub.”
There has been much discussion over whether the new S10 will support 5G. Some reports suggest there will be a top-of-the-line 5G S10 Plus model sold only by Verizon, with a 5,000 mAh battery. However, considering how limited the rollout will be next year for 5G use for mobile phones, the phone is likely to be more of a showpiece than a game-changing smartphone. Meanwhile, 4G will continue to improve, so business users who need speedy mobile connections should keep an eye out for phones with the latest modems with support for features like carrier aggregation.
The S10 and S10 Plus are expected to have three rear cameras: a regular image sensor, a wide angle and a telephone lens. The S10e version is expected to have two rear cameras, and may have a fingerprint scanner located on the phone’s power button on the right. It’s expected to use a Snapdragon 845 processor.
The Samsung S9 and S9+ currently have the fingerprint scanner on the back of the device, below the camera. The S10 and S10 Plus are reportedly moving the fingerprint scanner into the display itself.
The phones are expected to offer different battery sizes, ranging from 3,100mAh, 3,500mAh and 4,000m Ah.
Samsung also is expected to announce the foldable Galaxy X at February’s launch event. The company showed a prototype of the phone last November at its developer conference.
In terms of prices, the S10 is expected to start at about $780, and the Plus will likely cost $100 more. The S10e will sell for about $650, and all three phones are expected to ship in early- to mid-March.
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PCs Have a Lesson for the Smartphone Industry
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ABOUT KARADI TALES
Karadi Tales is an independent children’s publishing house based in Chennai, India focussing primarily on picture books and audiobooks. It was started in 1996 with an intent to create a space for Indian culture in the world of children’s publishing, by a group of writers, educators and musicians.
Since its launch, Karadi Tales titles have been consistently one of the largest selling publications in India. Many titles have sold more than 100,000 copies and most titles have crossed 20,000 copies. The audiobooks are narrated by a roster of celebrities and set to classical Indian ragas which are performed by trained musicians. To know more, check out the Artistes‘ page.
For older children, Karadi Tales offers – Charkha – a series for young adults featuring musical audiobooks based on biographies and autobiographies eminent Indians.
Dreaming Fingers is a very special series of hand-made tactile picture books with text in Braille and English. Produced in association with Lemniscaat, Netherlands, it brings a new definition to understanding pictures with its tactile picture books with Braille text for visually impaired, differently-abled and the youngest of readers.
International Presence – Karadi Tales’s products have won several accolades worldwide. Check out details here
Shobha Viswanath
Publishing Director and co-founder of Karadi Tales Company, Shobha is passionate about picture books. A firm believer that reading should be for fun and that art enhances the reading experience, she has veered the direction of Karadi Tales to garner international reputation, while at the same time making the books a national favourite across India.
Narayan Parasuram
Creative Director and co-founder of Karadi Tales Company, Narayan is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He holds a Masters degree in Material Science and a Diploma in Sound Engineering from Clemson University. Narayan composes and executes the music and soundtrack for Karadi Tales.
C.P. Viswanath
An entrepreneur, an educator, and a musician and the co-founder of both Karadi Tales Company Pvt. Ltd. and Karadi Path Education Company Pvt. Ltd., Viswanath is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Karadi Path, a company that has been innovating in the area of language learning. He is a member of the band and composer group 3 Brothers & A Violin.
Pearson Affordable Learning fund
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Left, Right & Center
What to do during an earthquake if you're not at home
Jul. 8 from News Stories
NPR fact-check: Night 2 of the first Democratic primary debate
It's Night 2 of the first primary debate of the 2020 election cycle. Follow NPR reporters' live analysis and fact checks of the candidates' remarks.
Jun. 27 from News Stories
Democratic Presidential Debate: See the 20 Candidates who will be onstage
Three senators, four current or former representatives, a mayor, a governor and a former Cabinet secretary all walk onto a stage ...
Democratic primary debate: Live fact-check from NPR
'Love, power, peace.' Mourners gather at Staples Center to honor Nipsey Hussle
After the memorial, a procession carrying Nipsey Hussle's casket will travel through the city, giving mourners an opportunity to say goodbye.
Apr. 11 from News Stories
State of the Union: Democratic response annotated and fact checked
Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost the Georgia governor’s race in November, is delivering the Democrats’ response to President Trump’s State of the Union address.
Feb. 5 from News Stories
Fact Check: Trump’s State of the Union Address
President Trump is delivering his State of the Union address Tuesday night, a speech that had been delayed during the government shutdown.
25 years after the Northridge Earthquake, here’s how to prepare for the next one
January 17 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake, which rattled the region, destroying buildings and taking lives.
Jan. 16, 2019 from News Stories
What are kids doing if they aren’t in school?
During the teacher strike, a lot of students are not going to class. According to the district’s tally, about 163,000 turned up for school Tuesday, out of a total of…
Who are the political players in the teachers strike?
Thousands of LA public school teachers are going to be back out on the picket lines for a second day. They walked off the job Monday after failing to reach…
LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner: ‘We’ve put a very full offer on the table’
A strike by LAUSD teachers is postponed until Monday. That could give the union, United Teachers Los Angeles, and the district a few more days to reach a deal on…
Jan. 9, 2019 from News Stories
What you need to know about LAUSD’s $2 billion reserve
One of the major points the teachers union is making in negotiations with LAUSD is that the district has a reserve of nearly $2 billion. Teachers union president Alex Caputo-Pearl…
As strike looms, what is the teachers union demanding?
The teachers union and LAUSD officials didn’t come to an agreement on Monday after a long day of last-ditch negotiations. The two sides are expected to meet again Wednesday, one…
What you need to know about the LAUSD strike
Who is striking? The United Teachers of Los Angeles union represents more than 30,000 Los Angeles Unified School District teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses, and other educators.
In 1989 LA teachers went on strike. Has anything changed?
UTLA, the union representing Los Angeles Unified School District teachers, says if its labor demands aren’t met, thousands of classroom instructors in America’s second largest school…
By the numbers: Remembering the Thomas Fire
A year ago, the Thomas Fire burned through the Central Coast for 39 days. Thousands were affected by the fire, watching land and homes go up in flames. We take…
Dec. 5, 2018 from News Stories
Recollections from the Thomas Fire: ‘I saw hundreds of houses and buildings on fire’
Tanya Sandefur lives on a 10-acre avocado ranch overlooking Ojai’s upper valley.
As migrants arrive in Tijuana, some protest and some help
Tanya Aguiñiga grew up in Tijuana, just a few blocks away from the border and even as a little kid she was aware of the constant flow of people…
Nov. 30, 2018 from News Stories
A new sheriff in town
Sheriff Jim McDonnell conceded his bid for reelection against retired Sheriff’s Lieutenant Alex Villanueva, marking the first time in over a century that an incumbent sheriff has…
NASA touches down on the Red Planet
A little over an Earth Day ago, NASA’s InSight spacecraft landed on Mars. KCRW’s Tod Mesirow was at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena to witness the historic touchdown of…
As LA rents rise, tenants take the protests directly to their landlords
On a recent evening, about a dozen demonstrators gathered on what’s normally a quiet westside street. Carrying signs, bullhorns and a drum, they rallied in front of a large,…
Hoping for asylum, migrants arrive to squalid conditions in Tijuana
Last Sunday, the world’s attention focused on the U.S. Mexico border and a confrontation between Central American migrants in Tijuana and the U.S. Border Patrol.
Anxiety at the border as one crossing closes
As United States Border Patrol decided to close one of the busiest border crossings in the world Sunday, firing tear gas and bullets at a group of migrants trying…
Support KCRW
With Libra, Facebook wants to create its own money. Lawmakers are skeptical Press Play with Madeleine Brand
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It’s time to talk about climate change To the Point
LA braces for ICE raids this weekend Press Play with Madeleine Brand
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Goldencents rebounds to win Santa Anita Derby
After dueling and weakening to fourth in the March 9 San Felipe, Goldencents was overlooked entering Saturday's Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. But that proved to be a mistake as the three-year-old colt displayed the willingness to relax during the early stages, made his move to the lead entering the stretch drive and comfortably held the favored Flashback safe to the wire.
The 1 1/4-length victory guarantees Goldencents a spot in the Kentucky Derby field as he increased his point total to 129 in the new "Road to the Kentucky Derby" scoring system. He completed the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:48 3/5.
Owned in partnership by University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, who advanced to Monday's national championship game when defeating Wichita St. on Saturday, Goldencents provided trainer Doug O'Neill with his second straight Santa Anita Derby following last year's success with I'll Have Another, who went on to post a 19-1 upset at Churchill Downs.
The bay son of Into Mischief was ridden by Kevin Krigger, who is now scheduled to make his Kentucky Derby debut. O'Neill employed a similar strategy last year, utilizing the services of the relatively unknown Mario Gutierrez aboard I'll Have Another.
"(Give) credit to Kevin (Krigger). He didn't panic early when the pace was a little bit hot the first quarter, and was able to just chill and save horse," O'Neill said. "Credit to Kevin and the horse. They're a great team."
Super Ninety Nine flashed speed at the break, showing the way into the first turn on a short lead as Krigger took a keen hold on Goldencents in second. The opening quarter-mile went in a quick :22 3/5, but Super Ninety Nine was able to slow it down entering the backstretch, reaching the half-mile mark in :46 2/5 with a half-length advantage, and continued to lead by the same margin as he reached the three-quarters mark in 1:10 2/5.
Unlike previous starts, Goldencents was not headstrong and waited for his cue to pounce. Flashback, who finished second in the San Felipe after battling on the lead with Goldencents, was a couple of lengths back stalking the early pace and advanced into contention on the far turn, one-length behind Goldencents with three furlongs remaining.
Goldencents stormed into the lead as Super Ninety Nine gave way at the top of the stretch and the stage appeared set for a two-horse race to the wire. But Flashback wasn't gaining on Goldencents, who passed the mile mark in 1:35 3/5, and the winner wasn't seriously threatened in the final furlong.
"I did (think he had enough left when Flashback came to him in the stretch), but I think every trainer has a false sense of hope every time you run one, but I felt like we had a lot of horse left. This time it worked out perfect," O'Neill said.
"We were all in a good position turning for home," said Bob Baffert, trainer of Flashback. "When we got to the outside the other horse (Goldencents) just quickened on him. The winner ran a really good race. They ran pretty fast times.
"Flashback, he ran a good race. Goldencents, he's a good horse. He's going to be really tough."
O'Neill and his team had worked on getting Goldencents to relax since the San Felipe.
"I think it did (help, the change in training strategy to try and slow his works down). I think it saved some more energy for the afternoon," O'Neill explained. "I was getting caught up into he was just a fast horse. It is fun to watch a horse work (fast), but you do worry it saps some of their energy for the afternoon, so we just tried to stay away from that. Whether that has anything to do with it or not, it worked today."
Sent off the 6-1 fourth choice among eight rivals in the $750,750 Santa Anita Derby, Goldencents paid $15, $5.40 and $3.40 to his supporters.
Flashback, the overwhelming even-money choice, wound up 8 1/2 lengths clear of third. Super Ninety Nine came next and was followed by Tiz a Minister, Power Broker, Storm Fighter, Summer Exclusive and Dirty Swagg. San Felipe winner Hear the Ghost was scratched earlier in the week due to an injury.
Goldencents has now earned $1,250,000 from a 6-4-1-0 career mark. After winning his career debut at Del Mar, the colt shipped to New York and finished a commendable second to eventual two-year-old champion Shanghai Bobby in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. His connections elected to skip the Breeders' Cup and Goldencents proceeded to record his first stakes win in the November 17 Delta Jackpot Juvenile, scoring by 1 3/4 length in the lucrative event. He opened 2013 with a 1 1/2-length victory in the January 5 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.
Bred in Kentucky by Rosecrest Farm and Karyn Pirrello, Goldencents brought $5,500 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall yearling before selling for $62,000 when going through the ring as the penultimate horse in this year's OBS June sale. He is out of the winning Banker's Gold mare Golden Works, who is herself a daughter of multiple stakes queen Body Works.
Canadian champion and 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo is also part of the female family.
O'Neill was asked when Goldencents will ship to Churchill Downs.
"I don't know. We've got to huddle up. As soon as the alcohol wears off, we'll figure it all out," the trainer said.
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Baldwin: This face behind Trump startled me
CNN's Brooke Baldwin says the scene at President Trump's rally during which he mocked Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford was "absent of soul."
Posted: Oct 8, 2018 2:29 PM
Updated: Oct 8, 2018 2:51 PM
President Donald Trump on Monday claimed Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination was "caught up in a hoax set up by the Democrats." Kavanaugh is set to be sworn in by Trump later in the day.
"The things they said about him, I don't even think he ever heard of the words. It was all made up. It was fabricated and it's a disgrace and I think it's gonna really show you something come November 6th," Trump said as he left the White House for an event in Orlando.
Kavanaugh won Senate confirmation over the weekend, earning 50 'yes' votes -- the fewest ever for any Supreme Court justice.
He was accused of sexual assault and misconduct in the weeks before senators took their votes. He denied all the allegations.
Trump had previously been conciliatory toward Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, calling her a "good witness" and saying he respected her position very much.
"With all of that you cannot say that we've done anything but be respectful, and I do. I respect her position very much. I respect her position very much," Trump had said to reporters.
But Monday, Trump said the Democrats "tortured" Kavanaugh and his family over the accusations.
"I thought that the way they conducted themselves, the way they dealt with a high-level, brilliant -- going to be a great justice of the Supreme Court -- the way they really tortured him and his family I thought it was disgrace. I thought it was one of the most disgraceful performances I've ever seen," Trump said.
Later Monday, during an address at a law enforcement conference, Trump blamed "evil" people for putting Kavanaugh in a "disgraceful situation" during his confirmation process.
"He's a great person and it was very, very unfair what happened to him. False charges, false accusations, horrible statements that were totally untrue that he knew nothing about," Trump said. "It was a disgraceful situation, brought about by people that are evil and he toughed it out.
The President lauded Kavanaugh, saying he "will be a faithful defender of the rule of law."
Trump had previously mocked Ford's testimony about the alleged assault, and Monday's comments continued the pattern of disbelieving her.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, at least 13 women accused Trump of misbehavior ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault. They came forward in the wake of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape that was released in October 2016 in which he is caught saying on a hot mic: "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything."
The White House -- through press secretary Sarah Sanders and others -- has dismissed all the allegations against him as old news that had been litigated during the campaign.
The President has also voiced suspicion about the year-old #MeToo movement, complaining that allegations made decades later can ruin a man's life. He has questioned why women wait so long to come forward if they are telling the truth. Last week, he expressed concern for men in this moment.
"It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters. "This is a very, very -- this is a very difficult time. What's happening here has much more to do than even the appointment of a Supreme Court justice."
Trump trashes Baldwin's 'terrible impersonation'
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'SNL' has a special Christmas message from Baldwin's Trump
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Get ready for more Alec Baldwin as Trump on 'SNL'
Alec Baldwin's Trump returns with worries about the Mueller investigation
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Raised: 109%
Target: £59,928.00
Raised so far: £65,612.00
Great news - this project has reached its funding target. Thank you to everyone who donated. Search for another cause to support
Project run by
Middle East Children's Alliance, Berkeley, United Stateshttp://www.mecaforpeace.org
Projects provided by global giving
Projects on JustGiving are provided in partnership with GlobalGiving UK. Donations to projects are subject to the same 10% fee as they are on GlobalGiving. Find out how this works.
Emergency Aid for Children in Gaza
Children in Gaza are living under a devastating blockade. They lack basic essentials such as water, housing, hospitals and safe places to play and learn. MECA and The Big Ride are teaming up to raise funds for Gaza to help meet children's basic needs.
What is the problem the project is addressing?
Children in Gaza live with the constant threat of Israeli military assault and the ongoing blockade of basic necessities and medical care. There is widespread poverty and a closed environment where people and goods cannot travel freely. The UN estimates that 400,000 children in Gaza are showing signs of severe psychological distress including bed-wetting, nightmares, aggression, phobias, extreme withdrawal or anxiety and difficulty eating, sleeping or speaking.
How will this project solve the problem?
The situation for children in Gaza is an emergency. MECA will use your donations to provide emergency aid to families in Gaza and deliver medicine and medical supplies to hospitals. MECA will support community-based organisations that run creative writing programs, sports teams, art and music classes; to build playgrounds and much more. Meanwhile, The Big Ride is working to raise awareness in the UK about the situation for children in Gaza.
What is the potential long-term impact of this project?
This project will reduce the children's risk of disease and malnutrition by addressing basic needs for food, medical care and adequate shelter that could impact their development and long-term health. By involving children in creative community activities, the project will also protect children's long-term mental health, making them more resilient against the risks of severe anxiety, depression, aggression and withdrawal.
1,690 warm outfits for infants in Gaza
Josie Shields-Stromsness
As you know, the winter was very harsh for families in Gaza after Israeli attacks last summer damaged thousands of homes. As temperatures dropped and rain and snow fell, people huddled together around fires outside or in their damaged homes.
You and hundreds of other new and long-time MECA supporters responded to this crisis—and helped prevent it from turning into another catastrophe.
Throughout January and February, with your help, MECA was able to send funds to our partners in Gaza and in refugee camps in Lebanon.
Volunteers gathered at Dr. Mona El-Farra’s apartment in Gaza city to create parcels out of hundreds of children’s sweaters and long underwear, more than one thousand wool socks and infant outfits, plus cooking oil, beans, cheese and many more items. Volunteers and community groups distributed the parcels to refugee camps, villages and city neighborhoods throughout the Gaza Strip. Along with the food and warm clothes, they brought plastic sheets to cover leaky roofs and holes in walls from last summer’s assault.
Spring has finally arrived, bringing great relief. Thank you for providing a lifeline to so many men, women and children who are struggling every day just to survive.
With much appreciation,
MECA Program Director
Bethlehem, Palestine
400 Families Receive Locally-produced Food Package
Dr. Mona El-Farra
400 Palestinian families in Gaza are receiving food packages made up of agricultural products produced in Gaza, thanks to the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) and Gaza’s Ark international solidarity network.
Israel’s 51 days of attacks on Gaza this past summer killed more than 2000 people, destroyed thousands of homes and apartments, damaged 75 hospitals and clinics, and caused millions of dollars of damage to farmland and civilian infrastructure. Currently more than 100,000 people in Gaza are displaced and an alarming 72% of households are considered food insecure by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Your support provided the transportation, communication, and storage rental that made this distribution possible.
Solidarity not charity
This food distribution includes locally produced food products thereby directly benefitting both the local economy and families in need. Unlike goods which are brought from outside Gaza, this distribution is not subject to permits or authorizations from the Israeli occupation, nor on the ‘charity’ of aid organizations.
MECA is distributing the food packages to 400 families throughout Gaza who are food insecure. The distribution mobilizes and empowers grassroots organizations and local volunteers in Gaza to help their communities. MECA partner organizations in Jabalia, Khan Younis, Nuseirat, and Gaza City are assisting in identifying families who are in need and have been overlooked by larger aid efforts.
“This is an innovative and positive example of how people around the world can work in partnership to support Gaza,” says Dr. Mona El-Farra, a physician, activist, and Gaza Project Director for the Middle East Children’s Alliance. “Through this small aid effort, we are helping the local producers as well as needy families in Gaza. These families have been impoverished by decades of occupation and years of a tight blockade; many were also hit savagely by the latest Israeli offensive.”
This humanitarian relief helps support Palestinian farmers and agricultural cooperatives throughout the Gaza Strip who have been paid $14,000 for their maftoul (couscous), date products like awja, debes and makhtom, spice mixes of dugga and za’atar which are used in traditional Palestinian breakfasts, as well as honey and olive oil.
“The Gaza’s Ark project has helped Palestinian women’s co-operatives and eight local associations by making solidarity sales and promoting their products outside of Gaza's borders,” said Awni Farhat, products and endorsements coordinator for Gaza’s Ark.
Salma Abu Mostafa from Abbassan Women’s Cooperative for Medicinal Herbs, one of the producers of the food products, added: “This project helped 67 women who work on their farms in the village of Abbassan to earn a bit of income and empower themselves in the community.”
Gaza’s Ark supporters from Europe, Canada, US and Australia paid for the food as part of an international solidarity campaign aimed at challenging the illegal blockade of Gaza. Individuals and organizations placed orders from Palestinian producers in Gaza and a fishing boat was being rebuilt in the port of Gaza to carry these exports to international markets. The boat was struck by Israeli shelling in July 2014 and destroyed along with thousands of Palestinian homes and other civilian structures. This attack put an end to the plans to sail against the blockade this year, but the international buyers agreed to donate the foodstuffs, originally purchased for export via Gaza’s Ark, to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.
Medicine and hygiene kits distributed in Gaza
Thank you for your support! Here is an updated write-up of how your donations are being used to provide emergency aid to children and families in Gaza.
After four weeks of intensive bombing in Gaza, approximately half a million Palestinians are now displaced in Gaza. Most of these families left their homes in a panic with just the clothes on their backs. The majority of the displaced are taking shelter in UN and government schools under the care of UNRWA. However UNRWA’s resources have been depleted and they have requested assistance from MECA and other organizations in Gaza to meet the growing needs of families in schools and to prevent the spread of disease.
The near total lack of electricity, running water, and wastewater treatment pose a huge threat to the health of children and families in Gaza. The families in school shelters are receiving drinking water but are often unable to shower or wash and soap bars which some organizations gave distributed do not lather in the highly saline water that comes out of Gaza taps (when they are running at all). Our partner centers that run hospitals and clinics have reported increasing numbers of cases with skin infections, diarrhea, and lice while women are coming in with yeast infections.
MECA Response
MECA is providing grants to our long-term partners, the Red Crescent Society for the Gaza Strip (RCS) and the Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) to buy medications to treat the sick and injured free of charge. Both run clinics and medical centers throughout Gaza and Al-Awda Hospital, run by the UHWC, is the main hospital for child births in Gaza during this crisis. RCS and UHWC send MECA the list of their needs and then use the grants to purchase medications locally in Gaza. The medications include antibiotics, rehydration bags, pain medications, topical creams, vitamins for pregnant women and children, as well as items to treat chronic diseases as many patients had to leave their medications behind as they fled. Despite the blockade on Gaza, they have been able to secure the medications they need from local pharmacies. Some pharmacies have a West Bank branch that manufactures medications and sends them to Gaza while others actually have factories operating in Gaza. In case of any shortages faced by our partners, MECA has made contacts to be able to get medications and medical supplies to Gaza within 24 hours.
At the same time, MECA’s staff in Gaza are purchasing supplies locally to distribute to families. In the beginning of the attacks, the greatest need was food and milk for children so our team distributed 400 food packages. As the attacks continued and more families were displaced, we adjusted to include some hygienic items along with children’s milk and food and distributed 678 packages to families. Now our team is focusing on hygiene kits which include: pack of diapers, pack of feminine pads, toothbrushes, family-sized toothepaste, four small towels, family-sized shampoo, extra large bath foam, hand wash, 2 packs of wet wipes, and bath sponge. We are coordinating with our organizations in Gaza in order not to duplicate efforts and are focusing on the government school shelters which are being administered by UNRWA but are less well equipped and also families that are displaced but not in these official shelters as almost no one is providing support for this population. MECA has a large network of partners in Gaza who are community-based organizations and are assisting with the distribution in their areas.
As we look towards a permanent ceasefire, MECA and our partners are also planning to relaunch a program called “Let the Children Play and Heal” which provides psychosocial support for children impacted by the violence and also trains parents, teachers, and new social workers in methods to help the children in their families and communities.
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District of South Carolina
MEET THE U.S. ATTORNEY
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U.S. Attorneys » District of South Carolina » News
Former Manning Police Chief Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Theft of Government Funds, Making a False Statement
Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Gary B. Shaffer, 60, the former Chief of Police in Manning, has pleaded guilty in federal court to theft of federal funds and making a false statement.
Evidence presented to the court established that Shaffer was the Manning Chief of Police until August 2018. On September 12, 2015, Manning police officers performed a traffic stop in which they seized $80,800 from two individuals. That money should have been deposited into a City of Manning bank account with the Bank of Clarendon. On September 19, 2015, Shaffer began making large cash deposits into ATMs. By November 10, 2015, he had deposited approximately $78,514 into his personal accounts by way of cash ATM deposits.
In May 2016, a state court ordered the Manning Police Department to return a portion of the money to the individuals from whom the money was seized on September 12, 2015. On May 23, 2016, three official checks were issued from Shaffer’s personal accounts. The checks were made out to the attorney who represented the individuals to whom the money was supposed to be returned, and their total value was the exact amount that the state court had ordered to be returned.
During an interview in February 2017, Shaffer told an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the deposits were of money he had been saving for years from various sources. Shaffer admitted in federal court that this statement was false.
Shaffer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks, of Charleston, accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Shaffer after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
The charges against Shaffer were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Brook Bowers Andrews and William Camden Lewis of the Columbia office are prosecuting the case.
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Lance Crick (864) 282-2105
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Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings Toolkit
An estimated 68.5 million people worldwide were considered forcibly displaced as a result of conflict and persecution by the end of 2018--the highest number on record. Women and girls comprise half of this population. In natural disasters, conflict-affected settings, and other humanitarian crises, the provision of safe food and drinking water, shelter, and emergency and basic medical care are top priorities, but reproductive health services are often overlooked. People in emergency settings often face sexual and gender-based violence and increased exposure to reproductive health threats....
Research Utilization Toolkit
What Is Research Utilization? Research utilization refers to the application of evidence to policies, programs and practice to improve outcomes. Research utilization involves various strategies including stakeholder engagement and collaborative research, the use of champions, the use of knowledge brokers, and advocacy and communication, and is bi-directional. It links current research with opportunities to inform policy, programs, and practice. At the same time, it facilitates the use of experience from programs, policies, and practice to inform new research agendas...
The mHealth Planning Guide: Key Considerations for Integrating Mobile Technology into Health Programs
Why mHealth? Over the past decade, mobile health, or mHealth, has emerged as a cutting-edge tool for expanding access to health information and services around the world. mHealth uses mobile and wireless technologies, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile software applications (apps), to achieve health objectives. Why are a growing number of health programs—and even district and national health systems—turning to these technologies to support their efforts? There are many good reasons to consider using mHealth tools to...
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Voluntary Rights-based FP Programs: A Review of Tools
The design and scale-up of high-quality family planning services that protect and fulfill the rights of all clients and potential users requires a knowledge base of effective approaches and interventions that have improved access to contraceptive services; ensured a high quality of care; protected clients’ full, free, and informed choice; and ensured program accountability to those they serve.
Invest in Family Planning and Reproductive Health
This infographic focuses on current barriers to contraception, effects of the resulting unmet need for contraception, and the health impact a greater investement in family planning would have.
Enhancing Contraceptive Security through Better Financial Tracking: A Resource Guide for Analysts and Advocates
This document guides readers through the steps to track contraceptive finances and finance processes. The guide explains, in detail, how to collect and analyze data to determine how much funding is needed, committed, and spent for contraceptives. It also includes information to help users map the funding processes in order to determine when and to whom to advocate for adequate and timely funding for contraceptives.
Educating Girls: Creating a foundation for positive sexual and reproductive health behaviors
Investments that promote keeping girls in school, particularly in secondary school, have far-reaching and long-term health and development benefits for individuals, families, and communities. The purpose of this brief is to describe the relationship of girls’ education on family planning and reproductive health and behaviors; highlight evidence-based practices that increase girls’ enrollment, retention, and participation in school; and provide recommendations for how the health sector can support keeping girls in school.
Policy: Building the foundation for systems, services, and supplies
Policies set the tone for family planning programs. Ministries of Health play a primary role in developing health sector policy, with the aims of improving health system performance and promoting the health of the people. Policies and laws that affect health systems and health outcomes are also developed outside the health system.
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BronyCon: The Documentary
A feature length documentary about the unofficial fan convention for aficionados of the show “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.”
Michael Brockhoff
Project We Love Los Angeles, CA Documentary
In the summer of 2012 a rapidly growing adult fanbase will gather to celebrate the TV show "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic".
This feature length documentary will follow several individual journeys that converge at the convention. We'll find out who the fans are and what is driving this phenomenon.
What will the funds be used for? The short answer is quality. This program will be shot with broadcast quality equipment and crewed by professional camera operators, sound mixers and editors who do this for a living.
Thank you for your support! Please help spread the word to make this project possible.
For the documentary: Executive producers are Tara Strong, Lauren Faust, John de Lancie and Michael Brockhoff. Director is Laurent Malaquais and Consulting Producer is Andrew Brockert.
BronyCon and related media belong exclusively to BronyCon. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and related media belong exclusively to Hasbro, Inc. and Studio B/DHX Media Ltd.
For those of you who have been asking...
Kickstarter does not allow pledges with Paypal so we set up a website here:
http://www.bronydoc.com/
Please note that your pledge will not be added to the kickstarter totals, but will be treated the same by us.
You will get a THANK YOU in the credits of the feature length documentary.
Please add once per person for international shipping regardless of the number of rewards.
The above, PLUS: We will send you a code for a DIGITAL DOWNLOAD of the feature length documentary.
All the above, PLUS: We will mail you a BLUE-RAY DVD of the feature length documentary.
All the above, PLUS: You will get a bonus Blu-ray Disc that includes extended interviews with TARA STRONG, LAUREN FAUST and JOHN DE LANCIE.
All the above, PLUS: We will send you an awesome T-SHIRT in your selected size created just for this project.
All the above, PLUS: We will send you a limited edition 8" x 10" print / work of art created just for this project and include your name in the SPECIAL THANKS (instead of other credits) section of the credits of the feature length documentary.
All the above, PLUS: TARA STRONG, LAUREN FAUST and JOHN DE LANCIE will SIGN both your Blu-ray disc and limited edition art print.
All the above, PLUS: We will send you a really cool hand crafted Brony themed HAT/CAP created just for this project.
(UPDATED) All the above, PLUS: We will send you a really cool hand crafted Brony themed HAT/CAP created just for this project AND you get admission for one to an exclusive one-hour Q&A followed by a private signing with TARA STRONG, LAUREN FAUST and JOHN DE LANCIE to be held at BronyCon on SATURDAY, June 30th (travel, lodging and admission to BronyCon not included)
(UPDATED) All the above, PLUS: TARA STRONG or JOHN DE LANCIE (your choice) will record a personalized voice mail message for you (based on your text and up to one minute long) and we will upgrade your credit to ASSOCIATE PRODUCER (instead of other credits) of the feature length documentary.
(UPDATED) All the above, PLUS: We will invite you and a guest to a MEET and GREET with documentary producers TARA STRONG, LAUREN FAUST, JOHN DE LANCIE and Michael Brockhoff as well as documentary director Laurent Malaquais to be held on Friday, June 29th, 2012 the night before Summer Bronycon 2012 in Secaucus, NJ (travel and lodging not included).
All the above, PLUS: LAUREN FAUST will create an ORIGINAL WORK OF ART based on your Pony OC (Original Character). You can select a 14" x 17" color-pencil piece or a 10 1/2" x 12 1/2" graphite piece.
Estimated delivery Jul 2012
All the above, PLUS: an INTERVIEW with you will be included in the feature length documentary. (To be shot at Summer Bronycon 2012 in Secaucus, NJ) (travel and lodging not included). (or we work with you to get your likeness in the project) and we will upgrade you to a CO-PRODUCER credit (instead of other credits) of the feature length documentary.
(UPDATED) All the above, PLUS: We will invite you and a guest to a DINNER with documentary producers TARA STRONG, LAUREN FAUST, JOHN DE LANCIE and Michael Brockhoff as well as documentary director Laurent Malaquais to be held on Friday, June 29th, 2012 the night before Summer Bronycon 2012 in Secaucus, NJ OR a dinner to be held in Los Angeles on a mutually determined date. (travel and lodging not included) and we will upgrade you to a PRODUCER credit (instead of other credits) for the feature length documentary.
May 14, 2012 - Jun 10, 2012 (26 days)
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The Third Earl of Shaftesbury (1671—1713)
Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Third Earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713) was an English philosopher who profoundly influenced 18th century thought in Britain, France, and Germany. As a part of an important social circle of English Freethinkers along with early deists such as John Toland, Matthew Tindal, and Anthony Collins, Shaftesbury’s work had a significant influence on French deists such as Voltaire and Rousseau. He also corresponded with some of the most important thinkers of his day, including Locke, Leibniz, and Bayle. Shaftesbury was most influential in the history of English language philosophy through his concept of the moral sense which heavily influenced Hutcheson, Butler, Hume, and Adam Smith; and Shaftesbury was influential in Germany through his concept of enthusiasm which recovered (intuitive) reason from mere (discursive) reasoning and influenced the Romantic idea of the creative imagination as found in German thinkers such as Lessing, Mendelssohn, Goethe, Herder, and Schiller.
Although Shaftesbury was enormously influential in the 18th century, his prestige declined in the 20th century, primarily due to the rise of analytic philosophy which defined philosophy such that Shaftesbury’s work seemed more like literature or rhetoric than proper philosophy. Those trained in analytic philosophy continue to have trouble reading Shaftesbury, largely because he self-consciously rejects systematic philosophy and focuses more on rhetoric and literary persuasion than providing numbered premises. Shaftesbury is interested as much in moral formation as he is in moral theorizing, though his work does contain some, albeit intentionally veiled, discussion of theoretical concerns.
As Shaftesbury saw it, Hobbes had set the agenda of British moral philosophy (a search for the grounding of universal moral principles), and Locke had established its method (empiricism). Shaftesbury’s important contribution was to focus that agenda by showing what a satisfactory response to Hobbes might look like but without giving up too much of Locke’s method. Shaftesbury showed the British moralists that if we think of moral goodness as analogous to beauty, then (even within a broadly empiricist framework) it is still possible for moral goodness to be non-arbitrarily grounded in objective features of the world and for the moral agent to be attracted to virtue for its own sake, not merely out of self-interest.
In his most influential works, Shaftesbury thinks of moral judgment as self-reflection. First we have motives, and then we reflect on those motives resulting in a feeling of moral approval or condemnation. The process is the same when evaluating other agents: we reflect on their motives and feel approval or condemnation. In Shaftesbury’s aesthetic language, the state of having the morally correct motives is the state of being “morally beautiful,” and the state of approving the morally correct motives upon reflection is the state of having “good moral taste.” Shaftesbury argues that the morally correct motives which constitute moral beauty turn out to be those motives which are aimed at the good of one’s society as a whole. This good is understood teleologically. Furthermore Shaftesbury argues that both the ability to know the good of one’s society and the reflective approval of the motivation toward this good are innate capacities which must nevertheless be developed by proper socialization.
Aims and Methods
Moral Realism
Moral Beauty
Moral Sense
Primary Texts
Secondary Texts
Shaftesbury was part of an important political family. Shaftesbury’s grandfather, the First Earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), was an influential and controversial Whig politician. The Whigs were the party in favor of the supremacy of parliament over the monarchy in England. The opposing party, the Tories, supported the monarchy and also tended to support a hierarchical state-sponsored religion, either Anglicanism or Roman Catholicism. The Whigs favored freedom of religion, supporting religious “Dissenters,” at first Puritans, Calvinists, Quakers, etc., and later Deists. In 1679 the First Earl of Shaftesbury introduced a bill into Parliament attempting to exclude King Charles II’s brother James (later King James II) from the throne because James was Roman Catholic. The bill failed, and the First Earl was eventually charged with treason and fled to Holland where he died in exile.
Shaftesbury was very close to his grandfather and revered the memory of the First Earl. Because Shaftesbury’s father had an unidentified degenerative illness, Shaftesbury was raised in the household of the First Earl from the age of four. After the First Earl’s disgrace, Shaftesbury made it one of his life’s goals to rehabilitate his family’s reputation. Though his votes in Parliament occasionally sided with the Tories, Shaftesbury always stayed true to the political principles of his grandfather, consistently fighting for religious tolerance and a balance of powers at both the national and international level (see Voitle, p. 73; cf. p. 414).
John Locke (1632-1704) was a close friend of the First Earl and an advisor to the family for years to come after the First Earl’s death. Locke was the personal physician and general advisor to the First Earl. He supervised the childhood medical care of Shaftesbury’s father, the Second Earl (1652-1699). He also helped find a wife for the Second Earl and he cared for her during her pregnancy with the Third Earl. Most significantly for our purposes, Locke supervised the Third Earl’s education. He personally chose Shaftesbury’s governess Elizabeth Birch and designed a curriculum for her to follow in her instruction of the child. This experience was, presumably, the basis for Locke’s later work Thoughts Concerning Education. Under Birch’s tutelage, Shaftesbury received a strong education in the Classics and became fluent in Greek and Latin by the age of eleven. Locke continued to check on Shaftesbury’s progress over the years. After the First Earl’s death when Shaftesbury was twelve years old, he attended Winchester College, a secondary school which at the time was dominated by Tory sentiment. Shaftesbury felt persecuted by his peers on account of the First Earl’s political reputation.
In 1687, at the age of 16, Shaftesbury began his two-year “Grand Tour” of Europe, a customary part of a British nobleman’s education during the period. After an extended stay in Paris, Shaftesbury spent most of his tour in Italy where, based on his diary, he focused his attention on art and architecture. He was especially interested in ruins from the classical Roman period. The first stop on his tour, however, was Holland where Shaftesbury spent several months visiting John Locke.
After returning from his Grand Tour in 1689, Shaftesbury took over managing much of the family estates and interests from his bedridden father. Shaftesbury also had to supervise the education of his brothers and the marriages of his sisters; oversee the family finances and investments; govern the family lands, a job which included adjudicating disputes among the tenants; and, in 1695, take his place as a member of Parliament in the House of Commons. Locke served as a primary advisor to the young Shaftesbury as he found his footing in these new duties, though Shaftesbury did not always follow Locke’s advice. Shaftesbury had many philosophical conversations with Locke, some of which are preserved in correspondence. During this time, Shaftesbury wrote his first philosophical works, An Inquiry Concerning Virtue or Merit and the “Preface” to his edition of Whichcote’s sermons.
The smoky, polluted air of London did not agree with Shaftesbury, and he developed what would become a life-long and eventually fatal respiratory disease. Shaftesbury was diagnosed with a form of asthma, though Voitle suggests that the evidence points toward tuberculosis (Voitle, p. 226). In 1698, due to his health, he retired from public life and spent a year in Holland where he met important thinkers of the day including Pierre Bayle (1647-1706), who became a close friend, despite their philosophical disagreements.
While in retirement he also began keeping his philosophical journal, which he labeled Askemata (Greek: exercises), posthumously published under the title of Philosophical Regimen. The Askemata reveals Shaftesbury as a disciple of the ancient Stoics, especially Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.
After the death of his father, Shaftesbury inherited the title of Earl and felt obligated to return to Parliament in 1700 (this time in the House of Lords). Yet his health continued to worsen, and he gradually spent more and more time in retirement, during which time he prepared his philosophical works for publication. By the time his collected works appeared in 1711 as Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, Shaftesbury’s health was so poor he decided to move to Italy in search of a more hospitable climate. There he continued to write. He prepared a revised second edition of the Characteristics, reading the work aloud to see how it sounded and making changes mostly in style and grammar. He also added important illustrations, an allegorical headpiece for each treatise. Finally, he began a sequel to the Characteristics to be titled Second Characters. The warm, sulphurous air off the Bay of Naples did help Shaftesbury’s health, but not enough. He died in 1714 without finishing his work.
2. Works
Shaftesbury’s first publication was a collection of sermons written by Cambridge Platonist Benjamin Whichcote. His introduction to that volume praised Whichcote for maintaining the goodness of human nature and the existence of a natural impulse toward benevolence. This was in contrast to most other 17th century divines who followed secular thinkers in holding that self-interest is the only motive to action and were therefore required to ground moral motivation in the rewards and punishments of the afterlife.
Shaftesbury’s major work Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times (first edition published 1711) is an anthology of five previously published essays, sometimes with substantial revisions: An Inquiry Concerning Virtue or Merit (1699); A Letter Concerning Enthusiasm (1708); Sensus Communis, An Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humor (1709); The Moralists, A Philosophical Rhapsody (1709); and Soliloquy, or Advice to an Author (1710). Along with these earlier works, Shaftesbury appended five new chapters of Miscellaneous Reflections roughly corresponding to the five essays which attempt to bring some coherence to the collection by commenting on and qualifying Shaftesbury’s earlier views.
His other published philosophical works include A Notion of the Historical Draught or Tablature of the Judgment Hercules and A Letter Concerning Design, originally a set of instructions for a painting Shaftesbury had commissioned and a letter commenting on those instructions, both written in 1712. Shaftesbury planned to include these works in a projected sequel to the Characteristics called Second Characters, but he died before the project could be completed. The Notion was subsequently included in the posthumous 1714 edition of the Characteristics, while the Letter Concerning Design was also added in the 1732 edition. These two late works were included, along with some of Shaftesbury’s unfinished works (including a dialogue called The Picture of Cebes and a treatise to be entitled Plastics, an Epistolary Excursion in the Original Progress and Power of Designatory Art), in Benjamin Rand’s attempted reconstruction of Second Characters, published in 1914.
Finally, we have some of Shaftesbury’s correspondence and private journals (the Askemata), albeit in an unreliable transcription reordered and edited by Rand, published in 1900 under the title The Life, Unpublished Letters, and Philosophical Regimen of Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury.
3. Aims and Methods
Shaftesbury is primarily known in the history of philosophy for two things. To moral philosophers he is known as the father of moral sense theory in British moralism; and to philosophers of art, he is known as “the first great aesthetician that England produced” (Cassirer 1953, 166) whose work was seminal for the German Romantics. But neither of these is what Shaftesbury himself thought was most important about his work. Shaftesbury was not simply working out an epistemology of ethics or an account of aesthetic experience. He did examine both of these issues, but his more direct interest was in transforming British moral inquiry by synthesizing ethics and aesthetics.
To use Shaftesbury’s own terms, the chief aim of his work is to introduce the concepts of “moral beauty” and “moral taste” to eighteenth century British society. In the final chapter of the Characteristics Shaftesbury sums up his overall project: “It has been the main scope and principal end of these volumes to assert the reality of a beauty and charm in moral as well as natural subjects, and to demonstrate the reasonableness of a proportionate taste and determinate choice in life and manners” (Miscellaneous Reflections V.iii, 466). Earlier he claims he is “intent chiefly on this single point, to discover how we may to best advantage form within ourselves what in the polite world is called a relish or good taste” (Miscellaneous Reflections III.i, 404). Therefore Shaftesbury’s goal is to show that not every preference is equally appropriate to human nature and that there is such a thing as “good taste” in art and morality.
Shaftesbury’s writing style is intrinsically related to his philosophical goals. Since Shaftesbury’s major audience was genteel or “polite” society, he often writes in a playfully oblique and ironic rhetorical style. He uses elaborate analogies and metaphors to entertain and disarm his readers but not necessarily to carry any great philosophical weight (the most significant and easily misunderstood being the famous analogy of moral judgment with sensation). Therefore modern readers must always keep in mind the looseness and lack of analytic rigor with which Shaftesbury approaches his material. He is trying to provide powerful suggestions aimed at forming his readers’ moral sentiments rather than to give detailed arguments to establish a theoretical system. In other words, Shaftesbury wants to help his readers actually develop good moral taste, not merely to theorize about it.
4. Major Themes
a. Moral Realism
Shaftesbury did not see himself as inventing a new synthesis of aesthetics and ethics. Rather, he thought he was protecting a classical synthesis. And Shaftesbury thought the primary threat to the classical notions of moral beauty and moral taste came from the empiricist philosophy of Hobbes and Locke.
The four elements of Hobbes’s view to which Shaftesbury objected were empiricism, mechanism, voluntarism, and egoism. Empiricism rejected innate ideas of morality. Instead, moral principles were understood as a result of subjective emotions whereas classical moral philosophy saw moral principles as deriving from the human being’s objective teleology. The modern mechanistic physics, however, rejected natural teleology. If there was to be a set of universal moral principles, it could not be grounded on universal human nature, but it must be, as voluntarism asserts, grounded on a sovereign will (either God’s or the human government’s) expressed in positive law.
Shaftesbury believed Hobbes had reduced morality to self-interest, and it is to this Hobbesian “skepticism” that Shaftesbury is responding. But Shaftesbury also had another, more personal target. As a child Shaftesbury had been tutored by John Locke, a personal advisor of his grandfather. But as Shaftesbury grew up, he came to reject the moral skepticism he thought followed from Locke’s empiricism and voluntaristic divine command theory. According to Shaftesbury, many of those who rejected Hobbes’s political philosophy, including the “free writers” (read: deists) and Locke, nevertheless went “in the self-same tract” as Hobbes’s philosophy. Shaftesbury goes on to argue that Locke was in fact more dangerous than Hobbes or the Deists because, unlike them, Locke had the reputation of “sincerity as a most zealous ‘Christian’ and believer” and was thus able to make the nominalist position attractive to a wide audience. And it was Locke who had succeeded in convincing many of the British moralists to give up the idea of goodness as natural rather than as socially constructed.
It was Mr. Locke that struck the home blow: for Mr. Hobbes’s character and base slavish principles in government took off the poison of his philosophy. ’Twas Mr. Locke that struck at all fundamentals, threw all order and virtue out of the world, and made the very ideas of these (which are the same as those of God) “unnatural,” and without foundation in our minds. (Rand 1900, p. 403)
Hence it was against Locke that Shaftesbury thought morality most needed to be defended.
What bothered Shaftesbury and many of his contemporaries about Hobbes and Locke were the empiricists’ apparent rejection of the “reality” of virtue. In his dialogue The Moralists, Shaftesbury has the character Philocles distinguish two ways modern religious philosophers defended the link between religion and morality: “Some of them hold zealously for virtue, and are realists in the point. Others, one may say, are only nominal moralists by making virtue nothing in itself, a creature of will only or a mere name of fashion” (The Moralists, II.2, p. 262, my emphasis). Later in the dialogue, the character Theocles says that the author of “a certain fair Inquiry” (i.e., Shaftesbury’s own Inquiry Concerning Virtue and Merit) argued against a specifically religious basis for ethics:
For being, in respect of virtue, what you lately called a realist, he endeavours to show that it is really something in itself and in the nature of things, not arbitrary or factitious (if I may so speak), not constituted from without or dependent on custom, fancy or will, not even on the supreme will itself, which can no way govern it but, being necessarily good, is governed by it and ever uniform with it. (The Moralists, II.3, p. 266-7)
Here a “realist” about virtue is someone who holds the view that morality is “in the nature of things.” On this scheme, then, moral realism is opposed not only to relativism (the view that morality is constituted by “custom”) and subjectivism (the view that morality is constituted by an individual’s “fancy”) but also to voluntarism (the view that morality is constituted by the “will” of a sovereign, whether Locke’s God or Hobbes’s Leviathan). So, according to Shaftesbury, to give morality a subjective basis in individual self-interest (even if one then attempted to construct on this subjective basis a set of objective and universal moral laws), rather than an objective basis in some intrinsic feature of character or action, is to deny the reality of moral distinctions, a position synonymous in the early modern mind with moral skepticism. Conversely, to call morality “real” was to commit oneself to what Shaftesbury’s predecessor Ralph Cudworth called “eternal and immutable” principles of morality.
b. Moral Beauty
Throughout the Characteristics, Shaftesbury argues that moral beauty is a “beauty of the sentiments, the grace of actions, the turn of characters, and the proportions of a human mind” (Sensus Communis IV.ii, p. 62). In general, for Shaftesbury, beauty is a matter of harmonious proportion or “numbers.” The “beauties of the human soul,” then, are “the harmony and numbers of an inward kind” (Sensus Communis IV.ii, p. 63). They are an “inward anatomy” of soul which, like the outward anatomy of the body, must be brought into the “order or symmetry” that is constitutive of beauty and health (Inquiry 2.I.ii, p. 194).
For Shaftesbury, the concept of moral beauty is not merely a metaphorical comparison between ethics and aesthetics. Rather beauty and goodness are “one and the same” (The Moralists III.ii, p. 320) such that moral or mental beauty turns out to be more fundamental than physical beauty. Beauty, Shaftesbury argues, is primarily a property of souls or minds, not of bodies at all: “the beautifying not the beautified, is the really beautiful” (Moralists III.ii, p. 322). When we judge a body to be beautiful we are really judging the act of designing and creating the body to be beautiful. Shaftesbury argues for this conclusion by pointing out that when we say a statue is beautiful, we aren’t admiring the “matter” (the marble or bronze or whatever) but the “art and design” which Shaftesbury calls “the form or forming power.”
Yet terms like “design” and “form” can be either nouns or verbs. That is, we can speak either of the form of an object or the act of forming the object. Shaftesbury concludes, “Here therefore is double beauty. For here is both the form, the effect of mind, and mind itself.” (Moralists III.ii, p. 323) He calls the passive objects “dead forms … which bear a fashion and are formed, whether by man or nature, but have no forming power, no action or intelligence,” and he calls the active subjects variously “living forms,” “forming forms,” or “the forms which form, that is, which have intelligence, action and operation.”
Thus Shaftesbury distinguishes two distinct “degrees or orders of beauty” before going on to argue for a third order of beauty “which forms not only such as we call mere forms but even the forms which form” (Moralists III.ii, p. 323-4). Hence we have these three orders of beauty: first the dead forms, second the forming forms, and third the “supreme and sovereign beauty.” If the first order of beauty is the form of the object in the sense of the object’s design, then the second order of beauty is the active mental subject capable of creating this sort of intelligent design. In other words, the second order of beauty is the human mind itself which, through its intelligent creativity, imposes ordered design on the matter. But, while the mind is a forming power which gives form to the body, at the same time the mind has its own form which is given to it by its participation in the divine Mind, “the principle, source, and fountain of all beauty” (Moralists III.ii, p. 324). Thus the three forms or orders of beauty seem to be natural beauty, moral beauty, and the beauty of God.
Following ancient Stoicism, Shaftesbury thinks of the world as a unified organism infused by the immanent living “soul” or “mind” of God without which even the natural world would be dead and hence could not be beautiful. God (“the universal and sovereign Genius”) is a “uniting principle” which makes individual parts of nature into a system, a living organism directed to a teleological end (Moralists III.i, p. 301). Nature, then, is not simply a “mere body, a mass of modified matter,” but is a rationally structured “whole” which constitutes a “self” or mind whose body is the world (Moralists III.i, p. 302-3).
The teleological element of this view is emphasized when Shaftesbury describes his vision of an ever-widening system of interconnectedness. Shaftesbury starts with the concept of an ordered system: “Whatever things have order, the same have unity of design and concur in one, are parts constituent of one whole or are, in themselves, entire systems” (The Moralists II.iv, p. 274). In other words, the concept of order is teleological: a system has order insofar as its parts are aimed at a single end. Organisms and artifacts are examples of this sort of system: “Such is a tree with all its branches, an animal with all its members, and edifice with all its exterior and interior ornaments” (ibid.). Just as the parts of a human artifact, such as a piece of architecture, are designed so as to form a unified whole, the parts of a plant or animal are also interconnected in such a way as to form a complete system. Thus something forms a system if its parts are not “independent but all apparently united … according to one simple, consistent and uniform design” (ibid.). For example, this sort of “mutual dependency of things” can be seen “in any dissected animal, plant or flower where [even] he who is no anatomist nor versed in natural history sees that the many parts have a relation to the whole, for thus much even a slight view affords” (The Moralists II.iv, p. 275).
But individual organisms are only relatively self-sufficient. Their parts are internally united, but at the same time organisms are externally united to other organisms. As Shaftesbury puts it in the Inquiry:
If therefore, in the structure of this or any other animal, there be anything which points beyond himself and by which he is plainly discovered to have relation to some other being or nature besides his own, then will this animal undoubtedly be esteemed a part of some other system. (Inquiry I.ii.2, p. 168).
So, for example, human organisms, especially as infants, are “helpless, weak, and infirm” and are thus inherently (“purposely, and not by accident”) “rational and sociable” such that humanity “can no otherwise increase or subsist than in that social intercourse and community which is his natural state” (The Moralists II.iv, p. 283). Likewise the human species is dependent on other species of plants and animals for their survival just as, for example, “to the existence of the spider that of the fly is absolutely necessary,” showing that each individual species is “in general, a part only of some other system,” namely “the system of all animals” (Inquiry I.ii.2, p. 168).
Thus human organisms form a system called a community. Likewise, all human communities form the human species (“the system of his kind”), which fits into a certain ecosystem of the planet Earth, which has its ordered place in the universe as a whole. Thus Shaftesbury concludes, “all things in this world are united” (The Moralists II.iv, p. 274).
For Shaftesbury, this cosmic order has moral implications. If man is an ordered system of parts, then “there must be somewhere a last or ultimate end in man” (Regimen, p. 48). Because human beings have instinctive “dispositions of mind such as plainly refer to a species and society, and to the enjoyment of converse, mutual alliance, and friendship, then is the end of man society” (Regimen, p. 48-9; cf. the similar argument at Inquiry II.i, p. 167).
The virtues (things such as “integrity, justice, faith” etc.) are those character traits which allow us to live in society with other humans thereby fulfilling our “end.” Therefore the virtues are “part of a man, as he is a man” (Regimen, p. 50) – they allow us to be fully human and to “live according to nature” (Regimen p. 52).
In this way, the natural order grounds the normativity of individual moral beauty. Following classical Platonic and Stoic sources Shaftesbury holds that everything else is beautiful to the degree that it works in harmony with the supreme beauty of providential design (The Moralists II.iii, p. 277). Thus there is a “nature upon which the world depends, and … every genius else must be subordinate to that one good genius” (Moralists III.i, p. 300).
While the supreme beauty can serve as a standard to ground the particular choices of particular minds, it is not a subjectively chosen standard. It is the objective ordering of the universe. For Shaftesbury beauty in general is a proper ordering between the parts of something according to the universal natural rules of harmony and proportion. Therefore a viewer’s subjective failure to judge the proper objective value of this ordering does not diminish its value. This value is a “symmetry and proportion founded still in nature” (Soliloquy III.iii, p. 157-8). And when “we are reconciled to the goodly order of the universe” by developing beautiful souls “we harmonize with nature and live in friendship with God and man” (Moralists III.iii, p. 334). It is this harmonious relationship to the natural order that Shaftesbury calls moral beauty.
In summary, beauty, whether of a body or a soul, is grounded in an objective standard of order – namely the mind of God as expressed in the natural order. At the highest level this order is the “supreme beauty” of God which guides God’s own creation of the natural order and which we in turn imitate when we bring order to our bodies, souls, or artworks.
c. Moral Sense
In his essay Sensus Communis, Shaftesbury argues for an understanding of “common sense” as a sense of the common good (Sensus Communis III.1-2, 48-53). Shaftesbury finds a predecessor in the Roman tradition which followed Marcus Aurelius’s coining of the term koinonoemosune to describe the same sort of sense of the common good (Sensus Communis III.1, 48n19). This notion of the common good recalls the distinction between one’s “private good” and one’s “real good” which Shaftesbury draws in his essay An Inquiry Concerning Virtue or Merit. The private good or “self-interest” is the “end” or “interest” which is “right” for an individual of one’s species and toward which the natural affections point when they are not “ill.” And the real good or “virtue” is the end in which one’s private good harmonizes with the common good of one’s species as a whole (Inquiry I.II.1, p. 167). Note that pursuing one’s private good is not necessarily selfish. In fact, for Shaftesbury, pursuing one’s private good is necessary, natural, and therefore good (insofar as it does not conflict with the public good). “Selfishness” is not just any regard for one’s private good, but an “immoderate” one which is “inconsistent with the interest of the species or public” (Inquiry I.II.2, p. 170).
Shaftesbury emphasizes the importance of one’s relation to society when he says that a creature is “nowise” good (that is, neither “privately” nor “really” good) if it is naturally part of a “system” but is either detached from the system or harms that system (Inquiry I.II.1, p. 168). Recall, as discussed above, that a human’s most immediate “system” is society. In this way the sensus communis becomes a necessary component in Shaftesbury’s ethics. On Shaftesbury’s view, for any action to be considered good, the agent must be moved to action by an affection for the good of the system: one can only be “supposed good when the good or ill of the system to which he has relation is the immediate object of some passion or affection moving him” (Inquiry I.II.1, p. 169). According to Shaftesbury, then, we could not have an affection toward the common good if we didn’t somehow represent the common good to ourselves. And it is the sensus communis which allows us to do that. Shaftesbury is clear that it is not enough that our actions be in fact aimed at the common good though still inwardly motivated by self-interest: “as soon as he has come to have any affection towards what is morally good and can like or affect such good for its own sake, as good and amiable in itself, then is he in some degree good and virtuous, and not till then” (Inquiry I.iii.3, p. 188). To be virtuous, an action must be aimed at the common good because we recognize that it is the common good and have an affection toward it as such. Thus a truly virtuous and good creature is “one as by the natural temper or bent of his affections is carried primarily and immediately, and not secondarily and accidentally, to good and against ill” (Inquiry I.ii.2, 171). Shaftesbury thinks this affection toward the good of one’s species is natural and common to every member of the species. Thus a virtuous action “ought by right” to have as its “real motive” the natural affection for one’s species.
Being motivated by an affection toward the common good is, however, only a necessary, not a sufficient, condition for being virtuous. While anything can be good under Shaftesbury’s definition, only a human being can be virtuous. This is because virtue requires a “reflected sense” (that is, the ability to reflect on what is good and right) which requires a high degree of reason. Shaftesbury says:
But to proceed from what is esteemed mere goodness and lies within the reach and capacity of all sensible creatures, to that which is called virtue or merit and is allowed to man only: In a creature capable of forming general notions of things, not only the outward beings which offer themselves to the sense are the objects of affection, but the very actions themselves and the affections of pity, kindness, gratitude and their contraries, being brought into the mind by reflection, become objects. So that, by means of this reflected sense, there arises another kind of affection towards those very affections themselves, which have been already felt and have now become the subject of a new liking or dislike. (Inquiry I.ii.3, p. 172)
The view seems to be that the sensus communis shows us what is good for our species and we naturally “approve” of that good and have an “affection” towards it, thereby motivating us to act. Those actions are individually good which are motivated by an affection toward the good of the whole. Then our “reflected sense” gives us a “new affection” towards the motives which result in good actions. On the next page Shaftesbury refers to this “reflected sense” as a “sense of right and wrong” which he defines as “a sentiment or judgment of what is done through just, equal and good affection or the contrary” (Inquiry I.ii.3, p. 173). The notion of the moral sentiments, as Shaftesbury employs it, presupposes the existence of the sensus communis. A properly functioning person is already motivated by the right affections as represented by the sensus communis, and then our moral sentiment (our “sense of right and wrong”) confirms that those are in fact the right motivations by giving us a higher-order “feeling,” “affection,” or “sentiment” of which actions are done by the right affections. In other words, moral sentiment is a second-order affection toward the “right” first-order affections. Note that, while Shaftesbury also talks as if not only first-order affections but also actions, tempers, etc., can be the objects of the moral affection, it must be remembered that for Shaftesbury no action or temper is truly good or virtuous unless it is motivated by affection for the common good. In sum, after the sensus communis determines the moral action and motivates us to pursue it as good, then moral sentiment approves of what the common sense tells us via a feeling of affection and thereby motivates us to pursue it as virtuous.
It is important to notice here that, while Shaftesbury refers to our moral sentiments as our “conscience” and even as our “sense of right and wrong,” he is not trying to establish a “moral sense” as a distinct mental “faculty” for receiving moral ideas. As D.D. Raphael notes, “the casual application of the word ‘sense’ to the moral faculty is hardly more significant in Shaftesbury than it is in Samuel Clarke, who was a severe rationalist” (The Moral Sense, p. 16). We talk of a “sense of purpose,” a “sense of urgency,” a “sense of adventure,” a “sense of humor,” etc. Sometimes we even speak of morally relevant “senses” such as a “sense of decency,” a “sense of shame,” a “sense of duty,” etc. But we don’t mean to suggest that any of these “senses” ought to be thought of as analogous to the physical senses or that they are special mental faculties metaphysically distinct from our ordinary mental faculties. Likewise, Shaftesbury’s use of the phrase “sense of right and wrong” is simply a figure of speech. He thought we used our ordinary faculties of thinking, feeling, and desiring to make moral judgments.
Shaftesbury sometimes seems to suggest that moral judgment is instinctive, yet this is not his considered view. For example, in the dialogue titled The Moralists, A Philosophical Rhapsody, Shaftesbury seems to advance the claim that our sense of beauty is innate: “Nothing surely is more strongly imprinted on our minds or more closely interwoven with our souls than the idea or sense of order and proportion” (The Moralists II.4, p. 273-4). In this context, Shaftesbury is specifically talking about natural beauty, but, as we have seen above, moral beauty is a function of one’s relationship to the natural order. Shaftesbury notes that we can easily tell the difference between a structure created by an architect and a mere “heap of sand and stones” and claims that “this difference is immediately perceived by a plain internal sensation.” The source of this sensation seems to be the common sense. In the Sensus Communis essay, Shaftesbury argues that true beauty in art requires the artist to submit the “particulars” of the artwork “to the general design” and make “all things subservient to that which is principal” (Sensus Communis IV.3, p. 66), adding that “common sense (according to just philosophy) judges of those works which want the justness of a whole and show their author, however curious and exact in particulars, to be in the main a very bungler” (Sensus Communis IV.3, p. 67). Hence it is the common sense (or “sense of beauty” as he calls it in The Moralists) which discerns “order and proportion” so that taste can approve or disapprove of them.
Now, Shaftesbury seems to think this ability of common sense to detect beauty is innate. When we perceive an object or action we immediately (“straight”) distinguish the beautiful from the ugly (The Moralists III.2, p. 326), Similarly, he says in the Inquiry that the mind “cannot be without .. nor can it withhold” judgments of moral taste, and he compares the functioning of the moral faculty to the functioning of a bodily organ: “this affection of a creature towards the good of the species or common nature is as proper and natural to him as it is to any organ, part or member of an animal body, or mere vegetable, to work in its known course and regular way of growth” (Inquiry II.I.1, 192). But these statements are misleading in isolation.
By this point in The Moralists, Shaftesbury has already observed that taste requires cultivation: “How long before a true taste is gained! How many things shocking, how many offensive at first, which afterwards are known and acknowledge the highest beauties! For it is not instantly we acquire the sense by which these beauties are discoverable” (The Moralists III. 2, p. 320). Shaftesbury also says (following the Cambridge Platonists) that the affection for and knowledge of the good can be lost by vice: “contrary habit and custom (a second nature) is able to displace” even the most natural instincts (Inquiry I.III.1, 179). Likewise in the Miscellaneous Reflections, Shaftesbury writes that “a legitimate and just taste can neither be begotten, made, conceived or produced without the antecedent labour and pains of criticism” (Miscellany III.2, p. 408).
If anything about the sensus communis or moral taste is innate, it is the potential to develop good taste. Everyone is born with these faculties. But everyone must be educated in how to use them. Moral taste is a natural faculty but it is also a cultivated faculty. Elsewhere Shafesbury argues that though “good rustics who have been bred remote from the formed societies of men” might have been “so happily formed by nature herself that, with the greatest simplicity or rudeness of education, they have still something of a natural grace and comliness in their action,” it is nevertheless “undeniable, however, that the perfection of grace and comliness of action and behavior can be found only among the people of a liberal education” since such perfection requires knowledge of “those particular rules of art which philosophy alone exhibits” (Soliloquy I.3 p. 85-7). So virtue must be cultivated like good taste in art or wine. Only then can one act “from his nature, in a manner necessarily and without reflection” (Sensus Communis IV.1, p. 60).
In summary, our moral sense is a not a special instinctive faculty, but an innate potential to approve of certain actions that must be activated by good education in society. Once we have been trained in the art of sociable conversation, our moral sense will inevitably approve of those actions which are motivated by the teleological good of society as a whole.
d. Personal Identity
In his essay Soliloquy Shaftesbury describes moral reasoning through the mechanism of conscience as requiring the agent to partition herself into multiple voices (or “selves”) in order to engage in fruitful internal discussion on the model of a Socratic dialogue. Soliloquy, he says, is a kind of “self-dissection” in which an individual “becomes two distinct persons” in order to “be his own subject” of advice and edification (Soliloquy I.i, p. 72). He calls “this method of soliloquy” an “art” or “regimen” which is “practiced” by “all great wits,” especially by “the poet and philosopher” and even “the orator” (Soliloquy I.i, p. 73).
Here soliloquy means something like the examination of conscience. The point of dividing oneself into two dialogue partners is to achieve the kind of consensus that results from rational discussion (Soliloquy I.ii, p. 77). We reflect within ourselves and notice that we are of two minds about something (we “discover a certain duplicity of soul”). Then we discuss the issue with ourselves until we bring the two views into dialectical agreement. In this way we achieve integrity and self-unity within our mind (we “make us agree with ourselves and be of a piece within”). In aesthetic terms, we are trying to bring our soul into harmony with itself.
For Shaftesbury, the purpose of soliloquy is not only self-creation, but also preparation for public discourse. It is significant that the full title of the essay is Soliloquy, or Advice to an Author, an “author” being one who “publishes” (makes public) his “meditations” (private thoughts). Shaftesbury’s advice is that we test our thoughts by the method of soliloquy before we presume to share them: “so that, unless the party has been used to play the critic thoroughly upon himself, he will hardly be found proof against the criticisms of others” (Soliloquy I.i, p. 76). What is significant here is that public edification is the assumed goal of philosophical thinking.
However, prior to public discourse, we must endeavor to construct a coherent self through the method of soliloquy. “Our thoughts,” says Shaftesbury, “have generally such an obscure implicit language that it is the hardest thing in the world to make them speak out distinctly. For this reason, the right method is to give them voice and accent” (Soliloquy I.ii, p. 78). By the method of giving voice to our thoughts here, Shaftesbury has in mind the “meditations, occasional reflections, solitary thoughts or other such exercises as come under the notion of this self-discoursing practice” (Soliloquy I.i, p. 74) that make up his own private notebooks which he labeled Askemata (exercises or “regimen”). In his Regimen Shaftesbury applies the practice of dialectical reasoning to his own inner life via the method of soliloquy.
For Shaftesbury, the result of achieving harmony of soul is the construction of a unified “self.” “It is the known province of philosophy,” Shaftesbury writes, “to teach us ourselves, keep us the self-same person and to regulate our governing fancies, passions and humors as to make us comprehensible to ourselves” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 127). With regard to the question of the self, Shaftesbury ridicules that “which stands for philosophy in some famous schools,” saying it cannot generate “manners or understanding” because “It pretends indeed some relation to manners as being definitive of the natures, essences and properties of spirits” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 128). In other words, scholastic philosophy confuses an accidental property (a “relationship”) of the self with an essential one. It does this by “defining ‘material’ and ‘immaterial substances’ and distinguishing their properties and modes” as if this were “the right manner of proceeding in the discovery of our own natures” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 129-130). This focus on the metaphysics of “modes and substances” is, however, “beside the mark and reaches nothing we can truly call our interest or concern.” It does not tell us who we really are (Soliloquy III.i, p. 130). The scholastics make the same mistake as a person who attempts to understand the nature of a watch by asking “of what metal or what matter each part was composed” rather than “what the real use was of such an instrument or by what movements its end was best attained and its perfection acquired” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 131). Likewise, the philosopher engaged in metaphysical speculation has “considered not the real operation or energy of his subject, nor contemplated the man as real man and as a human agent, but as a watch or common machine” (ibid).
Shaftesbury argues that true self-knowledge comes from the study of the passions. This is because I am my passions: “These passions, according as they have the ascendancy in me and differ in proportion with one another, affect my character and make me different with respect to myself and others” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 132). My character or self is a function of my passions, and that character is the real me, not the material (or immaterial) substance that my passions are made out of (or inhere in). Were my “passions, affections, and opinions” to change radically enough, then I would become a different self, even if, contra Locke, I retained in my “memory the faint marks or tokens of former transactions” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 127). This is because my passions are aimed at what I take to be my happiness (Soliloquy III.i, p 132). And, as the teleological end of my life, my happiness is what makes me who I am.
True philosophy, then, is the kind of self-reflection which makes known to an agent what her passions are aimed at so that she can bring them into harmony with one another and thereby construct a coherent self. Until I can understand my own passions (“ascertain my ideas”) and control them (“keep my opinion, liking and esteem of things the same” from moment to moment), I will remain “the same mystery to myself as ever” (Soliloquy III.i, p. 134), regardless of the truth of my metaphysical arguments.
The problem of an incoherent self arises primarily, in Shaftesbury’s view, when we define our lives in pursuit of pleasure. Pleasure is not stable, since pleasure comes from a variety of sources and the pursuit of pleasure demands a constant search for new sources, for “when we follow pleasure merely, we are disgusted and change from one sort to another, condemning that at one time which at another we earnestly approve, and never judging equally of happiness while we follow passion and mere humor” (Soliloquy III.ii, p. 138). What we need is a “rule of good” which can “control my fancy and fix it, if possible, on something which may hold good” (ibid). This is what Shaftesbury finds in the “honest pleasure” of moral beauty, the honestum which is both attractive and right.
Only the “pleasure of society” is “constant” enough to ground a coherent self, enabling me to “bring my other pleasures to correspond and be friends with it” (Soliloquy III.ii, p. 139). Thus, “when I employ my affection in friendly and social actions, I find I can sincerely enjoy myself” without risking the kind of self-dissolution which comes from pursuit of self-interested pleasures (Soliloquy III.ii, p. 138). Shaftesbury argues the pleasure I receive from moral affection is derived via sympathy (“by communication, a receiving it, as it were, by reflection”) from your enjoyment of my actions (Inquiry II.ii.1, p. 204). In the Inquiry Shaftesbury argues that human beings have natural affections for the good of society, and we cannot flourish as human beings unless we live in society and develop the virtues which allow us to live according to our nature. Thus we are not fully human if we are cut off from a sympathetic relationship with a community. What Shaftesbury adds in Soliloquy is to draw out the implication that we can only construct a self-identity on the basis of sympathetic pleasure. In this way we construct our identities out of our social interactions with others.
Thus Shaftesbury’s account of self-construction is essentially intersubjective and dialectical. It involves at least soliloquy if not actual interpersonal dialogue. Since it is often difficult to know what our true passions and opinions are, we need talk therapy (a “vocal looking-glass”) in the form of dialogue or soliloquy: “Our thoughts have generally such an obscure implicit language that it is the hardest thing in the world to make them speak out distinctly. For this reason, the right method is to give them voice and accent” (Soliloquy I.ii, p. 78).
Shaftesbury’s own dialogue The Moralists seems to be an example of this process since both characters in the dialogue present Shaftesburian viewpoints and help each other come to the truth (see Prince, p. 69). Indeed the assembled text of the Characteristics itself expresses this view through its literary structure. The Moralists is explicitly a dialogue. The treatise Soliloquy, or Advice to an Author, as its title implies, is an internal dialogue in which Shaftesbury is addressing himself. The Miscellaneous Reflections on the Preceding Treatises and Other Critical Subjects, Shaftesbury’s self-commentary, written in the third-person, are in effect an extended soliloquy that can be read as a dialogue between Shaftesbury the literary critic and Shaftesbury the philosopher. In this light we can see that even the (seemingly) ordinary philosophical treatise An Inquiry Concerning Virtue or Merit takes on a dialogical character. Not only does the author of the Inquiry show up as a character in The Moralists (see II.3, p. 265), the Inquiry itself, when read in the overall context of the other more obviously dialogical works of the Characteristics and thus located amidst a series of overheard conversations, begins to read like an overheard scholastic-style philosophy lecture.
None of the individual treatises of the Characteristics is written unambiguously in Shaftesbury’s own voice. The character of “Shaftesbury,” the author of Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, emerges only as the harmonious unity of the other voices. In this way, the structure of Shaftesbury’s work as a whole is an embodiment of intersubjective reasoning. The truth of Shaftesbury’s philosophy is the product of a (metaphorical) community of persons reasoning together through (simulated) interpersonal dialogue. He is trying to achieve what he says Plato achieved in his Socratic dialogues: “they exhibited [real characters and manners] alive and set the countenances and complexions of men plainly in view. And by this means they not only taught us to know others, but, what was principal and of highest virtue in them, they taught us to know ourselves” (Soliloquy I.iii, p. 87).
a. Primary Texts
Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of. Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, ed. Lawrence E. Klein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999) [Cited by treatise title, part, section, and page number.]
Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of. The Life, Unpublished Letters, and Philosophical Regimen of Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury, ed. Benjamin Rand (Macmillan, 1900)
Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of. Second Characters or the Language of Forms, ed. Benjamin Rand (Cambridge University Press, 1914)
b. Secondary Texts
Aldridge, A.O. “Shaftesbury and the Deist Manifesto” Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, new series 41:2 (June, 1951)
Bernstein, John Andrew. Shaftesbury, Rousseau and Kant: An Introduction to the Conflict between Aesthetic and Moral Values in Modern Thought (Rutherford: Fairlegh Dickinson, 1980)
Cassirer, Ernst. The Platonic Renaissance in England, trans. James P. Pettegrove. (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1953)
Darwall, Stephen. The British Moralists and the Internal ‘Ought’ (Cambridge University Press, 1995)
Den Uyl, Douglas J. “Shaftesbury and the Modern Problem of Virtue” Social Philosophy and Policy 15:1 (Winter 1998)
Gill, Michael. The British Moralists on Human Nature and the Birth of Secular Ethics (Cambridge, 2006)
Grean, Stanley. Shaftesbury’s Philosophy of Religion and Ethics (Ohio University Press, 1967)
Klein, Lawrence E. Shaftesbury and the Culture of Politeness: Moral Discourse and Cultural Politics in Early Eighteenth-Century England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994)
Lawrence E. Klein, ‘Cooper, Anthony Ashley, third earl of Shaftesbury (1671–1713)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6209
Prince, Michael. Philosophical Dialogue in the British Enlightenment (Cambridge, 1996)
Raphael, D.D. The Moral Sense (Oxford University Press, 1947)
Rivers, Isabel. Reason, Grace, and Sentiment: A Study of the Language of Religion and Ethics in England, 1660-1780, Vol. II: Shaftesbury to Hume. (Cambridge University Press, 2000)
Schneewind, J.B. The Invention of Autonomy (Cambridge, 1998)
Voitle, Robert. The Third Earl of Shaftesbury, 1671-1713 (Louisiana State University Press, 1984)
Winkler, Kenneth P. “‘All is Revolution in Us’: Personal Identity in Shaftesbury and Hume” Hume Studies 26:1 (April, 2000)
John McAteer
Email: jmcateer@hbu.edu
Houston Baptist University
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Claudia Naluyima Kamya is 71 years, a widow. She is the district Councillor representing Older Persons in Mukono District, Central Uganda. She is also the Chairperson Gender Committee for Mukono District Council and National Treasurer of the Elders League Uganda. Claudia is a founder of the Happy lives for Elderly and Orphans, a Community Based Organization that works and advocates for improved welfare of older persons and orphans in Mukono district. She is a National Advocacy Champion with the Grandmothers Consortium, a national advocacy platform for older women in Uganda.Claudia is a retired civil servant having worked with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.She has additional training in Social Gerontology and Ageing from Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development Uganda. She is the force behind affirmative action in health and social care for older persons in Mukono district, Uganda.
Naluyima, C.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES FOR OLDER PERSONS IN AFRICA.
Today,more than 64.4 million older persons (60 years and above) are living in Africa with 84 older men for every 100 older women. By 2030, the number of older persons in Africa will have jumped to 105.4 million and tripled by 2050 to 220.3 million older persons. This is being facilitated by the improved health care systems, provision of clean water and better sanitation and nutrition.The already strained public infrastructure is however not prepared for the growing number of older persons across the continent. Without progressive action at the local, national and regional levels, the growing number of older persons will experience the same stigma, vulnerability, invisibility and weak public infrastructure as exists across most African Countries today.
Progressive action must begin by addressing ageism. Most common biases against old age include discriminatory beliefs and behaviours; marginalization and exclusion of older persons across cultures and countries. This reality is reflected in the fact that for too long, older persons have been overlooked in the international development and global agendas. Ageism reflects in the lack of data on HIV and AIDS prevalence for older persons, slow effort to respond to the rise in Non Comunicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa which primarily impacts older persons. As such older persons are particularly vulnerable and lack awareness and access to basic services that enable good health and well being.
Notably as the impacts of marginalization and inequality add up over the life course, older women are made particularly vulnerable. This is exacerbated by the fact that women tend to live longer than men but as widows, face both social and cultural exclusion with no assets to support income security for management of NCD conditions.
In order to achieve the World Health organization Global Strategy and Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well being, strong and empowering policy action is needed. This will entail;
Undertaking strong campaigns at all levels and across all sectors to address ageism.
2. Strengthening the quality of data disaggregation, analysis and information sharing.
3. Involving older persons in decision making including policies, plans and strategy drafting and ensure their voices are prioritized for decisions that affect them.
4. Addressing NCDs in older persons- both those NCDs outlined by World Health Organization (Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes) and all chronic and associated complications.
5. Improving access to information, services, essential medicines and technologies for older persons.
6. Investing in geriatrics and gerontology both by skilling the health personnel and improving their attitudes towards older persons.
Conclusion: People who age in better health can remain productive for longer continuing to make significant contributions to their families and communities.
INTER-GENERATIONAL BONDING Providing culturally and clinically competent care to LGBTI2S seniors
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IFLR / Resources / Supplements / Switzerland Guide 2015 / The birth of bail-in
The birth of bail-in
Credit Suisse’s Wilson Ervin explains how his Lehman experience led to the creation of bail-in, and describes some of the innovations by the Swiss regulators.
No one who was there will forget it. All those present in the offices of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York during the infamous weekend in September 2008, when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, will find it hard to shake the memory, as policy makers and Wall Street's most senior bankers tried, ultimately unsuccessfully, to avoid a devastating collapse. One man found it harder to forget than others though.
Wilson Ervin, at the time Credit Suisse's chief risk officer (he is now vice chairman in the bank's executive office) was determined to prevent another such crash. He was adamant there had to be something better than a destructive collapse or another taxpayer bail-out. Along with other executives at Credit Suisse, he went about trying to crack the problem, and invented a new approach called bail-in. It has evolved from a novel suggestion into a global policy initiative driven by the G20 and touted as a key solution to handling future systemic crises. Here he speaks with IFLR about the genesis of the idea, the challenges he and his colleagues faced in launching it, and Switzerland's progressive regulatory response.
Bail-in is obviously a hugely important aspect of post-crisis reforms, and it's your brainchild. Could you talk about the early days of the idea?
Back in 2009, as the crisis was ebbing and the discussion turned to reform, a number of us at Credit Suisse were debating the ideas. At that time, there were so many reforms in the air – from legislators, from academics, from media people – but it seemed like most of them missed the central issue of the crisis. Policy makers didn't have a credible approach to handle the failure of a large bank and once the market saw that first-hand with Lehman, we entered into a level of panic that we hadn't seen since the 1930s. That was a gigantic hole at the center of the crisis for both the financial system and the real economy.
"The Lehman outcome haunted me, personally. It was a puzzle that kept chewing at me"
We kept thinking about our own recent experiences from the crisis, and the twists and turns we had to navigate. We had been around the table during Lehman Brothers weekend (in 2008) and tried to figure out what could have been different. It was something that haunted me, personally. It kept chewing at me – both because of its importance, and because it's a remarkable puzzle. Why was the collapse so devastating, both for markets generally, and for creditors? The bankruptcy mechanisms worked well enough in legal terms, but it was a disaster in economic terms. Within the Lehman puzzle, the ex ante losses were probably around $25 billion, but the ex post liquidation losses were more than $100 billion bigger. Where did all that money go? It's a giant sum even by the standards of the crisis.
To me, that was a really important problem. If you don't know where that $100 billion went, you have some real challenges getting the credit markets to work. You need to have a mechanism that doesn't destroy enormous value – that doesn't start a downward spiral.
One insight that helped us was the work we do every day with troubled corporate borrowers. In the US, you have restructuring tools like Chapter 11, and can often find a way to keep the good parts of the business going while you fix the capital structure. I remember going from one of those meetings to a policy reform discussion and thinking about the parallels. Why does recapitalisation work for corporates but seem impossible for a bank?
So we started to think about what you would have to do to adapt this technique from a corporation to a bank. What needs to change? Could you really make this work?
We had thought about some really primitive versions of this on Lehman weekend. But things were moving too quickly, and there were no legal preparations in place. We didn't see any way we could figure out the legal impediments in 48 hours. We would probably have needed a consensual solution with thousands of creditors, which struck us as a little far-fetched for a weekend.
So a consensual restructuring was off the table for Lehman weekend, but we kept coming back to that idea. The bones of the concept just seemed to make sense. And the key issues started to unravel pretty nicely as we worked through different elements. With a bit of preparation – and a lot of legal and regulatory work – it seemed like a bail-in of creditors could have a strong answer to the so-called Lehman problem. It could have saved everybody a lot of money, and also kept the system from spiraling out of control.
How was the concept initially received by colleagues, peers and ultimately regulators?
There were a lot of sceptics initially. If you'd said five years ago that this would now be a global policy initiative, you would have been laughed out of the room!
At first, we had to think through a lot of legal and economic issues. It's sort of the mother of all corporate finance projects. Our general counsel in the US, Neil Radey, gathered a small team to work through some initial legal issues. We made enough progress to decide it was a realistic idea and that it could make a contribution. The Economist was kind enough to publish it as an Op Ed that I co-authored with the late Paul Calello (then the head of Credit Suisse's investment bank), and that's where it started getting some traction.
That is due to the leadership of a few people on the regulatory side. People like Paul Tucker at the Bank of England and Jim Wigand at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) got interested early, worked on the key issues, and ultimately breathed life into the idea. Mark Carney was very important in his role as Financial Stability Board (FSB) chair. Lawyers like Randy Guynn at Davis Polk and Simon Gleeson at Clifford Chance were also critical in the early days. In projects like this, you run into a lot of naysayers. But there are also people who are more interested in solutions than settling for a bad status quo – and they're a lot more fun to work with. They helped turn this from an intriguing notion into a built-out policy with an implementation plan.
What are your concerns, if any, for the ultimate success of bail-in?
I think we've crossed the Rubicon in the US. I agree with Paul Tucker that you have both the will and the tools to do this today if any of the big US banks ran into trouble. Europe is more complicated, but it's moving very quickly to a solution now that the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) is in place and getting implemented.
What are the challenges from here? A key element is to ensure continuity of functions for customers, and prevent a tripwire termination of business. The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (Isda) protocol is perhaps the most important market there. The FSB helped coordinate a major agreement there last year. There are some other markets to tackle, but that was the critical one.
The final step is making sure that banks are set up to make resolution possible, and that they're prepared for a high-speed restructuring if they hit the rocks. Lehman happened to have a structure that worked well for bail-in. They had a holding company with a lot of unsecured debt that could have been swapped into equity. But banks around the world are funded in lots of different ways, and you need to make sure there is a resource to make bail-in work. That's why the FSB has launched a big initiative around total loss-absorbing capital (TLAC) – to ensure that all banks have a financial structure that works for bail-in in an emergency. For example, both of the large Swiss banks are changing their corporate structures to make bail-in work under Swiss law. It will be a big effort across Europe, but it's well underway.
Mark Carney spelt out measures in November last year to guard against contagion with TLAC, including curbs on banks' ability to count debt they sell to one another as TLAC. Will that be sufficient to prevent the problem?
I think so. In the crisis, there were lots of questions about contagion caused by direct linkages, and these measures should ensure we don't run into that. A related issue is something people call correlation – that is contagion through a concern about a lookalike firm. For instance, when a retailer fails, people automatically look around for the most similar firm to worry about next. When Lehman failed, investors immediately wondered what bank was the most similar, and might be next to fail. But I think we can handle that issue as long as we have a system that is well defined, and prepared for that challenge.
"Switzerland was an early adopter of reform. For a small country to move first takes some courage"
Some people say that people will run from TLAC the first time it is bailed in. But TLAC is a term instrument – you can't run. And if bail-in can preserve value – and avoid those huge additional losses that hit Lehman, the pressure to sell won't be nearly as bad. In 2008, the incentive to panic was clear. I'm sure there will be stress and some price pressure in the market, but bail-in will change the calculations from last time and should be much more stable.
So continuity and TLAC are the two things that are getting solved now and will help to make this reform durable. There are also two longer-term issues to watch: cross-border cooperation and central bank liquidity. Those are harder to follow, because they're behind the regulatory curtain, but both are important
How is cooperation being addressed?
Within the EU you have a fair amount of coordination and legal super structure to enforce that. The more challenging elements come in when you move across other borders – for example between the US and the EU or when an emerging market is involved.
Crisis management groups are putting regulators together and walking through these scenarios. That's important progress already. Some would go much further and aim for a United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) change, or a treaty to ensure people work together better. I support that, although many in the legal world would tell you not hold your breath for those.
In the medium term, I think the best approach is to set up incentives for so-called home and host regulators to work together. If you can see that the best outcome is a cooperative solution, you reduce the pressure to take adverse action. That's one of the subtle things in the new TLAC proposal. For the first time, the FSB is starting to talk about the internal structure of banks, with an eye on incentivising home and host regulators to work together.
The FSB has put a framework on the table to get the discussion started. There are some good parts, but also some parts that need work to improve the incentives for cooperation. For example, the internal TLAC requirements are very focused on pre-positioning capital into specific host countries. That should provide comfort to host regulators, but comes with the cost of restricting flexibility. More flexibility might help avoid other problems, like capital being stuck in one place when you need it in another country. A broader approach might help avoid that drawback.
Another element that might help is for countries to have a duty to consider broader financial stability issues – not just the stability in their own jurisdiction when they are executing a resolution. We live in a pretty interconnected world. If you just frame your actions to protect local conditions, you may end up causing problems elsewhere. In today's world, that cannot only cause problems elsewhere, but can ricochet back to your home market. It would help if supervisors could take a broader view from the outset.
And where do you stand on the risks that these TLAC measures might now pose for asset managers investing in this sort of debt?
It will create some challenges for asset managers – but also some opportunities for people who do their homework. The size of the TLAC market is estimated at around $4 trillion. Investors won't be able to assume that they will be bailed out next time – but they are also getting paid better for taking credit risks than pre-crisis. I'm sure there are some who would like to keep the extra spread, but not the extra risk of getting bailed in. But that's not how real capitalism is supposed to work, and I don't think governments or taxpayers have the stomach for more bail-outs. Smart investors will adapt to this. As long as we're transparent about how this process works, and we focus on preserving value in resolution, I think markets will adapt.
Switzerland has obviously taken a proactive and more conservative approach to post-crisis regulation than the EU. As a senior figure within a Swiss bank, how do you feel Finma has performed?
Switzerland was an early adopter of reform. And for a small country to move first takes some courage. Switzerland had an expert commission that proposed a contractual bail-in system, built on so-called CoCo bonds. A number of people were sceptical at the time as to whether you could really raise serious money from CoCos, but Switzerland had confidence in their principles and their ability to design a workable, investible regime. They were right. Switzerland has established a contractual bail-in system that already provides a large amount of loss absorbency. And while it's not the cheapest system, it was the first one that was possible. I think you have to give the official sector a lot of points for doing the intellectual preparations and having the determination to implement that into an early solution.
Both Credit Suisse and UBS have already created a lot of TLAC via this system. There will be more to do when the final rules come in, but Switzerland has gone a long way to launching an early version of TLAC concept before it was even called that.
Since then, the world has moved much further towards bail in. Switzerland has also pursued this in their legal regime, so that we can include a statutory resolution process as well. That's the direction that the US and EU have taken, and it allows for more efficient financing models now that the global discussion has moved so far
Wilson Ervin
Vice chairman in the group executive office, Credit Suisse
E: wilson.ervin@credit-suisse.com
W: www.credit-suisse.com
Wilson Ervin is a vice chairman in the group executive office at Credit Suisse, based in New York. In this role, he works on a variety of strategic projects, especially policy reforms related to bank capital and ending so-called too-big-to-fail. He also chairs the Credit Suisse Americas Foundation and the partner asset facility.
Prior to his current role, Ervin was the chief risk officer of Credit Suisse and a member of the executive board. During this period he chaired the capital allocation and risk management committee and managed the risk division.
Before his roles in risk management, Ervin worked at Credit Suisse financial products where he headed corporate marketing and product structuring in the Americas.
Before 1990, he held various responsibilities at Credit Suisse First Boston, including positions in fixed income and equity capital markets, Australian investment banking and in the M&A group. He joined the bank in 1982.
Ervin received his A.B., summa cum laude, in Economics from Princeton University.
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Abu Talib, Manar. "Towards Sustainable Development Through Open Source Software in the Arab World." Optimizing Contemporary Application and Processes in Open Source Software. IGI Global, 2018. 222-242. Web. 16 Jul. 2019. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-5314-4.ch009
Abu Talib, M. (2018). Towards Sustainable Development Through Open Source Software in the Arab World. In M. Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Ed.), Optimizing Contemporary Application and Processes in Open Source Software (pp. 222-242). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-5314-4.ch009
Abu Talib, Manar. "Towards Sustainable Development Through Open Source Software in the Arab World." In Optimizing Contemporary Application and Processes in Open Source Software, ed. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A., 222-242 (2018), accessed July 16, 2019. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-5314-4.ch009
Advances in Systems Analysis, Software Engineering, and High Performance Computing
Towards Sustainable Development Through Open Source Software in the Arab World
Manar Abu Talib (University of Sharjah, UAE)
Source Title: Optimizing Contemporary Application and Processes in Open Source Software
A literature survey study was conducted to explore the state-of-the-art of open source software and the opportunities and challenges faced by this segment of the software industry in seven Arab countries: Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and UAE. A framework and road map for OSS is derived and presented from interviews conducted in the UAE with at least four experts from each of the following categories: governments and ministries, IT companies, universities, and IT enthusiasts. This is the first study of its kind in this part of the world and is expected to make a significant contribution to the direction for open source software in the region and beyond.
According to Fitzgerald (2009), “Open source software (OSS) has elicited a great deal of research interest across a range of disciplines since the term was introduced in 1998. Much of this research, however, has focused inward on the phenomenon itself, studying the motivations of individual developers to contribute to OSS projects, or investigating the characteristics of specific OSS products and projects” (Fitzgerald, 2009). He also reports that the need for rigorous research into this process is important for several reasons: 1) recent estimates suggest widespread adoption of OSS: A survey of public administrations in 13 European countries reported that 78% were using open source. 2) A large-scale survey in the US estimated that 87% of organizations were using open source software (Fitzgerald, 2009).
Many Arab countries now possess the most technologically advanced telecommunications infrastructure including access to the multitude of communication technologies available in Western countries. The Global Information Technology Report 2014 a recent survey by the World Economic Forum, reports that in terms of IT spending many Arab countries rank among the highest in the world (The Global Information Technology Report, 2014)
A 2009 survey conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC) found that the Open Source Software (OSS) market experienced a strong boost from the prevailing economic downturn, with worldwide revenues expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.4%, reaching $8.1 billion by 2013 (Jaspersoft, 2010). The increased quality, reliability, and support services supplied by OSS providers has no doubt contributed to this growth. In a downturn economy, and IT departments under increased scrutiny and pressure to reduce costs many have turned to these providers.
Abu Talib et al. report (2014), as elsewhere in the world, many information systems in the Arab World are proprietary, requiring extensive customization that only a specific vendor can perform due to copyright, licensing, and patent constraints. This demands that organizations allocate a substantial amount of time and money to software debugging, and maintenance. Faced with shrinking financial resources, some academic and research organizations have turned to OSS for fulfilling their information and technological needs. In addition, in order to meet the intrinsically stringent security and privacy requirements, OSS has also proved beneficial for research and development in law enforcement agencies, and in defense, legal and justice departments according to Webopedia (2015).
According to Radtke et al., “there have been attempts to identify factors that influence FLOSS. These have ranged from pure speculation to surveys of developers to case studies using data mined from SourceForge” (Radtke, 2009). Open source developed in the technological community is a response to proprietary software owned by corporations. Our literature survey revealed that, in developing countries, there was no substantial OSS development or deployment strategy in place comparable to that found in developed countries. According to Abu Talib et al. (2014), the developing countries deploy OSS because of the following reasons:
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Home Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 50 Powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence, etc.
Section 50 Powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence, etc. of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002
Powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence, etc.
50. (1) The Director shall, for the purposes of section 13, have the same powers as are vested in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) while trying a suit in respect of the following matters, namely :—
(a) discovery and inspection;
(b) enforcing the attendance of any person, including any officer of a [reporting entity] and examining him on oath;
(c) compelling the production of records;
(d) receiving evidence on affidavits;
(e) issuing commissions for examination of witnesses and documents; and
(f) any other matter which may be prescribed.
(2) The Director, Additional Director, Joint Director, Deputy Director or Assistant Director shall have power to summon any person whose attendance he considers necessary whether to give evidence or to produce any records during the course of any investigation or proceeding under this Act.
(3) All the persons so summoned shall be bound to attend in person or through authorised agents, as such officer may direct, and shall be bound to state the truth upon any subject respecting which they are examined or make statements, and produce such documents as may be required.
(4) Every proceeding under sub-sections (2) and (3) shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of section 193 and section 228 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(5) Subject to any rules made in this behalf by the Central Government, any officer referred to in sub-section (2) may impound and retain in his custody for such period, as he thinks fit, any records produced before him in any proceedings under this Act :
Provided that an Assistant Director or a Deputy Director shall not—
(a) impound any records without recording his reasons for so doing; or
(b) retain in his custody any such records for a period exceeding three months, without obtaining the previous approval of the Director.
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You can Airbnb a Panthers player's home while he's playing in the Super Bowl
By Meredith Cunningham, Komando.com July 31st, 2018
Just because the Super Bowl is in the San Francisco Bay Area this year doesn't mean Carolina Panthers fans can't get in on exclusive Super Bowl action in Charlotte.
In fact, if you can come up with $5,000, you can rent out "A Panther's Dream Den" in the heart of uptown Charlotte, via Airbnb.
But what makes it so dreamy is that the one-bedroom apartment, and 70-inch TV, belongs to Carolina Panthers safety Roman Harper, who will be in California playing in the big game on Sunday.
"Come watch me play in the Super Bowl – from my own couch! I'm Roman Harper of the Carolina Panthers, and while I'm in Santa Clara on February 7, I'd love to invite you and a guest to experience Super Bowl 50 in my house."
And it's not just the apartment that you can enjoy. You'll also have access to the sky lounge, the health club and yoga room, a billiards room, a junior Olympic pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, and other community spaces and TV rooms.
Sound swanky? It is. Just take a look at some of the sweet photos from Harper's apartment and the building:
As expected however, there are some ground rules on top of common sense and mutual respect. No parties. No football in the house. Only two guests allowed. No smoking, no pets (especially Broncos) and no cleats on the hardwood.
Better yet, all of the proceeds will go to Harper's youth programs in the Harper's Hope 41 Foundation, and Airbnb is matching that $5,000 as well. Guests will also get an autographed football.
Want to know more? Click here to see the full listing on Airbnb.
This isn't the first time some unique places, or unique happenings, have popped up on Airbnb. Click here to see just some of the examples.
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Pro Tip: Do an Nmap scan to find hidden cameras in an Airbnb or rental property
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Holcombe Waller Honors LGBTQ Community with 'Requiem Mass'
Holcombe Waller. (Brittney Valdez)
Nastia Voynovskaya
Grace Cathedral is known as the Bay Area's "cool church" (earlier this year, its pews were packed for a Beyoncé-themed mass). This week, the San Francisco institution continues to push boundaries with composer Holcombe Waller's Requiem Mass: A Queer Divine Right, a choral work that honors those who've been persecuted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Co-presented by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and Ghiberti Foundation, the piece features an all-abilities volunteer choir (which includes KQED's Chloe Veltman) and takes place Nov. 16 and 17 at 7:30pm. Waller, a composer, singer and performance artist who previously scored the film We Were Here: Voices from the AIDS Years in San Francisco, created the emotional work based on research into the gay rights movement from the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic ravaged the LGBTQ community, to today.
Grace Cathedral has long been a beacon of inclusivity; in 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a sermon that called for racial equality and empathy with the Civil Rights movement. With people around the country—and world—still using Christianity as a pretext to discriminate against the LGBTQ community, Requiem Mass: A Queer Divine Right makes a powerful statement of solidarity and acceptance.
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I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business Lyrics
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Family of deadly Vegas shooting victim sues gun makers
by: MICHELLE L. PRICE, MICHAEL BALSAMO and SCOTT SONNER, Associated Press
Posted: Jul 3, 2019 / 12:03 AM MDT / Updated: Jul 3, 2019 / 08:36 PM MDT
FILE – In this Sept. 21, 2018, file photo, the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino reflects the last sunlight of the day along the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. The family of a woman killed by a gunman raining down gunfire from the Las Vegas high-rise hotel suite filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday, July 2, 2019, against eight gun makers and three dealers arguing their weapons are designed in a way that could be easily modified to fire like automatic weapons. The lawsuit, which targets Colt and seven other gun manufacturers, along with gun shops in Nevada and Utah, is the latest case to challenge a federal law shielding gun manufacturers from liability. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The parents of a young woman killed in the 2017 Las Vegas massacre said Wednesday they blame gun manufacturers for their daughter’s death.
“Someone murdered our daughter,” said James Parsons, whose 31-year-old daughter Carrie Parsons was one of 58 people killed when a gunman rained down gunfire from a high-rise hotel. “Someone should be held accountable for that.”
A wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday targets Colt and seven other gun manufacturers, along with gun shops in Nevada and Utah, arguing their weapons are designed to be easily modified to fire like automatic weapons.
“It was a horrifying, agonizing experience and we don’t want this to happen to other families,” Parsons told The Associated Press of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The lawsuit is the latest case to challenge a federal law shielding gun manufacturers from liability. It charges that gun makers marketed the ability of the AR-15-style weapons to be easily modified to mimic machine guns and fire continuously, violating both a state and federal ban on automatic weapons.
A firearms industry group said Wednesday the man who opened fire on a country music concert is the only one responsible for the deaths.
Parsons and his wife Ann-Marie argue in the lawsuit that the firearms are “thinly disguised” machine guns that the manufacturers knew could be easily modified, even without the use of a “bump stock,” an attachment used by the Las Vegas gunman that allowed him to fire in rapid succession.
The Trump administration banned bump stocks this year, making it illegal to possess them under the same federal laws that prohibit machine guns.
“We understand this is an uphill battle,” Ann-Marie Parsons told the AP on Wednesday from their home in suburban Seattle. “But somebody has got to do something because the carnage continues.”
“Losing our daughter is the worst thing that ever happened to us. It is hurtful to us every time we see these things happen,” she said.
The lawsuit charges the manufacturers showed a “reckless lack of regard for public safety” by advertising the firearms “as military weapons and signaling the weapon’s ability to be simply modified.” It alleges there are dozens of videos online showing people how to install bump stocks.
“It was only a question of when – not if – a gunman would take advantage of the ease of modifying AR-15s to fire automatically in order to substantially increase the body count,” the lawsuit states.
Courts have typically rejected lawsuits against gun manufacturers and dealers in other high-profile shooting attacks, citing a 2005 federal law that shields gun makers from liability in most cases when their products are used in crimes.
Neither Colt nor any of the other manufacturers immediately responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press. But a national trade association formed on behalf of the firearms industry in 1961 said in an email to AP on Wednesday there is no legal basis for the lawsuit.
Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the responsibility for the tragedy in Las Vegas “rests with the criminal who committed the violent and reprehensible acts.”
“It is wrong to blame the manufacturers of legal, non-defective products lawfully sold for the actions of a madman,” he wrote. “Doing so would be like attempting to hold Ford responsible for a deranged criminal who affixes after-market parts to a Mustang and then misused that car to attack a group of pedestrians.”
The attorney for the Parsons family, Joshua Koskoff, is representing relatives of victims of the Newtown school massacre in a similar lawsuit. The Connecticut Supreme Court in March ruled that gun-maker Remington could be sued for the way it marketed an AR-15-style rifle used to kill 20 first graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Remington plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Las Vegas shooter opened fire on the crowd of 22,000 from his suite in a tower of the Mandalay Bay casino-resort. Police and the FBI say the gunman acted alone and killed himself before officers reached his hotel room.
The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis unit later found the shooter sought notoriety in the attack on the open-air concert but cited no “single or clear motivating factor.”
The lawsuit is among more than a dozen filed since the Oct. 1, 2017, shooting, though it’s the first to target a gun maker.
Victims have sued MGM Resorts International, which operated the concert venue and owns the Mandalay Bay hotel, along with the concert promoter and others.
MGM Resorts then sued hundreds of victims in a bid to avoid liability. The company has been in settlement talks with the victims and their families.
Balsamo reported from New York. Sonner reported from Reno, Nevada.
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Company in charge of popular Bedfordshire pub adds to list of accolades at industry “Oscars”
Jonathan Ross presents award to Peter Borg-Neal, CEO Oakman Inns
Oakman Inns, the operators of the White Hart in Ampthill, has scooped another pair of gongs at the Publican Awards 2017.
Still basking in their recent Top 10 recognition in the coveted Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For, Oakman Inns & Restaurants, which operates a number of successful pubs across the Home Counties and Midlands, were celebrating into the small hours after winning two further awards at Tuesday’s Publican Awards in London.
Oakman was named Best Community Pub Operator – where the winning company has demonstrated that it has a successful pub estate of community focused pubs - an award they have won for a third time in four years.
Their pubs have supported local charities, sport and development programmes for the young, and in many cases sponsored their local rugby club teams, for which they have created and sponsored the annual Oakman Cup, a Mini’s rugby festival for 400 primary school children.
In the aftermath of the Italian earthquake that destroyed much of Amatrice last year, the pubs held a 72 hour #EatForItaly fundraiser donating the net price of pizza and pasta dishes to the Italian Red Cross raising a total of over £20K. Each pub donates 25 pence per dish from each pork belly dish sold from their menu to help the Woodland Trust continue their conservation projects for future generations.
Oakman’s CEO and founder, Peter Borg-Neal, was also awarded Business Leader of the Year 2017 which was voted for by the Publican Awards’ finalists and judges from a shortlist of six of the most admired senior business executives in the pub trade.
Peter said: “To win the Best Community Pub Operator for the third time is a tremendous reflection of the commitment we show as our business to the communities we operate in and everybody in Oakman Inns should be incredibly proud. Whilst we thought we had a good chance of repeating our victories of 2014 and 2015 in this category I had no idea that I was in the running for Business Leader of the Year. The last winners of this award are Mike Tye, Ian Payne and Rooney Anand. To be even mentioned in the same breath as leaders like these is deeply flattering. I am surprised, delighted and humbled in equal measure.”
The company, which started with its first pub in Tring, Herts, in 2007, and now operates multiple sites across eight counties in the Home Counties and the Midlands, employing over 600 people, was also nominated for Best Pub Employer for 500+ employees – a category they have won twice before.
In their 26th year, The Morning Advertiser’s Publican Awards are the pre-eminent accolades of the UK Pub industry, and it was appropriate, therefore that the event took place at the Evolution in Battersea, the venue that hosted the 2016 Team GB Olympic Ball. They were hosted by Jonathan Ross, and recognise the best in every aspect of the pub industry – from the smallest, family-owned pubs, to the best brewing pub companies and latenight operators – and this year saw a record number of entries.
A total of 73 finalists were shortlisted in the 18 award categories, and each finalist went through a rigorous – and often secret - judging process, which included headquarter and site visits by judges, mystery shoppers, research and finally a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style grilling from a panel of leading industry experts.
Oakman’s Roll Call of Honour at the Publican Awards
Best Pub Employer of the Year 2014
Best Community Pub Operator 2014
Best New Pub/Bar 2015 – The Beech House, St Albans
Best Pub Employer of the Year 2015 (2-50 sites)
Business Leader of the Year 2017 – CEO, Peter Borg-Neal
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The Pro-Death Foreign Policy of Pro-Life Activists
By Gary North
Contrary to the media, most American fundamentalists are not opposed to the legalization of abortion. Few of them have ever picketed an abortion clinic. The only way to persuade a majority of fundamentalists to picket an abortion clinic would be to spread a rumor that after each abortion, the abortionist gives a glass of beer to the woman to calm her nerves.
Still, a small minority of fundamentalists provide the picketers and activists for the anti-abortion movement, along with a small minority of activist Catholics.
On the question of the Iraq war, the core voter bloc of the Republican Party is both evangelical and pro-war. The Republicans refuse to break away from this group. Until these voters switch to anti-war, the Republican Party will remain paralyzed. The fact is, this voter base is committed to imposing lethal force on Iraq until the counter-insurgency ceases to fight. Yet they know this will never happen. Their view of Islam tells them it will never happen. So, they are committed for the long haul, which means until the Rapture into heaven removes them from this world. They are die-hards.
The other die-hards are the neoconservatives. They also are committed to staying the course in Iraq forever. The two groups reinforce each other. The neocons provide the position papers. The fundamentalists provide the votes.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, the slogan says. This is surely true of the Iraq war: pro, con, and neocon.
What percentage of neoconservatives has ever picketed an abortion clinic? Approximately the same percentage of fundamentalists who have marched in an anti-Iraq War demonstration.
Neocons are not interested in saving babies. Fundamentalists are not interested in stopping Middle East wars in progress.
Then what binds them together today? A bumper sticker slogan: Save Israel.
There are two issues here, the moral and the judicial. In this case, they are the same issue. The issue of the Iraq war is the issue of foreign policy in general. One question, above all, divides Americans. “What is the basis, moral and judicial, for one nation’s launching a pre-emptive first strike against another nation?” While the word covenant is rarely used with respect to this question, it is the fundamental issue.
We can see it played out in the career of one Congressman.
RON PAUL’S COVENANTAL POLITICS
Ron Paul is a gynecologist who opposes abortion. He is also a Congressman who opposes the Iraq war.
He is opposed by all neocons and most fundamentalists. Why? Because he opposes committing American money or American troops to saving Israel.
He believes that countries should defend themselves. Countries are not like unborn infants. They can speak and act on their own behalf. They can establish defenses. He thinks there is no legitimate reason for people in one country to go to war to defend people in another country unless, as in the case of Belgium in 1914, another country is being invaded because it provides a convenient pathway for troops marching toward the first country.
He is opposed to treaties that commit the United States to military action on behalf of other countries. He is opposed to the United Nations Organization.
Ron Paul understands and honors a fundamental biblical principle that fundamentalists say they believe but really don’t: without a legally binding joint covenant based on a common confession, an individual has no lawful authority to use violence against another person. Conclusion: if I have not agreed in principle to live under a common political covenant with you, then your battles are not mine, and my battles are not yours. The Bible is clear on this point.
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears (Proverbs 26:17)
During the Vietnam war, there was an anti-war poster with this verse on it, which featured a photo of President Johnson lifting up his beagle by its ears.
The same principle applies to nations. Ask a fundamentalist if he believes in the United Nations Organization, and he will probably say no. Why? Because he instinctively recognizes that the UN is based on a common covenant among nations even though they hold different views of God, man, law, sanctions, and time. There is no confessional basis for such a governmental organization. Prior to 1991, the fundamentalist had in mind the Soviet Union and its satellite nations. Today, he has in mind Islamic nations. His instincts are correct. They rest on this biblical judicial principle:
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods (Exodus 23:32).
But then comes the question of the State of Israel. At this point, say most fundamentalists, all such biblical restraints on national covenants supposedly disappear. The fundamentalist assures us that the United States has a moral, legal, and therefore covenantal obligation to use American tax money to pay the government of the State of Israel. The United States also has a similar obligation to support the State of Israel in all of its disputes with its regional opponents.
In short, what the Bible says about meddling and what it says about illegitimate covenants is ignored. Why? Because of Old Testament prophecies that supposedly place the interests of the modern State of Israel above prohibitions and warnings in the Old Testament against meddling, meaning violence, both personal and national.
The neoconservatives do not embrace fundamentalism’s view of the Bible or its official, though conveniently ignored, doctrine of national covenants. They surely do not embrace the fundamentalists’ view of Bible prophecy, which teaches that the Jews of Israel will be surrounded by the military forces of the antichrist, and two-thirds of them will be slaughtered. This will happen a few years after all Christians have been raptured into heaven. But the neoconservatives do embrace the fundamentalists’ view of siding with the State of Israel on most matters, with the possible exception of Israeli nationals spying on the United States in the United States.
So, we see this extraordinary alliance between secular neoconservatives and fundamentalists. It has led the United States into two wars with Iraq. It may lead this nation into a war with Iran. The swing voters within the voter base of the Republican Party promote a foreign policy of killing Muslims, including hundreds of thousands of civilians, whenever these Muslims are perceived as a potential military threat against the State of Israel.
Beginning on September 11, 2001, pre-war, pro-war pundits asked: “Why do they hate us?” They no longer need to ask.
My recommendation to neoconservatives: picket abortion clinics. My recommendation to fundamentalists: march in anti-war protests. My recommendation to the State of Israel: don’t count on U.S. government dollars or the U.S. military to reduce your costs of government indefinitely. There comes a time to sell short. Now is such a time.
September24, 2007
Gary North [send him mail] is the author of Mises on Money. Visit http://www.garynorth.com. He is also the author of a free 19-volume series, An Economic Commentary on the Bible.
Copyright © 2007 LewRockwell.com
The Best of Gary North
Copyright © 2019 Gary North
Previous article by Gary North: The Fed Is Deflating
Is Iraq Another Korea?
The Coldest Winter
Ron Paul: The Most Hardcore Anti Drug War Presidential Candidate in History!
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Rap artists and women take center stage at Grammys
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rap artists and women have felt shunned by the Grammy Awards in recent years. But this year, they both took center stage.
Childish Gambino’s disturbing look at race relations, “This is America,” won record and song of the year on Sunday’s telecast. It was the first time a rap-based song won both of those awards, considered — with album of the year — the recording industry’s most prestigious.
Kacey Musgraves won top album and matched Childish Gambino with four Grammys total. A year after many women felt left out of the Grammy telecast, they delivered the night’s most memorable performances. The best new artist winner, British singer Dua Lipa, also cast major shade on the outgoing recording academy president.
Lady Gaga and Brandi Carlile won three Grammys apiece, and former first lady Michelle Obama was a surprise guest at the top of the show on CBS.
Childish Gambino, the stage name of actor Donald Glover, and another prominent rap nominee, Kendrick Lamar, both declined invitations to perform or attend Sunday’s show. Some rap artists feel the Grammys have been slow to recognize how the genre now dominates popular music.
Ludwig Goransson, a songwriter and producer on “This is America,” said backstage that he was surprised the victories were so historic. Just listening to the radio, watching the culture and seeing how many rap songs are downloaded is evidence of rap’s impact.
“It’s about time something like this happened with the Grammys as well,” Goransson said.
Cardi B became the first solo woman to win best rap album , although Lauryn Hill was the lead singer of the Fugees, which won the same award at the 1997 Grammys. Cardi B was so nervous accepting the award that she joked, “Maybe I need to start smoking weed.”
She looked anything but rattled earlier, when her rendition of “Money” was among the night’s performance highlights. Janelle Monae delivered a smoking version of her hit “Make Me Feel”; St. Vincent and Dua Lipa’s duet on “Masseduction” was steamy; H.E.R. turned heads with “Hard Place”; and Carlile sang an inspired version of her hit “The Joke.”
Being part of a big night for women was huge to her, Carlile said backstage after the show.
“I’m a kid from the ’90s and Lilith Fair, you know, and those women were just dominating those platforms,” she said. “They were dominating those arena and amphitheater stages. They were getting record deals. They were becoming record executives themselves. They completely controlled the airwaves. They were on the radio. And to watch that backslide for the last 20 years has been heartbreaking. Tonight, it gives me hope as a mother of two young daughters.”
When she accepted her best new artist award, Dua Lipa pointedly said, “I guess this year we really stepped up.”
That was a reference to outgoing Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow, who said women needed to “step up” when he was asked about the lack of women in top categories in 2018. He later acknowledged it was a poor choice of words and delivered another mea culpa on Sunday’s show.
Yet Dua Lipa was rewarded by having her acceptance speech cut off mid-sentence. She wasn’t alone, however, as a handful of other artists were also hustled off the stage, and the show seemed disjointed at the end, rushing through its final awards. Under the circumstances, having a lengthy tribute to Portnow before he gave his own speech seemed tone-deaf.
Lipa said later she would have thanked her fans, her inspirations and team if she had more time.
When she was onstage, Lipa was one of a handful of winners who paid special tribute to fellow artists. Another was Drake, whose appearance to accept the Grammy when “God’s Plan” won best rap song was a surprise because he’s not big on award shows.
He reminded fans and fellow artists that awards are based on the subjective views of others, and aren’t contests in which there are clear winners and losers.
“You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there are people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here. I promise you. You already won,” he said at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Musgrave picked up album of the year for “Golden Hour,” which is labeled country but had wider appeal.
“I never dreamed that this record would be met with such love, such warmth, such positivity,” said Musgraves, who performed a stately version of her song “Rainbow.”
Dolly Parton starred in the best of the night’s two tributes to veteran artists, performing a medley of her songs with Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Maren Morris. The highlight of Diana Ross’ night was the cute introduction by a grandson with a mountain of hair.
The Grammys took some online blowback by having Jennifer Lopez deliver a tribute to Motown , once the nation’s preeminent label for black artists. Despite her hustle, Lopez was outshone by show host Alicia Keys and Smokey Robinson delivering one verse of “Tracks of My Tears” a capella.
Obama appeared on the show’s opening with Keys, Gaga, Lopez and Jada Pinkett Smith to describe the role music had played in their lives — seemingly a pointed reference to last year’s controversy over women artists.
“Music has always helped me tell my story,” Obama said. “Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another.”
Another ex-White House resident was awarded a Grammy on Sunday. Former President Jimmy Carter, who is 94, won an award for best spoken word recording.
It’s his second Grammy.
Categories: Entertainment, Trending
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`Game of Thrones' dominates Emmy nominations in its final season
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A Brief History of Estate Taxes
Tip: Regardless of your net worth, it’s critical to understand your choices when developing an estate strategy.
Federal estate taxes have been a source of funding for the federal government almost since the U.S. was founded.
In 1797, Congress instituted a system of federal stamps that were required on all wills offered for probate when property (land, homes) was transferred from one generation to the next. The revenue from these stamps was used to build the navy for an undeclared war with France, which had begun in 1794. When the crisis ended in 1802, the tax was repealed.¹
Estate taxes returned in the build up to the Civil War. The Revenue Act of 1862 included an inheritance tax, which applied to transfers of personal assets. In 1864, Congress amended the Revenue Act, added a tax on transfers of real estate, and increased the rates for inheritance taxes. As before, once the war ended the Act was repealed.²
Fast Fact: Estate Income. Between 2016 and 2025, the estate tax will generate about $246 billion.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2015
In 1898, a federal legacy tax was proposed to raise revenue for the Spanish-American War. This served as a precursor to modern estate taxes. It instituted tax rates that were graduated by the size of the estate. The end of the war came in 1902, and the legacy tax was repealed later that same year.³
Until 1916. The 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1913 — the one that gives Congress the right to “lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived.” The Revenue Act of 1916 established an estate tax, and in one way or another, it’s been part of U.S. history since then.
In 2010, the estate tax expired — briefly. But in December 2010, Congress passed the Tax Relief Act of 2010 and the new law retroactively imposed tax legislation on all estates settled in 2010.
In 2012, the American Tax Relief Act made the estate tax a permanent part of the tax code.
As part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, estate tax rules were again adjusted. The estate tax exemption was raised to $11.2 million, a doubling of the $5.6 million that previously existed. Married couples may be able to pass as much as $22.4 million to their heirs. The 2017 Act is set to expire in 2025, so it’s possible the estate tax law may be adjusted at least once during the next few years. If you’re uncertain about your estate strategy, it may be a good time to review the approach you currently have in place.
Estate Taxes and Overall Federal Revenues
Estate taxes typically account for less than one percent of total federal revenue.
Chart Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2015
Exemption through the Years
Federal estate taxes exempt a share of estates from federal estate taxes. For the 2017 tax year, if an estate’s worth less than $5.49 million, no federal estate taxes may apply.
Exclusion Amount
Highest Tax Rate
1916 $50,000 10.0%
1918-1923 $50,000 25.0%
1926-1931 $100,000 20.0%
1977 $120,000 70.0%
2002 $1,000,000 50.0%
2010 $0 or $5,000,000 0% or 35%
Chart Source: Internal Revenue Service, 2017
1,2,3. Internal Revenue Service, 2016
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