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President Higgins Addresses Reconciliation in Holkeri Lecture
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins delivered the Sixth Annual Harri Holkeri Lecture at Queen’s University Belfast on Tuesday 29 May.
In an event organised by the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice President Higgins spoke of the importance of putting long standing assumptions to the test in a University, and of reasserting and reintroducing pluralism in the move towards reconciliation.
A packed lecture hall in the Peter Froggatt Centre also heard the President speak of the duty to approach history as a way of understanding, and deepening empathy with others, rather than as a tool of propaganda.
President Higgins said: "We need mind work now, work in language" in order to build respect for one another's historical experience.
President Higgins remained on stage to take part in a question and answer session hosted by Yvette Shapiro.
Following the event the President was presented with a signed copy of Seamus Heaney's 'Blackbird's Nest' collection.
Pictured (L-R) are: Professor James McElnay, Acting President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s; Sabina Higgins, wife of the President of Ireland; President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins; Anthea Smyth, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Belfast; Professor John Brewer, Acting Director of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s; and Kevin Conmy, Joint Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland.
You can watch a video of the event here.
Queen's hosts team from Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Queen's Management School Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture Series
Aspiring musicians from Junior Academy of Music in concert
Chief Executives' Club Breakfast at Pinsent Masons
Crescendo in the Ulster Hall
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UA Magazine no. 21 - Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development - A role for urban agriculture?
Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development: A role for urban agriculture?
Natural hazards, civil conflicts, wars and economic crises continue to generate unstable and unsafe conditions, placing immense pressures on communities and local livelihoods. These emergency scenarios often result in people fleeing their homes to other areas or crossing borders to other countries, thereby creating mass refugee situations. Many of these refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) have to remain in refugee camps for extended periods or reside (often illegally) in and around urban areas.
Consequently, many people living under the harsh conditions of refugee life will try to improve their food security by establishing some form of agriculture, such as small-scale gardening in refugee camps, in backyards, or on open spaces outside settlements. And where land is limited they may resort to micro-technologies, such as container gardening, pots on shelves or hanging baskets.
In the previous issues of Urban Agriculture Magazine we highlighted the multiple functions of urban agriculture, including its role in building communities and sustainable environments. We also discussed the processes of technological, organisational and institutional innovation in urban agriculture. In this issue we focus on the role urban agriculture plays in linking relief, rehabilitation and development following a disaster or in emergency situations. Different types of disasters and resulting impacts are discussed and illustrated by articles in this magazine.
Disaster situations can be viewed as a series of phases on a time continuum. Identifying and understanding these phases may help aid workers and urban planners identify disaster-related needs and then implement the appropriate disaster management activities. For example, the rehabilitation phase after a disaster provides significant opportunities to initiate development programmes, and act as a catalyst for the implementation of mitigation and preparedness strategies, thus building longer-term resilience. Rehabilitation programmes can be specifically aimed at teaching new skills, and strengthening the sense of community and leadership. This is particularly important in the case of protracted refugee situations and in urban areas. In the longer term this capacity building process can also contribute to restoring local municipal government, which in turn legitimises and builds good governance at the state level.
Urban agriculture has always been used as a food security strategy during economic and emergency situations. Examples include the extensive “Dig for Victory” campaign in Britain during the Second World War, and more recently “Operation Feed Yourself” in Ghana during the 1970s. Similarly in many other countries, backyard farming, and institutional and school gardening have all been encouraged during times of food instability, with many examples featured in this issue.
Similarities exist between agriculture in camp settings and in urban and slum areas. Urban agriculture, with its emphasis on space-confined technologies, use of composted organic waste and recycling of grey wastewater, may offer good options for the provision of fresh vegetables, eggs, dairy products and other perishables to the population of the “new town” in addition to generating some income. Often stimulated by relief organisations, refugees start growing highly nutritious crops for their own consumption and to fill immediate needs. These crops require only a limited growing period and a low investment, using (often available) traditional knowledge and skills.
Experiences show that refugee agriculture is not only a survival strategy for displaced people to obtain food on a temporary basis, but it is also a valuable livelihood strategy for those that settle permanently, and for those who eventually return to their home cities or countries. Many displaced people, both in camps and in and around cities, engage in agriculture for subsistence and market production. And more and more local and national authorities, as well as relief agencies, are not only allowing but intentionally supporting agricultural production activities as part of their development strategies (see box on UNHCR). Urban agriculture can play an important role in all aspects of the disaster management cycle and is a multifunctional policy instrument and tool for practical application.
Growing food in camps and cities, when appropriate to the local conditions, reduces dependency on (rural) food supplies, which can easily be affected by disrupted transport, armed conflicts, droughts or flooding. It improves the availability and access to more nutritious food, and in the longer term may increase a city’s resilience.
The Accidental City: Urbanisation in an East-African refugee camp
From Dependence to Self-reliance: Experiences from northern Uganda
Enhancing Household Food Security in Refugee Camps in Ethiopia
Towards a more formal approach on refugee gardening with UNHCR
Promoting Urban Agriculture in Post-conflict Greater Freetown Area, Sierra Leone
Urban Agriculture in and around Monrovia, Liberia
The Role of Urban Agriculture in Kirkuk, Iraq
The Impact of the Economic Meltdown on Urban Agriculture in Harare
A Report from New Orleans: Growing food in a recovering city
Tsunami Aftermath: Development of an indigenous homegarden in Banda Aceh
The Sphere Project Guidelines
Urban Agriculture in El Alto: An experience of revitalisation
Multi-storey Gardens to Support Food Security
Farming in Bags: Microgardening in northern Uganda
A Garden in a Sack: Experiences in Kibera, Nairobi
Health Risk Assessment of Children Exposed to Greywater in Jerash Refugee Camp in Jordan
Weblinks / On DVD
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Barbara Marx Hubbard
Barbara Marx Hubbard has been called “the voice for conscious evolution of our time,” by Deepak Chopra. She is the subject of Neale Donald Walsh’s book “The Mother of Invention.”
Interview Topic: Awakening the New Species in You!
Barbara's Free Gift to You:
Barbara invites you to watch her Award winning film: Our Story. CLICK HERE to subscribe to Barbara's New News, and you'll receive a special code to access Our Story for free.
Also, CLICK HERE to learn more about Barbara's 12-month course Homo Universalis: Awaken the New Species in YOU, which Barbara shared about during her interview.
CLICK HERE to read the Chat Transcript from Barbara's live interview.
Barbara's Website: http://barbaramarxhubbard.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Barbara-Marx-Hubbard-114937958869/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BarbaraMarxHubbard
Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbarahubbard
Barbara Marx Hubbard has been called “the voice for conscious evolution of our time,” by Deepak Chopra. She is the subject of Neale Donald Walsh’s book “The Mother of Invention.” A prolific author of 9 books, visionary social innovator and educator she is co-founder and co-chair of The Foundation for Conscious Evolution, and president of Evolutionary Academy.
During 2017 to 2018 she is producing a year long global intensive: “Awaken the Species” with Humanity’s Team and Steve Farrell (AwakenNewSpecies.com).
She is Co-Chair of the Center of Integral Wisdom and is writing three books with the Center President Marc Gafni to Evolve the Source Code of our Culture.
She co-produced with Shift Network “Birth 2012: Co-Creating A Planetary Shift in Time.” In 1984 her name was placed in nomination for the Vice Presidency of the United States on the Democratic ticket, proposing a “Peace Room as Sophisticated as a War Room: -- an Office for the Future to scan for, map, connect and communicate what is working in the world. She also co-chaired a number of Soviet-American Citizen Summits and 25 conferences in the U.S. introducing a new conferencing process called SYNCON for synergistic convergence.
She is a co-founder of The Association for New Thought (AGNT), the World Future Society, and a member of the Club of Budapest.
Her books include:
The Hunger of Eve: One Woman’s Odyssey toward the Future.
The Evolutionary Journey: Your Guide to a Positive Future.
Revelation: Our Crisis is a Birth.
The Evolutionary Testament of Co-Creation: The Promise Will Be Kept.
Emergence: The Shift from Ego to Essence.
Evolutionary Synthesis: New Memes for the New Millennia
Conscious Evolution: Awakening the Power of Our Social Potential.
52 Codes for Conscious Self Evolution.
Birth 2012 and Beyond: Humanity’s Great Shift to the Age of Conscious Evolution
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Robert Romanyshyn
Robert D. Romanyshyn is an Emeritus Professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute, an Affiliate Member of The Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, and a Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and author of seven books.
Interview Topic: Re-Membering Our Broken Bonds with Nature
Robert's Free Gift to You:
Receive a sample of Robert's article The Frankenstein Prophecies: The Untold Tale. The sample is called:
The Melting Polar Ice: Is Mary Shelley's Story a Prophecy of the Dying of Nature?
CLICK HERE to claim this free gift.
Robert's Website: http://www.RobertRomanyshyn.com
He has also published articles in psychology, philosophy, education and poetry journals. In addition to on line seminars and interviews, he has given lectures and workshops at universities and professional societies in the U.S., Europe, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand. He has recently completed a new book, The Frankenstein Prophecies—Seven Questions and Replies. His DVD film Antarctica: Inner journeys in the Outer World, available online at www.jungplatform.com, is a multi-media psychological reflection on the melting polar ice.
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LK Bennett administration: brand struggles amid funding concerns
By Deborah Williams
Deborah Williams 1 March 2019
LK Bennett administration: brand struggles amid funding concerns. Credit: SPERA.de Designerschuhe via Flickr
London-based luxury fashion brand LK Bennett is preparing to bring in administrators as the company struggles to cope with on-going funding concerns, according to a report by Sky News.
It has been reported that UK accountancy firm EY has been appointed to manage the LK Bennett administration if no new investment is found, however this has not been confirmed by the company. The report also claims that nearly 500 UK jobs are at risk and that the founder and owner Bennett, known as ‘the queen of the kitten-heel,’ had brought in advisors to “examine options” nearly 18 months after buying back the company from Phoenix Equity Partners in 2017. The deal, which was made in 2008, is said to have valued the company at £100m.
LK Bennett made pre-tax losses for several years, with its latest results showing an operating loss of £5.9m for the year ending 29 July 2017. A ‘corporate restructuring’ that included the reduction of amounts owed by former companies was behind much of the pre-tax losses.
LK Bennett was founded in 1990 and has 41 stores across the UK and 52 overseas in countries including the US, China and Russia.
LK Bennett and EY have declined to comment.
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How one patient spread MERS to 82 people
Experimental MERS vaccine shows promise
by Nathan Seppa
Antibody that fights MERS found
by Sarah Schwartz
MERS virus didn’t morph in its move to South Korea
Deadly MERS spreads in small cluster in South Korea
Airborne MERS virus found in Saudi Arabian camel barn
Drug candidate takes new aim at MERS
by Meghan Rosen
Health care workers test negative for MERS virus
Two U.S. health care workers fall ill after treating patient with MERS
Second MERS case in U.S. confirmed
MERS outbreak picks up pace in Middle East
First MERS case found in the U.S.
Camels in Saudi Arabia teeming with MERS virus
by Beth Mole
Molecule stops MERS spread among cultured human cells
Year in Review: A double dose of virus scares
Bats' cells evolve to battle MERS
MERS virus jumped several times from animals to humans
Bats can carry MERS
Camels implicated as possible hosts of MERS virus
On the trail of a new virus
Scientists race to understand deadly new virus
View all Search Results for "MERS"
The mysterious boundary
The entrance to a black hole could reveal insights into the Big Bang, the formation of galaxies and even death by spaghettification
2:40pm, May 16, 2014
PULLED IN The event horizon is framed by the bright ring in this black hole simulation. Color represents the intensity of light emitted by hot gas circling the horizon; red is brightest, blue dimmest.
Scott Noble/RIT
Magazine issue: Vol. 185 No. 11, May 31, 2014, p. 16
A black hole’s event horizon is a one-way bridge to nowhere, a gateway to a netherworld cut off from the rest of the cosmos.
Understanding what happens at that pivotal boundary could reveal the hidden influences that have molded the universe from the instant of the Big Bang.
Today some of the best minds in physics are fixated on the event horizon, pondering what would happen to hypothetical astronauts and subatomic particles upon reaching the precipice of a black hole. At stake is the nearly 100-year quest to unify the well-tested theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics into a supertheory of quantum gravity.
But the event horizon is more than just a thought experiment or a tool to merge physics theories. It is a very real feature of the universe, a pivotal piece of cosmic architecture that has shaped the evolution of stars and galaxies. As soon as next year, a telescope the size of Earth may allow us to spot the edge of the shadowy abyss for the first time (see sidebar).
By studying the event horizon through both theory and observation, scientists could soon figure out how the universe began, how it evolved and even predict its ultimate fate. They’d also be able to answer a crucial question: Would a person falling into a black hole be stretched and flattened like a noodle, dying by spaghettification, or be incinerated?
Gravitational gusto
Scientists thought about the possibility of black holes and event horizons long before either term existed. In 1783, British geologist and astronomer John Michell considered Newton’s work on gravity and light and found that, in theory, a star with 125 million times the mass of the sun would have enough gravitational oomph to pull in any object trying to escape — even one traveling at light speed.
Although stars can never attain that much mass, Albert Einstein’s 1916 general theory of relativity put Michell’s hunch about supermassive objects onto solid theoretical ground. Later that year, German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild used general relativity to show that some stars could collapse under their own gravity and create a deep pit in the fabric of space-time. Anything, including light, that came within a certain distance of the collapsed star’s center of mass could never come out. That point of no return became known as the event horizon.
Confirmation for the existence of black holes came decades later. In 1974, scientists detected a heavy dose of radio waves emitted from the center of the Milky Way, about 26,000 light-years away. They eventually concluded that there must be a black hole there. Today, astronomers know that virtually every galaxy harbors a giant black hole at its center, shaping the formation of millions of stars and even neighboring galaxies with its immense gravitational influence. Galaxies also contain millions of small- and medium-sized black holes, each with an event horizon past which light is never seen again.
But the repercussions of black holes’ extreme gravity eventually led to conflicts with one of the keystones of 20th century physics: quantum mechanics. The trouble began in the mid-1970s, when University of Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking proposed that black holes are not eternal. In the far, far future, when black holes have devoured almost all the matter in the universe, leaving little else to consume, energy should slowly leak out from their event horizons. That energy, now known as Hawking radiation, should continue seeping out until each black hole evaporates completely.
Hawking quickly realized the drastic consequences of his proposal. In a chaos-inducing 1976 paper, he explained that if a black hole eventually disappears, then so should all the information about all the particles that ever fell into it. That violates a central tenet of quantum mechanics: Information cannot be destroyed. Physicists could accept that all the properties of all the particles within a black hole were locked up, forever inaccessible to those outside a black hole’s event horizon. But they were not OK with that safe vanishing without a trace. “It violated everything I knew about quantum mechanics,” says Stanford theoretical physicist Leonard Susskind, who heard Hawking’s ideas at a conference in 1981. “It couldn’t be right.”
Violating theories
Susskind dug into this black hole information paradox, and by the turn of the century he thought he had resolved it with a proposal called complementarity. In essence, he argued that information can simultaneously cross the event horizon and never cross the event horizon, so long as no single observer can see it in both places.
If a particle were to fall into a black hole, an astronaut falling alongside it would see nothing special happen as both coasted across the event horizon and into the black hole’s interior. But another astronaut watching from outside would never see his friend or the particle pass the event horizon; from his point of view, the particle would get perilously close to the horizon but never quite cross it. Eventually, as the black hole evaporated perhaps a trillion trillion trillion trillion years later (astronauts in thought experiments have remarkable longevity), the astronaut outside the black hole would see the Hawking radiation associated with the infalling particle.
Susskind’s explanation is unintuitive, but at least it’s elegant. For both observers, information is preserved (SN: 9/25/04, p. 202). Plus, the outside astronaut can potentially piece together everything that fell into the vast black hole interior just by monitoring the event horizon. This idea, proposed by Juan Maldacena at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., is called the holographic principle: Just as a two-dimensional hologram can depict a three-dimensional object, the surface of a black hole theoretically reveals everything inside of it. (Story continues below graphic)
Pasta or Barbecue?
Since the 1970s, physicists have had trouble coming up with a proposal that describes the fate of something, or someone, falling into a black hole that doesn’t violate well-tested theories. Until 2012, complementarity (left side of image) seemed to do the job. It said that an astronaut falling into a black hole won’t notice anything special as he crosses the event horizon. Yet someone outside will never see his friend reach the horizon. Information is preserved for both observers. But complementarity breaks another rule of quantum mechanics (see “Problematic entanglements,” below). Some argue that walls of radiation along event horizons incinerate incoming matter (right side of image).
Credit: James Provost
But in 2012, a quartet of physicists including Joseph Polchinski from the University of California, Santa Barbara reignited the black hole information paradox by demonstrating that in solving one problem, Susskind and Maldacena had created another. The issue centers on another facet of quantum mechanics called entanglement, which intertwines the properties of multiple particles regardless of the distance between them. Susskind and Maldacena’s complementarity relies on entanglement to preserve information. As the proposal goes, particles of Hawking radiation are linked to each other so that over time an observer could measure the radiation and piece together what’s inside the black hole.
In yet another thought experiment, Polchinski and his team pondered what would happen if just one of a pair of entangled particles near a black hole’s event horizon fell in, while the other escaped as Hawking radiation. According to complementarity, the escaping particle would also have to be entangled with another Hawking particle. But that’s a no-no in quantum mechanics: Particles entangled with each other outside a black hole cannot also be entangled with particles inside the black hole. Physicists call this forbidden arrangement entanglement polygamy.
Problematic entanglements
For information to be preserved, outgoing particles of Hawking radiation have to be entangled (quantum linked) to each other. But for general relativity to be correct, particles inside the black hole have to be entangled with particles outside the black hole. Unfortunately, these two entanglements can’t coexist. Breaking one of the entanglements creates a firewall.
To remedy this violation of quantum theory, Polchinski’s team took its thought experiment a step further and tried severing the entanglement spanning the event horizon. The result: An impenetrable wall of energy formed at the event horizon, incinerating and shutting out any object big or small that tried to pass. They called this unforgiving boundary a firewall.
Unfortunately, while the firewall would play by the rules of quantum mechanics, it would violate Einstein’s theory of general relativity. According to Einstein, an astronaut should not notice anything unusual as he crosses the event horizon; in fact, he shouldn’t even know he’s crossed it until later, when he begins getting spaghettified, or stretched like a noodle, from the extreme gravity of the black hole’s interior and realizes that even a light-speed escape attempt would do no good. A firewall, on the other hand, would provide a pretty noticeable hint that the astronaut had reached the event horizon: He would fry instantly. If firewalls exist, then general relativity requires tweaking.
This firewall problem once again pits general relativity against quantum mechanics, and it has sparked new interest in thinking about the strange physics taking place at the event horizon. “I don’t even see a good framework of an idea to solve the problem,” Polchinski says.
Astronomical stakes
These thought experiments may seem academic, but the implications go well beyond the fates of a handful of particles. Event horizons seem to be the best theoretical test bed for combining general relativity and quantum mechanics into a unified theory of quantum gravity. “The last frontier for fundamental physics is quantum gravity,” says Janna Levin, an astrophysicist at Columbia University’s Barnard College. “And this one puzzle is offering us a chance to see the key elements.”
Physicists have had trouble developing a theory of quantum gravity because compared with the universe’s other three forces — strong, weak and electromagnetism — gravity is pathetically feeble. It’s the only force that is negligible at the small scales dominated by quantum physics. The quest for a theory of quantum gravity gained added significance after the recent discovery of ripples in spacetime dating back to a mere 10-36 seconds after the birth of the universe (SN: 4/5/14, p. 6). Understanding the universe so soon after the Big Bang is an amazing achievement, but a lot of interesting stuff happened in that trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second before those ripples cascaded through the infant cosmos.
If physicists are ever going to reach all the way back to the very beginning of the universe, Levin says, they will have to understand how the universe behaved when it was incredibly small and incredibly massive simultaneously. The best way to figure that out is to formulate a theory of quantum gravity by demystifying another such compact, massive environment: a black hole. “The event horizon is where gravity starts to come into its own,” says Sheperd Doeleman, an astronomer at MIT’s Haystack Observatory. “It rips off the Clark Kent business suit and starts to become as strong as the other forces.”
With so much at stake, many prominent physicists are stepping up and throwing some intriguing ideas into the mix.
The all-star roster includes Hawking. In a brief, cryptic January posting to the physics preprint server arXiv.org, he suggested that event horizons are not the points of no return proposed by Schwarzschild nearly a century ago. If event horizons occasionally allow stuff inside the black hole to escape, Hawking argued, then firewalls need not exist. While Hawking’s comments grabbed headlines — it didn’t hurt that his write-up included the misleading phrase “there are no black holes” — nobody is quite sure what the black hole savant has in mind. “People want to know what Hawking thinks,” says Sabine Hossenfelder, a cosmologist at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in Stockholm. “But practically, his paper has no use for me.” She wants Hawking to release a comprehensive paper explaining his argument and the reasoning behind it.
Patrick Hayden, a Stanford quantum physicist, has an idea similar to complementarity. He agrees with the arguments laid out by Polchinski’s team but suggests that it would be extremely difficult for a single observer to determine that a particle is engaged in entanglement polygamy. In fact, he says it would take a person so long to experimentally verify it that the black hole would have already evaporated. Once again, it may turn out that a black hole information paradox is allowed to exist for the simple reason that no one could ever detect it.
The most potentially paradigm-shifting idea comes from the dogged duo of Susskind and Maldacena. They address the firewall problem by combining entanglement, a mind-bending facet of quantum mechanics, with the sci-fi–sounding concept of wormholes. Wormholes are shortcuts through spacetime, the rough equivalent of crossing a mountain via tunnel rather than climbing over it. According to Susskind and Maldacena, every pair of entangled particles is connected by a wormhole, drastically shortening the distance between them. (Story continues below timeline)
Evolution of black hole theories
Black holes have given physicists headaches since Stephen Hawking proposed his eponymous radiation. A time line of proposals to prevent black holes from destroying information:
Applying this to event horizons, they say that individual particles of Hawking radiation are linked via wormhole to the inside of the black hole. The proposal eliminates the need for firewalls by turning entanglement into a shortcut through spacetime rather than a mysterious long-distance link. In essence, the particles inside and outside the event horizon become one and the same.
Susskind and Maldacena’s proposal, while pretty wild, is stirring cautious optimism. “As physicists, we often rely on our sense of smell in judging scientific ideas,” Caltech theoretical physicist John Preskill wrote on his blog Quantum Frontiers. “At first whiff, [the wormhole proposal] may smell fresh and sweet, but it will have to ripen on the shelf for a while.” If Susskind and Maldacena are right, it would mean that quantum mechanics determines not only the behavior of particles at very small scales but also the large-scale structure of the universe. “Entanglement creates the hooks that hold space together,” Susskind says.
And in Susskind’s mind, that’s the beauty of the event horizon. A firewall proposal that he’s sure is wrong but can’t yet explain why may be the ticket to unraveling the great mysteries of the universe. Perhaps complementarity, wormholes or a mystery mechanism up Stephen Hawking’s sleeve will simultaneously rectify the black hole information paradox and deliver a theory of quantum gravity. “Once in a while, a conflict comes along and completely changes the way we think about things,” Susskind says. “This firewall story may be one of them.”
With all the talk about hypothetical astronauts and entangled particles, it’s easy to forget that black holes are actual objects in the universe. It may be up for debate whether matter falling in gets stretched or burned, but there’s no doubt that throughout the cosmos incalculable amounts of gas and dust are flowing across the event horizons of black holes.
Astronomers know this because, despite the fact that no light can escape the event horizon, many black holes are fairly easy to detect. As the supergravity of a black hole reels in gas and dust, a traffic jam emerges near the event horizon. As matter bumps into other matter, it heats up and glows, emitting X-rays and other high-energy radiation. “Black holes are sitting in a luminous soup of billion-degree gas,” MIT’s Sheperd Doeleman says. Sometimes all that searing gas rockets away from the black hole in concentrated jets that can course more than a million light-years.
Astronomers aren’t sure why some galaxies’ black holes are voracious eaters, glowing brightly, while others seem dark and inactive, Doeleman says. The Milky Way’s central black hole, which weighs about 4 million times the mass of the sun, is relatively dormant. Astronomers are holding out hope that they’ll get to see the local black hole light up over the next year as a large gas cloud called G2 swings perilously close to its event horizon (SN: 8/24/13, p. 9).
Doeleman has even greater ambitions. He leads a team that plans to directly image the event horizon of the Milky Way’s central black hole. That’s pretty hard to do: In fact, it requires a telescope the size of Earth.
So next year, Doeleman and his colleagues will unveil what amounts to an Earth-sized telescope.
The Event Horizon Telescope, the first instrument designed specifically for spying the structure of a black hole, combines multiple radio telescopes to achieve a resolution equivalent to that of a single one that is much larger (SN: 10/9/10, p. 22). This year, Doeleman is heading to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, the world’s most powerful radio telescope network, to install extraordinarily precise atomic clocks that will allow researchers to combine the Chilean telescopes’ data with those from observatories in Hawaii, Spain and eventually the South Pole.
If all goes well, as early as next year a virtual telescope with the sensitivity of an Earth-sized radio dish will deliver images of a bright ring of hot gas surrounding a circular shadow: the heart of a black hole, bounded by the event horizon. “We’ve been working on this for a decade,” Doeleman says. “It’s exhilarating to be so close.”
Theorists aren’t as excited about the massive scope. After all, an Earth-sized telescope can’t zoom in on a single particle and resolve the information paradox. But perhaps a photograph will provide some inspiration. For the first time they’ll be able to take a good look at the mysterious boundary that has perplexed them for so long. — Andrew Grant
S.W. Hawking. Information preservation and weather forecasting for black holes. arXiv:1401.5761. January 22, 2014.
A. Almheiri et al. Black holes: complementarity or firewalls? Journal of High Energy Physics. Vol. 2, February 2013, p. 062. doi: 10.1007/JHEP02(2013)062.
S.W. Hawking. Breakdown of predictability in gravitational collapse. Physical Review D. Vol. 14, November 15, 1976, 2460. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevD.14.2460.
C. Crockett. Gravitational waves unmask universe just after Big Bang. Science News. Vol. 185, April 5, 2014, p. 6.
C. Crockett. Black holes may shut down stellar factories. Science News. Vol. 185, April 5, 2014, p. 12.
T. Siegfried. 50 years later, it’s hard to say who named black holes. Science News Online. December 23, 2013.
A. Grant. Milky Way's black hole pulling in gas cloud. Science News. Vol. 184, August 24, 2013, p. 9.
T. Siegfried. Out of the fabric. Science News. Vol. 179, April 23, 2011, p. 28.
C. Petit. Black hole silhouettes. Science News. Vol. 178, October 9, 2010, p. 22.
R. Cowen. Information, please. Science News. Vol. 166, September 25, 2004, p. 202.
More on MERS
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FUMERTON, R., Knowledge, Thought, and the Case for Dualism: Volume 0, Part 0. Cambridge University Press, 2015. 300p. Paperback. Series: Cambridge Studies in Philosophy. The relationship between mind and matter, mental states and physical states, has occupied the attention of philosophers for thousands of years. Richard Fumerton's primary concern is the knowledge argument for dualism - an argument that proceeds from the idea that we can know truths about our existence and our mental states without knowing any truths about the physical world. This view has come under relentless criticism, but here Fumerton makes a powerful case for its rehabilitation, demonstrating clearly the importance of its interconnections with a wide range of other controversies within philosophy. Fumerton analyzes philosophical views about the nature of thought and the relation of those views to arguments for dualism, and investigates the connection between a traditional form of foundationalism about knowledge, and a foundationalist view about thought that underlies traditional arguments for dualism. His book will be of great interest to those studying epistemology and the philosophy of mind. (Publisher's information). € 27.90 (New) (MD)
FUNKHOUSER, E., The Logical Structure of Kinds. Oxford University Press, 2014. 194p. Hardback. Eric Funkhouser has made a careful, original, and incisive case for his theories of determination and realization, one which should certainly be taken seriously in future work in this area. Katherine Hawley, Philosophical Quarterly |a 12/08/2016 (Publisher's information). € 60.45 (New)
FURGER, A.R., Römermuseum und Römerhaus Augst. Kurztexte und Hintergrundinformationen. Römermuseum, Augst, 1989. 102p. ills. Paperback. Dogs ear. Series: Augster Museumhefte,10 € 8.50 (Antiquarian)
FURIANI, P. Liviabella, and A.M. SCARCELLA, (eds.), Piccolo mondo antico. Le donne, gli amori, i costumi, il mondo reale nel romanzo antico. Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, Perugia, 1989. 253p. Sewn. Lower corner front cover a little bit creased. With editor's intention of A.M. Scarcella on half title. A.o.: M.FUTRE PINHEIRO: Aspects de la problématique sociale et économique dans le roman d'Héliodore (pp.15-43); P.LIVIABELLE FURIANI: Di donna in donna. elementi 'femministi' nel romanze greco d'amore (pp.43-107); C. RUIZ MONTERO: Caritón de Afrodisias y el mundo real (pp.107-151); A.M. Scarcella: Cronaca dell'amore e degl iamori nelle storie d'amore (pp.151-197); G. SCHMELING: Manners and Morality in the 'Historia Apollonii regis Tyri'(pp.197-217). € 22.50 (Antiquarian)
FURLEY, D., The Greek Cosmologists: Volume 1, The Formation of the Atomic Theory and its Earliest Critics. Cambridge University Press, 2006. 232p. Paperback. Series: The Greek Cosmologists. This first volume takes the story from its beginnings in Ionian philosophy as far as the formation of the Atomic Theory and the first criticisms of it by Plato and Aristotle. The second volume will describe the cosmology of Plato and Aristotle, the attempt by Epicurean opponents to revive Atomism and later developments of the debate in classical philosophy and science up to the sixth century of our era. Both are accessible to anyone interested in the history of science and philosophy, even if they have no specialized knowledge of Greek philosophy and no Greek; but professional scholars too will find much of importance to them. (Publisher's information). € 43.68 (New) (MD)
FURLEY, D., The Greek Cosmologists: Volume 1, The Formation of the Atomic Theory and its Earliest Critics. Cambridge University Press, 1987. 232p. Hardback. Series: The Greek Cosmologists. This first volume takes the story from its beginnings in Ionian philosophy as far as the formation of the Atomic Theory and the first criticisms of it by Plato and Aristotle. The second volume will describe the cosmology of Plato and Aristotle, the attempt by Epicurean opponents to revive Atomism and later developments of the debate in classical philosophy and science up to the sixth century of our era. Both are accessible to anyone interested in the history of science and philosophy, even if they have no specialized knowledge of Greek philosophy and no Greek; but professional scholars too will find much of importance to them. (Publisher's information). € 99.53 (New) (MD)
FURNAL, J., Catholic Theology after Kierkegaard. Oxford University Press, 2015. 272p. Hardback. Catholic Theology After Kierkegaard is a revised dissertation, of the highest caliber. It is a model of thorough research, clarity of writing, and importance of thesis. The author, Joshua Furnal, demonstrates a deep knowledge of Kierkegaard's writings, and of the scholarship on him from the twentieth century up to the present, in English, German, French, and Italian. Charles K. Bellinger, Reading Religion |a 4/4/18 (Publisher's information). € 112.78 (New)
FURNARI, S., Die griechischen Mythen Siziliens. Salvatore Furnari, Catania, n.d.(1989?). 94p. Sewn. € 12.00 (Antiquarian)
FURNEAUX, H. and PITMAN, H., Cornelii Taciti Annalium, Libri V, VI, XI, XII. Cambridge University Press, 2010. 284p. Paperback. Series: Cambridge Library Collection - Classics. A lecturer at the University of Bristol, Pitman published this edition of Tacitus' Annals in Oxford in 1912. The title of the work derives from Tacitus' style of history, which he dealt with on a year-by-year basis. Annals covered the reigns of four Roman emperors, beginning after the death of Augustus. Of the 16 original books covering a period of 54 years, much of what Tacitus wrote has not survived. This edition of Annals includes four books: the incomplete Book 5 and Book 6, which cover the final years and death of Tiberius, and Books 11 and 12 which cover the end of the reign of Claudius. (Books 7 to 10 are missing.) The text and introduction are from the 1894 edition by Henry Furneaux; Pitman's intention is 'to serve the needs of students requiring a less copious and advanced commentary' than that supplied by Furneaux. (Publisher's information). € 25.48 (New) (MD)
FURNEAUX, H., Cornelii Taciti Annalium Libri I–IV: Volume 0, Part 0. Cambridge University Press, 2010. 416p. Paperback. Series: Cambridge Library Collection - Classics. A leading classical scholar from the University of Oxford, Henry Furneaux (1829–1900) specialised in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus. Although not originally titled the Annals, this work acquired the name for the style of history it presents, dealing with events year by year, rather than thematically. The Annals cover the reigns of four Roman emperors, beginning after the death of Augustus. While considered to be factually accurate, Tacitus' accounts include moralising interpretations and judgements concerning the behaviour of the historical protagonists. The Annals originally consisted of 16 books dealing with a period of 54 years, but several of them are incomplete or have not survived at all. This volume contains the first four books of the Annals covering the years 14 to 23 C.E. It was first published in 1885 and includes an introduction and notes. (Publisher's information). € 32.76 (New) (MD)
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Sedna Technologies tracking and tracing seafood to better profits
Allan Lynch
Two Canadian entrepreneurs have launched a technology package they believe will help the fishing and aquaculture industry reduce waste, improve product quality, and boost profits.
Sheamus MacDonald and Aleksandr Stabenow recently launched Sedna Technologies in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. They offer a hardware and cloud-based software suite that can automatically track and trace fresh and frozen products from catch to delivery to the market.
Sedna’s technology is still under development, but when complete, beyond traceability, its tracking tool will give seafood companies the ability to pinpoint where mortality and waste occurs in their systems, MacDonald told SeafoodSource.
“We do feel we can increase your bottom line at a minimum of five percent if you’re using our whole system. We also believe it will increase your overall product value by another five percent, depending on what markets you’re in,” he said.
The technology is promising enough that Fishtech Awards in Qingdao, China identified Sedna as one of the top 10 technology startups globally for fisheries and aquaculture. Sedna will now be featured in a seafood technology roadshow in China, giving it exposure in a huge and growing seafood marketplace.
For now, though, the company’s focus remains more local to Atlantic Canada, and particularly on the lobster business. According to a profile in Nova Scotia’s Chronicle Herald, Sedna is working to build a technology suite that ensures lobsters are kept in top condition throughout their journey from the ocean to the consumer.
“So what our system is capable of doing is not only monitor the conditions in which [the lobster] was held throughout the lifespan, we’re also able to track the quality,” MacDonald said. “With the growing international market, a lobster that’s export quality should remain export quality throughout the supply chain.”
Their suite of products also acts as an inventory management system for everything from bait to fuel. And all of Sedna’s technology can be accessed anywhere via an app that can be used on a cell phone.
“We’re able to do that all completely automated, so as the product moves throughout … we can basically replace all their pen and paper practices,” MacDonald told the Chronicle Herald
In the last few months, Sedna’s work has been refined through face-to-face meetings with industry leaders. One of the seafood companies MacDonald and Stabenow have worked closely with is Cape Breton-based Louisbourg Seafoods. Louisbourg Senior Operations Manager Allan MacLean told SeafoodSource his company is “really excited” Sedna’s technology.
“We met with them a number of months ago and we hope to implement their product. We’re not using it currently because they’re still developing, but we’re kind of a test for them. We brought them in, showed them the operation and the areas where we were having challenges, and they took that back and worked through our challenges and been able to show us what their product can do,” MacLean said. “In six months, they have taken their concept far beyond what we initially talked about. We’re going to be able to use this product.”
MacLean said he was initially won over to help Sedna by the fact that MacDonald previously worked as a commercial fisherman for lobster and crab, and that Stabenow has a background in consumer goods, internet supply chains, and customization of enterprise technologies.
“They really have a gasp of the fishing industry and the supply chain. They’ve obviously had a lot of conversations with people like myself and other fish companies to understand the challenges we’re having and they’ve developed this suite of tools that really is very holistic and allows you to track product and identify issues in real-time,” MacLean said. “So we’re looking forward to implementing their product in our fisheries in 2019.”
According to Stabenow, each sensor starts at CAD 2,200 (USD 1,645, EUR 1,450), which includes a year’s worth of filters and maintenance. But the technology has the potential to save seafood companies multiples of that figure for each sensor they implement. MacLean agreed, telling SeafoodSource the technology has the potential to save his company significant amounts of money.
“I’m really impressed and proud that we have younger people in Nova Scotia who are doing something for the industry in Nova Scotia that’s really needed,” he said.
Most importantly for MacDonald and Stabenow, Sedna has the ability both to bring more money into Nova Scotia’s economy, and to improve global marine sustainability.
“With increased demand for ocean resources, it’s not only managing the resources prior to harvesting, it’s managing them throughout the supply chain. So by reducing the amount of mortality and waste, we’re actually helping get more product to end consumers,” MacDonald told the Chronicle Herald. “If we’re able to aid and help in making sure that more product gets to market, and that money does come back into the Nova Scotia economy, then that’s a plus for the province.”
Image courtesy of Sedna Technologies
Reporting from Eastern Canada
Debate intensifies over Halifax airport shipping capacity
InnovaSea buys aquaculture monitoring tech firm Amirix Systems
Lobstermen question the need for camera surveillance aboard vessels in Nova Scotia
High prices force McDonald’s to nix lobster rolls this summer
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North Korea Behind Sony Hack: FBI
By AFP on December 19, 2014
North Korea was responsible for a "destructive" cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday, warning it would hunt down the perpetrators and make them pay.
The November attack prompted the movie giant to cancel the Christmas Day release of "The Interview," a madcap satire about a fictional CIA plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
The anonymous hackers invoked the memory of September 11, 2001 in threatening attacks on cinemas screening the film, prompting major theater chains to say they would not screen it.
In addition to the threats, Sony has seen the release of a trove of embarrassing emails, scripts and other internal communications, including information about salaries and employee health records.
"The FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions," the agency said in a statement.
"Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior."
The attack involves the use of malware and rendered thousands of Sony Pictures computers "inoperable," forcing the company to take its entire network offline, the FBI said.
"We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there," the FBI said.
The accusation came shortly before President Barack Obama was due to hold his last press conference of the year at 1830 GMT -- virtually ensuring that he would be asked to address it.
A Sony source had told AFP that the studio also believes Pyongyang was behind the attack.
"We don't know, but it appears so," said the source.
'Costs and consequences'
Pyongyang has so far denied involvement in the brazen November 24 cyber attack, but nevertheless hailed it as a "righteous deed."
The North's top military body, the National Defense Commission, slammed Sony for "abetting a terrorist act while hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership," according to the state-run KCNA news agency.
The FBI nevertheless warned the attack would not go unpunished.
It said it would "identify, pursue, and impose costs and consequences on individuals, groups, or nation states who use cyber means to threaten the United States or US interests."
Senior Republican lawmaker John McCain -- the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee -- on Friday called the cyber attack an "act of war."
But the FBI statement appeared to indicate the US government was treating the incident as more of a criminal act.
"We follow the facts and evidence wherever they lead, to identify the fingers at the keyboards that threaten our people, our companies, and our national security," said John Carlin, assistant US attorney general for national security.
"Identifying those responsible for these attacks is only the first step, and we will continue to do our part to protect and defend our nation from the asymmetric threats posed through cyberspace."
Free speech advocates and foreign policy hawks slammed Sony's decision to pull "The Interview" as cowardice in the face of a hidden enemy.
McCain said it set a "troubling precedent that will only empower and embolden bad actors to use cyber as an offensive weapon even more aggressively in the future."
But Sony defended its decision, saying the safety of theater patrons was at risk.
"This was a terrorist act, and you don't take that lightly," the company source said. "This is much bigger than us ... it's a whole new world, now warfare is on the cyber level."
Related: Why You Should Demand Proof Before Believing The U.S. Government On North Korea and Sony
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UK Cyber Security Chief Blames Russia for Hacker Attacks
By AFP on November 15, 2017
Russia has launched cyber attacks on the UK media, telecoms and energy sectors in the past year, Britain's cyber security chief said Wednesday amid reports of Russian interference in the Brexit referendum.
"Russia is seeking to undermine the international system. That much is clear," Ciaran Martin, head of Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said at a London tech conference, according to his office.
"Russian interference, seen by the NCSC over the past year, has included attacks on the UK media, telecommunications and energy sectors," Martin said.
The centre has coordinated the government's response to 590 significant incidents since its launch in 2016, although the government agency has not detailed which were linked to Russia.
Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday accused Moscow of "seeking to weaponise information" and "sow discord in the West and undermine our institutions".
Russia's cyber activities include "deploying its state-run media organisations to plant fake stories and photo-shopped images", she said in a speech.
The scathing criticism was rejected by Russia's foreign ministry, which accused May of trying to distract the British public from problems at home.
Moscow's alleged attempts to influence last year's referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union are part of investigations under way in London.
May told lawmakers on Wednesday that parliament's intelligence and security committee would be looking into Russian interference.
Meanwhile parliament's digital, culture, media and sport committee has requested data from Twitter and Facebook on Russia-linked accounts and aims to interview social media executives at the British embassy in Washington early next year.
- Pro-Brexit 'bots' -
Damian Collins, the committee chairman, said it was "beyond doubt" that Russia has interfered in UK politics.
He said there was a pattern of behaviour of Russian organisations seeking out opportunities to create division, unrest and instability in the West.
"Foreign organisations have the ability to manipulate social media platforms to target voters abroad," he told AFP.
"This is seriously-organised buildings of hundreds of people engaged in propagating every day fake news through social media."
He said it was "terrifying" how cheap and easy it was for them to reach millions of people.
"It is one of the biggest threats our democracies face and we have to be serious about combatting it," Collins added.
May's spokesman insisted: "There has been no evidence of successful interference in our electoral processes."
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh, who examined 2,752 accounts suspended by Twitter in the United States, found 419 were operating from the Russian Internet Research Agency and attempting to influence British politics, The Guardian reported.
Professor Laura Cram, the university's neuropolitics research director, told the newspaper they tweeted about Brexit 3,468 times -- mostly after the June 23 referendum.
The content overall was "quite chaotic and it seems to be aimed at wider disruption. There's not an absolutely clear thrust. We pick up a lot on refugees and immigration", she said.
Meanwhile researchers at Swansea University in Wales and the University of California, Berkeley, have found more than 150,000 Russian-based Twitter accounts which may have influenced the Brexit referendum.
The social media accounts switched their attention to EU membership in the run-up to the referendum, 2016, according to research outlined in The Times newspaper.
Many of the accounts were fully-automated "bot" profiles which posted hundreds of tweets daily, or "cyborg" accounts which were partially run by people, the newspaper said.
The majority of the posts were pro-Brexit, while some supported remaining in the European Union.
Meanwhile it was revealed that a tweet which caused a furore after the Westminster terror attack in March originally came from a trolling agency account which, according to evidence before the US Congress, is backed by the Russian government.
The tweet showing a picture of a woman in a headscarf walking next to a victim, with the words: "Muslim woman pays no mind to the terror attack, casually walks by a dying man while checking phone".
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Iconic NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager dies at age 65
Sager had battled leukemia for more than two years.
By Stanley Kay and SI Wire
TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager has died at the age of 65, Turner announced Thursday.
Sager had battled cancer for more than two years. He was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2014. He went into remission after a bone marrow transplant, but the the disease ultimately returned in March.
The iconic reporter was beloved in the NBA and beyond. Best known for his affable, vivid personality and his array of colorful suits, Sager was a fixture on the sidelines at NBA games.
Sager was a larger–than–life figure in basketball, admired among players, coaches, fans and fellow media members. Just this year, on the biggest stage, Sager could become the story: During Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Cavaliers fans gave Sager—covering his first Finals—a standing ovation. After the game, during an interview with Sager, LeBron James wondered aloud, "How in the hell did you go 30-plus years without getting a Finals game? That don’t make no sense!" Even Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, normally crotchety during league–mandated conversations with reporters between quarters, could enjoy a mid–game interview with Sager, at least on one occasion.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver paid tribute to Sager in a statement on Thursday, calling him a "ubiquitous presence."
"I—along with the entire NBA family—am deeply saddened by the passing of Craig Sager. Craig was as vital to the NBA as the players and coaches. A true original and an essential voice on Turner Sports’ NBA coverage for 26 seasons, Craig chronicled some of the most memorable moments in league history and was a ubiquitous presence with his splashy suits and equally colorful personality. Craig earned widespread respect for his insightful reporting and inspired so many most recently with his courage. Our hearts go out to his wife, Stacy; his children, Kacy, Craig Jr., Krista, Riley and Ryan; and his friends and colleagues.”
Turner president David Levy also honored Sager in a statement.
"Craig Sager was a beloved member of the Turner family for more than three decades and he has been a true inspiration to all of us. There will never be another Craig Sager. His incredible talent, tireless work ethic and commitment to his craft took him all over the world covering sports," Levy said in a statement. "While he will be remembered fondly for his colorful attire and the TNT sideline interview he conducted with NBA coaches and layers, it's the determination, grace and will to live he displayed during his battle with cancer that will be his lasting impact. Our thoughts and prayers are with Craig's wife, Stacy, and the entire Sager family during this difficult time. We will forever be Sager Strong."
We are forever #SagerStrong pic.twitter.com/t9C3x6znkb
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 15, 2016
After graduating from Northwestern University, Sager went on to report for CNN, TNT, TBS and CBS during his illustrious broadcasting career. Last week, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame announced that Sager will be included with this year's class of inductees.
The sports world rallied around Sager during his bout with cancer. He received the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPY Awards in 2016, where he delivered an extraordinary speech following an introduction from Vice President Joe Biden.
SI's Lee Jenkins wrote about Sager in a cover story earlier this year in the May 2, 2016 issue of Sports Illustrated. You can read Jenkins's full story on Sager's defiantly optimistic battle with cancer on The Crossover.
More NBA
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19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER
By Gay Flood
Sir:
I could really relate to Ron Fimrite's article They're Beginning To Sound Like a Broken Record (Sept. 26). I have been to 22 Dodger home games this season, each time taking an average of five kids from our parish school. The kids get in for only a buck, and they have a blast. Not only do the Dodgers play an exciting brand of baseball, but the whole atmosphere is party-like. Everybody has a great time, win or lose. It's good, wholesome fun—even the food is super (I think the stadium could be called the world's largest outdoor restaurant).
As for Tom Lasorda, he's done more to bring this city together than anyone in recent history. The Dodgers certainly do have a great organization. Now, if we could only get some World Series tickets!
LEO GUTIERREZ
A more amazing attendance record is now being approached at Boston's Fenway Park. Two million fans will have seen Red Sox home games this year, a record for Fenway. The smallest park in the majors, it is little more than half the size of Dodger Stadium and is in a town where frigid weather early and late in the season is not uncommon and rain is possible anytime. In addition, the parking is downright terrible. Fenway also lacks some of the other niceties of Dodger Stadium, but Red Sox fans still come out in droves to root for their team, some to be turned back from standing-room-only sellouts. It makes one wonder how much better the Sox would draw in an area as big as L.A. with a stadium of similar size. Probably a lot, but nothing can replace Friendly Fenway. It's one heck of a place to watch a ball game.
BOB CONWAY
Midland, Mich.
SI gets very excited about the Dodgers drawing nearly three million fans from a population base of seven million. Our Royals have drawn 1.8 million, which is more than 100% of metropolitan Kansas City's population. As for your comments about Dodger Stadium, we in Kansas City welcome the opportunity to show off Royals Stadium any day this month.
DON FLOWERS
Booktalk
IN WHICH TODAY'S MOST POPULAR BIRD WHISTLES SOME PRETTY FUNNY TUNES
By Jonathan Yardley
AN ICONOCLASTIC GOLFER SHARES HIS FEELINGS ABOUT THE GAME HE LOVES
As I Did It
A SORE ARM AND CHIN MUSIC WERE FACETS OF A TRYING WHITE SOX TRYOUT
By Rick Telander
Once More To The Well
Muhammad Ali left them roaring with a marvelous last-round rally against game Earnie Shavers, but one day soon the champ will reach down and come up empty
By Pat Putnam
PELE PELE PELE
The legendary Brazilian retired again, this time before a crowd whose size was both a tribute to him and a part of his legacy
Aggie-Ny
IN THE SECOND HALF IT WAS PURE AGGIE-NY
Michigan led Texas A&M 7-3 after two quarters. Then the Wolverines scored five touchdowns, four as a result of turnovers and a blocked punt
By Joe Jares
THE LAND OF PETER PAN
Not to mention the fearless Slats Cabbage, the Ruggerfesters and just about everybody. Aspen is where sporting folks have found the Mountain of Youth
By Sam Moses
Boundary Waters
PASSIONATE SUITORS FOR A WILD PARADISE
Minnesota is split, Congressmen from the same party are pushing opposing bills, tempers are erupting—over what is best for a matchless million acres
By William Oscar Johnson
The mightiest of the Highs
New York's Monsignor Farrell went all the way to Cincinnati for the experience of meeting the No. 1 high school team, and Moeller made it all too unforgettable
By Walter Bingham
By Ron Reid
THE IRON MAN KEEPS GOING STRONG
By Melissa Ludtke
Baseball's Week
By Herman Weiskopf
Their yen for bluefin
To satisfy the Japanese demand for raw tuna, a detective story writer has created a farm in Nova Scotia where 1,000-pound gamefish are fattened for slaughter
By Dan Levin
He packed his title and split
At Watkins Glen, Niki Lauda regained his championship but bolted Ferrari
Spectacles make him spectacular
Focusing on his receivers, Bob Griese has Miami eyeing another Super Bowl
By Dan Jenkins
Taking a quantum jump
Trying to boost their sport into the big time, organizers of the American Jumping Derby offered a $73,000 purse and got Linda Blair to award the blue ribbon
By John Papanek
Steinbrenner
YANKEE CLIPPER
No, not Joltin' Joe but George Steinbrenner, who has put the Yanks back in trim from head to hose. It hasn't been clear sailing; he's been buffeted by his manager, his players and the feds
A roundup of the week Sept. 26-Oct. 2
Edited by Gay Flood
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
By John A. Meyers
Edited by Robert H. Boyle
In SCORECARD (Sept. 26) you state that the 1889 St. Louis Browns of the American Association became the present-day Baltimore Orioles. Incorrect. Those Browns, an AA team from 1882 to 1884 and again from 1887 to 1891, were a National League team known as the Maroons in 1885-1886. In 1892 they rejoined the NL and later came to be—and still are—known as the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Baltimore Orioles of Earl Weaver were the St. Louis Browns of the American League from 1902 to 1953 and were known as the Milwaukee Brewers in the AL's first year—1901. Ironically, another team of Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Browns both played in the AL in 1902. Those Baltimore Orioles, an original AL franchise, became the New York Highlanders and, eventually, the New York Yankees. And what Baltimore Oriole team did John McGraw play for and manage? Why, the one that was an NL franchise from 1892 to 1899.
ANDREW SPARK
Monroe, N.Y.
To err in this matter seems only human when one considers the following: the Atlanta Braves were once the Boston Red Stockings; the Chicago Cubs were the White Stockings; the Yankees were the Orioles; the Orioles were the Browns and, before that, the Brewers; the Phillies were the Blue Jays; and the Rangers and Twins each were the Senators, a name used by more than one team in the 1800s. The Cardinals, Pirates, Reds and Dodgers all came from the American Association, which played the National League in a number of series between 1882 and 1890. In fact, in 1886 the Browns-Cardinals won their first series against the White Sox-Cubs.
JAMES G. LEE
Concerning the forfeitures in the 1889 pennant race, you state: "Brooklyn went on to win the pennant with a 93-44 record, while the Browns finished second with 90-45. Had the Browns won the two forfeit games, they would have taken the championship."
Absolutely true. But had the Browns won only one of the games, they would also have won, with a 91-44 record, which would have been better than Brooklyn's 92-45.
THE REV. JIM KILL
JENNER'S POT OF GOLD
Regarding Bruce Jenner and his endorsements, commercials, speeches, clothing lines, etc. (Back to Bruce in a Moment. First, This Commercial, Sept. 26), why is it always the guy who makes half a million dollars a year (or his agent) who says that the money doesn't mean anything? Jenner is out to make a buck, and that's fine. But don't let him tell us working stiffs (who don't make $500,000 in a lifetime) that money is unimportant. If it were so unimportant to Jenner, he'd be a high school coach somewhere.
What has Bruce Jenner done for anyone besides Bruce Jenner lately?
ROBERT E. CAIN
Many people seem to feel it is somehow immoral and reprehensible for amateur athletes to attempt to cash in on their fame, yet these same people find no fault with professional athletes who grovel for every last penny they can coerce out of their owners. After comparing Bruce Jenner's pre-Montreal training regimen and life-style with Kenny Stabler's (Gettin' Nowhere Fast, Sept. 19), I challenge Jenner's critics to tell me which athlete is the more deserving. I hope that Bruce makes a bundle.
DAVE JOHNSTON
Last spring when Bruce Jenner was making a tour of several colleges, Mankato State University (Minnesota) was among them and I was one of his hosts for three days. Jenner came off just as Barry McDermott described him: exuberant, wholesome and very sure of himself. The monetary gains Bruce will derive all seem to be of secondary importance. Whenever time permitted—and he was on a busy schedule, what with track clinics and speaking engagements—he signed autographs and stopped to talk with people. He was a joy to be around because his enthusiasm for life seems to rub off on those he comes in contact with.
BRUCE JOLESCH
Athens, Ohio
BEWARE THE 13th, SOMETIMES
In the issue of Sept. 26 (Now There Is One, Maybe) it was written that the contenders in the American League East should have been warned about the Ides of September, and then Peter Gammons proceeded to list several occurrences on the 15th day of the month. However, the Ides of September is the 13th, as it is in all months except March, May, July and October, in which it falls on the 15th.
STEVEN GABLE, M.D.
Address editorial mail to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, New York, 10020.
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Chamber 'tired of long queues' and call for works to be completed quickly
Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce have pushed for the works to be completed as soon as possible. Picture: Clarissa Place
Traders have led calls to speed up the completion of sewer works along a main route in Sidmouth.
Work began last Monday (June 17) for essential sewer works on Station Road, near to the junction with Manor Road.
Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce spoke to South West Water (SWW) about the disruptions to traffic, saying there has been inadequate signage and lack of activity.
SWW and its contractors are currently clearing out 87 metres of sewers on Station Road to reduce the risk of blockages and sewer flooding.
A chamber spokesman said: "The chamber intends to take the matter further, and will call upon the county council and utility companies to do everything possible to avoid busy times of the year, and to conduct works in a speedy and timely manner. We are tired of long queues of traffic being held up by roadworks where no-one is actually working."
The water company says it has faced delays but expects to complete the work by Tuesday (July 2). A SWW spokesman said: "The section of pipe has now been cleaned to remove any fats, oil, grease and other materials to ensure wastewater can flow freely.
"This took longer than expected due to the amount of debris discovered. Relining the sewer and reinstatement of the road will now take place."
Councillor Stuart Hughes also spoke to the company and addressed complaints about inadequate signage. Cllr Hughes, head of highways at Devon County Council (DCC), said: "Unfortunately works such as these have to be carried out and as Sidmouth is basically a cul-de-sac in that those coming to the town are doing so because they want to. It's never going to be easy for the statutory undertakers to find good times to programme the works."
Currently, DCC operates a 'noticing' regime whereby works promoters tell the council when they are planning on working and seek permission.
On Tuesday, DCC's scrutiny committee discussed moving to a permit scheme.
Cllr Hughes added: "The alternative arrangement being considered is to introduce a permit scheme. Under these arrangements, works promoters would have to ask for our permission to work which we could approve, reject or set various conditions upon, giving us greater control on what is happening on the network."
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Melody Fairchild, Joan Samuelson Join Masters Ranks at Freihofer's 5K
The Run For Women in Albany, New York is in its 36th year.
By Peter Gambaccini
Glen Delman
Melody Fairchild, the former high school phenom who’s enjoying a successful road and trail career at age 40, and 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, who at age 56 ran a 2:52:11 at the 2014 Boston Marathon on April 21, are headliners in the masters division of the 36th Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K in Albany, New York on May 31.
Fairchild, who was the first American high school girl to break 10:00 for two miles and was a two-time Kinney (now Foot Locker) Cross Country champion, has become an outstanding masters competitor since turning 40 last summer. She was the top master at the 2013 USA 5K and USA 15K Championships and the top female overall at a national half marathon trail championship in Moab, Utah.
Earlier this year, Fairchild was second master at the USA Cross Country Championships in Boulder. Her primary goal for 2014 is to win the USA Masters Marathon Championships at the Twin Cities Marathon on October 2.
She made a previous appearance at Freihofer’s as a young adult, finishing in 1997.
Samuelson, who’ll be 57 on race day in Albany, is legendary as the first female Olympic marathon gold medalist, a former world record holder and as a champion of the Boston and Chicago Marathons. But she’s continued to turn in stunning road race times in her 50s.
She’s been to the Freihofer’s Run for Women several times; she was the third master in 2009, fifth in 2010, and sixth in 2012.
Fairchild’s main foes for the masters title will include Sheri Piers of Maine, who was the second master at Freihofer’s in 2013 with a 17:24 and fourth in the masters category at last month’s Boston Marathon; Canada’s Paula Wiltse, now 46, who was the top Freihofer’s master in 2008, the year she was Running Times’ Master of the Year; and the veteran Carmen Ayala-Troncoso of Texas, who is now 55.
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The Master: Joan Benoit Samuelson
Joan Samuelson
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Joan Benoit Samuelson to Run Boston!
Joan Benoit Samuelson Turns 50
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Ali of Mali: Guitar king of the Sahara
He reigns over the Timbuktu Social Club, but his distinctive, bluesy sound is reaching all around the world.
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/1999/12/04/toure/
Damien Cave
December 4, 1999 10:00PM (UTC)
One of Africa's hottest guitarists, Ali Farka Toure -- real name: Ali Ibrahim Toure -- was the 10th child born to his mother, and the first to live. He was nicknamed Farka ("donkey") because he was stubborn enough to survive.
Toure grew up, and still lives, in Niafunke, a village of about 6,000 on the banks of the Niger in Mali. When he was young, he harbored musical ambitions, which were thwarted because neither of his parents belonged to a Griot caste, whose members are historically responsible for Mali's song and dance. But Toure was adamant.
He joined the village's cultural music and dance troupe, rising rapidly to become its director. Along the way, he danced and sang in his native language -- Songhai -- and other dialects and played several instruments, including the single-string guitar and violin. He picked up a Western guitar in 1956, after a chance meeting with Keita Fodeba, director of Guinea's National Ballet. Soon, it became his obsession and during his teens and 20s he transferred his country's music from the traditional instruments to their Western cousin.
Then, in 1968, the same year a friend introduced him to the music of John Lee Hooker, Toure bought a six-string electric guitar while touring in Bulgaria. Toure insists his music grew on its own, but his sound -- a pluck-heavy groove paced with pregnant pauses -- echoes Hooker's, as if a call and response sounded across the Atlantic. Regardless of influence, the association with Hooker's sound helped draw British producer Nick Gold and helped make "Talking Timbuktu," his 1994 album with Ry Cooder, both a Grammy winner and an eight-month top-seller on Billboard's world music charts. And now, that aural brotherhood is confirming Toure's role as Mali's ambassador of music.
Malian music, by the way, while on the road to reaching a global audience, has made a few unfortunate detours.
Two Malian musicians -- guitarist Jalimadi Tounkara and ngoni-player Bassekou Koyate -- were scheduled to record in Havana as part of what became "Buena Vista Social Club," which has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. Instead, their passports failed to arrive in time, and they and their country's music were left behind, at least temporarily.
But Tounkara and Koyate's missed opportunity is beginning to look more like a postponement than a cancellation. Three months after the widely popular Africa Fete tour brought Malian talent to American shores, Western listeners are slowly discovering Mali's appeal. They have much to discover. Ali Farka Toure has just released a new, richly nuanced album named after his hometown, which is where it was recorded. Meanwhile, American musician Taj Mahal also has a new offering, "Kulanjan," which mixes the blues with the sounds of the kora player Toumani Diabate, among others. And several more Malian artists have recordings in the works. Perhaps no single album will ascend the Everest of "Buena Vista's" popularity, but together these musicians have caught a collective ear.
"There is a broad, general gravitation to this music," says Banning Eyre, author of "In Griot Time: An American Guitarist in Mali," which will be published in April. "Over the past 15 years, a lot of African music has been foisted on the American public, and not much has taken hold. But if you take a look at who is currently signed by major record companies -- Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate, Habib Koite, Salif Keita -- you simply cannot name another African country that has as many artists signed to major American labels. There's a natural selection process that happens, and I think Malian music has risen on its own merits."
Ironically, Toure remains a somewhat reluctant participant. After "Timbuktu," he toured, but quickly tired of the chew-and-spit cycle of Western audiences. According to his friends, Toure grew cynical and longed for home. When he gave up the tour, he turned down the potential for more stardom, not to mention dollars.
"He was developing this irrigation project," Gold says, speaking from the London office of World Circuit Records. "And it's quite a desolate landscape there. Toure is not one to start and not finish a project, so that was important to him because when he isn't there nothing gets done. Also, he started to become disillusioned with the music world. He felt that growing and farming were more important. He said he had lost the desire to play because he was away from the source of his music, away from his inspiration."
Gold had wanted to make another recording with Toure. Instead, two years ago they made a deal: When Toure was ready, Gold would come to him. That day came just before sales of Gold's previous on-site project -- "Buena Vista" -- took off. Gold had tried once before to record Toure on location, but with only a DAT machine, the drums drowned out the guitar and the recordings never made it to market.
On the second attempt, Gold refused to compromise. Along with one other producer, he took a handful of sound engineers and a truck full of equipment. Gold flew first to Mali, a place dominated by desert and semi-desert where few roads are paved. After arriving in Bamako, the capital, he made the 200-mile overland trip to Niafunke with Toure at the wheel. A few rabbits died along the way (Toure stopped to shoot them "for dinner," Gold says), but the equipment survived.
"We took a 24-track mixing facility and a mixing deck," Gold recalls. "And we found an extraordinary place to record -- an abandoned building. It was full of rubble and impossible to use at first. But then they cleared it out, and miraculously, all of our equipment worked. Even after it was banged about."
In that building, a weighty brick structure, Gold recorded the debut album of Afel Bocoum, Toure's guitar protigi. And on the third day, at dusk, as the mosquitoes came out, Ali Farka Toure entered the makeshift studio, plugged in and began to play.
According to Toure, the resulting album, titled "Niafunke," is his best in 30 years. "This music is more real, more authentic," he writes in the liner notes. "It was recorded in the place where the music belongs."
Eight other musicians join Toure on "Niafunke's" 12 tracks, and Gold says he never knew where the guitarist was going, or who he would ask to join in. Usually, the entrances came midsong with only a nod for advance notice. It made an already difficult recording job even more taxing, and in some cases one wishes the songs sounded a bit more crisp, but the new album also has a spontaneity and unpredictable mix of sound. If "Talking Timbuktu" was "Kind of Blue," then "Niafunke" is a more accessible "Bitches Brew." Toure sounds energized, unpredictable, stubborn. In short, "Niafunke" sounds a lot more like the man who made it.
According to Gold, it also captures its setting, both the nature and people who have made the often flood-ridden, difficult land their home.
"One of the facts of recording on location is that people are more relaxed," Gold says. "And you have access to a larger musical community. If you bring people [to a recording studio], you get whoever comes. You have to work with what you've got. But the most exciting thing about going to where the musicians are is that you say, 'OK, we'd like a violin on this song,' and someone says, 'Oh, I'll get one.' That's what happened with 'Buena Vista' and that's what happened in Mali."
That union of sound, story and landscape makes the album unique, says Delhia Allen, a clerk at San Francisco's Virgin Megastore. Allen only bought "Niafunke" after a customer told her how it was recorded. Intrigued, she took his advice to check it out, and after listening to a store copy, she was hooked. Though she is a young black woman, Allen says the idea of buying something African didn't play much of a role in becoming an Ali Farka Toure fan. Simply put, the story sucked her in and the music kept her interested.
"The subtlety of the guitar and the voices, the men and the women, it doesn't beat you over the head," she says. "Plus when you buy a CD, it's often for a single, but with 'Niafunke' the whole CD goes together, and that's something I really like. These days it's hard to find a CD that fits together so organically."
Coming from Banning Eyre or Nick Gold, such comments are commonplace, but Allen is not a veteran of world or African music. When she isn't in college or working, Allen typically listens to Tori Amos and admits to owning only one world-music disc, "but that's a saxophone player who's more Western," she says. Still, Toure has recruited her. In fact, she's become a bit of a Malian evangelist, recommending "Niafunke" to several friends and letting others borrow the disc for a sample taste.
When academics and journalists try to break the code of such fandom, they tend to diminish Allen and others who testify to the magnetism of music and to the power of word-of-mouth. Mali's experience appears to be no different. Kay Shelemay, a professor of music at Harvard, says that the West's interest in all of African music has grown steadily since the first recordings were made in the early part of the century. More recently, political movements -- the American Civil Rights movement, and the era of African independence shortly thereafter -- spurred the trend. And events ranging from the Live Aid concert to Mandela's rise in South Africa, to the widely reported war and famine in Rwanda have kept interest in African culture in the public consciousness, she says.
The political link rings at least partly true. Gold says the audience for Toure and other Malian musicians closely resembles the white, educated, NPR-listening crowd that made an anti-Apartheid act out of buying Paul Simon's "Graceland" or a Ladysmith Black Mambazo album. These are the people who see music as a form of education, and obscurity as a sign of credibility, Delhia Allen says. "I think in some ways, the Afro-Cuban explosion is being bought up by people who use it to have this cultural edge. It sort of says that I am into this kind of music and not a lot of people know about it. It has this cachet. I think it's the same with African music."
But novelty only reaches so far. There are, of course, hundreds of obscure places. What makes Africa and Cuba different, what makes their music so fascinating to Western listeners relates less to novelty than history. Cuba represents Kennedy, the Cold War. Similarly, Africa signifies a past long-repressed: slavery.
Mali's links run even deeper. Though the French colonized Louisiana for only a short time, and Mali until 1960, the two spots share linguistic similarities. The term "gris-gris," for example, corresponds to Louisiana voodoo, is the name of a Dr. John album and also signifies the leather-thonged amulets that some people wear around their neck in Mali as part of their animist tradition. In the past year, Malian style has also become popular, first appearing in the "Star Wars" prequel. Now, mudcloth, a coarse earth-toned fabric, is also appearing in vests and hats of hip, downtown New Yorkers.
But the biggest U.S.-Mali link resides in the music. Toure may have tired of Hooker comparisons, but he recognized their musical bond as soon as he heard the legendary bluesman. "It's 100 percent our music," Toure says, recalling his first experience with Hooker. "The roots are in Africa." Henry Louis Gates Jr., the chair of Harvard's Afro-American studies program, underscored that point in October's PBS series "Wonders of the African World," when he traveled up the Niger river to Timbuktu, stopping in Bamako to groove in the local "juke joints." And Taj Mahal has long expressed a sense of musical oneness with Mali.
Not surprisingly, on his latest recording, Taj plays with Malian kora player Toumani Diabate, a Guinean singer and five other Malian musicians, including Bassekou Koyate, the ngoni player who missed out on "Buena Vista." The collaboration's result is lively, deep and diverse, a mix of Taj-heavy backbeats, quick high-pitched runs, and ethereal vocals. Even without Taj, "Kulanjan" represented a historic chance to unite music from the ancient Manding Empire, with the bluesy danceable sound of southern Mali's Wassoulou music.
Taj only met Diabate in 1990, but they hit it off immediately. Diabate opened Taj's show the night after they met, and the idea of "Kulanjan" was formed. Nine years later, the idea became a reality. And according to Eyre, who was at the clapboard house in Athens, Ga., when "Kulanjan" was recorded, the musicians meshed as if they had been playing together during all those years apart. "It was very, very easy and spontaneous for them to work together," Eyre says. "Most of those songs they put together in a half hour, then recorded them in the first take."
Eyre attributes the easy mixing to a complex relationship between the blues and Malian music, both older traditions that Taj and Diabate have faithfully followed. And to a large extent, that fusion remains possible because, unlike other countries, Mali has remained true to those roots, Eyre says.
"You'll find countries with old people that are worried about children listening to hip-hop," he says. "That's not happening in Mali. Having traveled to a lot of countries in Africa, I can say that Malians are really into their music. It's not comparable to what's going on anywhere else: There are new artists being generated, and old artists are being challenged to generate new work within their tradition."
That exuberance, Eyre expects, will keep people like Allen coming back for more. And the music's relatively newfound audience deserves some of the credit too. Not only have they embraced world music, but they've also learned to discriminate. "Twelve or 13 years ago, people would say, 'I like world music,' then they might say, 'I like African music,' says Gold, who has been recording the globe for more than a decade. "But now they're learning to differentiate."
Eyre agrees, adding that the more people learn, the more Mali's stock will rise. "People will argue about whether Juju is better than South African pop, but Malian music is a given, it's always in their collections," Eyre says. "I believe that anyone who listens to this music will like it." Companies such as Rykodisc, which is distributing "Niafunke" through its Hannibal label here in the United States, are hoping that Eyre is right. They have invested heavily in the work of several Malian musicians.
So far, the lightning has yet to strike. "Kulanjan," also on Rykodisc, is only at No. 11 on the world music charts, and "Niafunke" has sold about 100,000 copies in the U.S. and England. But this might simply be a sign of Cuba's red-hot status, which may fade when the well of "Buena Vista" spin-offs runs dry. Mali could then act as a follow-up, an argument buttressed by the many Malian albums still on the way, at least one of which will feature Toure. Gold says Toure called two weeks ago to invite him for another visit sometime early next year.
Gold is also planning to complete the rain-checked Mali-Cuban collaboration. He says Jalimadi and Bassekou, who he saw in London less than a month ago, are disappointed to have missed out on the "Buena Vista" sensation. But neither is bitter, perhaps rightfully so.
That's a scene Allen would welcome. "I find myself singing along [with 'Niafunke']," she says. "Then I wonder if I'm disrespecting the words. But I can't help it. I like the way it sounds."
Damien Cave is an associate editor at Rolling Stone and a contributing writer at Salon.
MORE FROM Damien Cave
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Travel to Cuba falls victim to John Bolt
Searching for Ernest Hemingway in Cuba
Are you watching "Love Island"?
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It's Modern.: The Eye and Visual Influence of Alexander Liberman
Written by Charles Churchward, Foreword by James Crump, Commentaries by Rosamond Bernier and Francine Du Plessix Gray and Crosby Coughlin
This gorgeous volume celebrates the creative eye and inspiration of the man who, through his art, photography, design, magazine work, and social life, influenced and changed our visual culture. This visually rich volume presents, for the first time side by side, the commercial work and artwork of Alexander Liberman. Liberman was not only one of the world’s most powerful editorial art directors, he was also a respected photographer, artist, and graphic designer. His personal exploration and relationships through these mediums shaped his own artistic vision that would alter the relationship of art, design, and fashion forever. In the early ’40s, he became art director of Vogue, and then editorial director for Condé Nast Publications from 1960 to 1994. His transformation of Vogue from a stately publication to the bold and lively publication that it is today forever changed the way women and men viewed fashion and style. It’s Modern is a vibrant volume that pairs Liberman’s professional efforts with his personal artwork and design. This juxtaposition, along with personal archival photographs and texts, artworks, and photographs by iconic friends and collaborators, builds a complete portrait of a genius whose personal life and inspirations were as fascinating as his artwork. With works by Matisse, Beaton, Leibovitz, Newton, Ritts, Brassaï, Parks, Horst, Picasso, Avedon, and Penn, this engaging book is a must for lovers of fashion, art, magazines, graphic design, or photography.
Charles Churchward is an accomplished editor, author, art director, and designer.
Category: Photography - Subjects & Themes - Fashion
Publisher: Rizzoli
"[One of] Fall's Must Haves!" -Town & Country Magazine
“…a richly illustrated new book…celebrates his avid embrace of the 20th century as it unfolded.” -Architectural Digest
“It’s Modern. offers graphic proof of the consistency of his vision, which married iconoclasm of Russian Constructivism with old-world savoir faire and American know-how. It is also a disciple’s affectionate tribute to an elusive master.” -Vogue
"...a stunning paean to the Russian-American polymath..." -Fast Company.design.com
"This lush volume surveys the fascinating life and avant-garde work of the artist and longtime Conde Nast editorial director..." -Detroit Jewish News
"It's Modern. is the sort of visually arresting book you can't digest in one sitting. A terrific celebration of the life of Alexander Liberman...is impressively vast and just plain impressive." -Tory Burch Blog
"It's Modern. a book that should grace the shelves of all of us who appreciate magazines, and moreover, grace itself." -Four Two Nine
“The legendary magazine art director was also a painter and sculptor. It’s Modern explores how this face, and his archives and own fine art work changed mid-century American magazine design.” –National Post
“…this lavish book is a lush biography of the legendary Conde Nast editorial director told in two hundred and twenty-five pages of beautiful photographs tracing the multiple facets of Liberman’s life as influential magazine art director, arbiter of contemporary art, and gifted artist…what most recommends this volume is its attention to Liberman’s art…” –THE Magazine
“Required reading.” -1st Dibs
Author Bookshelf: James Crump
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On the road to 2025
A commitment to ending traffic deaths in Los Angeles
Lauren Ballard, Lilly O’Brien, Jordan Fraade and Jess Jaworski / August 08, 2017
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the year 2015 marked the end of a five-decade trend of declining traffic fatalities by showing a 7.2% increase over 2014.
This trend also was seen in the city of Los Angeles, which exhibited one of the highest collision death rates of any large city in the U.S. In Los Angeles, one person is killed in a traffic collision every two days—and 30% of these collisions involve people walking or bicycling, young people and/or the elderly. In fact, traffic collisions are the city’s leading cause of death for children ages 5-14 and the second greatest cause of death for people ages 15-25.
Enter Mayor Eric Garcetti, who issued an executive directive in August 2015, formally launching Vision Zero in Los Angeles.
LADOT’s collision data indicates a high number of pedestrians and cyclists, accounting for 15% of all collisions and 50% of traffic-related deaths.
Vision Zero is Los Angeles’ commitment to end all traffic deaths by the year 2025. It is a commitment to making the city a great place where people can travel safely and securely no matter what mode of transportation they choose. It makes human life the top priority in the design of city streets and identifies strategies for how government and members of the public can work together to reduce traffic deaths to zero with a specific focus on the most vulnerable road users.
The Vision Zero concept comes from Sweden, where it was adopted as a national strategy in 1997. Since then, Sweden has seen its number of transportation deaths drop by 30% despite a rise in traffic volume. According to the Vision Zero Network, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, San Jose and San Diego also have adopted Vision Zero.
At its core, Vision Zero is a data-driven initiative. Upon making the Vision Zero commitment, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) undertook a rigorous data analysis to identify where traffic-safety efforts would produce the most significant results. In our collision data, we found that people walking and biking are overrepresented, accounting for 15% of all collisions but approximately 50% of all deaths on the road. Therefore, the city decided to focus on areas that have a higher concentration of these most vulnerable populations. These identified areas make up the High Injury Network (HIN)—386 corridors, or 6% of Los Angeles’ street miles, which account for 65% of all deaths and severe injuries involving people walking and biking. While all collisions cannot be prevented, LADOT can design and operate a road system that accounts for human error so that mistakes on the road do not lead to loss of life. The city is prioritizing strategic safety programs along these corridors.
Safety campaigns in L.A. are seeking to educate the public on street safety to reinforce safe driving, biking and walking habits.
Getting going
In January 2017, we launched our Vision Zero Action Plan, which will guide our path toward zero traffic deaths by 2025. In the Action Plan, we made a commitment to reduce traffic fatalities in Los Angeles by 20% by the end of this year. We know that we can do this by focusing engineering, enforcement, education and evaluation resources on 40 priority corridors (about 95 miles) of the HIN where we see the highest need for immediate intervention. Priority corridors were identified by their high concentration of fatal and severe injury collisions, especially those involving older adults and children, and in communities with poor health outcomes.
It all starts with engineering to create safe streets for all. This involves rethinking how the city’s streets and sidewalks are designed. Engineers are working on ways to anticipate human error and minimize the consequences of mistakes on the road. One way is by designing traffic-calming systems that reduce the chances of a death when a collision occurs. Right now, in an unprecedented coordinated effort, LADOT engineers are hard at work studying priority corridors and designing holistic interventions that will save lives. Their approach includes walking these corridors, paying particular attention to how the streets are used by the community, and flagging special land uses like schools, senior centers and grocery stores. Through a community outreach process, we will ground-truth our engineers’ plans to ensure they match the community’s experience of the corridor. We plan to install safety improvements on all 40 corridors by the end of this summer.
Vision Zero also requires educating the public about street safety for all road users, which is being accomplished through safety campaigns that reinforce safe driving, biking and walking habits. We are investing $2 million in a comprehensive education campaign that addresses top collision factors such as speeding and insobriety. Early this year, seven teams of community organizations were awarded up to $32,000 to develop a traffic-safety education campaign to promote road safety along one of the 40 corridors. As part of Vision Zero’s commitment to traffic safety education and equity, we believe traffic safety education should be developed in a language and style that reflects the personal experiences of each community. After all, who knows the history and culture of an area better than the people and organizations that live and work there? As begun this spring, our community partners will continue to help us throughout the summer to communicate Vision Zero’s core principles across Los Angeles’ many diverse communities using this localized approach. Alongside these community-based efforts, we launched a social-marketing campaign across physical and digital media spaces. The message is simple: “At 40 mph, even a good driver’s car is deadly. Check your speed to keep kids alive.”
Laws against dangerous driving behavior also must be enforced, which is why the Los Angeles Police Department will target DUIs, distracted driving, failure to yield in a crosswalk and other dangerous driving behaviors along the HIN. These enforcement plans also include an update of 100% of the expired speed surveys on the priority corridors by the end of 2017 and an update of all street-design standards to reflect a safe, multimodal city. To further develop a culture of safety, the city also plans to strengthen its relationships with key partners such as local trauma hospitals, community-based nonprofits, advocacy organizations, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the American Automobile Association.
The last step in Los Angeles’ Vision Zero plan is evaluation, which is when the city takes a look at what has been done, what has worked, what has not worked, and assesses how we can improve on the results. LADOT is continuously evaluating its efforts to make sure that targets are being reached. It is through this evaluation that Vision Zero will continue to grow, change and innovate in the years to come.
The Safe Routes to School program in L.A. helps to ensure students safely walk from home to school and back.
Staying vigilant
Throughout the breadth of these processes, the city will strive to ensure that equity and engagement are central concerns. Currently, 49% of the HIN falls within the most vulnerable communities in Los Angeles, so Vision Zero has prioritized those interventions that will improve health conditions and outcomes in these areas of greatest need. The city also has engaged with a diverse group of organizations and individuals. The American Automobile Association has been a key member of the Vision Zero Task Force and Education Subcommittee. The city also hears from parents, teachers and principals about safety near schools through the Safe Routes to School program. Several other community-based organizations have united to form the Los Angeles Vision Zero Alliance, a coalition of diverse organizations and individuals working in partnership with the city of Los Angeles to realize Vision Zero.
Piloting the types of improvements that will soon come to our 40 priority corridors, Vision Zero has begun to improve traffic safety in Los Angeles. For example, in November 2015, a scramble crosswalk was installed at the congested intersection of Hollywood and Highland, home to the Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Dolby Theatre, which hosts the Oscars every year. A pedestrian scramble stops traffic in all four directions when pedestrians are walking in the intersection. When the signal changes, vehicles can then make their movements without waiting for people to cross the street. Studies show that scramble crosswalks can lead to a 35% reduction in vehicular collisions with people walking. In the 11 months of 2015 before the scramble was installed, Hollywood and Highland had 19 collisions, 13 of which resulted in serious injuries. In the year and a half since the scramble was installed, there have been zero injury-causing collisions. It is intelligent, simple interventions such as this that can save lives.
2017 is a year of action for Vision Zero Los Angeles. We are motivated by our knowledge that serious injuries and deaths resulting from traffic collisions are preventable, and our belief that one traffic-related death is too many. We are propelled by our early successes and are ready to reduce traffic deaths by 20% this year. On the road to 2025, we will build safe streets for all, develop a culture of safety, enforce our laws that keep road users safe, and plan for a safer future for all Los Angeles residents.
Ballard is with the Active Transportation Division of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). O’Brien is Deputy of Communications and External Affairs for Vision Zero at LADOT. Fraade is a Student Professional Worker at LADOT, working on policy and communications for the Vision Zero initiative. Jaworski is a Student Professional Worker at LADOT and, at the time this article was written, a Masters candidate at USC.
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Highway Construction
Legendary longevity
In 1947, when Interstate 10 (I-10) was built as a four-lane highway from Ontario to San Bernardino, Calif., it passed through a landscape of ranches…
Video: Verona Road Reconstruction, Madison, Wis.
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Hours, fees, and directions
Nature/Poetry Trail
Literary Series
Hyla Brook Reading Series
Frost Farm Poetry Conference
Frost Farm Poetry
Frost Farm Prize
Frost Farm Resources
Kids' Page
About the Farm
Lesley Frost Endowment
Trustees of the Frost Farm
Frost Farm
Hyla Brook Reading Series - Dudley Laufman
As a young boy, Dudley’s home was in Arlington, Massachusetts. Yet it was the people and places of New Hampshire that would reveal to Dudley the country dancing and music that would become his life’s work. Working at Mistwold Farm, in Fremont, and time spent in the Monadnock Region encouraged his development as a musician and dance caller. He started calling dances at age 18 while attending Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole, Mass., and has never looked back. While enrolled at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture in Amherst, Mass., Dudley intended to become a dairy farmer. It was here that he developed an interest in poetry and discovered the works of Hemingway, Hardy, Thomas, Burns and Sara Teasdale. Dudley began with lyrical and prose poems and his first book of poetry, “I Hear Ringing Reels” was published in 1962. Never one to write poetry as an assignment, when a poem is ready, he sets it to paper. At age 87, Dudley is still fully engaged in a 65-year career as a dance caller for local country dances throughout New England. He plays his melodeon, harmonica and sometimes, when his fingers allow, his fiddle, at old town halls, farmer’s markets, folk festivals, weddings, barn dances, kitchen junkets and for the Canterbury Morris dance team. On occasion, he is hired by elementary schools to teach old-time dances for children, a personal favorite for Dudley.
An open mike will follow the featured reader. Participants are requested to limit themselves to one poem, no longer than two pages.
Hyla Brook Reading Series - Marilyn Nelson
Marilyn Nelson is the author or translator of some twenty books of poetry. Her Carver: A Life in Poems (2001), described as “ground-breaking” in several Children’s Literature textbooks, won Newbery Honors, Coretta Scott King Honors, the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, and the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award, and it appears almost in its entirety in The Norton Anthology of Children’s Literature (2005). A Wreath for Emmett Till (2005), How I Discovered Poetry (2014), and My Seneca Village (2015) received similar acclaim. In 2017 she was awarded the NSK Neustadt Award and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Children’s Poetry. Nelson held the office of Poet Laureate of the State of Connecticut from 2001-2006. At present she is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and Poet-in-Residence of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Robert Frost: Farmer-Poet-Scientist
Join Dr. Virginia F. Smith, Professor of Chemistry at the United States Naval Academy, as she discusses Robert Frost, farmer-poet-scientist, and the strong Derry influence on his poetry in his references to botany, farming, observational astronomy and the arrival of new technology. Full event details
Exploring Derry's Backyard Wildlife Through the Poetry of Robert Frost
Local naturalist and literature buff T.J. Cullinane will explore this theme of science and literature in a review of select works by Robert Frost. Full event details
Hyla Brook Reading Series - January Gill O'Neil
January Gill O’Neil is the author of two poetry collections, Misery Islands and Underlife, published by CavanKerry Press. A third collection, Rewilding, will be published by CavanKerry Press in fall 2018. She is the executive director of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival, an assistant professor of English at Salem State University, and board of trustee member with the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) and Montserrat College of Art. A Cave Canem fellow, January’s poems and articles have appeared in the Academy of American Poet’s Poem-A-Day series, American Life in Poetry, The Writer’s Almanac, American Poetry Review, New England Review, and Ploughshares, among others. Misery Islands was selected for a 2015 Paterson Award for Literary Excellence. Additionally, Mass Center for the Book chose Misery Islands as a Must-Read Book for 2015 and it won the 2015 Massachusetts Book Award. Previously, January was a senior writer/editor at Babson College. She earned her BA from Old Dominion University and her MFA at New York University. She lives with her two children in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Hyla Brook Reading Series - Melissa Balmain
June's Hyla Brook Reading Series will be during the Frost Farm Poetry Conference and will feature Melissa Balmain, who is teaching the Master Class at the conference. Melissa Balmain is Editor of Light, America's premier journal of light verse. She teaches humor writing, poetry writing, and journalism at the University of Rochester. A winner of the Able Muse Book Award, she has been a finalist for the Donald Justice Poetry Prize, the X.J. Kennedy Parody Award, and the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award (twice). Her poems have appeared in American Life in Poetry, Lighten Up Online, Measure, Mezzo Cammin, The New Verse News, Poetry Daily, Rattle, The Spectator, and The Washington Post; her prose in The New Yorker, The New York Times, McSweeney's, and Success. Her poetry collection Walking In on People (Able Muse Press) is often assumed by online shoppers to be some kind of porn.
There will be no open mike following tonight's reading.
Fri, Jun 15, 2018 5:00 PM 17:00 Sun, Jun 17, 2018 4:00 PM 16:00
From Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 17, 2018, join a small community of people at the historic Robert Frost Farm learning, reading and writing formal poetry with contemporary award-winning poets in an intimate workshop environment. Choose your focus from a series of offerings designed to provide tools for beginning poets as well as perfect the mastery of published poets. Register
Hyla Brook Reading Series - David Davis
David Davis has been a member of the Powow River Poets since 2005. He is currently the Poet in Residence at the Joppa Flats Audubon center. He has published three books of poetry: Crossing Streams on Rocks, Joppa Flats, and The Joy Poems. The Joy Poems have been described as "an instruction manual for feeling more joy in life." Davis will read primarily from The Joy Poems at The Frost Farm.
Robert Frost Farm, 122 Rockingham Road, Derry, NH, 03038, United States(603) 432-3091
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Search continues for man missing near Pawnee since June 10
John Reynolds Staff Writer @JohnReynoldsSJR
Jun 26, 2018 at 2:49 PM Jun 30, 2018 at 12:07 AM
A group of volunteer searchers made their way through mud and dense underbrush Tuesday as the search for missing arrowhead hunter Michael W. Schmidt of Hillsboro continued.
The search, about five miles north of Pawnee off Vigal Road, was organized by the Missing Person Awareness Network, and was headed by Gia Hoffman of Kankakee County. About 10 people, including family members of Schmidt and some nearby residents, joined the effort.
“We’ve got several volunteers here, many of them who have already been arrowhead hunting for many, many years and have the same experience as Mike, who went missing,” Hoffman said.
Schmidt, 59, was last seen June 10 while searching for arrowheads with a friend near the 7600 block of Vigal Road. He is in poor health, and can’t talk due to a breathing tube.
A friend of Schmidt’s told deputies they were in the area looking for arrowheads and he waved for Schmidt to return to the vehicle. Schmidt acknowledged the wave but never returned to the vehicle. The friend looked for Schmidt, but was unable to find him.
Deputies, members of the sheriff’s canine teams, the Sangamon County Rescue Squad and the Illinois State Police Air Operations searched the area until about 9:30 p.m. June 10. The search resumed the following day, but was hampered by floodwater.
By June 12, the sheriff’s office said the immediate area had been searched, and there wasn’t much more they could do until the water receded. Divers searched a nearby pond, but nothing was found.
On Tuesday, the ground was still muddy as the volunteers made their way through the timber. The brush was so thick that Hoffman would periodically ask the searchers to count off so no one strayed too far. She also took pictures of the volunteers before the search started, just in case somebody got lost.
During the search, one of the volunteers did find a foldable knife. They marked the spot with a yellow flag, took a picture and notified law enforcement. As of Tuesday, it wasn’t known if the knife belonged to Schmidt.
The rain that caused the flooding also spurred the growth of weeds and other plants, which gave made search efforts difficult.
“The cornfields are above your head. That’s obviously a very bad thing…We’ve already discussed that everybody needs to stay close,” Hoffman said.
The Missing Person Awareness Network has conducted eight major searches this year. They work throughout Illinois.
Capt. Jerry Felts of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office agreed that the dense terrain has made the search difficult.
“The corn was probably waist-high when the first rain came. It’s really sprouted since then,” Felts said.
Felts said canine teams from the St. Louis area helped in the search and Illinois State Police were flying drones in the area looking for Schmidt last week.
About 50 area volunteers helped out in the days following the missing person’s report, and Felts said Tuesday’s effort was also appreciated.
“Anything is helpful at this point,” Felts said.
Felts added that at this point in the investigation, no foul play is suspected.
Schmidt is white, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 135 pounds.
Anyone with information on the case can call the sheriff’s office at 753-6666.
For information about the Missing Person Awareness Network and future searches by the group, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/missingpersonsawarenessnetworknfp/.
Contact John Reynolds: john.reynolds@sj-r.com, 788-1524, twitter.com/JohnReynoldsSJR.
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The Changing Role of Women in Kenya
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The Changing Role of Women in Kenya by Colette Weil Parrinello, FACES Magazine, March 2016, Cricket Media, Chicago, IL
1. 16 The Role Women by Colette Weil Parrinello of Changing Women take part in a women’s rights rally.
2. Kenya, like most African nations, is male-dominated. Men run the government, own the land, livestock, and businesses, but this is changing. Kenya made the most improvements in gender equality laws for improvement of the women’s situation between the years of 2009 and 2011 than any country in the world. While the role of Kenyan women varies by ethnicity and by rural and urban areas, women suffer economically, physically, socially, and politically from gender inequality. The new 2010 constitution specifically gave women the same legal rights as men to land, court access, inheritance, nationality, and freedom of movement. Cultural change is exceedingly slow and many women and judicial officials are unaware of the new laws. The family is the centerpiece of Kenyan culture and the traditional role of women is to serve the family. Kenyan women are said to have ‘double workdays’ — they work twice as hard as men. Agricultural sector information shows women do 80 percent of the food production, 50 percent of the cash crop production, 80 percent of the food storage and transport from farm to home, 90 percent of the weeding, and 60 percent of the harvesting and marketing of crops. This is along with all the family, household, and childcare duties. Unemployment is 40 percent. Large cities like Nairobi are similar to cities in the West with greater gender equality, more educational opportunities and a growing middle class. But women have far fewer job prospects than men and earn less than a man for the same job. 17 More Kenyan women are entering the workplace.
3. The birth of a girl has been viewed as a means to wealth from a dowry when she gets married. For rural families, the dowry could be livestock or for urban families, cash, or goods. It is a long-standing cultural practice for men to have more than one wife, known as a customary marriage. The husband is required to have a house for each wife. Wealthier men find this a good investment, as the wife will take care of the house, farm, children, elderly, and the sale of crops. In 2014 President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the new marriage law. The law allows a man to now legally marry as many women as he wants in a traditional (customary) ceremony and without consulting his wife. The law legalizes polygamy. Being in a polygamous marriage is a strong predictor of low education and low wealth for women. However, the legal recognition of customary wives now gives them rights if the husband dies and recognizes the rights and legitimacy of the children. Additionally, the wife is entitled to 50 percent of property acquired during the marriage. The law also banned marriages for people under 18. It’s not uncommon in country areas for girls to marry at 15 and sometimes younger. The law also outlawed the dowry system. 18 Kenya values education. More than 44 percent of university students are women. In 2012, Kenya passed the revised Education Bill of 2012, which states every child has the right to free and compulsory education. The bill also states that a child may not be employed or work if it prohibits the child from attending school. For rural families, access to qualified schools, supplies, and teachers is difficult. Despite the problems, the national literacy rate is 85.1 percent. But far fewer women than men receive a complete education. Forty-seven percent of girls in rural areas do not complete primary school. Families expect the girls to marry, so why bother with further education. Girls are also required to help at home, work the farms, sell surplus crops at market, collect the water, and gather firewood for meals. Kenya is a new democratic republic. Exclusionary and discriminatory practices have kept women from participation in government. The 2010 constitution set Kenya on a new course for gender equality that included political representation. Specifically, no gender could be more than 2/3 of the 350 member National Assembly and 47 seats were reserved for women. There are now 65 female members. The Upper House Senate has 68 seats of which 18 are reserved for women. The increased number of women in government has directly impacted new key legislation for women. Kenya recognizes the important role women play in the economy and took specific steps to accelerate and protect women’s involvement. The Constitution and the laws enacted are backed by funds to protect girls and women and help them achieve higher educational levels, legal equality to men, improved status, better jobs and health care, and economic empowerment. The new road for women has started, but changing long held traditions and beliefs will be a difficult journey. An elderly woman takes part in a recent election.
4. Colette Weil Parrinello is a frequent writer for children’s magazines and is a co-regional advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Fast Facts • More and more Kenyan women are role models. Conservationist Wangari Maathai fought against a housing development planned for the Karura Forest. In 2003, she was appointed the deputy minister in the Ministry of Environment, Resources, and Wildlife. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. • Lorna Kiplagat is a four-time World Champion. She won the Los Angeles Marathon twice. She set up the first Kenyan high altitude training center for runners. She is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist, and she started the Lorna Kiplagat Foundation. • Hon. Lady Justice Njoki S. Ndun’gu is a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya. She is the architect of the Sexual Offenses Act of 2006, the maternity and paternity leave amendments to the Employment Act of 2007, and the amendments on affirmative action for women in political participation to the Political Parties Act in 2007. • The government-funded Women’s Enterprise Fund (WEF) has helped 864,920 women fund businesses and trained more than 404,800 women on business management skills. 19 A woman casts her vote for president. In 1997, Charity Ngilu became the first Kenyan woman to run for president.
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Slovenian Museum & Archives > News > Upcoming Exhibits > Slovenian Money
Slovenian Money
The name tolar comes from Thaler, and is cognate with dollar. The tolar was introduced on 8 October 1991. It replaced the 1990 (Convertible) version of Yugoslav dinar at parity. On 28 June 2004, the tolar was pegged against the euro in the ERM II, the European Union exchange rate mechanism. All recalled banknotes can be exchanged at the central bank for current issue. On 1 January 2007, the tolar was supplanted by the euro. Slovenia issues its own euro coins, like all other nations in the Eurozone.
The timescale for conversion from the tolar to the euro operated differently from the first wave of European Monetary Union (EMU). The permanent euro/tolar conversion rate was finalised on 11 July 2006 at 239.640 tolar per euro. During the first wave of EMU, this period was only a day (the conversion rates were fixed on 31 December 1998 and euro non-cash payments were possible from 1 January 1999). Also unlike the first wave of EMU which had a three-year transition period (1999–2001), there was no transition period when non-cash payments could be made in both tolar and euro. The tolar was used for all transactions (cash and non-cash) until 31 December 2006 and the euro must be used for all payments (cash and non-cash) from 1 January 2007. However, as with the first wave of EMU, cash payments with the tolar could continue until 14 January 2007, but change had to be given in euro. Source: Wikipedia
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CARICOM sends emergency relief supplies to Haiti post Hurricane Matthew 2016
By CDEMA
PRESS RELEASE – CARICOM delivered a shipment of approximately USD$ 53,000 worth of emergency relief supplies to Haiti. Organized by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), through the collaborative efforts of the CDEMA Coordinating Unit and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Jamaica, transport of the relief items was facilitated into Haiti by the Government of the United States.
Partnerships have also been leveraged on the ground in Haiti to support in country transportation by the Haitian Civil Protection Department.
The shipment of 3 containers will be delivered to Les Cayes, one of the two worst impacted areas in Haiti as a result of Hurricane Matthew.
“The emergency supplies were sourced in Jamaica, the sub-regional focal point for Haiti, and includes items such as tarpaulin, water, protein, starch, hygiene products and supplies for babies.
These are scheduled to arrive in Les Cayes on Thursday October 20, 2016”, said Elizabeth Riley, Deputy Executive Director of CDEMA.
Humanitarian relief is one aspect of the disaster management cycle that caters to the immediate needs of an impacted population. Between October 3rd and 4th, 2016, Hurricane Matthew unleashed category 4 strength winds and extensive rainfall over the southern peninsula of Haiti, resulting in over 500 deaths with 175,509 persons seeking shelter and widespread damage to houses and infrastructure.
In addition to the CARICOM Operational Support Team (COST), which has been providing operational support to the Emergency Operation Centres in Les Cayes and Jeremie since October 7, 2016, CDEMA, with the support of the Regional Security System and the Government of Jamaica is also deploying a CARICOM Contingent comprising the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU) accompanied by members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
The contingent will coordinate humanitarian relief operations and distribution of relief supplies to the affected population in Les Cayes.
Following the passage of Matthew, a number of regional and international agencies have pledged support to the response and relief efforts in Haiti.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has also pledged support for the rehabilitation of a school in Les Cayes as well as a feeding programme for a maximum of two (2) weeks catering to the children of that school.
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Home » Academics » Schools » School of Science, Engineering and Technology » Programs » Forensic Science
School of Science, Engineering and Technology
SET transcends the traditional classroom framework by placing a greater emphasis on hands-on scientific research experience. Our graduates are accepted into medical and dental schools at 1.5 times the national rate.
Request info Apply now Visit campus
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
About the forensic science major at St. Mary's
The Forensic Science Program at St. Mary’s provides students with rigorous academic preparation that includes a comprehensive foundation in the natural and physical sciences, criminology, and professional ethics. Students also engage in forensic science research and internship opportunities that further prepare them to be highly proficient forensic science practitioners upon graduation. As a liberal arts Marianist university, St. Mary’s is committed to cultivating a spirit of social justice and service in our students as they apply their scientific knowledge and contribute to society as forensic science professionals.
St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist institution, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community, an integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence.
Forensic science degree requirements
Degrees in the School of Science, Engineering and Technology (described on this page):
Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science with Biology Option
Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science with Chemistry Option
Degree in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences:
Forensic Science with Criminology Option Requirements and Degree Plan
Criminology Option
St. Mary’s also offers a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Science with a Criminology Option through the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Forensic science internships
Our students have gained internships in places such as:
Office of the Attorney General of Texas
Texas Department of Human Services
Texas Youth Commission
Forensic science career opportunities
Our graduates have gained career opportunities as:
Forensic science technician
Loss prevention specialist
Criminal profiler
Jury consultant
Insurance fraud investigator
Learn more about the forensics program at St. Mary's University
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Egyptian protesters operated on without anaesthetic: Report
Apr 12, 2013, 9:30 am SGT
http://str.sg/ZAYD
LONDON (AFP) - The Egyptian military ordered senior doctors to operate without anaesthetic on protesters injured during demonstrations against military rule, according to extracts of a leaked report published in the Guardian newspaper on Friday.
The report into military and police malpractice since 2011, commissioned by President Mohamed Morsi, also found evidence that medical staff and soldiers attacked demonstrators inside the same Cairo hospital, the British newspaper reported.
Earlier leaks of the report accused the military of torture and forced disappearances during the uprising against the rule of long-time leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
The latest chapter deals with the treatment of protesters at the Kobri el-Qoba military hospital in Cairo in May 2012.
According to the Guardian, the investigation was told that a senior military doctor told doctors to operate without anaesthetic or sterilisation.
Another witness described how military doctors, soldiers and medics "assaulted protesters by severely beating them and verbally assaulting them".
"I can't overestimate the importance of this report," Mr Heba Morayef, the director of Human Rights Watch in Egypt, told the newspaper.
"The army always said they took the side of protesters and never fired a bullet against them. This report is the first time that there has been any official condemnation of the military's responsibility for torture, killing, or disappearances," he added.
Egypt's president promoted military commanders on Thursday in show of support for the army amid rumours of tensions between the Islamist leader and the once ruling generals.
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Leaving the EU risks women's rights
A new report by the TUC says that leaving the European Union could turn the clock back on women's rights, hitting equal pay and protection against pregnancy discrimination.
Yvette Cooper, MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, said:
"We can't let Brexit turn the clock back on hard won rights for women.
“The EU has been a powerful force for women’s rights over the past few decades – giving part-time workers equal rights in the workplace, ensuring access to maternity pay and making sure women are able to attend doctors appointments whilst they’re pregnant.
“Leave campaigners claim that British women have nothing to worry about when it comes to Brexit – but the truth is that many of them have campaigned vigorously and doggedly against legislation that has helped put women on an even kilter with men.
“The Leave campaign can’t be trusted on the economy, can’t be trusted on the NHS and certainly can’t be trusted when it comes to women’s rights. Let’s not allow them to turn back the clock for Britain’s women.
“Europe's not perfect, but we do far better if we work together than if we refuse and storm out instead. Local jobs depend on the EU. And our kids depend on us having a strong voice in the world in future. British families are better off and safer if our country stays in the EU than if we give up and go it alone."
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Martin, Pringle, Oliver, Wallace & Bauer, L.L.P.
www.martinpringle.com
100 N. Broadway, Suite 500
Wichita, Kansas,
USA, 67202
Connect with this Firm
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Jones, Michael G.
Wichita, Kansas, USA
Mike Jones always knew he wanted to be a lawyer, and he began working for Martin Pringle as a runner the day he graduated from high school. He continued with the firm as a summer clerk while a law student at the University of Texas. Since graduating from law school in 1990, Mike has developed a thriving litigation practice, focusing on aviation law, products liability, and complex commercial litigation. Mike is active in DRI (formerly the Defense Research Institute) and the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel (KADC). Mike sometimes jokes that when he was a baby, his parents left him in a basket at Martin Pringle’s door. Thankfully, his true history does not involve parental neglect or abusive child labor practices, but a lawyer of singular focus and dedication to his profession.
University of Texas at Austin, J.D., with honors, 1990
Wichita State University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1986
Oklahoma, 1999
Colorado, 1991
Kansas, 1990
Barrister for the Wesley E. Brown Inn of Court
Defense Research Institute, Product Liability 2010 Program Chair and Product Liability Committee Member
Defense Research Institute, Aviation Group, Past Chair
Kansas Association for the Defense Counsel, Board of Directors
Wichita Bar Association, Board of Governors, 2009 - 2011
Wichita Bar Association, Technology Committee, Founding Chair
Wichita Bar Association, Civil Practice Committee, Former Chair (2001 - 2003)
American, Kansas, and Wichita Bar Associations, Member
Civic/Social Involvement
Wichita State University Alumni Association, Member
Wichita Bar Association President's Award, 2003
Published Articles/Presentations
Defense Research Institute, Punitive Damages: A State by State Compendium, Co-Author
Mike represents Martin Pringle's aviation clients, including Hawker Beechcraft Corporation and its predecessors, in products liability actions and a variety of commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout the United States. With a comprehensive understanding of aircraft systems and the court system, Mike successfully represents aviation businesses based both on the merits of the claims and on the statutory and procedural defenses available in a given case. Mike is particularly well-versed in the General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) and has written articles and given presentations on that act. He also represents aviation clients on contractual matters, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Martin Pringle's aviation manufacturing clients call upon Mike’s broad-based aviation experience to help resolve day-to-day legal issues.
Mike is highly experienced in defending products liability actions, having participated in cases filed in federal and state courts throughout the United States. He represents aircraft manufacturers and servicers, aircraft-components manufacturers, manufacturers of recreational products, and industrial equipment manufacturers in cases involving personal injury and wrongful death claims, as well as property damage claims. Mike has served as the 2010 Program Chair for DRI's national Product Liability Conference.
Mike represents clients in a variety of commercial litigation matters. His experience includes contract disputes, breach of fiduciary duty actions, non-competition and trade secrets employment litigation, construction and real estate disputes, and intellectual property litigation. He has prosecuted and defended claims for injunctive and other equitable relief, and is experienced in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Mike has served as an arbitrator and mediator in complex commercial and injury cases.
Technology and Computers
Mike has extensive experience and a keen interest in computer and technology-related litigation, including intellectual property matters and system development disputes involving software, hardware and integrated systems. Being tech-savvy is key to many kinds of commercial and product cases, particularly when the subject matter in dispute involves technology, as it does more and more all the time. It is also important for managing the many technologies involved in efficient handling of litigation, including electronic data and discovery.
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Trevor Salom
2016 VEX World Championship
This past week, VEX Team 254C travelled to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the 2016 VEX Worlds Championship. 254C competed in the Arts division at worlds. In total, there were four other high school divisions, each consisting of 100 teams from around the world.
254C discussing strategy with their alliance partners
By the end of the 250 qualification matches, 254C had won 6 of it's 10 qualification matches, and was ranked 26th by alliance selection. Unfortunately, this was not enough to convince other teams to invite them to an alliance, and so their Nothing But Net season ended there.
254C's drive team watches their robot perform during the autonomous period
However, students have already begun to think about the new 2016-2017 VEX Robotics Competition, Starstruck, which will require a drastically different design from Nothing but Net.
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Strengthen Market Connections >
Women Maize Farmers Create Inclusive Markets in India
Value Chains
In Bihar, India, female maize farmers are forming collectives to ensure fair prices for their crops and to create gender-inclusive markets. Many of the farmers are becoming board members within the collectives to ensure continued success.
Aranyak Agri Producer Company Limited board members stand before their maize farm.
It’s a foggy December morning, and Shamshida Khatoon must cover a long distance from her village to the community’s headquarters to attend the monthly Board of Directors (BoD) meeting of the Aranyak Agri Producer Company Limited (AAPCL).
A few years ago, she would rarely even leave her house—and would avoid speaking with men other than her relatives for fear of shaming her family. But now, Shamshida chairs the meeting of her fellow board members and reviews the work of the men involved with the AAPCL Farmer Producer Company (FPC). Shamshida has emerged as a role model for the other women in her village, motivating them to break with the region’s patriarchal norms to take greater control of their lives.
The AAPCL was registered in 2009 in Purnea, one of the most remote districts in Bihar. Run exclusively by women, the group helped its members emerge as successful business leaders, selecting 10 of them to form its BoD. However, despite the women’s dedication in those first few years, they lacked adequate knowledge of proper business operation procedures—and AAPCL struggled to generate a profit.
"TechnoServe has helped us in realizing our potential as leaders."
In 2014, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, TechnoServe launched the Women’s Advancement in Rural Development and Agriculture (WARDA) project to integrate smallholder female farmers into agricultural supply chains and market systems, thereby improving their economic status, reducing poverty, bridging gender gaps, and fostering healthy and inclusive communities.
As TechnoServe began working with the region’s female farmers, it helped AAPCL design a more effective business model. In the first year, TechnoServe worked with JEEViKA (the State Rural Livelihoods Mission unit in Bihar) to help the group adopt new business processes, such as appropriately timing their sales; measuring moisture in the produce; using electronic weighing machines for accuracy; and mastering the art of sorting and grading to ensure export-quality maize. As a result of these efforts, AAPCL successfully sold 1,014 metric tons of maize in 2015 and began accruing a profit for the first time. By 2018, the company was selling 23,599 metric tons of maize procured from 5,824 female farmers.
“Though we tried our best to scale up our business, we failed. And then TechnoServe came and instilled in us the confidence that we needed and guided us on every step,” says Shamshida Khatoon. “I got the confidence to speak before a group of people, and our women learned the right way of doing agriculture.”
Shamshida Khatoon has emerged as a leader for women in the AAPCL and in her village.
From 2015 to 2017, the WARDA team focused on scaling up the program in other areas, with a focus on sharing information among farmer groups, increasing market linkages, and expanding its geographical reach. Additionally, the WARDA team helped the farmer groups form a Women’s Leadership Council to promote and support their members as business leaders. The Council instituted two-year rotational leadership within the board to ensure transparency in the governance of the company.
“My first introduction to this [farmer producer company] structure was through the producer group that I joined a while back in my village, and as time passed I aspired to be a board member of the company. I feel honored today to attend the monthly meeting as one of the board members,” says Chandanlata Devi, a newly elected board member. “TechnoServe has helped us in realizing our potential as leaders. We interact, plan our future business prospects, and share our personal shortcomings in the meetings and try to help each other in all possible ways.”
This new business approach has also helped improve the farmers’ resilience. In 2017, excess production of maize in the region lowered the market price, and AAPCL had to bear a loss in the maize trading business. To reduce market risk, following the advice of the WARDA team, AAPCL diversified into the poultry feed business, where maize is a key ingredient. Poultry feed is now a stable market for the company, generating nearly $14,000 in a period of just eight months. In 2018, the company achieved a maize trading turnover of 5,577 metric tons, earning a profit of approximately $29,000. Along with this, the company initiated new agro-input product lines, such as seed supply and fertilizer to ensure availability of quality input for their shareholders.
AAPCL board members predominately invest their incomes in the health and education of their children, thus improving the whole community. Their participation in the board has catalyzed increased mobility, a savings mentality and entrepreneurial outlook, and an increase in women’s household decision-making—especially in connection with girls’ education.
“I could only study until fifth grade; my father could not afford the food for his big family, so education was a distant dream for us,” says Kiran Devi, a previous board member who was retained as advisor and an additional director. “When I became a board member for AACPL and began earning profits as a shareholder, I decided to use this money for the education of my daughter.”
Just like many of the farmer cooperative's board members, Kiran Devi invests her profits in her daughter's future through education.
The overall success of the business model of AAPCL is being replicated across India and other countries as well. The neighboring districts of Khagaria and Saharsa have already replicated the model for their farmer producer groups, and, inspired by the AAPCL’s achievements, the BoD of Jeevika Women Agri Producer Company Limited (JWAPCL), aims to tread the same path as well.
“We have worked extensively with the farmers this year and tried to mobilize more and more women farmers,” says Amrita Devi, board member of JWAPCL. “The plan is to scale up our business to further heights in the coming years. The support and guidance from TechnoServe has helped us dream big about our career as business women.”
The women aspiring to serve on these Boards are rapidly developing their leadership qualities—helping to ensure that independently run women-led agribusiness in India, and around the world, will continue to grow and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty for years to come.
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Samsung Galaxy S10 5G release date and price is finally confirmed
By Tom Bedford 2019-04-01T13:52:27Z Mobile phones
A big price tag for a big phone
We've already heard that the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G release date could be as early as April 5, and now Samsung has confirmed the date along with the phone's price tag.
According to Sam Mobile, Samsung is set to offer the Galaxy S10 5G in South Korea first, with the price starting at 1.39 million South Korean won (roughly $1,220, £930, AU$1,720) for a 256GB phone and 1.55 million South Korean won (about $1,370, £1,040, AU$1,920) for 512GB storage.
These are the first 5G phones we're expecting to see
This is what we know about the Samsung Galaxy Fold
What did we think about the Samsung Galaxy S10?
In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus costs $1,249 / £1,099 / AU$1,849 for a 512GB handset, so if the prices are accurate both phones will cost roughly the same price, but prices often vary quite a bit between regions, so we're still waiting on an exact price for the device.
The phones will come in several colors: 'Majestic Black', 'Crown Silver' and 'Royal Gold', although the 512GB phone won't be available in gold.
April 5 in South Korea
South Korea is expected to launch its 5G network on April 5, the same day the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is set to be released there, so it makes sense that the phone is available there first.
We don't know a release date for other regions yet, but Verizon is launching a US 5G network from April 11 and EE in the UK has plans for 5G later in 2019, so it'll come to other countries at some point too.
We've already gotten hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G for a first impressions review, but when it releases worldwide we'll be able to spend more time with the phone to write a full review, so stay tuned to TechRadar for all the latest news and reviews.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 could have a 5G version too
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Bang and Olufsen H2 review
Posh headphones with grand sound and comfort
By Cameron Faulkner 2015-08-21T19:27:00.232Z Headphones
The H2 doesn't set out to do much more than play music. At that, it's good enough to become your go-to set of cans. Although pricey, these make good on the investment with style and performance.
Swanky style
Warm sound
Not cheap
Cable isn't universal
No carrying case included
To properly test any set of headphones, you have to put them on, close your eyes and listen. For the Bang & Olufsen (B&O) H2, that means taking some time to forget about its undeniably cool vibe, thoughtful design touches, and most importantly, its price.
Using just my ears, the sound is superbly balanced and rich. Even the bass is impressively deep for a set of on-ear headphones. Opening my eyes reveals the H2's many points of engineering excellence, but, like most good-looking things, it all comes at a cost. Are these $199 (£169, about AU$270) headphones worth it? It's certainly an expensive price for some, but it pays for much more than just a stylish statement.
And what a stylish statement it is. The B&O H2, along with most of the company's other products, are geared toward posh individuals who want their headphones to be as functional a fashion accessory as they are capable at pushing out music.
It's easiest to compare the design of the H2 to what Urbanears is doing with its minimalistic headphones. The colors and build materials mesh together to form something that's easy on the eyes and durable as all heck. But that's where the similarities end.
The headband is wide set, so even noggins on the large side can kick it with the H2. Its underbelly is capped with matte plastic and cushioned near the apex with a soft, silicon air pocket to keep things cozy. On its top, the headband is covered in a layer of fabric, which gives it a classy look.
Nestled inside of the headband are the adjustable sidearms, and these extend to allow a generous amount of headroom, as I noted earlier. Going down toward the ear pads, the sidearms come to a hinge, which bows out similarly to the Bowers & Wilkins P5 headphones. This design touch isn't just for looks: it affords the pads about 90-degrees of lateral movement, just enough to rest the pads on your chest to show off the design. Not only that, these pads can wiggle up and down, so you can find the perfect placement for your ears.
Speaking of the ear pads, these are stunners. More of the mesh fabric from the headband makes its way down to the outer cap of the ear cups. It shares the space with matte black plastic, where you can also find B&O's logo subtly placed. The right ear pad is free of ports or features of any sort, but on the left side is where you'll find the input for the included 3.5mm cable. Flipped over, each ear pad is covered in luscious lambskin for added comfort.
For the asking price, you might be hoping for some extra goodies inside the box, like a carrying tote. Unfortunately, there's not much here. The only included goody is the added cable, which features a set of controls including a play and pause button, volume rocker and a microphone. It all works perfectly, but only on iOS. The play and pause function do work on Android, but if you want full compatibility, you'll have to shell out $34 for another cable. It's an even bigger issue that users don't even have a choice to opt for a universal cable instead when purchasing online.
The B&O H2 are a fashion-forward set of headphones that also know a thing or two about music playback. Expanding upon what I've written about its capabilities, the H2 presents your music on a surprisingly decent-sized soundstage for a set of on-ear headphones.
Providing an expansive soundstage is a perk usually reserved for over-ear headphones, which, at best, can break apart the instrumental layers of a song and present each clearly without sacrificing the quality of the others. But, I was as impressed with what the H2 achieved with the on-ear form factor.
Bass accuracy is right on and just as powerful as it needs to be. Mids and highs also shine through in the sound with a subtle warmness that's hard to find in a set of headphones. A big part of the reason why the H2's sound experience is so enjoyable is because of the comfort put forward by the build. You'd be dead wrong to assume that these flashy headphones didn't provide a cozy fit that allows them to be worn for hours on end.
Call quality through the headphones is fine and the included cable with microphone picked up my voice as I hoped it would. Pretty standard stuff here, but again, I'm disappointed that B&O's cable doesn't offer universal support. Even worse, it shafts Android and Windows Phone users who need to shell out an extra $34 just to get a cable that works on their devices. For the cost of the H2, a second, universal cable should be included in the box. Not everyone uses an iPhone.
When you wear the B&O H2, people will look at you with intrigue, desperately trying to figure out who makes it so they can buy their own later online. I should know: it's how I found out about them.
Thankfully, the H2 sounds as good as it look. The sound performance should please even picky listeners with its warm, evenly-balanced sound. We're trained to assume that good looks are a guise, but the H2's slick design complements the sound performance quite nicely.
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The Flash invites all places of worship in Leicester and Spencer to send us their addresses and service times for this directory. Please send information to flash@telegram.com. For changes, send an e-mail or call (508) 793-9171.
Greenville Baptist Church
674 Pleasant St.
Services: 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays
Leicester First Congregational Church
1 Washburn Square
Services: 10 a.m. Sundays
Leicester Unitarian Church
Social Time: 9 a.m. Sundays
Services: 9:30 a.m. Sundays
St Joseph�s
(508) 892-7407 Rectory
Masses: 4 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m. Sundays
St. Pius X
Masses: 5:30 p.m. Saturdays; 9 a.m. Sundays
Hillside Baptist Church
Mary, Queen of the Rosary Church
Masses: 4:30 p.m. Saturdays; 7:30, 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sundays
First Congregational United Church
Services: 10:45 a.m. Sundays
107 North Spencer Road
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse Flash
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Money in hand to keep police impact’ on the streets
By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
The Police Department�s Summer Impact Program will continue through the end of August because funding is available in the overtime account and through upcoming retirements.
Started in 2006, the Summer Impact Program puts an additional 18 officers on the streets. The model has been successful in the past and was first created after murders and other violent crime rose in the city in the summer months of 2004 and 2005.
�You can actually feel the tension change when we have programs like the Impact out there,� District 4 City Councilor Barbara G. Haller said.
The department rolled out the program last month after an increase in crime. The cost for the June program was $195,000, found through salary account resources.
Working with City Manager Michael V. O�Brien, Police Chief Gary J. Gemme and staff were able to find an additional $200,000 in overtime and salary accounts � through anticipated retirements � to fund the impact program until the end of August.
The Summer Impact Unit is made up of 14 patrol officers, two sergeants, one lieutenant and one captain on the streets from Wednesday to Sunday. The officers are out from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
�You can�t anticipate when violence is going to occur,� Chief Gemme said. �Having these resources out on the streets allows us to immediately begin investigations and focus on areas we feel need an additional police presence to gain a sense of order.�
June was relatively safe in the city, but over the Fourth of July weekend there were three non-fatal shootings. Police hope extending the impact program will curb the violence. The Police Department also has its anti-crime team out at night along with the gang shooting response unit investigating shootings.
�The Summer Impact Program is more than effective with proven results,� Mr. O�Brien said. �The City Council and our residents were justifiably concerned that the program might cease at the end of July. It is the appropriate juncture to put these concerns to rest and to plan for August.�
Past impact programs have yielded positive results, according to officials. In the summer of 2008, there were no homicides or non-fatal shootings.
�It is a proven program,� Ms. Haller said.
City Councilor-at-Large Joseph M. Petty called the Summer Impact Program one of the best in the country. He did a ride-along with a police officer a couple of years ago as the program came to an end.
�You could tell Worcester police were in charge of the city streets,� he said.
Crime statistics, street intelligence and community input will be used to find areas in need of increased attention. The reduction of gun violence is a focus of the impact patrols as well.
From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2010, there were 14 non-fatal shootings in the city, compared to seven during the same period this year.
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Movies Ranked
A Glitchy ATM Gave Out $100 Bills by Mistake and People Got to Keep the Free Money
By Caitlyn Hitt Published On 11/27/2018
Forget about discounted TVs and Instant Pots -- the best Black Friday weekend deal this year was straight-up free cash. A Houston-area Bank of America ATM was shut down by law enforcement officials after it was found to be dispensing $100 bills instead of $10 bills. The free money frenzy appears to have started when a local man stopped at the machine to make a quick withdrawal and -- much to his surprise -- received a crisp Benjamin.
According to a report by NBC affiliate KPRC, word of the free cash spread on social media and greedy -- or brilliant, depending how you spin it -- patrons flocked to the machine to try their luck before it was blocked off by police. Several arguments, and even a few fights, broke out as a crowd gathered to withdraw their hard-earned cash (and then some) from the glitchy ATM machine. Naturally.
The fun lasted about two hours before officers were called to stand guard at the ATM. The Harris County Sheriff’s Department cut off the cash cow at around 11pm. When police arrived on the scene, hopeful money-grabbers waiting to use the machine made a run for it.
Bank of America issued a statement about the blunder on Monday, alleging that a vendor accidentally loaded $100 bills in place of $10 bills, causing the error. As for those who cashed in on the bank’s mistake, they’ll get to keep their bounty. Bank of America said it does not intend to take back any of the mistakenly withdrawn money.
“This was an incident at a single ATM in Houston caused when a vendor incorrectly loaded $100 bills in place of $10 bills,” Bank of America said, per the statement. “We have resolved the matter. Customers will be able to keep the additional money dispensed.”
Bank of America did not reveal exactly how many people profited off their mistake or much cash was incorrectly withdrawn from the ATM. But it’s easy to see how people could have made off with hundreds of dollars, just by withdrawing their own money in increments of $10.
Authorities told KPRC theft charges could be filed if the bank decided to demand their money back. Lucky for them, Bank of America has opted to let it slide this time.
“There is no free lunch. If you receive money that you know it is not yours, and you refuse to give it back upon demand, you can, at the discretion of the district attorney, be charged with theft,” Sgt. Joshua Nowick, of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Financial Crimes Unit, said.
While there may be “no free lunch” in Nowick’s world, it certainly seems like this one’s on Bank of America, so if you were lucky enough to profit off this gaffe, by all means splurge on some avocado toast or a trip to your favorite brewery or whatever seems like the best way to celebrate literally laughing all the way to the bank.
Big Boi From OutKast Introduces Cliff to Atlanta’s Food Scene
Caitlyn Hitt is Daria IRL. Don't take our word for it -- find her on Twitter @nyltiaccc.
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The Talented Tracee Ellis Ross
She’s not just your average actress and she’s been making waves in the entertainment industry ever since her feature on the show Girlfriends. Yes, you guessed it – we’re talking about the talented Tracee Ellis Ross.
The award-winning American actress is a woman of many talents, having bagged roles as a producer, host and model. Her ability to entertain and be absolutely magnetic comes as no shock as she happens to be the daughter of music legend, Diana Ross. However, Ellis-Ross has made her way through the world of showbiz on her own – with an admirable career that spans over more than 20 years.
Tracee made her mark on the industry, taking on diverse roles and at this point her career boasts a plethora of accolades. Her consistency and growth over the years, as an actress and artist, has transformed her into a much-loved Hollywood celebrity.
We’re taking the time to celebrate this charismatic entertainer and her most-admired career as a captivating female star…
A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Apr 9, 2017 at 8:35pm PDT
Tracee was born in Los Angeles, in the United States, and has four sisters and two brothers, namely Evan Ross, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, Chudney Ross, Ross Naess, Hazel Gordy and Sherry Gordy.
A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Jan 15, 2017 at 5:43pm PST
At the beginning of 2017, Tracee was named the first African-American to win a Golden Globe, for Best Actress in a TV Comedy, in over thirty years. As she accepted the honorary award and created a milestone in history, she passionately dedicated her award to all women of color – such an inspiration!
A post shared by redbookmag (@redbookmag) on Jun 27, 2017 at 6:56am PDT
She is a woman of very strong moral beliefs, creating an Instagram bio in which she states that she is an ‘Actively compassionate advocate for freedom, equality and joy’, as well as a ‘culture of beauty disrupter.’
A post shared by black-ish (@blackishabc) on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:28am PDT
Ellis-Ross has been deemed a true style icon due to her natural, healthy head of curly locks, attention to detail and eclectic yet retro personal style choices.
A post shared by ID (@teamid) on Jun 14, 2017 at 5:42am PDT
Tracee was recently honoured by Women in Film, in Los Angeles, at the 2017 Crystal + Lucy Awards for outstanding excellence in the television genre.
She also supports a few charity organisations and causes, such as bullying prevention organisations, Planned Parenthood and Design A Cure.
Article written by Editor
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A Jacobin in Chief
Exporting the French Revolution to the world
By Claes G. Ryn • April 11, 2005
Ever since 9/11, the president of the United States has been urging the use of American power to spread the allegedly universal principles of “freedom and democracy” throughout the world. On his recent European tour President Bush solicited the support of Europe in this cause, saying, “our ideals and our interests lead in the same direction.”
What that direction is had been tellingly indicated just a few days earlier by Condoleezza Rice. Speaking in Paris, she said that the founders of the American and French republics were inspired by the same values, a statement that implied common origins in the same revolutionary spirit. Though historically wholly erroneous, this view was consistent with the ideology that the administration has enunciated. It should by now be obvious that, in his foreign policy views at minimum, the president of the United States is no conservative. He is a Jacobin nationalist.
Inspired, guided, and supported by the ubiquitous neoconservatives, President Bush has adopted and fostered an ideologically charged missionary spirit that bears a striking resemblance to that of the Jacobins who led the French Revolution. The principles of “freedom and democracy” are to be promoted around the world by virtuous American power. The French Jacobins, too, saw themselves as virtuous champions of universal principles, “freedom” and popular rule prominent among them.
After the president’s inaugural address, his ensuing news conference, and his State of the Union address, no doubt can remain about how he views America’s role in the world. To advance freedom and democracy is, he said, “the mission that created our nation.” At the news conference he added, “I look forward to leading the world in that direction.” In the State of the Union speech he pointed to “the road of Providence” and said, “we know where it leads: it leads to freedom.”
The neoconservatives have transformed the old American exceptionalism, which counseled isolation from the world, into an assertive, ideologically intense nationalism, whose smugness seems to know no bounds. The president has long asserted that America’s values are for all people. “There is a value system that cannot be compromised, and that is the values we praise. And if the values are good enough for our people, they ought to be good enough for others.” In the State of the Union address he claimed, “we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born.” He and America are called to enact the will of Providence.
That a particular leader or country could be identified with God’s purpose is a notion alien to the mainstream of the Christian tradition, which insists that humans are fallen beings. Their knowledge is, at best, imperfect. Though statesmen, like others, should try to make room for the spirit of God by trying to purge themselves of tainted motives, not even a person of pure motive could in the infinitely complex reality of politics claim to have discerned God’s will for the world. None of this has deterred the president, who exhibits just the kind of pride against which the older western tradition—both classical and Christian—warned.
“Freedom” and “democracy” can mean radically different things. The president, his secretary of state, and their neoconservative idea-men have connected them with the Jacobin faith. The French Jacobins were followers of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who argued, “man was born free, but he is everywhere in chains.” For men to be liberated, inherited societies and beliefs had to be destroyed.
The French Revolution was an attempt to enact his ideas. The Jacobins dealt harshly with “evil,” guillotining conspicuous representatives of the old order and employing a general ruthlessness that culminated in the Terror. To France was assigned the mission of liberation. Europe and other parts of the world were thrust into protracted war.
In 1980, James Billington, the Librarian of Congress, used the phrase “fire in the minds of men” as the title for a book about the revolutionary faith. This faith would unsettle the entire Western world and eventually spawn the Communist Revolution of 1917. In his second inaugural address, the president used the same phrase, “fire in the minds of men,” not to reject this impulse, which is what would be expected from a conservative, but to help define America’s pursuit of freedom. He could not more clearly have aligned himself with Jacobinism. One wonders whether the president or his speechwriters understand that, rhetorically at least, he has adopted a faith that created some of history’s most monstrous regimes.
Today communism has collapsed, but another universalist ideology, the new Jacobinism, has taken its place. A difference between the French and the new Jacobinism is that the latter has chosen not France but America as mankind’s savior.
In a large number of speeches and statements since 9/11, the president has made clear that he considers armed world hegemony necessary to America’s mission. At the inauguration, the massive security—involving some 30,000 secret service agents, police, and military personnel—and other telltale symbolism signaled the invincibility and willpower of the United States. Here was installed an American emperor, but one far more powerful and far more ambitious than any Roman counterpart. Neo-Jacobin ideology can be seen as the perfect justification for American imperial power.
Praising the president’s inaugural address, neoconservative foreign-policy analyst Robert Kagan wrote in the Washington Post that America should pursue timeless “universal aspirations.” Fighting terrorism was “too narrow, too limited” as a “paradigm for American foreign policy.”
After the implosion of the Soviet Union, the neo-Jacobin neoconservatives argued that America should use its status as the lone superpower to spread its principles. They demanded “moral clarity” in U.S. foreign policy. Good stood against evil. After 9/11, Bush became their chief spokesman. He committed the United States to what he calls “the global democratic revolution.” The war against Iraq, he said, was “the first step” in that revolution. There has been not even a hint in the president’s recent speeches that the Iraqi debacle and the tens of thousands of dead and maimed have made him question his own virtuous nationalism.
Rarely has an ideology been so strongly entrenched in a country’s opinion-molding establishment. Especially with regard to foreign policy, the new Jacobinism is strongly represented in virtually all leading American media outlets. In the press, this is particularly true of the Wall Street Journal, but the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Time and U.S. News and World Report all give it more than a hearing. Among the opinion magazines, the Weekly Standard is its main voice, but on foreign-policy issues at least, it also dominates formerly more conservative magazines like National Review.
In the commentariat, neo-Jacobin thinking is today challenging an older, more diffuse and less vigorous liberalism for pre-eminence. It is omnipresent in the think tanks, especially those emphasizing foreign policy and national security. Its brain-center is the American Enterprise Institute. On television, the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News Channel pushes the neoconservative foreign-policy line most conspicuously and reliably, but it flourishes on all the networks and major cable channels. By presenting itself on the radio waves and elsewhere as a form of kick-butt Americanism, neo-Jacobinism has also acquired millions of foot soldiers among flag-waving Americans.
What goes curiously unnoticed is that, despite their label, the neoconservatives think of themselves as representing a progressive, revolutionary force. The America they champion is not the America of history with its deep roots in a European and English past. In theory, they have constructed their own America, which represents a radical break with history.
“To celebrate America is … to celebrate revolution,” writes professor Harry Jaffa, a leading disciple of Leo Strauss, whose admirers are spread throughout the Bush administration. The American Revolution in behalf of freedom may appear mild “as compared with subsequent revolutions in France, Russia, China, Cuba, or elsewhere,” Jaffa notes, but “it nonetheless embodied the greatest attempt at innovation that human history has recorded.”
Another leading neoconservative, Michael Ledeen, who first came into view as an advisor on national security in the Reagan White House, openly portrays the America with which he identifies as a destroyer of existing societies. According to Ledeen, “Creative destruction is our middle name, both within our society and abroad. We tear down the old order every day. … Our enemies have always hated this whirlwind of energy and creativity, which menaces their traditions. … [We] must destroy them to advance our historic mission.”
Some of the most prominent neoconservatives caught the revolutionary spirit when they were still Marxists, and despite their “second thoughts” they still harbor a deep desire for remaking the world according to a single model, their model. One of the reasons they are now fond of capitalism is that, like Marx, they conceive of it as an effective destroyer of traditional elites and societies.
According to Irving Kristol, the reputed godfather of neoconservatism, today’s United States is “ideological, like the Soviet Union of yesteryear.” His son William insists that for America vigorously to promote its universal principles abroad, it must have great military and other governmental might. The old conservative suspicion of strong, centralized federal government must be abandoned. According to the elder Kristol, it has been the role of neoconservatism “to convert the Republican party, and conservatism in general, against their wills,” to this new conception of government.
To call people who are attracted to the new Jacobinism “neoconservatives” reveals profound confusion. Modern conservatism was born in opposition to Jacobin universalism. The father of conservatism, Edmund Burke, was an English liberal, a Whig, who was very friendly to the American colonists; he thought they had strong traditional grounds for challenging king and Parliament. What Burke argued passionately against, by contrast, was the French Revolution and Jacobin thinking, which he saw as expressing an unhistorical, tyrannical spirit and an importunate desire for power. Burke warned specifically against “liberty” in the abstract.
Like Burke, the Framers of the U.S. Constitution associated liberty with particular inherited traditions, limited, decentralized government, checks on power, self-restraint, moderation, and a willingness to compromise. Jacobin “freedom,” by contrast, justifies unchecked imperial power.
That is the “freedom” for which George W. Bush has become the most prominent advocate.
Claes G. Ryn, professor of politics at the Catholic University of America, is chairman of the National Humanities Institute and the author of America the Virtuous: The Crisis of Democracy and the Quest for Empire.
Conservatives in Denial
When ‘Populist’ Becomes a Slur
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British girl, 17, 'raped' on cruise ship while on holiday with her family
mirror.co.uk
A British girl has been raped on a cruise ship sailing in the Mediterranean, according to reports.
The 17-year-old was allegedly pushed into a cabin by an Italian man in the early hours of the morning.
Spanish media say the suspect has been released without charges after appearing before a court in Valencia, because the alleged incident took place in international waters and there was no jurisdiction over a person who did not reside in Spain.
The alleged victim is said to have been travelling on board the cruise liner with her parents.
On arrival in Valencia, the incident was reported to the ship's captain who alerted the port authorities and then the police. The girl was later taken to hospital for a full examination.
According to the Spanish media, officers went to the cruise liner and searched a cabin, taking forensic samples and also examining the girl's clothing.
The man under suspicion was arrested by the police when he returned to the ship after visiting Valencia for the day.
He was arrested and interviewed but by the time he was released by the court after confirmation that he had no Spanish address, the liner had already left Spain for Marseille.
It is understood the girl and her parents continued on the cruise and the investigation remains open.
The reform of the Universal Justice law that was passed in 2014 establishes that Spanish courts can only pursue crimes if those believed to be responsible are Spanish or foreigners with Spanish nationality.
Read the article on mirror.co.uk >
VIDEO: Top U.S. commander travels to Persian Gulf amid Iran tensions
VIDEO: U.S. fears Iran seized UAE-based tanker in Strait of Hormuz
VIDEO: Man arrested in slaying of U.S. scientist in Greece
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US Army Opens Permanent Base in Southern Israel as Trump Slams Iran Deal
Years in the making, Site 883 expands on long-standing and active ballistic missile defense cooperation.
By Joseph TrevithickSeptember 19, 2017
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
The United States and Israel have a long history of close military cooperation, but much of it remains secretive or under-publicized in nature. Now, however, the U.S. military has an officially acknowledged permanent base of sorts, a possible signal of an expanding air and missile defense partnership as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration continues to challenge Iran over its advanced weapons programs, including development of ballistic missiles.
On Sept. 18, 2017, the U.S. Army’s top command in Europe and the Israeli Air Force held a ceremony to officially break ground on what they described as a “life support area,” which generally refers to barracks-like facilities where personnel can eat, sleep, and bathe, among other things. The “LSA” will be situated within the Israel Defense Forces Air Defense School, located at Bislach Air Base near Beersheba in southern Israel’s Negev Desert, but will be an entirely American-run affair.
Iran Officially Opens Expanded Space Center With Simorgh Rocket LaunchBy Joseph Trevithick Posted in The War Zone
Syria Says It Will Rain Scud Missiles On Israel If Airstrikes Don't Stop By Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
Arrow Missile Intercepts Syrian SAM Fired At Israeli Jets Following StrikesBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
Israel Is Testing An Air-To-Air Variant Of Its Dolphin-Nosed Stunner MissileBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
America's Startling Short Range Air Defense Gap And How To Close It FastBy Tyler Rogoway Posted in The War Zone
“I would like to note that this life support area represents the first ever stationing of a United States Army unit on Israeli soil,” U.S. Army Major General John Gronski, Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe for Army National Guard and a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, said in a speech. “The United States and Israel have long planned together, exercised together, trained together – and now with the opening of this site, these crucial interactions will occur every day.”
“A few dozens of soldiers of our American allies will be stationed here permanently,” Israeli Air Force Brigadier General Zvika Haimovich, head of the Israel Defense Force’s air defense arm, added. “They are part of an American task force that will be stationed here.”
US Army Major General John Gronski, left, and Israeli Air Force Brigadier General Zvika Haimovich at the ceremony announcing Site 883.
This announcement came on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, New York. The two leaders talked about mutual security interests, including the situation in Syria and concerns about Iran growing influence in the region, according to an official readout of the meeting.
Trump has long criticized Iran and the deal his predecessor President Barack Obama struck with that country over its controversial nuclear program, especially intensifying his push to isolate the government in Terhan following a visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2017. He has threatened to scrap arrangement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
A truck carries a locally modified S-200 surface-to-air missile during a military parade in Iran in 2016.
"We cannot let a murderous regime like Iran build nuclear weapons, and we cannot let them use a deal as a cover for nuclear warfare,” he told the United Nations General Assembly is his first ever speech before the body on Sept. 19, 2017. “The nuclear deal was an embarrassment to the United States.”
Critics warn that getting rid of the Iran Deal would only hasten Iranian nuclear and missile developments, unconstrained by any international oversight, no matter how limited or problematic. Their arguments often point to the example of North Korea, which the collapse of talks and an interim agreement has now led to a pariah state that possesses a working hydrogen bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching much of the United States.
Regardless, Israel said the opening of the American base in the Negev, also known as Site 883, was two years in the making, meaning the Obama administration had set the plan in motion. It makes sense, since the parties to the JCPOA did not structure the agreement to cover conventional weapons development, including long ballistic missiles that could potentially threaten Israel or other countries in the Middle East and beyond.
Though this new site may be technically permanent, it expands on an existing forward deployed base at the top of Israel’s Mount Har Keren, also in the Negev. For nearly a decade, members of the U.S. Army’s 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command have maintained a long-range X-band AN/TPY-2 radar, primarily associated with the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense System (THAAD), at a so-called “cooperative security location” known as Site 512.
A map of American military facilities in Europe and the Near East as of 2015, showing Site 512 in Israel.
While the U.S. military has no THAAD interceptors in Israel at present, the radar helps provide additional situational awareness for both American and Israeli forces. It feeds information into at least one of the Israel Defense Forces’ command centers responsible for operating the Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense system.
On top of that, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has facilitated a significant amount of other construction projects in Israel through the Foreign Military Sales program, including at least two massive underground command and control bunkers. In 2015, the Corps told the author that it was awarding contracts for an average of 10 to 14 major building programs on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Defense each year.
Site 883 looks set to improve upon that existing cooperation, possibly helping to streamline the flow of data from Site 512, as well as other U.S. intelligence sources, such as Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) early warning satellites. Of course, its existence “would not hamper the IDFs ability to act independently against any threat to the security of the State of Israel,” Brigadier General Haimovich stressed.
At the same time, the United States is continuing to facilitate the development of the Arrow 3 interceptor. In June 2017, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral J.D. Syring, head of the Missile Defense Agency, said the next test of that system would occur at the contractor-operated Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska (PCSA) in Kodiak, Alaska, in 2018.
Separately, the U.S. Army has been testing the Israeli Tamir interceptor, the weapon behind the country’s much touted Iron Dome system, as a possible load out for its truck-mounted Indirect Fire Protection Capability launcher. Iron Dome is a short range system that Israel primarily uses to knock down incoming rockets that militants often fire into the country or disputed border territories.
It is possible that Tamir could have a role in defeating the increasing threat of small unmanned aerial vehicles, as well. Earlier in September 2017, State-owned Israeli defense contractor Rafael announced it was planning to demonstrate the full Iron Dome system for the U.S. Army as a possible interim solution to the service’s glaring short- and medium-range air defense gap, an issue that The War Zone’s own Tyler Rogoway has recently explored in depth.
The U.S. Army’s Site 883, along with Site 512, within Israel seem primarily focused on the growing threat of ballistic missiles, though. In June 2017, Iranian forces launched a short-range ballistic missile strike against ISIS terrorists in Syria, which served to demonstrate the capability against a real world target for all to see.
The next month, it officially opened the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Semnan with the launch of a space launch vehicle, which critics of the country argue is simply a cover for the development of a long-range ballistic missile. In an Email to The War Zone, the U.S. Strategic Command said its Joint Space Operations Center did not record any new satellite entering orbit after the launch, suggesting the Simorgh or its payload had failed to function as intended.
Perhaps more worrisome, there is compelling evidence that Iran has been working with the Syrian government to establish new ballistic missile production facilities within Syria. These could supply either Bashar Al Assad’s regime or the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Underscoring the potential danger, on Sept. 19, 2017, Israeli air defense forces said they knocked down a Hezbollah drone over the Golan Heights region along the border with Syria using a Patriot surface-to-air missile.
An Israeli Patriot surface-to-air missile launcher.
Israel has been interdicting deliveries of advanced weapons bound for Hezbollah via Syria for some time, prompting Assad to threaten a massive ballistic missile volley in response in March 2017. Israeli aircraft have not stopped their strikes, though, launching an especially notable mission against a Syrian facility linked to both its chemical weapons and ballistic missile development programs earlier in September 2017.
As conflicts in the region, especially in Syria, continue to evolve, it’s entirely possible that new threats may emerge connected to Iran or not. Ballistic missile technology has steadily proliferated in the region in recent years, being an important factor in both the Syrian and Yemeni conflicts.
Though small at present, Site 883 is a clear signal that the United States is taking these issues seriously, especially as it looks to continue putting pressure on Iran and its proxies, and is seeking even closer coordination with its allies in the region.
Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
Iran Officially Opens Expanded Space Center With Simorgh Rocket Launch
The United States and others say Iran is hiding work on a long-range, nuclear-capable missile in plain sight.
Syria Says It Will Rain Scud Missiles On Israel If Airstrikes Don't Stop
The Syrian government just upped the ante drastically in its brewing military standoff with Israel.
Arrow Missile Intercepts Syrian SAM Fired At Israeli Jets Following Strikes
The strange overnight engagement was the first operational use of an Arrow anti-ballistic missile system.
Israel Is Testing An Air-To-Air Variant Of Its Dolphin-Nosed Stunner Missile
Stunner's small frame, blistering speed, dual mode seeker, high maneuverability and hit-to-kill concept could make it the air combat missile to have.
America's Startling Short Range Air Defense Gap And How To Close It Fast
From weaponized hobby drones, to artillery shells, to low-flying fighters and cruise missiles, U.S. ground forces are alarmingly vulnerable.
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RSC wins rights to stage Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell novels
Artistic director Gregory Doran says he has perfect actor in mind to play lead in Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies
Mark Brown, arts correspondent
Wed 23 Jan 2013 13.09 EST First published on Wed 23 Jan 2013 13.09 EST
Hans Holbein's painting of Thomas Cromwell, which in Hilary Mantel's book he says makes him look like a murderer. Photograph: Gustavo Tomsich/Corbis
Gregory Doran has a good idea of who could play what will be one of the most sought-after theatrical parts of recent years. Common sense suggests it needs to be a man – almost certainly in his late 40s, probably slightly cushioned – who has the look of a murderer. Unfortunately the new artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company is not letting on who he has in mind. "I wish I could tell you," he said on Wednesday.
The role in question is Thomas Cromwell and the issue arose as Doran announced a major coup: that the RSC had won the rights to stage versions of Hilary Mantel's two blockbusting novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
Doran said he was thrilled. "Roger Michell [the director] texted me to say: 'Congratulations on getting the hottest literary property in the western world,'" he said.
The big question now is who will play the blacksmith's son Cromwell, the conniving and all-powerful chief minister to Henry VIII? To be historically accurate the actor would have to be aged around his late 40s and be able to powerfully convey Cromwell's astonishing self-confidence and rather terrifying menace. In Wolf Hall Cromwell looks at the less-than-flattering portrait that Hans Holbein has produced and says: "I look like a murderer," to which his son Gregory responds: "Didn't you know?"
So slightly younger versions of Simon Russell Beale or Kenneth Branagh then. Sam West perhaps? Or given Daniel Craig's professed desire to perform new work on stage perhaps he could be persuaded to add a few pounds?
On film one of the best remembered Cromwells is Leo McKern in the 1968 movie A Man for All Seasons, while the most recent is the considerably dishier James Frain in the US TV series The Tudors. Other actors to have played the role on film and TV include Donald Pleasance, Ron Cook and perhaps most memorably of all Kenneth Williams in the 1971 film Carry On Henry with lines that included him telling the king: "There is one thing you haven't touched yet." To which Sid James replies: "Oh, we're back to the wife again."
That line is unlikely to make it to Stratford but Doran said Mantel had promised extra material for the two plays scheduled to premiere in January 2014. The novelist came to see David Edgar's play Written on the Heart, about the creation of the King James bible 400 years ago, and she "got very excited about the Swan theatre and Stratford and the RSC and the great thing is that she's so inspired by the idea of finding a theatrical language for her books that she's promised to put all sort of bits in that she left out of the novels."
Getting the rights to stage Mantel's novels is undoubtedly a coup, a fact that Doran readily acknowledged. Mantel's first two instalments of her planned Tudor trilogy have been a literary sensation, winning her stellar book sales and literary prizes that may well be added to next week when she is the bookmakers' favourite to add the Costa book of the year award to her collection. As well as the stage versions, a BBC TV series by the scriptwriter Peter Straughan is also in the pipeline.
The books are being adapted for the stage by Mike Poulton and will be directed by Jeremy Herrin in the Swan theatre – the ideal venue, said Doran. "The Swan allows the epic and it allows the intimate and what Hilary Mantel does is put the intimate in the context of the epic … she tells it from the sidelines and the interior worlds of those people. You hear those voices, you want those voices expressed."
In a video interview Mantel said putting the novels on stage was the next logical step as she had always thought of them as "gigantic plays". She said it was wonderful that the RSC was taking them on, recalling how, as a 15-year-old, she made her way to Stratford by herself and saw four plays in three days. "It was a shaping experience, so it really is a dream come true for me to have the opportunity to see the RSC present my plays … I don't say that lightly."
As well as Mantel, Doran announced that he would once again direct David Tennant, five years after they collaborated on a Hamlet that the Guardian's Michael Billington described as "one of the most richly textured, best-acted versions of the play we have seen in years".
This time the play is Richard II, which could provide even greater challenges than Hamlet, widely regarded as the "Everest" of Shakespearean roles, said Doran.
There were sides to Richard II, with his volatility and fragility, that would be "more alien to David's character and make the play more of a challenge, perhaps, to do."
It will open at the Royal Shakespeare theatre in October before travelling to the RSC's former London home, the Barbican – a mini-sensation of sorts given the acrimony there was when, in 2002, the then artistic director Adrian Noble decided to pull out of the venue.
The RSC has been looking for a permanent London home since, although it has nomadically and successfully staged shows at the Roundhouse and a number of West End theatres. The return to the Barbican will stoke talk of the romance being reignited full-time, although Doran insisted: "I can lay my hand on my heart and say that Nicholas Kenyon [managing director of the Barbican] and I have had no conversations at all about anything other than Richard II being right in this space at this time."
Doran, who succeeded Michael Boyd, announced general details of what was in effect a five-year plan hinged on two important dates: the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth in 2014 and the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016. He said productions of Shakespeare's entire canon would be staged in the Royal Shakespeare theatre in the next five years.
Who should play Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell?
The RSC is set to stage Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. But who should play the ruthless master politician at the novels' core?
David Tennant leads new RSC season as Richard II
Royal Shakespeare Company's artistic director, Gregory Doran, announces Tennant's return – plus first stage adaptations of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell novels
Hilary Mantel on having her Thomas Cromwell novels adapted by the RSC - video
The Wolf Hall author on seeing characters that have been 'fighting to get off the page' put on stage
David Tennant on returning to the RSC to play Richard II - video
David Tennant on returning to the RSC to play an 'extraordinary, enticing, unknowable' king
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9/11 hijacker made last 'I love you' call
Jeevan Vasagar in Berlin
Wed 20 Nov 2002 05.38 EST First published on Wed 20 Nov 2002 05.38 EST
A Hamburg court was given an insight yesterday into the last hours of one of the alleged pilots in the September 11 attacks during the trial of Mounir el-Motassadeq, a Moroccan accused of being the paymaster for the al-Qaida cell which led the strikes.
Aysel Sengun, the German girlfriend of Ziad Jarrah, 26, who is believed to have flown the aircraft that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers apparently stormed the cockpit, said he had called to tell her he loved her.
"He called me on September 11 - he was very brief," she told the court. "He said he loved me three times. I asked what was up. He hung up shortly afterwards - It was so short and rather strange him saying that repeatedly."
Ms Sengun, who is of Turkish descent, said she helped Jarrah find a flying school and sat as a "passenger" while he piloted a flight simulator in Florida.
The couple met in 1996 in the western German city of Bochum, where she was studying to become a doctor.
Ms Sengun talked of problems in their relationship, and said Jarrah became increasingly devout after moving to Hamburg at the end of 1997.
"He had a different view of Islam than I did. He was more serious - He wanted me to cover up. I said I wouldn't do so for him, only for God," she said.
Jarrah disappeared from Germany between November 1999 and February 2000, telling her he was going to visit his parents in Lebanon.
Ms Sengun said he had talked about Chechnya and she suspected he might have gone there to fight. Prosecutors say he went to an al-Qaida camp in Afghanistan.
Ms Sengun said he returned with gifts of clothing and jewellery, and told her he was going to drop out of his engineering course and train as a pilot. "We wanted to get married at some point and have children. He said he wanted to become a commercial pilot."
After Jarrah moved to Florida, she went to visit him in January 2001. She told the court she sat like a passenger as Jarrah trained in a Boeing flight simulator. "He told me not to tell anyone that he was in America. I did tell a few people and he was very annoyed."
Ms Sengun has been under police protection since mid-September 2001.
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Toronto Sports Views
Connor Chambers
Where Do The Raptors Go From Here?
Source: Raptors Republic
Never has there been an offseason as important or unclear as this one upcoming for the Raptors.
The Raptors find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can't seem to get past the massive hump that is LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, and the greatest that I have personally ever seen play the game. As long as that guy is breathing on the court, the East is his playground.
*Note: If you have not watched Masai Ujiri's End of Year Press Conference, you can watch it in its entirety here.*
It's clear that change is coming with this team. The words that came right from Masai's mouth were "We need a culture reset." When Masai says something, you can take it to the bank, because you know #InMasaiWeTrust. There are a few things that stuck out to me after listening to Masai's press conference, which will be tied in to every topic discussed. Let's begin with the often energetic and enthusiastic coach, Dwane Casey.
We need a culture reset.
— Masai Ujiri
Dwane Casey has arguably been the best thing to ever happen to the Raptors. After coming off of a championship run with the Dallas Mavericks as their assistant coach, Casey faced the daunting task of turning a failing Raptors squad around into perennial contenders. After going below .500 in his first two years, he's gone above .500 in the last four, with 48, 49, 56 and 51 wins respectfully. When fans were calling for a rebuild during the 48 win season, Casey was able to get the most our of his players and have them play at a level that was unexpected and welcome in the Toronto basketball landscape.
Even though there's a long list of pros regarding Casey, there are accompanied by cons as well. His iso-ball style of gameplay is no longer effective, with Masai even making mention that this style of play will not work going forward. Couple that with his questionable starting lineup decisions, and he's created a #FireCasey section of the fanbase that arises every time a poor decision is made.
I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for Casey. I love him as a human being and I think he's a players coach and all around good guy. He says the right things and supports his guys no matter what. In the same breath, he makes me want to pull my hair out of my head when he starts DeMarre Carroll over Norman Powell, or when he never properly utilizes weapons such as Jonas Valanciunas or even James Johnson.
Personally, it wouldn't surprise me if the Raptors decided to fire Casey or keep him. There's valid arguments for both, but if I had to make a decision at this very moment, I think I would be more inclined to let Casey go and let another voice such as Rex Kalamian or Jerry Stackhouse take over the room.
It's hard to really read into where Masai's head is at regarding Dwane Casey. He didn't tip his hand much regarding the 60 year old coach, but it seems as though he will have an opportunity to get back in his chair and continue with this team next year. But make no mistake, his seat will be very, very hot.
I just want a ring.
— Kyle Lowry
The hot debate topic surrounding the Raptors might not be around Coach Casey, but rather his all star starting point guard Kyle Lowry. Today, Lowry officially opted out of his final year in his contract, becoming a free agent. This comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody, unless you are my mom and thought the move meant that he was leaving Toronto for good (I know you're reading this mom, I'm sorry but I had to).
Lowry has been nothing short of a revelation for the Raptors, and this past season was by far his best of his career. Posting career highs in points per game (22.4), field goal percentage (46.4%), three point percentage (41.2%), and even defensive rebounds per game (5.0), Lowry has shown that he can be a complete player and a top tier point guard in the game.
One thing Lowry can't combat though is age. Lowry is on the wrong side of thirty (31), and signing him to a max contract would mean that you have him until the age of 36. While that may be a good contract for the first two to three years, the last two years may come back to haunt the team. The question now becomes this: is that a risk you are willing to take?
The Raptors have good young point guards in local boy Cory Joseph and 2015 1st round draft pick Delon Wright (who I absolutely love). There is no way to completely fill the void left by Kyle Lowry if he or the Raptors choose to part ways, but the Raptors did play well enough without Kyle, going 14-7 once he sustained his wrist injury. Not to mention that the Raptors played some of their best ball against Cleveland during the final two games, also known as the games that Lowry was out of the lineup.
If the Raptors choose to not sign Lowry, its because they have chosen to spend his max dollars elsewhere. If Lowry chooses not to come back, I wish him the best of luck. I believe that if an agreement if not reached between Lowry and the Raptors, fans should expect to see him with the Spurs. If Lowry is serious about a ring, his best chance other than Toronto would be the Spurs. Sorry 76ers, Lowry doesn't have time on his side to "trust the process".
It’s not realistic.
— Masai Ujiri on retaining all free agents
The Other Guys...
Lost in the shuffle and conversation surrounding Casey and Lowry is what to do with the other free agents the Raptors have coming off the books. Serge Ibaka, PJ Tucker and Patrick Patterson all hit the open market as UFA's this summer. When the Raptors traded for Ibaka, they also retained his bird rights, which gives the cap situation a bit more flexibility.
Here's where fans and analysts alike can get creative with their offseason plans. Obviously all decisions will be affected based off of Lowry's decision, but I would like to see Ibaka and Tucker back, and Patterson gone. Masai obviously traded for them for a reason, and I believe that he wouldn't have made those trades if he has no intention of keeping them around after this year. Ujiri made it clear that it is impossible to retain all four pending free agents, and I see Patterson as the odd man out. He is a good serviceable stretch four off the bench that can hit shots from deep, but he has shown that he can't be relied on in the playoffs and has a fragile mentality and confidence issues.
There are a lot of players I would love to see the Raptors target. If the Raptor's don't retain Lowry, then they have more money to spend to fill holes on the team. Some players that I would like to see the Raptors target include:
Kyle Korver - Arguably one of the best shooters from deep to ever play the game, Korver is deadly from beyond the ark, and if he can come at a reasonable price tag it will fit the new play style of shooting threes.
Danilo Gallinari - He won't come cheap, but if the Raptors decide to go small ball and have Serge at center and move JV, then this would be target number one. He has the versatility to play small forward and power forward, and seems to have unlimited range on the court. Again, fitting into the new found three point offence.
Bojan Bogdanovic - See a trend here? Looking for small/power forwards that can hit the three well. Bojan fits that bill, and can be a guy to come off the bench and log some solid minutes for that second unit. He has shown an ability to lead a second unit during the Washington vs. Boston series.
Joe Ingles - Read above, and just replace Bojan Bogdanovic with Joe Ingles.
Vince Carter - Didn't think I would leave out my boy VC right? I've been advocating for his return to the six for a few seasons now. If anybody could get VC to sign a veteran's minimum to come off the bench for the Raptors next season, its Masai.
100 per cent
— Masai Ujiri on ability to spend into the tax threshold
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Raptors right now. Decisions are coming, and the only thing that is certain is that this team will not look the same one way or another. It's an exciting time to be a Raptors fan. Let's just sit back and watch Masai & Co. get to work
Tagged: Sports, Sport, Basketball, Raptors, Rebuild, core, NBA, Toronto, Toronto Raptors, Kyle, Lowry, Kyle Lowry, Masai, Ujiri, Masai Ujiri, Serge Ibaka, Ibaka, PJ Tucker, Tucker, Free Agency, Players, Executive, GM, General Manager
Newer PostFive Offseason Targets the Leafs Should Pursue
Older Post3 Reasons For and Against a Blue Jays Rebuild
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President of Euroleague Jordi Bertomeu Comes to Montenegro
By Aljoša Drobnjak, 06 Feb 2019, 23:09 PM Sport
Copyrights: Euroleague Official Website
06 February 2019 - Jordi Bertomeu, a Spanish professional basketball administrator and the President, Chairman, and CEO of the Euroleague Basketball Company will come to Podgorica on Thursday, February 7, as a guest of the Basketball Club Budućnost Voli, announced the club’s management.
"The first man of Euroleague, Jordi Bertomeu, will visit the club premises where he will meet with the president of Basketball Club Budućnost Voli. Bertomeu will also attend the duel of the 22nd round of Euroleague, in which our team is waiting for the Khimki basketball club from the Moscow Region," the statement said.
As explained on the official website of the Euroleague, Budućnost is on a three-game home-court winning streak and has been able to down teams like CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid in the Montenegrin capital. Norris Cole (18.7 ppg., 4.3 apg.) and Goga Bitadze (12.6 ppg., 6.6 rpg., 3 bpg.) have been critical for their team's improvement. Khimki comes off a brilliant come-from-behind home win against Zalgiris Kaunas and looks for its first road win since early January. Jordan Mickey (13.9 ppg., 5.2 rpg.) is currently its main pillar, along with Tony Crocker (9.3 ppg.) and Malcolm Thomas (7 pp., 4.3 rpg.).
Khimki defeated Budućnost 85-69 at home on November 21, 2018. One week before breaking his finger, Alexey Shved led the winners with 22 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Jordan Mickey added 18 points and seven assists for Khimki, which led 45-30 at halftime and kept a safe margin all the way. Earl Clark led Budućnost with 19 points.
"We expect victory, for sure. I hope we have a good defensive game, to drop them down to around 70 points, and with a good attack, the defence will be crucial, "said Edwin Jackson for News Agency CdM.
The match will take place on February 7, at 7 pm at Morača Sports Centre.
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Syracuse plows through Mountaineers
By RALPH D. RUSSO Associated Press
NEW YORK - Prince-Tyson Gulley ran for a career-best 208 yards and had three touchdowns, Syracuse scored twice on safeties and the Orange bid a snow-covered farewell to the Big East with a 38-14 victory over West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday.
Syracuse (8-5) will enter the Atlantic Coast Conference on a roll after finishing this season with six wins in its last seven games, capped by its second postseason victory at Yankee Stadium in the last three years.
In a bowl game played in a baseball stadium with weather better suited for a playoff game in Green Bay, the team that plays in a dome ended up being better equipped to handle the elements.
The Orange leaned on their running game to plow through former Big East rival West Virginia (7-6) and the snow. Jerome Smith added 157 yards rushing, and Syracuse finished with a season-high 369 yards.
Geno Smith connected with Stedman Bailey for two touchdown passes, but the Mountaineers' quarterback also was sacked in the end zone in the first half and called for intentional grounding in the end zone in the second half as he tried to avoid another sack.
Smith, who was an early Heisman Trophy front-runner as the Mountaineers got off to a 5-0 start this season, was 16 for 26 for 197 yards in the final game of his record-breaking career. The NFL awaits.
Same goes for Ryan Nassib, though Syracuse didn't ask much of its talented senior quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes and an interception. His most impressive feat on this day was surviving being driven into the frozen turf by Terence Garvin on a sack in the first half. Nassib missed only one play.
Snow fell just about all game, giving most of the field a white dusting. Fans were bundled and players not in the game tried to do the same. It took a while for those potent offenses - both ranked in the top 25 nationally in yards per game - to heat up, which seemed appropriate considering the conditions.
A goal-line stand by West Virginia in the second quarter kept Syracuse out of the end zone, but set up the Orange for a scoring run.
Left at their own 1, the Mountaineers tried to pass out of their end zone, but Smith was smothered by blitzing linebackers Cameron Lynch and Siriki Diabate for a safety to make it 5-0 - a baseball score, of course.
The Orange followed that up with a 33-yard touchdown run by Gulley to make it 12-0 with 6:07 left in the second.
The Mountaineers responded with their first sustained drive and Bailey took a quick pass, darted and broke tackles, and scooted 32 yards to the end zone to make it 12-7.
The Orange extended the lead to 12 points with a touchdown drive to start the second half when the Orange caught a break - and touchdown pass. Nassib's throw was tipped around the goal line, but floated safely into the waiting arms of intended receiver Beckett Wales for a 10-yard score.
West Virginia appeared to answer with a touchdown of its own, when Andrew Buie broke free for a TD run on fourth-and-2. Not so fast. A holding call on the Mountaineers wiped out the play and sent coach Dana Holgorsen on to the field screaming at the officials.
It didn't help. Instead of a touchdown, a punt.
Moments later another close call, this time on a fumble by Smith which was reviewed to determine if it was an incomplete pass, went Syracuse's way, and again the Orange capitalized.
On the next play, Gulley broke through the line bounced to the outside and went 67 yards for a touchdown to make it 26-7 with 6:52 left in the third.
West Virginia wouldn't let Syracuse pull away. Smith found Bailey deep down the sideline beating one-on-one coverage for a 29-yard score 1:11 later.
Right back came the Orange, nine plays, 70 yards, with Gulley taking a swing pass from Nassib 10 yards for his third touchdown of the day.
A minute and half later, Brandon Sharpe was taking down Smith in the end zone, when the quarterback made a futile attempt to dump the pass off. The officials dropped the flag and the second safety of the day made it 35-14 with 1:08 left in the third.
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The first trailer for the long-awaited Queen movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is here and it looks bloody good
trailer 16/05/2018
The world is finally getting its first look at the long-awaited Freddie Mercury biopic, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
The plot follows a fifteen year span; from Queens formation, through to their performance at Live Aid in 1985 (six years before Freddie passed).
The film has been in the pipeline for years - from directors getting fired, to talent clashes, it's taken its sweet time.
OG Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May have been heavily involved with the production, right down to choosing the actor to embody Freddie Mercury - Remi Malek (aka Mr Robot). Sacha Baron Cohen was lined up to take on the part, but had "creative differences" with Taylor and May and left the film in 2013.
Now, five years later, the film is almost here - and the trailer sure as hell makes it look like it's going to have been worth the wait.
Set to be released on November 2nd, 2018, we're bloody fizzing for 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
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Morehouse College Announces New President
Michael Harriot
Filed to: NewsFiled to: News
Morehouse president
new Morehouse president
David A Thomas
new Morehouse President David A Thomas
Morehouse College President David A. Thomas (courtesy of Morehouse College)
After a tumultuous year that included three different presidents, a lawsuit filed by members of the Student Government Association and a change in the entire leadership of the institution, Morehouse College has named David A. Thomas as its 12th president.
Thomas is the H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior studies and a master’s degree in philosophy in organizational behavior, both from Yale University. He also has a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in administrative sciences from Yale. Thomas previously served as the dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where he led a capital campaign that raised $130 million in five years.
Thomas was hired after former President John Sylvanus Wilson and the officers of the college’s Board of Trustees stepped down following a controversy that resulted from an investigation by The Root, detailing a trustee board that shut out the voices of students and faculty and packed itself with alums despite reports by independent analysts warning that that was harming the school.
The War at Morehouse
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Thomas says that his goal is to focus on competent leadership, regardless of where it comes from, while respecting the tradition and values of Morehouse. “My aim is not to depart from it, but build on it,” Thomas said in a Monday press conference, adding that his aim is to increase fundraising and build on the school’s “master plan” for facilities and expansion.
Thomas will be the college’s first president who is not a graduate of Morehouse since Benjamin E. Mays assumed leadership of the school in 1940. The 150-year-old institution is the nation’s only all-male HBCU.
Thomas will assume the role of president Jan. 1, 2018.
World-renowned wypipologist. Getter and doer of "it." Never reneged, never will. Last real negus alive.
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Growth in local gymnastics clubs in St. George mirrors city's growth
In the last 25 years, three gymnastics clubs have emerged in St. George. That's a number that could increase, if the community lends more support.
Growth in local gymnastics clubs in St. George mirrors city's growth In the last 25 years, three gymnastics clubs have emerged in St. George. That's a number that could increase, if the community lends more support. Check out this story on thespectrum.com: https://www.thespectrum.com/story/sports/2019/06/17/local-gymnastics-city-growth-st-george-utah/1470741001/
Chris Kwiecinski, St. George Spectrum & Daily News Published 10:59 a.m. MT June 17, 2019 | Updated 12:05 p.m. MT June 17, 2019
Bare Foot's Sarah Brown is her club's only level 10 gymnast, which is the highest level of competition at the club level. (Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)
As Caleb Phillips coached his gymnasts through warm-ups and practice routines on the uneven bars at Bare Foot Gymnastics, one of his gymnasts, Ireland McGiven, needed some clarification.
Not about the bars or her practice routine. She was curious about competing at the college level.
“They pay for everything?” She inquired, specifically about gymnastics scholarships.
“That’s how a full-ride works,” Philips replied.
In St. George, there are three gymnastics clubs: Bare Foot, Champion and Coral Peak. Each operates with the goals of developing life skills within their gymnasts, but now they’re each adding the objective of eventually sending gymnasts to college on a scholarship.
By default, this also should mean these three clubs are in direct competition with each other. However, ask leadership for each of these three clubs, and they’ll say otherwise — there’s zero animosity.
In fact, they believe it’s a necessity to have multiple clubs. Especially as the growth of gymnastics in St. George mirrors the growth of the city itself, as the potential for a college pipeline could exist in the near future.
MORE: Madison Loomis has rediscovered her love for gymnastics at SUU
“Opening a third gym in Southern Utah has made us step up our game,” Yvonne Swinson, a coach at Coral Peak Gymnastics, said. “ Gymnastics has room for more clubs.”
Growing alongside a city
As a city, St. George is expanding exponentially. According to statistics from the U.S Census Bureau and 24/7 Wall. St, St. George is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
There was a 19.8 percent population increase in the city from 2010 to 2018, with the current estimated population at just over 87,000.
This was an increase of more than 12,000 people since 2010. In 1994, the year Bare Foot opened its doors, St. George had a population of 38,409, according to the census bureau.
Champion Gymnastics opened in 2007, and Coral Peak followed in 2014.
Gymnasts train at Champion Gymnastics Thursday, April 11, 2019. (Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)
As of 2019, Champion has around 90 gymnasts in its programs, and Coral Peak has 60 girls in its camp. Bare Foot had 33 girls compete in meets so far in 2019, with dozens more in its training programs.
The three clubs represent the growth of the sport in St. George, but each represents a different teaching style, giving prospective gymnasts of differing personalities some choice in where to go.
MORE: St. George area ranked third in U.S. for population growth
“The nice thing about having three different programs is there's three different approaches, three different options, personalities, all that kind of stuff to gymnastics,” Jeremy Graff, owner and head coach of Champion Gymnastics, said. “It's important.”
Establishing this trust is important, since trust in the sport is all but non-existent nationally.
“They’ve got to trust you”
The growth of St. George’s trio of gymnastic clubs comes at the most difficult time in the sport’s national history.
Since the fall of 2016, USA Gymnastics has been at the center of one of the biggest sexual abuse scandals in sports history. Team doctor Larry Nassar was accused of, and later plead guilty to, sexually assaulting Olympic and underage gymnasts under the guise of providing medical treatment.
USAG, which was the official governing body, was decertified by the United States Olympic Committee in November 2018 and filed for bankruptcy a month later.
The Indianapolis Star, after a nine-month investigation, reported 368 gymnasts alleged some form of sexual abuse at the hands of coaches, gym owners and other adults, and that predators were allowed to move undetected due to mass oversight by USAG.
“The governing body, they've kind of lost sight of all these kids that make it possible for the Olympians to be Olympians.”
Jeremy Graff
Still, gymnastics continues to grow in St. George. Graff and Swinson told The Spectrum that the Nassar case hasn’t affected their club’s numbers at all, and Graff said this is because what’s happening nationally doesn’t represent what’s happening at the club level.
While some parents that haven’t put their children in gymnastics yet might have second thoughts, the parents and athletes currently in the St. George gymnastic scene know that’s not the norm.
MORE: Follow IndyStar's investigation of USA Gymnastics and Larry Nassar from start to finish
“We've been hearing in the news, it's not what's happening at the club level, it's what's happening at the highest levels of gymnastics,” Graff said. “The governing body, they've kind of lost sight of all these kids that make it possible for the Olympians to be Olympians.”
Bare Foot's Jocelyn Wittwer gets coached by Caleb Phillips during practice. (Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)
Part of ensuring scandals never happen at the club level is giving parents full transparency of where their child stands in the club. Not only does that keep parents updated on how successful a gymnast can be, but it also allows parents to see and place their trust in coaches themselves.
Gaining the trust of a parent, let alone the athlete, is important from the beginning in gymnastics, as coaches are the ones tasked catching young gymnasts in the air when they’re learning to flip and ensuring their physical safety.
“We are doing everything in our power to make sure those parents know exactly where they stand,” Phillips said. “If they don't, that's where that lack of trust lies.”
Building from the ground up
Before routinely sending athletes to college on a scholarship, St. George programs need to build a culture that can develop and sustain athletes.
Many of the area's club gymnasts turned to gymnastics after trying other sports. Some are following in their siblings' footsteps.
“I tried a whole bunch of other sports,” Tollie Graff, a level 9 gymnast at Champion, said. “Soccer, dance, it’s not what I wanted to do. I wanted to do more.”
Others were put into the sport by their parents and found love for a sport they didn’t expect to find.
Bare Foot's Sarah Brown, here on the uneven bars being coached by Caleb Phillips, is a level 10 gymnast who fell in love with gymnastics after her mother put her in the sport. (Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)
“I had a lot of energy when I was younger,” Sarah Brown, a level 10 gymnast at Bare Foot, said, noting that she has five older siblings. "So (her mother) put me in gymnastics and I fell in love with it.”
Brown represents the elite level of gymnastics in St. George. Being a level 10 gymnast means she worked her way up from levels 1 through 3, introductory levels where beginner skills are taught, through level 4, the first level that allows a gymnast to participate in competitive gymnastics, and then though levels 5 through 9.
Each level represents higher competition, and Brown represents the latest level 10 to come through St. George.
MORE: Small town, big changes: Short Creek officials balance needed growth with small-town feel
Rebekah Bean, who trained at both Champion and Bare Foot, was a level 10 gymnast before signing to compete at BYU. Bean was preceded by Aspen Welch, Sydney Birch, Abby Taylor and Hannah Krzmarzick as level 10 gymnasts from St. George.
Welch also signed to compete at BYU, while Krzmarzick signed to compete at Winona State in Minnesota.
Earning the title of level 10 gymnast means besting the mental component of gymnastics, a key part of the sport at the higher levels where each of the athletes has mastered the skills they’ve learned in their earlier levels.
“It's all in your head,” Brown said. “Especially when like you're in the middle of season and you have every skill, it's all in your head from there.”
While the goal is to develop college-level gymnasts, club coaches say they understand that not every participant will reach those heights.
They also work to develop life skills for each gymnast. Whether those skills are intangible, such as perfecting a skill or building self-confidence, the physical skills gymnasts can develop can allow them to try any activity they want.
“I have a daughter that did gymnastics until she was 14 or 15. She decided she needed a break,” Graff said. “She walked into the high school, tried out for softball, never played softball in her life, but made it without a problem. She was the strongest, fastest, most coordinated kid on the team.”
As each club builds specific athletes, Coral Peak is also building on a literal sense. The club is relocating to a brand new gym that's expected to be completed sometime during the summer of 2019.
“We want to represent our family”
Clubs in the Salt Lake City area number in the dozens, and while adding a third in Coral Peak was a step in growth it’s still relatively few considering St. George's size.
“That's a pretty small number,” Phillips said of there being only three clubs. “Maybe some will come in and just open up this radically new club that will challenge all of us to be better.”
Understanding this, Phillips and Amy Twiggs, a coach at Coral Peak, have been working in tandem to try and bring gymnastics to Dixie State University, which would give St. George a direct pipeline to college gymnastics.
Although an athletics spokesperson at DSU said there are no current plans to add women’s gymnastics at DSU, that could possibly change in the near future as the school plans to transition to a Division I athletics.
“Maybe some will come in and just open up this radically new club that will challenge all of us to be better.”
Caleb Phillips
According to Title IX, a federal law that ensures college institutions provide female and male students with equal athletic opportunities, should DSU add men’s athletics programs once they become a Division I program, they would have to add women’s programs as well.
DSU is already planning to add a men’s tennis program, which would make eight men’s teams compared to nine women’s teams.
The most important factor in adding gymnastics, however, would be that Bare Foot has offered to act as a satellite practice facility if needed.
“We just want to be as big a resource as we could, in the event that that's the direction they wanted to go,” Phillips said.
MORE: SUU gymnastics defeats BYU
Community support would also be a factor, which would make a St. George pipeline that more important. Southern Utah’s gymnastics team averaged 3,090 attendees in five meets during its season, with only one local gymnast — Mayson Bentley, from St. George — on its team.
A community with passion for its local athletes would need athletes to root for, and there are plenty of younger gymnasts DSU could field in competition from Champion, Bare Foot or Coral Peak.
Bare Foot Gymnastics' Jocelyn Wittwer practices on the balance beam. (Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)
Bare Foot's Jocelyn Wittwer represented her club and region at the Level 9 Western Championships in May and took second place on the bars with a 9.500. At the Region 1 Championships in April, Champion's Meili Snow finished second on bars and beam as a level 8 gymnast, while Coral Peak's Elaina Romprey finished tied for fifth on bars and sixth on beam, also as a level 8 gymnast.
These gymnasts have put in years with the goal of attaining a scholarship, and with the growing gymnastics scene in St. George, they draw inspiration from the possibility of representing their hometown.
“It definitely pushes you to work harder and to be better because this is like our family,” Shaylea Brinkerhoff, a level 8 gymnast at Champion, said. “We want to represent our family.”
Follow Chris Kwiecinski on Twitter @OchoK_. You can contact him at CKwiecinsk@thespectrum.com, or (435) 414-3261.
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https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Granite-City-man-sentenced-to-19-years-for-sex-12634796.php
Granite City man sentenced to 19 years for sex abuse
Published 12:00 am CST, Tuesday, January 27, 2015
EDWARDSVILLE — A Granite City man pleaded guilty Tuesday and was sentenced to 19 years in prison in the predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a 4-year-old Roxana girl.
John Hensley, 42, was originally charged with four counts, two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
He was originally charged with two different sex acts with the 4-year-old and two acts with her 3-year-old sister between Oct. 1 through Oct. 16, 2013.
Hensley was a friend of the child’s father. He would commit the acts while staying overnight at the home of the victims. There was a delay before the acts were reported but an acquaintance of the parents intervened, Nolan said after Tuesday’s hearing.
Assistant State’s Attorney Kathleen Nolan said Hensley will have to serve at least 75 percent of his term, or 16 years, but he will be subject to civil confinement as a sexually violent person. Under state statute, people found by a jury to be sexually violent may be confined in a maximum security institution until he has recovered.
Two doctors would examine the defendant to determine if he is a sexual psychopath, a condition that is seldom reversed.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office would petition to put a case before a jury to determine if he qualifies. Nolan, who formerly worked for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, said that agency is likely to file.
Hensley appeared Tuesday before Associate Judge Neil Schroeder.
Nolan told the judge that Hensley had previously been ordered to have no contact with other juveniles with whom he previously allegedly had sexual contact in Granite City. No charges were filed in that case, but the incidents could be used in the civil trial over the question of whether he requires civil confinement.
Hensley has been held in the Madison County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail since March 7. He will get credit for time served.
Nolan told the judge that, had there been a trial, officers would have testified that they collected DNA evidence from a blanket of one of the victims. A DNA expert would have testified that the evidence matched the DNA of Hensley.
Nolan said the state engaged the help of an expert from the U.S. Treasury Department who administered a lie detector test to Hensley, and during that testing, Hensley admitted what he had done.
The Granite City victim’s mother attended the hearing. She said 19 years was not enough time for the crime.
Roxana Police Chief Will Cunningham said he is satisfied. “We are very pleased with the outcome,” he said.
Nolan said the victim’s mother also is satisfied with the agreement.
Hensley has a criminal record dating to 2007 when he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor domestic battery. He was also convicted of domestic battery in 2011. He was also convicted of misdemeanor retail theft, driving under the influence and misdemeanor domestic battery.
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Community Calendar: 5/19
Tuscaloosa Group Alcoholics Anonymous: 9:30 a.m., open discussion, nonsmoking; noon, closed discussion; 4:15 p.m., closed discussion, nonsmoking; and 8 p.m., closed discussion, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
The Bigger C Encouragers Spring Gathering: 3 p.m. at The Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center at DCH Regional Medical Center. Free and open to the public. The speaker, the Rev. Mary Jo Gessner, is a cancer survivor who will be sharing her journey with us. There will be music, a time for questions/answers/dialogue followed by fellowship and refreshments. Call 205-759-7902.
Al-Anon: 7 p.m., 2025 Jack Warner Parkway.
Narcotics Anonymous:
4 p.m. at 2400 Main St. NE, Holt (old Holt Post Office behind Nucor Steel), Spiritual Principles group, open discussion. Call 205-534-6693.
Tuscaloosa Al-Anon family group: 8 p.m., also meets
Monday-Friday, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway.
English as a Second Language classes in Tuscaloosa County: Call 205-391-2665 for class time and locations.
GED classes in Bibb, Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa and Sumter counties: Call 205-391-2662 or 205-391-2667.
Water aerobics: 7 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Friendship House: 8 a.m.-
2 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 505 19th Ave. Socialization activities for people with a mental illness. Hot meal served at noon. Call 205-345-1534.
Step/sculpt: 8:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Focus advanced line dancing: 8:30 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus oil painting class:
9 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Senior citizen program:
9 a.m.-noon, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Family Development Center, Geneva Hall, Blue Room, Stillman College. Call Pearlie Duncan, 205-366-8919.
Senior bowling league:
10 a.m., Bama Bowl. Call 205-759-2302 or 205-339-4761.
Focus senior exercise classes: 10:30 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Call 205-758-3393.
Silver Sneakers, balanced exercise program for older adults: 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, YMCA, 2405 Paul Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Spin: noon, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Narcotics Anonymous: New Way Group of NA at noon at 516 Paul W. Bryant Drive E., enter left side of building in Collegiate Recovery Center. Call 205-534-6693.
Focus dominoes: noon, Monday and Thursday. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus RSVP Singers: noon. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus tai chi: 3:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. Call 205-758-3393.
Tuscaloosa group Alcoholics Anonymous: noon, closed 12 and 12 nonsmoking meeting; 4:15 p.m., closed discussion; and 7:30 p.m., open steps 1, 2, 3, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway.
Free chess lessons: 4-5:30 p.m. in the Rotary Room at the Tuscaloosa Public Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway. For beginners of all ages. Visit www.freedomchessacdemy.org.
Pilates: 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Zumba: 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Alcoholics Anonymous: 5:30 on Monday and noon on Friday in the Fellowship Hall at Union Chapel United Methodist Church, Northport. Open, non-smoking.
Al-Anon: 6 p.m. at Union Chapel United Methodist Church, Alabama Highway 69 North.
West Alabama Diabetes Support Group: 6 p.m. DCH Diabetes Center, 600 Bryant Drive E., (beige building across from DCH Medical Towers, behind Kangaroo gas station). Call 205-750-5260.
Dance to the Music of the Black Warrior River Band:
6 p.m. in the Ballroom at Focus on Senior Citizens, 1920 Sixth Ave., adjacent to the new Federal Building. Admission donation is $4. Call 205-758-3373.
Celebrate Recovery: 6 p.m. at TDFC Family Life and Resource Center, 15591 Thomas Chapel Road, Cottondale. Open meeting with food served. Call 205-246-5655 or 205-765-4591.
Celebrate Recovery: 6 p.m., the Church at Tuscaloosa, 6120 Watermelon Road, Northport, a Christ-centered 12-step recovery group. Call 205-759-8050.
Yoga: 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Domestic violence support group: 6:30 p.m. Call 205-758-0808.
Turning Point domestic violence support group: 6-7:45 p.m. at Trinity Methodist Church, 729 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-758-0808.
Men’s AA 12-Step Study:
7 p.m. at University Lutheran Church, 511 Fifth Ave. Call 205-799-2078.
Centering prayer: 7 p.m., St. Francis Church, 811 Fifth Ave. Call 205-394-6139.
Cocaine Anonymous: 8 p.m., Mondays, closed meeting,
BFGoodrich Union Hall Local 351.
Free counseling for 2011 tornado victims: Monday through Friday by appointments at Family Counseling Service in Tuscaloosa. For those living outside the Tuscaloosa area, assistance and help with transportation to counseling is available. Call 205-752-2504 or 1-866-916-2504.
Step: 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Spin: 6:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Whatley Health Services transportation service: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. for Whatley medical and dental appointments only. Call 205-758-6647, ext. 3015.
Focus bingo: 8:30 a.m. Free. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus RSVP quilters: 9 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus PACE arthritis exercise: 10 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus Scrabble: 10 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus Merry Makers:
10 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Focus Bible study: 10:30 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Tuscaloosa group Alcoholics Anonymous nonsmoking discussion: noon, open meeting, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
Focus bridge: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Call 205-758-3393.
Vance Town Library: 3-5 p.m., U.S. Highway 11 North by Vance Town Hall. Call 205-553-6324.
Tuscaloosa group Alcoholics Anonymous: 4:15 p.m., closed Big Book; and 8 p.m., closed discussion, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
Group cycling: 5:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
AA women’s meeting: 5:30 p.m., Trinity Methodist Church, 729 Paul W. Bryant Drive.
Women for Sobriety Inc.: 5:30 p.m. in the parlor at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Call 205-718-4097.
Tuscaloosa chapter of Take Off Pounds Sensibly: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Call Mike Bishop at 205-339-4247 or 205-454-8176, or Janice Watters at 205-826-9357.
The First Step of Recovery Narcotics Anonymous group:
6 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday at Bradford Health Services, 515 Energy Center Blvd., Northport. Call 205-758-9784.
Core Fusion: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Sexual assault support group: 6:30 p.m. with Turning Point for victims of sexual violence, abuse and assault. Call 205-758-0808 for meeting location and information.
AA open discussion meeting: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Christ Episcopal Church, 605 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd. N. Call 205-534-9281.
New Life Al-Anon family group: 6:30 p.m., step study meeting in Room 226 of Christ Episcopal Church, corner of Seventh Street and Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard North.
8 p.m., University Presbyterian Church, 1140 Eighth St. Tuesday and Friday. Call 24-hour help line at 205-941-2655.
Focus beginner line dancing: 8:30 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
English as a Second Language class: 9:30 a.m.-noon at Calvary Baptist Church Student Annex, 1121 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Classes are free. Call 205-292-4552.
Tuscaloosa group Alcoholics Anonymous: noon, open discussion; 4:15 p.m., closed discussion; and 8 p.m., closed Big Book, nonsmoking, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
Al-Anon: noon at Union Chapel United Methodist Church, Alabama Highway 69 North.
Focus canasta: 1 p.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Free chess lessons: 4-5:30 p.m. in the Rotary Room at the Tuscaloosa Public Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway. Lessons for novice, intermediate and advanced players. Visit www.freedomchessacademy.org.
12 Steps to Fatherhood: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Family Solutions Inc., 2902 Seventh St. Call 205-342-2566.
Singles Together: 6 p.m., Parker Fireside Room, First United Methodist Church, 800 Greensboro Ave., Call 205-292-1411 or email dennis.harkey@me.com.
English as a Second Language classes: 6-7:15 p.m., First Baptist Church International Center, Eighth Street at Greensboro Avenue. Free. Call 205-345-7554. Child care provided.
Narcotics Anonymous: New Way Group of NA at 7 p.m. at 516 Paul W. Bryant Drive E., enter left side of building in Collegiate Recovery Center. Call 205-534-6693 for information.
Cocaine Anonymous: 8 p.m., BFGoodrich Union Hall Local 351.
Focus Mexican train dominoes: 9 a.m. Thursday. Call 205-758-3393.
English as a Second Language classes: 9:30-11:30 a.m., First Baptist Church International Center, Eighth Street at Greensboro Avenue. Free. Call 205-345-7554. Child care provided.
Tuscaloosa group Alcoholics Anonymous: noon, closed Big Book, nonsmoking; 4:15 p.m., open discussion; 8 p.m., closed discussion; 10:30 p.m., open discussion, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
Spin: 5:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa YMCA, 2405 Paul W. Bryant Drive. Call 205-345-9622.
Overeaters Anonymous: 5:30-6:30 p.m. University Presbyterian Church, 1127 Eight St. Call 202-292-5242.
Parent support meeting:
6 p.m., Bradford Health Services, 515 Energy Center Blvd., Northport. Call 205-750-0227.
AA meeting: 6:30 p.m. at Reform Public Library.
AA open discussion meeting: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Christ Episcopal Church, 605 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd. N. Child care available. Call 205-534-9281.
Pickens County AA meeting: 6:30 p.m. at Pickens County Health Plex.
New Life Al-Anon family group: 6:30 p.m., Room 227 of Christ Episcopal Church, Seventh Street and Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard North. Open discussion meeting.
“Moodies” mood disorder support group: 6-7:30 p.m. at the Friendship House, 505 19th Ave. Membership meetings are free and open to consumers of mental health services relating to mood disorders and their family members and friends. Typical consumer diagnoses include bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety. Call Paul Elmore at 205-339-5496.
Focus canasta: 9 a.m. Call 205-758-3393.
Tuscaloosa Group Alcoholics Anonymous: noon, closed discussion; 4:15 p.m., closed discussion, nonsmoking; and 8 p.m. closed 12 and 12, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
Schizophrenics Anonymous: 3 p.m. Cottondale United Methodist Church, 2117 Church St., Cottondale. Closed meeting with open discussion once a month.
7 p.m. at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 29000 Alabama Highway 25, Greensboro, (at the intersection of County Road 29 and Alabama Highway 25), Spiritual Principles group, open discussion. Call 205-534-6693.
Narcotics Anonymous: 9:30 p.m. at 2400 Main St. NE, Holt (old Holt Post Office behind Nucor Steel), Spiritual Principles group, open discussion. Call 205-534-6693.
AA women’s meeting: 9:30 a.m., Trinity Methodist Church, 729 Paul W. Bryant Drive.
Tuscaloosa Zen group:
10 a.m. 2440 Brandonwood Road. Call 205-344-5095.
Al-Anon: 10 a.m. at Union Chapel United Methodist Church, Alabama Highway 69 North.
Tuscaloosa group Alcoholics Anonymous: noon, closed discussion; 4:15 p.m., closed discussion; and 8 p.m., open speaker-nonsmoking, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway. Call 205-759-2497.
Focus Zumba fitness: 12:30 p.m. Call 205-758-3393.
7 p.m. at 52400 Main St. NE, Holt Spiritual Principles group, open discussion. Call 205-534-6693.
If you have an announcement for the Community Events calendar, please submit it in writing to Community Events, The Tuscaloosa News, P.O. Box 20587, Tuscaloosa, AL 35402-0587; email peggy.skelton@tuscaloosa
news.com or fax 205-722-0118. For Sunday publication, submissions must be received by the preceding Monday at noon. You can also enter your announcement online at www.
tuscaloosanews.com.
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Harley-Davidson weighing moving production plant
By Pioneer Press | news@pioneerpress.com
PUBLISHED: May 13, 2009 at 8:35 am | UPDATED: November 12, 2015 at 7:47 pm
NEW YORK—Harley-Davidson Inc. is considering moving its main motorcycle production facility in York, Pa., a company spokesman said, as it aims to lower costs and cope with a sales downturn.
Spokesman Bob Klein says the Milwaukee-based company is exploring ways to reduce costs at the location, which could include a move. The York facility employs about 2,400 workers and consists of two motorcycle factories that assemble its Touring and Softail motorcycles.
Klein said the York facility is not competitive as it stands.
“It relates to excess capacity, it relates to competitive and cost pressures both in the current economy and longer term,” Klein said. “So what we’ve told employees is that we are going to be doing a major evaluation of the York operations.”
He said the company is working with its union, the Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, as it conducts a review on the facility. He declined to say what other locations might be under consideration for a move.
The review is part of a broad cost-cutting plan that Harley, the top maker of heavyweight motorcycles, launched in January as it battles shrinking profits and a downturn in sales of its iconic bikes. The company has announced plant consolidations and is aiming to cut between 1,400 and 1,500 jobs over the next two years. Part of that plan is to cut between 525 and 575 hourly workers at York, some of which has already been implemented.
Last month, Harley reported a 37 percent decline in its profit for the first three months of the year. The company’s sales have been falling recently as the downturn in consumer confidence and the tighter credit markets have made many consumers skittish about buying its high-end bikes.
The company has also seen a wave of turnover among its top leadership in recent months. At the start of May, its new chief executive, Keith Wandell, took over from Jim Ziemer after four years at the helm. The company’s chief financial officer, Tom Bergmann, also stepped down. Harley also got a new interim head of Harley-Davidson Financial Services and a new senior director of financial reporting.
Shares of Harley fell $1.11, or 6 percent, to $17.49 in midday trading Wednesday. The stock has traded between $7.99 and $48.05 in the past 52 weeks.
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Continuing and Professional Education Dean Paul McNeil Steps Down
By News and Media Relations on July 2, 2018 in University
Division of Continuing and Professional Education Dean Paul McNeil has announced his retirement from university service effective July 1, to care for his aging parents on the east coast.
McNeil arrived in Davis in December of 2014 from the Columbia School of Continuing Education, where he had served as senior vice dean.
“Paul brought many new ideas to UC Davis and effected a number of structural and organizational realignments within the division,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter. “While I regret the suddenness of his departure, I completely understand that aging parents require sustained support. I wish Paul all the best.”
Hexter cited McNeil’s leadership in renaming the division from its previous title of University Extension to Continuing and Professional Education to better reflect and communicate the division’s mission. In addition, CPE’s partnership with Coursera for delivering online programs has been a boon for both traditional and continuing students.
Chancellor Gary S. May has appointed Senior Associate Dean Susan D. Catron to provide interim leadership to the division. In her current role, Catron leads academic strategic planning, oversees the division’s professional education portfolio, and directs an innovation incubator responsible for identifying, assessing and nurturing new program initiatives. She leads a team of 100 academic and professional staff across three academic centers, and focuses on creating synergies across multidisciplinary teams. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from UC Davis, and a master’s degree in public policy from California State University, Sacramento.
Hexter will launch a national search for a permanent dean in the 2018-19 academic year.
THE DOWNLOAD: Clinics, Car, Closure
NEWS BRIEFS: Summer Roadwork Underway
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Incoming staff
Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
Ghent University was founded in 1817 and the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy was one of the four founding faculties. The Faculty of Arts and Philosophy is a dynamic faculty with 5,000 students, spread across three campuses in close proximity to one another.
The Faculty is managed by the Dean, Professor Marc Boone and the Faculty Board. The Dean is assisted by Professor Jean Bourgeois, Director of Studies, and Professor Stef Slembrouck, Director of Research.
The Faculty is divided in 9 academic departments which offer a wide range of Bachelor’s and Master’s courses within the cluster of Humanities, including Philosophy, Art, History, Languages, Literature and Area Studies. Although the official language of the University is Dutch, many courses are offered in English and in other cases, students receive English course material and alternative forms of assessment. Foreign languages, literature and culture are usually taught in their respective languages. Exchange students can combine courses from different fields or specialize in one particular subject, depending on their interests and the curriculum at their home universities.
Research is carried out by the different departments within the Faculty, which enables the Faculty to be active in a broad range of research areas. Through its research groups, the Faculty wants to contribute to the scientific exploration and further development of its academic disciplines. All research groups, projects and publications of the Faculty’s staff can be found on the Faculty research platform.
The Faculty has 9 departments:
Art History, Musicology & Theatre Studies
Comparative sciences of culture
Languages and Cultures (Dutch only)
Linguistics (Dutch only)
Philosophy and moral sciences (Dutch only)
Translation, Interpreting and Communication (Dutch only)
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Book your Flight Tickets Online to your Favorite San Jose Costa Rica Destinations
San Jose Costa Rica
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San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and the largest and most populous city in the country. It is the seat of government, the centre of political and economic activity, and a major transportation hub of Costa Rica. San Jose is considered one of the safest and least violent cities in the Central American region. It is also a centre for culture in Latin America, being made the Ibero-American Capital of Culture. Book cheap flights to San Jose by calling Travel Center UK today! Our team of experienced travel experts is equipped to give you the best deals on cheap flights to San Jose. Culturally, San Jose is almost entirely European, owing to many settlers from Europe migrating to the city in large numbers in the past. The city’s unique architecture alludes to this fact, as it shows the influences of European architectural styles. The city of San Jose is served by the Juan Santamaría International Airport and we have teamed up with world-class airlines to ensure that you travel in safety and comfort to this exciting destination in Costa Rica. Contact us today and ask us about cheap flights to San Jose, and whether you are on business or on holiday to San Jose, we have flights that match your needs. Book cheap flights to San Jose over the phone and get personalised service. You will also get specialised services such as finding the cheapest rates owning to price fluctuations and advice on the best time for booking.
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Travel Tips for when you're in San Jose Costa Rica
Here are the top travel tips for exploring San Jose Costa Rica and living it like a local
UTC/GMT -06 hours
Air France, British Airways, Delta Airlines
spanish,chinese,tagalo,vietnamese
january-april/december
Plane,Car,Sus
1 GBP = 834.738 CRC
Check out our Top 10 attractions in San Jose Costa Rica and make sure you don't miss it
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica is the national museum of Costa Rica, located in the capital of San José.
Cerros de Escazú
The Cerros de Escazú is a mountain range in San José Province, central Costa Rica.
Pre-Columbian Gold Museum
The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is a museum in San José, Costa Rica. It is located in a subterranean building underneath the Plaza de la cultura and is managed by the Banco Central de Costa Rica.
National Theatre of Costa Rica
The National Theatre of Costa Rica is the national theatre of Costa Rica. It is located in the central section of San José, Costa Rica.
Museo de los Niños
The Museo de los Niños is a children's museum, located at the Centro Costarricense de la Ciencia y la Cultura complex in the capital of San José, Costa Rica.
Arenal Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Arenal, is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna.
Celeste River
Celeste River is a river in Tenorio Volcano National Park of Costa Rica. It is notable for its distinctive turquoise coloration. The Celeste River also borders several hot springs and has one large waterfall.
Cerro Chirripó is the highest mountain in Costa Rica, with an elevation of 3,820 metres. It is located in the Chirripó National Park and is noted for its ecological wealth.
Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture
Centro Costarricense de la Ciencia y la Cultura is a science and culture museum complex in Costa Rica. Located in a fortress-like building that once served as the central penitentiary between 1910 and 1979, the center was inaugurated in 1994.
San José Costa Rica Temple
The San José Costa Rica Temple is the 87th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church's First Presidency announced on March 17, 1999 that a temple would be built in San José, Costa Rica.
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The governor said details will be disclosed as required under Alaska law when her annual financial disclosures are due next March. Her advance from the publisher is likely to be paid in stages, though, and it's not clear if she has to disclose the full amount on that report or only the portion received in 2009, according to the state public offices commission.
The book is to be published sometime in the spring of 2010. Palin will collaborate on the book with a professional writer, who is expected to be chosen soon. The governor said she wants to do a lot of the writing herself, and that it will be her story and her words.
"It will be nice to put my journalism degree to work on this and get to tell my story, Alaska's story. There have been so many unauthorized books and publications that have spoken to somebody else's opinion of who I am what my family represents and what Alaska is all about," she said.
Published reports this winter suggested Palin was pursuing an $11 million advance. She called that figure "laughable" in January but has never provided another. Palin she'd give a portion of the book money to charities, although she hasn't decided how much or which ones.
Palin hired Robert Barnett, a Washington D.C. lawyer who is one of the most powerful figures in book publishing, to negotiate the deal for her memoir. His past deals reportedly include $12 million for Bill Clinton's memoir and an $8.5 million advance for Alan Greenspan.
Barnett said in an interview on Tuesday that HarperCollins was "first and fervent" in pursuing the Palin book.
HarperCollins President and CEO Brian Murray said in a written statement that "Governor Palin is one of the most charismatic, inspiring and controversial figures to appear on the national political stage for many years."
"She has a fascinating story to tell and we look forward to publishing what surely will be a captivating book," he said.
HarperCollins said the book will recount her time as mayor of Wasilla, as the first female governor of Alaska, and her rise to the national stage during last year's presidential campaign.
Palin will also share insights on challenges including being a working mother with a son serving in Iraq, another son with Down Syndrome and a teenage daughter who went through an unplanned pregnancy, the publisher said.
"I just really look forward to being able to relate to people through this book, those who are anxious to hear stories about people who are facing similar challenges perhaps. That's balancing work and parenting - in my case work does mean running a state, and family involves a large and fun and colorful ordinary family that really has been thrust into maybe some extra ordinary circumstances," the governor said.
Palin said the book won't interfere with her duties as governor, and others have written books while in leadership positions. She said she won't work on the book during state time and will be jotting down her thoughts "after hours." Palin said she's kept journals throughout much of her life that she will use for the book.
"My journaling really ramped up when I found out that I was pregnant with Trig and then Track was going off to war and I found out Bristol was pregnant," Palin said. "When we had those episodes in our lives come to the surface, it was very therapeutic for me."
Related stories from Tri-City Herald
No matter too small for anti-Palin complaints: Now it's the bus tours
New poll shows slump in Palin's popularity among Alaskans
Palin urged to reconsider plan to reject some stimulus funds
Palin supports parental consent abortion initiative
Palin's online army, 'Team Sarah,' marches on without her
Scenes from a foot chase in Kennewick between police and a wanted man
Look out for this new froyo and custard shop in Kennewick
By Cameron Probert
Benton County deputies are asking for help after a woman walked into a Kadlec emergency room in Kennewick with a gunshot wound on a head. She was able to share information, but investigators want to learn more.
Northwest News
Coyote rescued alive from car’s grille euthanized to stop ‘immense’ pain, rescuers say
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Home ⁄ New York Immigration Law Office
Multiple Entry Visas
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Are You Thinking Of Migrating to NYC, New York, USA?
New York, New York in the United States is a wonderful place to migrate to. New York City is the capital and largest city of New York, USA, with a census area population of 8,244,910 as reported by the 2011 U.S. Census Bureau. The geography of New York City is characterized by its coastal position at the meeting of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean in a naturally sheltered harbor.
“New York is the most immigrant-friendly city in the world.” – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world.
There Are HUGE Opportunities For New Immigrants to Migrate to New York City
Traditionally, New York has long been a working-class city. This makes an ideal situation for people from abroad who want to immigrate to NYC. Today, there are far fewer manufacturing workers than a generation or two ago, but many more service worker opportunities.
H-1B Program Could Be Your Ticket
The financial, insurance, health care, and real estate industries form the basis of New York’s economy. The city is also the most important center for mass media, journalism and publishing in the United States, and is the preeminent arts center in the country. Creative industries such as new media, advertising, fashion, design and architecture account for a growing share of employment, with New York City possessing a strong competitive advantage in these industries.
If you have a job offer for a specialty occupation, perhaps in one of New York’s top industries, the H1-B visa could be right for you. An H-1B Visa is a U.S. work permit that allows foreigners to work “specialty occupations” for U.S. employers. A previous skilled workers program had hit its quota in the US just days into the application period, as reported by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, prompting a lottery and signaling that companies feel confident enough to hire more foreign workers. The H-1B program has not reached its cap and offers the best opportunity for those looking to start a life in New York City.
Want An Assessment to Know If You Qualify to Migrate to New York City?
Our immigration lawyers have the knowledge to let you know if you will qualify to immigrate to New York City. Getting an assessment is easy, just contact us here and book an appointment that is convenient for you. We will ask you series of questions and will spend about 15-30 minutes in a virtual meeting to determine if this would be a good fit for you and your family.
How Our Immigration Lawyers Can Help
If you plan on migrating to New York, NY in the USA, then you’ll want an immigration lawyer who knows the ins and outs of American immigration. Our firm has offices throughout North America, but our corporate office is in Toronto. Even though our main office is not located in New York, if you watch the video above you will quickly see we are able to help anyone in the world immigrate to New York.
Our immigration lawyers have over 30 years combined experience and have successfully processed thousands of US visa applications. We are fully confident we can help you with your immigration matter too! You can get in touch with us here.
Other Interesting Facts & Information About New York City
New York City has four different seasons – spring, summer, fall and winter. The temperatures can be very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. You must plan your activities and your clothing around the temperatures so that you and your family remain safe and healthy. One of the major landmarks of New York City is the Chrysler Building, seen in the photo above on this page. You could also check out Time Square in Manhattan which hosts thousands of people (both local and tourist) passing through each and every day. New York City has a ton of fun activities any family can get involved in.
Once You Arrive in New York City
Once you arrive to New York City and get settled in your new home, you’ll want to do the follow items:
Apply for a Driver’s licence
Apply for a Social Insurance Number
Open a bank account
When you work with our immigration law firm, we make sure we provide you with all the resources you’ll need to settle properly in your new country. If you are interested in immigrating to New York City, be sure to contact our law firm to get an assessment of your case with one of our immigration experts.
Recent Reviews About Our Immigration Lawyers:
Ron T
“Hello Shabnam, Many thanks for your efforts in helping get Linda into the country. We had a fantastic reunion this weekend, and we are elated to be together again. We are now hopeful that things can stay this way. The customs officials gave her a bit of a hard time, and in the end seemed more concerned about her being a flight risk than they were about the DUI. But they let her in nonetheless. Your team has been absolutely wonderful with everything. I cant thank you girls enough!!!”
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“Hi Irene, Everything went pretty well. I got my E-1 visa last week and went to NYC immediately. Thank you so much. The visa is for two years. Best regards! “
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“Hi Fadi, I received my TN1 status! The process was very seamless. The waiting time was about an hour. Once I was called up by the customs officer, they took a look at my documentation package and asked me to have a seat. I was called up again in about 10 minutes where I was told that I had received my TN1. There were absolutely no questions at all from their end, which I was very pleased about.I firmly believe that the documentation you put together was the key in me receiving my TN1 today with absolutely issues. Thank you very much for all of your help and prep!! All the best to you!”
Read more of our testimonials here
Niren and Associates Immigration Lawyers
244 5th Avenue #1864
New York NY,
Appointment required:
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Home » Resources » Public’s Right To Know
Laws about the public’s right to know
Vermont is home to the Open Meeting Law (1 V.S.A. §§ 310-314), which applies to gatherings of public officials, and the Public Records Law (1 V.S.A. §§ 315-320), which applies to public documents.
Both laws are meant to protect the public’s right to know about governmental affairs. The benefits of the laws are extended to working journalists and public citizens alike.
The full texts of both laws are available on the Legislature’s website under Title 1, Chapter 5 of the Vermont Statutes. The Open Meeting law is under Subchapter 2, and the Public Records law is under Subchapter 3.
Working journalists and public citizens are also afforded rights under the federal Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), which provides access to federal information.
Find more information about the laws below.
Find the full text on this page under Subchapter 2.
Main points:
If a quorum of public officials is gathered together making decisions about public affairs, that generally constitutes a public meeting.
Public meetings must be warned in advance.
Public meetings must be open to the public. Certain topics, including but not limited to personnel and contract discussions, may be held in executive session (closed to the public). The public body make a motion to enter into executive session during the public portion of the meeting and must state the reason for entering into executive session.
Minutes must be recorded.
The Legislature significantly altered the law in 2014, requiring municipalities with websites to post meeting minutes online within five business days.
The Vermont Secretary of State’s guide to open meetings.
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns, which supports Vermont municipalities, has an explanatory page dedicated to the law, including an FAQ, in-depth booklet and more.
The Vermont School Boards Association has an easy-to-digest graph on public meeting requirements.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont has a Journalist’s Guide to Open Meetings in PDF format.
Public Records Law
Although there’s a long list exemptions, public records and documents generally include documents produced or acquired in the course of agency business.
Public records can be electronic (i.e. emails) or hard copy documents.
The VLCT has an FAQ with information regarding a town’s responsibilities under the law. Among them are records that are designated confidential by law and records that would cause harm to a person if released.
Members of the public have the right to inspect and copy records that are not exempt. Public agencies have the right to charge for the costs of producing the records.
Written requests for public records:
Although not in every case, public officials sometimes require requests for public records to be submitted in writing. Agencies are required to respond to the initial request within three business days.
Here are some templates for public records requests that you can mold to fit your request.
The ACLU of Vermont has a PDF template from 2014 available here.
The National Freedom of Information Coalition has a text template available here. It provides a good foundation for a new document, but is less detailed than the ACLU’s version.
The New England First Amendment Coalition has partnered with the website Muckrock.com to help citizens file public records requests using this form.
The Vermont Secretary of State’s written guide to the public records law.
The Secretary of State also put together a lengthy slideshow presentation about public records.
The Vermont ACLU has a Journalist’s Guide to Public Records in PDF format.
Federal Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA)
Full text here.
The National Freedom of Information Coalition, an education and outreach resource based at the Missouri School of Journalism, has sample letters for FOIA requests, appeals and more.
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< Women in Business 2018
Michelle Simpson Tuegel
Hunt & Tuegel, PLLC
If arrested or charged with a crime, you need an aggressive attorney who is passionate about protecting the rights of clients. Michelle Simpson Tuegel is a bright, hardworking trial attorney practicing criminal defense in Waco. Michelle, a graduate of Baylor Law School, became Russ Hunt, Sr.’s law partner in January 2013, forming Hunt & Tuegel, PLLC. Michelle has tried several high profile cases for capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, aggravated robbery and federal felony drug cases. She also handles personal injury cases and was one of the first attorneys to file a lawsuit connected to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Michelle has appeared on several television programs and in publications from CNN to USA Today. Before her career, Michelle was a world-class athlete ranked third in the world and first in the United States in women’s slalom water skiing, and her intense drive to win has carried over to her legal career. She is among the youngest capital murder second-chair qualified attorneys in Texas. Selected for the Texas Monthly Super Lawyers Rising Star list for the past three years, Michelle was also named to the Texas Monthly Super Lawyers Rising Star list, Up and Coming Top 100 Lawyers, Up and Coming Top 50 Women Lawyers and named to the top 100 by the National Trial Lawyers. She is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Board of Directors and Title IX Committee. Michelle’s law partner, Russ Hunt, Sr. has practiced criminal law for more than 40 years. He is board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also one of the few Martindale Hubbell AV-rated criminal defense attorneys in central Texas. Together Michelle and Russ make a dynamic team.
425 Austin Avenue
ALICO Building, Suite 1208
www.rhuntlaw.com
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Acts of Faith
Southern Baptist leader who advised abused women not to divorce doubles down, says he has nothing to apologize for
Paige Patterson at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s commencement on Friday. (Sarah Pulliam Bailey)
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey
Sarah Pulliam Bailey
Reporter covering religion
FORT WORTH — A prominent Southern Baptist leader whose comments about spousal abuse set off a firestorm last week said in an interview Friday that he couldn’t “apologize for what I didn’t do wrong.”
Wearing a black cowboy hat as he led graduates down the aisle, Paige Patterson set off laughter at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s commencement when he joked about quarreling Baptists. Patterson’s advice to abused women not to divorce has set off a huge public backlash among evangelicals – but not at the conservative Texas seminary where the 75-year-old is president.
The seminary, which instructs women not to teach men and offers them classes in homemaking, this week fired a PhD seminary student from his $40,000-a-year job for simply tweeting about the Patterson debate, telling him that he was “indiscreet” and that his decision to speak publicly about the dispute “does not exhibit conduct becoming a follower of Jesus” and shows he was not properly deferring to “those placed in authority over you.”
As some wondered this week whether the seminary trustees could remove its president, Patterson appeared to double down on Friday, saying in an interview that “allegations have been given on me all my life” and adding that he was being falsely accused but declining to provide examples. During the ceremony, Patterson sat front and center in a red velvet chair, casually twirling his black glasses before addressing the graduates without directly addressing the controversy.
Patterson’s comments about divorce, which were made in 2000 but weren’t widely circulated until last weekend, caused Southern Baptist leaders to scramble to denounce domestic abuse. The most surprising remarks in the recording came when Patterson tells the story of a woman who came to him about abuse, and how he counseled her to pray for God to intervene. The woman, he said, came to him later with two black eyes. “She said: ‘I hope you’re happy.’ And I said ‘Yes … I’m very happy,’ ” because her husband had heard her prayers and come to church for the first time the next day.
[Southern Baptist leader’s advice to abused women sends leaders scrambling to respond]
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, numerous powerful men have come under scrutiny over sexist treatment of women. But Patterson, who has long held a special status within the nation’s largest Protestant denomination for his role in a conservative takeover of the convention going back decades, is known for not backing down from positions.
Paige Patterson, fourth from left, at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary commencement on Friday. He is surrounded by vice presidents of the seminary. (Sarah Pulliam Bailey)
After his 2000 comments were published on a blog, he stated that while he would never recommend divorce, he has advised abused women to leave their husbands. Although Patterson issued a statement earlier this week with his trustees that did not mention resignation or retirement, two seminary graduates who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the seminary trustees, who control Patterson’s future, have been divided over how to handle its controversial president who some say has a pattern of poor behavior.
Patterson, in the interview, referred to the PhD student who was fired. “If you are going to be problematic and you’re indiscreet, you’ll be fired,” he said.
Nathan Montgomery, a PhD student in the philosophy program at the seminary, who recorded the meeting where he was fired, was told that his tweet did not exhibit loyalty to the seminary and that it did not reflect the institutional voice.
“Public disagreement does not align with Scripture,” a document outlining Montgomery’s termination states.
Montgomery, 31, said he also lost his tuition-free arrangement with the seminary, which was $7,000 a year. He has been working for the seminary in dining services since he began there in 2011, and has been the catering kitchen manager for the past two years.
On Tuesday, he retweeted a blog post from Ed Stetzer where Stetzer, the executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, recommended Patterson retire. In his blog post, Stetzer listed a series of actions by Patterson that have raised concerns among Southern Baptists.
I've had many friends asking me about this, because they know I am a current student at Southwestern. I believe it is my moral obligation to give a public response. This is the best article I have read, and I agree with it fully. https://t.co/TPfhk3lqzA via @edstetzer
— Nathan (@montynem) May 1, 2018
One reason why Patterson’s comments have generated such backlash is because he is slated to give the sermon at the Southern Baptists’ upcoming annual meeting in Dallas in June, considered a high honor for any pastor. If the question is still on the table, Patterson would have to decline to preach, or the entire convention would have to vote to rescind the honor, so some Southern Baptists worry the issue will drag on for weeks. When asked whether he still plans to give that sermon, Patterson said, “I have no comment. I try to follow the Lord as much as possible, and he’s said not a word.”
In his blog post, Stetzer, a Southern Baptist, highlighted how it puts the convention in a tricky spot.
“If Paige Patterson preaches at the SBC, he will, because of his past work, get a standing ovation,” Stetzer wrote in a blog post for Christianity Today. “Every news story will point to that moment … and say that Southern Baptists don’t take abuse seriously. … It’s a message to women that we must not send.”
In Montgomery’s tweet promoting Stetzer’s blog post, he said he believed he should say something publicly, but he said he didn’t expect anything to happen.
Patterson said in the interview that Montgomery had “a long history,” but declined to provide specifics. The document that lists reasons for Montgomery’s termination cited just one previous incident, which Montgomery said was a misunderstanding over catering for Patterson’s wife. He said he has never been given any warnings.
Montgomery still hopes to stay at the seminary, where he expects his PhD will take another four years to finish.
“I’m for the school,” he said while he sipped a Starbucks iced tea. “This is not a personal attack.”
Some students, however, support Patterson’s position on abuse and divorce. R. Patel, 29, who received his degree in preaching on Friday, said he, too, would encourage women not to divorce and instead separate from an abusive spouse.
“I was disappointed by the firestorm on Twitter,” he said. “I consider Dr. Patterson my hero of the faith.”
Some Southern Baptists say Patterson’s comments reflect larger attitudes about women within the seminary and the denomination’s circles. Southern Baptists hold to a theology of complementarianism, the belief that men and women are created as equal but have differing roles — specifically in the church and home. The Southern Baptist Convention does not support ordaining women.
Some more extreme adherents of complementarianism believe that women should not work outside of the home. This belief is held by many at Southwestern seminary, where women are not permitted to oversee men professionally and female students are allowed to get specific degrees that enable them to teach other women.
Rebecca Neyhard, a graduate of the seminary who worked in public relations from 2009 to 2011, where she wrote about the seminary’s homemaking degree, said Patterson’s recommendation that abused women should return to their husbands was an idea she heard repeated in her systematic theology class, an Old Testament class and a women’s ministry class.
“To counter such a ‘feminist idea,’ no-fault divorce, the attempts were shotgun-wide, and one of them was the idea that abused women should partake in the sufferings of Christ, or be like God loving humanity and being continually rejected by him over and over,” Neyhard wrote in an email. “Just as long as they stay together, they promote the one man, one woman marriage ideology that was so important to the movement.”
Patterson has given other advice to abused women since those comments in 2000. In a sermon he delivered in 2013, Patterson suggested women who have had “a problem in your home” should not bring their case to a judge because it could get in the way of that judge becoming a Christian.
“Settle it within the church of God,” he said. “And if you suffer for it, and if you were misused, and if you were abused, and if you’re not represented properly, it’s okay. You can trust it to the God who judges justly.”
He then prayed, “Lord, may we make up our minds that we won’t take our troubles to the press, we won’t take our troubles to the government, we won’t take our troubles anywhere except to the people of God and beyond that to the Lord Jesus.”
Another sermon has stirred up questions about whether Patterson’s objectifies women. In 2014, Patterson used a story in one of his sermons about an interaction he witnessed. In the story, a 16-year-old girl walked by and, Patterson said, “she was nice.” One young man commented, “Man, is she built.” A woman nearby slapped her hand over the young man’s mouth and scolded him. Patterson said he responded to the woman, “Ma’am, leave him alone. He’s just being biblical.” The audience laughed.
When asked about that sermon, Patterson on Friday declined to comment.
Patterson’s comments about a woman being “built” is part of a series of faux pas and it’s time for him to retire, Stetzer said on Friday.
“That’s a wink and a nod to a sexual reference,” said Stetzer, who noted that he has a 16-year-old daughter. “If I had a youth pastor who made that joke, I’d fire him on the spot. That’s creepy.”
And in 2010, Patterson called out female seminary students for not doing enough to make themselves pretty, saying, “It shouldn’t be any wonder why some of you don’t get a second look.”
Patterson’s comments have drawn a fierce backlash from Southern Baptist women, who do not usually hold formal leadership roles in the convention but are hugely influential. Most notably, Bible teacher Beth Moore, who attends a Southern Baptist church and has openly spoken of abuse by a family member when she was a child, has been tweeting about sexism this week. On Thursday, she published a blog post outlining the sexism she has faced within evangelical circles.
“[E]arly October 2016 surfaced attitudes among some key Christian leaders that smacked of misogyny, objectification and astonishing disesteem of women and it spread like wildfire,” she said, referring to the month that Donald Trump’s “Access Hollywood” tapes, where he bragged about sexual abuse, came out. Patterson endorsed Trump from the chapel stage, according to a graduate who was present.
The last time the SBC issued a resolution about domestic abuse was in 1979. In 2011, it issued a resolution on marriage, citing concern for the high rates of divorce among Southern Baptists. “We do not serve those who are hurting from divorce by speaking to them only in therapeutic terms rather than in terms of both repentance and forgiveness,” the resolution states.
Michelle Boorstein contributed to this report.
Clarification: This piece has been updated to clarify that Southern Baptist churches ordain preachers, not seminaries, and that the convention does not support ordaining women.
Boeing and Southwest Airlines conspired to hide flaws in the 737 Max jet, lawsuit alleges
Perspective If you can’t stand the heat, don’t be a Civil War reenactor
Oppressive heat and humidity, the most extreme this year, may hit Washington late this week
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‘I need loyalty’: James Comey’s riveting prepared testimony about what Trump asked him, annotated
By Amber Phillips and
Reporter for The Fix covering Congress, statehouses
Peter W. Stevenson
Senior video producer covering national news and politics
On Thursday, now-fired FBI director James B. Comey is going to testify in front of the Senate committee investigating Russia meddling, specifically about what he says President Trump asked him to do with regard to the investigation. The Senate Intelligence Committee just released Comey's prepared testimony, and it is remarkable. The Fix has annotated some key parts. To read them, click on a highlighted text, go to the top right corner of your screen, select "all annotations," and read away. Oh, and sign up for a Genius account to add your own.
Statement for the Record Senate Select Committee on Intelligence James B. Comey June 8, 2017
Chairman Burr, Ranking Member Warner, Members of the Committee. Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. I was asked to testify today to describe for you my interactions with President-Elect and President Trump on subjects that I understand are of interest to you. I have not included every detail from my conversations with the President, but, to the best of my recollection, I have tried to include information that may be relevant to the Committee.
January 6 Briefing
I first met then-President-Elect Trump on Friday, January 6 in a conference room at Trump Tower in New York. I was there with other Intelligence Community (IC) leaders to brief him and his new national security team on the findings of an IC assessment concerning Russian efforts to interfere in the election. At the conclusion of that briefing, I remained alone with the President-Elect to brief him on some personally sensitive aspects of the information assembled during the assessment.
The IC leadership thought it important, for a variety of reasons, to alert the incoming President to the existence of this material, even though it was salacious and unverified. Among those reasons were: (1) we knew the media was about to publicly report the material and we believed the IC should not keep knowledge of the material and its imminent release from the President-Elect; and (2) to the extent there was some effort to compromise an incoming President, we could blunt any such effort with a defensive briefing.
The Director of National Intelligence asked that I personally do this portion of the briefing because I was staying in my position and because the material implicated the FBI’s counter-intelligence responsibilities. We also agreed I would do it alone to minimize potential embarrassment to the President-Elect. Although we agreed it made sense for me to do the briefing, the FBI’s leadership and I were concerned that the briefing might create a situation where a new President came into office uncertain about whether the FBI was conducting a counter-intelligence investigation of his personal conduct.
It is important to understand that FBI counter-intelligence investigations are different than the more-commonly known criminal investigative work. The Bureau’s goal in a counter-intelligence investigation is to understand the technical and human methods that hostile foreign powers are using to influence the United States or to steal our secrets. The FBI uses that understanding to disrupt those efforts. Sometimes disruption takes the form of alerting a person who is targeted for recruitment or influence by the foreign power. Sometimes it involves hardening a computer system that is being attacked. Sometimes it involves “turning” the recruited person into a double-agent, or publicly calling out the behavior with sanctions or expulsions of embassy-based intelligence officers. On occasion, criminal prosecution is used to disrupt intelligence activities.
Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counterintelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power. When the FBI develops reason to believe an American has been targeted for recruitment by a foreign power or is covertly acting as an agent of the foreign power, the FBI will “open an investigation” on that American and use legal authorities to try to learn more about the nature of any relationship with the foreign power so it can be disrupted.
In that context, prior to the January 6 meeting, I discussed with the FBI’s leadership team whether I should be prepared to assure President-Elect Trump that we were not investigating him personally. That was true; we did not have an open counter-intelligence case on him. We agreed I should do so if circumstances warranted. During our one-on-one meeting at Trump Tower, based on President-Elect Trump’s reaction to the briefing and without him directly asking the question, I offered that assurance.
I felt compelled to document my first conversation with the President-Elect in a memo. To ensure accuracy, I began to type it on a laptop in an FBI vehicle outside Trump Tower the moment I walked out of the meeting. Creating written records immediately after one-on-one conversations with Mr. Trump was my practice from that point forward. This had not been my practice in the past. I spoke alone with President Obama twice in person (and never on the phone) – once in 2015 to discuss law enforcement policy issues and a second time, briefly, for him to say goodbye in late 2016. In neither of those circumstances did I memorialize the discussions. I can recall nine one-on-one conversations with President Trump in four months – three in person and six on the phone.
January 27 Dinner
The President and I had dinner on Friday, January 27 at 6:30 pm in the Green Room at the White House. He had called me at lunchtime that day and invited me to dinner that night, saying he was going to invite my whole family, but decided to have just me this time, with the whole family coming the next time. It was unclear from the conversation who else would be at the dinner, although I assumed there would be others.
It turned out to be just the two of us, seated at a small oval table in the center of the Green Room. Two Navy stewards waited on us, only entering the room to serve food and drinks.
The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.
My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI’s traditionally independent status in the executive branch.
I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten-year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not “reliable” in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody’s side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.
A few moments later, the President said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner.
At one point, I explained why it was so important that the FBI and the Department of Justice be independent of the White House. I said it was a paradox: Throughout history, some Presidents have decided that because “problems” come from Justice, they should try to hold the Department close. But blurring those boundaries ultimately makes the problems worse by undermining public trust in the institutions and their work.
Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, “I need loyalty.” I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term – honest loyalty – had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.
During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.
As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI.
February 14 Oval Office Meeting
On February 14, I went to the Oval Office for a scheduled counterterrorism briefing of the President. He sat behind the desk and a group of us sat in a semi-circle of about six chairs facing him on the other side of the desk. The Vice President, Deputy Director of the CIA, Director of the National CounterTerrorism Center, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and I were in the semi-circle of chairs. I was directly facing the President, sitting between the Deputy CIA Director and the Director of NCTC. There were quite a few others in the room, sitting behind us on couches and chairs.
The President signaled the end of the briefing by thanking the group and telling them all that he wanted to speak to me alone. I stayed in my chair. As the participants started to leave the Oval Office, the Attorney General lingered by my chair, but the President thanked him and said he wanted to speak only with me. The last person to leave was Jared Kushner, who also stood by my chair and exchanged pleasantries with me. The President then excused him, saying he wanted to speak with me.
When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the President began by saying, “I want to talk about Mike Flynn.” Flynn had resigned the previous day. The President began by saying Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking with the Russians, but he had to let him go because he had misled the Vice President. He added that he had other concerns about Flynn, which he did not then specify.
The President then made a long series of comments about the problem with leaks of classified information – a concern I shared and still share. After he had spoken for a few minutes about leaks, Reince Priebus leaned in through the door by the grandfather clock and I could see a group of people waiting behind him. The President waved at him to close the door, saying he would be done shortly. The door closed.
The President then returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot.” He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” I replied only that “he is a good guy.” (In fact, I had a positive experience dealing with Mike Flynn when he was a colleague as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the beginning of my term at FBI.) I did not say I would “let this go.”
The President returned briefly to the problem of leaks. I then got up and left out the door by the grandfather clock, making my way through the large group of people waiting there, including Mr. Priebus and the Vice President.
I immediately prepared an unclassified memo of the conversation about Flynn and discussed the matter with FBI senior leadership. I had understood the President to be requesting that we drop any investigation of Flynn in connection with false statements about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in December. I did not understand the President to be talking about the broader investigation into Russia or possible links to his campaign. I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn’s departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls. Regardless, it was very concerning, given the FBI’s role as an independent investigative agency.
The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President’s request, which we did not intend to abide. We also concluded that, given that it was a one-on-one conversation, there was nothing available to corroborate my account. We concluded it made little sense to report it to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia-related investigations. (He did so two weeks later.) The Deputy Attorney General’s role was then filled in an acting capacity by a United States Attorney, who would also not be long in the role. After discussing the matter, we decided to keep it very closely held, resolving to figure out what to do with it down the road as our investigation progressed. The investigation moved ahead at full speed, with none of the investigative team members – or the Department of Justice lawyers supporting them – aware of the President’s request.
Shortly afterwards, I spoke with Attorney General Sessions in person to pass along the President’s concerns about leaks. I took the opportunity to implore the Attorney General to prevent any future direct communication between the President and me. I told the AG that what had just happened – him being asked to leave while the FBI Director, who reports to the AG, remained behind – was inappropriate and should never happen. He did not reply. For the reasons discussed above, I did not mention that the President broached the FBI’s potential investigation of General Flynn.
March 30 Phone Call
On the morning of March 30, the President called me at the FBI. He described the Russia investigation as “a cloud” that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country. He said he had nothing to do with Russia, had not been involved with hookers in Russia, and had always assumed he was being recorded when in Russia. He asked what we could do to “lift the cloud.” I responded that we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could, and that there would be great benefit, if we didn’t find anything, to our having done the work well. He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.
Then the President asked why there had been a congressional hearing about Russia the previous week – at which I had, as the Department of Justice directed, confirmed the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. I explained the demands from the leadership of both parties in Congress for more information, and that Senator Grassley had even held up the confirmation of the Deputy Attorney General until we briefed him in detail on the investigation. I explained that we had briefed the leadership of Congress on exactly which individuals we were investigating and that we had told those Congressional leaders that we were not personally investigating President Trump. I reminded him I had previously told him that. He repeatedly told me, “We need to get that fact out.” (I did not tell the President that the FBI and the Department of Justice had been reluctant to make public statements that we did not have an open case on President Trump for a number of reasons, most importantly because it would create a duty to correct, should that change.)
The President went on to say that if there were some “satellite” associates of his who did something wrong, it would be good to find that out, but that he hadn’t done anything wrong and hoped I would find a way to get it out that we weren’t investigating him.
In an abrupt shift, he turned the conversation to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, saying he hadn’t brought up “the McCabe thing” because I had said McCabe was honorable, although McAuliffe was close to the Clintons and had given him (I think he meant Deputy Director McCabe’s wife) campaign money. Although I didn’t understand why the President was bringing this up, I repeated that Mr. McCabe was an honorable person.
He finished by stressing “the cloud” that was interfering with his ability to make deals for the country and said he hoped I could find a way to get out that he wasn’t being investigated. I told him I would see what we could do, and that we would do our investigative work well and as quickly as we could.
Immediately after that conversation, I called Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente (AG Sessions had by then recused himself on all Russia-related matters), to report the substance of the call from the President, and said I would await his guidance. I did not hear back from him before the President called me again two weeks later.
April 11 Phone Call
On the morning of April 11, the President called me and asked what I had done about his request that I “get out” that he is not personally under investigation. I replied that I had passed his request to the Acting Deputy Attorney General, but I had not heard back. He replied that “the cloud” was getting in the way of his ability to do his job. He said that perhaps he would have his people reach out to the Acting Deputy Attorney General. I said that was the way his request should be handled. I said the White House Counsel should contact the leadership of DOJ to make the request, which was the traditional channel.
He said he would do that and added, “Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know.” I did not reply or ask him what he meant by “that thing.” I said only that the way to handle it was to have the White House Counsel call the Acting Deputy Attorney General. He said that was what he would do and the call ended.
That was the last time I spoke with President Trump.
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North Korea working to conceal key aspects of its nuclear program, U.S. officials say
President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. After the summit, Trump said “there is no longer a nuclear threat” from North Korea. New U.S. intelligence reports are saying otherwise. (Evan Vucci/AP)
By Ellen Nakashima and
Ellen Nakashima
National security reporter
Joby Warrick
National security reporter covering terrorism, rogue states, weapons proliferation
U.S. intelligence officials, citing newly obtained evidence, have concluded that North Korea does not intend to fully surrender its nuclear stockpile, and instead is considering ways to conceal the number of weapons it has and secret production facilities, according to U.S. officials.
The evidence, collected in the wake of the June 12 summit in Singapore, points to preparations to deceive the United States about the number of nuclear warheads in North Korea’s arsenal as well as the existence of undisclosed facilities used to make fissile material for nuclear bombs, the officials said.
The findings support a new, previously undisclosed Defense Intelligence Agency estimate that North Korea is unlikely to denuclearize.
The assessment stands in stark contrast to President Trump’s exuberant comments following the summit, when he declared on Twitter that “there is no longer a nuclear threat” from North Korea. At a recent rally, he also said he had “great success’’ with Pyongyang.
Intelligence officials and many North Korea experts have generally taken a more cautious view, noting that leader Kim Jong Un’s vague commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is a near-echo of earlier pledges from North Korean leaders over the past two decades, even as they accelerated efforts to build nuclear weapons in secret.
[North Korea’s dispersed and hidden weapons complex highlights the challenge of denuclearization]
The new intelligence, described by four officials who have seen it or received briefings, is based on material gathered in the weeks since the summit. The officials insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive assessments about a country that has long been one of the most difficult targets for spy agencies to penetrate. Some aspects of the U.S. intelligence were reported Friday by NBC News.
Specifically, the DIA has concluded that North Korean officials are exploring ways to deceive Washington about the number of nuclear warheads and missiles, and the types and numbers of facilities they have, believing that the United States is not aware of the full range of their activities.
Some U.S. intelligence officials have for at least a year believed that the number of warheads is about 65, as reported last year by The Washington Post. But North Korean officials are suggesting that they declare far fewer.
The lone uranium-enrichment facility that has been acknowledged by North Korea is in Yongbyon, 60 miles north of Pyongyang. That site is estimated to have produced fissile material for as many as a couple of dozen warheads.
Meanwhile, the North Koreans also have operated a secret underground uranium enrichment site known as Kangson, which was first reported in May by The Washington Post. That site is believed by most officials to have twice the enrichment capacity of Yongbyon. U.S. intelligence agencies became aware of the nuclear facility in 2010.
In recent years, the United States, through imagery and computer hacking, has improved its intelligence collection in North Korea. Officials in Pyongyang are seeking to obfuscate the true number of their weapons facilities, and U.S. intelligence officials believe that more than just one hidden site exists. The Post is withholding details at the request of intelligence officials.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined requests for comment.
[Trump and Kim declare summit a big success, but they diverge on the details]
North Korea expert David Albright, a former United Nations weapons inspector and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, said the assessments come at a time when “there’s a worry that the Trump administration may go soft, and accept a deal that focuses on Yongbyon and forgets about these other sites.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has acknowledged that it could take years to implement any agreement on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear stockpile, a hard-won asset that North Korean leaders regard as a guarantor of their survival. Asked by senators on Wednesday about the status of private talks with North Korean officials, he declined to offer specifics.
“I’m not prepared to talk about the details of the discussions that are taking place,” he said in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. “I think it would be inappropriate and, frankly, counterproductive to achieving the end state that we’re hoping to achieve.”
Asked about Trump’s claim that the North Korea threat had been eliminated, Pompeo said Trump had meant to say only that the threat had been reduced. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” he said.
While North Korea made a public show in June of demolishing the country’s main nuclear weapons test site, there has been little public evidence of efforts to dismantle scores of other sites linked to production of nuclear and chemical weapons and delivery systems.
Even if North Korea’s promises were sincere, it could take years of work, accompanied by an unprecedented agreement to grant access to outside inspectors, before U.S. officials could confidently say that the weapons threat has been neutralized.
As of now, there is little proof that North Korea intends to go down that road, longtime North Korea observers say.
“North Korea has made no new commitments to denuclearization, and in fact has backed away from its previous commitments,” Abraham M. Denmark, Asia Program director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, told a House committee in late June.
“North Korea remains free to manufacture more nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction — even though it has unilaterally frozen testing of its nuclear weapons and certain ballistic missiles,” he said. “There is no deadline for them to eliminate their illegal capabilities, or even freeze their continued production.”
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IPods call the tune
By - The Washington Times - Sunday, November 27, 2005
The jukebox at the bar Brian Toro manages isn’t gathering dust just yet — but it may only be a matter of time.
The popular nightspot is among a growing number of places across the country where people can bring their IPods and other portable music players and, for as long as the bartender allows, share their personal favorites with the crowd.
“Everybody wants to be a DJ,” says Mr. Toro, a 29-year-old Californian who recently moved to Chicago and now manages Bar Louie in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood. “People enjoy having a little control in their lives.”
Even Mr. Toro now brings in his music player so he can crank up rock and punk tunes for customers. He’ll also let others play just about anything — “even if it’s country” — as long as the music is upbeat.
The trend, which is catching on from the District to San Pedro, Calif., is a reflection of just how portable music has become — and how sharing it with others is becoming easier than ever, partly due to new products aimed at amateur DJs.
Numark Industries, for instance, is out with a mixing device that allows users with two IPods to segue one song into the next. It’s fairly basic stuff — and not something necessarily aimed at professional DJs.
Some professional DJs say they’re waiting for technology that would enable them to perform on a single portable player all the creative mixing and “scratching” they do with vinyl albums.
Already, many do so using software and a laptop, or larger MP3/CD player consoles made by such companies as Denon. But in the era of rapidly shrinking electronics, people want their gear as portable and lightweight as possible.
For amateurs, a basic IPod or other small portable player — and a simple hookup into a bar’s sound system — suffices.
That’s how it works at the Common Ground Bar and Grill in the Allston section of Boston, where amateurs can sign up to play 15-minute sets during “MP3j night” every Wednesday.
Depending on the crowd, it might be a “chill night,” with customers playing mellow jazz or obscure electronica, says Shannon Bullard, a 22-year-old Emerson College student who can often be found at the bar with her IPod.
Other times, someone might be inspired, as her boyfriend was recently, to play a high-powered rock mix with everything from Bon Jovi to Journey.
“I’ve been here some nights when people dance. It’s always something different,” says Miss Bullard, who also heard the crowd groan one night when someone played a cheesy remake of a popular tune by The Smiths.
“It’s still one of those things where if you play the latest song, you’re cool — and in the know,” she says.
Experts who track technology trends say they’re not surprised people are sharing more music in public.
“It’s the same thing as sharing a hot new 45 or tape or CD,” says Susan Barnes, associate director of the Lab for Social Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York.
She also sees it as more proof that — while some have accused a new wave of music listeners of shutting out the world with their headphones — technology is actually encouraging people to socialize.
“All this stuff is set up for people to meet other people — not isolate,” Ms. Barnes says.
John von Seggern, a laptop DJ and producer in Los Angeles, also sees DJing as part of an overall movement toward decentralizing control of many forms of media — whether it be through podcasting, blogging or musicians and authors offering their work direct for downloading on the Internet.
And that, he says, creates even more need for self-appointed reviewers and content editors — DJs included.
“It becomes more and more of an art form to select out what is good — because a lot of what’s out there is not good,” says Mr. von Seggern, author of the book “Laptop Music Power: The Comprehensive Guide.”
Often, it’s not about the technology, professionals say.
“You can have the fanciest gadgets and gizmos, but if you don’t get your crowd, there will still be nobody on the dance floor,” says Patrick Kowalczyk, a 37-year-old New Yorker who works in public relations and DJs during his off hours.
But, while they’re waiting for technology that will make IPods and other small MP3 players even more useful on the club scene, he and many other DJs already see some advantages to carrying one along.
“It’s much lighter than hauling around vinyl,” says Kendra Borowski, a 26-year-old New Yorker who got an IPod 10 months ago and now uses it at her DJing gigs at bars and nightclubs.
She’s also gotten a kick out of impressing friends by using an adapter with a built-in FM transmitter to play tunes from her personal library on cab radios as they ride through the city.
Portable players also provide an easy way for professionals to expand their musical library in a pinch.
Kenny Ulansey, who leads a self-titled ensemble in the Philadelphia area, finds it handy to use a player to supplement the songs his band performs at weddings, as well as bat and bar mitzvahs for Jewish teens.
“We’d go bonkers learning too many awful songs,” the 53-year-old sax player says, referring to requests they get from the younger crowd for alternative rock, hip-hop songs “or the latest teeny-bop sensation.”
In that regard, he calls his portable music player “a savior.”
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What to watch tonight in PyeongChang: Lindsey Vonn in Primetime, USA vs. OAR men’s hockey
Posted: Feb 16, 2018 / 01:15 PM EST / Updated: Feb 16, 2018 / 01:15 PM EST
There is a plethora of events for you to feast your eyes on in PyeongChang tonight.
Curling continues round-robin play for both the men’s and women’s teams. Medals will be presented in the women’s 4x5km relay of cross-country skiing. Maama Biney looks to bounce back in the women’s 1500m, and medals will be presented for the men’s 1000m in short track. There are also a variety of freestyle skiing events ranging from aerials to ski jumping.
The United States men’s hockey team also returns to action when it faces the OAR. The U.S. would clinch a spot in the quarterfinals with a win or draw. The women’s hockey tournament also continues with some quarterfinal matchups.
Get your skeleton fix before it’s over. The final two runs for the women are tonight. Who will go home with a medal? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
Catch all that and more either on NBC or right here at NBCOlympics.com.
Primetime on NBC
After back-to-back disappointing performances in the short program, Nathan Chen is on the brink of being taken out of medal contention. He made mistakes on every required jump and is currently sitting in 17th place with a score of 82.27. Adam Rippon fared much better in his routine, scoring 87.95 to put him in seventh place. Vincent Zhou, the youngest member on Team USA, landed the first quad Lutz in his program. He is sitting in 12th place with a score of 84.53. Yuzuru Hanyu is in first place, and depending on the outcome tonight, he could be on his way to the top of the podium.
Mikaela Shiffrin will not be competing in the super-G because she did not enough time to properly prepare between events but Lindsay Vonn will be competing in the super-G. Vonn, who took home the bronze in this event eight years ago in Vancouver, is hopeful she will do even better this time around in PyeongChang.
The women’s skeleton will also conclude tonight in Primetime. Jacqueline Loelling, the reigning world champion from Germany, currently leads the competition after the first two runs, while Austria’s Janine Flock is just .02 seconds behind. Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Lizzy Yarnold, the defending gold medalist, sits in third.
Take a look back at this morning’s women’s aerials finals, where Team USA’s rising star Madison Olsen attempted to turn heads in her first Olympics. She competed in a stacked field, which featured 2014 gold medalist Alla Tsuper and fellow Belarusian Hanna Huskova as well as a trio of strong Chinese skiers: Sochi silver medalist Xu Mengtao, Kong Fanyu and Zhang Xin.
Watch on TV: NBC 8p.m. ET/ 5p.m. PT
NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App: Stream LIVE here
The men’s tournament is truly wide open. It’s anyone’s game this year, as we’ve already seen a number of surprises early in the preliminary round: Slovakia upset pre-tournament favorite OAR, while Slovenia edged Team USA in overtime. Meanwhile, host South Korea-despite its 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic-believes it can stir things up in the tournament after a solid debut.
The U.S has a date with the OAR at 7:10a.m. ET with pole position in Group B on the line, meaning both teams are hungry for a win. A win or draw would clinch the U.S. a spot in the quarterfinals.
Men’s Preliminary Round
CAN vs. CZE Stream LIVE Here 10:10p.m. ET / 7:10p.m. PT
KOR vs. SUI Stream LIVE Here 2:40a.m. ET / 11:40p.m. PT
OAR vs. USA Stream LIVE Here 7:10a.m. ET / 4:10a.m. PT
SLO vs. SVK Stream LIVE Here 7:10a.m. ET / 4:10a.m. PT
There are two quarterfinal games in the women’s hockey tournament on tonight. Start your night off with the Olympic Athletes from Russia taking on Switzerland. Talk about two polar opposite teams-OAR has lost every game in the tournament so far while the Swiss are undefeated in group play. The OAR women can’t seem to find their groove in PyeongChang. The team has struggled to score, though OAR was finally able to grab a goal in its 5-1 loss to Finland.
Meanwhile, the Swiss are undefeated largely thanks to dominance between the pipes: Florence Schelling has broken the Olympic record for wins in a single tournament (9). Switzerland has been solid offensively thanks to Sara Benz and Alina Muller, who have consistenly put the puck in the net.
Women’s Quarterfinals
OAR vs. SUI Stream LIVE Here 10:10p.m. ET / 7:10p.m. PT
FIN vs. SWE Stream LIVE Here 2:40a.m. ET / 11:40p.m. PT
Spend some quality time with curling, as both the men’s and women’s round-robin tournaments continue. The U.S. women will take on the Olympic Athletes from Russia and then turn their attention to Canada. The Canadians, who entered the tournament as gold medal favorites, have started round robin play with three straight losses.
Women’s Round-Robin Tournament
SUI vs. SWE Stream Live Here 7:05p.m. ET / 4:05p.m. PT
OAR vs. USA Stream LIVE Here 7:05p.m. ET / 4:05p.m. PT
JPN vs. CHN Stream LIVE Here 7:05p.m. ET / 4:05p.m. PT
DEN vs. GBR Stream LIVE Here 7:05p.m. ET / 4:05p.m. PT
OAR vs. JPN Stream LIVE Here 6:05a.m. ET / 3:05a.m. PT
CHN vs. JPN Stream LIVE Here 6:05a.m. ET / 3:05a.m. PT
KOR vs. GBR Stream LIVE Here 6:05a.m. ET / 3:05a.m. PT
USA vs. CAN Stream LIVE Here 6:05a.m. ET / 3:05a.m. PT
Men’s Round-Robin Tournament
KOR vs. GBR Stream LIVE Here 12:05a.m. ET / 9:05p.m. PT
SUI vs. NOR Stream LIVE Here 12:05a.m. ET / 9:05p.m. PT
JPN vs. ITA Stream LIVE Here 12:05a.m. ET / 9:05p.m. PT
The U.S women will ski for their first Olympic medal. This women’s team is the best the U.S. has had at the Games and will be quite the competition for medal favorites Finland and Norway.
Women’s 4x5km Relay: Stream LIVE Here 4:30a.m. ET/ 1:30a.m. PT
Catch Maame Biney in action as the women’s 1500m starts this morning. After a dissapointing 500m, she is looking to rebound in this event.
Womens 1500m and Men’s 1000m Finals: Stream LIVE Here 5:00a.m. ET / 2:00a.m. PT
With medals being given out for two events (women’s ski slope and men’s large hill ski jumping) and men’s aerials just getting started, get your thrills (and probably spills) in with freestyle skiing. In women’s ski slopestyle, Team USA’s Devin Logan is back after winning silver at the 2014 Sochi Games. Maddie Voisin is another American to watch.
Women’s Ski Slope Preliminary Round: Stream LIVE Here 8:00p.m. ET / 4:00p.m. PT
Women’s Ski Slope Final: Stream LIVE Here 11:00p.m. ET / 8:00p.m. PT
Men’s Aerials Preliminary Round: Stream LIVE Here 6:00a.m. ET / 3:00a.m. PT
Ski Jumping Men’s Large Hill Final: Stream LIVE Here 7:30a.m. ET / 4:30a.m. PT
After several postponements earlier in the week due to less-than-ideal weather conditions, Alpine skiing is finally underway. Gold medal favorite Mikaela Shiffrin will not be competiting in the women’s super-G. Lindsey Vonn, who took home the bronze in Vancouver in this event, is a contender to take home another medal. Look for Switzerland’s Lara Gut to be in the medal mix as well.
Women’s super-G: Stream LIVE Here 9:00p.m. ET / 6:00p.m. PT
There will be medals on the line for the men as they finish up competition with the free skate. Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu fought to defend his 2014 Sochi title with a strong short program that put him in first going into the free skate. U.S. skater Adam Rippon sits in seventh with Team USA’s youngest Olympian Vincent Zhou in the 12th spot. American medal hopeful Nathan Chen had an uncharacteristically disappointing skate, landing in 17th after several crucial mistakes.
Stream LIVE Here 8:00p.m. ET / 4:00p.m. PT
Watch the the women’s skeleton’s third and fourth runs, featuring Jacqueline Loelling, Janine Flock and Lizzy Yarnold, from start to finish on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. Stream LIVE Here 6:20a.m. ET / 3:20a.m. PT
Darya Domracheva will attempt to defend her 2014 gold medal in PyeongChang. 2018 has treated her well, as she won the last mass start at the Worlds on Jan. 21, edging Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia and Finland’s Kaisa Makararien. Team USA will have one American in the race: Susan Dunklee claimed the silver medal in Sochi four years ago and will look to improve here in PyeongChang.
Women’s 12.5km Mass Start: Stream LIVE Here 6:15a.m. ET / 3:15a.m. PT
Virginia Beach man accused of killing his parents: ‘I don’t think I’ll make bail’
Virginia Beach / 2 mins ago
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15 Largest Peninsulas In The World
Several of these massive peninsulas contain one or more entire countries upon their respective landmasses.
The 1.25 million square-mile Arabian Peninsula as seen from outer space.
A peninsula is an interesting land formation that juts out from a larger tract of land and into the nearby water. Almost an island but not quite, the water, be it sea, ocean, or river, surrounds the jutting land on 3 sides. Peninsulas include capes and promontories (large, raised pieces of land), and can belong to one or several countries. This article takes a look at some of the largest peninsulas in the world.
The World's Largest Peninsulas
What is the World's Biggest Peninsula?
By far, the largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula at 1,250,006 square miles. The Arabian Peninsula is connected to the mainland Asian continent and surrounded on all sides by the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea.
Arabian Peninsula
Without a doubt, the largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula at 1,250,006 square miles. The Arabian Peninsula is connected to the mainland Asian continent and surrounded on all sides by the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea. The northern side of the area flows into the Arabian Desert and serves as the unofficial border of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The peninsula itself has a varying landscape that includes a central plateau, vast deserts, the Hejaz mountain range, and marshy coastal lands. The harsh climate makes it unsuitable for agriculture, however, goat, sheep, and camel herding are common. The Arabian Peninsula, made up of 9 different countries, plays a big part in oil and gas extraction and refining.
Deccan (Indian) Peninsula
The second largest peninsula is 800,004 square miles. The Deccan Peninsula is located in the southern part of central India. The Western and Eastern Ghats Mountain ranges make up part of the peninsula, are covered in forests, and rich in biodiversity. This area is also the habitat of several threatened species from elephants to crested-serpent eagles. The Deccan Peninsula is also made up of a large, protected tiger reserve. The climate on the Deccan Peninsula ranges from semi-arid to tropical. Principal agriculture here includes cotton, sugarcane, and rice.
After the Deccan Peninsula in India, the number 3 spot goes to the Indochina Peninsula which encompasses 748,553 square miles. This is the area often referred to as Southeast Asia and several countries are located here. These include Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. The Indochina Peninsula provides one of the most important trade routes in the region and boasts 3 waterways, 2 railroads, 6 highways, and 2 oil and gas pipelines to help facilitate economic activity. This peninsula also provides home to over 300 mammal species and 1,000 different birds.
The Horn of Africa
Number 4 is the Horn of Africa, located in northeastern Africa. This land mass has 726,975 square miles surrounded by the Arabian Sea. The area includes the nations of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea. Each of these countries has a combined population of around 115 million. The Horn of Africa is covered by mountain ranges and the low areas are hot and dry. Various species of plants and animals live on this peninsula ranging from leopards to antelopes. This region of Africa hosts the largest number of endemic reptiles than any other (over 285 species!). Residents of the Horn of Africa largely participate in livestock herding and the key exports are coffee, bananas, and livestock.
Other Major Peninsulas From Around The World
The previously mentioned land masses are the four biggest in terms of area size. The remaining large peninsulas can be found all over the world. Numbers 6 through 10 on the list are the Alaskan Peninsula with an area of 579,153 square miles, the Labrador Peninsula (540,543 square miles), Scandinavia (289,577 square miles), The Balkans (257,414 square miles), the Iberian Peninsula (224,7711 square miles), and the Korean Peninsula (85,270 square miles). Other large peninsulas can be found in the chart below.
Importance of Peninsulas
Whether large or small, wide or narrow, peninsulas are unique geographic locations. Every continent in the world has a peninsula that was formed by rising or falling sea levels. These land formations often host wide ranges of flora and fauna, many threatened or endangered. Due to their unique geographic positioning, peninsular lands are often important in international trade.
Peninsula
Size (Square Miles)
1 Arabian 1,250,006
2 Deccan 800,004
3 Indochina 748,553
4 Horn of Africa 726,975
5 Alaskan Peninsula 579,153
6 Labrador Peninsula 540,543
7 Scandinavia 289,577
8 The Balkans 257,414
9 Iberian Peninsula 224,711
10 Korean Peninsula 85,270
11 Florida 65,755
12 Baja California 55,363
13 Italian Peninsula 50,709
14 Lower Peninsula of Michigan 40,162
15 Kola 38,610
This page was last updated on July 10, 2018.
By Amber Pariona
On WorldAtlas.com
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World Families Forums - Pre & Post British Dark Age Haplogroup Ratio Difference?
Pre & Post British Dark Age Haplogroup Ratio Difference? « previous next »
Author Topic: Pre & Post British Dark Age Haplogroup Ratio Difference? (Read 25612 times)
EthiopianSon
Pre & Post British Dark Age Haplogroup Ratio Difference?
It has been said that the I Haplogroup was carried in great numbers in the Dark Age "invasions" of Britain and that, as it is also thought that the newcomers heavily settled the east of Britain, but had a much smaller effect upon the west, that the ratio of I/R1b is highest in the east and lowest in the west. I believe this picture has been supported by Y-DNA testing.
Of course it is just a finger in the air estimate, but is this really the best simple indicator to use? Isn't R1b-U106 also thought to have arrived in Britain largely during the Dark Ages? If this is the case then the ratio I/R must be rather polluted by the U106s.
Wouldn't it be better to look at the ratio of R1b-U106 to R1b-P312? Has anyone done this and are there any stats/maps showing this ratio?
« Last Edit: March 28, 2013, 09:55:59 AM by EthiopianSon » Logged
Re: Pre & Post British Dark Age Haplogroup Ratio Difference?
Quote from: EthiopianSon on March 28, 2013, 09:54:14 AM
The best estimates is around 40-45% U106 and 55-55% P312 in England proper of the 70% R1b-M269. This is based on percentages provided by the Busby and Myres studies. So, if R1b-M269 represents about 70% of the male lineages in England proper and then of that 70% U106 is around 40-45% and P312 is 55-60% you would have to figure out what those percentages are in relation to 70% to figure out the exact relation of U106 to the whole, which would include the 70% R1b and 30% other, which inludes all the various haplogroups, R1a, I, G, E and so on.
William B. Webb
P312>DF27>Z220
You're talking about the overall % though not the difference in the U106/P312 ratio between different regions. As an example, what is the U106/P312 ratio in Suffolk compared to in Powys (ignoring all other HGs)?
Quote from: EthiopianSon on March 28, 2013, 12:29:12 PM
Someone posted the percentages by region on another forum. I will attempt to copy and paste them here. Don't hold your breath. You'll probably pass out from lack of oxygen before I find them, let alone figure out how to copy and paste. The only issue they are only broken down into north east, south east, north west, south west England.
Thanks Webb.
north east, south east, north west, south west is better than nothing although comparing the mid-west to east anglia would probably be the best regions to look at. If the respective I/R ratios were also posted it would be interesting to see them alongside the U106/P312 values for comparison.
You might find this interesting. Webb is an occupational surname of pre-Norman origin as far as entomology. There are 31 lineages on the Webb surname DNA project. 14 are confirmed P312, 8 confirmed U106, several are confirmed as various other haplogroups a few are just M269. The lineages are from all four corners of England proper. I have a theory that the lower classes, meaning the serfs or working class celts were left largely intact by the incoming Anglo-Saxon invaders. I think that it was like a wave, the point of impact, or the east of England had the largest impact genetically, and as you leave the point of impact, the genetic impact becomes less. I would love to have enough time to investigate English occupational names and see the ratio of P312 to U106.
Quote from: Webb on March 29, 2013, 06:21:11 AM
You might find this interesting. Webb is an occupational surname of pre-Norman origin as far as entomology. The lineages are from all four corners of England proper.
When the name was first used and when the majority of people adopted it (or were assigned it by the then tax collectors;-)) are two different things.
Studies of medieval documents generally point to the peasant majority only adopting permanent surnames in the late 1300s so the distribution of an occupational surname like Webb is more likely to be linked to where there was demand for said occupation. In the case of weavers perhaps this was near sheep producing areas, or perhaps near market towns or perhaps at ports where yarn was imported.
I have a theory that the lower classes, meaning the serfs or working class celts were left largely intact by the incoming Anglo-Saxon invaders. I think that it was like a wave, the point of impact, or the east of England had the largest impact genetically, and as you leave the point of impact, the genetic impact becomes less. I would love to have enough time to investigate English occupational names and see the ratio of P312 to U106.
My understanding is that there was quite a difference between the Angles and Saxons, i.e., the Saxons immigrated gradually from Roman times and slowly spread their influence by further immigration and taking out rival leaders and their supporters, whereas the Angles arrived en masse and slaughtered anyone in what is now East Anglia then sailed up to Scotland and moved south down the NE edge of England again slaughtering anyone in their way. Once they had secured themselves in their initial kingdoms they throttled back the slaughter and just took out the remaining elite to take control of the remaining Britains who were now concentrated in the western half of the England plus Wales.
Just as the Roman empire was built on slavery, I would hazard a guess and say that the only way the Angles could have rampaged around the remainder of England, without becoming over-extended, and at the same time been producing enough food to support their families, was by enslaving the captured Britains.
From the point of view of who was likely to have survived amongst the ancient Brits those with the least chances of survival were perhaps:-
1) anyone that lived in the east
2) tribal leaders and their families
3) strong peasants who were conscripted to fight for their leaders
i.e. if you lived in the western half of England/Wales, were of an undistinguished physical build, and kept your head down harvesting turnips, your family stood a fair chance of pulling through the dark ages intact. If you were a heroic warrior type, you could forget it!
My thoughts exactly. If you kept your head down, and were able to produce items that the incoming invaders deemed valuable, or at least better than what they were able to produce, then I would imagine you would have survived. Examples would be weaving, maybe goldsmiths, blacksmiths, and other trades people.
England Northwest -- 47 samples
L21 = 40.4%
U106 = 21.3%
U152 = 6.4%
P312 (non L21/ non U152) = 10.6%
England Southwest -- 48 samples
P312 (non L21/ non U152) = 6.3%
Central England -- 165 samples
East England -- 172 samples
England Southeast -- 52 samples
This is info from the Busby paper on "The Peopling of Europe" and was provided by a poster on another forum. The P312* category was published before the discovery of DF27, so it is assumed that the majority of this P312* is made up by the DF27 clades SRY2627 and mine, Z220. There could also be some L238 in there which is a Scandanavian oriented clade under P312.
Degredado
So in the east and southeast of England, DF27 is actually prevalent over L21 (or it can be assumed so, anyway). Interesting
Quote from: Degredado on March 29, 2013, 06:05:34 PM
You have noticed the same thing I did. U106 is very stable, it has roughly the same percentage in all four areas. U152 is the same, except in the southeast. However, L21 and P312* seem to have a relationship. Where one is higher, the other is lower and vice versa. It makes me wonder if that is a result of a pre-Anglo-Saxon interaction.
rms2
Board Moderator
I'm not sure we'll be able to say much about a paragroup like P312*. I wouldn't assume that all of it is DF27. It could be a mix of things with different affiliations and histories.
It is interesting to compare the Busby data from England with the Busby data from Ireland.
East Ireland (N = 149)
U152 = 4%
P312xL21, U152 = 7.4%
North Ireland (N = 72)
South Ireland (N = 89)
West Ireland (N = 67)
I didn't use any of the Myres data listed on Busby's spreadsheet. The sample sizes were smaller. Myres has P312xL21, U152 at 22.7% in Ireland Southwest, but with a sample size of just 22. That seems an odd result, given Busby's figures with bigger sample sizes.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2013, 10:07:37 PM by rms2 » Logged
Y-DNA: R-DF41
mtDNA: U5a2c3a
Ancient European Y-DNA (to about 1000 BC)
Quote from: Webb on March 29, 2013, 07:38:18 PM
However, L21 and P312* seem to have a relationship. Where one is higher, the other is lower and vice versa. It makes me wonder if that is a result of a pre-Anglo-Saxon interaction.
Bear in mind that there has been a stream of immigrants flowing into England in every century that you can think of. Probably a large % of these newer immigrants entered where the channel was narrowest, i.e. Kent, London, Essex & Suffolk which is exactly the area P312* appears to be elevated.
When you look at the surnames of places like Kent and Suffolk since as recently as the 1500s they still have a lot of names like "Dutch", "Spain", "German", and other non-English names that have since become anglicised. The Kentish ports were full of merchants/sailors, many of whom were of foreign origin and ended up settling in England. And then London of course was re-populated by the Normans after 1066 and has seen a steady influx of immigrants ever since.
In other words it can be argued that if any haplogroup is highest in the southeast corner, it says more about the most recent immigrants rather than the older ones.
Thanks. What exactly is the definition of Central England and were there figures for Wales?
I'm going to guess the Midlands, maybe. And why yes, I can post the results for Scotland and Wales. Please note, that if the majority of P312*, which I would suspect it is, not every drop, but the majority, then the invasion/migration pattern will be more muddled. As there are at least four varieties of DF27 found in the isles and could represent that many different waves.
Quote from: rms2 on March 29, 2013, 10:03:46 PM
I agree. While recent testing indicates that somewhere around 80% of P312* (XL21,U152) is DF27+, this is undoubtedly skewed by the fact that virtually 100% of P312* in Iberia is DF27. So the percentage of P312* which is DF27 in the British Isles is somewhat lower.
Busby's P312* would also include a smaller portion of DF19, which appears to be confined to northern Europe.
As for the P312** (XL21,U152,DF27,DF19,L238), the numbers have grown considerably in the past few months from a handful to 31. A close study suggests this is a heterogenous group, and probably consists of two or three smaller subclades with different distributions, although overwhelmingly northern.
So it might be fair to assume that nearly all P312* in Iberia is DF27, but that certainly wouldn't be accurate for P312* in Britain.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2013, 02:43:41 PM by GoldenHind » Logged
Here are the Busby data for Scotland and Wales.
Northeast Scotland (N = 67)
Northwest Scotland (N = 80)
P312xL21, U152 = 8%
West Scotland (N = 21)
North Wales (N = 120)
L21 = 45%
P312xL21, U152 = 17.5%
South Wales (N = 9) *Note very small sample size.
I think when you look at the Busby data for the British Isles, you see a predominantly L21+ zone running from SW England, at about 38% L21+, through Wales, at about 50% L21+, up into northwest England, at about 40% L21+, and Scotland, at about 50-60% L21+. As one moves east into and through England (Angle Land), he begins to see L21 fade (but never below about 13% at its ebb in East England).
In England, U106 seems to run a fairly consistent rate of 20-25%. U152 and P312xL21,U152 pick up in the east, and I suspect some of the slack left by the decrease in L21 is also taken up by I1, although that doesn't show up in Busby. The pretty obvious conclusion, despite relatively recent continental input into SE England, is that these data reflect the Germanic heritage of the English, especially in the east and southeast, versus the predominantly Celtic heritage further west and north, in southwest England, Wales, northwest England, and Scotland.
I'm surprised at how stable U106 is, throughout all regions. I would expect a considerably higher presence in the east/southeast regions. Judging by that data, one could even be misled to think P312*/DF27 was the dominant subclade among the angles and saxons.
U106 is noticeably higher in the south and east of England than it is in the north and west. When one crosses the border into Wales and again into Scotland, it drops like a rock. In Ireland, it dwindles even further.
The odd U106 high point in Busby's NE Scotland sample probably reflects the settlement of Northumbrians (Angles) there by King David I in the 12th century.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2013, 07:34:43 AM by rms2 » Logged
Quote from: rms2 on March 31, 2013, 07:32:53 AM
Also note that U152 is highest in southeast England. I think Degredado brings up a good point. Either the Anglo-Saxon invasions left a much stronger linguistic and cultural impact then a genetic one, or some subclades of U152 and DF27 were brought into Britain with the Anglo-Saxons.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2013, 08:36:45 AM by Webb » Logged
Thanks rms2
Is the difference in U106/U152 ratio between north and south due to the small sample size or is this a genuine difference? Is there any other data to verify this?
2 things that might have made a difference bwteen north and south are the normans overrunning the top of Wales but striking alliances with inidigenous princes in the south and, I think, perhaps the greater effect would be an influx of english in the 17 & 1800s seeking employment in the coal mines and steel works around Cardiff/Swansea. Did Busby filter these out (is it possible even?)
Just to point out something that always gets overlooked (or perhaps people don't understand its significance?) is that the Haplogroup % breakdown by region is only one way of looking at things but can skew things if looked at just on its own.
If you look at the approx % results above we have:-
South East L21 % = 15
Wales L21 (av) % = 50
but when you take into consideration the absolute populations of the two areas which are approx:-
South East = 20 to 30,000,000
Wales = 3,000,000
the L21 population of each area can be projected to be:-
South East = 3,000,000 to 4,500,000
i.e. the % figure implies there are more L21s in Wales than in the South East, but in real life it is the complete opposite and there are twice as many L21s in the South East than in Wales.
I don't know about DF27, because we don't know how much of that P312xL21,U152 in SE England is DF27+, but I tend to think some of that U152 came with the Anglo-Saxons. Some of it may have already been there as a result of the arrival of the Belgae within living memory of Caesar's excursions into Britain 55 and 54 BC. That may account for some of the P312xL21,U152, as well.
It seems to me the Anglo-Saxons made a very significant genetic impact, if one attributes to them most if not all of the U106 in England, and probably the I1 there, as well.
While that is true, proportions tell an important story of population history, more important than shear numbers, in my view.
No doubt the USA has more L21 than anywhere else, in terms of numbers.
Out of love for trivia I wonder what the figures really are? On the one hand the US has 5 times the population of the UK, but on the other, it has much greater proportions of hispanic, african, asian and (strangely enough!) native american.
I would guess there may be more L21s in the US than the UK, but it can't be by that much can it?
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B.C. to hold route hearings for Trans Mountain expansion project
Published by Stephanie Roker, Editor
World Pipelines, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 10:05
The National Energy Board (NEB) announced the week of 22 January that detailed route hearings for Segment 5 of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project are expected to begin in late April or early May 2018. Hearings will take place in Merritt and Kamloops, British Columbia (B.C.).
Previously, the NEB announced detailed route hearings for Segments 1, 2, 3 and 4 in B.C. and Alberta, as well as Segment 7 in the Burnaby, B.C. area. Hearings for the remaining Segment 6 (Kamloops, B.C. through to the Lower Mainland) will be announced at a later date.
On 26 January, the NEB also approved portions of the detailed route in Segment 5 that were not opposed by landowners or affected persons. To date, nearly 56% of the entire detailed route has been approved by the NEB. Prior to beginning construction in these areas, the company must satisfy all applicable NEB pre-construction conditions.
The 1147 km long Trans Mountain expansion project – along an approximately 150 m wide pipeline corridor – was approved by the Government of Canada in November 2016. This project includes the reactivation of roughly 158 km of existing pipeline. The detailed route approval process will determine the exact placement of the new pipeline within the approved corridor.
Peter Watson, Chair & CEO, National Energy Board, stated: "The detailed route hearing process is a very important part of the NEB’s regulatory oversight role. It focuses on the specific concerns of landowners or affected persons directly impacted by the proposed route. By listening to their concerns, the NEB can ensure that the pipeline is placed in the best possible location."
Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/31012018/bc-to-hold-route-hearings-for-trans-mountain-expansion-project/
B.C. pipeline news Canada pipeline news NEB pipeline news
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You are here Home Program Listing The Thomas Conservation Oration 2016 – SOLD OUT
The Thomas Conservation Oration 2016 – SOLD OUT
This event is now over
12 March 2016 Festival Lab, South Bank
Festival Lab, South Bank
Cultural Forecourt, Melbourne Street, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Adult: $15 Concession: Museum Members $13.50
The Hon Robert Hill AC
Ocean Futures:
A New Generation of Laws and Policies for the Sea
Australia’s seas and global oceans as a whole are at a cross-road. Increases in the scale and reach of global fisheries, pollution, global warming and other threats are now placing at risk the nature of the sea and the food and services it delivers for humanity.
Little known is that for many years Australia has led the world on many aspects of marine conservation and management. But a new generation of laws and policies is needed if we are to protect special seascapes such as the Great Barrier Reef and all our marine life, in the next decades and century to come.
One of Australia’s leaders in ocean conservation, Robert Hill, was an acclaimed former Australian Environment Minister and UN Ambassador, and put in place fundamental improvements in the management and conservation of Australia’s seas. He will detail the new approaches needed for Australians and their governments to conserve the blue parts of our world.
What is The Thomas Conservation Oration?
In 2010 philanthropist David Thomas established the Thomas Foundation Conservation Oration to raise awareness of international findings important to the conservation of biodiversity.
This annual event brings a renowned international conservation expert to Australia for the Thomas Foundation Conservation Oration – an engaging 60 minute address that presents a critical environmental issue affecting our natural landscape and ways we as society can make a difference. Previous Thomas Foundation Conservation Orators have included Harvey Locke, Dr Aaron Bernstein, Dr Wade Davis, Professor Callum Roberts and Professor Daniel Pauly.
The Thomas Conservation Oration 2016 is presented by the Thomas Foundation as part of the World Science Festival Brisbane.
Meet the Speaker The Honorable Robert Hill AC is a former leading Federal Cabinet Minister and Australian Ambassador to the United Nations. He is Australia’s longest serving Minister for the Environment Minister. As Environment Minister he led major new approaches to conservation, including a full and effective approach for marine planning. His other major environmental achievements included the passage of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the establishment of the $2.5 billion Natural Heritage Trust, the largest environmental rescue package ever undertaken by an Australian Government, and ensuring government support for the work of Indigenous land management and the creation of Indigenous Protected Areas. Following his retirement from public service, Robert was appointed Chancellor of the University of Adelaide from 2010-2014, and he is currently an Adjunct Professor in Sustainability and Co-Director of the Alliance 21 project at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He is also a Commissioner of the Global Ocean Commission; Chair of the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute Advisory Board, and Chair of the University of New South Wales’ Cooperative Research Centre on Low Carbon Living.
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Man charged with promoting prostitution in St. Paul Park
By Bob Shaw / St. Paul Pioneer Press on Dec 18, 2018 at 3:32 p.m.
A convicted pimp has been charged — again — with sex trafficking and promotion of prostitution.
Sandy W. Yancy, 35, Minneapolis was charged on Monday by the Washington County Attorney’s office. Yancy was also convicted in 2013 of felony promotion of prostitution in Olmsted County, and sentenced to almost three years in jail.
According to Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, the charges are another victory for the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2017.
“It appears that the Task Force has once again arrested a career pimp who preys on multiple women for his own commercial gain. We as a society are disgusted and appalled at such acts,” said Orput.
According to the criminal complaint, Yancy first met an unidentified female in 2012. She performed sexual services for money at Yancy’s direction.
When Yancy was released from prison, he reconnected with the woman, and supervised acts of prostitution in her home in St. Paul Park. She is 25 years old.
The investigation is ongoing because there may be other victims, according to the county attorney’s office.
Explore related topics:Newscrime and courtsSt. Paul ParkWashington CountyProstitutionsex trafficking
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National certification recognizes accomplished teachers
By Steve Gardiner on Apr 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
Angie Jorgensen has been teaching 14 years and works with fourth grade students at Pinecrest Elementary in Hastings, Minn. She said veteran teachers helped her achieve National Board Certification. Photo courtesy of Angie Jorgensen
More than 122,000 teachers from all 50 states have stepped up to the challenge of achieving national board certification, a peer-reviewed process leading to recognition as an accomplished teacher.
Mike Yell, a seventh grade social studies teacher at Hudson Middle School, completed certification in 2003 and renewed his certificate in 2013. The Wisconsin educator said he would "strongly recommend national board certification to teachers wishing to take on a rigorous growth challenge that will ultimately improve their practice."
READ MORE: Ricker 'exhilarated' every day: State commissioner of education touts strong practices | National certification recognizes accomplished teachers
National board certification for teachers, governed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Arlington, Va., has been gaining momentum the past 25 years. The board offers teacher certification in 16 disciplines and four developmental levels to meet the needs of almost all of America's teachers, according to the NBPTS website.
What is national board certification?
National board certification is a voluntary process that goes beyond entry-level state certification. In addition to holding a valid state teaching license, candidates for board certification must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have three or more years of teaching experience.
National certification is not meant to replace state teaching licenses, but provides a means of promoting and rewarding accomplished teaching.
Each certificate area has a set of standards developed by teachers who are experts in that subject area and developmental level and are based on what the national board calls the Five Core Propositions. The standards provide information about what proficiencies a candidate must demonstrate to achieve certification.
Why seek certification?
Some school districts offer extra pay or stipends for teachers who earn national board certification. Others give those teachers additional opportunities for leadership or professional growth. Some districts offer no rewards and teachers seek certification for personal reasons.
Angie Jorgensen, fourth grade teacher at Pinecrest Elementary School in Hastings, said one reason she completed the process "was financial, because in Hastings, we are one of the districts that pay for national board certification."
She had also recently finished working on her master's degree, so she was in a "rigorous mindset," so moving on with national boards was "a nice transition."
Jorgensen credited a group of veteran teachers with helping her work through the process. "A few of them were closer to retirement, and they saw this opportunity to try to replace themselves as national board teachers, to get some of us younger teachers certified before they left. They were a huge support."
Collaboration with other teachers is an important part of the national board certification process and Mike Fuller, band teacher at Meyer Middle School in River Falls, said that "the more I learned about the process involved, the more interested I became in it. I learned of three other area music teachers who were considering working on their national boards and the opportunity to have a built-in network and support system helped me decide to go for it."
Other teachers are motivated by personal growth.
"I am a lifelong learner," said Betsy Weis, math teacher at Farmington High School, "and I wanted to step up to a new challenge, especially since I knew it would improve my teaching skills."
What do teachers need to do?
Teachers have to use the standards for their certificate area to guide responses to four components which require candidates to demonstrate content knowledge and instructional methods. Candidates must write extensive essays explaining lessons in their classrooms, analyzing their lessons, and reflecting on how to improve the lessons. They also provide videos of themselves teaching in their classrooms and take a computer-based test on their subjects.
"The NBC questions are intense and require one to reflect on student data, teaching practice, leadership, collaboration, community involvement, and technology use," Weiss said. "I discovered new and better ways to improve student learning."
The process can take as little as one year to complete, but many teachers choose to spread it out over three years. The challenging nature of the assessments means that many candidates must repeat parts of the process as part of the learning and growth supported by the national board.
"It was very time consuming," said Mary Rumpel, math department head at Ellsworth High School in Pierce County, Wis. "The challenging part was that you had to explain why you teach in the way that you do. For example, in one section, you had to take a couple of students and the assignments you give them, and explain how you get these dynamically different students to each learn the subject area, documenting what you've explained."
She added, "It is a big project, one that will take a lot of self-reflection, a lot of trials and errors, and a lot of weekends to do well."
This process also requires a financial commitment. The full process costs $1,900, and many candidates are able to find help with this from grants, loans, or school district funds. Others pay the fee themselves.
How does certification affect student learning?
"More than a decade of research from across the country confirms that students taught by board-certified teachers learn more than students taught by other teachers," wrote the national board on its website. They include links to several academic studies about the effects of national board certification on students.
"The national boards process involved looking at what I was already doing in the classroom and explaining its impact on student learning," Fuller said. That required me to think a lot about my teaching strategies and consider how effective they were in helping students to grow. The four papers that candidates are required to write make you articulate why you do what you do and how it positively impacts students."
Previously named National Social Studies Teacher of the Year, Yell said the "most important impact of board certification was internalizing the process of researching and staying on top of the scholarship in education as well as in my content area, and in the continuing process of reflecting on everything I do in the classroom."
Achieving national board certification was not an end for Rumpel, but a beginning.
"I believe by holding the certification, I feel like I cannot let the students down," she said. "I have to keep challenging myself each year and figure out how to keep getting better."
When Tim Collins, superintendent of Hastings Public Schools,interviews new teachers, he said he is looking for "a strong work ethic and the desire to grow professionally for a lifetime. Teachers who decide to go through the National Board Certification process exemplify those two characteristics."
Those teachers often provide a positive role model for other teachers in their buildings and districts.
"When a person grows professionally they bring that level of confidence and best practices to their colleagues both directly and indirectly," Collins said. "The process of National Board Certification helps a teacher to become better informed in their practice, reflective in the classroom, and overall strengthen their personal teaching strategies."
Explore related topics:NewseducationNational Board CertificationNational Board for Professional Teaching StandardsMike YellMary RumpelMike FullerAngie JorgensenBetsy Weis
Steve Gardiner
Steve Gardiner taught high school English and journalism for 38 years in Montana and Wyoming. He started working at the Republican Eagle in May 2018. He focuses on features and outdoor stories.
sgardiner@rivertowns.net
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(c) 2017 - 2018
Schlemmer receives Above & Beyond Award from Delphi
|In All News, Economy & Politics, Technologie
Schlemmer Holding GmbH received a 2016 Above & Beyond – Pinnacle Award for Supplier Excellence from Delphi on 17th of May 2017. The award recognized Schlemmer’s efforts that surpassed commercial requirements and enabled Delphi to exceed customer expectations. “We have enjoyed a long and very successful cooperation with Delphi in various global markets. We are delighted that our commitment as a value-added partner and technology expert was honoured again this year and we are doing everything we can to continue to make the high standards of Delphi the benchmark of our work.“, said Josef Minster, CEO of Schlemmer Holding GmbH.
“Having an agile supply chain can be invaluable in today’s evolving and challenging environment,” said Sidney Johnson, senior vice president, Delphi supply chain management. “We appreciate companies like Schlemmer Holding GmbH that help us reach operational excellence – insulating Delphi’s supply chain from unplanned events and circumstances.”
Delphi recognized nine suppliers with its 2016 Above & Beyond award.
About Schlemmer
The Schlemmer Group is a global technology expert, which has focused on the development and production of highly specialised synthetics solutions. Building on 60 years of experience in cable protection, the group of companies headquartered in Poing, Upper Bavaria, has become one of the leading and most comprehensive value added providers, supporting its clients as an intelligent consulting and service partner. In addition to the core Automotive business area, the Schlemmer Group also pursues activities in a wide range of other sectors with its Industry and Appliances business areas. Over 60 sites throughout the world, almost 30 production plants at strategically important locations and a mobile factory enable the company to simultaneously implement global strategies and enjoy a local presence in development, production and sales. The company’s more than 2,500 employees generated a consolidated net revenue of € 263 million in 2015.
Further information: www.schlemmer.com
The Schlemmer Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schlemmer.group
Picture: Schlemmer-CEO Josef Minster (middle) receiving the Delphi award in Cracow, Poland
(c) 2017 – 2018
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Leopards at a Glance
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Where We Train
Records Fall as Indoor Track Competes at BU Last Chance Meet
BOSTON, Mass. – A pair of personal bests and program records were set as three Wentworth Institute of Technology indoor track runners set out to qualify for the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Indoor Track Championships at the Boston University Last Chance Meet Sunday afternoon.
Seniors Jake Skurja (Stratford, Conn.) and Dan McSolla (Bridgewater, Mass.) each recorded the fastest time of both their careers and in program history in the 200-meter run and the mile, respectively, and, McSolla's time put him in a solid position to qualify for the national championships for the second straight season.
Skurja began the day competing in the 400-meter run where he was second in his heat with a time of 49.71; his second-fastest time of the season. That time was also good enough to place 15th in the 39-runner field.
McSolla's program-record time of 4:08.13 shaved 0.50 seconds of his previous personal best (and program record), which he set at this meet last season and that time ultimately qualified him for the 2017 NCAA Championships. His time was the sixth-fastest in his heat and he was 34th of 87 runners in a fast field where the winning time was 3:53.40.
Classmate Patrick Hopkins (Lansdale, Pa.) where he ran a time of 4:23.82, marking the second-fastest time of his career. Hopkins finished 69th overall in the field.
Skurja round out the day by establishing a personal best and a program record in the 200-meter dash as he crossed the line with a time of 22.32. This time was third in his heat and overall was 29th out of 42 runners.
The Leopards will have one last chance to see if there are any NCAA qualifiers next weekend as selected individuals will compete in the Tufts University Last Chance Meet on Saturday, March 3.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
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Venezuelan Interior Ministry takes control of Miranda state police
Andrew V. Pestano
Gen. Nestor Reverol, the head of Venezuela's Ministry of Interior and Justice, on Monday said his agency has taken control of the police force in the Miranda state. Photo courtesy Venezuelan Interior Ministry
June 13 (UPI) -- Venezuela's Interior Ministry said it has seized control of the Miranda state's police force over accusations of violating human rights and of criminal activity.
Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Gen. Nestor Reverol said his administration made the move after an investigation.
"The intervention of the police force of the Miranda state is made official after evaluating research that resulted in enough evidence to implicate officials in human rights violations and criminal networks," Reverol said in a statement on Monday.
Reverol said the move is authorized under Article 75 of the Venezuelan Constitution's Organic Law of the Police Service. He said an agency will set up an "intervention board" that will handle the Miranda police responsibilities for 180 days.
Henrique Capriles Radonski, governor of Venezuela's Miranda state and a key opposition leader, said in a statement on Monday that the move was an "military intervention."
RELATED Venezuela investigating shooting death of Caracas judge
Capriles Radonski said President Nicolas Maduro's "corrupt [government] and its sickly obsession with our Miranda and its government orders another attack, now against the police!" The governor urged the police not to take actions that violate the Constitution.
Venezuela has gone through more than two months of protests in which more than 60 people have died.
Teen, soldier killed after protests in Venezuela Hugo Chávez's brother becomes governor of Barinas state U.S. threatens to withdraw from U.N. Human Rights Council
Henrique Capriles Radonski
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1: A Wondrous Discovery: X-rays
2: Groundbreakers, Growth, & Grasshoppers
3: Gaining Momentum, Achieving Renown
4: Innovations & Expansion
5: New Technologies & Techniques
6: New Windows Into the Body
7: Building on Success
8: Milestones and Medical Marvels
9: Collaboration & Cooperation
10: Inspired by Example
11: No Longer Behind the Screens
Endowed Professorships and Chairs
Groundbreakers, Growth, and Grasshoppers
With its new identity, the Southwestern Medical School of the University of Texas made steady progress. In 1952, Donald Seldin, M.D., was appointed chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, beginning a long and distinguished career as one of the institution's builders and guiding forces.
Lee Radford
Lee Radford, M.D., an assistant professor of radiology at the time of this publication, graduated from the medical school in 1956. He attended classes in the barracks and saw patients at old Parkland Memorial Hospital on Maple Avenue.
"Southwestern was and is a very fine place to train," Dr. Radford said. Calling Dr. Seldin "a brilliant man," he recalled the time, as a medical student, when Seldin asked him a question during a conference. "I gave him what I thought was the correct answer, and he said, 'Radford where did you get that?' I told him I'd gotten the answer out of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. He said, 'Oh, Radford, you got to get out of that and get into the literature.' My junior year he instituted the first written quiz for internal medicine, which was made up by all the sub-specialists of internal medicine. It was a booger bear, but we got through it."
The new Parkland hospital on Harry Hines Boulevard opened its doors in 1956 and became the medical school's primary teaching facility. Medical care was also provided at the Bradford Memorial Hospital, Richmond Freeman Memorial Clinic, and Children's Hospital of Texas.
Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital
Additionally, an affiliation with the Dallas Veterans Administration hospitals was developed during the 1950s, providing important additional sites for medical education, research, and clinical care.
In 1954, the medical school's name was changed to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. The first building on the new campus, Basic Science Hall, was dedicated in 1955. It was later renamed Edward H. Cary Basic Science Hall, and was followed by the Hoblitzelle Clinical Science Building. The deteriorating "shacks" were finally vacated in 1958.
Rendering of Edward H. Cary Basic Science Hall
But while the medical school flourished, the radiology division experienced some growing pains. Since 1943, radiology had been a division of the Department of Surgery. At the medical school, under Dr. Charles Martin, the radiology faculty was made up of clinical radiologists from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, radiologists practicing at Parkland hospital were employees of the Department of Surgery.
After Dr. Jarrell Miller left in 1949, the surgery department hired Ralph Clayton, M.D., to become director of radiology at Parkland hospital and join the faculty at UT Southwestern. He was to work with John Wilson, M.D., also a faculty member. By several accounts, however, the two did not get along. Dr. Clayton ultimately fired Dr. Wilson, but Dr. Wilson refused to accept the decision.
Parkland Hospital
Dr. Martin supported Dr. Clayton, which upset Dr. Wilson and his older brother, Ben Wilson, M.D., who happened to be chair of surgery at UT Southwestern. The brothers approached Lee Hudson, M.D., chief of surgery at Parkland and chair of the hospital's board.
In his essay for the book Selected Recollections of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, James Robinson, M.D., wrote, "Charles Martin supported Clayton, which produced a battle royal with legal action. The result was devastating to the school, for sides were taken by sundry and all. Wilson was defrocked and left for Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Clayton also left. Hudson, as a member of the Parkland Board, fired Martin."
A Division Becomes a Department
George Aagard and Atticus Gill
As the situation escalated politically and legally, two deans of the medical school, George Aagaard, M.D., (dean from 1952 to 1954) and Atticus J. Gill, M.D., (dean in 1951, and again from 1954 to 1967), intervened. It was determined that a radiology department should be created. But because many of those embroiled in conflict had left the medical center, as well as nearly every resident, it was left to Dr. Miller, now at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, and his colleagues to step in and temporarily handle care and teaching. The arrangement could not last.
After conducting a nationwide search, Dr. Gill reached out to Frederick J. Bonte, M.D., to determine his interest in becoming chair of the radiology department. At the time of his recruitment, Bonte was chief of radiation therapy and nuclear medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.
Frederick Bonte
"Don't look at the buildings," advised Jack Pritchard, M.D. "Talk to the people." Pritchard and Bonte had been classmates at Case Western, and because Pritchard was now UT Southwestern Medical School's chair of obstetrics and gynecology, he was the first person Dr. Bonte called when approached about the position.
"August was when I had my interview," Dr. Bonte recalled. "I knew from my Army days that Texas could be hot, but I still came down wearing my only black suit, made of flannel, and, embarrassingly, nylon underwear. Unfortunately my host, Dr. Don Seldin, did not have air-conditioning in his car. It was joked that if I could visit every professor in the medical school, a whole lot of people in Dallas and Fort Worth, and survive it all in heated flannel and nylon, then I could stand anything."
On July 1, 1956, Dr. Bonte became the Department of Radiology's first chair.
During his inaugural year, he was often a one-man show. Dr. Bonte did all the diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy with the assistance of only one third-year resident. Dr. Martin assisted, having been reinstated as a clinical professor, as did other radiologists in the community.
Jack Krohmer
"He was a tough old bird and we became very good friends," said Dr. Bonte of Dr. Martin. "When I moved to Texas, he invited me to visit his home. He had all his radium cases documented on colored slides, a whole wall. We'd go through them, case by case. He had more radium experience than anybody else in the world. And he was marvelous at explaining why he did what he did. He could show film of someone suffering from tumors on the tongue and neck and how they'd been treated to become a nice-looking individual singing tenor in the choir. He was a remarkable guy."
In time, Dr. Bonte persuaded Jack Krohmer, a physicist in the Western Reserve University Atomic Energy Medical Research Project, to complete his doctorate at UT Southwestern and become a professor of radiology in physics.
Together, Dr. Krohmer and Dr. Bonte founded the nuclear medicine division within radiology and established one of the first laboratories for nuclear medicine in the southwest. Using parts ordered from catalogs, they built a radioisotope scanner, the first such device at the medical school.
Jack Reynolds Begins Teaching 'As Nobody Else Could'
Jack Reynolds
"One day my secretary told me a young man from New York City had arrived looking for work," Dr. Bonte said. "In walks this bright looking kid who told me he'd been born in Houston, but had grown up in New Jersey after his parent relocated the family when he was six months old. He said he'd been too young to oppose the move, but he'd been trying to get back to Texas ever since. Hiring him was the smartest thing I did in my 17 years as department chair."
"Jack Reynolds was a superb diagnostic radiologist who could also teach the specialty as nobody else could."
Dr. Reynolds became chief of diagnostic radiology. Together, he and Dr. Bonte revolutionized how radiology was taught throughout medical students' four years of classes. During their first year, students learned how to read normal X-ray films. Sophomores then viewed more exotic or abnormal images, learning to identify disease. Third-year students confronted "mystery cases," which also was an elective course for seniors. The senior elective became so popular students simply dubbed it "Jack Reynolds."
Students Reading X-ray Films
The same year Dr. Reynolds was hired, the medical school received a cineangiocardiograph — the first X-ray machine in the U.S. capable of capturing simultaneous front and side views of a beating human heart. The device captured images from two fluoroscopic screens at the rate of 60 frames per second. Although it was located on Parkland hospital's ground floor, the machine belonged to the medical school.
"When I was considering the job at Southwestern, the cardiologist Dr. Carleton Chapman called to say he was working on getting a cineangiocardiograph. He needed a place to house it and we made a deal he could use space in Radiology if we got 50 percent interest in using the machine," Dr. Bonte said.
Dr. Bonte and Dr. Reynolds, along with Carleton Chapman, M.D., and Orland Baker, M.D., used a biplane cinefluorography technique to discover a method for measuring the heart's ventricular volume. It permitted construction of volume curves and estimation of stroke volume of the left ventricle for several successive contractions in both animals and humans.
Bonte and Reynolds Cineangiocardiograph Study
The cineangiocardiograph also demonstrated the threat of hydrocarbon pneumonitis. Households unable to afford electricity often relied on kerosene as a source of light and heat. Unfortunately, drinking or breathing the substance was poisoning young children. Using the cineangiocardiograph, Dr. Bonte and Reynolds took images of canines that had kerosene injected into their bronchial tubes. Their results, when compared to X-rays of children who'd been brought in due to suspected poisoning, confirmed kerosene as the culprit.
"It encouraged philanthropists to get involved and provide electricity to those in poverty, thus eliminating the kerosene threat," Dr. Bonte recalled.
Construction Begins on St. Paul Hospital
In 1958, the Southwestern Medical Foundation began a building campaign for St. Paul Hospital. Groundbreaking took place in 1959, with the first patients being admitted on December 22, 1963. The following year, the medical school had 100 full-time faculty members, 400 students, and more than 100 clinical residents.
Additionally, with the help of Frank Harrison, M.D., associate dean of the graduate school, a graduate program in radiation biology was founded, with Dr. Krohmer as its director. At the time, it was the only such program in the Southwest, and it launched the department's reputation as a first-class academic unit.
Among the distinguished students who graduated from the department during the 1960s was William Hendee, Ph.D. He had gone to Tulane University in New Orleans on a football scholarship, but his real passion was physics. After his coach wouldn't allow him to play football and take required physics courses, Hendee left Tulane to attend Millsaps College. From there he went to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, for an atomic energy commission fellowship. Shortly afterwards, he and his wife were expecting a child.
"I was making $2,500 a year on my fellowship," Dr. Hendee said. "Not enough to support a wife and a child, and she would not be able to continue work as an elementary school teacher because back then women could not teach in public schools once they began to show they were pregnant. Serendipitously, as part of my fellowship, I attended a meeting of the Health Physics Society in Boston. It was there I came across an advertisement for a fellowship in medical physics that paid $6,000 a year. Back in those times, that was an amazingly generous fellowship."
Unbeknownst to Hendee, Dr. Krohmer was behind the notice. Thanks to generous support from the Gilbert X-Ray Co., and its representative, Robert Sanford, Dr. Krohmer had been able to post the lucrative offer for the radiology department's first graduate student.
"Going to Dallas was a wonderful experience," Dr. Hendee said. "At that time I was the only graduate student, which was a privilege. I got to work closely in the laboratory with Jack [Krohmer] and Fred Bonte."
"They were instrumental in my career," Dr. Hendee said. "Especially Jack, who became a lifelong mentor and friend.
"Jack was a great teacher and I learned so much about teaching from him," Hendee continued. "He could really teach a class of students, have them interested, and get them involved with asking questions. And it wasn't just lecturing; I learned things from him that have served me well my entire career. He was one of the great presences in my life."
Dr. Hendee graduated in 1962, receiving a doctorate in medical physics, and went on to enjoy an illustrious career, which included becoming professor and chair of radiology at the University of Colorado. At the time, Dr. Hendee was the only physicist known to have chaired a radiology department in North America.
The same year Dr. Hendee graduated from the medical school, Dr. Bonte was awarded a general research support grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Throughout the decade, he began winning grant support from not only from the NIH, but also from private granting agencies. Dr. Bonte recalled one of the first NIH training grants given in radiology was awarded to the department in recognition of its productive research environment. It was around this time the nuclear medicine division pioneered placing nuclear test data on magnetic tape, and took a role in developing a series of widely copied nuclear medical tests for detecting heart disease.
A Dark Day in Dallas
The Kennedys and Connallys arrive in Dallas
On November 22, 1963, Dr. Bonte was in the midst of a radium case in an operating room at Parkland hospital when a technician entered and told him President John F. Kennedy had been shot.
"I told him that wasn't very funny, because I knew he was downtown," Dr. Bonte remembered. "The technician said, 'No they shot him.' And sure enough you could start hearing the sirens. Then the technician told me they were bringing him to Parkland."
Parkland Hospital's Trauma Room 1
"By the time I finished my case and took the elevator down to the emergency room, the Secret Service and FBI had sealed off the entire facility. Thereafter, the only people from radiology allowed to go back to the hospital's core were myself and the mobile X-ray technician who took films in all the operating rooms."
The Connallys in Parkland Hospital
Connally credits Parkland staff for saving his life
At 1 p.m. that day, Kennedy was declared dead.
After the president's body had been transported to Air Force One, Dr. Bonte was asked to go to the recovery suite where Texas Governor John Connally was recuperating after having been shot in the same motorcade.
"They wanted a chest X-ray, so the technician and I were allowed to touch the governor," Dr. Bonte said.
"We were supervised by two Texas Rangers. The law required they be in constant attendance with one of them on his feet at all times."
"They kept a sharp eye on us while we got film of the governor. The technician and I were asked to come back daily to take X-rays for as long as the governor remained at Parkland."
Floral tribute outside Trauma Room 1
The department's ties to that fateful day did not end with Connally's return to Austin. On November 24, Lee Harvey Oswald, who had been charged with Kennedy's murder, was rushed to Parkland's emergency room after being fatally shot by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby in the basement of police headquarters as he was being transferred to the more secure Dallas County jail.
Throughout Ruby's imprisonment for first-degree murder, he received medical treatment at Parkland, and it was there that he received his cancer diagnosis.
Police booking photos of Jack Ruby
"The films on Ruby were all read by Jack Reynolds," Dr. Bonte said.
"I had one encounter with him. I was walking down the hall and there's a fellow lying on the cart, obviously Jack Ruby, waiting for an X-ray exam. And he has by his pillow this little portable radio, which he's listening to. It's turned on very loud. I went over to say, 'Hello, how are you doing?' and he said, 'Hey doc, you know, that's me they're talking about.' That was our exchange."
A Period of Rapid Growth
Edward Christensen
Thomas Curry
Also in 1963, Dr. Krohmer was recruited to the Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York. Dr. Bonte hired several faculty members, including Alvin Greenberg, M.D., and Edward Christensen, M.D.
"The Parkland residency program really got its start in 1957, and in succeeding years the resident staff grew, first to a total of six, then to 12, and finally to the ultimate size it was to attain during my tenure as chairman, 18," wrote Dr. Bonte in a personal letter dated June 10, 1982. "Dr. Reynolds and I were fortunate enough to add Dr. Edward Christensen to the staff and within months after his arrival he became the chief of the residency program.
The department began to attain its present-day solidity in both teaching and patient care with the rapid development of young faculty finding in our own resident staff such present-day leaders as Tom and George Curry, Bill Kilman, Geral Dietz."
In 1965, Dr. Reynolds published The Roentgenological Features of Sickle Cell Disease and Related Hemoglobinopathies, a landmark textbook that focused on how X-ray films reveal the effects of sickle cell disease.
Parkey's Graduating Class
That same year, Dr. Bonte hired Mary Esther Gaulden, Ph.D., who led the radiation biology graduate program. Dr. Gaulden's research focused on the effects of low-dose radiation, using grasshoppers as her experiment model. She went on to serve for 10 years as a member of the National Research Council Committee on Toxicology, which studied the effects of deep space radiation on astronauts.
"I have always been interested in science and scientific research," Dr. Gaulden recalled in a 1975 interview published in The Dallas Morning News. "I had an undergraduate professor — a woman — who took each student and pushed our good points. She told me, 'You can do it, if you want to.'"
Mary Esther Gaulden
Dr. Gaulden earned a doctorate in biology from the University of Virginia, where she remembered having a male professor who had two daughters.
"He was all for pushing women," she said.
In 1966, she helped found the National Organization for Women.
"She was a lovely person and the first real feminist I ever knew," said Mary Ann Mullican, M.D., an associate assistant professor of radiology, who started her residency at Parkland in 1967. "She was a role model for women who pursued careers in science and medicine. I do remember one story where she became quite irate because Neiman Marcus would not give her a charge card in her own name. They insisted the card be in her husband's name."
Charles Sprague
In May 1966, the Board of Regents elected to change the medical school's name to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas.
On July 1, Dr. Bonte celebrated his first 10 years as chair of the department. One year later, Charles Sprague, M.D., became dean of the medical school.
Five years after that, upon the school's reorganization as a comprehensive academic medical center with three distinct schools (medical, graduate biomedical sciences and allied health sciences), Sprague became the institution's first president. Unbeknownst to Dr. Bonte, this reorganization would angle his career in a direction he never envisioned. He would also become involved in one of the medical center's most significant discoveries during the 1970s.
Profiles in Leadership
The Curry Brothers
The Martin Family
Robert Parkey
Helen Redman
Neil M. Rofsky
It Takes a Team
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How the upcoming solar eclipse will affect 7 million homes and businesses
Filed under Business, Eco, Green
A total solar eclipse will block sunlight from reaching parts of the Earth for an estimated three hours on August 21. As a result, at least 7 million U.S. homes and businesses that rely on solar power will be directly affected. But there’s no reason to be nervous: electric grid and skilled operators are well-prepared. A total solar eclipse is a rare phenomenon which occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun . Though it will disrupt solar generation during times of peak generation, the event is not one to fear. According to Julia Prochnik , the Director of Western Renewable Grid Planning, people will not notice any change in their electrical service as electric grid operators across the country have made appropriate preparations. The last time citizens in the U.S. glimpsed a solar eclipse was in 1979, when solar energy was in its infancy. In the time that has passed, the energy system has changed significantly. Wind and solar energy are now the fastest-growing sources of renewable electricity in the U.S. Prochnik says that some states will see a larger drop in solar power than others; it all depends on how much the sun is blocked by the moon in their specific location. Fortunately, there are plenty of energy resources available to “fill the gap,” and they include geothermal , wind and hydropower. Related: Coming Total Solar Eclipse to be an ‘event of the century’, scientists say NASA reports that the solar eclipse will block a 70-mile-wide path stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. The longest period of total darkening will be about two minutes and 40 seconds. Nationwide, the moon will still block at least a portion of the sun. At any one spot, the longest period of partial darkness may last three hours. Arizona can expect to experience a brief interruption in 70 percent of its rooftop solar generation. New York follows with 68 percent, Utah can expect a 39 percent, and Nevada a 24 percent interruption. California and North Carolina may experience the biggest impacts from the eclipse, as they are both major solar producers. The difference can be compensated by reducing energy use and/or by temporarily drawing electricity from the grid. A few things environmentally-conscious individuals can do to prepare for the eclipse is replace all light bulbs with LEDs , turn off lights, unplug chargers and appliances, and turn down their thermostats. All of these steps will help save energy and reduce load grid pressure. All in all, the celestial event is one to celebrate, as it is one few will likely witness again. Via NRDC Images via Pixabay
See the rest here:
Tags: a-uses-various, alternative energy, animal scupltures, arizona, art, geothermal, green economy, leds, moth-sculptures, news, solar, sun, wind-power-, yumi okita
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About > ABA Rules & Guidelines > Advice to Members > Travelling to the USA
Travelling to the USA
Travelling to the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme - Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) - New Rules from 12th January 2009
From 12th January 2009, all qualified Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) travellers have been required to obtain electronic travel authorization prior to boarding an air or sea carrier to the United States. Travellers who do not receive travel authorization prior to their departure may be denied boarding, experience delays or be denied admission into the United States. Applications may be submitted at anytime prior to travel, but no less than 72 hours prior to departure.
Travel Authorization is obtained through an online registration system known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). If your registration is successful, it will be valid for multiple applications for two years or until the date on which your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Before going on line to register, you should ensure that you are qualified to travel under the Visa Waiver Program otherwise your registration will be rejected. ESTA only authorizes a traveller to board an air or sea carrier for travel to the United States. It also does not guarantee entry into the United States; that decision rests with the immigration official at the Port of Entry in the same way that travellers previously entering the U.S.A. under the Visa Waiver Program or with a visa were subject to inspection.
Travellers who make their initial entry into the U.S.A. by land from either Canada or Mexico are NOT required to obtain travel authorization through ESTA before travelling.
Warning: If your passport has ever been reported lost or stolen to the authorities and then recovered, please do not attempt to use it for travel to the United States. If you input the passport details into ESTA, your application will be denied (i.e. get a new passport before you try to travel to the USA!).
The US Customs and Border Protection main travel website gives full details of ESTA at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/.
You may submit your ESTA Application at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov - the official US Government ESTA website.
USA Entry - Passports
From 26 June 2005, only travellers with machine readable passports have been able to enter the USA without a visa. A machine readable passport (MRP) has 2 lines of characters across the bottom of the photograph page. All current passports which were issued in the UK are machine readable (the Passport Office says). Some passports issued by British consular posts abroad have a blank space instead of these characters and are not machine readable. Children whose names are included on an adult's passport, even if that passport is machine readable, will need visas to enter the USA. More information on the website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov - the official US Government ESTA website.
New Passport Requirements from 26 October 2005
The additional passport requirements which came into effect on October 26, 2005, affect only those Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) travellers whose passports were issued on or after October 26, 2005. If your passport was issued before this date, you need only be concerned that it is machine-readable. Passports issued on or after October 26, 2005, must include a biometric identifier based on applicable standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The US Department of Homeland Security announced that from October 26, 2005, a digital photograph of the passport holder's face printed on the data page of the passport will be the acceptable standard. Passports issued on or after October 26, 2006, must also include an integrated circuit chip capable of storing the biographic information from the data page, a digitized photograph and other biometric information. Many VWP countries already produce such passports and we believe that these include UK passports, although the Passport Office staff are reluctant to commit themselves in case they give misleading advice. See https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov - the official US Government ESTA website for full information.
Reviewed September 2012
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Bisexual men and women face pay gap, Indiana University study finds
Bisexual men and women are paid less for doing the same jobs than similarly qualified heterosexual men and women, according to Indiana University research that breaks new ground by treating bisexual individuals as distinct from gay men and lesbians in the workplace.
IU study suggests potential chronic pain treatment without opioid or medical marijuana side effects
Indiana University neuroscientist Andrea Hohmann discussed the study during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
IU congratulates Richard Lugar on his Fulbright Prize for International Understanding
Former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a Distinguished Scholar and professor of practice in the Indiana University School of Global and International Studies, has received the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding at the Fulbright Association's Annual Conference.
Gentle-Genitty to lead international truancy and dropout prevention association
Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, director of the Bachelor of Social Work program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, has been named president of the International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention.
Nursing researcher to examine if brain training helps combat memory loss in heart failure patients
Susan Pressler is the principal investigator for a five-year project to determine whether computerized cognitive training exercises can improve memory and quality of life for heart failure patients. The study has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson bringing his multimedia presentation to IU Auditorium
The host of National Geographic's "StarTalk" and director of the Hayden Planetarium will transport audience members to the nucleus of an atom and the farthest reaches of the universe as he explores humanity's quest for understanding.
Great Eight honored on Ebony Power 100 list
Ebony magazine has named eight black women who earned or are completing their Ph.D.s in IU School of Education programs as Ebony Power 100 honorees. The award recognizes those who lead, inspire and demonstrate through their individual talents the very best in black America.
IUPUI maps genome of black blow fly; may benefit human health, advance pest management
Researchers at the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis have sequenced the genome of the black blow fly, an insect commonly found throughout the United States, southern Canada and parts of northern Europe. They have environmental, medical and forensic uses, functioning as nature's recyclers, wound cleansers and forensic timekeepers.
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Jesse J. Johnson Military collection
Johnson, Jesse J., 1914-2006
Sc MG 200
9.4 linear feet (9 record cartons, 1 archival box)
[Item], Jesse J. Johnson Military collection, Sc MG 200, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Some collections held by the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture are held off-site and must be requested in advance. Please check the collection records in the NYPL's online catalog for detailed location information. To request access to materials in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, please visit: http://archives.nypl.org/scm/request_access Request access to this collection.
An African American career soldier, Jesse J. Johnson authored eight books and several plays about the military service of black men and women in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines from 1619 to the late 20th century. The Jesse J. Johnson Military Collection consists primarily of secondary sources and printed material, copies of documents held in public repositories, along with typescripts of his plays and one of his books. Johnson collected material about black men and women in the U.S. military, and in wars ranging from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War, all branches of service, and a wide selection of related subjects. The bulk of the collection is research material about these topics. There are also interviews Johnson conducted in the 1970s-1980s with retired African-American servicemen.
The Jesse J. Johnson Military Collection consists primarily of secondary sources and printed material, copies of documents held in public repositories, along with typescripts of his plays and one of his books. Johnson collected material about black men and women in the U.S. military, and in wars ranging from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War, all branches of service, and a wide selection of related subjects. The bulk of the collection is research material about these topics. There are also interviews Johnson conducted in the 1970s-1980s with retired African-American servicemen.
The Personal Papers series, 1942-2003, contains biographical information and family history discussing property in Mississippi. The series Writings, 1966-1994, consists of speeches Johnson delivered at military installations (1975-1983), typescripts for eleven plays and one short story with military themes (1966 and 1990s). Johnson's last book "The Soldier Samaritan: The Biography of Major Ernest C. Bradley" is represented by numerous drafts, including Bradley's handwritten draft of his autobiography.
The series Military History includes the subseries Wars, consisting primarily of secondary source material with the greatest number of files representing the Civil War and the Korean War. The Branches of Service subseries 1942-1994 (2.8 lin. ft.) consists of information pertaining to specific branches regardless of the time period or war including a few interviews Johnson conducted as well as a memoir (1919-1948), as told to Johnson, of Major Roy Brown who was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the all-black 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions were trained. Sergeant George Weaver, who also served at Fort Huachuca, is represented by his memoir and certificates. Printed material discusses black sailors, integration in the Navy, primarily during World War II, and the history of blacks in the Navy going back to the American Revolution.
Collection arranged into three series: I. Personal Papers; II. Writings; and III. Military History
Gift, Jesse J. Johnson, 1983, 2003
Bradley, Ernest C., 1915-
Brown, Roy, Major
United States. Army -- History.
African American air pilots
African American authors
African American dramatists
African American sailors
African American soldiers
African American soldiers -- History -- 20th century
African Americans -- Biography
Air pilots, Military -- United States -- History
Black author
Military bases -- Arizona -- Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca (Ariz.)
United States -- Armed Forces -- African Americans -- History
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
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List showing the theatres and plays in various European cities where Ira Aldridge, the African Roscius acted during the years 1824-1867/ compiled by Arthur A. Schomburg
Schomburg, Arthur Alfonso, 1874-1938
*T-Mss 1937-002
1 portfolio (38 leaves), 30 cm; 1 portfolio (38 leaves), 30 cm
List showing the theatres and plays in various European cities where Ira Aldridge, the African Roscius acted during the years 1824-1867/ compiled by Arthur A. Schomburg, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library
Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, black bibliophile, devoted his life to disproving the myths of black racial inferiority and affirming African peoples' role in the making of world civilization. The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is named for him.
Ira Frederick Aldridge (1807-1867) was one of the most important black actors of the 19th century. He toured for over forty years throughout England as well as in France, Russia, Sweden, Czechoslavakia, Turkey, Germany and Austria playing roles from slaves to Othello.
Manuscript:
Aldridge, Ira Frederick, -1867
Actors, Black
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Alberto Segismundo Cruz, Class 1922
Poet, Short Story Writer, Novelist
(21 November 1901 - 9 September 1989)
He was a Filipino poet, short story writer and novelist. Three of his novels have been published by Ateneo de Manila Press - Piling Nobela: Lakandula, Halimuyak, Ang Bungo (1997). Three novels that present the causes of the people’s misery. Written by the notable multi-awarded fictionist during the American Occupation.
Soledad S. Reyes of Ateneo de Manila University wrote: "The interconnectedness between the past and the present was a theme familiar to many Filipino writers who, in a variety of ways, argued the need to remember the past. Francisco Laksamana, Faustino Aguilar, Lazaro Francisco, Alberto Segismundo Cruz, Macario Pineda, and even Fausto Galauran, among others, constructed narratives enjoining the readers not to be dazzled by the present, but to remember the heroic and noble past of their forefathers."
Born in Sta Cruz, Manila, Philippines, he wrote for Bulaklak, Liwayway, Silahis, Kislap, Tagumpay, Aliwan, Balaghari, Ilang-Ilang - the country's leading weekly magazines during his time. He was the Poet Laureate of the Republic of the Philippines in 1947. He won the Commonwealth literary awards in the 1940s and the Rizal Centennial Literary Awards in 1961. His contemporaries were Amado V. Hernandez , Fausto Galauran, Simeon Mercado, Nemesio Caravana and Liwayway Arceo, among others. He was one of the best 50 writers of the Philippines, according to “Limampung Kuwentong Ginto”, a short story writers’ review edited by Pedrito Reyes .
He finished high school at the Manila North High School, now Arellano High School, in Sta. Cruz, Manila. He was in the same class (1922) as Lorenzo Sumulong, revered Philippine senator. He went to the University of the Philippines and National University, where he obtained his A.A. degree from the latter. He finished his law studies at the Philippine Law School and became a member of the Philippine Bar in 1939.
His literary and journalism career. As a newsman and writer, he was a member of the pre-war TVT Publication (Taliba-La Vanguardia-Tribune). He covered Malacanang, the Philippine Presidential Palace, the Senate and Congress. He contributed countless articles, features, short stories to the newspapers and magazines of his time. He was one of the few prolific writers in both English and Filipino.
Holder of the Literary Award Record in short story and poetry in the pre-war Taliba and Liwayway
Winner, Commonwealth Literary Contest (1940)
Novelist of the Republic for his novel "Muling Pagsilang" (1942), adjudged by a juror headed by the illustrious senator and writer, Claro M. Recto
Poet Laureate of the Republic (1947), with Simeon Mercado
Winner, book-essay, Rizal National Centennial Commission (1961), with Leopoldo Yabes
Winner, poetry, Rizal National Centennial Commission (1961)
1975 Palanca Awards - "Sino ang Bulag at Iba Pang Tula"
As a lawyer, he was associated with Atty. M. V. Roxas and Sen. Francisco Soc Rodrigo. He was in the Press Relations Division and also the Legal Division of the Office of the President of the Commonwealth from February 10, 1939 till December 31, 1941.
He was corrector of style and professor in Filipino and translation technique at the National Assembly (1942). He was Inspector General of the National Land Settlement Administration from March 24, 1948 to December 31, 1949.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace for Indang-Inopacan, Leyte on August 16, 1951, but did not serve due to his commitments in the country's capital, Manila.
He was special attorney and legislative researcher at the Philippine Senate from March 1, 1951 until he retired from government service in 1961.
Service to the government and country. As the first accredited vernacular newsman in Malacanang, he was the first newspaperman welcomed by President Manuel L. Quezon to write and translate his speeches, addresses and pronouncements into the National Language, making it possible to bring the message of the Chief Executive and make it better understood by the people. To-be-president Diosdado Macapagal was in the same press relations office in Malacanang, at that time.
As lawyer of the Tondo Foreshore Residents' Association, he was instrumental in the preparation of a bill that granted the right to thousands of poor bonafide occupants of the Tondo foreshore area to purchase the lots they had occupied since Liberation on an installment plan basis. He argued for them in the hearings until the bill became
Republic Act 559, benefiting thousands of families in the Tondo foreshore area.
Inspired by the late Claro M. Recto and Jose P. Laurel, he initiated together with Jose Villa Panganiban, who became Director of the Institute of National Language, the project to translate into Filipino all acts and resolutions of the Congress of the Philippines in order that the people may understand better their rights and obligations as citizens.
Ateneo Press published "Piling Nobela", a collection of his novels: "Ang Bungo", "Lakandula", and "Halimuyak".
Alberto immigrated to the United States in the mid-1960s to be with his children and grandchildren. His last work was "Sariling Parnaso", a collection of poems. He had ten children, nine of whom immigrated to the United States .
To see his writings, visit www.tagalogshortstories.net
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OAKFORD SOCIAL CLUB (18+)
A pub which hosts live music, DJs and serves food.
53 Blagrave Street, RG1 1PZ
14:45 - TINY GIANT
Chloë Alper(ex Pure Reason Revolution,Charli XCX) has teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Mat Colis to form Tiny Giant.
Mat Colis – a MOBO and Grammy nominated engineer who has worked with the likes of JayZ, CharliXCX, Mr Hudson, Yelawolf, The Black Eyed Peas and The Noisetes–helped shape a sound the pair describe as'Dream Pop meets FutureRock'.
15:45 - CHINA BEARS (Replacing Drug Store Romeos)
Surrey based alternative band China Bears produce honest, raw and anthemic songs.
16:45 - THE ADY BAKER SOUND
The Ady Baker Sound is a collective from Reading who play guitars, use loops, samples, drums, processed beats, white noise, high notes, flat notes, minor chords, major chords, harmonious and non-harmonious sounds to invoke melodies to haunt you.
Are they the saviours of Indie Rock or new Electro-pioneers? We don’t know. What we do know is that they are the new favourites on the live scene in their hometown of Reading and gaining acclaim in other cities through internet radio play.
With influences from My Bloody Valentine to the Flying Burrito Brothers with other musical affairs along the way, including a ménage-a-trois between Primal Scream, The Sundays and The Cure. The Ady Baker Sound apparently mix electronica, neo-psychedelia, avant-rock, trip-hop and modern alienation, although trying to describe their style is like playing pin the tail on the genre. The best thing to do is to go and see them play live - they’ll be like putty in your hands.
17:45 - SHE MAKES WAR
She Makes War is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist producer and visual artist Laura Kidd returns to AYL. Blending urgent indie rock with melancholy torch songs, SMW completed her fourth album this summer and since then has been busy recording guest vocals on The Levellers’ 30th anniversary album, taking part in a British Council cultural exchange in Indonesia, performing with comedian Robin Ince and touring Europe completely solo.
She Makes War has received press support from Clash Magazine, Rock Sound, Line Of Best Fit, DIY, The Quietus, Gigwise and Louder Than War. Singles from her last album 'Direction Of Travel' received national airplay on 6Music (Marc Riley Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne, Tom Robinson, Gideon Coe), XFM (John Kennedy), Kerrang (Alex Baker) and Amazing Radio (Shell Zenner and Jim Gellaghtly) - in addition she was invited to play a live band session on Marc Riley's 6 Music show.
She launched the album with a series of UK headline dates and supported The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Carina Round, Duke Special and The Wave Pictures on tour throughout the rest of the year. Anton Newcombe of BJM calls her "an inspiration" and other industry fans include Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses) who guested on DOT, Ayse Hassan (Savages), Neil Codling (Suede), Terry Edwards (Tindersticks, PJ Harvey), Miles Hunt (The Wonderstuff) and comedian Robin Ince.
18:45 - EAT DADDY EAT
This new garage rock out t made of familiar faces will drag you into the darker, noisier corners of rock n roll.
19:45 - MUSH
Mush are a new four-piece Leeds based group.
The band play guitar heavy alternative, experimental rock tunes akin to: Sonic Youth, Pavement, The Fall, Pixies, Parquet Courts channelling a bunch of other influences descending from an alt-lineage that can be traced back to the likes of Can, Beefheart & Velvet Underground.
The band return to Reading following their support slot here last year with The Wytches and wish to capture the imagination of the pockets of weird indie rockers, slackers and freaks around the country.
21:00 - VINYL STAIRCASE
In their own words, 'We're 4 kids who enjoy getting down, recording our own tunes, chilling out at service stations and playing shows... dig.'
Vinyl Staircase's last single "German Wings" was premiered on Phil Taggart's Radio 1 show and they were featured by NME, The Line of Best Fit plus supported the likes of Blossoms and Swim Deep.
22:15 - HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE JANE FONDA AEROBIC VHS?
Finnish 3-piece Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? have carved out a unique sound for themselves, opting to use keyboards instead of guitars. This is after songwriter Ekku Lintunenand drummer Janne-Petteri Pitkälä, on seeing the film Drive, instantly decided to form an 80s synth-pop band as a side project to the garage-rock act they were in at the time. When Susse Stemma-Sihvola came in on vocals, bringing her scuzzed out bass tones with her, it ended up being garage-rock with a twist.
They are further shaped by the aesthetic and sonics of the underground cassette culture punk bands in their small town of Kouvola rely on, as well as the thread of styles that have tied the town’s musical history together through the decades. A mish-mash of 60s girl-groups, punk, glam, grunge and NYC/Manchester indie coming together to generate their electrifying style.
The band have been championed by BBC Radio’s Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq, Phil Taggart, Chris Hawkins and Tom Ravenscroft, and the likes of Consequence of Sound, Forbes, Drowned in Sounds, MTV Iggy, The Line of The Best Fit and Clash Magazine.
As well as the above media acclaim, they are routinely picked out as live highlights at Europe’s buzziest festivals (Roskilde Festival (DK), Flow Festival (FI),Pohoda (SK), Reeperbahn Festival (DE), The Great Escape (UK), Farm Fest (UK), Kendal Calling (UK), Eurosonic (NL) and Europavox (FR)).
23:15 - Twin Sun (replaces ANIMAL HOUSE)
Twin Sun will be replacing Animal House's set during the festval.
The return of Australian indie-rockers Animal House create a raucous, energy-fuelled sound. Having already received critical acclaim with their single English Girls, Animal House’s released EP Sorry which is filled with witty lyrical storytelling, racing riffs and infectious choruses. With its undeniably catchy, high-energy garage-infused sound, reminiscent of the likes of The Strokes and The Raconteurs.
Finally settled in the UK, Animal House have already supported the likes of Courtney Barnett, Surfer Blood and Drenge to name a few. They have also received praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, BBC6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and Sean Keaveny, NME, DIY and Clash.
Animal House enjoy a party and you are all invited.
00:00 - STEVE LAMACQ (BBC 6MUSIC)
Steve Lamacq is a DJ and journalist who has more than 25 years experience in the music industry returns to Are You Listening?
In a career which has included stints at the New Musical Express, Radio 1 and his current home BBC 6Music, he has gained a reputation for championing new bands to success, while interviewing some of alt-rock’s biggest names.
His instinct for turning up new talent was nurtured at NME where he was the first writer to interview (among others) Blur, Ride and Teenage Fanclub. He also became a well known face on the gig circuit, touring the country with bands like Carter USM, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and the Mega City 4. During one especially frantic year, he clocked up 197 gigs in 12 months.
After making his radio debut at London pirate station Q102, Steve joined Radio 1 at the end of 1993, co-presenting the illustrious Evening Session with Jo Whiley until 1997 and then solo until 2002, after which he concentrated on his weekly four-hour show Lamacq Live.
At Radio 1, the Session became the centre point for the burgeoning Britpop movement, featuring exclusive interviews with Blur, Pulp, Radiohead – and one of the most bootlegged interviews ever with Oasis.
As the ‘90s progressed into the Noughties, the show supported a diverse array of music including Fatboy Slim, The Streets, The Strokes – who recorded their first ever session for Steve – Coldplay and The Libertines.
While still with Radio 1, Steve also joined 6Music in 2002 taking over the daily drivetime show in Spring 2005, where he mixes his love of music, old and new. It is currently the most listened to show on the network with nearly a million listeners each week.
He received the Special Achievement Award in 2013 at the Sony Awards (radio’s version of the Oscars). And a similar gong from the Association Of Independent Music in the same year.
He still loves playing records very loudly and is currently working on a one-man show.
01:00 - JOHN KENNEDY (RADIO X)
John Kennedy presents and produces X-Posure four nights a week for Radio X, formerly XFM. The show's been going since 1999 and has been the first to give airtime to all sorts of bands and artists from Adele to MIA, Mumford & Sons to The xx, Clean Bandit to Razorlight.
He has interviewed everyone from Paul McCartney to Wiley, Femi Kuti to Joanna Newsom, Nick Cave to Iggy Pop. He puts on gigs every month and has been a Mercury Prize judge since 2009. He has been described as the 'doyen of underground alternative music' by the Observer, 'acclaimed, respected, intelligent' by The Independent, and in The Times as having 'long been putting together shows that demolish genre boundaries and confound expectations'. John has, as Q magazine once put it 'like the late John Peel, relentlessly championed new music'.
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Home > Home Audio > Mark Levinson
Madrigal Audio Laboratories
3 Oak Park, Bedford, MA 01730, USA
hsclemons@gmail.com
Search Mark Levinson on Ebay
Equipment[add model]
Mark Levinson manufactures or has manufactured the following equipment (click to expand models list):
CD-Players
Electrostatic Speakers
Solid State Amplifiers
General information [contribute]
Mark Levinson web site (December 2003): For over a quarter of a century, Mark Levinson components have been constructed with a single-minded dedication to preserving the properties that make music and cinema special. Serious music lovers have come to think of them as precision instruments capable of extracting every nuance and shading embedded in a recording. Mark Levinson components combine the latest manufacturing technology with the skills of the most highly trained, conscientious craftsmen in the industry.
We use the best materials for the job
We produce creative designs through advanced electronic, mechanical and industrial engineering.
We build every component to deliver higher performance than what you will ever ask of it.
We construct every component to last, and, whenever possible, to be upgraded as technology evolves.
We are responsive to our customers needs and desires before, during and long after the sale.
We build Mark Levinson products to be the best-sounding, easiest-to-use audio/video products in the world.
We build these values into every Mark Levinson component because we can't conceive of doing it any other way.
We hope you enjoy investigating the Mark Levinson web site, here you'll find product information, news about the company, support contact forms and manual downloads.
Hartley Decca Quad Site on Mark Levinson equipment (by Stephane Tsacas) Red Rose Music Mark Levinson new company (nothing on ESL's but interesting nonetheless) Madrigal Distributor of Mark Levinson Products
John Jones (August 23, 2009): Mark Levinson: A division of Harman Specialty Group.
History[contribute]
Mark Levinson web site (December 2003): In the early 1970's, many people felt that audio components were taking a musical step backward. Some of the early pioneers and developers of component audio had sold their companies to others who were mass-producing products for a much wider market. At the same time, the transistor had largely replaced the vacuum tube in electronic design. Although the new audio products measured better and were generally more reliable than their predecessors, critical listeners found that they preferred listening to the best of the equipment from the 1960's.
Some concluded that the transistor itself was the main culprit, and turned back to vacuum tube designs to recapture more authentic reproduction of music. Although many excellent products have come out of this tradition, they have sacrificed the inherently greater reliability, consistency, and convenience of solid-state technology. From its beginning in 1972, Mark Levinson Audio Systems (MLAS) took advantage of new technologies, and refined them for superior musical reproduction.
Like most "high-end" companies to this day, the early Mark Levinson products were the result of what can be called a craftsmanship approach to audio design. Careful choice of the finest components and attention to details of layout and construction, along with an industrial design that moved the austere look of professional studio equipment into our living rooms, contributed to the legendary performance and reputation of the early Mark Levinson products. Unfortunately, Mark Levinson Audio Systems the company �was never able to achieve a stable business structure, and finally ceased to exist on October 15, 1984.
Initially formed as its sister distribution company, Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc., led by founder Sanford Berlin, began gathering the resources to carry on the important work of MLAS. The traditions of handcrafted quality and sonic excellence established by the failed company were reborn when on January 31, 1985, Madrigal purchased the entire assets of MLAS. Many of the key employees returned upon reopening of the factory, and production of Mark Levinson audio components resumed. Madrigal, however, soon progressed beyond the one-man design approach still typical of contemporary high-end audio companies. In 1985, the first university trained engineer was added to the full time staff.
Since then, Madrigal has invested heavily in fundamental Research and Development. A full-time professional engineering staff is maintained, representing a variety of disciplines including analog and digital electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, software engineering, manufacturing engineering, and industrial design. These designers, along with supporting staff, computing tools and instrumentation represent a commitment to technological excellence unparalleled among high-end audio companies. At the same time, we recognize that our ears are the most sophisticated test instruments available, and have developed a unique relationship between subjective and objective evaluation, wherein each complements the other. This rigorous design approach has resulted in products that set the pace for musical performance, measure well on the test bench, and perform consistently for many years.
From the introduction of the Mark Levinson No 20 Reference Amplifiers in 1986 through the No 40 Media Console in 2002, Madrigal has brought the Mark Levinson product line to the pinnacle of international prestige, earning numerous "reference class" designations from reviewers as well as awards from groups representing consumers, dealers, reviewers, and manufacturers. We have also earned a reputation for enduring value, thanks to the outstanding performance, consistency, reliability, and durability of our designs. Moreover, our models remain in the marketplace longer, since they operate at the "state of the art" (which cannot be advanced according to a regular, annual schedule)
In 2000, we launched the first in a series of Mark Levinson Premium Sound Systems, designed exclusively for the new Lexus LS430, their flagship sedan. Since then, the Mark Levinson option has been offered on other Lexus models and in 2001 became standard equipment in the new SC430 Sport Coupe. The quiet passenger cabin and Lexus genuine interest in delivering superior results have helped this partnership flourish in the pursuit of perfection.
Mark Levinson site dedicated to classic ML products
Harman Speciality Group USA based maker of high end audio and AV electronics and loudspeakers. Founded when Harman International decided to organise all their high end products into one company in 2003, this company integrates the home audio products from Lexicon with the brands that they gained when they took over Madrigal, including Mark Levinson and Revel
Forum topics on Mark Levinson
The following topics regarding Mark Levinson in general can be found in the forums. Topics about specific models can be found on the model pages. If you want to start a new topic, click here.
Audio system schematic
circuit schema needed
which setup?
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Launch Day for M.O. Kenyan's SHADES OF SPRING!
It's launch day for another 5 Prince Publishing author, M.O. Kenyan! Join us for this special launch! Leave a message here and you could win a $10 Amazon Gift Card! (Contest is sponsored by 5 Prince Publishing. The prize is a $10 gift card to Amazon and not transferable. Contest ends 7/19/2012 at 11:59:59pm MT)
Maxine tries to deal with her mother’s death in her own way. But when she finds old letters revealing her family’s past she finds herself creating a bond with someone else, not knowing how far their history goes.
Taylor is amused and infuriated with Marine, and no matter how hard he tries he can’t stay away from her. Now he finds himself being her main supporter, the only one she can lean on as she travels back to the past. And when the past is resolved they now have to think of their futures, while they concentrate on their present.
Meet M.O. Kenyan
Twenty three year old Kenyan girl with a little world in her head. When you have so many voices in your head people may describe you as a schizophrenic, but in the literary world, I am a story teller dying to share with the world the many storied going on inside my head.
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7355136-marita
twitter; @MOK_Author
facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/MokAuthor?ref=hl
mokauthor.wordpress.com
Enjoy a sample of her new book:
“Yes, Maxine.” Maxine didn’t miss the hint of exasperation in the professor’s voice. When she had raised her hand in class, she had seen the professor roll his eyes before he forced a smile and called on her.
“I think we should do African literature,” she began, almost bouncing off her seat. She saw the relieved expression on the professor’s face. It always bothered her when, each time she wanted to make a contribution, there was a look of dread on his face. Maxine looked around the room taking in her classmate’s expressions and, despite the frustration and anger she saw from most of them, she went on. “Especially books by authors who wrote during or about colonization in Africa.” She didn’t care what the professor or the rest of the class thought. She thought it was a brilliant idea.
The resistance from the class didn’t take long. “Why?” her classmate Taylor yelled out from the back of the room. Maxine always felt like his voice was constantly at the back of her mind, always disapproving of her ideas or suggestions. There were times she thought Taylor’s voice was part of her subconscious.
“What do you mean by why?” Maxine slightly turned her head towards the back. She took in quick, short breaths as she prepared to defend her suggestion.
“Why should we?” Taylor went on, addressing the professor. “The books for this unit have already been chosen. I don’t think we should add another book just because she said so.”
“She has a name.” Maxine turned her body to face Taylor. Her eyes narrowed as she burned holes in his pale forehead with her acid gaze. “We can find the time,” she said through clenched teeth. Maxine turned back to face her professor. “As a student, I have the right to ask for more knowledge.” There was no way the professor could deny her the opportunity to learn.
“Get a private tutor. Some of us don’t have time to squeeze in more reading,” Taylor hissed out. Maxine could see the frustration on his face. He had reached his boiling point, but she kept on pushing.
“As an African American--”
Taylor cut in. “Oh please,” he scoffed. “No one focuses on that stuff anymore.”
“That’s why I suggested it. I think we should all remember that time.” Maxine’s voice was like that of a little girl trying to wheedle her father into a new pony, charming but unwavering because she wanted something and she wanted it badly. “We, as Literature students and as people of this world, should care. It is where our history begins.”
“Exactly! History!” Taylor made his way to the front of the class and stood beside the professor.
Maxine held on to the edge of her desk, her nails digging into the wood, and called on every single patient cell in her body. She wasn’t going to let Taylor beat her, not a chance. She needed to make an argument and a good one. With a smile on her face, she also made her way to the front of the class. “As Literature students, we also have to learn the African Literature way of writing.”
“I think we have learned enough about other types of writing,” Taylor smirked.
“I think the fact that you said that proves what an air-head you really are.”
Taylor turned to face Maxine. The anger in his glare displaced the warm humor in his usually kind, brown eyes. She could feel his gaze burn into her, but she refused to look away. She wasn’t going to be moved.
“I have made my decision.” The professor stepped in between them, blocking any path they would have to each other. “Everyone pair up and find a short story by an African writer during the time period of colonization. Write a five-thousand word essay on the author and his style of writing. It is due after spring break. That way we can all get what we want in the shortest time period.”
Maxine cheered, sticking her tongue out at a very irritated Taylor.
The professor turned to her and Taylor, a smug smile crossing his lips. “The both of you will partner up.”
“No!” they shouted in unison.
“I can’t stand her,” Taylor bluntly said.
“He’s an idiot,” she spat back.
The professor crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t care. You don’t submit the report, you both fail. And let me warn you, I will be able to tell if it’s individual work.” He turned back to the class. “Everyone is dismissed.”
Taylor and Maxine got caught up in the rush as everyone made their way out of class. The other students shot murderous glares at them and muttered under their breaths.
“If looks could kill,” Taylor laughed, “you would be dead a hundred times by now.” Maxine gathered her books to her chest. She looked at Taylor or, rather, at his shirt. He was a little over 6’3”, which made it feel as if he towered over her. She slowly scanned up the red-checked shirt he wore over a white-t shirt until her eyes met his. “My neck is getting tired. What’s the plan?”
“I think it would be better if we both just did our own thing.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing her neck. “I’m too pretty to go to prison.”
“So, what you are saying is that I would live longer if we did this assignment separately.” She nodded, acknowledging that he certainly had the strength to follow through on his threat. She wasn’t completely sure he was kidding.
Taylor gave her a slow nod.
“Fine,” she barked. Maxine let her eyes drop slowly back to the front of his shirt. “I wouldn’t want to work with someone who dresses like a Back Street Boy with Mr. T hair.”
“It’s a Mohawk,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Then I suggest that you go get your money back.” She tugged at the bottom corner of his shirt, pushed back her shoulders and walked away.
“You can’t deny it,” he called after her and she glanced at him. “I look good.”
The smug look on his face told her he actually believed that.
Maxine stomped her feet hard on the marble floor. A temper tantrum is what her mother used to call it, but, to Maxine, it was her way of letting out the frustration. “I can’t stand that guy!” she muttered to herself as she headed home.
Maxine always battled with having to go back home. At the beginning of each morning, she had the energy to stand in front of the mirror and engineer the best cheerful face she could, but at the end of the day, she struggled with leaving school.
Maxine arrived at the only unweeded garden and overgrown lawn in the whole neighborhood. Their little house didn’t always look that way, but ever since her mother got sick, there was no one to weed the rose garden and no one to nag her father about painting the white picket fence. Things had changed and they were slowly getting worse. She stood before the front door, knowing very well that the white door held a different significance to her than to other daughters coming home from school. She looked over at the withered garden and decided that the flowers seemed to be adopting the same condition as her mother — death.
She wrapped her fingers around the door knob, took a deep breath, and then opened it. Before she stepped in, Maxine whispered a silent prayer for strength to the universe and the big guy above. One step at a time, a smile, a laugh, a prayer, and somehow she would be able to get through this day.
Maxine looked down the long hallway. In reality, it was not more than ten meters long, but every time she had to go to the guest room, which had been changed into the hospice, she felt like she was walking the yellow brick road. However, rather than leading to the Land of Oz, this one led her to the only feeling of love she knew.
Another step, a deep breath, and she opened the bedroom door. Maxine’s nostrils were attacked by the pungent smell of medication. The rhythmic beeping sound of the heart monitor connected to her mother reminded Maxine that she needed to put on a brave face.
“Hey, beautiful.” Maxine forced a smile as she noticed the exhausted expression on her mother’s face.
Lynne’s hair was shaggy, her toffee skin pale, and her lips cracked. Maxine saw the exhaustion on her mother’s ravaged face. Maxine’s father, Daniel, was cemented in the same spot he was always in, seated next to her mother’s death bed. Daniel had the same exhausted expression on his face, but on him the expression was permanently engraved in the creases around his eyes and mouth. Maxine always led with the games before she got down to the real issue. Maxine’s eyes quickly looked around her mother’s body and bed. There seemed to be more tubes and machines than there had been when she left in the morning.
Her father gave Maxine a quick glance and then his eyes returned to his wife. Daniel’s eyes seemed to hang out of their sockets. His wrinkled hand held onto his wife’s, securely but gently, as if the only way to keep her by his side was to never let go of her hand.
Maxine looked at the simplest form of love they had, and her heart broke. What would her father do when Lynne died? Daniel had tied his life to her mother’s in every single way humanly possible, and here was something that he couldn’t protect her from.
Maxine’s mother had been diagnosed with cancer two years ago. They thought that they had beaten it, but it had come back just before Christmas with the vengeance of a rabid demon, and it had its claws in her. No matter what they tried or how hard her father fought for every treatment known to man, it wasn’t letting go. Her mother had been discharged from the hospital two weeks prior and had been sent home to die in her own bed surrounded by her family.
Now Maxine was standing there witnessing the greatest love ever shared, knowing that it would soon come to a heart-wrenching end. She had prepared herself, she thought, for her mother’s death. She had also come to terms with the fact that her father would die soon after her mother. There was no way one could live without the other. Although her father called her ‘the greatest love of his life’, she knew that her mother was his only reason for living. Once Lynne died, he wouldn’t have any other reason to stick around.
Maxine sat at her mother’s feet. Lynne cupped Maxine’s cheek with her hand and smiled as much as her strength allowed. “You are the most beautiful girl ever,” she strained to say, and the words rattled like a stone in a tin can.
Hearing her mother sound so weak broke Maxine’s heart, but she hid her pain behind her smile. Maxine thought of asking her mother how she was feeling, but it didn’t seem that important. Asking only frustrated Lynne because she was always economical with the truth for the sake of the withering man at her side. Listening to her mother put up a brave front, and her father whimper every time she did, cut through Maxine. Daniel smoothed his fingers over the thin hand stuck with needles; it was a gesture that had become habitual. Maxine didn’t think her mother felt the discomfort of the IVs anymore, and let her father do it because it was the only way he felt useful.
“I have a boatload of assignments to do; I’ll come and sit with you in a couple of hours.” Maxine walked out of the room and a thought crossed her mind. Would this be the last time?
She made her way to her room and got on the Internet. She needed to figure out which book she and Taylor had to write their essays about. The sooner she did, the sooner they could split the responsibility and be done with the assignment, and each other, all together..
Buy Links (as always on launch day... some of them haven't come up yet, but we will add them as soon as they are available.)
Labels: 5 Prince Publishing, M.O. Kenyan, Shades of Spring 1964
MJ Kane July 19, 2012 at 7:57 AM
Congratulations, M.O.!
I loved the chapter! I could picture Maxine and Taylor going toe to toe in the classroom, kinda reminded me of my daughter and her brother when they argue. I can also empathize with her when she sees her mom. I've been in a situation like that, not with my mother, but with another relative. I think you did a wonderful job capturing the emotions and setting. That took me back....I'm putting this on my TBR list and wish you much success!
bn100 July 20, 2012 at 12:50 AM
Very nice excerpt.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Warrior Princess Romance Writer July 22, 2012 at 7:59 PM
Congratulations to MJ Kane for winning the gift card for posting! This contest has closed.
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Sponsors & Contributors
Researchers/Writers
Industry & Government
Radio Groups
Radio Other
CJMI-FM
CJMI-FM , myFM, Strathroy
My Broadcasting Corporation
Freq.
Owner/Info
My Broadcasting Corp.
On October 3, My Broadcasting Corp. received approval to operate a new FM station at Strathroy, operating on a frequency of 91.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,750 watts. MBC had stations in Eastern Ontario at Renfrew, Arnprior, and Pembroke. 90% of all programming broadcast on the new station would be locally originated, and the format would be Adult Contemporary/Middle of the Road. CJRT-FM Toronto expressed concerns over MBC’s proposed use of the 91.1 MHz frequency, related to the potential for interference to CJRT. In response, MBC stated it would be willing to use 105.7 MHz, if necessary. MBC decided to change the frequency from 91.1 MHz to 105.7 MHz after all, and this change was approved by the CRTC on December 12. Effective radiated power would remain at 1,750 watts. Antenna height would be 60 metres.
CJMI “105.7 MY FM” began testing in January and signed on the air February 6. Studios and offices were located at 125 Metcalfe Street in Strathroy.
Chris Soares moved from part-time news at CJMI to full-time news at CJMI Strathroy and CKXM Exeter.
The CRTC approved the change to the ownership of My Broadcasting Corporation, for estate planning purposes, through the transfer of Andrew Dickson and Jon Pole's voting interest in My Broadcasting (35.05% each) to their respective family trusts. The transaction did not affect the effective control of the licensee, which continued to be exercised jointly by Andrew Dickson and Jon Pole. My Broadcasting was the licensee of various radio programming undertakings in Ontario.
Contact this station
We rely on grants and donations from industry
View our sponsors
Learn more about the personalities involved in Canada's broadcasting history.
The Canadian Communications Foundation.
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SOLZHENITSYN Target of KGB Propaganda and Censorship by Voice of America
BBG - USAGM Watch > Featured News > SOLZHENITSYN Target of KGB Propaganda and Censorship by Voice of America
BBGWatcher November 7, 2017
Featured News, History, Hot Tub Blog
Alan Heil, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, BBG, Cold War, history, Jesse Helms, KGB, propaganda, RFE RL, Russia, Soviet Union, Ted Lipien, U.S. Congress, USIA, Vladimir Putin, VOA
Cold War Radio Museum
How Voice of America Censored Solzhenitsyn
By Ted Lipien
This research article written for Cold War Radio Museum website to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik coup in Russia deals primarily with censorship at the U.S. taxpayer-funded and government-run Voice of America (VOA) during the policy of détente in the 1970s as it was directed by higher-level officials against Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, one of Russia’s most famous writers. VOA’s silencing of Solzhenitsyn’s voice in its broadcasts and restrictions on readings from his major work, The Gulag Archipelago, were a direct result of a successful KGB-run propaganda and disinformation campaign affecting U.S. policy at the White House level all the way down to U.S. government officials in charge of the Voice of America. The KGB, the security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, in addition to conducting foreign intelligence operations, also suppressed internal dissent and took active measures abroad, including propaganda and disinformation, against anyone viewed by the communist authorities as an enemy of the Soviet Union. In a partial relief for truth-deprived audiences behind the Iron Curtain, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, also U.S. government funded radio broadcasters, were largely unaffected by Soviet propaganda or censorship by U.S. government officials in response to threats from the Kremlin. Their censorship-free broadcasts beamed by shortwave radio signals behind the Iron Curtain helped to compensate to some degree for VOA’s failures and helped to save America’s reputation among the East Europeans and the Russians as the leader of the Free World and a champion of freedom.
As revealed by Major Vasili Mitrokhin, the KGB senior archivist who had defected to the United Kingdom in 1992 after providing the British embassy in Riga with a vast collection of KGB files, during the 1970s and 1980s, Solzhenitsyn was a target of an unprecedented disinformation campaign undertaken by the KGB through its multiple operatives abroad who also received assistance from other Soviet Block intelligence agencies. 1 KGB smears aimed at discrediting the dissident writer, human rights defender and Nobel Prize winner by portraying him as an anti-Western Russian nationalist and enemy of détente managed to intimidate and influence American policy makers at all levels and successfully undermined his reputation in the West even to this day. The KGB also spread false accusations of pro-Nazi sympathies and anti-Semitism to discredit Solzhenitsyn and anyone associating with him or offering him support.
The senior management of the Voice of America followed the lead of the Nixon White House and the United States Information Agency (USIA) in caving in to pressure from Soviet propaganda which also managed to influence some but not all of the VOA central English newsroom journalists and their managers. Even VOA foreign language services were not completely immune to the onslaught of Soviet propaganda although many tried to resit it and, as far as they could, opposed orders from higher management to ban Solzhenitsyn from their broadcasts until specifically ordered to stop their efforts to interview the writer. In the end, KGB propagandists and censors within the Voice of America and the United States Information Agency, whose officials had the final authority over VOA until 1999, prevailed in their determination to deny the exiled writer a chance to present himself and his accounts of Stalinist crimes in his own voice to audiences behind the Iron Curtain which were exposed to Soviet propaganda lies about him from their local communist-controlled media. After his forced exile to the West in 1974, Solzhenitsyn was banned from participating in VOA programs for almost ten years, during Nixon and Ford administrations, and for all practical purposes also during the Carter administration as Russian Service broadcasters gave up on trying to interview him and he stayed away from the station.
Censorship at the Voice of America – A Historical Background
The banning of Solzhenitsyn by the Voice of America in 1974 was not the first or the only triumph of Soviet propaganda in forcing the U.S. government-run radio station to cover up or at least limit reporting on Stalin’s crimes. During World War II, the Voice of America practiced what one of its former anti-communist journalists described in 1950 as “Love for Stalin.” 2 Wartime VOA presented Stalin as a radical democrat devoted to securing peace and social justice, lied for him and attacked his critics when they accused him of ordering the cold-blooded murder of thousands of Polish military officers in Katyń and deportations and deaths of millions of civilians of many nationalities. The KGB operation to discredit Solzhenitsyn in the West for disclosing this and many other crimes was linked by history to the same campaign of smears and censorship of Stalin’s critics during World War II, in which the Voice of America also played a key role. For those who are not familiar with U.S. government-funded international broadcasting, I include a brief historical background on institutional censorship at VOA in response to Soviet and Russian propaganda since the station’s launch by the Roosevelt administration in 1942 within the Office of War Information (OWI).
An exhibit item in the Gulag Museum in Magadan, Russia. 1994 Photo. (An online virtual Gulag Museum with an introduction by Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize author of “Gulag: A History“ can be viewed on the website of The Museum on Communism–a project of the non-profit, non-partisan Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, established by an Act of Congress on December 17, 1993 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.)
The banning of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn from participating in Voice of America radio broadcasts to Russia in the 1970s ordered by the station’s own U.S. government management was a shameful and long-lasting episode in the history of otherwise mostly positive contributions of many rank and file VOA journalists, even in that period, to the eventual fall of Soviet communist totalitarianism brought about by the 1917 Bolshevik coup. During that time, VOA reported, sometimes extensively, on Solzhenitsyn’s expulsion from the Soviet Union and on some of his statements, but in a move that would discredit the station for many years, the senior management forbade the Russian Service from trying to interview the human rights defender-writer or to allow him to read excerpts from his Gulag Archipelago literary history of Stalinist atrocities, for which he had won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970.
It was not the first or the last example of VOA caving in to the power of Soviet propaganda, disinformation, blackmail and character assassination–tactics which have again become familiar in the era of Vladimir Putin. Such censorship, whether initiated by high-level officials within the Executive Branch of the U.S. government or on occasion by VOA managers and journalists, which happened regularly under both Democratic and Republican administrations, always provoked severe criticism from the U.S. Congress, parts of American media and ordinary Americans. 3 Censorship of such human rights advocates as Solzhenitsyn was profoundly in conflict with American values, but the ban on his participation in VOA broadcasts initiated in 1974 lasted almost a decade. It was one of the biggest triumphs of KGB-inspired disinformation campaign carried out at times with willing and at other times with unwitting participation of U.S. officials in charge of VOA who were all too easily influenced and intimidated by Soviet threats.
Neither government bureaucrats nor journalists like to admit that they engage in propaganda or that they have been successfully duped or threatened by secret services and propaganda operations of another country. Whenever in its more distant past or in recent years the leadership of the Voice of America has originated propaganda of its own or practiced censorship, the usual response from American government officials in charge of the organization was that they were following and protecting good journalistic principles and that their critics got their facts wrong. Needless to say, it was almost always the opposite of the truth. These VOA officials also developed a common habit among government bureaucrats everywhere of going on the offensive and attacking their inside and outside critics. During World War II, they even criticized American and foreign victims of their censorship, sometimes using the same accusations as those advanced by communist propagandists against the same individuals and groups.
In another similarity with today’s information wars, these Soviet propaganda claims against governments, soldiers, politicians, writers and artists, many of whom lost their lives fighting Nazi Germany or protecting Jews, unashamedly also libeled them as Nazis and anti-Semites. To a surprising degree, many of these Soviet disinformation attacks filled with falsehoods, which today would be described as “fake news,” were accepted as true and repeated by some Western politicians, progressive fellow travelers and journalists, just as RT and SPUTNIK, under the control of Putin, a former KGB officer, achieve their propaganda goals today with the help of social media and some Western journalists, commentators and even politicians.
Most of the time in the past, decisions to ban certain well-known and highly-respected newsmakers from VOA programs or to censor their message by limiting criticism of totalitarian regimes were in response to contemporary concerns of U.S. foreign policy with the objective of advancing immediate policy and military goals. The United States and the Soviet Union became military allies against Hitler’s Germany after the brief Hitler-Stalin alliance which helped to start World War II with their joint attack on Poland in September 1939. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact became part of the VOA news silence when after Hitler’s betrayal of Stalin and his attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, the U.S. and Russia were allies and understandably had similar propaganda messages against Nazi Germany. But during World War II, VOA officials and journalists, motivated by their own personal ideological agenda, also actively engaged in censorship and propaganda not only driven by U.S. government policy but also on behalf Soviet policy interests and in furtherance of their own political views. They eagerly repeated the Kremlin’s propaganda messages because they coincided with their deeply-held personal beliefs and their desire to advance political and social change.
More recently, personal, partisan, ideological and even corporate interests of officials in charge of VOA, some of whom engage in significant corporate business activities in countries like Russia and China and depend in their private life and family investments on the goodwill of authoritarian regimes, also appear to influence programming decisions with the help of equally partisan managers, journalists and commentators they had hired as U.S. government employees or contractors. Since Russian government’s propaganda is just as pervasive today as Soviet propaganda was during the Cold War and employs remarkably similar themes and techniques, the danger of the Voice of America becoming a mouthpiece for hostile propaganda or not countering it as it should is greater than ever under the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) of today, the final successor to the Office of War Information and as dysfunctional and unaccountable as VOA’s original parent agency.
Institutional censorship at the Voice of America can be divided into several different periods in terms of its motives and intensity. During World War II, VOA officials and journalists, many of them fellow travelers for Soviet communism, which they naively believed to be radical democratic socialism, spread Soviet propaganda at the request of the Roosevelt White House and even more frequently at their own initiative. Their propaganda, closely reflecting the Moscow line, was designed to hide Stalin’s crimes and to help him establish pro-Soviet regimes in East-Central Europe, which these American officials equally naively saw as the only guarantee of post-war peace and social progress. They operated with hardly any outside controls other than the criticism from members of Congress and condemnations from more independent U.S. newspapers and a few private radio stations. This period was characterized by close coordination of American and Soviet propaganda to fight the Nazis, but also by the secret institutionalized collusion of some American officials with their Soviet counterparts to help Russia defeat democratic opponents of communism in East Central Europe and to help spread Soviet influence in Western Europe. Not even the Roosevelt White House, the State Department or the U.S. military approved of some of the blatantly pro-Soviet VOA programs during World War II which could have prolonged the war in North Africa, Italy and France and could have increased American war causalities. As Prof. Holly Cowan Shulman observed in her book on propaganda in the early wartime years of the Voice of America, “The [VOA] propagandists believed they could make their own version of American foreign policy come true.” 4
In many instances in the past when the VOA management had engaged in censorship or outright lies, including the coverup of Stalin’s crimes by the wartime Office of War Information director Elmer Davis, his chief deputy Robert E. Sherwood (the founding father of VOA, author of propaganda directives, and initiator of coordination of propaganda between the U.S. and the USSR) 5 , Hollywood actor John Houseman (VOA’s first director), future U.S. Senator from California Alan Cranston (OWI’s censor of Stalin’s critics in U.S. media), some of their questionable and even illegal activities were eventually exposed. 6 Elmer Davis’ anti-Nazi commentaries, which included a heavy dose of Soviet propaganda and denials of Stalin’s crimes and his imperialistic intentions, were broadcast by the Voice of America to audiences abroad, as well as on domestic radio networks in the United States. While the transcript of Elmer Davis’ Voice of America broadcast on Katyń, in which he repeats Soviet propaganda claims and denies Soviet responsibility for the mass murder, was already made public by the Madden Committee in 1952, a recording of the same broadcast on a radio network in the United States in 1943 was recently discovered in the WNYC New York public radio station’s online audio archives. 7
During World War II, Voice of America’s founding fathers–Sherwood, Davis, and Houseman–initiated the VOA coverup of Stalinist crimes, including the Katyń Forest massacre, the 1940 murder of thousands of defenseless Polish POW officers by the Soviet NKVD secret police, which Solzhenitsyn mentions in The Gulag Archipelago. The Madden Committee, a bipartisan committee of the U.S. House of Representatives which in the early 1950s had investigated the role of the Office of War Information and the Voice of America during the war and afterwards in covering-up the Katyń massacre and other Soviet crimes, concluded that while some of it could be excused as a wartime necessity, American officials and VOA journalists mislead the American public about the true nature of the Soviet regime.
“The Katyn investigation revealed that many individuals throughout the State Department, Army Intelligence (G-2), Office of War Information and Federal Communications Commission, and other Government agencies, failed to properly evaluate the material being received from our sources overseas. In many instances, this information was deliberately withheld from public attention and knowledge. There was a definite lack of coordination on intelligence matters between Army Intelligence (G-2) and the State Department, at least as far as the missing Polish officers and the Katyn massacre was concerned.
The possibility exists that many second-echelon personnel, who were overly sympathetic to the Russian cause or pro-Communist minded, attempted to cover up derogatory reports which were received concerning the Soviets.”
The Madden Committee also said in its “Final Report”:
“Testimony before this committee likewise proves that the Voice of America—successor to the Office of War Information—had failed to fully utilize available information concerning the Katyn massacre until the creation of this committee in 1951.”
The bipartisan congressional committee added:
“This committee believes that if the Voice of America is to justify its existence it must utilize material made available more forcefully and effectively.”
But even the Madden Committee was not made aware in 1951 and 1952 of many secret U.S government diplomatic cables and other communications which showed the extent to which Robert E. Sherwood, a “Founding Father” of the Voice of America, and other Office of War Information officials, coordinated VOA’s wartime propaganda with Soviet propaganda and became advocates for Stalin’s plans for the domination of Eastern Europe.
Cordell Hull was U.S. Secretary of State from 1933 until November 30, 1944.
John Gilbert Winant was U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1941 to 1946.
Robert Pell was the head of the State Department Office of Public Information and the department’s official liaison with the Office of War Information.
The fact that the successors of Voice of America’s “founding fathers” in charge of VOA in the 1970s during the Cold War with the Soviet Union would prevent Solzhenitsyn from reading from his book about Stalin’s crimes showed the long lasting power of Soviet propaganda and the ability of the Soviets to use it to intimidate several generations of American officials with fake news. Had Solzhenitsyn been a rabid Russian nationalist with fascist sympathies, as the KGB propaganda presented him to be, he would hardly be writing with great empathy about the the persecution in Russia of the Czechs, Slovaks, West Ukrainians, West Byelorussians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Moldavians and Poles whose countries were fully or partially annexed by Stalin at the beginning of World War II in cooperation with Hitler. No Russian nationalist would write about Russian soldiers robbing noncombatants and the elderly and gang-raping women and girls to death during the war with Germany–scenes of brutality and inhumanity described by Solzhenitsyn in a poem composed while he was imprisoned in the Gulag. Not being able to write it down, he memorized his long poem titled “Prussian Nights” about what he had observed as a Red Army officer during the war. A Russian “nationalist” would have never written such a poem. Solzhenitsyn was above all a champion of human dignity of every person regardless of their background, but the KGB used his writings to accuse him of being a Nazi sympathizer and anti-Semite. Worse yet, they found many people in the West who wanted to believe in such crude and deceitful propaganda, just as RT does today.
In the KGB’s eyes, they were defending the honor of the Soviet Union and Soviet soldiers from “this hooligan Solzhenitsyn,” as Soviet communist leader Leonid Brezhnev had called him, according to the minutes of the January 7, 1974 meeting the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 8 Brezhnev who also said that Solzhenitsyn was “out of control” had a good reason to worry. Solzhenitsyn was writing about communist crimes that were a taboo subject in the Soviet Union. The Soviet leadership kept denying for decades that these crimes had ever happened. In “Prussian Nights,” the author described the gang-rape of a Polish woman whom the Red Army soldiers mistakenly thought to be a German. In the first volume of The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, Solzhenitsyn also wrote about several thousands of Polish officers and members of the intelligentsia who were imprisoned in Katyń, near Smolensk, and brutally murdered in the spring of 1940 by the NKVD on the orders of Stalin and the Soviet Politburo.
SOLZHENITSYN – THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO:They took those who were too independent, too influential, along with those who were too well-to-do, too intelligent, too noteworthy; they took, particularly, many Poles from former Polish provinces. (It was then that ill-fated Katyn was filled up; and then, too, that in the northern camps they stockpiled fodder for the future army of Sikorski and Anders.) They arrested officers everywhere. Thus the population was shaken up, forced into silence, and left without any possible leaders of resistance. Thus it was that wisdom was instilled, that former ties and former friendships were cut off. 9
By not allowing the VOA Russian Service to have Solzhenitsyn read this passage and other similar passages from his book dealing with people of many nationalities who became victims of Stalin’s mass deportations and murders, the leaders in charge of the Voice of America in the 1970s did enormous harm not only to VOA shortwave radio listeners in Russia but also to VOA listeners in Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic countries and many others–all of them at that time under Soviet domination. The same censorship order applied to all VOA language services. It was the continuation of the pro-Soviet censorship that started at the Voice of America during World War II and lasted with various intensity until the Reagan administration took office in 1981.
In the third volume of The Gulag Archipelago, Solzhenitsyn has another reference to the Katyń Forest massacre, which during World War II was falsely blamed by Soviet and VOA propaganda on the Germans. The Katyń Soviet atrocity story was largely ignored by VOA until about 1952, reported on more extensively and truthfully later in the 1950s, to some degree in the 1960s but with diminishing frequency, and again largely ignored in the 1970s.
SOLZHENITSYN – THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO: They shot them in a different way too–right at the Onufriyev cemetery, behind the women’s barracks (the former guest house for women pilgrims). And in fact that road past the women’s barracks was christened execution road. In winter one could see a man being led barefoot along it, in only his underwear, through the snow (no, it was not for torture! it was just so his footgear and clothes should not go to waste), his hands bound behind his back with wire,[n.15] and the condemned man would bear himself proudly and erectly, and with his lips alone, without the help of his hands, smoke the last cigarette of his life. (This was how you recognized an officer. …)”
15. A Solovetsky method, which, strangely was repeated with the corpses at Katyn Forest. Someone remembered–a matter perhaps of tradition? or was it personal experience? 10
Exhibit items in the Gulag Museum in Magadan, Russia. 1994 Photo.
Solzhenitsyn also writes in a footnote in The Gulag Archipelago about the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and makes a point that Russian soldiers fighting on the side of the Germans helped to crush the anti-Nazi Polish resistance. No Russian nationalist would admit to such Russian co-responsibility, but Solzhenitsyn did. And yet, the KGB somehow managed to convince quite a few Western journalists and intellectuals that he was a reactionary and a Russian nationalist of the worst kind.
SOLZHENITSYN: Still worse: in October, 1944, the Germans threw Kaminsky’s brigade–with its Muslim units–to suppress the Warsaw uprising. While one group of Russians sat traitorously dozing beyond the Vistula, watching the death of Warsaw through their binoculars, other Russians crushed the uprising! Hadn’t the Poles had enough Russian villainy to bear in the nineteen century without having to endure more of it in the twentieth? For that matter, was that the last of it? Perhaps more is still to come. 11
Stalin allowed the Poles to bleed and the Warsaw Uprising to fail. About 200,000 people in Warsaw died during the uprising. The Germans turned almost the entire city into ruins. Stalin would not even allow American and British planes with supplies for the Polish fighters to land on the side of the river under Soviet control. Writing about it in such powerful language, Solzhenitsyn showed his humanity and solidarity with the oppressed anti-communist Poles–something pro-Soviet propagandists at the Voice of America during World War II were unwilling to do. As described by a Polish radio journalist Czesław Straszewicz who at the time of the Warsaw Uprising was working in London, wartime Voice of America broadcasts from Washington followed the Soviet example of ignoring the Polish resistance.
STRASZEWICZ: With genuine horror we listened to what the Polish language programs of the Voice of America (or whatever name they had then), in which in line with what [the Soviet news agency] TASS was communicating, the Warsaw Uprising was being completely ignored.
I remember as if it were today when the (Warsaw) Old Town fell [to the Nazis] and our spirits sank, the Voice of America was broadcasting to the allied nations describing for listeners in Poland in a happy tone how a woman named Magda from the village Ptysie made a fool of a Gestapo man named Mueller. 12
The bulk of personal stories in Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago, however, were about Lenin’s and Stalin’s brutal extermination of millions of Russians and Ukrainians. During World War II, the Voice of America leaders and broadcasters censored all reports on such Soviet atrocities; in the 1970s the officials in charge merely limited coverage of such stories and testimonies by Soviet and East European eyewitnesses of these crimes. When confronted during and after the war by members of Congress, VOA officials would never admit they did anything wrong. The pro-Stalin propagandists at the Office of War Information and the Voice of America–Davis, Sherwood, Cranston, Houseman and others–tried instead to blame their critics or even Stalin’s victims. They claimed they had absolutely no idea Stalin was a mass murderer and insisted that their actions were motivated by wartime patriotism and military necessity. They embraced Soviet propaganda claims that anyone opposing Stalin must be a Nazi, a reactionary nationalist, and enemy of social justice. Sometimes many years later, they repeated the same Soviet propaganda lies to justify their earlier decisions. Apologist-historians who distorted the early history of the U.S. government broadcasting station by hiding its collusion with Soviet communism during World War II made future censorship easier to implement and justify.
The second period, after President Truman abolished the discredited Office of War Information and moved the Voice of America to the State Department in 1945, saw the departure from VOA of many of the Soviet sympathizers (a few of them, such as Polish communist Stefan Arski, aka Artur Salman, and Czechoslovak communist Adolf Hofmeister, went to work as propagandists or diplomats for communist regimes) and a significant lessening of pro-Soviet messages in the early post-war period VOA broadcasts. However, intentional cover-up of the most egregious Soviet mass murders continued by State Department officials in charge of VOA, some of whom were still sympathetic to the Soviet Union. Even some VOA service directors justified their limited censorship by claiming they were afraid of provoking uprisings in communist-ruled nations. Some said they hoped Soviet jamming of VOA shortwave radio broadcasts would not increase if the American radio broadcasts were not overly critical of communist leaders.
The Korean War and a bipartisan congressional investigation of the Katyń Forest massacre launched by the Madden Committee, named after Indiana Democrat Rep. Ray Madden, forced the leadership of the Voice of America at the State Department to drop their then already limited censorship of Soviet human rights abuses and to adopt a much stronger anti-Soviet and anti-communist tone which lasted for about two decades. Newly-hired broadcasters who were refugees from communism tried hard to reverse the previous pro-Soviet line of U.S. government broadcasting at the Voice of America. At the same time Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were created as non-governmental entities, funded by a secret congressional appropriation and operating until 1972 under general control of the CIA. This period of relatively censorship-free VOA broadcasting in support of democracy in the Soviet block lasted from about 1951 until about 1970. However, the Johnson administration engaged in some heavy-handed censorship of VOA broadcasts during the Vietnam War. This prompted the resignation in 1965 of VOA director Henry Loomis, but Vietnam War-related censorship continued.
In the early 1970s, the U.S. policy of détente in relations with the Soviet Union and other Soviet block countries during the Nixon and Ford administrations saw the reappearance of a different kind of limited censorship at the Voice of America, specifically in the interest of better U.S.-Soviet relations. Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were much less affected by this change, but they were also under constant pressure form the State Department and U.S. ambassadors in the region to moderate the tone of their broadcasts. Semi-private RFE and RL management based in Munich was, however, much better able to resist such pressures than the Voice of America. RFE/RL’s management was also much more anti-communist than some of the officials in charge of VOA.
Only in the beginning in 1981, the Reagan administration abolished what remained of the censorship of VOA broadcasting to the Soviet Union and East-Central Europe. VOA’s audience in the region increased. In some countries, such as Poland, it increased dramatically during the Reagan years. The censorship-free VOA broadcasts were not the only or even the determining factor, but in a few years they helped to bring about the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
A different kind of self-censorship and loosening of journalistic standards and controls over programming reemerged with the establishment of the Broadcasting Board of Governors in 1995. Partisan members of the BBG board, some of whom have done corporate business in Russia and China, have encouraged hiring officials and journalists who shared their commercial approach to broadcasting and strongly partisan views (Republican BBG board member were much less successful in filling BBG and VOA positions than the Democrats). There has also been a push from the management for journalistic compromises to get VOA programs accepted for rebroadcasting on local networks in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. The upper management selected by BBG boards was no longer clear about the mission of serving the most information-deprived nations and groups. The new focus on commercial models and commercial measures of audience reach rather than mission effectiveness led to self-censorship and lowering of intellectual and journalistic standards. In the words of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the agency had become “practically defunct” and lost a sense of purpose that it had throughout most of the Cold War. Not even Solzhenitsyn, who decried censorship and Voice of America’s insufficient effectiveness against Soviet propaganda, would suggest, however, that VOA was ever pro-Soviet during the time he was banned by VOA in the 1970s. Such criticism of VOA with regard to Putin’s Russia became increasingly common under the BBG, as well as criticism of unprecedented partisanship, never before seen in VOA broadcasts. 13
It should be noted that throughout the Cold War, including those times when the VOA management had practiced limited censorship, many VOA journalists in foreign language services still succeeded in providing their audiences behind the Iron Curtain with plenty of much-needed information. Despite many management-imposed restrictions, the overall contribution of Voice of America journalists to expanding freedom and democracy during the Cold War made a significant difference. It was not until the Cold War ended and the Voice of America was placed under the Broadcasting Board of Governors in 1999 that VOA Russian Service broadcast what turned out to be a fake interview with Russian opposition politician and Putin’s opponent Alexei Navalny. 14 The incident had all the hallmarks of an operation by the Russian security service FSB, the successor to the KGB, very similar to those carried out by the KGB against Solzhenitsyn in the 1970s and 1980s. Shortly before the Navalny incident in 2012, but also under the oversight of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent Russian media scholar and journalist Dr. Nikolay Rudenskiy concluded in a study commissioned by the BBG that the VOA Russian Service programs have acquired a “pro-Putin bias.” He also urged more VOA programming on the history of Russia under communism. 15
Decision to Ban Solzhenitsyn from VOA
The best descriptions of how the leadership of Voice of America had tried several times to censor the Nobel Prize winning author Alexandr Solzhenitsyn in the 1970s can be found in the published memoirs of Victor Franzusoff, the late VOA broadcaster, writer, editor, commentator, and Chief of the Russian Service. 16 Franzusoff wrote in his book, “Talking to the Russians,” that after the Soviet government had expelled Solzhenitsyn from Russia and stripped him of his Soviet citizenship in 1974, VOA’s Russian Service correspondent in Munich, West Germany, Eugene Nikiforov, asked the author for an interview, and Solzhenitsyn agreed. Franzusoff, who had recently been promoted to be the Chief of the Russian Service, described how he was elated by the prospect of a VOA interview with the famous Russian dissident writer. But to his enormous disappointment, the VOA management ordered him to stop his correspondent from conducting the interview.
Franzusoff explained that during the last months of the Nixon administration he was told the State Department had made the decision that “until further notice VOA should have nothing to do with the dissident writer.” Whether such a decision had originated in the State Department rather than being taken jointly by officials in charge of the United States Information Agency (USIA) and the Voice of America is not clear. Franzusoff commented “this decision made no sense to me, of course, but my hands were tied.”
When shortly thereafter, The New York Times began publishing excerpts from Solzhenitsyn’s novel The Gulag Archipelago which exposed Stalin’s horrific crimes against the Russians and other nationalities, the VOA Russian Service wanted to broadcast them in Russian to the Soviet Union. Despite being snubbed earlier, Solzhenitsyn gave VOA permission to read excerpts from what Anne Applebaum, a Pulitzer-winning historian of Stalin’s terror described as one of the most influential books of the 20th century. 17 The Russian Service broadcast news reports on some of the details in The New York Times prepared for them in English by the VOA central newsroom, but VOA’s senior management again intervened and would not permit full excerpts to be read by Solzhenitsyn or anybody else. At the same time, on Radio Liberty based in Munich and also funded by the U.S. government but outside of the federal bureaucracy, “Russians heard the forbidden writings of Solzhenitsyn, broadcast day after day, in their entirety,” as journalist Arch Puddington, former deputy director of the New York Bureau of Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty, noted in his “Broadcasting Freedom: The Cold War Triumph of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty” history of RFE/RL. 18
Other language services of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, including the RFE Polish Service which unlike VOA had never censored the Katyń story, also produced special broadcasts based on “The Gulag Archipelago.”
“The RFE Polish Service serialized the text of Solzhenitsyn’s three-volume “Gulag Archipelago” and presented it in its entirety on the radio in 15-minute segments. In a letter to Solzhenitsyn, Director Zygmunt Michałowski said, ‘It was our intention to reveal to the Polish people the communion of suffering which all the peoples subjected to communist rule have been sharing in varying degrees’.” 19
The situation of Voice of America foreign language broadcasters under the management of its own senior officials and Foreign Service officers from USIA on rotational assignments at VOA was completely different from how RFE and RL operated. Journalistic freedom and flexibility of VOA broadcasters were severely constrained.
“Once again the VOA management directed that the project be scrapped,” Victor Franzusoff wrote with great regret. He disclosed in his book that he was informed in a memo from the management that “the purpose of the Voice of America was to offer the news and culture of America to the Soviet Union, and Solzhenitsyn was not (yet) an American.”
Except for Solzhenitsyn “not being yet an American,” which as a Russian writer and patriot he was not planning on becoming (his wife and children did acquire U.S. citizenship), this was, of course, untrue, since the VOA Charter, which was already in effect although not yet as U.S. law, did not limit the Voice of America to broadcasting only American news and only about American citizens. Besides, Solzhenitsyn was a major newsmaker whose book became a bestseller in the United States and worldwide. It was a pure case of more political censorship from the leaders in charge of VOA in a misguided attempt to support tactical goals of the policy of détente with the Soviet regime. Former VOA program director, journalist Alan L. Heil, Jr., in his book Voice of America: A History, links the order to prevent VOA from reading from Solzhenitsyn’s works to the United States Information Agency (USIA) director James Keogh, who was appointed by President Nixon, but Keogh was hardly the only one among USIA’s and VOA’s own officials and managers who were wary of interviewing Solzhenitsyn or allowing him to record large portions of his book for VOA’s audiences in the Soviet Union.
ALAN HEIL, JR.: “Keogh and agency policy officers questioned whether the Voice of America should broadcast excerpts. ‘To read from the book,’ Keogh said ‘would be outside the normal style of Voice of America programming and would tend to reinforce Soviet charges that the United States is utilizing these events as a political weapon and is intervening in the domestic affairs of the USSR.’ He denied that USIA had ‘muted its Voice’ but said it would not turn backward to what he called ‘the old Cold War style of broadcasting.'” 20
In his book, Alan Heil does not write where exactly within the U.S. government bureaucracy the idea of censoring Alexandr Solzhenitsyn first originated. Some of VOA’s central English newsroom reporters and managers with no cultural ties to the captive nations of East Central Europe and the Soviet Union were also not keen on allowing VOA foreign language services to broadcast large portions of books by such strongly anti-communist authors as Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. Even before Solzhenitsyn arrived in the West, there was a firm internal opposition within VOA’s own management outside of the foreign language services to giving exiled Russian and any other so-called “émigré” figures extensive airtime, even though these individuals were completely banned in official circulation in the Soviet Union and only available to a limited number of people in samizdat form.
Some VOA central English newsroom reporters and their managers agreed with the USIA director that reading long excerpts from Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago or allowing the author to read them was inappropriate for the Voice of America. They would compromise, however, by permitting to broadcast several ten-minute excerpts only after they have been carefully selected by the central English newsroom and offered to the Russian Service for translation. As Alan Heil reported in his book, “the Current Affairs Division [central English] under Bernie Kamenske had issued a dozen Gulag-related pieces, including extensive excerpts. These were devoured quickly by the USSR Division and its Russian Branch, translated, and broadcast to the Soviet Union, where the book, of course, was unavailable to the public.” 21 Heil does not explain why the Russian Service would have to translate centrally-produced scripts in English when they had access to the Russian original and later Solzhenitsyn’s offer to record excerpts from Gulag Archipelago. These restrictions on VOA’s foreign language services enforced by central management were in place long before James Keogh made his decision on banning readings from Solzhenitsyn’s book. Listening to short segments of the book and to radio scripts translated from English would also be hardly satisfactory to anyone behind the Iron Curtain eagerly waiting to find out in far greater detail than what VOA was willing to offer about the prisoners of the Gulag and continuing human rights violations under communism. These people were subjected to severe censorship and propaganda by their own regimes, but many of VOA’s own editors and journalists in the central news service were not persuaded that it was VOA’s job to give the listeners what they wanted to hear because, in their view as Western-trained journalists, such programs might undermine VOA’s journalistic standards and credibility. In their uni-cultural Western outlook, they allowed themselves to became convinced by Soviet propaganda aimed at them that Solzhenitsyn’s words and books were also to some degree propaganda. They were not propaganda in the view of millions of Russians and East Europeans. Many Russia experts in the West, including journalists in VOA’s foreign language services, also did not see The Gulag Archipelago as propaganda.
Who at USIA or VOA first proposed banning readings by Solzhenitsyn and who supported the ban may never become known, but VOA’s management accepted James Keogh’s decision as final. “Keogh’s view prevailed as broadcast policy.” Alan Heil wrote. Russian Service broadcasters were devastated but, as recent immigrants, they could not afford losing their government jobs. Heil wrote that “A VOA internal memo had contended that the Gulag excerpts were essential, if listeners in the USSR were to adequately evaluate the facts amid Soviet media distortions of Solzhenitsyn’s work.” 22 He does not make it clear who was the author of the memo. It reflected the views of Victor Franzusoff and Russian Service journalists which were ignored. Whoever within VOA wrote the memo, no higher-level USIA Foreign Service officer or any of the permanent VOA managers resigned in protest over the ban on Solzhenitsyn. VOA managers, many of whom had been or still considered themselves to be journalists, implemented the censorship decisions wherever they may have come from, even if some disagreed with what was being done. The directives could have very well come from Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger who later convinced President Ford not to receive Solzhenitsyn at the White House. That decision by Ford was roundly criticized in Congress by both Republicans and Democrats and cost him dearly politically in the United States but was well received by the Kremlin as yet another proof the of the effectiveness of Soviet propaganda and KGB’s active measures.
Political Fallout for President Ford
Much of the Soviet pressure was in the form of KGB-orchestrated propaganda, but Ford and Kissinger also received warnings about Solzhenitsyn from Soviet ambassador to Washington Anatoly Dobrynin and from Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. According to the memorandum of conversation of the Brezhnev-Ford meeting in Helsinki on July 30, 1975, President Ford was highly critical of Solzhenitsyn, while General Secretary Brezhnev said that Solzhenitsyn “is nothing more than a zero for the Soviet Union.” 23 For someone so unimportant, as Brezhnev tried to present the dissident writer to be, the KGB spent enormous resources on trying to discredit Solzhenitsyn and apparently succeeded even with Secretary Kissinger and President Ford. The Soviet propaganda also worked on USIA director James Keogh and some VOA managers and journalists, but certainly not, at least not yet at that time, on the majority of American politicians and ordinary Americans for whom Solzhenitsyn was still a heroic figure. Propaganda takes a long time to do its damage, but as the memorandum of conversation of the Brezhnev-Ford Helsinki meeting shows, Secretary Kissinger and President Ford had bought into the Soviet narrative.
Henry Kissinger, Leonid Brezhnev, President Ford, and Andrei Gromyko outside the American Embassy, Helsinki, Finland. July 30, 1975. Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library.
Memorandum of Conversation
[Secretary Kissinger gets up to leave briefly.]
Ford: I must say Mr. General Secretary, Mr. Solzhenitsyn has aligned himself—
Kissinger: I am not leaving because you mentioned that name. [Laughter]
Ford: Mr. Solzhenitsyn aligned himself with those who are very severe critics of the policy I and you believe in, détente. Senator Jackson, Mr. George Meany, President of the American Federation of Labor, have spoken out critically. Meany has embraced Mr. Solzhenitsyn. Some of these critics encouraged Mr. Solzhenitsyn to continue his criticism of détente.6 As I said before, it is my firm belief that détente must continue and become irreversible if we want to achieve that kind of world which is essential for peace. The figures you mentioned, of course, are very disappointing to those who criticize détente. And any improvement there—in the requests or the figures of those who get permission to leave—would undercut some of the criticism and enhance our ability to proceed with détente as we want to do. But I repeat: détente can and will work and can be made irreversible—particularly if this Saturday we can make headway on SALT.
Brezhnev: I mentioned Solzhenitsyn just in passing. There was some information that he wanted to change his way of life and become a monk or something. Reportedly there was some priest going around with him at some point. He is nothing more than a zero for the Soviet Union. 24
Without being direct, Brezhnev told Ford how he wanted the U.S. government to treat Solzhenitsyn. He ought to be isolated, become nobody and live like a monk. Ford and Kissinger complied as far as they could. This is exactly what the KGB smear campaign against Solzhenitsyn was also designed to achieve.
Before the Helsinki summit, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and President Ford’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs Brent Scowcroft argued vigorously against proposals for inviting Alexandr Solzhenitsyn to meet with the President at the White House. Ford initially agreed with them but later changed his mind under public pressure, especially from members of Congress, including many prominent Republicans. But when the White House came up with various conditions to make the visit seem less important, Solzhenitsyn decided he was not going to submit to more public humiliation. He met instead with Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill who never wavered in their support for him and for human rights in the Soviet block. The details of how Scowcroft tried to dissuade President Ford from meeting with Solzhenitsyn are in his July 11, 1975 memorandum to Kissinger.
Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to Secretary of State Kissinger
Washington, July 11, 1975, 1553Z.Tohak 21/WH51212. 1. The President this morning decided that if he gets a question Saturday night at his press conference on Solzhenitsyn, he will say that he would be happy to see him, as a great literary figure.2 I argued long and hard against it, but in the end I lost. The basic argument presented was that the President not seeing him is building into a major domestic political issue on which the right and the left are joined, the President’s good friends are not with him in light of the variety of other kinds of people he sees, and the whole concept of détente in this country will in the end suffer seriously. One other element raised was that with the Apollo–Soyuz launch, next week will be “Soviet week” and the President’s very high “pro-Soviet” visibility in connection with the space mission will make the refusal to see Solzhenitsyn stand in even more marked contrast and accentuate the criticism.
2. As an example of the sentiment and “unholy alliance” which is building on the issue, there was cited the reception on Capitol Hill for Solzhenitsyn next Tuesday, thus far sponsored by 24 Senators.3 It is being held in apology to him for the President’s unwillingness to meet with him. The sponsors thus far are: Jackson, Biden, Bumpers, Church, Glenn, Humphrey, Inouye, Magnuson, McClellan, Pastore, Ribicoff, Stevenson, Stone, Williams, Case, Brock, Buckley, Helms, Javits, Packwood, Roth, Schweiker, Stevens, Taft and Weicker.
3. I argued against each and every point made, adding that the previous reasons for not seeing him remained completely valid and that it would now in addition be claimed that the President was caving under public pressure. I still lost.
4. If you wish to weigh in again on the issue, I suggest you do so today if possible. If it is possible to dissuade him, you are certainly the only one who can do it.
Warm regards. 25
Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant (Friedersdorf) to President Ford
Washington, July 12, 1975.
SUBJECT Solzhenitsyn
I am concerned about the Solzhenitsyn issue and its impact on the right wing on the Hill.
One possible solution might be to host a meeting, a luncheon or some other type of event as soon as possible for Solzhenitsyn, Nureyev, and Rostropovich.
Both Nureyev and Rostropovich are now appearing in the Kennedy Center before sell out crowds and both are highly publicized exiles but not nearly as controversial, of course, as Solzhenitsyn.
They are all three artists of great talent and the meeting could be held as an artistic and intellectual event rather than any political gathering.
I just don’t think this issue is going to go away with the conservatives and, of course, it has adverse impact with the liberals too.
With all due deference to Dr. Kissinger, I believe that if détente is so fragile that it cannot stand a meeting with Solzhenitsyn, it will fall on some other account. 26
On July 13, Kissinger and Ford had a conversation in which Kissinger urged him not to receive Solzhenitsyn.
Kissinger: I hope you won’t see Solzhenitsyn before you see Brezhnev.
President: He was pretty good on television.
Kissinger: What would our guys say if he entertained someone trying to overthrow you?
President: I think the worst is over. We took a lot of flak.” 27
The Ford administration’s decisions with regard to Solzhenitsyn were widely reported, analyzed and criticized in the media and on Capitol Hill. One of many Americans who knew about and commented on President Ford’s reluctance to invite Alexander Solzhenitsyn for a visit at the White House was Senator James R. Buckley. Speaking on the floor of the Senate on July 16, 1975, he unleashed his criticism on Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for urging President Ford not to meet with Solzhenitsyn.
The Secretary of State is reported to believe that the symbolic effect of a meeting between the President and Solzhenitsyn could be to the disadvantage of the United States, presumably because it would offend the sensibilities of the leaders of the greatest tyranny the world has known. The foundations of détente must be weak indeed if the President of the strongest nation of the Free World must avoid meeting with the most eloquent living spokesman of the values represented by the Free World. Détente on such terms is neither worthy of the United States nor worth the keeping. Nor will it buy us ultimate safety from the dangers of which Mr. Solzhenitsyn warns. 28
During the Reagan administration, James R. Buckley served as President of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from 1982 to 1985.
On July 21, 1975 Solzhenitsyn rejected the open invitation to meet with Ford at the White House. He also criticized the President for planning to attend the upcoming European Security Conference in Helsinki, which he called “the betrayal of Eastern Europe.” 29 Solzhenitsyn was right in his assessment of Ford, but he was partially wrong in his prediction about the Helsinki Accords. After Jimmy Carter won the presidential election in 1976, he and his National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski used the human rights provisions of the Helsinki Accords to put pressure on the Soviet Union. President Reagan also used it for the same purpose. Human rights activists in the Soviet block likewise cited the Helsinki Accords as a legal justification for their demands of more freedoms. But Solzhenitsyn and many others also correctly saw the Helsinki conference as recognizing Soviet domination of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania because the accords provided for international recognition of the post-war borders, including the the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States.
Regardless of any assessments of the Helsinki Accords, American politicians and their advisors influenced by the Kremlin’s narrative against Solzhenitsyn eventually paid a heavy political price for their lack of a longer vision of American principles and values in their treatment of the Russian writer. At the suggestion of his future National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter used during the October 6, 1976 presidential campaign debate Ford’s refusal to receive Solzhenitsyn at the White House without any conditions attached to the visit.
“I would only add that on East-West you ought to stress the excessive promises made, Ford’s ambiguity on detente (the non-use of the word, the Solzhenitsyn incident, etc.), the indifference to human rights, etc.,” Brzezinski wrote in his talking points for Carter’s debate with President Ford. 30In the debate, Carter used Brzezinski’s suggested wording on the treatment of Solzhenitsyn by the Ford administration.
CARTER: He’s also shown a weakness in yielding to pressure. The Soviet Union, for instance, put pressure on Mr. Ford, and he refused to see a symbol of human freedom recognized around the world–Alexander Solzhenitsyn. 31
President Ford paid a political price for caving in to Brezhnev’s demands and for following Kissinger’s advice. In the October 1976 debate Carter particularly ridiculed Ford for his comment, “I don’t believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union. Each of those countries is independent, autonomous; it has its own territorial integrity.” This statement by Ford, most likely a oversimplification of what he might have heard from Kissinger and his National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, may have contributed to his defeat in the 1976 presidential race. In the debate, Carter also mentioned Radio Free Europe, which Zbigniew Brzezinski, his future National Security Advisor, strongly supported.
CARTER: The fact is that secrecy has surrounded the decisions made by the Ford administration. In the case of the Helsinki agreement, it may have been a good agreement at the beginning, but we have failed to enforce the so-called Basket 3 part, which ensures the right of people to migrate, to join their families, to be free to speak out. The Soviet Union is still jamming Radio Free Europe. Radio Free Europe is being jammed. 32
Solzhenitsyn’s name came up again in Brzezinski’s memorandum to Carter in 1977 about how to handle an open letter to the U.S. president from Soviet dissident Dr. Andrei Sakharov. Brzezinski reminded Carter that “For you not to respond might cause some to draw analogies with Ford and Solzhenitsyn,” a reference to to Kissinger’s advice to Ford not to meet with Solzhenitsyn in 1975 because he believed such a meeting would have had a negative impact on U.S. relations with Soviet leaders. 33 Nevertheless, Brzezinski urged Carter to be cautious in how any response to Sakharov is released and handled by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and the State Department because “It could establish a dangerous precedent.” Brzezinski wrote that “…perhaps less inflammatory to the Soviets would be a public release in Washington of a reply expressing your general sentiments on the issue.” “This avoids the problem posed by direct communication with a private citizen who is in opposition to his government,” Brzezinski suggested.
Carter wrote in his memoirs, “While improving diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union was an important goal of mine, I had made it clear in the campaign that I was not going to ignore Soviet abuse of human rights, as I believed some previous administrations had done.” 34
Fallout for VOA Managers During Reagan Years
Even if individual managers and editors in charge of VOA central English programs disagreed with some of Keogh’s 1974 directives on banning Solzhenitsyn, they were by no means in favor of greatly expanding coverage of Soviet and East Europe dissident movement. It was almost impossible for VOA foreign language journalists to get approval from senior VOA management to initiate original programs on any topic that might prove to be controversial for communist regimes. Despite the Cater administration’s renewed emphasis on defending human rights as part of U.S. foreign policy, not much had changed at the Voice of America during the Carter years. Mid-level managers and editors in charge of VOA programs, most of whom had been with the agency for many years and appeared to be Democrats, continued to restrict coverage by VOA’s foreign language services just as they did during the Nixon and Ford administrations. In the early days of the Reagan administration, some of the same VOA managers were again strongly opposed to new USIA director Charles Z. Wick’s ideas of giving dissident writers, artists and other critics of communist regimes, or even President Reagan, more extensive airtime. They were later moved to less important positions and replaced by a new management team both at USIA and at VOA. But until that time, the Voice of America paid dearly for its partial censorship of Solzhenitsyn in lost credibility among its audiences and in bad publicity in U.S. media, both conservative and some liberal, as well as on Capitol Hill, among both Democrats and Republicans. As Alan Heil reported in his book, Wick ordered senior and mid-level personnel changes at the Voice of America.
ALAN HEIL: Wick demanded the removal of VOA USSR Division chief Barbara Allen, a foreign service officer. It was one of the last of the purges, designed to placate an ultraconservative congressman from Long Island who considered VOA Russian broadcasts “too soft” and accused VOA of downplaying the views of dissident writer Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. 35
Of course, the “ultraconservative congressman Long Island” was not the only one who considered VOA Russian broadcasts to be “too soft.” So did Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, other Soviet dissidents and many journalists working for VOA’s Russian Service. Like their colleagues in various other VOA foreign language services, they welcomed the radical changes in programming policy and reassignments of certain longterm managers who were placing restrictions on original reporting by language services and on topics which they would be allowed to cover in the 1970s. It was truly a Reagan revolution at the Voice of America, which also removed previous reporting and interviewing limitations in VOA broadcasts to Poland and multiplied VOA’s audience to levels never before achieved, not even during the anti-communist protests of 1956, 1968, 1970, and 1975. In September 1982, President Reagan nominated Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, an editor at Reader’s Digest, to be Voice of America director, where he served through August 1984. He was greatly admired by VOA foreign language journalists and just as strongly despised by some of the managers, who were removed, and many VOA central newsroom journalists who remained. It was Tomlinson’s reforms and leadership which allowed Solzhenitsyn to be invited to participate in VOA programs to Russia.
Criticism in Congress
The strongest opposition to how the Executive Branch, including the leaders of the Voice of America, mistreated Solzhenitsyn and mismanaged VOA was always in the U.S. Congress. At the time when USIA and VOA officials were still banning Solzhenitsyn during the Nixon and Ford administrations, members of Congress of both parties proposed resolutions granting him honorary U.S. citizenship. They were not in the end voted into law but received strong bipartisan support. On February 18-19, 1974, Senator Helms introduced the first of several Senate resolutions granting Solzhenitsyn honorary United States citizenship. Helms greatly admired Solzhenitsyn’s writings and after Solzhenitsyn’s arrival in the United States, the two men met, exchanged letters and established a long-lasting personal friendship. 36
S.J. Resolution 188 of February 19, 1974 had numerous co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate, both Democrats and Republicans.
Long after the events of 1970s, Senator Helms introduced the Foreign Affairs and Restructuring Act of 1997. Signed into law by President Clinton on October 21, 1998, the legislation abolished the United States Information Agency and folded most of its operations into the State Department. The Voice of America was put under the Broadcasting Board of Governors. In his memoirs Helms wrote, “At long last the United States Information Agency and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency were brought under the control of the State Department and the President of the United States.” 37 Helms considered this a major victory, but the Broadcasting Board of Governors turned out to be disastrous for U.S. international media outreach and U.S. public diplomacy languished within the State Department. Russian propaganda under President Putin became more effective and more dangerous than it had been during the Cold War. Whether the censorship of his friend Alexandr Solzhenitsyn contributed to Helms’ antipathy toward the United States Information Agency and VOA and whether it was a factor in his decision to push for the elimination of USIA cannot be ascertained, but it also cannot be discounted.
The word of the Voice of America censoring Solzhenitsyn and banning his participation in VOA programs after his expulsion to the West quickly spread in Washington. On March 7, 1974, Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (I-VA), spoke in the Senate and inserted into the Congressional Record a Washington Post op-ed by Rowland Evans and Robert Novak tilted “Voice of America Speechless on Gulag Archipelago.” It was highly critical USIA director James Keogh and the Voice of America management. 38
Evans and Novak wrote that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow “commended VOA’s first handling” of the Solzhenitsyn story. But, according to Evans and Novak, “the diplomatic cable [from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow] also strongly pressed USIA, which runs VOA, to be sure to get into ‘the substance’ of Gulag–that is to beam great gobs of it into the heart of Russia.”
Mr. HARRY F. BYRD, JR. Mr. President, in a column published in the “Washington Post” on March 7, Rowland Evans and Robert Novak point out that the Voice of America has broadcast very little concerning “Gulag Archipelago,” the latest work by exiled Soviet writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
The failure on the part of the Voice of America comes despite a request for fuller coverage from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, according to Evans and Novak.
The columnists indicate that the omission of details about Solzhenitsyn’s work, which is an attack on the policies of the Stalin era, is the result of a conscious effort at the policy level of the U.S. Information Agency not to offend the leadership of the Soviet Union.
The Voice of America has a basic mission to get across the truth behind the Iron Curtain. Failure to communicate the content of “Gulag Archipelago” seems to me to represent an abandonment of this basic mission.
The Voice of America should not be subject to policy dictation based on the theory that all will be well is we are nice to the Kremlin. As Evans and Novak state:
’Such a with could destroy its credibility and lose its audience.
I ask unanimous consent that the column “Voice of America Speechless on ‘Gulag Archipelago’,” be printed in the Extensions of Remarks.
The Washington Post‘s columnists then reported on and criticized the lack of response to the diplomatic cable, other than censorship, from the USIA director:
ROWLAND EVANS AND ROBERT NOVAK: Keogh, biographer and longtime idolater of Richard M. Nixon, takes the public position that USIA is committed ‘to support, not oppose U.S. foreign policies. Responding last week to his critics, he said: ‘The principal goal of American foreign policy is to affect the foreign policies of other nations toward negotiations and away from confrontation, not to transform the domestic structures of these societies.
That is a shocking admission that VOA is being switched from no-holds-barred news into a policy arm of the U.S. Such a switch could destroy its credibility and lose its audience.
According to Evans and Novak, Senator Henry M. Jackson (D-WA) also expressed his misgivings about USIA’s banning of Solzhenitsyn from VOA broadcasts to Russia and received a response from USIA deputy director Eugene P. Kopp that “the new regime at USIA was trying to ‘reach a wider Soviet audience with more news and information about the United States.'” “In short, spare newsless Russians the harsher facts of Soviet life and give them goodies about America,” Evans and Novak commented with a strong dose of sarcasm. They also pointed out that the Russian Service of the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) and the German overseas radio, Deutsche Welle, have been reading lengthy excerpts from Gulag. Evans and Novak did not mention that Radio Liberty, which operated outside of the USIA but with U.S. government funding, also broadcast large segments from Solzhenitsyn’s book.
On April 3, 1974, Representative John M. Ashbrook (R-OH) spoke in the House of Representatives on Voice of America’s censorship of the Russian Nobel Prize-winning author.
Mr. ASHBROOK. Mr. Speaker, recently I contacted James Keogh, Director of the U.S. Information Agency, to express my concern over the reluctance of the Voice of America to broadcast into the Soviet Union extensive excerpts of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s book “Gulag Archipelago.” This work which is strictly prohibited in the Soviet Union deals dramatically and factually with the existence of the concentration camp system in the Soviet Union–an area that the Soviets obviously do not want publicized.
I have received a letter from Mr. Keogh in which he details the coverage given to news about Solzhenitsyn and about his book. Keogh does write:
’What VOA has not done is use its own polemics to attack the Soviet Union … We considered–but decided against–reading on the air large segments of the book.’
Marita E. White, Assistant Director of Public Information for USIA, in a letter to the New York Times of March 17, 1974, quoted Mr. Keogh further:
”We do not–as the official radio voice of the United States–indulge in polemics aimed at changing the internal structure of the Soviet Union. To read from the book would be far outside the normal style of Voice of America programming and would tend to reinforce the Soviet charges that the United States is utilizing these events as a political weapon …”
In other words, Mr. Keogh seems to be admitting that the broadcasting of extensive excerpts of the “Gulag Archipelago” by the VOA would have a strong impact in the Soviet Union.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn has written on the inability of the West to deal with the reality of Soviet power:
”The timid civilized world has found nothing with which yo oppose the onslaught of a sudden revival of barbarity, other than concessions and smiles.”
At this point I include in the RECORD the text of Mr. Keogh’s letter to me as well as an open letter to the Congress of the United States from the ‘Committee for Human Rights in the Soviet Area’ at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass.:
U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY,
Washington, D.C. March 29, 1974.
The Honorable JOHN M. ASHBROOK,
House of Representatives.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN ASHBROOK: This is in response to your letter of March 18 expressing concern over the Voice of America’s coverage of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s book, “Gulag Archipelago.”
Recent news columns have interpreted the fact that VOA is not reading extensive excerpts of this book as a decision to soften VOA coverage of events in the Soviet Union. This is utterly untrue. There has been no change in policy regarding broadcasts to the Soviet Union. Nor has VOA changed its approach to the substance or frequency of news or political programming.
VOA has covered the developing Solzhenitsyn story fully and factually as it has covered other aspects of the dissident movement in the U.S.S.R. Since “Gulag Archipelago” was published on December 28, the book and Mr. Solzhenitsyn’s plight have been reported almost hourly in VOA newscasts in languages of the Soviet Union. In that period of time, these broadcasts carried some 2,500 news stories on the Solzhenitsyn case, adding up to more than 40 hours of broadcast time. In addition, the VOA broadcasts to the Soviet Union in the same period of time carried 95 hours of special reports on the Solzhenitsyn story, including reviews of the book, and comments by public figures and journalists in the U.S. and abroad. This adds up to a total of 135 hours of straightforward broadcasting Between December 28 and March 6.
What VOA has not done is use its own polemics to attack the Soviet Union on this issue. This is consistent with enunciated U.S. foreign policy. We considered–but decided against–reading on air large segments of the book. To do so would have been a sharp departure from the normal VOA programming pattern and would have duplicated the programming of Radio Liberty which is broadcasting the text of the book to the people of the Soviet Union. Thus, I believe, the Voice of America and Radio Liberty fulfill their separate missions.
It is my sincere hope that this information will help establish the record.
JAMES KEOGH, Director. 39
Keogh’s letter represented a typical response from a U.S. government official to charges of censorship. It rejected them as “utterly untrue” but did not address any of them directly. Keogh used program statistics, no doubt obtained from VOA’s senior managers, on the overall coverage of the Solzhenitsyn’s story. But while VOA was reporting news on Solzhenitsyn, including attacks on him by Soviet propaganda which he was not able to answer promptly, VOA did not broadcast in any great detail the content of his book in English, Russian or in any other language. The Gulag Archipelago which generated these Soviet propaganda attacks on the author, was not available for purchase to the audience in the Soviet Union or in any country under Soviet domination. Only the Voice of America, Radio Liberty, Radio Free Europe and other Western radio stations broadcasting on shortwave and medium wave in Russian and in other foreign languages could familiarize the Russians and East and Central European in more detail with what Solzhenitsyn had written. VOA would not be one of them by the decision of its own management, presumably forced upon it by policy makers but not necessarily totally opposed by VOA’s programming leadership.
VOA officials must have also informed the USIA director that reading on the air large segments of the book “would have been a sharp departure from the normal VOA programming pattern.” This was not entirely true since a few more independent VOA foreign language services already had rather lengthy literary programs in which readings from banned authors were included from time to time, although such programs were not viewed with great favor by VOA’s senior management. In the experience of many foreign language journalists at that time, USIA Foreign Service Officers on rotational assignments at VOA were more likely to approve more creative and more independent programs being originated within these services than VOA managers, some of them journalists with prior experience in U.S. commercial media who occupied their positions within the central services.
There was also another angle of the controversy which Keogh’s letter did not address. Alexandr Solzhenitsyn had agreed to be interviewed by VOA and later offered to read the excerpts from The Gulag Archipelago. It would have been a major journalistic coup for any news organization. The letter from the Committee for Human Rights in the Soviet Area, signed by members of the campus community at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, stressed that “to preserve our own security and be able to divert the world’s resources to more productive ends than armaments, we need to make the elimination of the Soviet monopoly on information a priority policy objective.” Solzhenitsyn reading from his book for the VOA audience in the Soviet Union would have helped to diminish the Soviet monopoly on information. He was not allowed to do it through the Voice of America by U.S. officials intimidated by Soviet propaganda, but they could not stop Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty from giving extensive airtime to readings of Solzhenitsyn’s books.
On January 28, 1975, Rep. Ashbrook continued his criticism of Voice of America’s censorship of Solzhenitsyn.
Mr. ASHBROOK. Mr. Speaker, the Voice of America has become another victim of détente. In the past the VOA served as a lifeline for those living under communism. Opposition stirring within Communist countries was a major part of program broadcasting.
All this has changed, however, under the leadership of James Keogh, Director of the U.S. Information Agency. According to a recent story in Time magazine, the VOA is now trying to avoid “provocative” stories.
This policy has been evident for some months. In the April 3, 1974 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, for example, I expressed my concern over the reluctance of the VOA to broadcast into the Soviet Union extensive excerpts of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s book “Gulag Archipelago.” Although the VOA program department planned on doing a series of 10-minute excerpts, the project was vetoed by the U.S. Information Agency.
Numerous incidents such as this have led many to charge that political considerations are being allowed to suppress legitimate stories. A Yugoslav writer has said:
”The VOA is jamming itself–apparently out of some misguided spirit of détente.”
This charge has been basically admitted by USIA Director Keogh himself. In the Time interview, Keogh stated:
”Détente has changed what we do in USIA. our program managers must be sensitive to U.S. policy as enunciated by the President and the Secretary of State. That policy is that we do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. We’re not in the business of trying to provoke revolutions.”
It is extremely unfortunate that the VOA is no longer servings a lifeline for those living under communism. The cause of freedom can only suffer. 40
Representative Ashbrook inserted into the Congressional Record the text of the article from the December 16, 1974 issue of Time. The news magazine reported that “Some editors and reporters in the radio’s U.S.S.R. division have grumbled about interference from the glavlit–the Russian term for official censor.“
The Time article also described well the mood of powerless defiance among VOA Russian Service broadcasters.
TIME: Because the Voice [of America] has always been a lifeline for dissidents in Communist countries, many apparently now feel let down. … Pavel Litvinov, a Soviet intellectual now in exile in the U.S., gave a speech to Voice employees in the U.S.S.R. division in which he said: “The quality of your broadcasts to my country has declined 500% in the last few years.” Astonishingly, the audience burst into applause. 41
The entire decade of the 1970s was a period of stagnation and great disappointments for VOA foreign language journalists working under severe constraints imposed not only by the various administrations, with the Nixon and Ford administrations being by far worse than the Cater administration, but mostly because of barriers created by their own internal senior management in charge of central programming and most other programming decisions. Time magazine article reported that VOA could not even speak in more detail on the situation of workers behind the Iron Curtain.
TIME: VOA’s Munich bureau suggested a series on young workers in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Washington turned the idea down, according to one VOA official, because “if it had been honest and accurate, it would have been offensive to the governments involved; it would have seemed gratuitous and ideologically polemical.” 42
The Voice of America management continued to snub Solzhenitsyn on orders of the Nixon and Ford administrations, most likely originating from Secretary of State Henry Kissinger or National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, although there is no unclassified written document indicating that they had ordered or told USIA director to issue the ban on VOA interviewing the writer.
Aware of Kissinger’s and President Ford’s almost inexplicable hostility toward Solzhenitsyn, a bi-partisan group of Senators, led by Henry “Scoop” Jackson, the Democratic Senator from Washington, hosted a reception for the author in the Russell Office Building on July 15, 1975. Members of the House of Representatives were also present, as well as many private citizens. 43
Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Jesse Helms in Washington, D.C., June 1975. Photo Credit: The Jesse Helms Center.
As described by Estelle Snyder in her article “Champions of Freedom: Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Jesse Helms,” for North Carolina History Project, Ford’s and Kissinger’s treatment of Solzhenitsyn met with a strong rebuke from Republican Senator Jesse Helms.
ESTELLE SNYDER – NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY PROJECT: The following day, the Secretary of State was quoted as saying that “Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s militant views are a threat to peace.” Kissinger went on to say that he had recommended that President Ford not meet with the author. Kissinger charged that Solzhenitsyn advocated an aggressive policy to overthrow the Soviet system and added “I believe that if his views become the national policy of the United States we would be confronted with considerable threat of military conflict … I believe the consequences of his views would not be acceptable to the American people or the world.
Senator Jesse Helms once again took to the Senate floor to challenge Kissinger’s characterization of Solzhenitsyn’s advocacy as favoring aggression. Helms said Kissinger’s words revealed his “complete ignorance” of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s philosophy, adding, “Here is a Nobel Prize winner … a man who literally was willing to lay down his life in defense of freedom, who was oppressed in a concentration camp and our Secretary of State does not know enough about him to even characterize Mr. Solzhenitsyn accurately, fairly or properly.” 44
VOA Foreign Broadcasters Against Institutional Censorship
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. 1994 Photo.
When in 1975 Solzhenitsyn came to Washington and New York to give talks sponsored by the American labor union federation AFL-CIO, Victor Franzusoff approached him again with the hope of securing an interview. He may have thought that Solzhenitsyn’s appearance in Washington could no longer be dismissed by the VOA management as having nothing to do with America. But this time, however, the author had had enough of VOA’s unjournalistic behavior. This is how Victor Franzusoff described his conversation with Solzhenitsyn when they met after the AFL-CIO event in Washington:
VICTOR FRANZUSOFF: “Why should I give you an interview?” he [Solzhenitsyn] asked me. “Twice now I’ve agreed to work with you, and twice you’ve decided I wasn’t worth your time.”
”We weren’t permitted to interview you before,” I tried to explain. “But now that you’re part of American life…”
”You don’t want to hear what I have to say,” Solzhenitsyn said. “And I don’t want to speak to an organization that’s afraid of offending the Kremlin.”
Franzusoff wrote that when reporters covering the event asked him what he and Solzhenitsyn talked about, embarrassed Franzusoff told them, “I’m sorry, but I can’t repeat it.” He added, “It was an exclusive to the Voice of America.”
Kolyma Exhibit in Gulag Museum in Magadan. 1994 Photo.
This was not the first time, the top management of the Voice of America, as well as some of its journalists, engaged in banning or muting a well-known figure who wanted to expose Stalinist crimes. Other VOA journalists resisted this kind of censorship for many years, with some successes and many remarkable failures. Victor Franzusoff was one of the first post-war Voice of America hires who tried to reverse “Love for Stalin” which set the tone for VOA’s first World War II broadcasts. “Love for Stalin” was a term used by a wartime VOA journalist, Julius Epstein, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, one of the few who initially objected to the outright Soviet propaganda present in VOA programs from 1942 until a few years after the war. 45 Because of his criticism of pro-Soviet propaganda, Epstein claimed he had lost his job at VOA in 1945. His continued criticism of pro-Soviet censorship in VOA programs in the immediate post-war period brought on personal attacks on him from U.S. officials in charge of VOA. One VOA director, State Department diplomat Foy D. Kohler, referred to Epstein’s immigration status in a 1951 memo: “he is not be [sic] best type of new American citizen” and urged that he be investigated. 46 This attack on Epstein was partly caused by his successful efforts to get the U.S. Congress to investigate the Katyń Forest massacre and other mass murders of the Poles in the Soviet Union later estimated to include more than 20,000 Polish military officers and intellectual leaders. In newspaper articles and letters to members of Congress and officials of the Truman and Eisenhower administrations, Epstein kept presenting the history of VOA’s censorship of the Katyń story. He disclosed that the Voice of America had censored in 1950 an interview with Polish World War II military officer, Captain Józef Czapski. He had been a prisoner in the Soviet Gulag and led an unsuccessful search in the Soviet Union during the war for his missing fellow officers. The Voice of America would not interview Józef Czapski, who was also a writer and artist, until after the Reagan administration took office in the 1980s. Only then did the VOA’s censorship of the Katyń murder story ceased completely and for good.
After repetition of Soviet lies about the Katyń Forest massacre during the war, partial censorship continued after the war even though VOA, still under the State Department, started to hire journalists who had a more sober view of communism. Victor Franzusoff was one of them. He emigrated to the United States in 1938, served in the U.S. Army in World War II and later as an interpreter at the Potsdam Conference. He joined the Voice of America in 1947. Another hire was Alexander Gregory Barmine, a Red Army general and Soviet intelligence agency GRU officer who had defected to the West in 1937. After service in the U.S. Army and the U.S.Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the wartime agency responsible for external intelligence and sabotage against Axis countries, he became the Chief of the Russian Service. He was also one of those who helped to reverse VOA’s earlier pro-Soviet propaganda line. A hardline anti-communist, Barmine was forced to leave the Russian Service in the mid-1960s.
Another post-World War II hire was a VOA Polish Service broadcaster and editor Zofia Korbońska. During World War II, she was a member of the Polish underground anti-Nazi resistance at the time when the Voice of America was broadcasting propaganda in support of the Soviet and communist takeover of Poland. She also had tried to get the Voice of America to speak more forcefully about human rights violations behind the Iron Curtain. 47
The censorship by the VOA management of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, which Victor Franzussof described in his book happened in the 1970s, a period when VOA broadcasts to Russia were generally supportive of human rights and democracy but increasingly muted in this message because of the policy of détente with the Soviet Union and some of the other communist regimes. Knowing how demoralizing and dangerous communist propaganda was for the victims of totalitarian regimes, Franzusoff was trying not to let the VOA censors have the last word. Still hoping for an interview with Solzhenitsyn, Franzusoff tracked down him and his friend, Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, when both of them and their wives were touring the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Once again, burned by the previous snub from VOA’s leadership, Solzhenitsyn would not yet agree to give an interview, but he promised to send Franzusoff his future press releases in Russian. This still, however, presented a problem for VOA Russian Service broadcasters, according to Franzusoff. He wrote that Solzhenitsyn told him VOA may broadcast his press releases to the Soviet Union even before the American media receives them. Franzusoff was not sure, however, whether the management would allow the Russian Service to use Solzhenitsyn’s press releases if they were not reported on first by other American news organizations. One of the measures of control, VOA program directors had over foreign language service was to make their access to wire services in the central English newsroom as difficult as possible, forcing them to rely on centrally-produced English news and radio scripts which then had to be translated into foreign languages. Foreign language VOA broadcasters often did not know immediately about significant news developments until the newsroom decided what was or was not worth reporting.
In describing Solzhenitsyn’s generous offer of providing the Russian Service a first look at his press releases, Franzusoff commented on the difficult situation of VOA foreign language broadcasters.
“I thanked him, but told him nervously, that VOA was only allowed to broadcast news that was in the public domain or had already been aired by the U.S. media,” Franzusoff wrote.
Most of these management-imposed restrictions on VOA’s foreign language services, which were clearly designed to assist in censorship when necessary, were not removed until the Reagan administration took office in 1981. The leadership of the Voice of America, not just the officials of the United States Information Agency and the State Department but also some of Voice of America’s own longtime managers who enforced or tolerated such censorship for many years even if they partly disagreed in Solzhenitsyn’s case, indeed came to regret it. Some managers who were soft on Russia were moved into less prominent positions during what Alan Heil described as “the dark days of 1981 and 1982” after the Reagan administration took office. 48 Many of VOA’s foreign language broadcasters, however, felt liberated by these changes and their new freedom to report on topics which were previously off limits or severely restricted. No major programming scandals in broadcasting to the Soviet block by VOA foreign language services occurred during the Reagan years as opposed to numerous embarrassing U.S. media reports on censorship at VOA and rebukes from Congress during the previous period.
For many VOA journalists in the language services, the Reagan years were the best and brightest when they could finally originate programs and interviews which the managers who were reassigned would have never allowed in previous years.
John Houseman, VOA’s first director in charge of radio production. VOA’s first directors responsible for program policy and content were Robert E. Sherwood and Joseph F. Barnes. Sherwood was President Roosevelt’s speechwriter. Barnes was a left-leaning journalist.
In 1982, Hollywood film actor John Houseman, who could be considered the first VOA director in the Office of War Information in charge of radio production, made an appearance at the Voice of America headquarters in Washington for the fortieth-anniversary observances on February 24. Forty years later he still managed to obscure his role as an implementor of propaganda in VOA’s wartime broadcasts that was so strongly pro-Soviet and in support of communists in Eastern and Western Europe that he was forced to resign by the Roosevelt administration in 1943. It happened after VOA in one of its broadcasts insulted the King of Italy whom the U.S. wanted for an ally against Germany. calling him the “moronic little King.” 49 (VOA The State Department refused to issue Houseman a U.S. passport for official VOA travel abroad. He wanted to visit Robert Sherwood in London where he was in charge of coordinating American and Soviet propaganda in VOA broadcasts. The trip, which after the initial delay would have put Houseman in London shortly after the discovery by the Germans of the Katyń graves of more than 4,000 Polish officers executed by the Soviet NKVD, would have likely focused on how to protect Stalin of being accused of committing this mass murder. Houseman, who even in his memoirs referred to wartime VOA as a propaganda and psychological warfare organization and in an ethnic slur in his book used the favorite Soviet propaganda label of anti-Semitism for all those who opposed Stalin’s territorial and political demands, presented himself to VOA journalists in 1982 as a defender of truthful reporting. 50 He, of course, did not say that it was under his watch when VOA first started to promote the Soviet Katyń lie in April 1943 and established a long tradition of censoring and later minimizing reporting on the Soviet Gulag and communist atrocities. It was under Houseman, Davis, Sherwood, and Cranston that VOA began to ban representatives of democratic government which were part of the anti-Nazi coalition but which Stalin wanted to replace with communist governments loyal to Moscow–a tradition that would continue and culminate in the banning of Alexander Solzhenitsyn from VOA Russian broadcasts.
With a few exceptions, VOA employees who attended the fortieth-anniversary celebration knew nothing of this history. Alan Heil recalled in his book that Houseman’s speech gave encouragement to all those who saw Reagan administration officials at the Voice of America as a threat to objective and truthful journalism.
ALAN HEIL: “He [Houseman] reminded the packed auditorium that honest reporting had been the key to the Voice’s credibility when the tide turned in the direction of an Allied victory the end of World War II. That underlying theme sustained VOA through the difficult winter of 1981/1982. 51
VOA’s original propagandist for Stalin, who helped to cover up the crimes of the Soviet dictator and participated in the first major collusion between government officials of the United States and Russia to deceive Americans and foreigners alike, managed in 1982 to deceive a new audience, a new generation of VOA journalists, or at least many of them, with the same propaganda claim of honest journalism that was never true. While during World War II, VOA did not broadcasts outright lies that could be easily exposed, for example if it tried to claim victories in battles which ended in defeats for the U.S. military, it did lie about the Katyń massacre. Even the State Department, which was not at all keen on publicizing the Katyń murders, warned VOA not to lie for Stalin. The warning was ignored. 52 VOA also lied by omission when it failed to report on other Soviet atrocities, and it lied in presenting Stalin as a democrat. 53 Sherwood, Barnes and Houseman would have never allowed any reporting on Stalin’s orders to deport entire ethnic groups and on how hundreds of thousands of these deportees died in Siberian gulags or were sentenced to death and killed by the NKVD. Exposed during the 1950-1952 congressional investigation, these facts were quickly hidden by the management from VOA staff and forgotten, which made new censorship and new bans on witnesses of communist crimes easier to implement. Whether during the 1970s Solzhenitsyn ban or today in the case of the shortened VOA Mandarin Service interview with whistleblower Guo Wengui and what seems to be an informal ban on his future participation in VOA broadcasts to China, poor knowledge of VOA’s past mistakes contributes to these scandals. They follow the same pattern.
The Voice of America might do better in the future if it would recognize the real heroes of VOA’s early years. These were not Houseman or Sherwood, both propagandists and censors for Stalin. These would be such journalists as Austrian Jewish exile Julius Epstein, Polish exile Zofia Korbońska, and Russian Jewish exile Victor Franzusoff. Epstein, who helped to expose VOA’s censorship of the Katyń story, died in 1975. Korbońska, who fought with VOA management over continuing censorship of the Katyń story, died in 2010. Franzusoff, who opposed the VOA ban on Solzhenitsyn in the 1970s, died in 1996. They were the real heroes.
Solzhenitsyn Criticizes VOA and Radio Liberty in 1982
The Reagan administration reforms of U.S. international broadcasting took several years to take hold due to internal bureaucratic opposition. These reforms were partly due to Solzhenitsyn’s earlier public criticism of the Voice of America, but while they were beginning to bear fruit, he still remained critical of VOA Russian Service broadcasts. In 1982, Solzhenitsyn published an article in National Review, in which he strongly rebuked VOA, as well as Radio Liberty leaders, for their continued timidity in response to totalitarianism. In the article titled, “The Soft Voice of America,” Solzhenitsyn’s description of him becoming a target of censorship by the VOA management matches what Victor Franzusoff wrote in his book.
ALEXANDR SOLZHENITSYN: In December 1973, when I was still in the Soviet Union, The Gulag Archipelago was published in the West. VOA—or, rather, one VOA announcer—read an excerpt from Gulag on the air. Immediately, Radio Moscow started screaming that VOA had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Soviet Union, that the broadcast had fouled the international atmosphere. And what did VOA do? With the agreement of the State Department, it took the announcer off that assignment and forbade the reading of The Gulag Archipelago to Russia! More, for several years it was forbidden to quote Solzhenitsyn on VOA, so as not to discredit Communist propaganda. My book was written for Russians. Millions of copies were read in the West, but it could not be read to our Motherland! 54
“Not to know what is happening in and to your own country is crippling. That is why the Voice of America’s self-imposed limits are so misguided,” Solzhenitsyn also observed in his 1982 National Review article.
One of the more frequently quoted sentences from Solzhenitsyn’s article was:
ALEXANDR SOLZHENITSYN: “Thus, instead of effectively giving us news, VOA helps to keep us ignorant. In order not to violate State Department policy, it gives us a stone in place of bread.”
Solzhenitsyn also wrote that “the broadcasts present Americans as more trivial and less significant than they really are, i.e., they are doing America harm.”
Victor Franzusoff agreed with some of the criticism, but also pointed out that by appealing to younger listeners with lighter programs, including American jazz, VOA was able to expand its audience in the Soviet Union. 55
Solzhenitsyn ended his National Review article, however, on a hopeful note:
ALEXANDR SOLZHENITSYN: Still, there is a Latin proverb that goes, “Dum spiro, spero” — where there’s life, there’s hope. Thirty years have gone by, but that does not mean that we should not begin again today. We do not know how much time history will give us, and maybe it is still possible to accomplish much if the Reagan administration actively undertakes to improve U.S. broadcasts. I am not speaking about an increase in the budget, but about a fundamental change in direction. I have said much that needed to be said. The rest is in the hands of your administration.
In his book written many years later, Victor Franzusoff agreed with some of Solzhenitsyn’s criticism of VOA’s Russian Service and disagreed with him on some other points.
VICTOR FRANZUSOFF: Personally, I feel he [Solzhenitsyn] was right in scorning much of the fluff that we were broadcasting to the U.S.S.R., most of which was translated from the central English output that was being broadcast in various languages all over the world. On the other hand, it was hard to deny that we were actually reaching people. 56
Franzusoff explained that in addition to “the fluff” produced by VOA’s English Service and translated into Russia, the Russian Service also offered its own lighter material and worked with VOA’s talented and popular music contractor and jazz expert Willis Connover.
VICTOR FRANZUSOFF: So although I can understand Solzhenitsyn’s point that sports, fashion, and rock ‘n’ roll were irrelevant and even offensive to those who had fought and risked their lives for human rights, I must defend the value of reaching a vast audience. We were reaching that audience with lighter material–some of which I very much enjoyed, by the way–and that material in its own way spoke for freedom of expression, freedom of thought.
What did not speak for freedom of expression, however, was the VOA’s management ban on interviewing Solzhenitsyn and airing large excerpts from The Gulag Archipelago. With many hours of daily radio broadcasting to Russia, the Voice of America had plenty of time to air both serious and lighter material, both of good quality and without censorship. One did not exclude the other. On that point, Solzhenitsyn and Franzusoff were in full agreement. There was censorship. Most members of the U.S. Congress and Americans who knew about it strongly disapproved.
A Partial Reconciliation with VOA
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn eventually reconciled with the VOA Russian Service during the later years of the Reagan administration and was allowed to make recordings for radio broadcasts to Russia.
Mary G. F. Bitterman, appointed VOA director during the Carter administration, was viewed by most VOA staffers as an improvement over her most immediate predecessors, but the permanent senior managers from previous years remained firmly in charge. She managed to improve employee morale which led to some limited programming initiatives in the language services. After the 1980 November presidential election, won by Ronald Reagan, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn sent a conciliatory letter to Victor Franzusoff, in which he praised its historical program “Thirty-Five Years Ago.” Ten days earlier, American newspaper columnist Jack Anderson published a column highly critical of the management of the Russian Service. It was titled: “VOA in Russian: Embarrassing Voice.” Mary Bitterman responded to Anderson’s column with a letter to Congressman John Buchanan (R-TN) who inserted it in the Congressional Record on December 5, 1980. Solzhenitsyn’s letter to Victor Franzusoff and VOA Russian Service broadcaster O. V. Volkonsky was also printed in the Congressional Record.
[Translation of letter received by VOA-Russian Service]
To: The Chief of the Russian Section of the Voice of America-V. A. Franzusoff
To: Co-worker of the Russian Section O. V. Volkonsky
GENTLEMEN: I am a constant and grateful listener to your historical broadcasts “Thirty-Five Years Ago”.
I also receive requests from the USSR to thank you for these broadcasts and to continue them in their present form.
I would like to emphasize, although you know this yourselves, that it is almost impossible to imagine correctly the course of basic international events by information given out within the Soviet Union. Such a situation was particularly acute in the immediate post-war years, when listening to Western broadcasts was not yet widespread, and, because they were fiercely jammed. That is why the events of the first post-war years are greatly distorted or not clear in the minds of our population. That is why your broadcasts are of such exceptionally informative worth. And I am writing this letter to ask that you on no account discontinue this series, but continue it further, year after year.
I also appeal to you with the following request: could you supply the All-Russian Memorial Library with all the scripts of these broadcasts? Our Library would preserve them as part of our history for future Russian readers who today are deprived of the possibility of listening to these broadcasts or have missed some of them. I would be extremely grateful to you for such a gift. It would not be necessary to send each script separately, but in large packets, once every three months.
And, if possible, to include all those broadcasts up to the present time–too.
With gratitude and best wishes.
A. SOLZHENITSYN
The December 5, 1980 letter from Solzhenitsyn was not an across the board enforcement of the Russian Service’s programming. He praised only a single series of programs dealing with the history of the Soviet Union. It was, however, a sign of changing times for VOA. Mary Bitterman, appointed by President Carter, had been in her position for only ten months, but she managed to improve employee morale and encouraged reforms. As a Carter administration holdover appointee, she would be soon replaced. Major reforms carried out by the Reagan administration appointees finally allowed VOA foreign language services to expand their original programming. Alexandr Solzhenitsyn would be invited to record excerpts from his books.
Mary Bitterman’s letter shows that as late as 1980, there were serious morale and programming issues in the Russian Service, but it still managed to attract a large audience in Russia. In introducing Mary Bitterman’s letter, Rep. Buchanan expressed his support for the Voice of America. He was correct that VOA did not have sufficient personnel and funding, which would be increased during the Reagan administration, but the major problem was still the holdover management, the restrictions which it continued to impose on VOA’s foreign language services, and still poor employee morale. Many of these mid-level permanent managers would soon be reassigned by new Reagan administration appointees.
THE VOICE OF AMERICA’S RUSSIAN SERVICE
(Mr. BUCHANAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include, extraneous matter.)
Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks there has been criticism, and I believe unfounded criticism of the Voice of America’s Russian Service.
As a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. I have listened to witness after witness describe the value of the Voice’s broadcasts into the Soviet Union and the extent to which these individuals have gone just to hear what the Voice has to say.
This is not to say that the Voice’s Russian broadcast service is perfect. I know of no Federal agency, private organization or independent news organization which is. There are major differences among members of the Soviet dissident movement outside the U.S.S.R. and these may, from time to time, be reflected in the Russian service.
But I will say to our colleagues that I believe the Voice is comprised of many very dedicated and able people who are doing a tremendous job despite the constraints, monetary and personnel, which we in the Congress, in response to administration recommendations, have placed upon it and on the International Communication Agency as a whole.
I would like to call to the attention of our colleagues two letters which I believe are relevant to the quality of the
the Russian Service. The first is a letter from Alexandre Solzhenitsyn to the chief of the Russian Service commending its programming
The second is a letter from Voice Director Mary Bitterman in answer to the changes concerning the Voice.
Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I have had some problems with some of the appointments made by the Carter administration within the foreign affairs agencies. These appointments have not always given the type of leadership which I believe to be best for our country.
Mary Bitterman is not among this group. In the 10 months in which she has served as Director of the Voice, she has done an outstanding job not only with the programing, but with the morale of the personnel as well. She has brought a dynamism which has long been lacking but which has been sorely needed at the Voice.
I have also talked with Mrs. Bitterman about her recommendations for the future of the Voice and believe them to be right on target. It is my sincere hope that she will be asked to implement these recommendations.
In a world of expanding communications, we need to enhance our own communications and, hence, understanding. Regrettably, we have not done so.
The Republican Party platform specifically addresses this concern and I believe the Reagan administration will work to expand the capabilities of the Voice and of the other aspects of the International Communication Agency.
During the years in which it has been my privilege to serve as the ranking minority member of the subcommittee which has oversight and funding authority for the ICA and the Voice, I have been at once impressed by the actions of the Agency on the one hand and frustrated by the severe constraints placed upon it on the other.
The fact of the matter is the Voice is not doing all it could do because it does not have what it needs to get the job done. It does not have the resources, personnel or monetary, and this is coupled with the problem of locating individuals proficient in the many languages in which the Voice now broadcasts or in which it would like to broadcast.
Notwithstanding these limitations. I believe the Voice is doing an essential job in telling the story of the great reality of this country and providinq information to the peoples of many lands who thirst for truth.
I would hope that our colleagues would take the time to read these two letters and encourage them to do so.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION AGENCY,
Washington, D.C., November 20, 1980.
DEAR JOHN: Knowing of your interest in the Voice of America, I wanted to share with you our reaction to Jack Anderson’s column on the VOA Russian Service. While I appreciate the uniqueness of Mr. Anderson’s investigative reports, I feel compelled
to place his assertions in this case into perspective.
Mr. Anderson’s November 18 article “VOA in Russian: Embarrassing Voice” does a disservice to the dedicated employees of the Voice of America and to the readers of his column. It is a collection of a few facts, many half-truths and a number of downright erroneous statements.
The Voice of America Russian Service broadcasts 14 hours per day, seven days a week. It is staffed by Russian-speaking professionals who labor under the same intense deadline pressures that their commercial colleagues do at NBC, ABC and CBS, but with the added factor of having to translate everything into a second language. All the staffers speak Russian, but are of many backgrounds. A few are relatively recent arrivals in this country, but most were either born here or immigrated decades ago. As in any organization, each staffer has his or her professional strengths and weaknesses. All had to pass a qualifying examination in translation and announcing to be hired, just as all had to pass a security background check.
Are there internal problems in VOA’s Russian Service? Yes. But Mr. Anderson has not presented them accurately. Allow me to address the points he raised.
The article cites errors in VOA Russian broadcasts. Without question, under the intense pressures of translation and broadcast deadlines, some errors have occurred. VOA has recognized this and has made major efforts to correct it. In June 1980, for example, the Russian Service instituted an editor-of-the-day system that has tightened up program control greatly, a fact explained in detail to Mr. Anderson’s researcher but not mentioned in the article. I think it is significant that the “bloopers” we could verify from Mr. Anderson’s list were two and three years old.
Mr. Anderson described an instance of an “unfair promotion.” An incident did occur in early 1979 in which a producer reported another employee as having been under the influence of alcohol while in a studio in the evening preparing a broadcast to the Soviet Union. Questioned by his supervisors, the employee denied the charge. He has had an excellent, even exceptional job history at VOA and is a very productive staffer. He was promoted not because of “bureaucratic buddy-buddyism,” but because he was the most qualified person for the job.
The question of the amount and kind of coverage given Soviet dissidents is a perennial issue. Mr. Anderson is correct in the thrust of this portion of his article, but not in his particulars. VOA responsibly covers news of interest to Soviet listeners, including “dissidents” news. I would cite our coverage of Andrei Sakharov’s exile to Gorky, the many international hearings that have been held in his name, all of the public hearings held by the U.S. CSCE Commission and our present detailed coverage of the CSCE Conference in Madrid as prime examples of in-depth, authoritative journalism in this field.
We do insist that all news be verifiable, and to achieve this we normally require two independent sources.
VOA is under regular pressure from many sides to carry more information of specific cases involving Soviet dissidents and refuseniks. That is natural and we sympathize with the motives of the people that urge this on us. But VOA must maintain its standards of verifiability. If VOA reports are “distorted due to the paucity and one-sideness of broadcast information on the internal Soviet scene, it is in large measure due to the same limitations that face all Western media, including the newspapers that carry Mr. Anderson’s column.
The quotation from instructions to a VOA Russian employee to stop collecting examples of mistakes in broadcasts, is accurate, as far as it goes. Seeing a self-appointed inspector search through old scripts for errors in full view of the staff members who had written those scripts was having a devastating effect on staff morale, and it had to be stopped. What Mr. Anderson did not report was even more important. In a separate memorandum and a later meeting with supervisors, the employee was urged to concentrate on current broadcasts and to point out any mistakes she spotted before airtime.
Mr. Anderson’s use of the loaded term “emigre” is demeaning, and carries the connotation of “alien.” VOA Russian Chief Victor Franzusoff, who is described as an “emigre Russian,” came to this country in 1938 and became a U.S. citizen in 1940, while serving in the U.S. Army. He served for two years in the European theatre in World War II. Does Mr. Anderson mean to imply that naturalized Americans are less worthy than born ones?
While making a passing reference questioning the effectiveness of VOA Russian broadcasts, Anderson’s article never really addresses that subject. I would like to set the record straight. Most people who are acquainted with the Soviet Union know that VOA Russian-language shortwave broadcasts are one of the very few channels of outside information open to Soviet citizens. When former Soviet dissident Aleksandr Ginzburg came to Washington shortly after the famous Dissidents-for-Spies swap in 1979, he said “Literally everyone who reads a newspaper in the Soviet Union listens to the Voice of America.” Letters from listeners, interviews with recent emigrants and reports from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow confirm this startling statement. VOA has been cited freely as a source of information in public lectures in Moscow, and it is clear that the Kremlin leadership relies on VOA as a source of information about U.S. policy, particularly in times of international crisis. Estimates done by our friendly competitors, BBC, Deutsche Welle and Radio Liberty, confirm that VOA listenership is far ahead of the other three. An M.I.T. study judged weekly Soviet adult listenership to be 27.5 million.
My career in broadcasting has brought me into contact with industry professionals in our own country and throughout the world.
The Voice of America’s staff, functioning under rather difficult circumstances, is the most dedicated group of broadcasters I have known.
MARY G. F. BITTERMAN,
Director. 58
Solzhenitsyn Records for VOA
Thanks to the efforts of new VOA Russian Branch Chief and USSR Division Director Mark Pomar, Solzhenitsyn finally agreed to read for the VOA Russian Service broadcasts from August 1914, his newly-written book on the history leading up to the Bolshevik Revolution, part of The Red Wheel cycle of his historical novels. To avoid accusations of favoring any particular Russian émigré writer or any political Russian movement, the Russian Service broadcast a series of programs under the rubric “Russian Voices from the West.” Many of these writers and other well-known Russians were living in exile the United States. They represented different generations of dissidents with differing ideas of what free Russia should be, but they were invariably attacked by Soviet propaganda as Cold War warmongers. Non-Jews were liberally attacked as fascists and anti-Semites. Repeated by the more liberal U.S. media and some academics, these propaganda and disinformation messages originated by the KGB had a definite intimidating effect on successive U.S. administration until the election of Ronald Reagan led to a drastic change of U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union, management reshuffle at USIA and VOA and changes in VOA programs to the Soviet block. But even some officials of the Reagan administration, including Richard Pipes, an American academic with Polish-Jewish background who was President Reagan’s advisor on East European and Soviet Affairs at the National Security Council, seemed to have accepted the idea that Solzhenitsyn was an anti-Semitic Russian nationalist. Among many who were not buying the Soviet propaganda message and came to Solzhenitsyn’s defense was Jewish Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel who wrote: “He is too intelligent, too honest, too courageous, too great a writer.” 59
Solzhenitsyn was definitely a Russian patriot and a spiritual man who was brought up in the Russian Orthodox tradition and who did not have a good understanding of how to navigate between various ideological movements in Western democracies. While he was sharply critical of Western materialism and moral decay, he was not against the West. As he tried to explain a number of times, he wanted to warn the West about communist totalitarianism and to strengthen its resolve to oppose violations of human rights. As someone who saw mass murders under Stalin with his own eyes and powerfully exposed to the Russians and the outside world his own country’s government’s crimes against his own compatriots as well as against other ethnic groups, including Jews, he could hardly be accused of anti-Semitism or intolerant nationalism. His second wife’s mother was Jewish. Solzhenitsyn expressed a number of times his strong support for independence and freedom for non-Russians forcefully annexed into the Soviet empire, which in itself was an unforgivable crime as far as the KGB was concerned. Still, the Soviet KGB guessed correctly that the propaganda charges of nationalism and anti-Semitism it fabricated against him would resonate with at least some American officials, some of the more liberal media figures and left-leaning intellectuals in the West, specially when paired with anti-Cold War, anti-fascist and pro-peace propaganda messages.
In May 1982, Victor Franzusoff received from Solzhenitsyn’s wife Natalia Dmitriyevna the Russian translation of his open letter to President Reagan, explaining why he had turned down the President’s invitation to lunch at the White House. Solzhenitsyn was willing to meet with Reagan but did not one to be included in a group of “émigré politicians” and “Soviet dissidents.” “As a literary writer, I belong to neither of these categories. I cannot take a place in the wrong line,” Solzhenitsyn wrote in his open letter to President Reagan. But as reported by Franzusoff, Solzhenitsyn was particularly incensed by some of the KGB-inspired labels attached to him not only by some of the American media but also by some Reagan administration officials who otherwise contributed to helping bring about the downfall of communism in the Soviet Union.
ALEXANDR SOLZHENITSYN: Furthermore, the White House has let it be known that a meeting with me would be undesirable because I am a symbol of “extreme Russian nationalism.” This label is an insult to my compatriots, to whose suffering I have devoted my life as a writer.
I am not a nationalist but a patriot. I love my country and therefore understand well that others love theirs. I have often expressed publicly my views that the interests of the Soviet people demand the immediate end of Soviet seizures. 60
Aware of the controversy surrounding the Russian writer, Mark Pomar cleared the idea of interviewing Solzhenitsyn with VOA deputy director Melvyn Levitsky, a State Department career diplomat who from 1972 to 1975 was a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and from 1982 to 1983 served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Levitsky was later U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria and Brazil. 61 After discussing the project with Levitsky, Pomar then traveled to Solzhenitsyn’s home in Vermont with a VOA sound engineer to interview him and to record his readings from his book August 1914. The recordings were brought back to Washington, divided into 36 separate programs about 30 minutes long and broadcast to the Soviet Union over many weeks.
At the time, the KGB’s secret operation designed to discredit Solzhenitsyn in the West as being anti-Semitic and a supporter of fascist Russian nationalism was still in full swing. The KGB was hoping that mainstream U.S. media would report on these accusations, and they were not disappointed. The Washington Post had an article on February 4, 1985, “Version of Solzhenitsyn Novel, Broadcast by VOA, Causes Flap.” “A new version of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s famous novel August 1914, being broadcast by the Voice of America into the Soviet Union, has the Soviet-watching community in an uproar over charges that parts are subtly anti-Semitic,” was the dramatic lead sentence. The Washington Post dwelt at length on these charges, but also quoted Mark Pomar and other experts who dismissed them as a complete distortion of Solzhenitsyn’s real views if not an actual libel. That the KGB was involved in spreading these rumors about Solzhenitsyn was assumed by Soviet experts in the West but the full extent of the KGB smear propaganda operation against him was not yet known.
JOANNE OMANG – THE WASHINGTON POST: “Mark Pomar, Chief of VOA’s Russian Service, called allegations that the novel [August 1914] is anti-Semitic ‘absolutely ludicrous.’ He added that Solzhenitsyn would be ‘furious’ at the suggestion.” 62
KGB, Solzhenitsyn and U.S. Media
Mark Pomar was right. In September 1974, Yuri Andropov, then Chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and later General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, approved a large-scale, multi-faceted plan (no. 5/9-16091) “to discredit and destabilize Solzhenitsyn and his family and cut off his communications with Soviet dissidents.” As described in The Mitrokhiv Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West, a book by British historian Christopher Andrew and former senior officer of the Soviet Foreign Intelligence service Vasili Mitrokhin who defected to the United Kingdon in 1992: “The KGB sponsored a series of hostile books and articles, among them a memoir published under the name of his first wife, Natalia Reshetovskaya.” Solzhenitsyn, whom the KGB gave codename PAUK, was subjected by the KGB to “a constant stream of threats against his children.” The family received “suspicious packages which looked as if they might contain explosives.” While Solzhenitsyn was in Zurich, Switzerland, the KGB even managed to plant within his inner circle three agents of the Czechoslovak intelligence service, one of whom served as the editor of a Czech edition of The Gulag Archipelago until their KGB connection was revealed. The Czechoslovak intelligence officer who temporarily infiltrated Solzhenitsyn’s inner-circle was Valentina Holubová who, as reported by Andrew and Mitrokhin, “seems to have arrived on his doorstep on his first day in Zurich, claiming to be from Ryazan (where she had been a schoolteacher) and bearing a bouquet of roses and lilac.” 63
In July 1975, the French newspaper Le Monde used a distorted quote from one of Solzhenitsyn’s speeches in the United States to smear him as a Nazi sympathizer even though he fought the Germans during World War II as an artillery officer in the Red Army and was twice decorated. Le Monde wrote “Alexander Solzhenitsyn regrets the the West joined forces with the USSR against Nazi Germany during the last war.” It was a complete distortion of Solzhenitsyn’s views. It was fake news, but there is no proof that it was planted by the KGB. 64 It showed, however, that Western media was susceptible to Soviet propaganda and was already turning against the writer.
After Solzhenitsyn delivered his famous commencement address at Harvard University on June 8, 1978, in which he rather bitterly denounced “a decline in courage” in the West in opposing communist ideology “particularly noticeable among the ruling and intellectual elites, causing an impression of a loss of courage by the entire society,” and making them “accomplices” in the suffering of those living under communist rule, the KGB concluded that Western media was not going to respond kindly to such harsh accusations. The Soviet intelligence service decided that no active measures were required to counter the Harvard Address. They were right. Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard speech met with a hostile reception by both The New York Times and The Washington Post. As reported by Andrew and Mitrokhin, the Times writer found “Mr. Solzhenitsyn’s world view…far more dangerous than the easy-going spirit he finds so exasperating,” while the Post denounced his “gross misunderstanding of western society.” 65
The New York Times, the newspaper, which in the 1930s published fake news reports by its Moscow Bureau Chief Walter Duranty, denying the Bolshevik-created famine and millions of deaths in Ukraine, and which submitted his earlier reports for the Pulitzer Prize, received in 1932 and never revoked, proceeded to challenge and lecture the writer in its editorial of June 13, 1978. Insultingly tiled “The Obsession of Solzhenitsyn,” the editorial distorted and made a mockery of his views in a manner eerily similar to the KGB propaganda narrative although not as crude as the Soviet propagandists would present it on their own. Calling Solzhenitsyn a “zealot,” the paper’s editorial writers wrote:
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The trouble is, of course, that life in a society run by zealots like Mr. Solzhenitsyn is bound to be uncomfortable for those who do not share his vision or ascribe to his beliefs. Dissent was punished long before there was a gulag. …
Much as we have been instructed and inspired by Mr. Solzhenitsyn, his willingess to set aside all other values in the crusade against Communism bespeaks an obsession that we are happy to forgo in this nation’s leaders. A certain amount self‐doubt is a valuable attribute for people who have charge of nuclear weapons. 66
Considering that The New York Times, The Washington Post, as well as the Voice of America during World War II also largely ignored the Jewish Holocaust and Stalin’s crimes, their condemnation of Solzhenitsyn, a prisoner of the Gulag for eight years for criticizing Stalin in a letter to a friend, and presenting him as if he himself was a threat to freedom by merely exercising his freedom of speech and daring to criticize the West, including its media, was grossly disingenuous. 67 It was true that Solzhenitsyn did not fully understand Western societies. He appeared too critical and his comments in the Harvard Address about the rule of law may have been poorly phrased and misinterpreted, but his criticism of the Western media did not mean that he favored censorship. Unlike The New York Times and The Washington Post, Harvard Magazine wrote: “Solzhenitsyn’s brilliant, iconoclastic speech ranks among the most thoughtful, articulate, and challenging addresses ever delivered at a Harvard Commencement.” Not every one’s mind in the West had been already poisoned by KGB propaganda. Sholzhenitsyn should have acknowledged his Western admirers and supporters more emphatically, but his bitterness was also not too difficult to understand by those who were familiar with Russia’s history under communism and the West’s compromises with Stalin. Attacks on Solzhenitsyn in The New York Times and The Washington Post were no doubt reported on by the Voice of America in reviews of American press, but the writer could not answer them directly in his own voice in any VOA program. 68
Another Solzhenitsyn Reading on VOA
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn reading from March 1917, part of The Red Wheel cycle of novels on the fall of Imperial Russia. Voice of America Russian Branch chief Natalia Clarkson traveled to Solzhenitsyn’s home in Vermont in 1987 for an interview and to record the author reading excerpts from his book. VOA sound engineer Robert “Bob” Louis Cole was in charge of the recordings. Bob Cole passed away in 2017. Courtesy Photo from VOA Russian Service 2017 video interview with Natalia Clarkson.
Fortunately, after the 1980 presidential election won by Ronald Reagan, who was also portrayed by America’s more left-leaning media as a warmonger of the worst kind ready to start World War III with the Soviet Union at any time, the Voice of America was under a new management. After the 1984 series of recordings from August 1914, in 1987, the Russian Service again reached out to the author and he agreed to record excerpts from his March 1917 book. 1987 marked the 70th anniversary of both the February Revolution and the Bolshevik or October Revolution of 1917. The second Uprising was in reality a coup by a small group of communists who lacked any popular support in Russia. Russian Branch chief, Natalie Clarkson, traveled to Solzhenitsyn’s home in Vermont and recorded a large number of readings by the author which were then broadcast to Russia. She pointed out that the concept behind this series of recordings of Solzhenitsyn reading his book was to show that the Bolshevik coup later in the year (the October Revolution) was preceded by a genuinely grass roots protests and revolt in February 1917 O.S. (March N.S.) 69
While the senior management prevented the VOA Russian Service from interviewing Alexandr Solzhenitsyn throughout the 1970s, during the same time he gave a lengthy interview to the BBC. In April 1976, Congressman Jack Kemp (R-NY) inserted the text of the BBC interview into the Congressional Record. In his BBC interview, Solzhenitsyn addressed some of the criticism hurled against him by the KGB and all too often repeated in Western media. In response to the statement that he had become an impassioned critic of the West and the question whether he favored a return to a patriarchal kind of Russia and orthodoxy, Solzhenitsyn criticized Western media for sloppy reporting. This did not win him friends among many liberal-minded journalists in the United States and in Western Europe who saw such criticism as a justification of their continued their attacks on the writer. Anyone one who criticized the press had to be against the Western concept of a liberal society, a nationalist and a supporter of government censorship. Solzhenitsyn, of course was not, but it did not prevent some journalists from repeating these charges.
SOLZHENITSYN: You know, that is one of the consequences of the weak sense of responsibility of the press. The press does not feel responsibility for its judgements; it makes judgements and sticks on labels with the greatest of ease. Mediocre journalists simply make headlines of their conclusions which suddenly become the general opinion throughout the West. You have just enumerated several propositions, and practically all of them are not true. Firstly, I am not a critic of the West. I repeat that for nearly all our lives we worshipped the West. Note the word ‘worshiped.’ We did not admire it; we worshipped it. I am not a critic of the West. I am a critic of the weakness of the West. I am a critic of the fact which we can’t comprehend: how one can lose one’s spiritual strength, one’s willpower, and, possessing freedom, not to value it, not to be willing to make sacrifices for it.
A second label, just as common, was pinned on me: that I wanted to return to a patriarchal way of life. Well, as you see, apart from the half-witted, no normal person could ever propose a return to the past because it’s clear to any normal person that one can only move forward.
I’ll just cite one more example. Take the word ‘nationalist.’ It has become almost meaningless, and it’s used constantly; everyone flings it around. But what is nationalist? If someone suggests that his country should have a large army, should conquer the countries which surround it, should go on expanding its empire, that sort of person is a nationalist. But if, on the contrary, I suggest that my country should free all the peoples it has conquered, should disband the army, should stop all aggressive actions, who am I? A nationalist. If you love England, what are you? A nationalist. And when are you not a nationalist? When you hate England, then you are not a nationalist. 70
One of the moderators conducting the BBC interview, British journalist, author and satirist Malcolm Maggeridge, whom Rep. Jack Kemp described as “perhaps one of the most profound social commentators of this century,” remarked about Solzhenitsyn: “if you encased the earth in concrete, there would still be a crack in that concrete, and through that crack something would grow. That’s Solzhenitsyn.” It was an accurate description of who Solzhenitsyn was.
But strong language from Solzhenitsyn was offensive to the ears of many Western liberals, some of whom may have felt guilty about their earlier support for communism. Malcolm Maggerige was one of them before becoming an anti-communist after working as a journalist in the Soviet Union in the 1930s and observing the Ukraine famine. With many Western journalists resenting being preached to by Solzhenitsyn about Stalin’s crimes and their own shortcomings, the KGB had an easier time of discrediting the dissident writer with the support of parts of Western media. Solzhenitsyn did not say anything that was untrue, anything close to proving that he was an intolerant nationalist, which he absolutely was not, or anything else that conservative intellectuals such as Maggeridge in Britain or William Buckley in the United States were not already saying. But the KGB-designed labels stuck to him for the rest of his life and after his death. Large parts of the left-leaning elites in Western Europe and the United States found the truth in Solzhenitsyn’s life, in his words and in his books difficult to swallow and felt compelled to lash out at him for sins he did not commit except in the minds of KGB propagandists.
While liberal Western media were the easiest target for KGB propaganda, not everybody in the West fell for it. Solzhenitsyn’s denunciations of weaknesses in Western societies, which he said were motivated by his deep appreciation of the Western culture and concern for its future, were embraced by many conservatives, including Senator Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan. Solzhenitsyn also had his admirers and defenders among some of the brightest Western writers and thinkers on the liberal side. Perhaps the most eloquent tribute to Solzhenitsyn was written by Canadian American writer Saul Bellow, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature. Bellow’s parents were Jewish immigrants from the Lithuanian part of the Russian Empire before the October Revolution. His Jewish-Lithuanian-Russian immigrant ancestry may have made it easier for Bellow to understand Solzhenitsyn’s views of Russia and the West.
SAUL BELLOW: The word “hero” long in disrepute, has been redeemed by Solzhenitsyn. He has had the courage, the power of mind and the strength of spirit to speak the truth to the entire world. He is a man of perfect intellectual honor and, in his moral strength, he is peculiarly Russian. To the best Russian writers of this hellish century it has been perfectly clear that only the power of truth is equal to the power of the state. 71
In the conclusion of his letter, published in The New York Times on January 15, 1974, Bellow pointed out that scientists, artists and intellectuals have a different role in society than diplomats who pursue the policy of détente with the Soviet government. He did not specifically mention journalists, but he would no doubt include them with artists and intellectuals. This point was completely lost on anyone in charge of Voice of America broadcasts who supported the ban on interviewing Solzhenitsyn.
SAUL BELLOW: Persecution of Solzhenitsyn, deportation, confinement in a madhouse or exile will be taken as final evidence of complete moral degeneracy of the Soviet regime.
We cannot expect our diplomats to abandon their policy of détente (whatever that may mean) or our great corporations to break their business contracts with Russia, but physicists and mathematicians, biologists and engineers, artists and intellectuals should make it clear that they stand by Solzhenitsyn. It would be the completest betrayal of principle to fail him. Since America is the Soviet Government’s partner in détente, Americans have a special responsibility in this matter.
What Solzhenitsyn has done in revealing the unchecked brutality of Stalinism, he has done also for us. He has reminded every one of us what we owe to truth.
Solzhenitsyn was difficult to comprehend by a Western mind. He tried but largely failed to explain to Westerners his views on religion, history and man. The narrative that became dominant in the West, thanks in large part to the KGB, was of Solzhenitsyn as an extreme right-wing nationalist. The man, however, was a profound believer in dignity of every man and woman. Half-Ukrainian, he was a Russian cultural and religious patriot, but, above all, a defender of the defenseless and the forgotten. In his 1975 speech to the AFL-CIO, he tried to counter yet another label being attached to him by poorly-informed media in the West. He realized that “anti-communist” became a pejorative term among many Western intellectuals and journalists.
ALEXANDR SOLZHENYTSYN: There is a word very commonly used these days: “anti-communism.” It’s a very stupid word, badly put together. It makes it appear as though communism were something original, something basic, something fundamental. Therefore, it is taken as the point of departure, and anti-communism is defined in relation to communism. Here is why I say that this word was poorly selected, that it was put together by people who do not understand etymology: the primary, the eternal concept is humanity. And communism is anti-humanity. Whoever says “ant-communism” is saying, in effect, anti-anti-humanity. A poor construction. So we should say: that which is against communism is for humanity. Not to accept, to reject this inhuman Communist ideology is simply to be a human being. It isn’t being a member of a party. It’s a protest of our souls against those who tell us to forget the concepts of good and evil.
Perhaps the best and most honest portrait of Solzhenitsyn as a person, writer, philosopher, Orthodox Christian, husband and father, can be found in David Remnick article “The Exile Returns” in the February 1994 issue of The New Yorker. It seems to be custom written for for Western readers fed on the KGB caricature of his life and his beliefs. It exposes the KGB and media lies and shows Solzhenitsyn as he really was.
DAVID REMNICK – THE NEW YORKER: In terms of the effect he has had on history, Solzhenitsyn is the dominant writer of this century. Who else compares? Orwell? Koestler? And yet when his name comes up now it is more often than not as a freak, a monarchist, an anti-Semite, a crank, a has-been, and not as a hero. One afternoon in Cavendish, I was in the kitchen with Natalia [Solzhenitsyn’s wife] and Stephan [his son], and I asked if Solzhenitsyn planned to make any public appearances, any speeches, before leaving Vermont for Moscow this spring.
“Who would ask him to speak in America?” Natalia said. “Who in America wants to hear him?”
“Face it, Mom,” Stephan said. “It hasn’t worked out here.” 72
It hasn’t worked out in the United States for Solzhenitsyn partly because the relentless Soviet propaganda carried out over many years and KGB active measures helped to turn a great man into a villain in the eyes of many superficial American journalists and some but not all left-leaning intellectuals. Remnick noted that “As recently as 1993, the Boston Globe’s former Moscow correspondent, Alex Beam, published an opinion piece in the paper under the headline ‘SHUT UP, SOLZHENITSYN’.”
Remnick defended Solzhenitsyn.
DAVID REMNICK: “…there is no greater story of human dignity in this century than that of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn…. To mock him is to mock the uncommon, the rare appearance of the superior and necessary man.” 73
The shabby treatment the great Russian writer had received from the Voice of America management in the 1970s despite the best efforts of Victor Franzusoff and other VOA journalists to avoid censorship was repeated at the time of his death in August 2008 when VOA was already under the watch of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA reports on his death and his legacy, all too brief and superficial considering that people like Solzhenitsyn, Vaclav Havel and Lech Wałęsa were the ones who made VOA during most of the Cold War an important news organization representing the U.S. government and the American people, followed the now usual but highly deceptive practice of fully “balanced” journalism which placed words of praise for the writer on the equal footing with KGB-originated propaganda smears from several decades earlier. They were quoted being repeated by distinguished Western journalists and scholars. That kind of journalism at the Voice of America practiced now under the Broadcasting Board of Governors is what made the KGB propaganda so successful against Solzhenitsyn in the 1970s and what makes Putin’s propaganda on RT and SPUTNIK effective today in disrupting American politics. When Western journalists treat propaganda as nothing more than news that only needs to be “balanced,” they in effect help to legitimize falsehoods as an acceptable point of view and make propaganda successful. Hillary Clinton and her supporters found out the hard way during the 2016 presidential election campaign how the Kremlin’s propaganda works in conjunction with the dirty tricks of the FSB.
There was no mention in the VOA reports at the time of Solzhenitsyn’s death in 2008 of the decades-long KGB disinformation campaign against him. There was also no mention of VOA’s shameful censorship of the great author and his books in the 1970s.
Only the change in U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union and in the management of the Voice of America during the Reagan administration made it possible for the Russian Service to invite Solzhenitsyn to speak to VOA’s audience. These changes helped to hasten the fall of the communism in Russia, allowing the writer to return to his home country in 1994. Solzhenitsyn died of heart failure in Moscow on August 3, 2008. He was 89.
Several earlier Cold War Radio Museum articles also examined these events and provided a historical perspective and rich documentation from the Congressional Record and from previously classified U.S. government documents on how the censorship of Solzhenitsyn by the Voice of America was part of a larger pattern of Soviet propaganda influence going back to World War II. Hopefully, the whole series on how Voice of America censored Solzhenitsyn will offer some lessons for today’s propaganda wars being waged against the United States by Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and ISIS.
Russian Propaganda and U.S. Politics
Radio Liberty Fails on Russian Interference
The Obama “Reset” with Russia
Brief History of VOA’s Domestic Propaganda
China, Iran, Cuba, North Korea
Photos: (Top) Alexandr Solzhenitsyn and his wife Natalia Dmitriyevna Solzhenitsyn exiting from Alaska Airlines plane upon their arrival on May 27, 1994 in Vladivostok as they returned from exile in the United States.
(Bottom)Local Russian officials and VOA reporter Ted Lipien awaiting the arrival of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn in Vladivostok on May 27, 1994. VOA had no plans for on-the-ground coverage of Solzhenitsyn’s arrival in Russia, but Ted Lipien and VOA Russian Branch Chief Sherwood Demitz who were in Vladivostok on a marketing trip to promote rebroadcasting of VOA programs by local radio stations sent in a report to Washington.
Disclosure: Ted Lipien was VOA acting associate director in charge of central news programs before his retirement in 2006. In the 1970s, he worked as a broadcaster in the VOA Polish Service and was a reporter and service chief in the 1980s during Solidarity’s struggle for democracy in Poland. He is one of the co-founders and supporters of BBG Watch whose volunteers monitor management and performance of taxpayer-funded Voice of America and other U.S. government-run media operations within the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West, (London: Penguin Books, 2000), 416–419. ↩
Former Office of War Information editor and therefore also Voice of America journalist Julius Epstein quoted by Congressman George A. Dondero (R-MI) in Congressional Record, August 9, 1950. The quote was from the article which was published in the Evening Star Washington newspaper on August 7, 1950. George A. Dondero, Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 81st Congress, Second Session, Appendix. Part 17 ed. Vol. 96. August 4, 1950, to September 22, 1950 (Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1950), A5744-A5745. ↩
In his “Capitol Stuff” column, reporter and commentator John O’Donnell wrote in Times-Herald Washington newspaper on August 20, 1943: “The misnamed Office of War Information has apparently decided to end its career by suicide and this may be all for the best.Few honest newspaper tears are going to be shed over the demise of an outfit which from birth was a New Deal Roosevelt propaganda body (as discovered by the last Congress which amputated its domestic claws) and throughout its career gave off the distinctly unpleasant stench of being a parking place for pay-roll patriots, political stumble bums and the incompetent sweepings of editorial rooms.” ↩
See Holly Cowan Shulman, The Voice of America: Propaganda and Democracy, 1941-1945 (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1990), pp. 99-102. Prof. Shulman wrote: “Sherwood, Barnes, Wartburg, and Johnson, and their like-minds colleagues the Overseas Branch [OWI’s Voice of America] believed that propaganda could mold and influence foreign policy. Propaganda, in other words, was not merely an expression of policy made by others. The propagandists believed they could make their own version of American foreign policy come true. They believed they were right; they argued that they understood the foreign influence of American policy ways that the State Department, and even the president, did not; and they used the Voice of America to enter the foreign policy debate between members of the Roosevelt’s administration.” ↩
To view some of Sherwood’s previously classified propaganda directives and memos on World War II coordination of U.S. propaganda with Soviet propaganda, see: “75th Anniversary of Voice of America – Propaganda Coordination with USSR,” Cold War Radio Museum, January 17, 2017, http://www.coldwarradiomuseum.com/2017/01/17/75th-anniversary-of-voice-of-america-propaganda-coordination-with-ussr/, and “Why WWII Voice of America ignored the Holocaust,” Cold War Radio Museum, March 27, 2017, http://www.coldwarradiomuseum.com/2017/03/27/why-wwii-voice-of-america-ignored-the-holocaust/. ↩
Elmer Davis and Alan Cranston made several attempts, (a bipartisan congressional committee found some of Cranston’s actions to be illegal), to shut down Polish American radio stations and newspapers which published reports about the Katyń Forest massacre as a mass murder committed by the Soviets. ↩
↩
As quoted by David Remnick, “The Exile Returns,” The New Yorker, February 14, 1994, accessed October 25, 2017, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/02/14/the-exile-returns. ↩
Akeksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation I-II (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974), 77. ↩
Akeksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation III-IV, 42-43. ↩
Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago, 257. Solzhenitsyn is mistaken on the date of the Kaminsky brigade’s participation in suppressing the Warsaw Uprising. It was in August and September, 1944. The uprising ended on October 2, 1944. ↩
Czesław Straszewicz, O Świcie,” Kultura, October, 1953, 61-62. I am indebted to Polish historian of the Voice of America’s Polish Service Jarosław Jędrzejczak for finding this reference to VOA’s wartime role. ↩
Robert Reilly, “How to Make the Voice of America Come Through Loud and Clear,” The Wall Street Journal, February 17, 2017. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-make-the-voice-of-america-come-through-loud-and-clear-1487375332. ↩
Michele Kelemen, “Russian Accuses Voice Of America Of Fake Interview,” NPR, February 20, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2012/02/20/147064987/russian-accuses-voice-of-america-of-fake-interview. ↩
Nikolay Rudenskiy, Deputy Editor, Russian Online Media Outlet Grani.ru, “VOICE OF AMERICA RUSSIAN WEBSITE EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE,” 2011. Online: http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Rudenskiy.pdf. ↩
Victor Franzusoff, Talking to the Russians (Santa Barbara: Fithian Press, 1998). ↩
Applebaum, Anne (2007), “Foreword”, The Gulag Archipelago, Perennial Modern Classics, Harper. ↩
Arch Puddington, Broadcasting Freedom: The Cold War Triumph of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty (Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2000), 273. ↩
Cissie Dore Hill, “Voices of Hope: The Story of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty,” Hoover Digest 2001 No. 4 (October 30, 2001): https://www.hoover.org/research/voices-hope-story-radio-free-europe-and-radio-liberty. ↩
Alan Heil, Jr. Voice of America: A History.(New York: Columbia University Press, 2003), 160. Heil cites James Keogh’s response to Representative Robert L. Sikes, March 5, 1974. ↩
Alan Heil, 160. ↩
Aland Heil, 161. Heil wrote in a note for this statement: “Author’s notes and Kingsley’s talking points, February 26, 1974.” ↩
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, 1974–76, Box 1, USSR Memcons and Reports, July 20–August 2, 1975—Ford/Brezhnev Meetings in Helsinki (Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe). Secret; Nodis. Initialed by Rodman. All brackets, with the exception of those describing omitted material, are in the original. The meeting took place at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. Ford and Brezhnev met during the summit held at the conclusion of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The full memorandum of conversation is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XVI, Soviet Union, August 1974–December 1976, Document 171. ↩
“Memorandum of Conversation,” Helsinki, July 30, 1975. Online: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v16/d171. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger Reports on USSR, China, and Middle East Discussions, 1974–1976, Box 1, USSR Memcons and Reports, July 30–August 2, 1975—Ford/Brezhnev Meetings in Helsinki (CSCE). Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Rodman. Brackets are in the original. The meeting was held in the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence. ↩
Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to Secretary of State Kissinger, July 11, 1975, Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, accessed October 27, 2017, https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v16/d163. ↩
Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant (Friedersdorf) to President Ford, July 12, 1975, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State, accessed October 27, 2017, https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v16/d165. ↩
Editorial Note, Office of the Historian, United States Department of State accessed October 27, 2017, https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v39/d319 ↩
Senator James Buckley, “Statement on Kissinger,” Congressional Record, Proceedings and Debates of the 94th Congress, First Session, Volume 121–Part 18 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1975), July 16, 1975, 23009. ↩
Bernard Gwertzman, “Solzhenitsyn Says Ford Joins in Eastern Europe’s ‘Betrayal’,” The New York Times, July 22, 1975, 1 and 9. ↩
Zbigniew Brzezinski, “Memorandum From Zbigniew Brzezinski to Jimmy Carter,” September 27, 1976. Online: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1977-80v01/d10. Source: Carter Library, 1976 Presidential Campaign, Issues Office, Issues Office—Stuart Eizenstat, Box 9, Debates—Briefing Material. No classification marking. Carter initialed the top right-hand corner of the first page of the memorandum. Brzezinski circled the word “debate” in the subject line of the memorandum. Brzezinski attached a copy of his Columbia University business card to the memorandum and added the following handwritten comment: “Stu—I hope the enclosed is of help in order to focus the debate. ZB.” The second Presidential debate was scheduled to take place in San Francisco on October 6; for additional information, see Document 11. ↩
Gerald R. Ford, “Presidential Campaign Debate,” October 6, 1976. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=6414. ↩
Gerald R. Ford, “Presidential Campaign Debate,” October 6, 1976.. ↩
“Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter,” Washington, undated, Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, accessed October 27, 2017, https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1977-80v06/d2. ↩
Jimmy Carter, “Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President.” ↩
Estelle Snyder, “Champions of Freedom: Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Jesse Helms,” North Carolina History Project. Online: http://northcarolinahistory.org/commentary/champions-of-freedom-alexander-solzhenitsyn-and-jesse-helms/. ↩
”Senator Helms and the State Department,” The Jesse Helms Center, accessed November 6, 2017, https://www.jessehelmscenter.org/archives/from-the-vault/senator-helms-and-the-state-department/. ↩
Harry F. Byrd, Jr. “Voice of America Speechless on ‘Gulag Archipelago’,” Congressional Record, Volume 120–Part 5, March 7, 1974, pp. 5833-5834. ↩
John M. Ashbrook, “VOA and Solzhenitsyn,” Congressional Record, VOLUME 120–PART 7, pp. 9702-9704. ↩
John M. Ashbrook, Congressional Record, VOLUME 121-PART 2, January 28, 1975, pp. 1642-1643. ↩
Congressional Record, 94th Congress, 15 July, 1975. ↩
Estelle Snyder, “Champions of Freedom: Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Jesse Helms.” Online: http://northcarolinahistory.org/commentary/champions-of-freedom-alexander-solzhenitsyn-and-jesse-helms/ ↩
Epstein wrote in 1950: “There are still too many of the old OWI [Office of War Information] employees working for the Voice, both in this country and overseas. I mean those writers, translators and broadcasters who so wholeheartedly and enthusiastically tried for many years to create ‘love for Stalin,’ when this was the official policy of our ill-advised wartime Government and of our military government in Germany. There is no doubt that all those employees were at that time deeply convinced of the absolute correctness of that pro-Stalinist propaganda. How can we expect them to do the exact opposite now?” See Dondero, Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 81st Congress, Second Session, Appendix. Part 17 ed. Vol. 96. August 4, 1950, to September 22, 1950, A5744-A5745. ↩
Memorandum from Foy D. Kohler (OIB/NY) to All Commission Members, December 18, 1951; RG 0059, Department of State, U.S. International Information Administration/International Broadcasting; Entry# P315: Voice of America (VOA) Historical Files: 1946-1953; Reports Psychological Operations POC THRU Katyn Forest Massacres III; Container #18; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. ↩
Ted Lipien, “LIPIEN: Remembering a Polish-American patriot,” The Washington Times, September 1, 2010, accessed October 26, 2017, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/1/remembering-a-polish-american-patriot/. ↩
Alan Heil, 219 ↩
Holly Cowan Shulman, 101. ↩
John Houseman, Unfinished Business Memoirs: 1902-1988 (New York: Applause Theatre Book Publishers, 1989), 247-249. Houseman wrote: “Psychological warfare could not furnish me with the theatre’s climaxes and consummations; there was no applause for the Voice of America… .”(247) “Why were the Poles, after centuries of partition and suffering, riddled with anti-Semitism and obsessed by mad dreams of a ‘Greater Poland’?”(249) ↩
After Joseph Goebbles’ propaganda machine announced the discovery of the Katyn graves on April 13, 1943, a note dated April 22, 1943 addressed to Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle included a warning for the OWI to exercise caution in reporting on the Katyn story.
See Ted Lipien, The Triumph of Propaganda – Voice of America and Katyń, BBG Watch, April 13, 2016, accessed October 26, 2017, http://bbgwatch.com/bbgwatch/the-triumph-of-propaganda-voice-of-america-and-katyn/. ↩
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, “The Soft Voice of America, National Review (February 24, 2015, first published April 30, 1982), http://www.nationalreview.com/article/414310/soft-voice-america-aleksandr-solzhenitsyn. ↩
Franzusoff, 145. ↩
Victor Franzusoff, 145. ↩
Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, “Translation of Letter received by VOA-Russian Service” as placed in the Congressional Record by Rep. John Hall Buchanan Jr., “The Voice of America’s Russian Service,” Congressional Record Volume 126-PART 24, December 5, 1980, 32615-32616. ↩
As placed in the Congressional Record by Rep. John Hall Buchanan Jr., “The Voice of America’s Russian Service,” Congressional Record Volume 126-PART 24, December 5, 1980, 32615-32616. ↩
Thomas, DM. Alexander Solzhenitsyn: A Century in his Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998, 491. ↩
Mark Pomar, (Chief, Russian Service, Voice of America, August 1983 to July 1986, in discussion with the author, October 17, 2017. ↩
Joanne Omang, “Version of Solzhenitsyn Novel, Broadcast by VOA, Causes Flap,” The Washington Post, February 4, 1985, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/02/04/version-of-solzhenitsyn-novel-broadcast-by-voa-causes-flap/af632be4-a157-4322-95b1-370b606db787/ ↩
Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, 414. ↩
Editorial,”The Obsession of Solzhenitsyn,” The New York Times, June 13, 1978, http://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/13/archives/the-obsession-of-solzhenitsyn.html ↩
“The Voice of America—the United States Government overseas radio broadcasting station founded in 1942—ignored the subject of the Holocaust throughout the Second World War,” American scholar Holly Cowan Shulman wrote in a 1997 article published in Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. She noted that U.S. government officials in charge of VOA were “either Jewish or philo-Semites,” but the radio station during World War II “said very little about the persecution of the Jews of Europe at all.” Holly Cowan Shullman, “The Voice of America, US Propaganda and the Holocaust: ‘I Would Have Remembered’,” Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television 17, no. 1 (March 1997): 91-103. ↩
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, “The Exhausted West,” Harvard Magazine, July August 1978, https://harvardmagazine.com/2011/04/greatest-hits-solzhenitsyn. ↩
Natalie Clarkson, (Chief, Russian Branch, Voice of America, 1980s), in discussion with the author, October 18, 2017. ↩
Jack Kemp, “A Rare TV Interview with Solzhenitsyn and When Congress Should Invite him to Address a Joint Session,” Congressional Record, VOLUME 122–PART 9, April 9, 1976, pp. 10260-10261 ↩
Rep. Philip M. Crane inserted in the Congressional Record the letter from Saul Bellow which appeared in the New York Times of January 15, 1974. The letter sent from Chicago was dated January 7, 1974. Philip M. Crane, “Solzhenitsyn: A Hero for Our Time,” Congressional Record Volume 12-Part 1, January 24, 1974 (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1974), 815. ↩
David Remnick, “The Exile Returns,” The New Yorker, February 14, 1995. Online: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/02/14/the-exile-returns. ↩
David Remnick, “Reds Scared,” The New Yorker, October 30, 1995, 109, 111 quoted in Edward E. Ericson, Jr., “The Gulag Archipelago: A generation Later,” Modern Age, 155, accessed October 25, 2017, https://isistatic.org/journal-archive/ma/44_02/ericson.pdf. ↩
AFPC Amanda Bennett Ann Noonan Asem Tokayeva BBC BBG Blanquita Cullum China CUSIB Daisy Sindelar Ed Royce Elizabeth Williamson employee morale Facebook Guo Wengui Haroon K. Ullah Haroon Ullah human rights Ilan I. Berman Iran Jeff Shell John F. Lansing John Lansing journalism Kazakhstan Khadija Ismayilova Michael Pack Mike Pompeo New York Times propaganda Radio Farda Radio Liberty RFE RL RFE/RL Kazakh Russia Ted Cruz Ted Lipien The Federalist Tiananmen TV Marti USAGM VOA VOA Charter VOA Mandarin VOA Mandarin Five
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Fake Iraq documents 'embarrassing' for U.S. (english)
by Summer 14 Mar 2003
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Intelligence documents that U.S. and British governments said were strong evidence that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons have been dismissed as forgeries by U.N. weapons inspectors.
From David Ensor
CNN Washington Bureau
Friday, March 14, 2003 Posted: 5:43 PM EST (2243 GMT)
The documents, given to International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, indicated that Iraq might have tried to buy 500 tons of uranium from Niger, but the agency said they were "obvious" fakes.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell referred to the documents directly in his presentation to the U.N. Security council outlining the Bush administration's case against Iraq.
"I'm sure the FBI and CIA must be mortified by this because it is extremely embarrassing to them," former CIA official Ray Close said.
Responding to questions about the documents from lawmakers, Powell said, "It was provided in good faith to the inspectors and our agency received it in good faith, not participating ... in any way in any falsification activities."
"It was the information that we had. We provided it. If that information is inaccurate, fine," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press" last Sunday.
"We don't believe that all the issues surrounding nuclear weapons have been resolved [in Iraq]," he said.
How were forgeries missed?
But the discovery raises questions such as why the apparent forgeries were given to inspectors and why U.S. and British intelligence agents did not recognize that they were not authentic.
Sources said that one of the documents was a letter discussing the uranium deal supposedly signed by Niger President Tandja Mamadou. The sources described the signature as "childlike" and said that it clearly was not Mamadou's.
Another, written on paper from a 1980s military government in Niger, bears the date of October 2000 and the signature of a man who by then had not been foreign minister of Niger in 14 years, sources said.
"The IAEA has concluded, with the concurrence of outside experts that these documents -- which formed the basis for the reports of recent uranium transactions between Iraq and Niger -- are not in fact authentic," ElBaradei said in his March 7 presentation to the U.N. Security Council.
Close said the CIA should have known better.
"They have tremendously sophisticated and experienced people in their technical services division, who wouldn't allow a forgery like this to get by," Close said. "I mean it's just mystifying to me. I can't understand it."
A U.S. intelligence official said that the documents were passed on to the International Atomic Energy Agency within days of being received with the comment, " 'We don't know the provenance of this information, but here it is.' "
If a mistake was made, a U.S. official suggested, it was more likely due to incompetence not malice.
"That's a convenient explanation, but it doesn't satisfy me," Close said. "Incompetence I have not seen in those agencies. I've seen plenty of malice, but I've never seen incompetence."
Who made the forgeries?
But the question remains -- who is responsible for the apparent forgeries?
Experts said the suspects include the intelligence services of Iraq's neighbors, other pro-war nations, Iraqi opposition groups or simply con men.
Most rule out the United States, Great Britain or Israel because they said those countries' intelligence services would have been able to make much more convincing forgeries if they had chosen to do so.
President Bush even highlighted the documents in his State of the Union address on January 28.
"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa," Bush said.
U.S. officials said that the assertion by the president and British government was also based on additional evidence of Iraqi efforts to obtain uranium from another African country. But officials would not say which nation and a knowledgable U.S. official said that there was not much to that evidence either.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/14/sprj.irq.documents/index.html
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African Parliamentary Alliance for UN Reforms
The Ezulwini Consensus
The Rationale
Committee of Ten
African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government (C-10) is a Committee setup by the African Union (AU) with mandate to advocate and canvass the African Common Position on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform. The African Common Position, also known as Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration is named after a valley in Swaziland where the agreement was made by African Leaders in 2005, before it was adopted at an Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
The Sirte Declaration was the resolution adopted by the Organisation of African Unity on 9 September 1999, at the fourth Extraordinary Session of the OAU Assembly of African Heads of State and Government held at Sirte, Libya to establish the African Union.
The Consensus which serves as the only viable option that reflects Africa’s legitimate right and aspiration to rectify, inter alia, the historical injustice endured by the Continent underscores Africa’s goal to be fully represented in all decision making organs of the UN particularly the Security Council. It consist of the claim of two additional seats in the category of the non-permanent members and two seats in the category of permanent members with same rights, privileges and obligations accorded to the current permanent members of UNSC, including the right to veto. African Union reserves the right to determine the criteria for the selection of the two Member States to represent continent in the Security Council as Permanent Members.
The ultimate objective of the C-10 on behalf of the peoples of Africa is to unanimously and unequivocally adhere to the Common African Position as enunciated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, and build the momentum required for Africa to demand its rightful place on the global stage.
Members of the C-10 include the Heads of State and Government of Senegal, Uganda, Algeria, Kenya, Zambia, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Congo, Libya, Namibia and Equatorial Guinea. His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone is the Coordinator of the C-10.
H.E Dr Koroma has shown strong leadership and commitment in spearheading the pursuit of the C10 mandate and advancing the objectives of the African Common Position on reforming the UN Security Council. Addressing the general debate of the UN General Assembly's seventy-first session, President Koroma said “It will be hard to achieve a better world without reform of the United Nations, and inclusion of "strong African voices" in the global organization…….."We will not be able to deliver on the SDGs' promise…without the reform of the United Nations. Let me put it straight: our premier global institution lacks the democratic competence to tackle the developmental, security and other challenges facing Africa and many other parts of the world. Without strong African voices at the highest level of our premier global decision-making body, without the energetic voices of the region with the largest number of young people, without the decisive contribution of the continent that is mostly affected by Security Council decisions, no resolution proffered to our challenges by the United Nations will be sustainable, inclusive and lasting."
It is worth noting that since its establishment, the C-10 has been engaged in the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) in New York, while intensifying efforts in advocating and canvassing at the highest political levels to galvanize the necessary political will in support of the Common African Position on UN Security Council reform.
C-10 is calling on all African Union Member States to speak with one voice on the Common African Position and not adhere to other negotiating groups or special interests, as it is not in keeping with the spirit of the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. It invites all African Union Member States to include the issue of the Security Council reform among their foreign policy priorities in their engagements with non-African partners; in particular, to include in their statements during the debates of the United Nations General Assembly, the need to correct the historical injustice that the African continent continues to suffer.
Although the Committee of Ten remains seized of its mandate until Africa achieves its objectives on the reform of the UN Security Council, many of its members are noting with concern the slow pace in the negotiations on the question of equitable representation on the Security Council.
Speaking in Livingstone, during the C-10 May2015 Summit, President Edgar Lungu of Zambia said Africa has talked much for the last 10 years and needs to act on the Ezulwini consensus and bring it to life.
The President of Namibian H.E Dr Hage Geingob regretted that Africa which constitutes more than a quarter of the UN membership has not made much progress in the last 10 years to realize its goal. He asked African countries to be resolute and show more commitment to the C-10.
During the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Kigali, Rwanda, President Koroma said “although tremendous progress have been made in raising the visibility and legitimacy of the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, visibility is not the ultimate outcome that the C-10 was set up to raise. He added that “the C-10 did not set out to engage in consultations forever”.
Group Photo of C-10 Members outside State House, after the Opening Ceremony of the January 2015 C-10 Consultative Summit in Windhoek, Namibia
Rue des Gares 16,
Case Postale 2426,
1211 Genève 2
contact@apaunr.org
www.apaunr.org
Motto: Our Africa – Our Responsibility
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Triple Crescent in Saturn's Space
Credits: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute - Credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/LXTT/IPF
A single crescent Moon is a really familiar sight in Earth's Sky, but with Saturn's many moons, you can see three of them at the time, or even more.
The three moons shown here - such as Titan (that is about 3.200 miles, or approx. 5.149,888 Km across), Mimas (which is about 246 miles, or approx. 395,89 Km across), and Rhea (approx. 949 miles or about 1.527,26 Km across) - show marked contrasts from one another. Titan, the bright yellow-colored and largest moon visible in this image, appears fuzzy because we can only see its Cloud Layers. And since Titan's Atmosphere heavily refracts the light around it, Titan's crescent "wraps" just a little further around the moon itself than it would do - instead - on an airless Celestial Body (just like Rhea and Mimas).
Rhea (upper left - Sx) appears rough because its Icy Surface is heavily cratered. And a close inspection of Mimas (center bottom of the frame), though it is difficult to see at this scale, shows incredible Surface Irregularities which are due to its own violent Geological History.
This view looks toward the anti-Saturn Hemisphere of Titan; North is up. The image was taken in Visible Light with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft's Narrow-Angle Camera on March 25, 2015. The picture was obtained at a distance of approximately 1,2 Million Miles (such as approx. 1.931.208 Million KiloMeters) from Titan.
The Image Scale for Titan is roughly 75 miles (such as about 120,7 Km) per pixel. Mimas, at the time when the picture was taken, was about 1,9 Million Miles (such as approx. 3.057.746 Million KiloMeters) away - with an Image Scale of roughly 11,4 miles (such as approx. 18,346 Km) per pixel. Last, but certainly not least, Rhea, was about 2,2 Million Miles (such as approx. 3.540.548 Million KiloMeters) distant from the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft, and its Image Scale of roughly 13,1 miles (such as about 21,08 Km) per picture element (pixel).
This frame (which is an Original NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft's b/w and NON Map-Projected image published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 18322) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, magnified, in order to allow the vision of the slightest details of the Surface, Gamma corrected and then re-colorized - according to an educated guess (or, if you wish, an informed speculation) carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga - in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, toward the Saturnian moons "Titan", "Mimas" and "Rhea"), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among other things, the existence of different Elements (Gases and Minerals, respectively) present in the Atmosphere of Titan, and on the Surface of Mimas and Rhea, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.
Note: it is possible (but we, as IPF, have no way to be one-hundred-percent sure of such a circumstance), that the actual luminosity of Titan, Mimas and Rhea - as it is in this frame - would appear, to an average human eye, a little bit lower than it has been shown (or, better yet: interpreted) here.
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Donald G. Gross
The Atlantic Council of the United States
Donald G. Gross is an international lawyer in Washington D.C. He previously served as Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University and practiced law in Seoul. From 1997 until June 2000, Mr. Gross was Senior Adviser in the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs in the Department of State. Mr. Gross previously served as Counselor of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA). Mr. Gross was Director of Legislative Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House. He served as Counsel to a congressional subcommittee and was an Adjunct Professor of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. Mr. Gross is a 1997 graduate of the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Gross graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and holds a law degree from the University of Chicago, where he also did graduate studies in Political Science.
Articles by Donald G. Gross
North Korea Disables Facilities, But Resists Declaration
North Korea followed through on its Oct. 3 commitment to disable its nuclear facilities this quarter, but resisted giving an “complete and correct” declaration of its nuclear programs. While the disabling actions – which would prevent North Korea from producing nuclear material for at least a year – encouraged U.S. officials, Pyongyang’s unwillingness to declare its uranium enrichment program, in particular, created a potentially major obstacle in the Six-Party Talks. At the end of the quarter, the U.S. faced a diplomatic dilemma: how to incentivize Pyongyang to continue the disabling process, while pressuring North Korea to come clean on its past nuclear activities. Pyongyang insisted it had engaged in “sufficient consultation” with the U.S. on the declaration and threatened to slow down the disabling process until it received more compensation.
The election of South Korea’s conservative party candidate, Lee Myung-bak, on Dec. 19 signified that Seoul and Washington will soon likely have a more coordinated policy approach toward North Korea. Lee stressed that he would adopt a “pragmatic” approach and support large-scale South Korean economic assistance to Pyongyang – but only if North Korea first abandons its nuclear program. U.S. and South Korean officials sparred this quarter over Korea’s decision to suspend U.S. beef shipments because of the threat of mad cow disease. They proved unable to resolve this issue, although President Roh Moo-hyun and President-elect Lee pledged to work together to ratify the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at the upcoming session of the National Assembly in February.
Attached Chronology: US - Korea Relations, October – December 2007
By Donald G. Gross
Agreement with the North, Progress with the South
In an historic breakthrough at the Six-Party Talks, North Korea committed to disabling its Yongbyon nuclear facilities and declaring all its nuclear programs by Dec. 31, 2007. It also pledged not to transfer nuclear materials, technology, or know-how. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to move toward normalizing relations with Pyongyang by fulfilling its commitment to take North Korea off the list of state sponsors of terrorism and end the application of the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act as Pyongyang fulfills its denuclearization commitments.
North Korea’s agreement in the nuclear negotiations created a positive atmosphere for a successful North-South summit, held Oct. 3-4 in Pyongyang. In their summit declaration, signed by President Roh Moo-hyun and Chairman Kim Jong-il, the two Koreas pledged to work together on security, economic and humanitarian issues while making only passing reference to smoothly implementing the Six-Party Talks agreement. Significantly, the declaration also explicitly acknowledged that “the South and the North both recognize the need to end the current armistice regime and build a permanent peace regime.” According to U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow, Washington and Seoul “have already begun consultations…in order to develop a common approach” to this issue.
As the ratification process for the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) moved ahead, Seoul resumed imports and inspections of U.S. beef. South Korea seemed to take seriously the warning of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns that the Congress would not ratify the FTA as long as restrictions on U.S. beef remain in effect. In early September, the South Korean government submitted the FTA to the National Assembly for ratification.
Finally, in a change long sought by South Korea, President Bush signed into law in early August a measure that will allow South Koreans to visit the U.S. without a visa, for a period of up to 90 days. The change is set to go into effect in July 2008, at the time the Korean government is expected to issue biometric “e-passports” to its citizens.
Despite the progress made on several fronts, there was also an undercurrent of tension that marked the relationship between both Koreas and the U.S. throughout the quarter. Nevertheless, each time the tension bubbled to the surface both sides seemed intent on smoothing over the differences and moving on with the issue at hand.
Attached Chronology: US - Korea Relations, July – September 2007
By Donald G. Gross and Hannah Oh
Unexpected Progress on All Fronts
North Korea promised to shut down and seal its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon this quarter in a deal that implements the Six-Party Talks September 2005 Joint Statement, committing Pyongyang to dismantling its nuclear weapons program. To achieve this breakthrough, the Bush administration agreed to transfer back to North Korea approximately $25 million in funds that were frozen since the fall of 2005 in a Macau bank for reported laundering of U.S. money.
Despite the political will on both sides, however, “technical issues” involving financial regulations prevented the funds from being transferred, as scheduled, by the mid-March round of Six-Party Talks, which was quickly adjourned. At the end of the quarter, U.S. diplomats expected to resolve the banking issues shortly so North Korea would move to shut down its reactor and allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to reenter the country.
The U.S. and South Korea reached an historic free trade agreement (FTA) at the end of the quarter, which must now go to the U.S. Congress and South Korean National Assembly for ratification. The agreement would eliminate more than 90 percent of the tariffs currently applied in the two countries’ international trade. Reportedly, a “rice for beef” deal clinched the FTA. South Korea agreed to lift completely restrictions on U.S. beef that aim at preventing the spread of mad cow disease. In return, U.S. negotiators agreed to exclude rice from the FTA, effectively giving into demands from Korean rice farmers who had angrily demonstrated against the accord.
Senior U.S. and South Korean defense officials reached a tentative agreement in March on the timetable and funding to relocate U.S. forces in South Korea to a newly expanded base at Pyongtaek, south of Seoul. South Korea agreed to pay $6 billion of the $11 billion project and promised that base construction would be completed no later than 2012.
Attached Chronology: US - Korea Relations, January – March 2007
April — July 2007
Finally Progress on the Feb. 13 Joint Agreement
Concerted efforts by the U.S., China, South Korea, and Russia in mid-June finally overcame “technical problems” and led to the return of approximately $25 million in frozen funds to North Korea. After helping to break this logjam, U.S. chief envoy to the Six-Party Talks Christopher Hill traveled to Pyongyang for meetings with the DPRK foreign minister and chief delegate to the Six-Party Talks.
Hill strived to accelerate North Korea’s compliance with the Feb. 13, 2007 joint agreement by urging Pyongyang to quickly accept inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), shut down its nuclear facilities, and participate in a new round of nuclear negotiations in July. Hill’s meetings were the highest level of U.S. bilateral contacts with North Korea’s regime since October 2002.
The U.S. and South Korea signed the free trade agreement (FTA) at the end of the quarter, just one day before President Bush’s “fast track” authority to negotiate trade agreements expired. Despite the positive notes struck by U.S. and Korean trade officials, however, Democratic Congressional leaders immediately announced they would oppose the FTA because it adversely affected U.S. auto manufacturers and workers. Democrats, who control Congress following the 2006 mid-term elections, are likely to block ratification of the FTA unless the Bush administration undertakes a strong lobbying effort in the coming months.
Attached Chronology: US - Korea Relations, April – July 2007
North Korea Tests a Nuke and Returns to the Six-Party Talks
North Korea made good on its long-time threat to conduct a nuclear test when it exploded a small nuclear device of less than a kiloton on Oct. 9. The test generated political shock waves and led to comprehensive sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council Oct. 14. Under tremendous pressure from the international community and China, in particular, North Korea announced Oct. 31 it would return to the Six-Party Talks.
When the talks reconvened in Beijing on Dec. 18, they made little progress other than reaffirming the main accomplishment of these negotiations to date – the Sept. 19, 2005 joint statement in which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security, political, and economic benefits. Given North Korea’s nuclear test, the real surprise this quarter was that a new round of nuclear negotiations occurred at all.
In their ongoing negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), the U.S. and South Korea ran into difficulty on issues including autos, pharmaceuticals, antidumping measures, and beef. At the end of the quarter, Korean negotiators were reportedly considering whether to propose a “big deal” that would resolve outstanding differences on major issues. Both the U.S. and Korean negotiating teams are aware that they must wrap up an agreement by March 31 and give Congress 90 days for review before President Bush’s “fast-track trade promotion authority” (TPA) expires June 30, 2007.
The U.S. and South Korea agreed in late October to transfer wartime operational control of Korean troops to South Korea between Oct. 15, 2009 and March 15, 2012. The precise time of transfer along with detailed implementing arrangements will be decided in joint consultations during the first six months of 2007. The U.S. will continue to provide significant air and naval “bridging capabilities” as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance until South Korea acquires sufficient capabilities of its own in these areas.
South Korea notified the U.S. in early December that it would extend the deployment of its troops supporting U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq for another year, although at a reduced level. South Korea’s “Zaytun Division” has contributed humanitarian and reconstruction assistance since 2004 in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. Korean commandos have also provided security for the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq.
North Korea Rolls the Dice and Conducts Missile Tests
North Korea elevated the 11-month impasse in the Six-Party Talks to a diplomatic crisis in early October by conducting a test of a small nuclear device. The U.S. responded by calling for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to impose harsh sanctions on North Korea “unlike anything that they have faced before.” President George W. Bush explicitly drew a diplomatic red-line that the United States would regard Pyongyang’s “transfer of nuclear weapons or material” to other states or terrorist groups as a “grave threat” that would impliedly bring a U.S. military response.
North Korea’s nuclear test Oct. 9 followed a unanimous statement of the UNSC on Oct. 6 that a nuclear test would “jeopardize peace, stability, and security in the region and beyond.”
In an earlier unanimous resolution, the Security Council condemned North Korea in mid-July for test launching seven missiles and imposed a set of missile-related sanctions on Pyongyang. Instead of vetoing this measure, as Pyongyang undoubtedly expected, China delivered a major diplomatic shock to North Korea by voting to approve the resolution, which called on UN member countries to prevent transfers of missile technologies and “financial resources” to Pyongyang. For the moment, Washington, Seoul, and Beijing seemed to be speaking with one voice.
At the mid-September summit meeting of President Bush and ROK President Roh Moo-hyun, the two presidents indicated they would follow a “common and broad approach” to the North Korean nuclear issue. President Bush gave his blessing to President Roh’s request for returning operational command of South Korea’s forces during wartime to Seoul. Bush defused opposition to this proposal from South Korean conservatives by promising that U.S. forces would come to South Korea’s aid in an emergency and continue to play an important military support role on the Korean Peninsula.
In two rounds of negotiations this quarter on a U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, U.S. and South Korean trade negotiators put on the table a number of critical issues in manufacturing, services, and agriculture but were only able to reach an apparent agreement on pharmaceuticals. In South Korea, the government is under popular pressure from farmers, labor unions, and business organizations to resist any excessive U.S. demands for opening the Korean market.
To Test or Not to Test: Missile Politics
After the impasse in the Six-Party Talks deepened this quarter, North Korea shocked its neighbors as well as the United States by launching seven missiles July 4 into the Sea of Japan. One of these missiles was a long-range Taepodong 2 that theoretically might have reached the U.S., but failed, 40 seconds into its flight.
The missile tests fed a widespread perception in the U.S. that North Korea’s action represented a political failure for the Bush administration. U.S. financial and diplomatic pressures over the previous 10 months had neither contained Pyongyang nor caused it to submit to U.S. political demands. Together with the U.S. refusal to offer any positive gesture toward North Korea, these pressures merely formed the backdrop to North Korea’s all too familiar defiance of the outside world.
The U.S. and South Korea held their opening round of negotiations on a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) during early June. Among the most contentious issues were the U.S. demand to open the South Korean rice market to U.S. exports, and South Korea’s demand that the U.S. extend favorable tariff treatment, under the FTA, to all products produced in the Gaeseong Industrial Zone in North Korea. On the rice issue, South Korean negotiators gave no ground and are under considerable pressure from farmers not to allow U.S. rice into the country. On the Gaeseong issue, U.S. negotiators rejected the Korean request, claiming that North Korean workers at the site are subject to harsh, exploitative treatment by the Pyongyang regime.
Finally, at a meeting in Singapore, South Korea’s defense minister and the U.S. secretary of defense appeared to reach general agreement that operational control of South Korea’s armed forces during wartime would be transferred back to South Korea after five or six years. The final agreement will be announced at the ROK-U.S. Security Consultative
Attached Chronology: US - Korea Relations, April – June 2006
Forward on Trade as Nuclear Talks Sputter
In fits and starts, North Korea and the U.S. sought procedural common ground this quarter for resuming the Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program. The deputy head of Pyongyang’s delegation, Ri Gun, traveled to New York in early March for a “working-level” meeting to discuss U.S. financial sanctions for North Korea’s alleged counterfeiting of U.S. dollars.
The substantive positions of the two sides remained the same after the meeting: Pyongyang said it would continue to boycott the nuclear talks until Washington lifted the financial sanctions; Washington argued the sanctions were a purely “law enforcement measure” not linked to the nuclear issue. In mid-March, however, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow proposed that discussions on the financial issue could continue bilaterally at the Six-Party Talks. At quarter’s end, North Korea had not yet responded to this proposal.
In early February, the U.S. and South Korea announced the beginning of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman called the “most commercially significant free trade negotiations we have embarked on in 15 years.” Not to be outdone, South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-Chong said the initiation of FTA negotiations “is the most important event [in U.S.-Korea relations] since the signing of the military alliance in 1953.” The first round of official talks is scheduled to begin in early June, following several procedural meetings.
The U.S. and South Korea held their first “Strategic Consultation for Allied Partnership” (SCAP) this quarter, not long after Presidents George W. Bush and Roh Moo-hyun agreed to initiate these talks at their summit meeting in November. During the consultation, the two governments reached a general agreement that the U.S. could exercise “strategic flexibility” and use its forces stationed in South Korea to meet military contingencies outside the Korean Peninsula.
Late in the quarter, the U.S. and South Korea also agreed to form a joint panel to consider the modalities of transferring wartime command of South Korean armed forces to the government of South Korea. At present, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea would exercise operational control over the armed forces of South Korea, through the Combined Forces Command, during wartime.
The Six-Party Talks: What Goes Up Can Also Come Down
The Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program suffered a major reversal this quarter as Washington and Pyongyang unleashed verbal attacks on each other over activities outside the scope of the negotiations – counterfeiting U.S. dollars, drug trafficking, and Pyongyang’s dismal human rights record. North Korea said it would boycott the talks until it obtained a high-level meeting with U.S. officials to discuss financial sanctions related to North Korea’s alleged counterfeiting.
Factions in the Bush administration that oppose the Six-Party Talks or seek to rein in Ambassador Christopher Hill (who achieved the September agreement to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear program) escalated U.S. rhetoric to a high pitch in early December. After U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow termed North Korea a “criminal regime,” Pyongyang fired back that his remarks constituted “a provocative declaration of war on our people.”
By the end of the quarter, it appeared that the apparent disarray within the U.S. government over policy toward North Korea had seriously undercut the ability of U.S. negotiators to reach a diplomatic resolution of the nuclear issue. It was not clear whether or when a new round of the Six-Party Talks could be scheduled.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry sought National Assembly approval in December for its plan to cut the number of South Korean forces in Iraq by 1,000 – approximately one-third of the contingent of 3,250 troops South Korea has sent to Iraq to support the U.S.-led coalition. Although the U.S. protested this decision, South Korea’s defense minister justified it by citing the success of the Oct. 15 referendum in Iraq, which laid the basis for adopting a new national constitution.
On economic and trade matters, Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and George W. Bush, at their meeting in mid-November in Gyeongju before the APEC summit in Busan, agreed to put a U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement (FTA) on a fast track, with negotiations beginning this spring. Their decision reflected the desire of both governments to strengthen U.S.-South Korea relations at a time when differences over strategy toward North Korea have caused major strains in the alliance.
A Breakthrough at the Six-Party Talks
For the first time in more than two years, diplomats at the Six-Party Talks made significant progress this quarter on the nuclear issue with North Korea. In a joint statement of principles, Pyongyang committed itself to “abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and returning at an early date to the treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.”
In return, North Korea received security assurances, a U.S. and Japanese promise to take steps toward normalization of relations, a South Korean offer of 2 million kilowatts of electricity, and a commitment to implement the agreement sequentially on a reciprocal basis. In the Chinese-brokered joint statement, the United States and North Korea further agreed to discuss Pyongyang’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy and its demand for light-water reactors at a future meeting.
Importantly, the agreement also gave impetus to negotiating a permanent peace regime for the Korean Peninsula and establishing a system for multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. The parties decided to conduct another round of the Six-Party Talks in November 2005 to discuss detailed arrangements for verifying and implementing the joint statement.
Their successful meeting came after more than a year-long impasse in the talks. North Korea agreed to resume the negotiations July 9, following a meeting in Beijing where the U.S. envoy to the Six-Party Talks, Ambassador Christopher Hill, conveyed several desired assurances to Pyongyang.
Despite political pressure that arose after the London terrorist bombings in July to withdraw South Korean forces from Iraq, South Korea appeared to lay the groundwork this quarter to extend its troop deployment into 2006. Without an extension, the National Assembly’s mandate for the forces in Iraq will expire at the end of November.
U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman announced in early September that the U.S. would decide by the end of the year whether to launch a negotiation for a U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. He said Washington’s decision would hinge on Seoul’s willingness to resolve several outstanding trade issues, including South Korea’s “screen quota” on showings of Hollywood movies and its import ban on U.S. beef. At the end of the quarter, South Korea was reportedly reassessing its refusal to meet U.S. demands on those issues.
Good News Summit Kicks Disputes Down the Road
Speculation about a possible North Korean nuclear test spiked tensions on the Korean Peninsula this quarter as Pyongyang continued to refuse to return to the Six-Party Talks. Pyongyang underscored its status as a nuclear weapons state by removing spent fuel rods from its five-megawatt reactor, and then testing a short-range missile in the direction of Japan.
If North Korea’s purpose was to heighten differences between South Korea and the U.S, and thus weaken the alliance, its efforts proved successful through May. The U.S., as a veiled threat, moved 15 stealth fighters to South Korea, broke off talks on recovering Korean War remains, and considered seeking sanctions against North Korea at the UN.
After Seoul openly rejected seeking UN sanctions, South and North Korean diplomats met for the first time in 10 months on May 15 to discuss “inter-Korean issues.” Seoul promised North Korea large-scale aid if it returned to the Six-Party Talks, but gained no commitment from Pyongyang on the nuclear issue.
With Washington and Seoul far apart on how best to deal with North Korea, President George W. Bush and President Roh Moo-hyun held a one-day summit June 10. Rather than resolving their tactical differences, the two leaders emphasized strategic agreement on the importance of the U.S.-Korea alliance and a peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue.
A few days after the summit, South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il who declared his country would rejoin the six-party process in July if the U.S. “recognizes and respects” his regime. Although U.S. officials remained skeptical since North Korea did not provide a firm date for attending the negotiations, it appeared Pyongyang might make a concrete commitment before or during a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao in July.
The U.S. and South Korea settled a dispute this quarter over OPLAN 5029, a contingency plan laying out responses to cataclysmic events in North Korea, including regime collapse or a refugee crisis. South Korea had objected to putting its forces under U.S. command pursuant to this plan. The two governments agreed to further develop the concept of the contingency plan without deciding its operational components.
Incoming U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said this quarter the U.S. would not negotiate a free trade agreement with South Korea until “additional progress” is made on outstanding trade disputes. His position put pressure on Seoul to allow greater access for Hollywood films to the South Korean market and to end its import ban on U.S. beef.
Tensions Rise Over Sticks and Carrots
Shortly after a U.S. official briefed South Korea, Japan, and China on North Korea’s clandestine sales of processed uranium to Libya, North Korea declared in early February that it possessed nuclear weapons and would indefinitely suspend its participation in the Six-Party Talks. Seeking to keep alive the nuclear negotiations, both the U.S. and South Korea downplayed Pyongyang’s announcement. But in the following days, media leaks indicated that Vice President Richard Cheney pressed Seoul to turn down North Korea’s request for a large quantity of fertilizer and sought to suspend Seoul’s participation in a joint industrial project at Kaesong, just north of the demilitarized zone.
When South Korea resisted the U.S. request, the Bush administration called for “coordinated approaches” to North Korea, diplomatic code words for Seoul to support the U.S. position. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun indirectly responded by emphasizing the equality of South Korea with the U.S. in their alliance relationship.
In late February, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il told a high-level Chinese delegation that North Korea would return to the Six-Party Talks when conditions are “mature” and “suitable.” Kim emphasized once again that the U.S. would have to show “no hostile intent” before it could expect Pyongyang to rejoin the negotiations.
Visiting the region in the latter part of March, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks. In her bilateral meetings, she said the U.S. would pursue unspecified “other options in the international system” if Pyongyang continues to refuse to negotiate.
U.S. and South Korean defense negotiators could not reach agreement this quarter on the amount of Seoul’s contribution to the cost of keeping U.S. troops in Korea. The two countries remained wide apart in their demands, with South Korea asking for a 50 percent cut in its share and the U.S. requesting a 10 percent increase.
This quarter South Korea became ranked as the 10th largest economy in the world, based on 2004 gross domestic product. Despite an ongoing dispute over South Korea’s refusal to import U.S. beef, American and South Korean trade officials conducted two working-level meetings in their early efforts to conclude a bilateral free trade agreement.
South Korea Confronts U.S. HardLiners on North Korea
With the reelection of President George W. Bush, South Korea embarked on an unusually aggressive diplomatic campaign this quarter to prevent neo-conservative hardliners in the Bush administration from obtaining a dominant role in U.S. policymaking toward North Korea. During speeches in Los Angeles and several European capitals, President Roh Moo-hyun ruled out using military options or taking other “forceful action” against Pyongyang in resolving the nuclear issue. Roh asserted the “leading role” of South Korea in the Six-Party Talks and rejected “regime change” as a policy approach for dealing with Pyongyang.
During talks with Roh on the sidelines of the APEC summit meeting in late November, Bush reiterated the U.S. policy of promoting a peaceful, diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue. The most notable U.S. reaction to Roh’s diplomatic initiative came from incoming National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, who stressed the U.S. favored the “transformation” of North Korea by economic means, and not harsh measures that would bring about the collapse of the Kim Jong-il regime.
The Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program remained in an impasse this quarter, as North Korea protested a naval exercise of the U.S.-sponsored Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and resisted a new negotiating round until seeing the shape of U.S. policy after the presidential election. U.S., South Korean, and Chinese efforts to convene a six-party meeting in late December sputtered, and officials increasingly focused on the possibility of continuing the negotiations in early 2005.
After an extensive investigation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) criticized South Korea, this quarter, for not reporting nuclear experiments in 1982 and 2000, but did not refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council. Following the IAEA announcement, Seoul offered to explain its nuclear experiments to North Korea at the next round of Six-Party Talks. Pyongyang had previously cited the secret experiments as one reason for resisting a new round of multilateral negotiations.
The U.S. and South Korea reached agreement on a plan to delay withdrawing one-third of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, as part of the global realignment of U.S. forces. Under the agreement, the U.S. will withdraw only 5,000 troops by the end of 2005, including the 3,500 already redeployed to Iraq, and gradually pull out an additional 7,500 by 2008.
Responding to South Korea’s desire for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, a senior U.S. trade official expressed interest in beginning negotiations as soon as Seoul “shows it is willing to take some tough decisions to resolve outstanding trade disputes.” Among the current issues in contention between Washington and Seoul are South Korea’s “screen quota” (which limits the showing of Hollywood films), pharmaceuticals, automobiles, intellectual property rights, telecommunications, and agriculture.
In mid-December, South Korea inaugurated the opening of its Kaesong Industrial Zone, which is under construction in North Korea, 40 miles north of the demilitarized zone. Still under discussion with the United States, however, is a modification to existing U.S. export control law and policy, that would permit South Korean companies to use desk-top computers in the new industrial zone.
A Holding Pattern for the Six-Party Talks
The six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program remained in a holding pattern this quarter as Pyongyang evaded a new round before the U.S. presidential elections in November. Although Bush administration officials stressed the benefits North Korea would receive from accepting the current U.S. proposal, Pyongyang was uncooperative and denounced the “hostile policy” of the United States.
In September, North Korea gave as a new pretext for delaying the next round of talks the need for South Korea to disclose more details of the nuclear experiments it conducted in 2000 and the early 1980s. Pyongyang seemed to be betting that a defeat of President George W. Bush in the upcoming U.S. elections would lead to a more accommodating U.S. policy toward North Korea.
The U.S. and South Korea reached agreement during this quarter on the relocation of the U.S. command headquarters from Yongsan base in central Seoul to the Pyongtaek region, approximately 70 kilometers south of the capital. But they were unable to resolve the issue of how many troops the U.S. would withdraw from the South by the end of 2005 as part of the planned global realignment of U.S. forces. South Korea is seeking at least a two-year delay in this redeployment and the allies are likely to announce an agreement at their ministerial-level defense consultation in late October.
On economic and trade issues, the U.S. and South Korea conducted discussions, at both working and senior policy levels, on whether U.S. export control laws should ban the export of computers and other dual-use high technologies to the Kaesong industrial complex in North Korea. South Korea hopes to locate 15 companies at this site by the end of 2004. Originally announced at the June 2000 South-North summit meeting, the planned Kaesong complex symbolizes the extensive economic development that could arise from détente on the Korean Peninsula.
Strains in the Alliance, and the U.S. Offers a Nuclear Deal
North Korea conducted an impressive diplomatic campaign during this quarter to improve its relations with China, South Korea, and Japan, and thus strengthen its position in the six-party talks. In late June, under pressure from South Korea and Japan, the Bush administration made its first detailed negotiating proposal on the nuclear issue since taking office. The proposal called for a three-month freeze of North Korea’s nuclear program, accompanied by energy aid from South Korea, China, and Japan, as well as a “provisional security guarantee.” If North Korea readmits inspectors to verify compliance and meets specific deadlines for nuclear dismantlement, the U.S. would agree to continue energy assistance, provide permanent security guarantees, and take a variety of other steps to normalize relations.
The pressure on the U.S. from Japan and South Korea to negotiate seriously with Pyongyang enabled the State Department’s moderates to overcome the internal paralysis that has long marked U.S. policymaking on North Korea. Whether the neo-conservative hardliners, located mainly in the White House and Defense Department, will now abandon their efforts to torpedo the six-party talks and to seek regime change in North Korea remains to be seen.
North Korea reacted to the U.S. proposal by characteristically demanding more energy assistance, more time for implementation, greater security assurances, and more incentives of other kinds. But it expressed a willingness to “compromise” and “show flexibility” on the U.S. proposal if the Bush administration increases the incentives and specifically gives energy aid of its own.
The U.S.-South Korea alliance suffered serious strains during this quarter, as the U.S. announced, with little forewarning, that it would send a brigade of 3,600 troops from the Demilitarized Zone to Iraq and withdraw a total of 12,500 troops from South Korea by the end of 2005. The proposed withdrawal represents about one-third of the approximately 37,000 troops that the U.S. now keeps on the Korean Peninsula. South Korean officials felt blind-sided by the announcement, although they stuck to their plan to send 3,000 South Korean troops to Iraq, at U.S. request, to bolster U.S.-led coalition forces.
Friction continued in U.S.-South Korea trade relations during this quarter over Washington’s efforts to improve Seoul’s enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). South Korea expressed “regret” at the U.S. decision to keep it on the “priority watch list” for countries that do not adequately protect IPR. Despite this ongoing dispute, the U.S. and South Korea were able to resolve a contentious internet issue and appeared to make progress on the problem of “screen quotas” that has held up completion of a Bilateral Investment Treaty for several years. After months of resistance, South Korea’s minister of culture said his ministry would re-examine the screen quota system, drawing a harsh response from the South Korean film industry.
In the Eye of the Beholder: Impasse or Progress in the Six-Party Talks?
Contrary to expectations, the six-party talks on the nuclear issue with North Korea failed to reach an agreement or even release a joint statement after several days of negotiations in late February. North Korea balked at accepting the eventual “complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement” of its entire nuclear program, which would have included ending any future capability for peacefully generating nuclear energy. Had North Korea agreed to the goal of dismantlement, the U.S. was reportedly prepared to accept Pyongyang’s offer to freeze its nuclear program in exchange for energy assistance that South Korea, Russia, and China would have supplied.
Despite the inability of the talks to take any substantive first steps, the U.S. positively assessed the meetings as making a “good deal of progress,” especially in their agreement to “institutionalize” the process of negotiation by establishing working groups. The U.S. was also pleased that Russia and China endorsed for the first time, the U.S. goal of fully dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program, verifiably and irreversibly.
Looking toward the next round of talks, scheduled to occur no later than the end of June, it will fall mainly to China to bridge the U.S. and North Korean positions. If China fails to broker an agreement, the continuing impasse in the negotiations, in the context of the U.S. presidential campaign, may ratchet up significant domestic political pressure on U.S. President George W. Bush to take tougher measures against North Korea.
On other security issues, South Korea’s National Assembly approved, during this quarter, President Roh Moo-hyun’s proposal to dispatch 3,000 Korean troops to Iraq to assist U.S.-led coalition forces. The original deployment plans were scuttled by the violence in Iraq and are being reassessed. U.S. and South Korean defense officials also continued their consultations on how best to carry out the agreed transfer of the U.S. military command from central Seoul to a more southern location by 2007.
Finally, in U.S.-Korea trade talks, negotiators temporarily settled a dispute over South Korea’s pending adoption of a new single national standard for accessing the internet through cell phones. If South Korea were to adopt this standard, it would shut a major U.S. company, which has developed an alternative technology for the same purpose, out of the Korean market.
Now You See ‘Em, Now You Don’t: Elusive Six-Party Talks
Looking toward a second round of six-party talks in mid-December, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan sparred with North Korea this quarter over the content of an agreed joint statement for the negotiations. Despite President George Bush’s willingness to provide written multilateral security assurances and other unspecified benefits to North Korea in exchange for “coordinated steps” toward nuclear dismantlement, Pyongyang stuck to its familiar approach. North Korea offered merely to freeze its nuclear program if the U.S. offered security assurances, an end to sanctions, energy assistance, and removal from the U.S. terrorist list at the outset. After President Bush rejected North Korea’s effort to negotiate a new version of the 1994 Geneva Agreement, the possibility of a December round of the six-party talks evaporated.
At the end of the quarter, the U.S. announced it would send 60,000 metric tons of food aid to North Korea as a humanitarian gesture and looked forward to a new round of talks in early 2004. For its part, North Korea confirmed on Dec. 27 that it would participate in a second round at an early date in 2004 “to continue the process for a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue.” It now falls to China to use its diplomatic leverage to broker a joint statement for the second round of talks that will bridge the difference between the joint U.S.-South Korean-Japanese position and the North Korean position.
In order to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance and obtain greater influence over U.S. policy on the North Korean nuclear issue, South Korea agreed this quarter to dispatch 3,000 troops to assist U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq. Although the official purpose of the deployment is to aid in Iraqi reconstruction, 1,400 of the troops will consist of combat forces whose mission is to protect the other members of the South Korean contingent.
In the context of overall U.S. efforts to redeploy the bulk of U.S. troops south of Seoul, the U.S. and South Korea could not agree on a plan to leave a garrison of about 1,000 U.S. troops in Seoul to man the United Nations and Combined Forces Commands. On the trade front, South Korea welcomed President Bush’s decision to lift steel tariffs even as it appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) a decision by the
U.S. International Trade Commission to impose punitive tariffs on Hynix Corporation’s semiconductor chips.
The Nuclear Issue Sputters Along
The “nuclear issue” with North Korea continued to dominate U.S.-Korea relations this quarter, although it appeared no closer to resolution at the end than the beginning. When China, the U.S., and North Korea met together in April for their first “multilateral” dialogue, North Korea continued its strategy of making nuclear-related threats while offering to dismantle its nuclear facilities in exchange for U.S. concessions. Refusing to negotiate under Pyongyang’s gun, the U.S. pursued a policy of enlisting its allies to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on North Korea. The Bush-Roh summit in mid-May aimed to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance, and while affirming the need for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue, committed both countries to consider taking unspecified (and impliedly coercive) “further steps” against Pyongyang. At the end of the quarter, diplomats pushed for a new round of multilateral talks with North Korea, with the U.S. threatening to seek condemnation of Pyongyang at the UN Security Council if North Korea rejected U.S. negotiating demands.
In early June, Washington and Seoul agreed on major realignments and redeployments of U.S. forces in South Korea over the next several years. U.S. troops will be withdrawn from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and from Seoul’s Yongsan garrison, to be redeployed south of Seoul. The redeployment followed mainly from the Pentagon’s view that it was no longer necessary to maintain a military “tripwire”on the DMZ in view of new U.S. warfighting capabilities. Finally, a trade conflict over Korean sales of memory chips in the U.S. simmered throughout the quarter, after the U.S. imposed heavy punitive tariffs on Hynix corporation. The Korean government vowed to contest these penalties at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Ups and Downs of Multilateral Diplomacy
After a period of diplomatic limbo and uncertainty in July, China brokered the first round of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue during this quarter. North Korea used the late August multilateral talks to rattle its nuclear saber and otherwise threaten the U.S. On the margins of the general meeting, North Korean diplomats met bilaterally with U.S. officials, but their discussion did not foster any apparent progress. The main achievement of the talks was a tentative, as yet unconfirmed, agreement to meet for a second negotiating round in the fall.
U.S. and South Korean military officials continued during the quarter to fine-tune the redeployment of U.S. troops away from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and from Yongsan Army Base in downtown Seoul. The talks were characterized by mutual agreement on the redeployment plan and transfer of military missions to South Korea but differences over its timing. Finally, South Korea challenged the U.S. decision to impose high tariff penalties on Hynix Corporation for its export of semiconductor chips to the United States. South Korea will appeal the U.S. decision at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and attempt to reverse it.
Tensions Escalate as the U.S. Targets Iraq
Sharp rhetorical attacks and military friction between the U.S. and North Korea mounted this quarter, reaching the highest level since the 1994 nuclear crisis. With South Korea insisting that war was not a feasible option, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), restarted a nuclear reactor, tested two surface-to-surface missiles, sent a fighter into South Korean airspace, and shadowed a U.S. reconnaissance plane. For its part, the Bush administration downplayed the provocative North Korean actions and, while hesitating to negotiate bilaterally with Pyongyang, underlined its commitment to peaceful diplomacy. By deploying new military assets to the region and conducting regular military exercises, the administration elevated its deterrent posture on the Peninsula, even as it concentrated its main foreign policy efforts on bringing about “regime change” in Iraq.
After the Koizumi-Kim Summit, Nothing is the Same
This quarter began with a serious naval confrontation between North and South Korean patrol vessels on Korea’s West Sea. It ended with the surprising diplomatic breakthrough in Japan-North Korea relations at the Koizumi-Kim summit in mid-September and the ensuing U.S. decision to send Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly to Pyongyang for consultations. Through it all, the Bush administration watched warily, postponing its special envoy’s planned trip to Pyongyang in July, but cautiously welcoming the results of the summit meeting. Strategists planning the next U.S. diplomatic move now have to pay greater attention both to Japanese policy and South Korean public opinion to avoid weakening U.S. standing in the Northeast Asia region. This is especially true given growing anti-American sentiments in the ROK, stimulated by the tragic death of two South Korean girls during a U.S. military training accident.
After the “Breakthrough,” Now What?
This quarter in U.S.-Korea relations opened with a bang and ended with a long pause. At the outset, South Korea’s Special Presidential Envoy Lim Dong-won undertook a critical mission to North Korea to put the process of inter-Korean reconciliation back on track. North Korea’s willingness to meet with Lim signaled a desire to improve the atmosphere on the peninsula after more than a year of verbal sparring with the Bush administration.
Lim’s mission was broader than that of previous South Korean envoys. In addition to improving the atmosphere for North-South talks, Lim aimed to persuade Pyongyang to resume bilateral negotiations with Washington. This was not an easy task in the aftermath of President George W. Bush’s “axis of evil” speech in late January, which raised the level of animosity between the U.S. and North Korea significantly.
After months of hearing the U.S. say “the ball is in North Korea’s court,” Pyongyang finally agreed with Lim in early April to resume bilateral negotiations with Washington. North Korea also decided to continue reunions of divided Korean families, organize a new round of South-North economic talks, and continue discussions with South Korea on military confidence building.
Analysts speculated that Lim’s mission was mainly intended to head off a new confrontation with Washington on nuclear-related issues. President Bush’s earlier refusal to certify North Korea’s compliance with the 1994 U.S.-DPRK Agreed Framework signaled Washington’s official unhappiness with North Korean actions to date. Although Bush indicated that the U.S. would continue supplying North Korea with heavy fuel oil, his action raised the specter of a renewed conflict on nuclear-related issues.
Once North Korea decided to resume negotiations with the U.S., a predictable political debate occurred in Washington between moderates and hard-liners over the reason for Lim’s breakthrough. Conservatives argued that Bush’s new hard-line policy, expressed in his “axis of evil” remarks, had brought Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Moderates took the view that Lim’s new effort at reconciliation with the North, a component of President Kim Dae-jung’s Sunshine Policy, was the motivating factor.
What most influenced North Korea’s decision will probably never be known precisely. Most likely, fear of Washington’s new aggressiveness in confronting potential enemies in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, was a significant factor. The fact that North Korea faced yet another period of economic and humanitarian crisis also presumably focused Pyongyang’s attention on repairing its domestic problems during the immediate future.
Riding the Roller-Coaster
From President George W. Bush’s highly controversial “axis of evil” speech in January to a surprise announcement in late March that a high-level South Korean envoy would visit Pyongyang, this quarter was the most tumultuous in recent history in U.S.-Korean relations. At the end of the quarter, there is no more assurance of diplomatic progress toward peace and stability in the region than there was at the beginning. Much depends on North Korea’s intentions, which at this point are still unknown.
The Winds of War from Afghanistan Sweep the Korean Peninsula
The war against terrorism in Afghanistan largely shaped the development of U.S.-Korean relations this quarter. Although the actual conflict took place far away, new U.S. military and diplomatic needs, South Korea’s alliance responsibilities, Bush administration rhetoric, and North Korea’s reactions complicated and altered security relations on the Peninsula.
President Kim and His Sunshine Policy: Twisting in the Wind
As this quarter drew to a close, South Korea endured a domestic political crisis and faced high economic uncertainty for the immediate future. Following a no-confidence vote on Unification Minister Lim Dong-won, President Kim Dae-jung replaced his Cabinet and prepared to govern without his party’s control of the National Assembly. This political crisis brought to the surface deep misgivings in South Korean public opinion and among politicians about the president’s Sunshine Policy toward North Korea. On top of domestic factors, the terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington ignited fears about significant international damage to South Korea’s economy, which was already in the midst of a slow-down and facing a possible recession. Seoul also fears that Washington’s preoccupation with the war on terrorism will further reduce the prospects of a resumption of U.S.-DPRK talks.
Ironically, the South’s internal political problems likely influenced North Korea’s decision to agree to a new round of inter-Korean talks in mid-September, the first such meeting in five months. While no major progress was reported at that meeting, it appeared to get the inter-Korean peace process back on track, in stark contrast to still-stalled relations between Washington and Pyongyang.
Good Sense in Washington, A Big Question Mark in Pyongyang
Slow Start in U.S. Policy toward the DPRK
Progress on All Fronts
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Documents by section
Corporate information deposit
Report Corporate Governance
Report on remuneration
Analysts Presentation
Corporate calendar events
Structure Group
Economics Data
Disclosure regarding purchase or sale of treasury shares
Claudio Bornati
The Board of Directors approved the Draft Financial Statements of Cembre S.p.A. and the Consolidated Financial Statements at December 31, 2018
CEMBRE (STAR): The Board proposes a €0.90 dividend per share (+12.5%)
Consolidated sales grew to €144.1 million (+8.6%)
Consolidated net profit amounted to €22.7 million
(Brescia, 11th March 2019, h 02:16 pm)
Consolidated net financial position positive for €7.5 million
Tax benefit from application of Patent Box tax regime for 2018 amounting to €1.8 million
Shareholders’ Meeting called on April 18
Requisites for the independence of Independent Directors were assessed
Request to the Shareholders’ Meeting convened for April 18 to resolve on the proposal for an incentive plan pursuant to article 114-bis of Legislative Decree 58/1998 and to resolve on the request for authorization to purchase and dispose of own shares
(euro ‘000)
Margin %
Revenues from consolidated sales
Consolidated gross operating result
Consolidated operating result
Consolidated pre-tax result
Consolidated net result
Consolidated net financial position
Brescia, March 11, 2019 - The Board of Directors of Cembre S.p.A. – a STAR segment listed company and one of the largest European producers of electrical connectors and tools for their installation – approved at today’s meeting chaired by its Chairman and Managing Director Giovanni Rosani the Draft Statutory Accounts of Cembre S.p.A. and the Consolidated Financial Statements at December 31, 2018.
With regard to Corporate Governance, the Board, having acknowledged the representations made by Independent Directors and on the basis of independent information acquired, ascertained the possession of requisites for independence – pursuant to article 148, paragraph 3, of Legislative Decree 58/1998, as referred to by article 147-ter, paragraph 4 of Legislative Decree 58/1998 and article 3 of the Code of Conduct issued by the Corporate Governance Commitee – of said Independent Directors.
The Board of Directors of Cembre also resolved to propose to the Shareholders’ Meeting called on April 18, 2019 (April 19 on second call, if necessary), the distribution of a €0.90 dividend for each of the shares in circulation according to the following calendar: ex-dividend date May 6, 2019; record date May 7, 2019 and payment date May 8, 2019.
At the end of 2018, consolidated revenues amounted to €144.1 million, up 8.6% on €132.6 million at the end of 2017.
In 2018, Group sales in Italy amounted to €59.0 million, up 6.2% on the previous year; revenues in the rest of Europe increased by 15.3% to €62.6 million, while sales in non-European markets decreased by 1.4% to €22.4 million. A total of 41.0% of Group sales in 2018 were represented by Italy (as compared with 41.9% in 2017), 43.5% by the rest of Europe (41.0% in 2017), and the remaining 15.5% by the rest of the World (17.1% in 2017).
Consolidated revenues for 2018 benefited from the acquisition of the German company IKUMA KG which, in the relevant period (from 05.01.2018 to 12.31.2018), achieved a turnover of €5.2 million; without this contribution, the increase in consolidated sales would have been equal to 4.6%.
Consolidated gross operating profit amounted in 2018 to €35.7 million, representing a 24.7% margin on sales, up 6.6% on €33.4 million in 2017, when it represented a 25.2% margin on sales. The incidence of cost of sales decreased compared to 2017, from 33.1% to 32.6%, while the weight of services costs rose slightly, from 13.1% to 13.5%. On the other hand, the incidence of personnel costs decreased from 28.1% to 27.8%, despite the average workforce having grown from 689 units in 2017 (including 39 temporary workers) to 747 units in 2018 (including 58 temporary workers and 18 employees of IKUMA KG).
Consolidated operating profit for 2018 amounted to €28.5 million, representing a 19.8% margin on sales, up 5.4% on €27.0 million in 2017, when it represented a 20.4% margin on sales.
Consolidated profit before taxes amounted in 2018 to €28.4 million, representing a 19.7% margin on sales, up 6.7% on €26.6 million in 2017, when it represented a 20.0% margin on sales.
Consolidated net profit for the year amounted to €22.7 million, representing a 15.8% margin on sales, stable compared to 2017, when it also amounted to €22.7 million and represented a 17.1% margin on sales. On December 22, 2017, Cembre S.p.A. had reached an agreement with Tax Authorities on the application of the Patent Box Regime, as a result of which a total tax benefit of €3.9 million had been recorded for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial years, while for 2018, €1.8 million was recorded. By eliminating the effect of the tax benefit related to the application of the Patent Box regime, the consolidated net result would have been equal to €20.9 million, corresponding to 14.5% of sales and would have increased by 11.2% compared to the net result for the previous year, which, after adjusting for the same tax benefit, would have amounted to €18.8 million.
In 2018, non-recurring costs related to the acquisition of IKUMA KG were incurred for €411 thousand; in 2017, similar costs were incurred for €52 thousand and non-recurring revenues of €502 thousand were realized, deriving from the sale of the property former office of Cembre Espana SLU. Eliminating the incidence of these non-recurring components, the following profit margins are obtained:
Revenues from sales and services
Gross Operating Result
Operating Result
Pre-tax result
The net financial position went from a surplus of €20.2 million at December 31, 2017 to a surplus of €7.5 million at December 31, 2018. In this regard, it is noted that the acquisition of IKUMA KG involved an outlay of €8.6 million and that, in 2018, dividends were paid for €13.4 million, higher than those paid in 2017 of €11.8 million.
Investments made in the period amounted to €17.8 million in tangible assets (€11.7 million in 2017) and €3.2 million in intangible assets (€1.1 million in 2017). Increases in intangible assets include €2.0 million relating to the value of the IKUMA KG customer list and €0.5 million related to the IKUMA KG brand value, deriving from the purchase value allocation of said company. In addition to the foregoing, with regard to investments, it is noted that Goodwill of €4.6 million was recorded as assets for the acquisition of IKUMA KG.
“In 2018, the Cembre Group reported consolidated revenues of €144.1 million, up 8.6% on the previous year. Consolidated net profit reached €22.7 million, remaining unchanged compared to 2017; however, eliminating the effect of the tax benefit related to the application of the Patent Box regime, the consolidated net result would have been equal to €20.9 million, up 11.2% compared to the net result of the previous year which, after adjusting for the same tax benefit, would have amounted to €18.8 million.
The turnover of the Cembre Group in the first two months of 2019 has increased by 8.2%. We trust that the Group’s turnover will continue to grow in 2019” - said CEO Giovanni Rosani.
“The Group has a solid financial position amounting at December 31, 2018 to a surplus of €7.5 million, remaining stable at February 28, 2019 at €8.7 million. A proposal for the distribution of a €0.90 dividend per share (the dividend paid for financial year 2017 amounted to €0.80). The proposed dividend corresponds to 66.2% of consolidated net profit” - continued G. Rosani.
In 2018, the parent company Cembre S.p.A. recorded sales revenues of €109.1 million, up 5.4% on the same period of 2017. The gross operating result went from €26.9 million to €29.4 million, up 9.5%. Instead, the operating result increased by 9.3%, from €21.2 million in 2017 to €23.2 million in 2018. The net profit of Cembre S.p.A. was €21.3 million, compared to €24.4 million in the previous year, a decrease of 13.0%. The net result for 2017 of Cembre S.p.A. had benefited from a positive tax component of €3.9 million, deriving from the application of the Patent Box regime for 2015, 2016 and 2017, while this benefit in 2018 was €1.8 million. Net of said tax benefit, net profit for 2018 would have amounted to €19.4 million, representing a 17.8% margin on sales and an 8.4% decrease on 2017, net of the same benefit. This decrease is also due to the fact that, in 2018, Cembre S.p.A. collected dividends from its subsidiaries for a total of €2.7 million, while in 2017 the dividends collected amounted to €5.3 million.
Proposal to the Shareholders’ Meeting to adopt an incentive plan pursuant to art. 114-bis of Legislative Decree 58/1998 called “Carlo Rosani Prize for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Company”
The Board of Directors resolved to submit to the next Shareholders’ Meeting the adoption of an incentive plan pursuant to art. 114-bis of the TUF based on Cembre shares and intended for employees (or however holders of a comparable relationship pursuant to the legislation applicable from time to time) of Cembre and/or its subsidiaries that will be identified by the Board of Directors. The relative illustrative report and the annexed Information Document prepared pursuant to art. 84-bis of Consob Regulation no. 11971/1999 will be made available on the Cembre website www.cembre.com in accordance with the law.
Request of the Board of Directors to the Shareholders’ Meeting of an authorization to purchase own shares
At today’s meeting, the Board of Directors resolved to submit to the upcoming Shareholders’ Meeting a request to be authorized to purchase own shares after the authorization granted by the Shareholders’ Meeting of April 26, 2018 has been revoked with reference to the unexercised part. The request aims at providing the Company with strategic investment opportunities to any end allowed by current regulations, including those contemplated under article 5 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation, MAR) and in the procedures contemplated under article 13, MAR, as well as, where necessary, for the provision of own shares to be allocated to the beneficiaries of the incentive plan pursuant to art. 114-bis of the TUF called “Carlo Rosani Prize for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Company”, which will be submitted to the next Shareholders’ Meeting.
The authorization to purchase own shares is requested for a period of 18 months from the date of the Shareholders’ Meeting and is intended for the purchase of Cembre ordinary shares of par value €0.52, up to a the maximum limit established by current regulations for a consideration that shall not exceed the higher between the price at which the last independent transaction was concluded and the last independent bid price in the market in which the purchase is carried out. For any single purchase, such price per share shall in any case not be more than 20% lower or higher than the closing price registered by Cembre shares on the previous trading day.
The authorization to sell own shares is requested without a time limit; the Board resolved to propose that the provision can take place, among other things, by means of provision thereof in favor of the beneficiaries of the incentive plan pursuant to art. 114-bis of Legislative Decree 58/1998 called “Carlo Rosani Prize for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Company”, under the terms, conditions and methods provided therein and, in particular, at the price of €10 per share.
At the date of the present press release, Cembre holds 280,041 own shares, representing 1.647% of the share capital of the Company.
Cembre designs, manufactures and distributes electrical connectors and cable accessories.It enjoys a leadership position in Italy and significant market shares in the rest of Europe. It is also the world’s largest producer of connector installation tools (mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic) and tools for cable shearing. The products it has developed for connection to the rail and for other railway applications are used by the main companies in this sector round the world.
Cembre owes its success to an insistence on innovative, high-quality products, a broad and thorough collection, and an extensive distribution network both in Italy and abroad.
Founded in Brescia in 1969, the Cembre Group is now a full-fledged international force. Along with the parent company in Brescia it has six subsidiaries: five trading companies (2 in Germany, 1 in France, Spain and the United States) and one manufacturing and trading subsidiary (Cembre Ltd., in Birmingham, U.K.), for a total workforce of 729 as of December 31, 2018. Since 1990, its products have been certified by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance for the design and production of accessories for cables, electrical connectors and tools for their installation.
Cembre has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since December 15, 1997, and on the STAR section since September 24, 2001.
Contacts: Claudio Bornati (Cembre S.p.A.) 030/36921 claudio.bornati@cembre.com
Further information is available at Cembre’s institutional website www.cembre.com in the Investor Relations section.
The manager responsible for preparing the Company’s financial reports, Claudio Bornati, declares, pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 154 bis of the Consolidated Law on Finance, that the accounting information contained in this press release corresponds to the document results, books and accounting records.
Attachments - 2018 Financial Statements:
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Consolidated Comprehensive Income Statement
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
Balance Sheet of parent company Cembre S.p.A.
Comprehensive Income Statement of parent company Cembre S.p.A.
Statement of Cash Flows of parent company Cembre S.p.A.
At the date of the present press release the auditing of the financial statements has not yet been completed.
In the present document use is made of “alternative performance indicators” which are not provided for under European IFRS, and whose significance and content are illustrated below (in line with Recommendation CESR/05-178b published on November 3, 2005):
Gross Operating Result (EBITDA): defined as the difference between sales revenues and costs for materials, of services received, and the net balance of operating income and charges. It represents the profit achieved before amortization, financial flows and taxes.
Operating Result (EBIT): defined as the difference between the Gross Operating Result and the value of amortization/impairment. It represents the profit before financial flows and taxes.
Net Financial Position: it represents the algebraic sum of cash and cash equivalents, financial receivables and current and non-current financial debt.
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"I Deserve Punishment"
By Jacob V. Lamar Sunday, June 24, 2001
Follow @TIME
Pleasantly handsome, piercingly intelligent, he was a master manipulator, a silver-tongued charmer who lured women to their deaths, confounded police pursuers and clogged the court system for nearly a decade. Last week, when Ted Bundy was finally strapped into Florida's electric chair and jolted with 2,000 volts of electricity, he paid with his life for the 1978 kidnaping and murder of Kimberly Leach, a twelve-year-old Lake City girl. But if his last-minute confessions prove to be true, the former law student may have killed as many as 50 young women in Utah, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and Florida from 1973 to 1978, making Bundy one of the nation's most grotesquely prolific serial killers.
Through legal maneuvers, Bundy, 42, had won three earlier stays of execution. But his luck ran out on Jan. 23, when the Supreme Court refused another delay. Cocky and contemptuous at his 1980 trial, Bundy turned remorseful in his final days, offering to confess to an array of unsolved murders. "Ted Bundy feels morally compelled as he faces death to do the right thing," said Diana Weiner, one of his attorneys.
Although his disclosures may eventually help close up to 23 outstanding cases, few authorities credited Bundy with more than a last-ditch effort to delay his execution. Said Florida Governor Bob Martinez: "For him to be negotiating for his life over the bodies of victims is despicable."
A onetime Boy Scout and A student, Bundy seemed headed for a sterling career in Republican politics in Washington State and even served as assistant director of the Seattle Crime Prevention Advisory Committee. Perversely, he was the author of a pamphlet instructing women on rape prevention.
That such an ostensibly upstanding citizen would rape and mutilate scores of women, then dump their bodies in remote places, was almost beyond comprehension. The morning of the execution, some 200 bloodthirsty revelers gathered outside the penitentiary in Starke, Fla., for a ghoulish celebration. They lit sparklers, cheered and waved signs reading BURN, BUNDY, BURN and ROAST IN PEACE. One of the few dissenters was college student Nanda Rogers, 22, of Orlando, who stood by herself a few yards away. "I believe in the sanctity of human life -- even Ted Bundy's life," she said somberly.
The day before his execution, Bundy, choking back sobs, said, "I don't want to die, I kid you not, ((but)) I deserve, certainly, the most extreme punishment society has." He had seemed to deliberately seek that punishment. In December 1977, while jailed in Colorado awaiting trial for the murder of a nurse, Bundy asked policemen which state would be most likely to execute a killer. Florida, he was told. He soon escaped from jail and headed for the Sunshine State. There he crushed the skulls of two sorority sisters in their rooms at Florida State University. Three weeks later, he killed young Kimberly Leach.
In a final interview, conducted by California psychologist and radio evangelist James Dobson, Bundy tearfully cited the media as a source of his dementia. Perhaps playing to his inquisitor, a member of the 1986 federal pornography commission, Bundy said, "Those of us who are . . . so much influenced by violence in the media, in particular pornographic violence, are not some kind of inherent monsters. We are your sons, and we are your husbands, and we grew up in regular families."
Some of Bundy's relatives might not have been so "regular." The illegitimate son of a Philadelphia department-store clerk, Bundy claimed he spent his early years with a deranged grandfather who assaulted people, tormented animals and had an insatiable appetite for pornography. Bundy talked of being appalled after his first murder. "It was like being possessed by something so awful, so alien," he said. "But then the impulse to do it again would come back even stronger."
Yet a succession of appellate courts ruled that Bundy was not mentally incompetent to stand trial, as he repeatedly claimed. In 1987 a federal judge called Bundy "the most competent serial killer in the country . . . a diabolical genius." His decade of imprisonment and endless appeals eventually cost Florida taxpayers more than $6 million.
In a society increasingly fascinated with violent crime, the Ted Bundy story captured the public imagination. Five books and a television mini-series were produced about the boy-next-door killer. With network-TV broadcasts of the murderer's last interview and scenes of crowds gathered outside the penitentiary, even his execution became a media circus. Whether Bundy intended it or not, his final encounter with death renewed his nightmarish grip on the nation's attention.
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ECCJ publishes “Key Features of mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence legislation”
Jun 8, 2018 / By ECCJ
Today, corporations operate across national borders with few or no obstacles. The absence of legal standards which define companies’ duties and ensure access to justice for victims of corporate malpractice has allowed companies to profit from operating in countries where laws guaranteeing human rights or environmental standards do not exist or are not adequately enforced.
ECCJ publishes today its position paper “Key Features of mandatory human rights due diligence legislation”. The document contains ten key features for effective, comprehensive mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence legislation. These features are essential to achieving legislative reforms that implement HRDD to its full potential, while helping to alleviate the numerous obstacles faced by victims of corporate-related human rights abuses when seeking justice and remedy for harm suffered.
The selection derives from a review of existing institutional and civil society-driven initiatives, taking into account the various differences among national legal systems and traditions.
Today, ECCJ and other leading CSOs have also called on the European Commission to develop an EU Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, which remains a long-outstanding commitment of the EU.
Why do we need binding Human Rights Due diligence legislation?
Since the UN Human Rights Council’s adoption of the UNGPs in 2011, full implementation of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and of HRDD has remained marginal. Recent studies show that, while there is a small minority of companies that are “leading” the way by providing examples of good practice in HRDD, the vast majority of business enterprises are still in a very early stage when it comes to implementing the UNGPs.
So far, the general reliance on voluntary and incentive-driven measures to promote business respect for human rights by European Union (EU) decision-makers has proven insufficient.
ECCJ Position Paper describes that, in the last years, several European and non-European countries, as well as the EU, have adopted or started to consider legislation that embeds elements of HRDD into law.
Decision-makers at country and the EU level should take note of this emerging trend and begin work for the adoption of mandatory HRDD legislation.
What are the ten key features of mandatory HRDD legislation?
ECCJ’s paper identifies three big areas: scope of the law; nature, content and reach of the due diligence obligation, and liability and access to justice.
Scope of the law: the law should protect all relevant human rights and environmental standards, as well as the rights of specific groups and individuals according to the company’s operational context. It should be mainly addressed to large companies, but also to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) whose activities bear particular risk.
Due diligence obligation: the law should establish the company’s responsibility to respect human rights and the environment. In order to meet this responsibility, companies should be required to exercise HRDD along their entire corporate structure and supply chains.
Access to justice: the law should help to alleviate some of the biggest obstacles faced by victims of corporate-related human rights abuses when they seek remedy. To this end, the law should establish the company’s civil liability for the harm caused by companies under their direct or indirect control when these have infringed human rights or environmental standards. The law should therefore allow persons affected by a company’s global impacts to bring an action against the parent company in the courts of the country where the entity is domiciled. It should also address other obstacles such as the rules of disclosure of evidence and the applicable law.
See and download ECCJ position paper here.
eccj-position-paper-mhrdd-final_june2018_2.pdf (pdf, 755,14 KB)
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Mediation and dialogue are now recognised as one of the most effective ways of preventing and resolving violent conflicts. They are the core of CMI’s expertise. Our new programme for the 2018 – 2021 period aims to consolidate our position as a leading independent organisation in the field of conflict resolution.
Conflicts cannot be resolved through violence. A wide range of nonviolent means is available to fragile nations for supporting their transition from armed conflict to peaceful political processes. In this setting mediation and dialogue has been recognised as one of the most effective forms of preventing and resolving violent conflict. These areas form the core expertise of CMI, an independent conflict resolution organisation that helps conflicting parties settle their differences constructively.
The work of independent conflict resolution organisations is needed now more than ever: the number of violent conflicts is on the rise, and these conflicts have become increasingly complex.
Independent actors have a crucial role in supporting the conflict resolution efforts of official actors, such as governments and international organisations. Our independence gives us space to act where official actors cannot.
We can flexibly move between the various formal and informal processes and actors, bridging gaps where they exist and adding to the overall effectiveness of peace efforts.
Our new programme for the 2018 – 2021 period aims to consolidate our position as a leading independent organisation in the field, building on our track record and distinctive strengths.
To better prevent and resolve violent conflicts, we place greater emphasis on strengthening women’s roles in peacemaking.
A new focus area on policy and learning aims to ensure that the lessons learned from our work strengthen the international practice of peacemaking.
We also want to make sure that the experience and expertise accumulated by Martti Ahtisaari over the course of his long career continue to be put to use for the good of the international community.
The programme is focused on making meaningful contributions to peace processes in three regions –the Middle East and North Africa, Eurasia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
CMI in numbers 2018
In the field of international peacemaking, we have the great advantage of having strong Finnish roots. We engender trust because of our independence and because we do not have an agenda to push. We talk to all parties, but do not take sides. We encourage strong local ownership and peer learning from experiences with other peace processes. We are under no official constraints – we can act quickly, and engage confidentially without having to deal with the multiple struggles of day-to-day politics.
As an independent organisation we are well placed to work at all levels of a society, and compared to many other NGO’s, we have the ability to work also in the upper reaches of political decision-making. Working between and within the official and unofficial levels, our programme builds genuine cooperation among decision makers, both those who are officially in power as well as those who influence outside the official structures. CMI’s particular strength is in being able to further peace processes by informal means and in a low-key way.
The overall aim of our work is to help bring about far-reaching and lasting positive change in societies that have been devastated by conflicts.
The processes that lead to a peaceful negotiated solution of a violent conflict require extensive cooperation and coordination among various actors. We work closely with conflict parties and with local and regional actors. We also cooperate with the broader international community.
On one hand, cooperation can be illustrated in the efforts on synchronizing the CMI-led processes to the broader efforts of national, regional and international actors. On the other hand, we provide direct support to several organizations, including the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the United Nations in the form of direct operational support. We also seek closer professional partnerships with the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and other Finnish actors to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and community of peacemaking, and to identify and provide distinctive Finnish added value in this field.
CMI is committed to international mediation standards. Our work programme is aligned with the United Nations Guidance for Effective Mediation.
MEDIATION AND
CMI’s mediation and dialogue aims to build trust between conflicting parties by developing unofficial channels and spaces for dialogue.
CMI produces mediation processes that aid the development of sustainable solutions to conflict. Mediation and dialogue are the most fundamental elements of our work. We address several challenges in the peace process: the lack of channels and lack of trust between the conflict parties, limited capacity and inclusion of the various stakeholders, and the lack of analytical frameworks for developing joint solutions.
Here, the core of our work consists of activities in which CMI directly engages with parties to the conflict and other stakeholders as an impartial facilitator. CMI provides space for dialogue and negotiations to analyse the situation and work together with stakeholders towards mutually acceptable solutions for ending the conflict.
In mediation and dialogue our niche and major added value is on informal, yet high-level interactions. Unofficial processes are at their best when they create safe spaces and communication channels where essential and difficult questions related to the conflict can be discussed, analysed and agreed on without being compromised by the high-stakes political manoeuvrings that often characterize official political struggles. And when this is coordinated with the official peacebuilding efforts, it provides a crucial building block in search for overall solutions.
CMI provides expert support to help states, organisations and key individuals to mediate more effectively.
By providing mediation support we help states, organisations and key individuals to be better equipped to undertake and support mediation endeavours. We deploy and share our pool of expertise and experience with other third-party mediators to support them in the long term in preventing and resolving conflicts in their target countries.
There is increased recognition internationally of the need to strengthen the overall mediation capabilities of the different actors working in international mediation. Peace processes that are aimed at a mediated solution to a political conflict include a wide range of actors with different skills, resources and mandates. Providing effective support to the international mediation community can increase the chances of creating a durable peace.
Mediation support includes long-term support addressing some of the systemic gaps in the international peace making system as well as on-demand operational support focusing on specific peace processes. CMI increasingly focuses on the latter, by supporting specific mediation teams in their mandated efforts.
CMI assists states and other national actors in adapting the relevant principles and practices of effective mediation and conflict resolution to the specific political and societal processes of the country in question.
In our experience, the crucial success elements of peace processes can many times be best guaranteed if the conflict prevention and resolution efforts are embedded in nationally-led entities within the existing political systems. Our underlying assumption in this context is that to prevent and resolve conflicts, external mediators or peace processes that are separate from the political and societal practices may not always be needed.
CMI plays a constructive role in working directly with the key actors responsible for broader political processes, such as national dialogues, parliamentary work and societal, political and legislative reforms. We can bring together the best practices of mediation and dialogue – namely trust building, inclusion and analytical frameworks which emphasize political compromises over competition – and integrate them with national political practices.
Women and their views continue to be systematically underrepresented in peace processes. With its expertise in inclusive mediation and dialogue, CMI works to transform the international commitments into real gains in conflict-affected countries.
The inclusion of women and their interests in peacemaking is essential from the standpoint of equal rights, and for the quality of any peace process. Women play a key role in introducing a wider variety of viewpoints and narratives of the conflict to expand the scope of sustainable solutions. Without women, a substantial part of society may reject an agreement and refuse to participate in its implementation. Women’s inclusion can pave the way for democratisation and more just societies.
Increasing women’s meaningful participation in peacemaking has become one of the top priorities for the international community over the past two decades. Nonetheless, women and their views continue to be systemically underrepresented in peace processes.
CMI’s value added in advancing women’s role in peacemaking stems from its integration into the core of our work, enabling us to take actions that feed directly into ongoing conflict resolution processes. Our emphasis comes from a nuanced understanding of women as political actors with diverse roles in peace and conflict, and a recognition of the importance of engaging men.
There is a need for more established and commonly agreed practices and principles in peacemaking. Through its policy and learning focus, CMI contributes to developing the field of peace mediation to better meet the challenges of complex conflicts.
CMI’s contribution to the development of peace mediation stems from our experiences in various contexts and themes; in the expertise and experience of President Ahtisaari as a leading global mediator; in CMI’s partnerships in the international peacemaking community; and in convening platforms and dialogue with peer organisations, governments, think tanks and international and regional organisations. A critical element of the policy and learning focus area is strengthening methodological innovation. The focus area is a platform for developing further the seeds of innovation that have been identified in practical problem-solving work in other focus areas.
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Fall TV Review Guide 2016 Final Round: ‘The Crown,’ ‘Dirk Gently,’ & More
by Allison Keene October 27, 2016
Plus, a show about alien abductees that is curiously good.
Watch Trailers for ABC’s New Shows: ‘Conviction’, ‘Speechless’, ‘Still Star-Crossed’, and More
The network brings Shakespeare to Shondaland and H.G. Wells to modern day Manhattan.
‘Marvel’s Agent Carter’: Hayley Atwell on Season 2, Playing Peggy, and New Pilot ‘Conviction’
by Christina Radish March 1, 2016
The actress also discusses what it's like working with Dominic Cooper and James D'Arcy, and how proud she is about the show's use of strong female adversaries.
Steve Carell to Produce and Star in Heist Film CONVICTION
Steve Carell is certainly keeping himself busy after leaving NBC’s The Office. Deadline reports that the actor is now attached to produce and star in the heist film Conviction. The script, which landed on the Black List, was written by …
CONVICTION Blu-ray Review
by Ben Begley February 6, 2015
When a movie is based on a true story, it goes one of two ways, dipping into the realm of over-sentimentality or actually portraying the events in a real and human way. Luckily Conviction is the latter. The film is …
THE SOCIAL NETWORK Cleans Up at the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
by Adam Chitwood December 12, 2010
With the date of the Academy Awards drawing ever closer, the precursor award ceremonies are in full swing. Earlier today, the American Film Institute announced their list of the top 10 films of the year, and now the numerous US …
3 Movie Clips from CONVICTION Starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub October 23, 2010
One of the many films that premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was director Tony Goldwyn’s Conviction. Based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters and her struggle to free her innocent brother from a life sentence …
Line-Up for 2010 Toronto International Film Festival Announced; Films Include NEVER LET ME GO, THE CONSPIRATOR, and…
by Matt Goldberg July 27, 2010
Every year, the Toronto International Film Festival showcases some of the year’s most exciting and must-see movies, and 2010 isn’t going to be any different. Fifty films showing at this year’s festival have been announced and I’m (unsurprisingly) bitter-as-hell that …
First Trailer for CONVICTION Starring Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo, and Minnie Driver
by Brendan Bettinger June 17, 2010
Fox Searchlight has debuted the first trailer for Conviction, based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, who “puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18-year quest” to overturn her brother’s murder conviction. Hilary …
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The only dance company in our sector to be registered at UK Companies House, we are currently a Company Limited by Guarantee, governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. In 2017 we hope to attain charitable status and the directors will become trustees of the charity. The members of our Board have extensive, high level expertise in the corporate, charitable and public sectors and we are incredibly grateful to them for the time they give to us and for their invaluable guidance and insight.
From left to right they are:
Richard McCarthy CBE (Chair) is currently a senior director in a FTSE 100 company, but for the majority of his working life he has held significant positions in major charities and central government. He has been the Chief Executive of the Peabody Trust, Chair of the National Housing Federation and Director General – Neighbourhoods at the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Michaela O’Brien is a course leader and senior lecturer in journalism and mass communications at the University of Westminster. Particular areas of expertise include not-for-profit campaign communications, gender and diversity, ethics and transparency and green issues. She has also worked as a freelance PR for many charities over the years.
Joanna Wade is a lawyer and employment judge, as well as being a diversity and community relations judge. She’s also a trustee of Thames Reach, a charity working with homeless people, and was previously Chair of Crisis – organising its Open Christmas for many years.
John Adkins is a retired company transformation and turnaround director. He has worked at CEO and senior director level for companies in a wide variety of sectors including the arts, engineering, defence and renewable energy, plus a major NHS health trust.
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Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978) Blu-ray Review: Mildly Amusing
It's easy to see a lot of inspiration for future filmmakers drew from this B-movie spoof, but it doesn't quite stick the landing as well as others in its genre.
By David Wangberg on January 31, 2018 10:28 AM |
Before David and Jerry Zucker teamed up with Jim Abrahams to deliver one of the zaniest and funniest spoofs ever created, Airplane!, there was John De Bello’s Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, a satire on the low budget B-movies of the '50s - most of which wound up getting criticized on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during its initial run. The reason why I bring up Airplane! here is because it, too, went the zany, slapstick route when spoofing a particular genre. In that case, it was disaster movies such as Zero Hour! and the Airport franchise. Both Airplane! and Attack
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) Blu-ray Review: Sunken Leisure
Young Robert Wagner sinks to new depths ‒ literally ‒ in this early CinemaScope effort, now available in a beautiful, uncut, widescreen HD transfer from Twilight Time.
By Luigi Bastardo on January 31, 2018 10:00 AM |
The advent of CinemaScope in the 1950s brought with it many changes to Hollywood. Sadly, in the case of 20th Century Fox's 1953 Technicolor adventure film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef ‒ the third movie to be filmed in the studio's lavish new way of luring moviegoers back in theaters ‒ director Robert D. Webb seemingly forgot to include enough subject material to fill up the width of the widened screen. The story ‒ a pivoting, bore-a-minute tale pitting sponge divers against fishermen ‒ finds young Robert Wagner as the son of aged Mexican-American actor Gilbert Roland. Naturally, they're cast as
Napping Princess Blu-ray Review: Don't Sleep on This
Veteran anime writer/director Kenji Kamiyama successfully launches a delightful new property.
By Steve Geise on January 30, 2018 8:32 PM |
While you might not be familiar with Kenji Kamiyama’s name, he’s the force behind many successful anime projects, most notably Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Eden of the East. For his latest project, he wrote and directed this charming tale of a modern high school girl who has magical dreams that might or might not be true. In 2020, as Japan is preparing for the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, Kokone Morikawa is a normal student plodding through her average life, her humdrum existence only interrupted when she dreams she’s a magical princess in her kingdom of
Captain from Castile (1947) Blu-ray Review: A Power-fully Fun Swashbuckler
Twilight Time foils foes with a splendid classic Hollywood adventure tale starring Tyrone Power.
By Luigi Bastardo on January 30, 2018 6:18 PM |
Even at 141 minutes in length, Henry King's lavish big-budgeted adaptation of Samuel Shellabarger's 1945 novel Captain from Castile only covers the first half of its source material. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you ‒ the 1947 swashbuckler epic from 20th Century Fox still captures the grace and beauty of classic historical adventures. It also serves as a great reminder of how outrageously preposterous Hollywood's old-school casting agents could get back then, as evidenced by co-star Lee J. Cobb (The Exorcist, Lawman) as a roaming adventurer named Juan García. One wonders if it didn't inspire Russell Mulcahy's casting
Kameradschaft Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: A Cry for Cooperation
Pabst's 1931 mine disaster film is swiftly paced, beautifully shot, and a heartfelt plea for comradeship between nations.
By Kent Conrad on January 30, 2018 4:03 PM |
It's difficult to separate Kameradschaft from its historical context. Released in 1931, this story of cooperation between French and Germans in a mining disaster on the border came out just two years before the Nazis gained electoral power in Germany. It was a time of street fighting and political instability, and apparently not a time when German audiences wanted to see a heartfelt plea for international community (according to the Luc Sante essay that accompanies this Criterion Collection release, it played to empty houses on release). Director G.W. Pabst's film was a cry in the dark, unheard and unheeded. So,
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is the Pick of the Week
This week brings us a biopic about the creator of Wonder Woman, some Pink Panther cartoons, a new Richard Linklater flick and more.
By Mat Brewster on January 29, 2018 7:58 PM |
After watching Wonder Woman last year, I became a little obsessed with the character. I read loads of articles online about her and eventually picked up Jill Lepore’s excellent book, The Secret History of Wonder Woman. It details the characters birth in 1941 in Action Comics and the many changes made to her throughout the years. It also serves as a fascinating biography of Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston. He graduated from Harvard, became a psychiatrist, a professor at various universities, invented the lie-detector test, worked as an advisor to Hollywood studios, was a bondage fetishist, and secretly lived
Waiting for Guffman (1996) Blu-ray Review: The Waiting is the Artist Part
The brilliant mockumentary from Christopher Guest and Co. gets a beautiful new High-Definition transfer from the Warner Archive Collection.
Before he gave us his unique looks at dog shows and folk groups, This Is Spinal Tap co-creator and star Christopher Guest formed his first "solo" mockumentary turned his eyes towards the stage for this hilarious mockumentary revolving around one very memorable community theater presentation by way of Samuel Beckett's immortal play Waiting for Godot. Set in the fictional small town of Blaine, Missouri, 1996's Waiting for Guffman finds Guest as an ambiguously gay theater director from New York named Corky St. Clair. Clad in some of the worst fashion violations ever conceived, Corky takes on the helming of "Red,
TV Review: The Alienist: 'A Fruitful Partnership'
The investigation continues in the second episode of TNT's miniseries.
By David Wangberg on January 29, 2018 12:00 PM |
In some ways, it’s appropriate to have a show like The Alienist airing in today’s climate to illustrate what was considered unacceptable then and how new changes have shown how far we as a society have progressed. In the opening of the second episode, “A Fruitful Partnership,” Lazlo is looking into a nearby morgue and questions on whether children are ever brought in. The mortician’s response is that they “only get the poor ones.” When Lazlo inquires about the Giorgio Santorelli, the boy found dead in the pilot episode, and asks if his business ever gets corpses that have the
Comic Con Returns to Sacramento with Fandemic Tour June 22-24
Tickets on sale now for a weekend of fun with major celebrities and artists.
By Staff on January 28, 2018 8:52 PM |
Press release: Fandemic Tour, a new type of comic con, will bring their new tour to Sacramento this June. Brought to you by the same people who originally created Wizard World Comic Con, Sacramento will be their very first official city stop, followed up by Houston, Sept. 14-16, 2018 as a make-up due to Hurricane Harvey. Fandemic Tour will feature celebrities including: Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“The Walking Dead”), Michael Rooker (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Sean Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Milo Ventimiglia (“This is Us”), Dave Bautista (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) Sean Patrick Flanery (“The
The Green Slime (1968) Blu-ray Review: Would You Believe It When You're Dead?
The Warner Archive Collection gives the campy U.S./Japanese cult classic a stellar new HD transfer.
Apart from the occasional World War II movie, there haven't been terribly many instances in film history wherein the US and Japan collaborated on something together. When they did, the results tended to vary, ranging from epic successes such as Tora! Tora! Tora! to movies almost as disastrous as WWII itself. And it is there, on the latter list of atrocities, that you will find a barely moving motion picture; one which has been sitting ‒ quite comfortably, at that ‒ in the same illustrious spot for several decades. An unofficial sequel to the mid '60s Gamma One quadrilogy from
The Long, Hot Summer (1958) Blu-ray Review: Climax Change
Twilight Time heats things up with Martin Ritt's Southern Gothic tale starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tony Franciosa, and an inarticulate Orson Welles.
Though the notion of someone ‒ anyone ‒ being labeled as a "barn burner" in this day and age may give you an inkling as to how outdated The Long, Hot Summer may be, the various tawdry emotions and tempers depicted in this mish-mash of several William Faulkner works sprinkled with a dash of Tennessee Williams is just as fresh as ever. Especially to anyone who may have lived in a small town. Beating Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to screens by just five months, The Long, Hot Summer finds acting legend Paul Newman as a vaguely regular rogue
Five Cool Things and Landscape with Snow
Step right up and come see the cool things I discovered this week.
It's always a challenge for me to balance between the movies I want to see and the television shows I want to make it through. This year I seem to be hitting the sweet spot finding ways to watch plenty of both. That’s a very satisfying feeling. The Greatest Showman I initially had no interest in seeing The Greatest Showman. I’m not an enormous musical fan, don’t really like biopics, am not particularly interested in P.T. Barnum and the trailer didn’t do it for me. But then it started getting a lot of buzz on my social-media feeds. At first,
Night Moves (1975) / Scarecrow (1973) Blu-ray Reviews: The WAC Gets Hacked
The Warner Archive Collection rescues two neglected classics with Gene Hackman, including his one and only pairing with Al Pacino.
One of the most difficult acts to follow from 20th Century film history, the great Gene Hackman returns to astonish classic filmgoers (and maybe a few Millennials curious as to why everyone else shakes their head over the mere mention of Welcome to Mooseport or Heartbreakers) in two recent Blu-ray releases from the Warner Archive Collection. Night Moves (1975, Warner Bros.) The inimitable Mr. Hackman ‒ at the height of his career as a leading man here ‒ stars in this gripping neo-noir from director Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, The Chase). One of several thrillers written for the silver
The Illustrated Man (1969) Blu-ray Review: Rod Steiger's Shorts, Illustrated
The Warner Archive Collection puts an awful lot of effort into an awful Ray Bradbury adaptation.
In 1951, genre novelist (and all-around legendary icon) Ray Bradbury published The Illustrated Man ‒ a collection of eighteen short stories based around a former carnival sideshow freak whose body is covered in an assortment of mysterious tattoos which come to animated life as they relay bizarre tales hailing from different corners of time and space. Were that not already a recipe for box-office poison, the people behind Warner Bros./Seven Arts' 1969 feature adaptation of the same name threw out more than just five-sixths of Bradbury's tales: they also threw out all of the coherency. There is also a very
Westfront 1918 Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Unglamorously Shows War the Way That It Is
A harrowing, if slightly polished, depiction of the sheer horrors of war.
By Davy on January 25, 2018 12:02 AM |
When depicting war, no other medium can do it as mercilessly as film. War movies can be as dire and depressing as real-life war, especially when showing the emotional and physical toll that can inflict on soldiers. There are those as savage as Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Oliver Stone's Platoon, and Elem Klimov's very disturbing Come and See. Then there are those as highly emotional as Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line and Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. However, director G.W. Pabst's 1930 early sound film, Westfront 1918, is a mixture of both. The film centers on four infantrymen: Karl (Gustav
Psychotic! Movie Review: Cheech and Chong's Millennial Mass Murder Misadventure
I'm about as apathetic toward the movie as the characters are about being murdered.
By Mark Buckingham on January 24, 2018 7:53 PM |
I remember how horror movies that came out when I was growing up had a kind of message -- that if you drink underage or do drugs or have sex out of wedlock, some monster would come out of the woods and turn you inside out. They were intended as cautionary tales and they weren't terribly subtle about it. These days, disturbing cinema sometimes still has a message, but it seems to be less obvious. If you recall, Hans Crippleton earned my ire and admiration all at once for being a spot on parody one of the things I loathe
A Quintet of Pre-Codes from the Warner Archive
The WAC has more early '30s fun to offer, featuring young Loretta Young, Joan Blondell, leading man Edward Everett Horton, and a pre-wheelchair Lionel Barrymore.
While the days of their Forbidden Hollywood sets may be behind us now, the folks at the Warner Archive Collection have nevertheless kept their promise we would see more Pre-Code rarities released to DVD. In recent months, the Warner Archive has unleashed several forgotten ditties from the vaults to MOD discs, all of which feature the classic same risqué elements, lovely lassies, and ambiguously fey men of the era whom we have grown to admire in the decades that have since passed. Among the talent included in these individually released titles are the likes of Alice White, Edward Everett Horton,
Trailer Trauma 4: Television Trauma (2017) Blu-ray Review: TV Spots-a-Go-Go
Garagehouse Pictures unveils its most ambitious compilation ever ‒ and the result is nothing but incredible.
Once more, Garagehouse Pictures has assembled another magnificent gathering of movie trailers for fans of genre flicks to drool over. This time, however, they have put together something entirely (well, partly) different from previous trailer compilation outings: a Blu-ray devoted entirely to television spots for a variety of exploitation movies released to theaters over the course of several decades. Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking, "An entire Blu-ray of nothing but TV spots?" Well, yes, dummy, that's exactly what this is! Sure, it may seem like a rather ambitious project to put together, but you have to
The Best of The Carol Burnett Show: 50th Anniversary Edition 6-DVD Set Review
A must-own for fans of sketch comedy and variety shows.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 24, 2018 1:45 AM |
Time Life has been churning out DVD releases for The Carol Burnett Show over the past few years, and last year, they commemorated its 50th Anniversary with a variety of sets. The 6-DVD set contained 16 episodes, with at least one from each season, including the debut, which aired September 11, 1967, and the series finale, called “A Special Evening with Carol Burnett”. Featuring one of the television's funniest ensembles, Burnett was joined by cast mates Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner (who left in 1974), Harvey Korman (who left in 1977), and Tim Conway (a frequent guest star who joined the
Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983) Blu-ray Review: Still the Man
Mill Creek Entertainment releases Antonio Margheriti's wild fantasy movie mashup, complete with an all-new commentary by star Reb Brown.
The early 1980s brought with it many marvels in the world of film, including a swarm of trend-setting horror, science fiction, and fantasy films ‒ the likes of which still inspire filmmakers to this day. Naturally, such a surge in genre fables did not go unnoticed in countries like Italy, where imitation was considered the sincerest form of infringement-worthy flattery. But just simply copying the premise of one popular American (or Australian) flick in particular was too easy of a task for certain Italian exploitation filmmakers, leading them to mash various movies (and genres) together in order to make something
The Sword and the Claw (1982) Blu-ray Review: Witness the Unbelievable
The AGFA returns with a double-billing of ham-fisted fighting flicks which may cause you to question your sanity.
Imagine if a small gathering of very serious grade schoolers miraculously collected enough money to write and produce an entire motion picture. Now let's envision they cast their teachers, parents, and the latter's various associates from the PTA, borrowing plot points and music from other, legitimate Hollywood productions with nary a concern for copyright infringement to be had. Now picture them fusing their tale with the very sort of feverish storytelling one might expect from a bunch of little kids, but set amidst production standards akin to that of a posh community theater project (or perhaps something you might see
2018 Academy Award Winners Announced
Celebrating its 90th year, the Oscar nominees are...
By Staff on January 23, 2018 6:47 AM |
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have revealed their nominees for outstanding film achievement of 2017. Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water had the most nominations with 13. Hosted again by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars will be presented on Sunday, March 4, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The nominees (with links to our reviews where first listed) are: Best Picture Call Me By Your Name | Review Darkest Hour | Review Dunkirk | Review Get Out | Review
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is the Pick of the Week
It is a light week for new releases, but there's a few titles coming out I think you might like.
It;s been a weird couple of weeks. Usually, the week after Christmas sees a huge drop off in the number and quality of new releases. This lull typically lasts until sometime in mid-February when things slowly start to pick up again. But this year thus far we’ve seen a pretty good collection of stuff coming out in this normally dry period. This week is pretty weak in terms of overall numbers, but there’s still some interesting selections to choose from. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, it's just weird. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, reviewed by Matt St. Clair,
Phantom Thread Movie Review: An Ambiguous Tour De Force
Paul Thomas Anderson's most cerebral, genre-bending effort to date with a tremendous swan song performance by Daniel Day-Lewis.
By Matthew St.Clair on January 22, 2018 4:06 PM |
One way to describe Phantom Thread is that it is very cerebral. There’s always a lot of focus on the faces of the characters, forcing you to analyze what is going on in their heads which will be frustrating for some viewers. Yet, in spite of its nearly aimless ambiguity, Phantom Thread is still a masterpiece thanks to its Gothic atmosphere along with the mysterious and alluring performances by its main acting trio. Phantom Thread is set 1950’s post-war London and follows the story of dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) along with his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville). Reynolds has a
TV Review: The Alienist: 'The Boy on the Bridge'
TNT's new miniseries, based on Caleb Carr's novel, gets off to a strong start.
TNT’s adaptation of Caleb Carr’s The Alienist comes across as something bold and daring for the network. It has the feel of something that would make it seem like it’s a strong competitor against other cable networks such as AMC or FX, both of which have featured shows that can be graphic in detail but also rich in production values and have a tendency to showcase some strong, award-worthy performances. Mostly known for its procedural and science fiction programming, The Alienist proves that TNT is willing to take risks, especially on something that has been in the process for a
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo: Season 1 Part 2 DVD Review: Teamwork Screamwork
Scooby-Doo going out with a bust instead of a bang.
By Shawn Bourdo on January 21, 2018 9:29 PM |
It was almost two years ago that I reviewed the first volume of this series. As your resident, Scooby enthusiast, I had pretty much lost faith in the rest of this series to make it to DVD. To my surprise, the rest of Season 1 has finally arrived. Stating the obvious, it's hard to maintain much momentum when you are two years to finish a single season of a show. This two-disc set covers the disjointed history of this twelfth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo series. The first disc represents the episodes that aired on Cartoon Network from Christmas 2015 until
Book Review: The Movie Art of Syd Mead: Visual Futurist by Syd Mead & Craig Hodgetts
A giant collection of art from the man who showed us what the future looked like.
By Chad Derdowski on January 21, 2018 12:17 PM |
If you’re a fan of science fiction films, there’s a pretty good chance you’re a fan of Syd Mead. Even if you don’t know him by name, it would be almost impossible to avoid his work. And even if you somehow managed to miss films like Aliens, Blade Runner, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Elysium or Tron, it’s safe to say that you are familiar with something or someone that borrowed a bit from Mead’s style. The man has played a pivotal role in shaping cinema’s vision of the future for nearly 40 years and his fingerprints can be seen
It (2017) Blu-ray Review: Growing up Is Scary
A scarier version of Stand By Me, It offers thrills and chills and more importantly interesting characters to care about.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 20, 2018 11:45 PM |
Andy Muschietti's adaption of Steve King's It tells the first part of the novel's story as a group of misfit teenagers, dubbed “The Losers,” battle against an entity (It) that periodically terrorizes the town of Derry, Maine. Although a horror film, the coming-of-age elements are much more engaging due to the talented cast creating authentic characters. It opens in the fall of 1988 when a young boy named Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) has a gruesome encounter with Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) the Dancing Clown, a form It frequently takes in order to taunt its victims before killing them. The film cuts
Five Cool Things and a New Heathers
Cool things this week include a Hitchock from the Criterion Collection, a French animated film, a Rogue Cut, and lots of gods.
By Mat Brewster on January 19, 2018 12:15 PM |
I try to write little pieces of this article as I watch, read, and listen to cool things throughout the week. If I do it right, then on Friday morning all I have to do is assemble the pieces and write an intro. Sometimes that actually works, other times no so much. Last week was one of those times that I was scrambling to put all my thoughts together about all the five things before my deadline. In that rush I forgot to write an intro. Then I got sick. It was a weird sickness. One moment I felt fine
Legendary Spinal Tap Bassist Derek Smalls Returns with First Solo Record and Tour
"Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing)" out 4/13.
Press release: Derek Smalls, the bass force formerly of the fabled heavy metal band formerly known as Spinal Tap, returns with the release of his first full length solo venture Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing), out globally April 13 via Twanky Records/BMG on digital, CD and vinyl. Additionally, Smalls launches his U.S. tour “Lukewarm Water Live: An Adventure in Loud Music” on April 14 in concert with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Saenger Theater, New Orleans. Subsequent dates include June 29 in Atlanta at the Atlanta Symphony Hall with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and a special appearance with the
Book Review: The Complete Dick Tracy, Volume 23: 1966-1967 by Chester Gould
Those who prefer their Dick Tracy Earthbound will be pleased as will anyone who enjoys crime stories filled with sex and violence.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 17, 2018 12:48 AM |
As the Library of American Comics and IDW Publishing continue to collect The Complete Dick Tracy by Chester Gould, Volume 23 presents the dailies and Sunday strips from December 27, 1965 through to July 2, 1967. The book has an introductory essay by consulting editor Max Allan Collins, "Now Back to Our Story," about the strips collected. It concludes with contributing editor Jeff Kersten's "Hard as Hell - Act One" about matters relating to Gould and the strip during this time period offering references to allusions Gould makes to the JFK's assassination and Washington Post publisher Phillip Graham's divorce. He
Proud Mary Movie Review: A Frustratingly Bad Taraji P. Henson Vehicle
Taraji P. Henson does all she can to salvage greatness out of what is a complete snoozer of an action flick.
When watching the retro opening credits of Proud Mary where our main heroine is getting prepped up with the song “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” playing the background, it seems like we’re in for an action thrill ride in the vein of '70s blaxploitation films. But then, within the first thirty seconds, our expectations immediately become squandered. It seemed like it would be an exciting John Wick-style vehicle for Taraji P. Henson but it ended up being a complete misfire that does a disservice to her talents. Proud Mary follows the story of a hit woman named Mary (Taraji P.
Criterion Announces April 2018 Releases
No fooling. Here's what's coming.
In April, Criterion plans on releasing five titles, including a new entry in the Eclipse Series. New to the collection are Leo McCarey's The Awful Truth, Sergei Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, and Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, and Eclipse Series 46: Ingrid Bergman’s Swedish Years. Read on to learn more about them. Eclipse Series 46: Ingrid Bergman’s Swedish Years out Apr 10 Ingrid Bergman appeared in ten films in her native Sweden before the age of twenty-five, and while that work tends to be overshadowed by her time in Hollywood, it showcases the actor summoning
Blade Runner 2049 is the Pick of the Week
The sequel to a sci-fi classic leads this week's new Blu-ray releases.
One of my pop-culture admissions is that I’ve never been a huge fan of Blade Runner. I’ve only seen the director’s cut, but it's generally considered the best version of the film, and I’ve seen it twice, but it's never really done it for me. I like Ridley Scott, I love sci-fi, and I appreciate a lot of the things the film does, but for whatever reason, I’ve just never particularly cared for it. All the same, I was pretty excited to hear they were finally making a sequel. I really do think the concept of Blade Runner is interesting
TCM and Fathom Events Present The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Go see it on the big screen while you can.
Based upon the book by B. Traven, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is generally considered one of the greatest movies ever made. Interestingly, Traven was such a recluse, he would only make notes on the script via letter. Eventually, he did send his representative, a man named Hal Croves, to the set as technical advisor. It was greatly suspected Croves was in fact Traven, but never proven. Mostly shot in Mexico over six months, it was one of the first American films to be shot on location, much to the chagrin of Jack Warner who was footing the bill.
The Tragically Hip: National Celebration Blu-ray Review: Armed with Will and Determination and Grace, Too
Ironically, the 30 songs played here make a brilliant introduction to the band as they said goodbye to their fans.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 14, 2018 8:55 PM |
As I wrote in my review of the documentary The Tragically Hip: Long Time Running, "On May 24, 2016, it was announced that the Tragically Hip's lead singer Gord Downie had incurable brain cancer. In spite of that, they intended to tour in support their thirteenth studio album, Man Machine Poem, set for release a few weeks later. They played 15 shows across Canada in just under a month, concluding with a hometown show on August 20, 2016, at the Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario. It was an unofficial, though presumed, farewell tour, which became official with the passing
Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) Blu-ray Review: For Loads of Fun, Just Say 'Shazam!'
Kino Lorber gives the Blu-ray treatment to Republic's most popular serial.
Although the format went extinct long before I was born, I’ve always been fascinated by serials. They’re short-formatted adventures that leave you wanting to come back for more. In the age of Netflix and binge-watching, we don’t really get the same thrill of heading to the local multiplex and seeing the latest chapter that shows us what happened to the hero(es) after the previous week’s cliffhanger. It’s easy to take for granted that we have full seasons available to watch at home and on demand. Back when something like Adventures of Captain Marvel was released, that wasn’t the case. It
Five Cool Things and Fahrenheit 451
This week's cool things include a classic Doctor Who, two new adaptations of old books and lots of violence.
Mat was felled by a stomach bug before he could finish writing his article, which is not a cool thing, so dive in without his traditional introduction. Make sure to wash your hands when you are done reading. - The Management Brawl in Cell Block 99 I’d been hearing really good things about Brawl in Cell Block 99 for a few weeks. So much so that I made it my Pick of the Week awhile back. It is streaming on Amazon so I gave it a shot. It is a really interesting mix of the art house with the grindhouse.
The Breakfast Club Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Don't You Forget About These Bonus Features
Criterion's new edition of the classic '80s film is packed with hours of fascinating bonus features.
While The Breakfast Club is justifiably revered as a classic teen film, primarily due to the involvement of masterful writer/director John Hughes, its insightful approach to teen angst makes it just as timely today as it was the ‘80s. Hughes understood more than any of his contemporaries that teens aren’t just stereotypical comic fodder, they’re universally relatable when treated as complex characters. In Criterion’s expansive new Blu-ray release, hours of bonus features delve into the production details and legacy of this important work. The setup of the film is so simple that it seems more like a play. Five high
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Second Season DVD Giveaway
The Fickle Finger of Fate might pick you as one of the winners.
By Staff on January 12, 2018 12:02 AM |
Cinema Sentries has teamed up with Time Life to award three lucky readers Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Second Season seven-DVD set, which is currently on sale. For those wanting to learn more, the press release reads: When, in 1968, presidential nominee Richard Nixon rhetorically queried "Sock it to me?" on "Laugh-In," it helped to elevate him to the White House and was named by Time Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Presidential Pop Culture Moments." That's just one of the many unforgettable pop culture highlights in a transformative season full of them. Home audiences are sure to
Valdez Is Coming (1971) Blu-ray Review: They Just Messed with the Wrong Mexican
Despite casting Burt Lancaster as a Latino, this early revisionist western from Kino Lorber still deserves a look.
Originally envisioned as a project for director Sydney Pollack and the starpower of Marlon Brando and Burt Lancaster, novelist Elmore Leonard's Valdez Is Coming was once set to contend against the Spaghetti Western craze dominating screens throughout the latter half of the '60s. That didn't happen, of course. In fact, Valdez wouldn't come until 1971 ‒ when the European variation of the genre was quickly being paved over by the American revisionist western ‒ with an entirely different cast and crew attached to the project. With Pollack out, Broadway/TV director Edwin Sherin took over directing. It would be the first
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Second Season DVD Review: Still Funny? You Bet Your Bippy!
The humor of Laugh-In holds up, remaining just as wonderfully wacky as when it premiered.
After previously releasing the Complete Series in June 2017, Time Life is releasing Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In as Complete Season sets. The Second Season, now available, presents 26 episodes, airing between September 16, 1968 and March 31, 1969, spread across seven DVDs. The comedy team of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin hosted Laugh-In, an anarchic take on the variety show that matched the youthful spirit of the era with fresh faces of its main cast; presented material that dealt with sex, politics, and drugs; and had a visual form with more in common with French New Wave films than anything
Book Review: The Art of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie by Ramin Zahed
Awe-inspiring and just regular inspiring too. And a whole lot of fun.
By Chad Derdowski on January 10, 2018 7:15 PM |
We can all agree that Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie was pretty sweet, right? It was cute, it was charming, it had a good message about friendship and being kind, and it was basically just a bunch of fart jokes for little kids. And isn’t that what life is all about? No, not fart jokes, but little kids. Laughter. Friendship. If the sound of a child’s laughter doesn’t warm your heart and put a smile on your face, I’m sorry, but there’s just something wrong with you. And nothing makes a child laugh harder than a good fart joke.
Hell Night (1981) Blu-ray Review: A for Effort
Scream Factory goes all-out for the minor low-budget college slasher flick with Linda Blair.
By Luigi Bastardo on January 9, 2018 8:31 PM |
One of several dozen slasher movies to find its way to screens during the slasher horror movie boom of the late '70s and early '80s, Tom DeSimone's Hell Night always seems like the one that gets left out in the cold. Granted, there's very little to outwardly discern the 1981 shocker starring The Exorcist's Linda Blair from any other movie of the era featuring a group of annoying college kids being murdered in an isolated setting. (Well, other than the fact that it stars Linda Blair, of course!) In fact, were one to make a check-list of '80s college slasher
Book Review: The Complete David Bowie (Revised and Updated 2016 Edition) by Nicholas Pegg
Expanded and updated with 35,000 words of new material, this edition is likely to be the last, until a number of the inevitable posthumous releases dictates another.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 9, 2018 1:36 AM |
"Complete" is an accurate description of this astoundingly thorough encyclopedia of Bowie's work. The book naturally opens with "The Songs from A to Z," starting with "Abdulmajid," an instrumental by Bowie and Brian Eno that appeared as a bonus track for a "Heroes" reissue in the early '90s as well as All Saints: Collected Instrumentals 1977-1999. Over the next 300-plus pages, readers are presented in-depth details about greatest hits, covers, and deep cuts, through to "Zion," a "rambling six-minute demo from 1973 which has also appeared on bootlegs under the various titles 'Aladdin Vein', ' Love Aladdin Vein', and '
It (2017) is the Pick of the Week
This week's new releases include a killer clown, a Deep Throat, a Supreme Court Justice, and more.
By Mat Brewster on January 8, 2018 8:00 PM |
Miniseries have been around since the birth of television but it was the 1980s that really defined what they are and cemented them in our collective consciousness. Or at least that’s how I remember it. As a kid, I can remember grabbing the television guide from the Sunday paper and very carefully mapping out my primetime viewing for the week. I had certain shows on most nights that I watched every week, but some times there was a special - the Olympics, an awards show, or Circus of the Stars - that would take precedence over my normal TV watching.
Dunkirk (2017) Blu-ray Review: Bring the Boys Back Home
An outstanding war film that strikes a great balance between the inhumanity of the weaponry and the humanity of the individuals.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 7, 2018 11:43 AM |
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is an impressive World War II epic about the Allied military evacuation on the beaches of Dunkirk, France while under siege. The film weaves together three different narratives (on land, on sea, and in air) and delivers spectacular action sequences, but it's the smaller moments of men exhibiting heroism and fear in the face of death all around when it is at its most captivating. The Axis powers had "driven the British and French armies to the sea. Trapped at Dunkirk, they await their fate." The film opens with six young soldiers walking deserted streets as Nazi
I, Tonya Movie Review: Using Camp to Deconstruct It
Although an imperfect film, I, Tonya celebrates the imperfections of its leading lady with surprising emotional resonance.
By Spencer Coile on January 6, 2018 11:15 AM |
If the year was 1994, and you were to turn on the TV, pick up a newspaper, or chat with friends and family, all discourse would be about the epic scandal known as Tonya Harding v. Nancy Kerrigan. Tonya, a lower-class figure skater from Portland, Oregon is suddenly entrenched in a social, not to mention legal battle to defend her name - a name that, until this point in time, did not really seem to matter. But after her triumph at U.S. figure skating, jettisoning her to the 1994 Olympics, she soon became a household name. Well, that and the
My Little Pony: The Movie Blu-ray Review: Friendship Is Magic
The veteran animated series makes a successful jump to a feature film.
By Steve Geise on January 6, 2018 12:22 AM |
After seven seasons of animated TV adventures, the "mane" six ponies of Hasbro’s current My Little Pony series have finally made the jump to a proper feature-length film. Unlike the prior series of quickie spinoff movies featuring the ponies morphed into animated human form as Equestria Girls, this film is a legitimate movie with an obviously bigger production budget and stars to match. Although the pony character designs have been updated to take advantage of the elevated effects budget, Hasbro wisely kept the primary voice actors, composer Daniel Ingram, and long-time series director Jayson Thiessen in place to ensure continuity
Five Cool Things and The Grateful Dead
This week found me reading some cool comics, watching some non Doctor Who-related Peter Capaldi TV, and more.
As noted in last week’s entry, I spent the week between Christmas and New Year's at my in-laws spending time with my wife’s family. They are lovely people but not very pop-cultural savvy. We tend to spend our time playing board games and chatting with each other rather than watching movies and television. Luckily, I always get a few comic books for Christmas and as you’ll see I’ve already read a few of them. The Avengers: Age of Ultron(comic book) In the comics, Ultron has existed since the late '60s and appeared as one of the great Avengers' villains periodically
Book Review: Star Hawks, Volume Two: 1978-1979 by Gil Kane and Ron Goulart
Reminiscent of a million things but totally unique - I've never seen anything quite like it!
By Chad Derdowski on January 5, 2018 5:37 PM |
I’ve never seen anything quite like Gil Kane and Ron Goulart’s Star Hawks. And yeah, I know we geeks are prone to hyperbole; we like to rant and rave online about how mind-blowingly transcendent the stuff we love is and we like to say that things we don’t like somehow travelled through time to assault our childhood. It’s all pretty ridiculous, but it seems like Geek Hyperbole is part and parcel with internet nerdery, doesn’t it? So much so, that you probably didn’t bat an eye when I capitalized it! So yeah, we who fly on the geeky side of
D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage Blu-ray Review: Nevermind the Bollocks, Watch This Film
Seminal punk documentary finally gets a digital release.
A few years back, maybe ten come to think of it, I was getting to know a girl, Pamela, who eventually became a good friend. I asked her, like I always ask people I’m getting to know, what kind of music she liked. She said she was a big punk fan. Intrigued, as she didn’t look like your typical punk rocker, I asked for details. “Who do you like,” I asked. “The Dead Kennedys? The Minutemen?” “Who?” she replied. Pushing further, I asked “The Misfits? Black Flag?” I got blank stares. “How about the Ramones or Green Day?” Nothing. “Well,
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) Blu-ray Review: When Tom Met Meg
John Patrick Shanley's quirky fantastical romance hits Blu waves with a stellar transfer from the Warner Archive Collection.
By Luigi Bastardo on January 3, 2018 10:00 AM |
After his Academy Award-winning screenplay for 1987's Moonstruck, playwright John Patrick Shanley launched into the '90s by taking the world into a different corner of comedy altogether. It was the first time Shanley directed a film ‒ something he wouldn't do again until crafting his own stage work for the screen in 2008 ‒ but it would go on to become a genuine American cult classic. A fairytale romance perfect for pairing with The Princess Bride, Joe Versus the Volcano was also the first time filmgoers were treated to the award-winning chemistry of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, who would
Samurai Jack: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray Review: Watch It!
One of the best television programs of 2017.
By Gordon S. Miller on January 2, 2018 8:25 PM |
Nearly 13 years since the end of its fourth season, the epic story of Samurai Jack concluded with this 10-part fifth season, an impressive piece of television led by creator Genndy Tartakovsky, and the Blu-ray highlights the visual artwork. As the season opens, fifty years have passed, although Jack (Phil LaMarr) hasn't aged, and he is still tortured by memories of his family left behind after the demon Aku (Greg Baldwin, replacing the late Mako) flug him into the future. Jack's hair has grown long, he wears a beard, and he uses a gun because he has lost his katana,
Six Shooters: A Full Round of Classic Westerns New to Blu-ray
Twilight Time and the Warner Archive present us with a gunslingin' good time.
The ageless allure of life in the Old West is just as timely as ever with these six classics, now available on Blu-ray courtesy the efforts of Twilight Time and the Warner Archive Collection. Boasting many common themes (including a few connections between home media distributors!) and ranging from early cinematic 3D productions to the earliest revisionist westerns by genre rule-breaker Sam Peckinpah, there's an awful lot of reason to shoot up the joint over here. Gun Fury 3D (1953, Twilight Time, Limited Edition of 3,000) One of several movies conceived and released during the early '50s 3D phenomenon (and
Best of 2017 Assorted Lists
So here's the final set of my 2017 lists.
By Shawn Bourdo on January 2, 2018 1:30 PM |
From 2005 through 2012, I pretty consistently wrote my Sunday Morning Tuneage blog. It continued inconsistently through 2013 before being abandoned. Each year was punctuated with a series of "Best" lists. While the blog still remains retired, I'm reviving the year-end summary. BY THE NUMBERS 4,216,588 steps (that is less the four weeks in June that I went without a FitBit) 246 beers logged - 130 that were new to me this year. 0 times with the hiccups 25 books read (2nd year in a row of meeting 25 book goal) 0 concerts attended 55 films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Breakfast Club Criterion Collection is the Pick of the Week
This week brings us John Hughes getting his first Criterion plus a tennis match, an Italian murder, Tom Cruise running drugs, and more.
If you are a child of the '80s, if you are a movie fan of a certain age, then John Hughes films have a special place in your heart. Throughout the 1980s, he made movies about teenagers that felt real. His characters spoke like real teenagers spoke, they cared about things real teenagers cared about. They were funny and sad, romantic and heartbroken. They felt like they were made for…well, me. And a million other me’s. It is hard to pick a favorite John Hughes film because so many of them are so good. As a teenager, I likely would
Best of 2017 TV Lists
So here's the next set of my 2017 lists.
By Shawn Bourdo on January 1, 2018 12:01 PM |
We live in a very high-quality TV-show era now. Maybe the top end isn't as strong as a decade ago but the number of very good shows is amazing. It's hard to even keep up with shows that aren't on your sourcing radar - HBO, Showtime, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, etc. This list is as fluid as any here - ask me tomorrow and it might be different - but here it is at this time and place. BEST TV SHOWS OF 2017 1. TWIN PEAKS (SHOW) I don't know that I was completely in love with this show as it
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Lookback: Gunstar Super Heroes
Posted at 15:46 on 7th June 2008 - permalink
Continuing the trawl through my old games writing, here’s a look at Treasure’s 2005 remake of their breakthrough hit Gunstar Heroes. My opinion of the game hasn’t really changed, it’s a technically strong but otherwise unremarkable romp. At the time of course we didn’t realise that Gunstar and games like it would represent the peak of Game Boy Advance development (the official line from Nintendo was that the DS was going to be a “third pillar”, before its massive success effectively made the GBA obsolete).
I remember being terribly annoyed by John Walker’s 5/10 review of the game for Eurogamer at the time. It’s still an unfair review (the “less than one hour long” criticism is meaningless – the original game was of similar length, and many other console action games follow the arcade model of offering infinite replayability rather than hundreds of similar levels), but Treasure’s later efforts have been received more favourably.
The following piece was originally published here in December 2005.
Title: Gunstar Super Heroes (European title: Gunstar Future Heroes)
Developer: Treasure
Date Published: October 6, 2005 (Japan)
Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
ESRB/PEGI Rating: E / 7+
Gunstar Super Heroes is a pseudo-sequel to Gunstar Heroes (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1993). As the title suggests, the game is a retelling and technological upgrade of its predecessor (in a similar fashion to Super Metroid, Super Street Fighter II, etc.), sitting somewhere between a remake and a true sequel.
The game is a platform shooter (with a dash of mêlée combat) in the vein of a less clunky and more acrobatic Contra. Many elements of the game will be familiar to fans of the original, although there is no direct re-use of content. The game was originally intended to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the original (although obviously it arrived rather too late for that – regardless of what Sega of America’s poorly-researched press releases might tell you) and was highly anticipated by Treasure and Sega fans and critics alike, picking up several Best of Show awards at E3 2005.
Gunstar Super Heroes takes up the story several years after the events of the first game. Following the defeat of end boss Golden Silver by the original Gunstar duo, the Moon (the staging ground of the climactic battle) was destroyed and reformed as four smaller moons, each housing one of the Treasure Gems that powered Golden Silver.
Time passes, the people of Earth colonise the new moons and everything is generally peachy. Then one day, a fifth moon appears – a man-made satellite which serves as the headquarters of the Empire (the bad guys from the first game). The Empire, under the leadership of one General Grey, once again seek to reunite the Treasure Gems and re-awaken the Destructor. So it’s up to a team of secret operatives from the ‘3YE’ organization, styled after the original Gunstar Heroes, to put a stop to the Empire’s plans. This rather convoluted plot is basically an excuse to bring back virtually all of the major characters from the first game.
The game consists of seven main levels, each containing several distinct stages. These can be played through as either Gunstar Red or Gunstar Blue (although the differences between the two characters are minimal – effectively only the graphics of their primary weapon, and some of the cutscene dialogue) at three difficulty levels.
The first level (Earth) is a short tutorial-like level which introduces the player to the standard enemy types (different types of empire troops and small flying robots) that are seen throughout the game. The level culminates in a battle against a huge flying robot who is trying to kidnap Yellow, the Gunstars’ C.O. and pilot. This battle is the first graphical showcase of the game, featuring slick scaling and rotation effects on the boss itself as well as impressive explosion, smoke and flame effects.
Once this level is completed, the player may attempt the next four levels (or moons) in whichever order they chose. Each of these levels is loosely based on one of the first four levels from the original game, with the addition of several new stages, several of which are homages to other classic Sega games.
The first moon is the longest level in the game with five stages. The first of these is a 3D, into-the-screen (or rather, out-of-the-screen) flight on the back of the Gunstar’s jet aircraft, which seems to be intended as a tip of the hat to After Burner. Later in the level, there is an ingenious stage based on Flicky: our hero is trapped in a cave where they must rescue a number of chicks and lead them to the exit hatch, while avoiding being attacked by caterpillar-like creatures. This is made more difficult (and visually impressive) by the fact that the entire cave rotates as the player moves left and right (affecting gravity accordingly). (This is probably my favourite part of the game, and I wish they’d done more with it. – 2008 Ed.) The stage ends with a boss battle against another giant robot, this time one being piloted by Pink and her lackeys Kain and Kotaro, which is stupidly easy to beat – but in true supervillain fashion, this isn’t the last you’ve seen of them.
Moon number two is shorter and less extravagant than the first, consisting of only two stages. The first stage is a vertically-scrolling shoot-’em-up where the player must pilot a helicopter (which can be rotated clockwise and widdershins using the shoulder buttons) and destroy ground and air targets. (This level is based on Thunder Blade.) Trying to plough through this stage with guns blazing routinely ends in disaster, instead the player is forced to pick their way through the level, dodging back and forth to get a clear shot at the smaller and more awkward targets. In the second stage, our intrepid Gunstar boards an airship/flying fortress and squares off against Orange, a muscle-bound soldier, on the wings of a stealth bomber.
Onward to moon three, which is perhaps the level that most closely follows the structure of its inspiration, the celebrated mine-cart stage from Gunstar Heroes. For those who haven’t had the pleasure, this level consists of hurtling down a mineshaft at high speed on a small ‘hovering robot thing’, blasting troops on wheels and trains filled with more troops. The boss of the level is the Seven Force, a robot that can transform into seven forms. This battle is near-identical to the original with the exception of the graphical enhancements afforded by the use of true sprite scaling and rotation.
Moon number four sees the return of the Dice Palace stage from the original game. This level is essentially a Snakes and Ladders board game where the player must roll a dice to get around the board, with each square they land on representing a different mini-stage where they must complete a challenge or fight a miniboss. Unfortunately the structure of the level has been changed for the worse. The dice is represented by a moving cursor instead of being truly random. Likewise, the stage represented by each square is not random, and the high occurrence of backward steps result in the player having to visit nearly all of the squares each time the level is attempted. Some of the new challenges are excellent (such as a giant mangy teddy bear) but some are dull and annoying (for instance the boring platform assault courses that have replaced the item rooms).
On completion of the first four moons, the fifth, Death Star-like moon becomes available. This level begins with a reprise of the ‘long road’ section from Gunstar Heroes (although the various vehicles and robots that the troops attacked you with in the original are sadly absent). This is followed by a horizontally-scrolling spaceship shoot-’em-up section which introduces the novelty of allowing the level to be rotated using the shoulder buttons, but feels a little awkward as it doesn’t allow the player as much freedom of movement as might be expected. The level is finished off with another After Burner sequence, this time heading towards (and into) the Empire’s final base.
The final level (‘G-Arc’) consists of a series of boss battles against all the characters encountered during the course of the game (Pink, Orange, Black and Green), this time equipped with new death-dealing vehicles and attacks. As with the original game, this stage is presented as being viewed on a monitor screen being watched by the other evil characters. On completion of this marathon stage, our heroes must then fight the God of Ruin himself, Golden Silver.
Gunstar Super Heroes is an interesting and not entirely unsuccessful attempt by Treasure to revisit one of their best-loved games and update it for a modern audience. While the original game was widely criticised for being too easy, Gunstar Super Heroes requires dexterity and planning on the part of the player to get very far (at least, on the Normal and Hard difficulty levels).
The most disappointing thing about the game (apart from the lack of a two-player mode) is that it now feels very compartmentalised. Instead of the flowing, uninterrupted experience of the original, the game is now broken up into very short stages with no thematic connection between them. Whereas the original game wrung every drop of gameplay from each of its scenarios, Gunstar Super Heroes prefers to burn through piles of unique graphics, enemies and levels without putting them to good use. There are several scenes in the game that feature huge, animated backdrops which are simply run past in a couple of seconds to get from one area to another, and serve no other purpose. Similarly, the dialogue sequences that bookend each stage (complete with screen-filling portraits, as seen in Astro Boy, and surprisingly well-executed voice acting), while not unwelcome, seem like a rather incongruous excess.
Lastly, if we take off the rose-tinted glasses for a second, we might also ask whether the technical improvements on display are really all that impressive, considering the twelve year gap between the two games. Gunstar Super Heroes is a very pretty game, but at no point does it ask anything of the Game Boy Advance that conventional wisdom says shouldn’t be possible.
Even with these criticisms, Gunstar Super Heroes is still a well-made game and probably the best example of its genre on the Game Boy Advance. The controls are responsive, the game feels fair (with the possible exception of the rather random attack patterns of the final boss) and besting particularly challenging stages is very satisfying. That said, it would have been nice if Treasure had concentrated their efforts on blowing our minds instead of lightly tickling our nostalgia glands.
Tags: Game, game title, gba, gunstar future heroes, gunstar heroes, gunstar super heroes, lookback, sega, sega mega drive, treasure
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Accept the oneness of humanity
The Chinese newspaper The Global Times wrote: "China and India mustn't go for the throat".
It further said: "Currently, India is a bit pushy in its relations with China. The country appears to be highly interested in facing off with China. But that contest is not the primary focus of the Chinese society."
Why is India pushy?
It seems that it is just because India is hosting a Global Buddhist Congregation on the occasion of the 2600th anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha, the greatest Son of India in Rishi Sri Aurobindo's words.
China wanted India to cancel the Dalai Lama's participation to the event.
As the result China has decided to postpone the scheduled border talks.
The Global Times continues: "Both countries should stay calm and not take small issues to a level of strategic hostility. India's power and its development will not make it a strategic enemy to China."
Who is not calm?
Beijing should start practicing some of the Buddhist techniques which help quieting the mind. It would good for world peace.
When one reads the Dalai Lama's message, one does not have the impression that he is an unreasonable 'devil' in monk's garb.
Read it! It makes sense and it is relevant to today's world.
By the way, the Buddhists should thank China for the unexpected publicity they got after the announcement of the postponement of the border talks.
Message of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Global Buddhist Congregation, New Delhi, November 27 - 30, 2011
On 29th November 1956, on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha’s Parinirvana, I had the opportunity to meet Indian leaders and Buddhist representatives from many countries here in New Delhi. At that time I gave a detailed account of the historical development of Buddhism in Tibet and the unique Indo-Tibetan relationship. Since then the world, including India and Tibet, has witnessed many changes and so have the Buddhist traditions in different countries.
Until the last fifty years or so, the world's diverse Buddhist communities had only a distant inkling of each other’s existence and little appreciation of how much they held in common. As the Buddha's teaching took root in different places, certain variations in the style in which it was practised and upheld evolved naturally. Indeed, the Buddha himself gave different teachings according to the predispositions of his disciples at different times. What distinguishes our contemporary situation is that almost the entire array of Buddhist traditions that evolved in different lands is now accessible to anyone who is interested. What's more, those of us who study and practise these various Buddhist traditions can now meet and learn from one another.
Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya about 2600 years ago, yet I believe his teachings remain refreshing and relevant today. Moved by a spontaneous concern to help others, following his enlightenment the Buddha spent the rest of his life as a homeless monk, sharing his experience with those who wished to listen. Both his view of dependent arising and his advice not to harm anyone, but to help whoever you can, emphasize the practice of non-violence. This remains one of the most potent forces for good in the world today, for non-violence is to be of service to our fellow beings.
Siddhartha's renunciation - his choosing to live the homeless life - symbolises the practice of the training in morality; his six-year asceticism symbolises the training in concentration; and his attainment of enlightenment through the practice of wisdom under the Bodhi tree represents the importance of the cultivation of wisdom. The role of these threefold trainings in the Buddha’s life highlights their importance in our daily practice. To be able to carry out these practices, we have to study the Buddha’s teachings contained in the Tripitaka.
In an increasingly interdependent world our own welfare and happiness depend on many other people. Other human beings have a right to peace and happiness that is equal to our own; therefore we have a responsibility to help those in need. Today, in a new millennium, our world requires us to accept the oneness of humanity. Many of our world's problems and conflicts arise because we have lost sight of the basic humanity that binds us all together as a human family. We forget that despite the superficial differences between us, people are equal in their basic wish for peace and happiness. Part of Buddhist practice involves training our minds through meditation. But if our training in calming our minds, developing qualities like love, compassion, generosity and patience, is to be effective, we must put them into practice in our day-to-day life.Even as our world continues to develop materially, there is increasing need for similar progress in our sense of inner values. The 20th century was a century of war and violence; now we all need to work to see that the 21st is a century of peace and dialogue. We Buddhists can contribute to this by learning from the world's other religious traditions and sharing with them the distinctive qualities of our own tradition.
There is great emphasis on the practice of love and compassion in the Buddha's teaching, as in the teachings of other spiritual traditions, but it is important to recognise that compassion and love are fundamental to relations between sentient beings in general and human beings in particular. I believe that we should no longer talk about Buddhist ethics, Hindu, Christian or Muslim ethics, because these values are universal. Buddhism does not explain the virtue of values such as honesty and integrity in a way that is different from how Christianity or Islam or any other religious tradition explains them. Therefore, in recent years, I have found it more appropriate to talk about the need to foster what I call secular ethics. I refer to these values as secular ethics because believing in one religion or another or not believing in one at all does not affect our need for them. The basic foundation of humanity is compassion and love. This is why, if even a few individuals simply try to create mental peace and happiness within themselves and act responsibly and kind-heartedly towards others, they will have a positive influence in their community.I believe Buddhism does have a special role to play in our modern world. This is because, unlike other religious traditions, Buddhism uniquely propounds the concept of interdependence, which accords closely with fundamental notions of modern science. We can think of Buddhism in terms of three main categories – philosophy, science and religion. The religious part involves principles and practices that are of concern to Buddhists alone, but the Buddhist philosophy of interdependence as well as the Buddhist science of mind and human emotions are of great benefit to everyone. As we know, modern science has developed a highly sophisticated understanding of the physical world, including the subtle workings of the body and the brain. Buddhist science on the other hand, has devoted itself to developing a detailed, first-person understanding of many aspects of the mind and emotions, areas still relatively new to modern science. Each therefore has crucial knowledge with which to complement the other. I believe that a synthesis of these two approaches has great potential to lead to discoveries that will enrich our physical, emotional and social well-being.
Although Buddhist contemplative tradition and modern science have evolved from different historical, intellectual and cultural roots, I believe that at heart they share significant interests in common, especially in their basic philosophical outlook and methodology. On the philosophical level, both Buddhism and modern science share the same view on the absence of absolutes, whether described as a transcendent being, as an eternal, unchanging entity, or as a fundamental substratum of reality. Both Buddhism and science prefer to account for the evolution and emergence of the cosmos and life in terms of the complex interrelations of the natural laws of cause and effect. From the methodological perspective, both traditions emphasize the role of empiricism.
For example, in the Buddhist investigative tradition, among the three recognized sources of knowledge - experience, reason and testimony - it is the evidence of the experience that takes precedence, with reason coming second and testimony last. This means that in the Buddhist investigation of reality, at least in principle, empirical evidence should triumph over scriptural authority, no matter how deeply venerated a scripture may be. Even in the case of knowledge derived through reason or inference, its validity must derive ultimately from some observed facts of experience.
The primary motive underlying the Buddhist investigation of reality is the quest to overcome suffering and perfect the human condition; therefore the Buddhist investigative tradition has been primarily directed towards understanding the human mind and its various functions. Our aim in seeking ways of transforming our thoughts, emotions and their underlying propensities is to find a more wholesome and fulfilling way of living. So a genuine exchange between the cumulative knowledge and experience of Buddhism and modern science can be deeply interesting and potentially beneficial as well.
In my own experience, I have felt deeply enriched by engaging in conversations with neuroscientists and psychologists on such questions as the nature and role of positive and negative emotions, attention, imagery, as well the plasticity of the brain. I am grateful to the numerous eminent scientists with whom I have had the privilege of engaging in dialogues that have continued over the years through the auspices of the Mind and Life Institute, which initiated annual conferences that began in 1987 at my residence in Dharamsala, India.
Of course, most people feel their own form of religious practice is the best. I myself feel that Buddhism is best for me. But this does not mean that Buddhism is best for everyone. What is important is what is suitable for a particular person or group of people. Religion, for most of us, depends on our family background and where we were born and grew up. I think it is usually better not to change that. However, the more we understand each other’s ways, the more we can learn from each other.
By declaring my respect for all religious faiths, I do not advocate attempting to unify our various traditions. I firmly believe we need different religious traditions to meet the needs and mental dispositions of the great variety of human beings. All the major religious traditions make the betterment of humanity their main concern and all of them carry a similar message. When we view them as essential instruments for developing good human qualities such as compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and self-discipline, we can appreciate what they have in common.
I am convinced that the most significant obstacle to inter-religious harmony is the lack of contact between different faith communities and consequently, the lack of appreciation of their mutual value. However, in today's increasingly complex and interdependent world, we have to acknowledge the existence of other cultures, different ethnic groups, and, of course, other religious faiths. Whether we like it or not, most of us now experience this diversity on a daily basis.
Even amongst the various Buddhist traditions that have come about in different times and places, there are those who look to the collection of scriptures preserved in Pali as their source and those who look to the Sanskrit tradition. I believe that time has now come to communicate freely with one another, those in the Pali tradition engaging in dialogue with those in the Sanskrit tradition. After all, all our different branches come from the same common trunk and roots. As a Tibetan Buddhist monk, even today I consider myself a student of the Nalanda tradition. The way Buddhism was taught and studied at Nalanda University represents the zenith of its development in India. If we are to be 21st century Buddhists it is important that we engage in the study and analysis of the Buddha's teachings, as so many did then, instead of simply relying on faith.
Therefore, the study and practice of the Buddha’s teachings is necessary to preserve and promote them. The Sangha played a pivotal role in this during the Buddha’s time, and I am happy that the tradition continues to this day. Consequently, it is important for members of the monastic community to abide by their vows to sustain the purity of the Buddha Dharma.
In the past, given the nature of the different backgrounds under which the Buddha Dharma flourished in our different societies, there have not been many opportunities for Buddhists to come together and to discuss issues of common concern. This congregation has provided a much needed crucial opportunity. Now and in the future we need to encourage and foster an exchange of knowledge and experience among our different traditions and improve communications amongst us. I hope this will be the first of many such occasions that will enable us to foster better understanding and contribute more effectively to human happiness and peace of mind throughout the world. On the occasion of the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha's attainment of enlightenment in Bodhgaya, I offer my greetings to this eminent Global Buddhist Congregation.
Labels: China Foreign Policy, Dalai Lama, Global Buddhist Congregation
My dam, my water
Rediff Special
The problem is that nations or states are always ready to 'share' water with others living upstream, but their perception changes when the question comes to 'sharing' with lower riparians, says Claude Arpi after attending a 3-day conference in New Delhi on conflict resolution in the faceoff over water
The ban on the release of a new movie in Tamil Nadu made it to the front page of the national press. Why? Because the film deals with an extremely hot issue, water.
Dam 999, produced by BizTV Network from the United Arab Emirates and directed by Sohan Roy, is based on the award-winning documentary Dams - The Lethal Water Bombs and the Banqiao dam disaster which claimed 250,000 lives in China in 1975.
Tamil politicians immediately saw a parallel with the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala. Fears have been exacerbated after the 116-year-old dam developed cracks following mild tremors recently experienced in the region.
While Tamil Nadu, beneficiary of the water released from the dam, continues to demand an increase in the height of the dam, the government of Kerala (the dam, controlled by Tamil Nadu is located in Kerala) believes that the life of several lakhs of people is in danger, and Tamil politicians reacted quickly and forced theatre-owners in Tamil Nadu to boycott Dam 999; it is against the interests of the state, they say.
The dispute has been pending in the Supreme Court for years. Kerala had argued that the agreement on the Mullaperiyar dam giving Tamil Nadu a 999-year lease over the dam was signed during the Raj by Madras Presidency and the Raja of Travancore and is therefore invalid. At the same time, Kerala proposed to construct a new dam, a move which is fiercely opposed by Tamil Nadu 'as it would affect the state's interests'.
If this type of incident can occur between neighbouring states of the same country, one can imagine the conflict which can be generated if a similar dispute arises between rival nations.
In the 1995, Ismail Serageldin, then a senior vice president of World Bank had predicted: "The next World War will be over water."
Was this declaration prophetic?
Continue to read...
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Labels: Article Rediff, China Economy, Dams, India Environment, Mekong
Power of Indignation — Power of Conviction
A great Lady has left us.
She always fought for Freedom.
Against the Nazis, when she was young and later for many other worthy causes.
Once when her husband was President, he was not keen to receive the Dalai Lama, as it would upset the Chinese.
She decided to invite him for breakfast at their private residence. The President had no choice to sit at the Dalai Lama's table.
The world needs more Danielles.
First lady of France who campaigned for many causes
Danielle Mitterrand: SHE WAS the nemesis of protocol staff, the foreign ministry’s favourite bête noire. When her husband François became France’s president in 1981, Danielle Mitterrand had no intention of conforming to stereotypical notions of the first lady – a term she hated – as hostess and goodwill ambassador. “I have no power,” she once said. “I have only my power of indignation, my power of conviction.”
She spent her life deploying these powers. She spoke up for ethnic Kurds and Tibetans, railed against apartheid, colonialism and the death penalty, and in recent years passionately championed the right to clean water. To the exasperation of officials, she invited Fidel Castro to Paris and loudly criticised Ronald Reagan’s Central American policies.
François, the only socialist to lead France since the current republic was formed, said his wife always considered him too moderate.
The couple met during the second World War, when both were members of the resistance against the collaborationist Vichy regime. It was her sister who introduced Danielle to the charismatic Captain Morland – François’s code-name at the time – in Paris in April 1944. He was on the run from the Gestapo, and wrote in letters of hiding out in Burgundy with “this beautiful girl with her cat’s eyes firmly fixed on the beyond”. They married that October – as the story goes, he announced even before the cake was cut that he had to go and chair a political meeting across town. “I’ll come with you!” she replied. And so Danielle came and sat in her wedding dress at the back of the smoke-filled room as they plotted the aftermath of the occupation. She turned 20 the next day.
Born Danielle Gouze on October 29th, 1924, in the eastern French town of Verdun, she was the daughter of secular, republican schoolteachers. Her father was a committed socialist who was sacked by the Vichy government for not giving the Nazi occupiers the names of Jewish pupils and teachers at the school where he was principal.
Danielle joined the Resistance at the age of 17, with her elder sister Christine, and was later awarded the prestigious Resistance Medal. When François launched his political career in the Socialist Party after the war, Danielle’s profile grew with his. He became president in 1981 and was elected for a second term in 1988.
When Mitterrand died in 1996, Danielle caused a stir by appearing at his funeral alongside his mistress Anne Pingeot, with whom he had a daughter, Mazarine. A famous photo shows Danielle comforting Mazarine at the graveside in front of the tricolour-draped coffin. “It was instinct,” she said.
In her 1996 memoir, En Toute Liberté , she wrote that she had known about the daughter since her birth in 1974. François, she said, “excelled in the art of seducing. I had to make the best of it.” Danielle Mitterrand was determined not allow her husband’s career dominate her own life, but her political involvement accelerated after he left office in 1995.
She set up a non-profit making humanitarian organisation, France Libertés, and was a tireless campaigner for her cherished causes. In 2005, she urged a No vote in the French referendum on the European Union constitution, saying it valued the economy more than people. It was soundly rejected.
During a visit to the Kurdish north of Iraq in 1992, she survived a bomb attack on her convoy that left seven people dead and 17 injured. “I will continue fighting until my death,” she said afterwards. A decade before the “Arab Spring” shook the French establishment out of its close relationship with Tunisian dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Danielle Mitterrand attacked his regime for “its efforts to destroy civil society”.
She died on Tuesday aged 87 in a Paris hospital, having been admitted for fatigue and breathing issues four days earlier. Despite her strong association with the Socialist Party, her passing brought warm tributes from across the political spectrum, from the communists to the far-right National Front. “Neither setbacks nor victory caused her to deviate from the road she had laid for herself: giving voice to those that no one wanted to hear,” French president Nicolas Sarkozy said.
“She had within her a perpetual youthfulness that made her extremely charming, even if you didn’t agree with her,” said her nephew, current culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand. “She was courageous. She was virtuous, brave and driven.” In Iraqi Kurdistan, a day of national mourning was called after her death.
Mitterrand gave her last interview in October, as she was preparing to proudly mark the 25th anniversary of France Libertés. Photographs of the occasion show her in her apartment in central Paris, those fierce, demanding eyes that François described in 1944 staring into the camera.
The foundation did not always manage to achieve what she hoped for, she remarked honestly, although there were some great successes. “But the key was knowing we were there, that we were involved in setting out a new world.”
Danielle Mitterrand: born October 29th, 1924; died November 22nd, 2011
Labels: Danielle Mitterrand, France, Tibet
An inferiority complex?
This Xinhua article is important because it is published in the main stream 'official' press.
The hard-hitting commentary probably reflects the view of many in the Party.
Li Hongmei, the analyst says: "In a nutshell, to grow up to be a real power and stand as a sound competitor, India needs to, first and foremost, break through its own psychological fence."
One could, of course, speak of the 'bamboo curtain' in China's mindset: their century-old complex of superiority and their arrogance.
Regarding the 1962 War, Li mentions India's jealousy which: "can sometimes be put in the same breath of inferiority. India could trace its sense of being so self-abased to the brief border war with China in 1960s, when it was beaten by the Chinese army. And India has since eyed China with deep-seated distrust."
Interestingly, early October 1962, as China was planning to attack India Chairman Mao spoke of the possible isolation of China on the world scene, but he did not consider that it was a ‘decisive factor’: “China needn't fear isolation, as long as the front line troops fight well, we will be in an advantageous position. …It's better to die standing, than to die kneeling. If China fought successfully, in an awe-inspiring way, this will guarantee at least thirty years of peace”.
Thirty years of peace and an inferiority complex, is what the Communist regime believe to have earned from the conflict.
Though the infrastructure may more developed on the Tibetan side of the border, the Indian Army has certainly no inferiority complex vis-a-vis China today.
Indian jawans and officers are a motivated lot, perhaps more than their Chinese counterparts. It has been reported that Chinese soldiers pay bribes in some cases not to be posted on the Indian border. This is not happening on the Indian side.
India's undue worry about China results from inferiority complex
By Li Hongmei
BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- India jitters at the sight of China gaining prestige in Asia, in particular, in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and takes China's ever-growing regional influence in recent years as a strategic encirclement to target and contain India.
Not a few Indians believe the Chinese have a tradition of favoring encirclement game, as Jaswant Singh, former Indian finance minister, foreign minister, and defense minister, put it in his recent article: Asia's Giants Colliding at Sea?
"China, has wei qui (known in Japan as go), which focuses on strategic encirclement. As Sun Tzu advised many centuries ago, 'Ultimate excellence lies...not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy, without ever fighting." Singh wrote in the article.
It sounds nothing more than a loud jealousy, for the simple reason that China has done what India could not, especially when India perceives that China's influence has well reached to its doorsteps and created tremendous impact on those who should have banked on India as imagined.
For India, the sense that a struggle for regional mastery is occurring has become increasingly keen. Chinese activity in Pakistan and Myanmar, the expansion of China's port agreements in the Indian Ocean (the so-called 'string of pearls'), and heightened Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean have jangled India's security antennas." said the article.
This also explains why India has been living under the delusion that China lays out a strategic chessboard to lock up and contain India, and thereby every act and every move of China could touch a raw nerve of India.
Jealousy can sometimes be put in the same breath of inferiority. India could trace its sense of being so self-abased to the brief border war with China in 1960s, when it was beaten by the Chinese army. And India has since eyed China with deep-seated distrust. The Indian media are always given to wild speculations on what on earth China intends to do. Any move Dragon takes in the region would in all likelihood vex Elephant.
On this basis, India would be bent on plotting to break through the so-called Chinese encirclement, and Mr. Singh would produce the delusional article conjuring up a picture of two giants colliding at sea.
Perhaps, when Mr. Singh turned out the article, he has yet to comprehend what it is as reality: What China has thus far done is a have-to as a nascent leading power with steady development, but China has already avoided setting foot on a path that many other great powers would follow in their history of growth and rise----invasion and plunder.
Instead, China has sought after a win-win model when it develops economic and trade relations with its neighbors, including India.
Why India appears so impatient to take more agreeable strategies in its periphery is still beyond understanding. But one thing is certain: Today's India, no matter how anxious it intends to lead the region and even the world, is far from potent and prosperous to act of its own accord----By currying favor with China's neighbor, in particular, those who have brewed disputes with China, India would assume, it could instigate these smaller nations to engage in a gang fight against China and contain China's growing clout in the region.
Unfortunately, either India or Mr. Singh seems to have miscalculated the situation: Nowadays, it is no longer those who have only teeth and muscle that can finally loom on the horizon posing as winners, but those who are confident and courageous, and have a strong body with a sound mind, the latter more important for a great power.
India might as well bear in mind: To build up a real power, neither self-satisfaction nor self-inferiority is a mature and constructive mindset.
In actuality, India has already learnt a good lesson in this regard. Its iron-clad suspiciousness of China and shortfall of confidence in opening to others put sand in the wheels of its own progress.
Two months ago, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, or ICBC - the world's biggest lender by market value, set up business in India, which is the first of four Chinese lenders to start operations in India and was expected to greatly boost investment in India's backward infrastructure sectors and foster the growth of a rupee-yuan market. While in comparison, even more than a decade ago, the same operations started up in Southeast Asian countries bringing an impetus to the local economies and remain as booming even today.
Back in 2006, China and India reopened crossborder trade through the Himalayan Nathu La Pass, 44 years after a brutal frontier war shut down the ancient route. It was expected to give a major boost to bilateral trade between the two countries. But, it turns out to be a picture of contrasts — ambitious tradesmen on the Chinese side vs. slackness of the Indian businessmen.
If India were as courageous as what China has managed to do — daringly reaching out to attract foreign investment and confidently going global, and perhaps, if India could forgo its restrictions on Chinese products and investment, it would progress even faster and would really rival China in the foreseeable future. "No competition, no progress", which is an inbuilt principle in market economy.
If India could carry itself with some ease and confidence, it would not be belittled by others, including China. But if it persisted in its "strategic encirclement" thinking of its giant neighbor, India would virtually step on a loss-making route, at least, in mentality.
In a nutshell, to grow up to be a real power and stand as a sound competitor, India needs to, first and foremost, break through its own psychological fence.
Labels: 1962 War, China Defence, India Defence
An International Conference on Asian Rivers
A great International Conference on River Waters Perspectives and Challenges for India was held in Delhi between November 18 and 20 at the India International Center in New Delhi.
It was organized by the Foundation for Non-violent Alternatives (FNVA).
Nobody can today doubt that 'Water' will be the next source of conflict within Nation-States or between neighouring States.
The Conference was convened to offer a common platform for countries in the region, upper riparians, middle riparians and lower riparians, to draw up a sustained plan of action to withstand the potentially disastrous effects of the impending water crisis on the basis of fair equitable utilisation of river waters originating from the Third Pole.
I said that the Conference was 'great' because for the first time, scientists/experts from Australia, Bangladesh, Central Asia, China, Finland, France, India, Mekong Region, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sweden and the UK sat together and tried to find solutions to this sensitive issue, with main objective to establish a transparent dialogue and cooperation amongst Asian States.
It was a good beginning.
At the end of the conference the following Declaration was made:
We recognise the right of the growing economies of the region to develop energy, resources and water for their development needs. However, in view of the unquantified risks – climate change, economic uncertainty and social and ecological damage, we call for a pause to reflect on further construction of large dams until all parties take full account of the balance of ecological, economic and human impacts along the entire length of the watercourse and prioritise the rights and interests of all riparian peoples in present and future projects.
The waters of the Third Pole, its glaciers and snow, its rivers and lakes, have importance and impacts, including far downstream, and thus constitute a common heritage of importance to all humanity. Their stewardship is a shared responsibility and the benefits they bring are a right held in common by all the inhabitants of the region, from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau to the estuaries, for present and future generations of the peoples of its watersheds.
Today the waters and cryosphere of the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan Region are threatened by over-extraction, overambitious engineering, pollution and climate change. This in turn poses a threat to the stability of the region’s weather systems and the health and livelihoods of the more than one billion people who depend on its rivers, and to the survival of the many other forms of life they support. Historic tensions and regional rivalries have impeded the full cooperation and creative thinking that is required to prevent further deterioration in the Third Pole. We urge all countries, especially the largest riparians India and China, to lead the effort, in cooperation with all the governments of the region, to institute the wide ranging and urgent collaboration that responsible stewardship and the restoration of the health of the region’s transboundary rivers now demands.
We respectfully propose to all riparian governments, scholars, experts and non-governmental organisations the following urgent steps:
To pledge to respect and protect the region’s rich natural resources, ecological and cultural diversity and to give priority to the equitable sharing of the environmental, social and economic benefits of the region’s transboundary rivers
To adopt a holistic, cooperative and multilevel approach to the management of transboundary rivers, taking the health and flow of the river as the prime value.
To institute and support confidence building exchanges across national boundaries, between upper and lower riparians and across all relevant sectors of society in pursuit of mutually beneficial development and resource stewardship, to include official, scientific, technological and civil society exchanges.
To institute immediate cooperation on flood forecasting, water and soil conservation and the sharing of relevant scientific and technical data including the establishment of a cross border integrated digital platform for the Yarlung-Tsangpo/Brahmaputra basin
To establish and develop a regional knowledge base, to include traditional, cultural, technical and scientific knowledge, open to all
That all governments pledge to cooperate over development planning, promote transparency and to carry out full river assessments of all engineering projects
To establish a regional communities forum to give expression to community interests, value to local and indigenous knowledge, and to safeguard the rights of vulnerable peoples and disadvantaged communities
Inaugural Session
Welcome Remarks by the Chair — Justice J.S. Verma, Patron FNVA, Former Chief Justice of India
Isabel Hilton, Editor, China Dialogue
Dr. L.M.S. Palni, Director, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development
Inaugural Address — Dr. Ashok Chauhan, Founder Amity Universities and Chairman AKC Group
Session I- Significance of The Third Pole
Chair — Ambassador Ranjit Gupta
Climate Change and Security at the Third Pole
Dr. Katherine Morton, Senior Fellow, Department of International Relations, School of International, Political and Strategic Studies College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University
Grassland Degradation and Summer Monsoon
Gabriel Lafitte, Independent Researcher, Asian Anthropology and History
Atmosphere and Water Quality over the Tibetan Plateau
Dr Shichang Kang, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Significance of the Tibetan Plateau
Tenzin Norbu, Environment Desk, DIIR, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala.
Knowledge Gaps for a Comprehensive Water Science and Policy for Monsoon-fed Himalayan Rivers
Prof. Jayanta Bandyopadhyay, Professor and Head Centre for Development and Environment Policy Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
Water and Security
Claude Arpi, Writer and author on India, China, Tibet and Indo-French Relations
Water perspectives – India
Chair — Mr. Ramaswamy Iyer, Former Secretary, Water Resource Ministry, Government of India
New Technologies to Solve the Present Water Resources Problems – Sutluj Case
Prof. A.K. Gosain, Professor & Head, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
Cusec Deadlock: The Indus and Hydro-politics in a Fault Zone
Dr. Rohan D’Souza, Assistant Professor Centre for Studies in Science Policy School of Social Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University
Geo-environmental Context of the Brahmaputra River basin and its Implications for Water Resources Planning
Dr. Dulal C. Goswami, Professor (Retd.), Guwahati University, Assam
Wrong Climate for Big Dams
Samir Mehta, South Asia Programme Director, International Rivers
Session II Water Perspectives – India
Chair — Mr. Ramaswamy Iyer
Dams and Environmental Governance in Northeast India
Neeraj Vagholikar, Kalpavriksh — Environment Action Group
Climate Change Impact on the Indo-Tibetan Brahmaputra basin — Trends, Precursors and Response Needs
Professor Chandan Mahanta, Department of Civil Engineering Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
Community based Management of Water Resources in the Himalayan Watersheds
Sejuti Basu, Pragya
Session III: Water Perspectives— China
Chair - Mr. Dipak Gyawali, Former Minister for Water Resources Nepal, Pragya (Academician), Nepal Academy of Science and Technology
Water Warriors Hydropower Politics in China
Dr. Andrew Mertha, (via Skype), Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dept. of Government, Cornell University
Water Resources Distribution Patterns in the Himalayan Regions
Prof Jia Shaofeng, Chair, Water and Land Resources Research Department, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yarlung-Tsangpo/Brahmaputra: From Resource-Capture to Cooperation
Jesper Svensson, Masters Student, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg
China’s River Protection vs Hydro Interests
Yu Xiagion, Director, Green Watershed, Kunming, China
Sino-Indian Relations: Fragile but Sustainable
Prof Zhao Gancheng, Director, Institute of International Strategic Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
Session IV: Technical Presentations
Chair — Prof Shaofeng Jia, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Gangotri Glacier – an overview
V.K.Raina, Ex. Deputy Director General Geological Survey of India
Water Quality of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra)
Prof. Dr. Mika Sillanpää, Professor, Head of the Laboratory at Lappeenranta University of Technology Finland
International Rivers of Western Himalayas – Hydrological Prospects and Areas of Concern
Dr. R.D. Singh, Director, National Institute of Hydrology
Climate Change Scenario in North-western Himalayas and its Influence on Hydrological Regime of River Basins
Dr. Mahendra Bhutiyani, Scientist, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE)
SESSION V: Perspectives from Asia
Chair – Dr. Katherine Morton
State of Water Pollution and Bioassessment to Evaluate the Ecological Status of Rivers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
M. Fazlul Bari, Ph.D., Professor, Dept of Water Resources Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Tech (BUET)
Save Burma’s Rivers
Ah Nan, Burma Rivers Network
Environmental Performance Assessment on Water Resource
Win Myo Thu, MD and Founder, ECODEV, Rangoon
Conflicts over Water in Central Asia, Complexity of Managing an International River
Eelke Kraak, PhD candidate School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
MEKONG REGION
Mekong Region and the Major Challenges of the River that Feeds Millions
Premrudree Daoroung, Co-Director, TERRA
Contested Waterscapes: Regional Cooperation in the Mekong Region
Kate Lazarus, M-POWER
Challenge Program on Water and Food
Clumsy River Handling
Dr. Dipak Gywali, Former Minister for Water Resources Nepal, Pragya (Academician), Academy of Science and Technology
Trans-boundary Water Processes: Interfacing Micro and the Macro
Dr. Ajaya Dixit, Institution for Social and Environmental Transition-Nepal
Climate Change & Sustainable Management of Indus Basin: Pakistan Perspective
Dr. Shaheen Akhtar, Senior Research Fellow Institute of Regional Studies Islamabad
SESSION VI: The Way Forward
Chair– Ambassador Ranjit Gupta
Common Natural Heritage for Common Advantage
Hari Jaisingh, Author and Journalist
The Role and Relevance of the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention
Dr Alistair Rieu-Clarke, Senior Lecturer in International Law and heads the International Water Law Research Cluster at the Dundee IHP-HELP Centre.
India-China Water Dialogue
Nimmi Kurien, Professor, Centre for Policy Research
River Basin Management: Building Knowledge for Change
Sanjay Gupta, Senior Communications Specialist, South Asia Water Initiative, (SAWI), the World Bank
Waters of Hope: Health Innovations and interventions in tge Brahmaputra – Assam
Sanjoy Hazarika, Director, Centre for North-East Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia
Labels: Brahmaputra Diversion, China, Conference, Water Treaty
Interview with Arunachal Pradesh Governor General J J Singh
A fascinating interview, exclusively for Rediff.com. Click here to read
Why Arunachal is an 'undiscovered gold mine'
It is not well known that Arunachal Pradesh, which attained statehood in February 1987, is one of the fastest developing states of India.
Though the state went through few weeks of instability after the untimely death of former chief minister Dorjee Khandu in a helicopter crash in April, peace has now returned to the state.
Arunachal is a very sensitive state with a long international border with Bhutan (160 km), China (1,080 km) and Myanmar (440 km). It bore the brunt of the Chinese attack during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
Claude Arpi meets General J J Singh, former army chief and now the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, who spells out the priorities and his vision for this border state. The governor also revisits the 1962 war and shares his perceptions for the future.
The Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh
Could you tell us a few words about your state?
Arunachal Pradesh is the eastern most state of India. It is one of the few states in India which has a boundary with three countries (China, Bhutan and Myanmar). Therefore its position is geo-strategically important.
It is also our gateway to South-East Asia. It could be a hub for trade, commerce and India's 'Look East policy'. This shows the importance of this region.
Arunachal is an undiscovered gold mine
The beautiful Sela Pass near Tawang in Arunachal
It is also a resource-rich region. It has natural resources in abundance, not yet fully discovered. In fact, it is an undiscovered gold mine.
It has oil, coal and other resources like forests and fresh water. Arunachal has the most luxuriant flora and the fauna. We grow all sorts of fruits such as kiwis, walnuts, apples, pineapples, bananas, litchis and also oranges. The state could supply the entire region with high quality oranges.
It has an amazing variety of flora and fauna and is one the biodiversity hotspots of the planet; perhaps one of the few remaining. Sometimes for miles, there is no habitation, only forest covered mountains. There are places which have never been visited by men. It is one of the few 'as God made it' places left on the planet.
But because of its remoteness, the mountainous terrain and the densely forested areas, development, till recently, lagged behind in many other parts of the country.
Since 2008, development has been the focus of the state government. With an immense development package and unflinching support of central government, Arunachal is going through a historic phase.
No part of the world is being developed at this pace
Construction work in progress on a road near Tawang
Kindly elucidate on the visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
The prime minister came in January 2008 and offered a package of Rs. 24,000 crore to be utilised during the next six to eight years.
Since then, one can say that no part of the world is being developed at this pace. To give you two examples: there will be a four-way lane from Itanagar to Guwahati (in Assam) as well as a Trans-Arunachal highway of 1,600 kms, connecting the western part of the state to the easternmost part, running through and connecting eleven district headquarters en-route.
Today to go from one valley to another, one has to come down to Assam and go up the next valley. Once the trans-Arunachal highway is completed, we need not come down the feeder roads to Assam.
The new trans-Arunachal road will thus benefit the people of the state. The work on this project is being started from various points, simultaneously.
We have already connected the 16 districts headquarters and now we are going forward to various areas and settlements not connected as yet.
The priority will be the people of Arunachal Pradesh
An airport has been sanctioned for Itanagar by the prime minister during his visit in 2008. Itanagar is one of the only two state capitals of the country today which do not have an airport.
As this may take some time, in the interim phase, we are thinking of developing short taking off/landing airports. I would call these new airfields, 'subsidiary airfields', though they are usually known as Advanced Landing Grounds.
There are eight ALGs under development in the state. I prefer to use the term 'subsidiary airfields', because ALG is a military term and we want to use these airfields for the benefit of the people. The priority will be the civilian use.
Will stress on eco-tourism in Arunachal
Buddhist pilgrims in Tawang monastery
Are you thinking in terms of eco-tourism?
In five or ten years, most of our people will perhaps prefer to come to Arunachal rather than go to Switzerland. We have such a variety of landscapes: glaciers, alpine climate, and then the tropical and the rain forests. In Arunachal Pradesh, you can come down from 20,000 feet to 1,000 feet over a distance of 150 to 200 km.
Such gradients are very rare anywhere in the world and have led to development of immense varieties of flora and fauna and natural vegetation.
We are thinking along many dimensions. We are thinking in terms of adventure tourism (the state has the longest stretch of the Himalayas), mountaineering, white-water rafting; we are also thinking of religious tourism as the state not only has Tawang, one of the largest Buddhist monasteries after Lhasa, but also Parasuram Kund, a very famous Hindu pilgrimage near Tezu and several other religious sites.
We will of course lay increased stress on eco-tourism. In last three years we discovered one new species of bird, one of a fish, one of a mammal called 'Black Pica' as well as a rare butterfly.
Four new species have been discovered in three years and this has been documented. This is why I call it 'an undiscovered gold mine'.
Arunachalis are the most patriotic Indians
An Arunachali women busy making cane baskets
In some places, development and tourism have spoiled the original beauty of the place. Would you like to say something on this?
We are trying to make sure that this development does not happen overnight; people should not be overwhelmed by development. Development should be paced so that it can be absorbed. Most important of all, the Arunachalis should be the first beneficiaries.
If a dam is planned, a social commitment to improve the life of the local people (by creating a school, a hospital, providing jobs, etc.) is the first priority. Social commitment cannot be forgotten. As a governor I always emphasise this: 'Arunachalis first'.
In 10 years time, the Arunachalis may be the richest Indians by per capita income standards. The population is small and between tourism and power projects, Arunachalis have a bright future. We can sell the surplus power produced by hydropower plants and get handsome revenues for the state.
The projects being undertaken have a long gestation period, some may take upto eight or ten years to concretise. In the meanwhile, tourism is something that we can make a livelihood from and provide jobs to many young people.
Besides this, handicraft development like in the Poma village (a pet project of the governor and his wife to create beautiful crafts using bamboo) can help. Today 60 or 70 families are surviving in this village without having to come to the town.
One point should be remembered: Arunachalis are the most patriotic Indians. They feel so strongly for the country. For example, they went to Jantar Mantar and told the Chinese clearly and loudly: "We are part of India". They are the ones who first protested against the stapled visas.
Why the crime rate is so low in the state
Do you still have the traditional village councils?
Yes, many of the civil cases and local disputes over land or water are settled by these village councils. Additionally, family and community disputes are settled by the councils. However, criminal aspects are progressively going to the judiciary which is now being separated from the executive.
The decisions of the councils have been traditionally accepted by the community. It is probably why the crime rate is very low in Arunachal.
Would you kindly refer to the infiltration of Naga rebels in two districts of Arunachal?
The districts of Tirap and Changlang are affected by a spill-over of the Naga problem. However, tackling the issue is not very easy as the underground cadres of banned organisations simply cross-over the international border and find safe havens when pursued by our security forces.
Fencing the entire border in this area is also not a viable option because of the very tough and undulating physical terrain.
The central government is well on the way to resolve the larger Naga problem and I am sure the case of Arunachal will be resolved alongside.
The situation should not get out of control
A beautiful lake near Tawang
You mentioned to the media that the army could help?
The situation should not get out of control. It is basically a social, political and military problem. Talks are going on and people basically want peace; they are fed up of violence, they want to get along with their lives.
The problem, I would say is in a declining phase. In the past year more than hundred boys have already surrendered and joined the mainstream in Tirap district alone. Our army has been playing a very positive and constructive role in all these developments and also providing a sense of security to the residents.
Could tell us about the creation of the Arunachal Scouts?
The 1st battalion of Arunachal Scouts was successfully raised in November last year after persistent efforts from both the Raj Bhavan and the state government.
We have now requested the central government to sanction at least three more battalions over a period of three to five years, including a dedicated training centre. The 'Scouts' will be a force multiplier for the regular army units in the days to come.
They can live off the land, can speak local language and need no acclimatisation. The Arunachali youth will get a chance to serve their motherland as well. This will pay us rich future dividends.
Relationship with China is only growing
The market in Tawang
India still has the scars of the conflict with China which occurred some 50 years ago. Could this happen again?
I am a soldier. I have served in the entire north-eastern region. I can tell you that fighting a war is a very difficult job.
During my last interview in Kolkata as army chief, I told the media: "I want to assure you that 1962 will not be repeated". It was in 2007. Today, we are even better prepared; it cannot be repeated.
In 1962, we did not have even a chance to fight. It was not expected, we were not prepared, we were not trained properly and most intelligence assessments were not satisfactory.
In 2007, I visited China as the Chief of Army Staff. I got a warm welcome and we discussed counter-insurgency exercises. It is something which was unconceivable in the 1980's or 1990's.
Since then, these exercises have been conducted a few times. Further, today we have many high-level exchanges. The Chinese are coming to the National Defence College we are going to their National Defence University.
Yes, there is a dispute on the border, but by and large there is tranquility along the Line of Actual Control. We have continued high level dialogues to sort out the issue.
Today, China is India's largest trading partner. Our relationship is only growing in strength rather than in discord.
Labels: Article Rediff, Arunachal, China-India relations, Dams, Interviews, JJ SIngh
Yes, China is Communist
The Indian Communists are scratching their heads: is the People's Republic of China a Communist State? Is the Chinese Communist Party communist or capitalist?
This is valid question.
The problem of the Indian Communists is that they don't read the Chinese press, they could find an answer.
On November 7, 2011, Study Times, a journal of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CCP, published an article discussing the benefits of China’s foreign policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping. He had proposed: to “hide our capabilities and bide our time.”
The article explained: “After China started its economic reforms and opened to the world, China stopped using its (Communist) ideological standards to deal with other countries. This has successfully reversed the diplomatic situation, which has been unfavorable to China.”
Even China’s foreign policy is to “hide the (Communist) ideology and modernize China according to its plans while other countries are in chaos.”
The article concluded that the foreign policy “hide our capabilities and bide our time” is very important and necessary when China is in the process of integrating into the international system: “To create a favorable international environment to develop our domestic economy, we should continue to hide our (Communist) ideology so as to minimize the differences (in particular between the U.S. and China).”
Chinascope, the website which published the translation, gives the historical background: “Hide one’s capabilities and bide one’s time” or “Hide one’s ambitions and disguise one’s claws”, comes from a well-known Chinese historical novel, 'The Three Kingdoms' based on real stories from the end of the Han Dynasty (25 AD-220 AD) to the Three Kingdoms era (220 AD- 280 AD) of Chinese history. The kings of the Three Kingdoms were Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan. When Liu Bei was seeking refuge in Cao Cao’s territory, he was afraid that Cao Cao would kill him if he did not hide his ambition to unite the whole nation and become king. By working hard in his backyard vegetable garden every day and pretending to be cowardly, he successfully misled Cao Cao, who no long viewed Liu as a competitor. Liu Bei’s strategy was called “hide one’s ambitions and disguise one’s claws”.
The answer to the question of the Indian Comrades is therefore: "Yes, China is Communist today, but it is hiding it".
Well, hiding it, not so well.
In Beijing's recent elections, several independent candidates ran to be nominated as representative to the People's Congress. An article is Chinacope said: "however, the Chinese authorities prevented their nomination. Many found their names had been eliminated from the final list of candidates. On November 8, when the election results for the nomination to the People's Congress in Beijing came in, only the names the government authorities chose appeared. No independent candidates made the list."
Ms. Wu Qing, a professor from Beijing Foreign Language University, told Voice of America: "University students received tremendous pressure from the university authorities. There were security personnel, secret police, the regular police, and people from my neighborhood at the university. Many students felt unprecedented pressure... The hidden guidelines from the authorities insured that the candidates recommended by the grass roots masses would never make it to the final nomination list."
Does the CPI want to keep emulating the CCP?
They will have to decide.
Finally, Left finds it right to debate merits of China model
DNA / Satarupa Bhattacharjya
For the first time in many years, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will debate whether the Chinese model of socialism - an inspiration for many in the Indian Left - is the “right” way of achieving an equitable society.
Attempting to review the party’s ideological approach will be its central committee of 80-plus members at a conference of two days and a half, beginning on Friday at the party headquarters, AKG Bhawan here.
“The party never felt the urgent need to really debate this issue as it is feeling now, following the West Bengal debacle,” a source in the CPI(M) told the DNA on Thursday.
Former Bengal chief minister and politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is unlikely to attend the central committee meeting as has been his practice (with outstation meetings) since the Left’s historic rout in that state in May.
The CPI(M) last held a serious ideological debate in 1968 in Bengal’s Burdhwan district after the Naxalbari uprising the year earlier. The choice then before Indian Communists was to either emulate the erstwhile Soviet Union or China.
Since then, although the CPI(M) claimed to have aligned with neither model completely, instead seeking to evolve an Indian view peppered with realities of caste and religion, the party’s stagnation in West Bengal seemed to have busted the long-held myth.
“We need new ideas to take the party forward. We need the youth to join us and we need to be seen to be one with the masses,” the party source said.
The source said according to reports from state committees, the CPI(M)’s “look East” policy in West Bengal, eyeing China’s development among other nations in south-east Asia, seemed to have propelled the Left government to pursue “reforms” at the cost of “human emotions.”
“What are minimum wages for workers in China? That country’s need to increase productivity has turned it into a capitalist economy controlled by the State instead of market forces,” the source said adding such questions are likely to be raised at the Central Committee meeting.
Once the debate is initiated in the weekend, the CPI(M) politburo will review a draft ideological resolution in December. The draft will to be presented for adoption at the party congress in Calicut in April 2012.
At a time when the Indian Left is desperate to gain lost ground in politics, presenting India’s multi-ethnic, multi-party democracy as a differing option to the Chinese story may be a tactical move. But not everyone within the CPI(M) appears to be convinced, Bhattacharjee for one.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_finally-left-finds-it-right-to-debate-merits-of-china-model_1610746-al
Labels: China, Chinese Communist Party, Ideology
100,000 soldiers more
The conclusion of this article of The People's Daily (reproduced on China Military Online) is worth studying: "deploying 100,000 more soldiers along the border areas with China is more of a political move than a military one. After taking necessary precautions, China just needs to continue to develop friendly relations with neighboring countries and adhere to its established security strategy, and then India's troop increase will be in vain."
It is surely a political move, but also a deterrent against any misadventure from Beijing. The Chinese leadership should become aware that would it dare another 1962, it will hurt China as much as India.
It will not be an one-way affair like 50 years ago.
The improvement of India's defense capacity is a deterrent; it is not a 'military move' in the sense that India will not be the first to attack, knowing too well its limitations in infrastructure development and not being an 'expansionist State by nature.
India's troops increase will not be in vain, if the above message is heard in Beijing. No doubt, China will continue to "develop friendly relations with neighboring countries". Hopefully, it includes India.
India's border troop surge aimed at rising China?
China Military Online
Edited and translated by People's Daily Online
Beijing, Nov.10 (People's Daily Online) --India's defense ministry has already approved a 13-billion-U.S.-dollar military modernization plan and has decided to send an additional 100,000 soldiers to the China-India border areas over the next five years. This move is regarded as India's second phase of a military buildup along the China-India border.
Once the plan is approved, it will be the Indian military's largest ever expansion plan and its largest increase in the number of soldiers along the border with China since the India-China border clash in 1962 ended.
India's move is first associated with the adjustments to its national security strategy. India has begun to consider China as an opponent.
The East China Sea and South China Sea issues have further continued to expose some countries' "envious, jealous and hateful" attitude toward China. The changes in the international and regional security landscape will negatively affect China and other countries involved, but they will benefit one country: India.
The United States has recently cemented its ties with India and has regarded India as a crucial strategic alliance. At the same time, Japan has been busy facilitating the expansion of India’s military influence into East Asia.
India not only stepped into the South China Sea issue, which is very sensitive to China, but also increased troops on the border between China and India and upgraded their weapons. India is also strengthening its military exchanges with the countries around China.
When I was sent to the Indian Army Education Officer Training Center to study and participate in exchanges in 2007 and 2008, I met military officers from Vietnam, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Laos and Outer Mongolia.
Second, the move made by India is connected with some practical issues of the China-India relations. The general development trend of China-India relations actually is good. The high-level exchanges and political relationship between the two countries are quite harmonious. However, the people of the two countries do not understand each other well and the mutual military trust is also not strong enough.
Between China and India, there are not only border issues left over by the history but also practical issues of the complex triangle China-India-Pakistan relations. India always worries about the good relationship between China and Pakistan, which is the biggest problem between China and India.
Meanwhile, India insists joining hands with Vietnam to step in the South China Sea issue.
All of these factors will not help promote the mutual military trust between China and India. India incorrectly believes that China develops Tibet as a shield, and therefore it continues to strengthen its military power on the border to guard against and contain China.
India's arms expansion is also related to its domestic political climate. Certain Indian elites always take China as a frame of reference for India's development. As China has a clear lead over India in many areas, they are worried that India may lag behind China in seizing energy resources, and thus naturally see China's peaceful development as a "threat."
Certain Indian elites and media outlets have repeatedly criticized the Indian government for its lack of military investments, which they claim has led to slow development of the country's armed forces. However, the country's rapid economic development in recent years has set a solid foundation for its military buildup.
India is now emerging as a major buyer on the international arms market, and large amounts of advanced weapons from the United States, Russia, Israel and European countries have supplemented India's troop increase along the border areas with China.
In fact, deploying 100,000 more soldiers along the border areas with China is more of a political move than a military one. After taking necessary precautions, China just needs to continue to develop friendly relations with neighboring countries and adhere to its established security strategy, and then India's troop increase will be in vain.
Cruel overlord called China
My article Cruel overlord called China appeared in The Pioneer. Click here to read.
The West is silent over rights violations in Tibet because it hopes China will bail out Eurozone. Meanwhile, Amartya Sen goes to Beijing with a begging bowl.
A similar piece appeared in The Statesman. The title was Two different worlds. Click here to read.
Labels: Article Pioneer, Article Statesman, G20, Immolation, Nalanda, Tibet
In the Shadow of Mystic Tibet
Some books come at the right time on the shelves; it is the case of “In the Shadow of the Buddha” (one Man’s Journey of Spiritual and Political Danger in Tibet) written by author and spiritual seeker Matteo Pistono.
For the past few weeks, Tibetan activists have been in the news trying to bring the horrifying self-immolations of Tibetans monks and nuns to the attention of the world leaders. Hundreds them, shouting, “Tibet is burning”, invited themselves to Cannes on the French Riviera where the G20 Summit was held. That the leaders have remained deaf is another matter, but the Tibetan issue is alive.
In the book’s Foreword, Hollywood actor and practicing, Buddhist Richard Gere explains: “This book is the story of how great spiritual practitioners from Tibet, like the mystic Terton Sogyal, and the thirteenth and fourteenth Dalai Lamas, are able to bring the full force of the bodhisattva commitment – the burning of desire to free all being from suffering – into whatever situation they face, including the world of politics.”
The book deals with many aspects of the Tibetan question simultaneously: spirituality, mysticism, history, politics and human rights. The author jumps from the notes of his pilgrimage in the footsteps of Terton Sogyal, the guru of his Buddhist teacher (Sogyal Rinpoche, himself a reincarnation of the Terton), to his discovery of the human plights of the Tibetans.
Terton Sogyal (1856-1926) was a 19th century tantric master who was a bandit in his youth before becoming one of the greatest mediation master of his time; he offered special teachings to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama.
Pistono explains that there was “a prevailing belief in Tibet that Terton Sogyal’s mantras and prayers could protect Tibet from foreign Armies”, adding: “Not unlike the Dalai Lama today, Terton Sogyal was a master at integrating his political duties with spiritual practice, while never losing the pure motivation that holds other’s well-being as the priority”.
Though the present Dalai Lama has officially retired, he remains very much at the center stage of the politics of Tibet. Last week, while visiting Japan, he forcefully spoke of the incidents of self-immolation in Tibet: “The leadership in Beijing should look into the ultimate cause of these tragic incidents. These Tibetans have faced tremendous desperate situation.”
It is a fact that Tibet has never believed in ‘secularism’ as it is propagated in India today. During the 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama established a form of government, known as the Ganden Podrang which was characterized by a ‘harmonious blend between religion and politics”. Till early this year, the Dalai Lamas were the spiritual and temporal leaders of Tibet.
What makes Pistono’s story more fascinating and relevant to the present day is that, while on Terton Sogyal’s spiritual trail, he manages to collect proofs of human rights violation in areas which are right now the site of unrest.
The book introduces the reader to some not-too well known aspects of the Tibetan Buddhism. Guru Padmasambhava, the great Indian master who visited Tibet during the 8th century, thought the time had not come to reveal his entire teachings; the world was simply not ready. He chose to hide spiritual treatises and objects in rocks and lakes in several places of the Land of Snows; these Hidden Treasures are known as Termas. He prophesied that at an appropriate time, they would be ‘revealed’ or rediscovered by powerful Lamas or yogis known as Terton.
Terton Sogyal was one such ‘revealer’. He had a special expertise in the ‘phurpa’ ritual. The ‘phurba’ is a three-bladed, single pointed dagger symbolizing the skillful means of compassion, which during special pujas (Vajrakilaya) helps to destroy one’s self-cherished ego.
Terton Sogyal was also skilled to ‘protect’ Tibet against external enemies. During a conflict between the British and the Tibetans in 1888, the Lama was called by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama to perform a special ritual in Lhasa. Pistono recounts: “The Tibetan forces suffered losses during the six-month battle, though, as Tibetan vajrayana practitioners contend, the British were still unable to penetrate into Tibet because of the protective shield and the Tibetan storehouse of protective merits.”
Skeptics may doubt the efficacy of such rituals. It reminds me of the reaction of Robert Ford, the British radio operator posted in Tibet when the Chinese troops invaded the Roof of the World in October 1950. Ford wrote: “In Chamdo [Eastern Tibet] no one panicked, though the number of prayers was increased. More and more lay people joined the monks and began circumambulating around the monastery, the incense smoke went higher and higher in the sky, the gods had to be propitiated.”
Monks believed: “only the gods could give Tibet victory …They would pray twice as hard, or rather twice as often, and that would be of more use than taking up arms.” The Britisher in Ford commented that it was perhaps good for morale “but it seemed to me that something more Churchilian was needed.”
Some Tibetans believed that although, Col Younghusband and a few thousand British troops entered Lhasa in 1904; the fact that he withdrew a month later was due to the Terton’s pujas. Pistono writes: “Some have gone so far as to attribute Younghusband’s late conversion to modern mysticism as a result of the ritual bombardments of phurbas directed at him.”
The problem is that, following a similar logic, one could ask why are Tibetans today living in exile, recognized by none, forced to immolate themselves to inform the world about their plight? Tibetans will probably answer that their ‘storehouse’ of bad karma was too full; it has to be exhausted and the rituals help.
But the skeptic could further question: “why had Tibet accumulated such negative Karma? What about the karma of the British, the Americans, the French… and the Chinese. They are today free nations. Even Palestine has a seat at UNESCO!”
The spiritualist would probably respond: “The results of these pujas take time to fructify and in any case, in the meantime the Tibetan Lamas (thanks to the exile) are able to spread their message of love and compassion the world over”. This is certainly a way to see the last 60 years of exile of the Tibetan Diaspora.
A journalist from USA TODAY, Calum MacLeod recently visited what used to be the encampment of Terton Sogyal, near Serthar, in today’s Sichuan Province. It is here that Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok ,another reincarnation of the Terton, founded the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in 1980.
MacLeod recounted the story of Sheng, a Han Chinese “far from her home — and from the bars where she used to drink and the ex-boyfriends she says cheated on her. She is here with 2,000 other Han Chinese at the Larung Gar Buddhist Institute, … a traditional gateway to Tibet, where Tibetans have practiced Buddhism for centuries — and where, for decades, China's Communist Party has suppressed Buddhists, sometimes brutally.”
The Institute was razed to the ground in 2001, when Beijing discovered that thousands of Hans were studying Buddhism there. Today, though the Khempo is no more, the Institute has risen again.
For McLeod: “The academy and its rising number of converts from China's dominant ethnic group, the Han Chinese, reflect a remarkable and quiet recovery for Buddhist teachings [in China].” The phurba is perhaps quite efficient after all.
Apart from the tantric rituals, politics or human rights violations in Tibet, you will learn a number of things about mysticism in Tibet while reading Pistono’s book, even how realized Lamas depart leave in a ‘rainbow body’ at the time of their death. Worth reading about, if not experimenting!
Labels: Book Review, Tibet, Tibet History, Tibetan Buddhism
Two separate worlds
We lived in a strange world.
On one side, we have ‘great leaders’ taking ‘vital’ decisions for our future at the G20 Summit in Cannes on the French Riviera, while on the other side ordinary people (known as the ‘common man’ in Indian political parlance) struggle with their miseries and their aspirations. In today’s world, there is no connection between the two.
While the ordinary man cannot really understand the ins and outs of the famous economic ‘crisis’ (except for the fact that the bankers never lose ‘their’ money), the 20 most powerful persons of the planet promise that everything will be solved for our good.
What is this crisis about? For dummies, it can be simplified thus: Europe is broke, the US are deeply indebted, while China is rich and does not know what to do with its Yuans (it is also true of India, but in a much smaller measure).
As a result, Sarkozy and his colleagues have been courting China.
A few thousands kilometers away, Tibetan monks and nuns are immolating themselves. The latest on the list (the eleventh) was Palden Choesang, a 35 years old nun from Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. She set herself afire in protest against the Chinese government’s suppression of religious freedom. Before dying near a Buddhist stupa, she shouted, ‘Freedom for Tibet’, ‘Long live H.H the Dalai Lama’ and ‘Let the Dalai Lama return to Tibet’. Immediately after her death, heavy contingents of police arrived and placed further restrictions on the clergy’s practices.
What is the connection between the two events? There is none. For a simple reason: as poor, sinking Europe had to beg from China, the West must remain silent while China is asked to ‘help’ by investing some of its $3.2 trillion in foreign exchange reserves in the bailout fund. But China is not even responsive. Hu told Sarkozy that the European debt problem should be mainly solved by Europe: “We hope that the implementation of the plan will address current difficulties in Europe and boost European economic development”.
It is not difficult to understand why everybody keeps mum about the tragic events happening in Tibet.
This series of self-immolations began on March 16 when Phuntsog, a 21-year old monk of Kirti Monastery set himself on fire in Ngaba. It continued on 15 August with Tsewang Norbu of Tawu Nyatso Monastery. On 17 October, Tenzin Wangmo a 20-year old nun was the first nun to immolate herself.
In the meantime, the Chinese propaganda says that the Tibetans have never been so well off. Xinhua reported: “Low-income families in Tibet whose per capital net income in a year is lower than 1450 yuan could get minimum living funds. …It’s said that Tibet has increased the minimum living fund standard by 4 times since 2007.”
So where is the problem?
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) which follows closely the human right situation in Tibet, gave a rationale for the extreme step taken by these monks and nuns: “Movement is controlled and religious practices are either limited or completely forbidden. Several laws and policies are specifically aimed to control Tibet’s Buddhist institutions.”
TCHRD remarked: “Such acts not only violate the very principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also the Constitution of China. Article 33 of the Chinese constitution provides for the safeguard and protection of Human Rights.”
But who is to tell this to Hu Jintao who could tomorrow be Europe’s ‘savior’?
The Dalai Lama on tour in Japan affirmed: “these incidents of self-immolation are very very sad. The leadership in Beijing should look into the ultimate cause of these tragic incidents. These Tibetans have faced a tremendously desperate situation, otherwise nobody will commit such drastic acts”.
He would like the Chinese leadership to pay serious attention to their minority policies: “Relying on force is counter-productive. Force can never bring unity and stability.”
But Beijing’s leadership is not ready to listen.
The renown dissident and poetess Tsering Woeser recalled on her blog that in 1948, Quang Duc Thich, a Vietnamese monk burnt himself in Saigon. Woeser said that the 67-year-old monk’s last words were, “before closing my eyes and moving towards the vision of the Buddha, I respectfully plead to the [Vietnamese] President to take a mind of compassion towards the people of the nation and implement religious equality …I call the venerables, reverends, members of the sangha and the lay Buddhists to organise in solidarity to make sacrifices to protect Buddhism.” Woeser believes that the same aspirations and feelings pushed Tibetan monks and nuns to set themselves on fire.
Do not conclude prematurely that the Communist regime in Beijing does not like Buddhism. On the contrary, these days Beijing seems to love the philosophy taught by Gautam Buddha.
On October 14, 2011, Nobel Prize Laureate Amartya Sen met Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun; Sen was heading a delegation of the Nalanda University Mentor Group. According to the Chinese press: “The two sides exchanged opinions on the rebuilding of Nalanda University and China-India cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation …Nalanda University was known in ancient times as Nalanda Temple where Monk Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty fetched Buddhist scriptures.”
The Chinese are said to have pledged 1 billion dollars for the project. It means that Beijing ‘loves’ Buddhism, does it not? So, why the Tibetan monks and nuns continue to immolate themselves?
Unfortunately, today Buddhism is just a propaganda tool in Beijing’s agenda which dreams to spread its ‘soft power’.
The Economist recently reported that China plans to invest $3 billion in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. The Economist explained: “After Prachanda, the leader of Nepal’s Maoists, stepped down as prime minister in 2009, he several times met representatives of The Asia Pacific Exchange and Co-operation Foundation (APECF). In July Chinese media reported that the Hong-Kong-based foundation—which is widely thought to have China’s backing—had signed an agreement with UNIDO, the UN’s industrial-development organisation, to invest $3 billion in Lumbini.” The objective is to make a ‘Mecca for Buddhists’.
The Economist said that the news caused an uproar in Nepal as neither the central government nor the local authorities responsible for Lumbini were consulted. Later the Nepalese government refused to entertain the deal. “If this was an exercise in Chinese ‘soft power; it was a disaster’, The Economist commented.
Today’s China seems to have a different definition of ‘culture’ or ‘religion’ than the rest of the world.
In an official Chinese publication Outlook Weekly, a Chinese professor of the Party School explained what Beijing means by ‘culture’: “The socialist core value system is the soul rejuvenating the country and the essence of the socialist advanced culture. …The core value of socialism is to liberate mankind. The four basic elements that make up the socialist core value system are the guiding principles of Marxism, the common ideals of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the national spirit and the spirit of the times, and socialist morality.”
One cannot expect the Tibetan monks and nuns who continue to immolate themselves, to understand these doctrinal niceties, they just want to practice the Dharma.
It is all the more indecent that a renowned person like Amartya Sen who pretends to revive the Nalanda Tradition of compassion and openness, not only remains quiet about the immolations, but continues to go begging to Chinese authorities for a purely Indian cultural project.
The world is indeed upside-down.
Labels: Chinese Policy towards Tibet, Hu Jintao, Immolation, Lumbini, Nalanda, Sarkozy
Why China is unlikely to attack India now
My article Why China is unlikely to attack India now is posted on Sify.com. Click here to read.
Labels: 1962 War, Article Sify, China Defence, India Defence
The Only Way?
This article of The Hindu Business Line is quoting me, the author has however forgotten my conclusion: "If China wants again to ‘teach a lesson’ to India, it will be a Himalayan task, and in the process, the PLA may get a ‘bloody nose’, as they say in the Army."
On the last day of the G20 Meet in Cannes on the French Riviera, President Sarkozy had a one-to-one dinner with only one of his 19 colleagues, guess who?
No, not Manmohan Singh (to sell the Rafales?), but with Hu Jintao!
One thing is sure, would China try again a '1962' on India, it will be the end of exclusive suppers for the Chinese leaders.
Beijing knows that it would 'lose face' in the process. It is an important factor for the present Emperors.
Are they ready?
Bonding for peace is the only way
The Hindu Business Line
B. S. Raghavan
Is a repeat attack on India still a live option in China's strategic calculations? No security analyst on the Indian side dares to say no. So deep is the hurt to the Indian psyche caused by the 1962 invasion. The assumption invariably is that China at some point will see it as the only means of asserting its power and dominance to elbow India out altogether in the global race for leadership and influence.
A research paper of India's Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, known for its hawkish propensity, moots a graded three-tier proposition: A Kargil-like limited war on a specific section of the border or line of control (LAC) of a limited duration amenable to a negotiated termination; a “territorial grab”, possibly of Tawang; or lateral or horizontal expansion of the conflict engulfing Ladakh, Central sector, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Prof. J. W. Garver, the noted scholar specialising in Chinese studies, in his book, The Protracted Contest: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the Twentieth Century, also conceives of three scenarios which make an armed conflict “probable”: China intervening in an Indian-Pakistan war in support of the latter; a major uprising against its rule in Tibet in which China suspects India's hand; and the unresolved border dispute coming to a boil and getting out of hand.
ACID TEST
Mohan Malik, expert on Asian security matters, in his book China and India: Great Power Rivals, considers the probability “extremely low”, but real, since China would want to “lash out against India” if it looks like surging ahead of China in economic growth.
The only counter to these Doomsday forecasts that I have seen is from Dr Claude Arpi, a respected Tibetologist. He bases his reasoning primarily on the cordial relations that exists between the local administration and the Indian armed and para-military forces, on the one hand, and the tribal leaders and the local population, on the other.
His impression, after a personal visit to the North-Eastern States, is that the local Monpa population is resentful of the description of their area as Southern Tibet and will never accept Chinese dominion over the region.
But these are intangibles, though they will conduce to the flow of accurate human intelligence, effective civil defence measures, security coordination and protection and maintenance of infrastructural assets.
The acid test will always be the preparedness of India to give a fitting response to any aggressor from across its borders. The one major difference between 1962 and now will be the certainty of India deploying the full strike capabilities of its Air force to attack China's supply lines and stop its advance before it begins.
INDIA NO PUSH-OVER
However, published reports have always projected India as lagging behind China to a disturbing extent in respect of infrastructural development, manpower, equipment and even inventories and war wastage reserves.
Critical shortages are said to be worth Rs 60,000 crore, equivalent to 10 per cent of defence inventory in missiles, ammunition, heavy-lift helicopters, gunships, howitzers and modern communication systems. China's armed forces are seen capable of driving up to most theatres on the border on well-laid highways, and moving 34 divisions or over 400,000 soldiers in a month.
All this notwithstanding, China is most unlikely to start any armed conflict with India even on a limited scale. It is no longer the fanatically militant pusher of Marxist-Leninist ideology, ever on short fuse against fancied offence and insult. In the 50 years since 1962, it has mellowed considerably, and developed the restraint and sobriety of a self-confident achiever on the world stage, eager to retain its respectability as a quasi-capitalist economic giant.
India too has earned universal admiration for its success stories and doing one better than China as an impressive model of development while still nurturing the values of democracy. China knows that India is no push-over.
The entire world will be ranged against China if it makes any aggressive move. It is only by bonding for lasting peace and close friendship India and China can hope to achieve the levels of greatness and prosperity deserving of future world powers.
Labels: 1962 War, China Foreign Policy, India Defence
Interview with Arunachal Pradesh Governor General ...
1962: once again?
And what about Tibet?
Thangthong Gyalpo and bridges in Arunachal
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Diploma in clinical medicine and surgery
Inroduction
The programme for the training of clinical officers has been recognized and executed by the government for the last 70 years. These officers have then worked as in-charges of district hospitals for a long time, until the early 70?s when doctors started taking over. The district focus policy, as a major strategy of rural development, has influenced the planning and formulation of health service programmes in the country where people are expected to participate in identifying their health needs as well as planning and implementing health care programmes.
Clinical officers have continued to play a vital role as clinicians and managers not only at the level of rural health facilities but also in the running of District, Provincial and National hospitals. They are among the first clinicians to come into contact with the patients and clients. With the expanding health care programmes and facilities there continues to be a need to increase the number of health workers to provide preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services and clinical officers are at the front line. This is so especially in the rural areas where about 80% of the population resides. The clinical medicine and surgery programme at the Egerton University has been introduced to address this need along side other training institutions. The programme aims at producing better trained clinical officers who should not only be effective in providing services but who should also be able to competitively access higher education.
At the end of the programme the graduate should be able to: -
Provide curative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitative health care services to the community and refer patients and clients as necessary;
Plan, implement, supervise and evaluate all the necessary health facility and community- based activities;
Organize, supervise, evaluate and carry out health education programmes in health facilities and communities;
Organize and carry out community diagnosis in order to identify community health needs and problems to be addressed; and
Manage physical facilities, finances and personnel.
The eligible candidates must satisfy the following requirements:
Minimum university admission requirements for diploma requirement.
In addition the candidate must have a grade of at least C in each of the following subject clusters acquired from the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) namely: English or Kiswahili, Mathematics or Physics, Chemistry or Physical Sciences and Biology or Biological Sciences.
Applicants with other relevant certificates would have to be evaluated by the Faculty and recommended to the Senate for admission.
Loading and Duration of Study
This is a full time programme designed to take a minimum of three (3) academic years and a maximum of six (6) academic years. Each academic year will have three terms of fifteen (15) weeks each. The third term of the second year will be devoted to community Health attachment and the assessment will count towards the final qualifying examination.
One (1) lecture/clinical hour per week is equivalent to one (1) credit factor
Two (2) clinical hours per week are equivalent to one (1) credit factor
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HealthFebruary 14, 2018
Originally published @ health.com
By Jacqueline Andriakos
During last night’s episode of ABC’s The Bachelor, Bekah Martinez (you know her as the coquettish, pixie cut–rocking “Bekah M.”) finally revealed her age to this season’s star, Arie Luyendyk Jr. The revelation? Martinez is 22, making her 14 years younger than the 36-year-old race-car driver.
But while fans may have been squirming on their couches, Luyendyk Jr. didn’t appear to stay in shock for too long, and he decided to “proceed with caution” and see where the relationship goes. But their budding romance begs the question: Is a relationship with a sizeable age gap doomed to fail?
As you might expect, the answer isn’t black and white. “It really comes down to whether your lifestyles, goals, and maturity levels sync up,” says Holly Richmond, PhD, a Los Angeles–based sex and relationship therapist. “And the bigger the age gap, the more challenging this can be, though not all couples are the same.”
Several studies have looked at the correlation between age differences in a relationship and marital success and point to the same very-general conclusion: The bigger the age gap, the more likely a marriage will eventually erode. That being said, there is no hard-and-fast rule to determine what size age gap is your safest bet for marital bliss.
“From my experience, an age gap of seven years and under is usually pretty inconsequential,” says Richmond. “When you get to an age gap of a decade or more, then it’s time to ask some questions to help you and your partner determine whether this is going to work as a long-term thing.”
Luyendyk Jr. has already begun asking some of the necessary questions to determine his long-term compatibility with Martinez. During Monday’s episode, he described himself as someone who likes to get up early and live a quieter, more mellow lifestyle. He asked Martinez if it’s still important to her to go out and party with friends.
Martinez, too, tiptoed around the subject of their compatibility, admitting to Luyendyk Jr. that she has already wondered whether he will get along with her close pals. If the two continue to work on their relationship, it will be essential to figure out whether each person feels the other can mesh with their lifestyle, as well as their family and social circle.
“With some couples where there is a large age difference, energy levels may differ,” says Rachel Needle, a psychologist at the Center for Marital and Sexual Health of South Florida in West Palm Beach. “It can create a challenge when one partner cannot keep up with the other who wants to do and experience more.” Also, if you cannot see your partner interacting with your family and the people closest to you, it might be a red flag, she adds.
Other questions that need to be covered when one person is in her 20s and the other is in his 30s: Do you want to get married? Do you want to have children, and if so, how soon? “Many men absolutely have an emotional clock,” Richmond notes. “I can’t even tell you how many of my male clients in couples have said things like, ‘I really want to be married and have a child before I am 40.'”
A relationship with a large age difference can also evolve over time—potentially prompting new challenges when you hit different life stages. In other words, “dating a 54-year-old when you’re 40 is different than dating a 36-year-old when you’re 22,” Richmond says.
Sex Therapy, Sexual Health, Sexuality, Somatic Therapy
Previous There’s No Such Thing As a “Normal” Libido
Next VR on Valentine’s Day: The Technological Evolution of Love, Connection & Intimacy
Here’s Why Having Sex Right Before Bed Will Help You Sleep
What’s the Difference Between Asexual and Aromantic? We Called in the Experts
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The sand content is a simple, accurate and inexpensive sieve analysis apparatus for determining the sand content of drilling muds. Usually, we load it in a kit for carrying easily.
Sieve analysis is the preferred method for sand content determination because of the reliability of the test and simplicity of equipment. The method that screen decomposes is used to decide the content of sand. The sand content of drilling fluids is defined as the percent ratio of the volume of sand which can not pass through the screen mesh No. 200, i.e., whose diameter is larger than 0.074 mm, to the volume of the drilling fluid.
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EVENT TAKES PLACE TO ABOLISH MALPRACTICE OF USING “MONGOLOID” TERM
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ In frames of the ongoing sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Permanent Representative Office of Mongolia organized on Monday an event called “Abolishing malpractice of using the ‘mongoloid’ term defining people with Down syndrome: Meaning of the word ‘Mongol’”.
This event has become the very first measure abroad aimed to run discussions on abolishing the malpractice of this term among the UN members, related units, specialized organs, researchers and NGOs.
The event, chaired by Mr S.Sukhbold, the Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the UN, has attracted Uuganaa Ramsay, author of a book about the malpractice of the term “mongoloid”; Dr Nata Menabde, executive director of the New York City branch of the World Health Organization (WHO); and Mr Andrw Boys, the Director of “Down Syndrome International” organization.
The attendees were impressed by a report by Ramsay whose child aged only for three months due to Down syndrome in Scotland, about how the malpractice usage of word “mongoloid” affects the reputation of people, their psychology, their community and society, in general.
“It is totally unfair to call the people with Down syndrome as mongoloid. This is not a scientific term,” said Dr Nata Menabde and expressed a readiness to collaborate in correcting the malpractice usage of the term.
“Upgrading the public knowledge and information about Down syndrome, helping the people with the syndrome go into social life and seeing them as normal people instead of sickness are right ways to eliminate the wrong usage of the term,” emphasized Mr Andrew Boys.
The event was co-sponsored by Permanent Missions of Australia, Brazil, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, ROK, Luxembourg, Mongolia, New Zealand, Poland, Qatar, Singapore, the United Kingdom, UNDESA, UNICEF, International Disability Alliance, Inclusion International and Down Syndrome International.
The world Down syndrome day, first established by Down Syndrome International in 2006, was proclaimed in 2011 by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 66/149 to be observed annually.
B.Khuder
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| 0.455271
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Home The News Joomla! Security Strike Team
Joomla! makes it easy to launch a Web site of any kind. Whether you want a brochure site or you are building a large online community, Joomla! allows you to deploy a new site in minutes and add extra functionality as you need it. The hundreds of available Extensions will help to expand your site and allow you to deliver new services that extend your reach into the Internet.
Diseas information
Joomla Templates by funky-visions.de
Joomla! Security Strike Team
Last Updated (Saturday, 07 July 2007 09:54) Written by Administrator Saturday, 07 July 2007 09:54
The Joomla! Project has assembled a top-notch team of experts to form the new Joomla! Security Strike Team. This new team will solely focus on investigating and resolving security issues. Instead of working in relative secrecy, the JSST will have a strong public-facing presence at the Joomla! Security Center.
The new JSST will call the new Joomla! Security Center their home base. The Security Center provides a public presence for security issues and a platform for the JSST to help the general public better understand security and how it relates to Joomla!. The Security Center also offers users a clearer understanding of how security issues are handled. There's also a news feed, which provides subscribers an up-to-the-minute notification of security issues as they arise.
FUVIGLM09
© Surgery clinic
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Apps for Earth Raises $8 Million For The Planet
June 14, 2016 Susan McCarthy Animal Rights & Environment, World Wildlife Fund
For 10 days in April, Apple and 24 developers worked together to launch Apps for Earth, a global campaign to help the planet, one app at a time. Through interactive and educational content created exclusively for Apps for Earth, the campaign gave participants an opportunity to actively engage in conservation and contribute to WWF’s mission.
With 100% of the proceeds from participating apps and In-App Purchases going to support WWF’s conservation work, Apps for Earth raised awareness among hundreds of millions of people and generated more than $8 million in total proceeds. In response to the campaign’s achievements, WWF issued the following statement from Carter Roberts, president and CEO:
“Apps for Earth proved small actions really can equal big change. This campaign boosts our efforts to protect the world’s forests, oceans, fresh water and wildlife, and combat the dual threats of climate change and unsustainable food production.
“Our work rests on engaging hundreds of millions around the world - to understand our profound reliance on the Earth and to act to protect the natural world that supports all of us.
“I was blown away by the devotion that Apple and the 24 developers brought to this campaign. Their creativity and heroic effort brought our mission and our work into people’s lives at an enormous scale. It is our hope that Apps for Earth has left a permanent mark on everyone who participated and inspires a new wave of conservationists.”
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