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Three New Medical Cannabis Laws Have Taken Effect in Virginia
On July 1, a trio of medical marijuana bills signed in March by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam went into effect. Each expands Virginia’s medical marijuana program in important ways, from increasing access for students and people with disabilities to giving doctors more control to recommend medical cannabis.
After an unsuccessful bid to legalize recreational marijuana earlier this year, Virginia lawmakers turned their attention toward expanding access to medical marijuana under the state’s 2015 “affirmative defense” law. Their efforts resulted in the passage of three new medical marijuana laws, including one of the most progressive school-use bills in the United States. Now that those three new medical cannabis laws have taken effect in Virginia, more patients than ever will be able to access the medical and therapeutic benefits of cannabis.
“Let Doctor Decide” Bill Will Put More Products in Dispensaries
Medical marijuana in Virginia isn’t technically legal. Instead, medical marijuana patients have a kind of legal exemption, known as “affirmative defense,” that protects them from criminal charges for possessing and consuming cannabis. The affirmative defense law for medical marijuana took effect in 2015, allowing patients to register with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy with a doctor’s recommendation certifying they can obtain medical cannabis products from Virginia’s five licensed processors.
But while a 2018 update to the law allows approved doctors to register patients for any condition they see fit, the “affirmative defense” protection applies to CBD oil and THC-A oil only. And that means those are the only forms of cannabis that processors can produce and sell.
The “Let Doctors Decide” bill changes that. Now, Virginia’s medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to produce and sell a wider range of products. Instead of only oils, patients will be able to obtain capsules, topicals, lozenges, edible candy and suppositories. Individual servings or doses, as in many other states, will be capped at 10 mg THC each.
In addition to approving more forms of medical cannabis, Virginia Senator Siobhan S. Dunnavant’s “Let Doctors Decide” bill allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants, not just doctors, to register with the Board of Pharmacy and issue medical cannabis certifications. “The historic passage of my Let Doctors Decide bill allows practitioners to recommend medical cannabis for their patients as they see fit,” said Sen. Dunnavant.
Virginia Becomes Fourth State to Allow Medical Cannabis in Schools
Virginia’s second new medical marijuana law addresses the administration of medical marijuana to students while they’re attending school. In-school medical marijuana use has been a contentious and controversial issue around the United States. Until July 1, just three states permitted access to medical cannabis at school. Now, Virginia is the fourth state to let students use medical marijuana at school.
The law allows school healthcare providers to administer medical cannabis to registered student patients, just like any other medication. “I’m proud that HB1720 will allow students on campus to legally and safely access their medication,” said Virginia Delegate Chris Hurst, who sponsored the House version of the school-use bill.
“Registered Agents” Law Improves Access for Patients with Disabilities
Virginia’s third new medical marijuana is crucial for patients whose condition prevents them from being able to access a dispensary or take delivery. There are a number of reasons patients may be physically unable to pick up or receive medical cannabis. For example, elderly patients living in hospice centers or assisted living facilities and those who rely on home healthcare providers face added challenges obtaining cannabis.
But Virginia Senator David W. Marsden’s “Registered Agents” bill takes care of the problem of physical access. A “registered agent” is someone certified to receive medical cannabis on behalf of a registered patient. Going forward, physical limitations will no longer prevent patients from accessing needed medication.
Overall, Virginia’s three new medical marijuana laws stand to improve a program many lawmakers viewed as overly restrictive. Patient access, as advocates know, is vital to the success of any medical cannabis program. So even though Virginia’s dispensaries aren’t open yet, when they are, they’ll be able to serve more people and a wider range of clinical needs.
The post Three New Medical Cannabis Laws Have Taken Effect in Virginia appeared first on High Times.
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AirAsia to Bid for Clark Airport Contract
Borneo Post, Photo Credit to Borneo Post
https://www.propertyhunter.com.my/news/2018/08/5239/west-malaysia/airasia-to-bid-for-clark-airport-contract
AirAsia Group Bhd will bid on an operation and maintenance contract for Clark International Airport in the Pampanga province of the Philippines.
In his tweet on Friday (4 Aug), group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the group, together with its subsidiaries in Indonesia and the Philippines, would be bidding for the airport's 25-year operation and maintenance contract.
"Bringing Asean together. Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines to bid for Clarke airport in Manila and build a big east Asean hub. Walking the talk on Asean. Kudos to Indonesia airports. Look what can be done in Asean when we work together" he tweeted.
According to news reports, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the preliminary timeline for the project indicates a target for contract awarding and signing on Aug 30, but BCDA will accept bids until late August.
The development of the new terminal in Pampanga province, which is slated to be opened in July 2020, aims to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.
The BCDA is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Philippines.
It engages in public-private partnerships to push forward vital public infrastructure such as tollways, airports, seaports, and also major real estate developments.
In May, eight companies bought bid documents for the operations and maintenance including Megawide Construction Corp, Metro Pacific Investments Corp and San Miguel Holdings Corp.
Around 30 groups also attended the pre-bid conference for the project held on May 21, including AirAsia Group, Udenna Corp and JG Summit Holdings.
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Thinking About Germs Makes People Concerned About How They Look
Simply thinking about potential infection seems to increase people’s concerns about their own physical appearance, especially if they are chronic germ worriers, according to new research in Psychological Science. The findings suggest that the possibility of contagion activates the so-called “behavioral immune system,” leading individuals to focus not only on their vulnerability to disease but also how they appear to others.
“The behavioral immune system helps us search out signs of infection in others, even signs that are innocuous and don’t actually indicate infection, and often leads us to avoid those people,” says psychological scientist Joshua M. Ackerman of the University of Michigan, lead author on the new research. “Our findings show that when people are worried about pathogens, they also evaluate their own physical appearance, which motivates them to pursue behaviors and products intended to improve appearance, including exercise, makeup, and plastic surgery.”
“This work is important because it demonstrates situations when people may engage in problematic health behaviors and spending, but also because it suggests that we might improve some of the negativity people have about their appearance by alleviating their concerns about infectious disease,” Ackerman explains.
Ackerman and coauthors Joshua M. Tybur (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Chad R. Mortensen (Metropolitan State University of Denver) conducted a series of seven studies investigating the relationship between infection threat and self-image.
In one experiment, the researchers randomly assigned 160 participants to read a scenario about volunteering at a hospital (pathogen threat) or a scenario about organizing a home workspace (control). After reading the scenarios, the participants completed a budgeting task, in which they were given fictitious money to allocate as they wished to improve personal traits. They could choose to spend the money to boost a variety of traits including creativity, kindness, work ethic, intelligence, sense of humor, and physical attractiveness.
The results showed that participants who were especially worried about germs reported more concern about their appearance and allocated more money toward improving their physical attractiveness if they had read the hospital scenario compared with those who read the workspace scenario.
Subsequent experiments revealed that reading about a potential pathogen also boosted germ-averse participants’ insecurity about their appearance and interest in appearance-related behaviors and products (e.g., plastic surgery, cosmetics).
“Perhaps the most surprising element in our findings was that infectious disease threat more consistently influenced evaluations of people’s own physical appearance than it influenced their evaluations of health,” says Ackerman. “We might expect that worries about disease would have lead people to care strongly about their own well-being and take steps to improve it, but this was less common than changes in how people saw their own appearance.”
These experiments are novel, Ackerman and colleagues argue, because they highlight the relationship between disease threat and how we think about the self, as opposed to research focusing on how we think about others. The researchers are now conducting follow-up studies, investigating, for example, whether interventions such as hand washing might disrupt the link between pathogen threat and appearance concern.
This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant BCS-1226731 to J. M. Ackerman and by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation program (Grant Agreement StG-2015 680002-HBIS to J. M. Tybur).
All data and materials have been made publicly available via the Open Science Framework. The hypotheses, data collection and analysis plans, and exclusion criteria for Studies 4, 5a, and 5b were preregistered at OSF (1, 2). The complete Open Practices Disclosure for this article is available online.
This article has received badges for Open Data, Open Materials, and Preregistration.
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For more information about this research, please contact study author:
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Help NIH Survey Accomplishments of Health-Related Behavioral Science Research: Comment by July 31
The National Institutes of Health Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research is cultivating a list of public health and healthcare accomplishments made possible by behavioral and social sciences research and wants your help as it puts the list together. Psychological scientists can submit what they view as accomplishments of the field and comment and vote on existing submissions. The deadline for submitting a comment is July 31, 2019. More
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Kiaran McLaughlin
Kiaran P. McLaughlin lives in Garden City, New York with his wife and two children. Born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1960, Kiaran attended the University of Kentucky for a year before replacing the classroom for the shedrow.
Kiaran worked under trainers James Burchell, John Hennig, David Kassen, and Tim Muckler before joining D. Wayne Lukas' high-profile operation. After working for Lukas, he was a jock's agent for the talented Chris Antley before training his own stable of horses for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai.
Kiaran was leading trainer in Dubai three times and has won races all over the globe. His horses have won over 1,400 races and close to $105,000,000 dollars. The best horse he has trained was Horse of Year and Dubai World Cup Winner Invasor. Other notable horses he has trained include Frosted, Cavorting, Alpha, Lahudood, Jazil, and Wedding Toast among many others. His stable is based in New York and Florida.
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Understand the USA Historically
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Posted byadmin May 26, 2019
Cutting off cotton ports such as Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans would. with the Union never mustering the strength to seize Richmond, the Confederate capital, nor the South making a.
The Confederate States of America (CSA or C.S.), commonly referred to as the Confederacy, was an unrecognized country in North America that existed from 1861 to 1865. The Confederacy was originally formed by seven secessionist slave-holding states—South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas—in the Lower South region of the United States, whose economy was.
The Battle of Shiloh began at sunrise on April 6, 1862 — the Sabbath — as 45,000 Confederate soldiers swooped down on an unsuspecting Union army encamped at Pittsburg. Gladden, a prominent New.
Apr 06, 2007 · June 25, 1876, is a date that shall live in controversy. Even if Lieutenant Colonel (General to his men) George Armstrong Custer came back from the grave to tell his side of the story, the controversy would still not die. The Battle of the Little Bighorn is like a.
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Austin, the liberal-leaning capital of Texas and live music, passed a resolution last fall to rethink, remove, or rename its monuments and memorials honoring the Confederacy. The move came late in a.
Before the War of 1812, Britain was mired in a series of wars against France, and both countries issued various orders to try to keep the United States from trading with the other that resulted in.
The erasist frenzy to tear down Confederate monuments is accelerating at the speed of mob rule. What began in April with New Orleans’s planned-if-ill-advised. This will do nothing to reverse a more.
The State of Alabama was central to the Civil War, with the secession convention at Montgomery, birthplace of the Confederacy, inviting other states to form a Southern Republic, during January–March 1861, and develop constitutions to legally run their own affairs.The 1861 Alabama Constitution granted citizenship to current U.S. residents, but prohibited import duties (tariffs) on foreign.
It would allow the Confederacy to transport troops and supplies into the South. It would allow the Union to capture New Orleans. Question 20 20. Why did President Lincoln’s support for General Grant.
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George Washington Birthplace National Monument operates the 400-acre farm that once was owned by the Washington family and today borders the George Washington Birthplace National Monument at Pope’s Creek. A few years ago, while exploring his. George Washington Birthplace National Monument Our guide to George Washington Birthplace National Monument gives you expert recommendations on the best attractions, restaurants, hotels, and
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The American Civil War (1860-1865) 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865. 1860. 1860 – U.S. Census. U.S. population: 31,443,321. Total number of slaves in the Lower South.
Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. Featured Book. James M. McPherson, Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief (Penguin Press HC, 2008) During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln did not get much respect as a military leader.
At this year’s New Orleans Film Festival, it was apparent that current. Now, in the wake of public battles across the country to dismantle such shrines to the Confederacy, it stands as a symbol of.
(Image courtesy of the Memphis and Shelby County Room, Memphis Public Library and Information Center) After helping capture New Orleans. Westfield’s glory ended in 1863 when the Confederate army.
Documents show Lee was cruel to his slaves and encouraged his overseers to severely beat slaves captured after trying. elected officials to dismantle Confederate memorials honoring Lee and others.
when the people of Orleans Territory drafted a constitution and successfully petitioned to become the eighteenth state in the Union. Despite Claiborne’s doubts about whether the French would ever.
Documents show Lee was a cruel figure with his slaves and encouraged his overseers to severely beat slaves captured after trying. officials to dismantle Lee and other Confederate memorials in.
On this day in 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis declares Union General Benjamin Butler a felon and insists that he beexecuted if captured. Butler had earned few friends in New Orleans;.
The 10 Worst U.S. Civil War Generals and Commanders Worst Confederate Generals Confederate. and Nashville. Worst Union Generals Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler. As military governor of New Orleans.
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Documents show Lee was cruel to his slaves and encouraged his overseers to severely beat slaves captured after trying. elected officials to dismantle Confederate memorials honouring Lee and others.
Cashier fought for the Union Army from 1862 to 1865 under general Ulysses S. Grant, marching into more than 40 battles. Cashier was captured after a skirmish. refused to let her join him when he.
Obituaries for the last 7 days on Your Life Moments.
There’s the famous New York financier and adviser of Presidents who secretly supported the Daughters of the Confederacy. known for his 1864 capture of Atlanta and subsequent March to the Sea, a.
France And American Revolution In September, he invited the then-first lady of France. American news media had not “reflected fairly the goals and. George Washington Birthplace National Monument operates the 400-acre farm that once was owned by the Washington family and today borders the George Washington Birthplace National Monument at Pope’s Creek. A few years ago, while exploring his.
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Medical Myth: Twins skip a generation
This month's medical myth debunked: Is it really true that twins skip a generation? Our expert, Dr Max Pemberton is here to debunk another myth.
Where did the myth come from?
There is a lot of confusion around twins and the different types so there’s no surprise that there are myths around twins too. To understand why the idea that they can skip a generation is a myth, it’s important to understand about the two types of twins that exist.
Usually just one egg is released by the ovaries each month, but if two eggs are released and then fertilised, then non-identical twins occur. These twins therefore come from two separate eggs fertilised by two separate sperms so they are genetically the same as a brother or sister, it’s just that they develop in the womb together.
The other type of twin is identical twins. This is quite different and much rarer and occurs when a single fertilised egg splits in two as it’s growing. The resulting babies are from exactly the same fertilised egg and are therefore genetically identical.
What about non-identical twins?
Usually, one egg develops and is released from the ovaries each month. However, a certain gene that has been identified that, when present, can increase the chances that a woman will release more than one egg at a time when she ovulates.
As explained earlier, if these are then fertilised, then non-identical twins occur. This gene doesn’t ‘skip’ generations though. However, as boys don’t ovulate, it’s possible that if one generation has all boys, then the effects of this gene wouldn’t be seen until these males then have their own daughters which they pass the gene on to and they may then have twins.
This would give the illusion that the twins have ‘skipped’ a generation.
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What about identical twins?
No gene has been found that’s responsible for causing identical twins, so it’s not passed down in families and certainly doesn’t skip generations. If there are more than one set of identical twins in a family, this is just coincidence.
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The Beach Boys More Than 50 Years Of Making Magical Music...
Beach Boys member, David Marks, once said that Beach Boys music is the kind of upbeat music you want to listen to when you are driving down the coast, on a beautiful sunny day, in a convertible with the top down. The Beach Boys classics really are an Endless Summer.
I was born in San Francisco, California, and ever since I was a small child, I remember enjoying listening to the Beach Boys. I was deeply influenced by their music, and when I was in my early to middle teens I was really into the whole California Surfing lifestyle, and I was also a pretty hardcore skateboarder on the streets of San Francisco, as well as skating at the Winchester Skate Park down in San Jose, and I also spent time hanging out in Santa Cruz, and Malibu.
So much of my personal identity is based in this California Surfer lifestyle. Wearing Vans, Surf Trunks, Hang Ten T-Shirts, Flip Flops, cut off jeans, boogie boarding, surfing, skating, were all a part of my idyllic California childhood.
Throughout my life, I recall making observations about the Beach Boys, and in particular, more than anything, enjoying their music, kind of like the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones.
The strange thing, is that if you asked me before I wrote this article, if I could name all the Beatles, it would have been a piece of cake: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Star, and George Harrsion. The Rolling Stones? Sure, I can name all the band members of the top of my head: Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Kieth (Keef) Richards, and, Charlie Watts.
Now if you asked me before I wrote this article, how many Beach Boys I could name, my answer would be ZERO, which is bizarre because I know so many of their songs, just like I do with the Beatles and Stones.
So when I first began writing this article, it was because I noticed that when I watched the Beach Boys perform at the Grammy's in 2012, I noticed the lead singer (Mike love) was wearing a Rolex, even though I had no idea what his name was, and if I met him in person, I would have no idea who he was.
To make a long story short, and this is a really long and beautiful story I wrote, after I discovered that all the original Beach Boys wear Rolex watches, it really engaged and inspired me to learn and share much, much more, not so much because they wore Rolex watches, but when I started discovering and sharing music videos of their early performances, I became enamored, and in my typical OCD style, I wanted to learn and share everything I could about them, particularly because the deeper I dug, the more fascinated I became.
Even figuring out and trying to remember who the original band members were was challenging and confusing at first, which you can see be comparing the photo above with the photo below, and this was due to the fact they changed their looks so much, and The Beatles and Stones did not have that much turn over in their history, but the Beach Boys certainly did, which only added to the confusion.
As I studied the Beach Boys history, I learned so many wonderful things about them, and I also learned a great deal about the many tragedies they experienced. Now that I feel like I got a grip on the Beach Boys, I am inspired to dig even deeper, so I have a feeling I will be updating this story many times in the future, and yes, now I can name all the 5 original Beach Boys off the top of my head: Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, as well as Bruce Johnston who joined the band in 1965, and David Marks who was an early member and left the band after he recorded the first five albums with the Beach Boys.
I also learned that much of the Beach Boys band originality stemmed not so much from the band, but from what the public wanted them to be, and even the Beach Boys themselves bought into perpetuating this myth.
...Rolex Super-Coolness...
More Than 50 Years Of Making Magical Music
With Rolex Keeping Their Time
What do the Beach Boys and Rolex have in common? The are both highly iconic and timeless. The Beach Boys are one of the most incredibly successful bands in history, with their unmistakably unique and iconic California Surf Rock Sound, comprised of fast-moving surf guitar, and amazing close vocal harmonies have become an indelible piece of American culture.
The Beach Boys hold the record today for delivering more Top-40 American hits, than any other band in history, which has resulted in them having sold over 100 Million "Endless Summer" records during the past half-century. Some people refer to the Beach Boys as the American equivalent of the Beatles, or The Rolling Stones, but maybe it is the other way around. Maybe, the Beatles were the British equivalent of the Beach Boys?
The Beach Boys Band was formed in Southern California in 1961, and their amazing song harmonies are famous around the world with music listeners of all ages, from young children to people in their eighties. Today, at least four of the Beach Boys wear Rolex watches, which are every bit as timeless and classic as the amazing music they have shared with the world ever the past half-century!
This photo above and below show Beach Boys Founder, Brain Wilson in recent photos wearing his Rolex Submariner. Brian Wilson also wears a yellow gold Rolex Daytona (not pictured).
Brian Wilson is and extremely talented singer, songwriter, producer and musician. Chazz Palminteri once referred to Brian Wilson as being The Mozart of Pop, the Orsen Wells of Rock, and The Geroge Gershwin of his generation. This story, as you will learn, much later, is in many ways about Brian's amazing life journey, which recently and finally brought him back to where he began, in a Get Back To Where You Once Belonged, kind of way.
The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 in Hawthorne, California, and consisted of five original group members. Three of the original band members were brothers named, Brian (pictured above and below), Dennis, and Carl Wilson. The fourth Beach Boys member was a cousin of the Wilson brothers and his name was Mike Love. The fifth member of the band was named Al Jardine.
There have been many changes to the membership of the Beach Boys over the last 52 years, but three of the original members are still in the band. This includes Brian Wilson (pictured above), Al Jardine (pictured below) and Mike Love (three photos down this page), and as you see in the photos in this story, all three founding members of the Beach Boys wear Rolex watches. Original Beach Boys drummer, Dennis Wilson died in a drowning accident in 1983, and his brother Carl Wilson passed away in 1998.
In this next photo below, we see original Beach Boys guitarist, Al Jardine also rockin' a yellow-gold Rolex Day-Date.
In this next recent photo below we see Beach Boys, Bruce Johnston and Mike Love and and Bruce is wearing his yellow gold Rolex Day-Date. Bruce Johnston joined the beach boys on April 9, 1965, and he replaced Glen Campbell, who had been playing bass and singing Brian Wilson's vocals, while the Beach Boys traveled on the road. The first Beach Boys song Bruce sang on was "California Girls". So Bruce has been with the Beach Boys for 47 years. Bruce is also a famous songwriter, and wrote the megabit song performed by Barry Manilow, entitled "I Write The Songs".
In this next photo we see original Beach Boys founding member Mike Love, wearing his yellow gold Rolex Daytona.
In this next photo taken at the 2012 Grammy Awards, we see Beach Boys lead singer, Mike Love sporting his yellow gold Rolex Daytona.
Beach Boys Grammy Tribute
2012 Grammy Awards Performance
The Beach Boy reunited for the first time with all the remaining original band members in over 20 years and played their first gig at the 2012 Grammy Awards, which ironically was the first time the ever played the Grammys in their 50 years history.
The 2012 Grammy Awards featured an AMAZING Tribute To The Beach Boys, which began with Adam Levine and Maroon 5, then went to Foster The People, then the Beach Boys joined in. Adam Levine, the lead singer for Maroon 5 is pictured below as he opens up the Beach Boys tribute set, and notice he is sporting a vintage, 1970s stainless steel Rolex Daytona with the exotic white Paul Newman Dial, which is super cool!
The Beach Boys Mike Love came-in with the Beach Boys in the third song, and in the three following photos you can see Mike Love and Adam Levine sporting their Rolex Daytona sport watches. The irony, of course, is that Mike Love, who is much older than Adam Levine, is wearing a modern Rolex Daytona, and Adam Levine is wearing an old-school vintage Rolex Daytona.
The Video below showcases the whole Beach Boys Grammy 2012 Tribute, and I remember watching it live and it blew my mind!!! Just AMAZING!!! This event was seminal event in the history of the Beach Boys, since it was the first time they had all played together again in decades.
Live in 1964 & 1965
The following Beach Boys videos feature old-school Beach Boys from 1964 and 1965 and they are amazing! Just to make it easy to understand, the lead singer in the video below, is Mike Love, and in the video above, Mike is the one wearing the Beach Boys ballcap, standing next to Adam Levine.
Brian Wilson is the tallest guy in the video below, and he is standing next to Mike Love. In the video above, he is the one sitting down at the keyboard. Al Jardine is the rhythm guitarist on the end opposite Mike Love, and in the video above, he is standing on the left of Brian Wilson.
Surfin USA was the Beach Boys first mega-hit, and it was more than just a song. It was an anthem for a new generation of American youth. This new anthem was rebellious, and filled with rugged individualism. Take for instance, the line that says "You tell the teacher were surfin. Surfin USA."
It is also fascinating to consider that this song was written, recorded, and became a hit when JFK was still the president of the USA, which explains when it has all the idealism and enthusiasm of the early 1960s when anything seemed possible. Beach Boys leader, Brian Wilson wrote the words to Surfin USA, and added them on top of Chuck Berry's music to his song, "Sweet Sixteen."
If you think about it, the Beach Boys were really the first Boy Band. They were toping the charts before The Beatles, or The Rolling Stones, or The Who or The Bee Gees or The Kinks. When you each them in these videos, you see they really were still boys.
Speaking of Boy bands, in the middle of the 1960, what was called The British Invasion began, which began with the Beatles, and included all the other Boy Bands, I mentioned above. Ironically, Beatlemania began, almost to the day, when U.S. President Kennedy was assassinated.
I argue that JFKs assassination had a devastating psychological effect on Americans, and American youth, in particular, became rebellious, and developed counter-culture behavior. British Invasion bands, like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones had been greatly inspired by earlier American Rock n' Roll and Blues legends.
America's psychosis at the time rubbed off on British youth as well, and all of this culminated in the "Flower Power" movement of the late 1960s, in places like the San Francisco Haight Ashbury in 1968 during The Summer Of Love, and this movement really kind of peaked in 1969 at Woodstock.
The next video below is of a song recorded in 1964 by the Beach Boys, and it is one of my favorite Beach Boys songs. I couldn't find a live performance video of the original recording, so I am sharing this one. What a song!!!
Annette Funicello 1965
We can see the Beach Boys in the video below with, America's Sweetheart who was the Queen Of Surf Movies, Annette Funicello, as they play the opening set for the Walt Disney Movie, The Monkey's Uncle. Hey, Hey, we're the Monkees, and we don't Monkey around...Oops, right idea, wrong band ;-)
California Girls 1965
California Girls was originally released on the Beach Boys ninth album, entitled, Summer Days. It was written by Brian Wilson while he was tripping on LSD. Brian Wilson later said that California Girls was the Beach Boys Anthem, and in 1985 David Lee Roth made it another huge success when he covered it.
Good Vibrations 1966
Good Vibrations was released by the Beach Boys as a single in October of 1966. Good Vibrations was the first Beach Boys song to top the British charts. It was originally recorded as part of the Smile album sessions which were not released at the time.
Pet Sounds 1966
Pet Sounds was the name of an album released by the Beach Boys in mid 1966 which represented a radical departure from their classic California Surf sound.
Pet Sounds was the Beach Boys eleventh studio album, and it is considered to be on of the most significant and influential records in the history of popular music. Fellow Beach Boy, Glenn Campbell sat in and played some of the guitar on Pet Sounds.
The Beatles and The Beach Boys
Joint Inspiration
In a bizarre twist of fate, Brian Wilson was so inspired by the Beatles album, Rubber Soul, he said, "When I heard Rubber Soul, I was so blown away, I said to myself 'I want to make an album just like that.'" So Brian Wilson sat down and wrote "God Only Knows", almost as a response, which appeared on The Beach Boys album, Pet Sounds, and thus, the friendly rivalry between The Beach Boys and The Beatles began. Paul McCarntey, once said "The Beach Boys song, God Only Knows, is the greatest song ever written."
The Beatles heard Pet Sounds and were equally blown away, so John Lennon called up Brian Wilson on the phone and said, "Pet Sounds is the best thing I have ever heard!" The Beatles were so inspired by Pet Sounds, the Beatles incorporated many elements into their next album, Sergant Peppers, which was released in 1967.
Beach Boys member Bruce Johnston, told a story about how when he was in London, hanging out with The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, Keith introduced Bruce to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Bruce shared a recording of Pet Sounds with them, which was the first time Lennon and McCarney had ever heard it.
Lennon and McCartney were so blown away with the Beach Boys song Wouldn't It Be Nice, they incorporated elements of it into their song Here, There And Everywhere into the Beatles Revolver Album which was released in 1966. Brain Wilson responded to Sergeant Pepper, by writing the Beach Boys album simply named, Smile, which was not released until close to 40 years later.
In this next two videos, we ironically see Rolling Stones, Ron Wood, interviewing the Beatles Paul McCartney, about the influence that Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys had on the him and The Beatles.
God Only Knows
What I Would Be Without You
Brian Wilson & Paul McCartney
Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney first met in 1967 in Los Angeles, and ended up jamming all night together on guitars with some friends, and have been pals ever since. When they speak about each other, they always speak with absolute reverence for one another, and both of them are top singer/songwriter/musicians that collectively defined the same generation of Rock n' Roll.
Beach Boys Endless Summer Greatest Hits from 1962 to 1966
When I was a kid, growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Beach Boy Compilation Album, named Endless Summer was all the rage. It was basically a greatest hits album of all their pre-Pet Sounds songs recorded between 1962 and 1966. Looking at this album cover brings back some serious deja vu memories for me.
Do It Again 1967
The Beach Boys came out with a big hit in 1967 called Do It Again, which you can see below. It is a great upbeat song. Do It Again is an interesting song and in may ways it represents one side of the divided camp that divided the Beach Boys a the time. Specifically, there were two camps at the time, heading opposite directions.
In the first camp, are the three Wilson brother, who according to Beach Boys singer and saxophone player, Mike Love, were really into drinking and drugs, and the Wilson brothers wanted to get away from the traditional upbeat "Endless Summer" California surf music lyrics, and wanted to experiment with lyrics, which Mike though made no sense, and would have a bad effect on record sales. Ironically, Brian Wilson had been working on his masterpiece album named, Smile at the time, and it was not released because their record company thought it would no be commercially successful.
The video below represents, the other camp in the Beach Boys which consisted of Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston, who were not into drugs, and thought the sound of the Beach Boys should remain consistent with their early hits.
When you watch the video above, from a fashion perspective, it is really amazing how much different the Beach Boys clothing and haircuts changed from only two years earlier in 1965, where they were still clean cut. In particular, it is incredible how much different Mike Love looks from only two years ago. He looks almost like a completely different person. The mid to late 1960s were a time of great change for American youth, both in terms of fashion and drugs.
Spiritual High 1968
Beach Boys singer, Mike Love was not into drugs and drinking like the Wilson Brothers. In February, 1968 Mike Love went with the Beatles to join the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to study Transcendental Meditation on his idyllic mountain retreat in Rishekesh, India. Picture below we see Paul McCartney, with Donovan, Mia Farrow, George Harrison, Maharishi, Mike Love, and John Lennon.
While in India, The Beatles wrote, Dear Prudence, Back In The USSR, Blackbird, Rocky Raccoon, and Honey Pie. George Harrison wrote "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the same time.
Back In The USSR was a homage to the Beach Boys song, California Girls, and supposedly Mike Love worked on the Back In The USSR lyrics with The Beatles. The title Back In The USSR pays homage to Chuck Berry's Back In The U.S.A, and the chorus while the background vocals are a tribute to to the Beach Boys California Girls song. Mike Love said that in order to make Back In The USSR sound more like California Girls, he suggested to Paul McCartney to "talk about the girls all around Russia, the Ukraine, and Georgia" in the song lyrics. Mike Love continued "I was at the breakfast table when Paul McCartney came down with his acoustic guitar playing Back In The USSR. I said 'You ought to put something in about all the girls around Russia', and he did."
In 1984, in a Playboy interview, Paul McCartney talked about his inspiration for Back In The USSR and said, "I wrote that as a kind of Beach Boys parody. And "Back in the USA" was a Chuck Berry song, so it kinda took off from there. I just liked the idea of Georgia girls and talking about places like the Ukraine as if they were California, you know? It was also hands across the water, which I'm still conscious of. 'Cause they like us out there, even though the bosses in the Kremlin may not. The kids from there do. And that to me is very important for the future of the race."
Beach Boys lead singer, Mike Love is pictured above and below in India with John Lennon.
Beach Boys lead singer, Mike Love is pictured pictured below in India with George Harrison of the Beatles. Mike Love is still an avid practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM) today.
Below is another photo of Beach Boys singer, Mike Love is hanging out with George Harrison of the Beatles.
This next recent photo shows Mike Love with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
I Can Hear Music 1969
The Beach Boys covered the Ronettes 1966 song, I Can Hear Music, in 1969, and recorded the following music video performance. I Can Hear Music was released on the Beach Boys 20/20 Album which was released in 1969. After Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson seemed to lose interest in writing and producing music for the Beach Boys, so his younger brother, Carl Wilson took over as the lead singer and producer for the Beach Boys.
Beach Boys Jamming with Chicago 1974
This next video features the Beach Boys in 1974 singing backup harmony for Chicago in their famous song named Wishing You Were Here. This song is so hauntingly beautiful, and it is so unusual since it has the distinct Beach Boy harmony style, put forth in a unique way. Think about it, this would be like the Rolling Stones collaborating with the Beatles on a song. This song is just amazing!!!
The Three Beach Boys featured with Chicago in this video are all original Beach Boy members; Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Carl Wilson, seemingly disguised behind their thick beards. (They almost look like ZZ Top!?!? ;-)
It is also fascinating to note how absolutely almost unrecognizable the three Beach Boys look with their heavy beards and matching nautical outfits. In other words, when I think about the Beach Boys, I typically think of a bung of clean-cut young guys without any visible facial hair. If I saw this video, and didn't know any better, I would think the Beach Boys were just some funky member of the Chicago band.
The song Wishing You Were Here begins with Chicago band member Terry Kath beginning the song with lead vocals with Peter Cetera playing lead guitar. Peter Cetera then begins singing the song's bridge in the model of the song, and his entry and guitar are amazing!!!
Wishing You Were Here was written by Peter Cetera, and it appeared on their album named Chicago VII, which as recorded in 1974. The Beach Boy were recording at Caribou Ranch, where they ran into Peter Cetera, who asked them to join Chicago in the song. The video above was recorded on Dick Clarks New Years Eve show in 1974. I remember this song from my childhood, so when I listen to it, it totally deja vu's me out, but I must ad that when I watch this video today, it completely blows my mind, with how amazing it is. Just mind-boggling great!!!
Let's Go Surfing With the Blues Brother in 1976
The Beach Boys history is one of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Brian Wilson, who was the head of the band in the early years grew reclusive in the late 1960 and got really into drugs, and for over a year lived in his bed in Bel Air, California. This next video from 1976, shows the Blues Brothers coming to get Brian Wilson out of bed, and at the end of the video, you see the Beach Boys singing Surfing USA, during the height of the funkadelic 1970s. The Blues Brothers are always hilarious! Brian Wilson, ironically, was kind of the anti-Beach Boy, in the sense he was never into surfing.
The next two videos are an interview with Brian Wilson, which was taped in 1976, and it is pretty fascinating. If you close your eyes, and listen to Brain Wilson speak, he sound exactly like Bill Murray of Saturday Night Live fame.
Knebworth, England 1980
This next video is the last video I am aware of that feature all of the original Beach Boys playing together. On stage we see all three of the Wilson brothers, Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, as well as Mike Love, and Al Jardine. We also see Bruce Johnston on stage.
...Vintage Rolex Super-Coolness...
Single-Red Submariner Surf Ad
Rolex Submariner [Reference 1680]
Speaking of the Beach Boys and California Surfing, the following vintage Rolex ad his has got to be one of the coolest vintage Rolex Submariner magazine ads I have ever seen!!!
Rolex mentions in the ad how they sponsored the International Professional Surfing organization and would award the winner of the IPS tournament with a Rolex Submariner Date model. The ISP was the original world governing entity that oversaw professional surfing from 1976 to 1982. It later merged into the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), which is the governing body today. What is cooler than Rolex and Surfing!?!?!
Let's go surfing now
Everybody's learning how
Come on and safari with me!
For some reason, whenever I think about beaches and surfing, I think of the Rolex Submariner. Last year, I was surfing on Waikiki beach, which is the home of the original Beach Boys, and I was wearing my LV Submariner when I was surfing.
Ronald Reagan 1983
This Beach Boys are pictured below hanging out with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and First Lady, Nancy Reagan in 1983.
The Reagan's were huge Beach Boys fans, as you can see in the introduction to the video below.
This Beach Boys were also big fans of President Reagan, and his wife Nancy, as we witness in the Ronald Reagan Love tribute sung a cappella by the Beach Boys in 1985.
Live Aid 1985
This next video shows Brian Wilson appearing again live with the Beach Boys, for the first time since the Pet Sounds days. This video was shot at Live Aid in 1985, and you will notice that Brian Wilson lost over a hundred pounds, and go in great shape.
Brian recorded and performed several more time after Live Aid, with the Beach Boys. The last time he Brian Wilson performed live with Beach Boys was around 30 years ago. As a matter of fact, he finally rejoined them for their 50 Anniversary, as you can witness in the Grammy Tribute Video located toward the top of this story, as well as in the videos near the end of this story.
Kokomo 1988
This next video probably of the Beach Boys Song Kokomo, was probably their last major commercial hit, and it was recorded in 1988. Kokomo is an actual place, located in the Florida Keys on an island owned by Sandals Royal Caribbean vacation resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Kokomo is an island resort on Islamorda, which is located around 25 miles south of Key Largo, Florida. The Song Kokomo was written by John Philipps from The Mamas and Pappas for the Beach Boys, and it was based upon a prior visit there.
The Legendary Smile Sessions
In 2011 the Beach Boys finally completed their SMILE album, which they started in 1966 and 1967. Nobody ever expected the Beach Boys to ever complete this album, but then in 2011 The Beach Boys took the world by surprise and released the finished SMILE album.
50 The Anniversary Celebration & Concert 2012
It has been said, that good things endure, and the Beach Boys sound just as good today as they did in the early 1960s, and you can see them perform below in their 50th Anniversary Concert Video.
In the above photo we see (pictured from left to right) Bruce Johnston, who joined the Beach Boys in 1965, along with original Beach Boys, who started the band in 1961, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and David Marks. David Marks was a founding member of the Beach Boys and first played drums with the Beach Boys in 1962, and was a neighbor of the Wilson Family. He left the Beach Boys in 1963, and later returned. He was 13 when he joined the Beach Boys, and played rhythm guitar of the first four albums.
The 50th Anniversary Beach Boys Concert seen below is amazing and at least three of the Beach Boys are wearing yellow gold Rolex watches!
The Beach Boys Story
The Beach Boys story is absolutely fascinating. On the one hand it is a story of success, and of the other hand its a story of tragedy and decline. After I wrote this story, I discovered this amazing full-length documentary that tells their story. I high recommend watching it in, as it will give you a much better idea of their history.
Posted by Jake Ehrlich at 7:42 PM
Labels: Brian Wilson, Singer wearing Rolex, The Beach Boys, The Beatles
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July 16, 2015 3:17PM ET
Nikki Sixx Plots Post-Motley Crue Life With Sixx:A.M. Albums, Tour
“I’m not interested in taking a break and fading out and then trying to restart the engine in the middle of winter,” Sixx says
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Nikki Sixx will follow up his Mötley Crüe retirement with a pair of Sixx:A.M. albums and two-year tour
When Nikki Sixx calls into Rolling Stone, he’s gearing up for the kickoff of another round of North American dates as part of Mötley Crüe‘s extensive Final Tour farewell jaunt. And with the first show of this newest leg scheduled for Thursday night in Anchorage, Alaska, the bassist has important things on his mind. Like, for instance, how many clean socks he needs to pack for the road.
“Right now,” he tells Rolling Stone, “I have 12 pairs.”
When it’s pointed out that this run of shows stretches well into September, Sixx remains unruffled. “Well then, looks like it’s not gonna make it!”
19 Things We Learned Hanging Out Backstage With Mötley Crüe
Motley Crue and Alice Cooper on Death-Defying Drumming, Bodily Functions
The 56-year-old bassist remains in high spirits these days, even as he’s settling into the fact that Mötley Crüe’s final tour date, scheduled for New Year’s Eve at the Staples Center in the band’s hometown of Los Angeles, is rapidly approaching: “I looked at a calendar the other day, and I had January 2nd, [2016] marked off, because it’s my daughter’s birthday,” he says. “And I just stared at it and thought, Oh, I won’t be in Mötley Crüe anymore…”
Which is okay, he says, because even as the curtain comes down on the Crue, for Sixx, there will be no rest for the wicked. In February, the bassist will join up with his other band, Sixx:A.M., to begin rehearsals for a major tour — just one component in what will be a big year for the group. Along with the extensive live dates, encompassing two years of roadwork, the three-piece — which includes Guns N’ Roses guitarist DJ Ashba and singer James Michael — will release two full-length albums of new material in 2016.
“[Mötley Crüe fans] are gonna fucking lose their shit” – Nikki Sixx on new Sixx:A.M. albums
The pair of as-yet-untitled records, for which Sixx says the band has 24 finished songs, will serve as the follow-up to 2014’s well-received Modern Vintage. “They’ll be companion pieces, named Volume One and Volume Two, and they’ll come out with a little bit of space between them,” he says. “Because when a band releases a double album, a lot of times, about halfway through the second record, you say, ‘Sounds like they ran out of gas…’ So by putting them out separately we’ll give the fans time to absorb each one fully. They’ll get the first one. They’ll stream it. They’ll feel it. They’ll hear it live. And then it’ll be, ‘Here comes another one…’ “
Sixx says that the albums will be linked thematically and sonically, though he is hesitant to reveal too much. “There are tent poles that we’re working with, but they could still change,” he says. “The one thing I can say is that, in Sixx:A.M., we always connect darkness to light, whether it’s something like ‘Life is Beautiful’ or ‘This is Gonna Hurt,’ or even ‘Stars.’ There’s a lot about our own experiences in our songs, but there’s also always a light at the end of the tunnel, because we’ve lived through those experiences. And on the new material, those themes are maybe even a little bit heavier.”
Heavy, as it turns out, is also the word Sixx chooses to describe the sound of the new music. “I’ll give you an example,” he says. “We have two ballads that we’ve written, and they’re both heavier than the heaviest song on our last record. This thing we’re working on is like a monster hiding in the shadows. It’s beautiful. It’ll seduce you. But it’ll also pounce on you and eat your heart.”
As for whether or not the music will appeal to Mötley Crüe fans, he says, “If they want to check it out, I think they’ll have a blast. But I’m just an artist doing things, and this is simply what I’m doing for the next chapter. So I’ll leave it up to them. But I have a feeling they’re gonna fucking lose their shit.”
Either way, the bassist is adamant about that once Mötley wraps the Final Tour, he will be channeling all his creative energy into Sixx:A.M. for the foreseeable future. “We’re all committing 100 percent of our time to this band, and anything else that’s out there has to revolve around that,” he says. “And I think James and DJ’s visions are the same as mine, which is that we want to play with anybody, anywhere we can. We’d love to headline, we’d love to be direct support, we’d love to play festivals. We’ll do acoustic gigs, radio stations, whatever. We just want to play. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
And while the notion of spending another two years on the road might seem like a daunting, if not completely mad, undertaking, Sixx says he wouldn’t have it any other way: “For me, energy creates more energy. And if you do it correctly, you have a consistent flow. At this point in my life, I’m not so interested in taking a break and fading out and then trying to restart the engine in the middle of winter. I like the idea of, Let’s just keep being creative. The floodgates have opened for [Sixx:A.M.], and it’s a weird, freeing feeling. So we’re going to see where this creativity leads us. We’re going to finish the two records, and then if we want to do another record right away, in 2017, we’ll do that, too. Even while we’re still in the touring cycle for the last one.”
Which begs the question: With a two-year Sixx:AM tour looming on the horizon, just how many pairs of socks should the bassist be preparing to pack?
“Well, let’s see,” he says. “There’s roughly 30 days in a month, and we’re looking at 24 months…so something like 720 pairs of socks!”
Sixx laughs. “But I already have 12. So deduct that.”
In This Article: Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx
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Japan's Defense Ministry officials plot possibly radioactive affected areas on a map at the emergency rescue headquarters monitoring leaked radiation from the Fukushima nuclear facilities damaged by last week's major earthquake and following tsunami, Wednesday, March 16, 2011, in Fukushima city, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. (AP Photo/Wally Santana) (AP)
U.S. says plant's spent fuel rods dry; Japan says no
Japanese officials scramble to get power to the Fukushima nuclear plant as it edges closer to a complete meltdown
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2011/03/16/as_japan_earthquake_4/
Mari Yamaguchi • Eric Talmadge
March 17, 2011 2:15AM (UTC)
Nuclear plant operators trying to avoid complete reactor meltdowns said Thursday that they were close to completing a new power line that might end Japan's crisis, but several ominous signs have also emerged: a surge in radiation levels, unexplained white smoke and spent fuel rods that U.S. officials said could be on the verge of spewing radioactive material.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said in Washington on Wednesday that all the water was gone from the spent fuel pools at Unit 4 of the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, but Japanese officials denied it. Hajime Motojuku, spokesman for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., said the "condition is stable" at Unit 4.
If Jaczko is correct, it would mean there's nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and ultimately melting down. The outer shells of the rods could also ignite with enough force to propel the radioactive fuel inside over a wide area.
Jaczko did not say how the information was obtained, but the NRC and U.S. Department of Energy both have experts at the complex of six reactors along Japan's northeastern coast, which was ravaged by last week's magnitude-9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
The conditions at the plant appeared to worsen, with white smoke pouring from the complex and a surge in radiation levels forcing workers to retreat for hours Wednesday from their struggle to cool the overheating reactors.
As international concern mounted, the chief of the U.N. nuclear agency said he would go to Japan to assess what he called a "serious" situation and urged Tokyo to provide better information to his organization.
Japanese officials raised hopes of easing the crisis, saying early Thursday that they were close to completing a new power line that could restore the reactors' cooling systems.
Naoki Tsunoda, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co., or TEPCO, said the new power line to the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant was almost finished and that officials planned to try it "as soon as possible," but he could not say exactly when.
The new line could revive electric-powered pumps, allowing the company to maintain a steady water supply to troubled reactors and spent fuel storage ponds, keeping them cool. The company is also trying to repair its existing disabled power line.
Late Wednesday, government officials said they'd asked special police units to bring in water cannons -- normally used to quell rioters -- to spray water onto the spent fuel storage pool at Unit 4.
The cannons are thought to be strong enough to allow emergency workers to remain a safe distance from the complex while still able to get water into the pool, said Minoru Ogoda of Japan's nuclear safety agency.
TEPCO said it was also considering using military helicopters to douse the reactors with water, after giving up on such a plan because of high radiation levels in the atmosphere.
Wednesday's pullback by workers who have been pumping seawater into the reactors cost valuable time in the fight to prevent a nuclear meltdown, a nightmare scenario following the horrific earthquake and tsunami. The disasters last Friday pulverized Japan's northeastern coast and are feared to have killed more than 10,000 people.
The tsunami destroyed the complex's backup power system and left operators unable to properly cool nuclear fuel. The 180 emergency workers have been working in shifts to manually pump seawater into the reactors.
Japan's emperor, in an unprecedented made-for-TV speech, called on the country to work together.
"It is important that each of us shares the difficult days that lie ahead," said Akihito, 77. "I pray that we will all take care of each other and overcome this tragedy."
He also expressed his worries over the nuclear crisis, saying: "With the help of those involved I hope things will not get worse."
But officials are also taking increasing criticism for poor communication about efforts at the complex. There has been growing unease at the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency's 35 board member nations, who have complained that information coming from Japan on the rapidly evolving nuclear disaster is too slow and vague.
IAEA head Yukiya Amano spoke of a "very serious" situation and said he would leave for Tokyo within a day.
He said it was "difficult to say" if events were out of control, but added, "I will certainly have contact with those people who are working there who tackled the accident, and I will be able to have firsthand information."
The nuclear crisis has partly overshadowed the human tragedy caused by Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest recorded in history.
Millions of Japanese have been with little food and water in heavy snow and rain since Friday. In some towns, long lines of cars waited outside the few open gas stations, with others lined up at rice-vending machines.
National broadcaster NHK showed mammoth military helicopters lifting off Friday afternoon to survey radiation levels above the nuclear complex, preparing to dump water onto the most troubled reactors in an effort to cool them down.
The defense ministry later said those flights were a drill -- then later said it had decided against making an airborne drop because of the high radiation levels.
"The anxiety and anger being felt by people in Fukushima have reached a boiling point," the governor of Fukushima prefecture, Yuhei Sato, fumed in an interview with NHK. He criticized preparations for an evacuation if conditions worsen, and said centers do not have enough hot meals and basic necessities.
More than 4,300 people are officially listed as dead, but officials believe the toll will climb to well over 10,000. Police say more than 452,000 people are staying in temporary shelters such as school gymnasiums.
Wednesday's radiation spike was believed to have come from the complex's Unit 3. But officials also acknowledged that they were far from sure what was going on at the four most troubled reactors, including Unit 3, in part because high radiation levels made it difficult to get very close.
While white smoke was seen rising Wednesday above Unit 3, officials could not ascertain the source. They said it could be spewing from the reactor's spent fuel pool -- cooling tanks for used nuclear rods -- or may have been from damage to the reactor's containment vessel, the protective shell of thick concrete.
Masahisa Otsuki, an official with TEPCO, said officials are most concerned about the spent fuel pools, which are not encased in protective shells.
"We haven't been able to get any of the latest data at any spent fuel pools. We don't have the latest water levels, temperatures, none of the latest information for any of the four reactors," he said.
In the city of Fukushima, meanwhile, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) inland from the nuclear complex, hundreds of harried government workers, police officers and others struggled to stay on top of the situation in a makeshift command center.
An entire floor of one of the prefecture's office buildings had been taken over by people tracking evacuations, power needs, death tolls and food supplies.
Elevated levels of radiation were detected well outside the 20-mile (30-kilometer) emergency area around the plants. In Ibaraki prefecture, just south of Fukushima, officials said radiation levels were about 300 times normal levels by late morning. It would take three years of constant exposure to these higher levels to raise a person's risk of cancer.
A little radiation was also detected in Tokyo, triggering panic buying of food and water.
Given the reported radiation levels, John Price, an Australian-based nuclear safety expert, said he saw few health risks for the general public so far. But he said he was surprised by how little information the Japanese were sharing.
"We don't know even the fundamentals of what's happening, what's wrong, what isn't working. We're all guessing," he said. "I would have thought they would put on a panel of experts every two hours."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the government expects to ask the U.S. military for help, though he did not elaborate. He said the government is still considering whether to accept offers of help from other countries.
There are six reactors at the plant. Units 1, 2 and 3, which were operating last week, shut down automatically when the quake hit. Since then, all three have been rocked by explosions. Compounding the problems, on Tuesday a fire broke out in Unit 4's fuel storage pond, an area where used nuclear fuel is kept cool, causing radioactivity to be released into the atmosphere.
Units 4, 5 and 6 were shut at the time of the quake, but even offline reactors have nuclear fuel -- either inside the reactors or in storage ponds -- that need to be kept cool.
Meanwhile, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency estimated that 70 percent of the rods have been damaged at the No. 1 reactor.
Japan's national news agency, Kyodo, said that 33 percent of the fuel rods at the No. 2 reactor were damaged and that the cores of both reactors were believed to have partially melted.
Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo, David Stringer in Ofunato and Jocelyn Gecker in Bangkok contributed to this report.
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(akiyoko via Shutterstock)
Climate denying researcher received over $1 million from fossil fuel industry
Wei-Hock Soon claims that variations in the sun's energy could be causing global warming
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2015/02/23/climate_denying_researcher_received_over_1_million_from_fossil_fuel_industry/
February 23, 2015 8:35PM (UTC)
We've all heard the statistic that 97 percent of scientists agree that human activities are leading to the devastating impact of climate change. Who are the three percent of scientists, in the minority, but sticking to their conviction that climate change would happen no matter what we did, despite overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary?
One of the scientists in the latter category is Wei-Hock Soon (known as Willie), of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Soon claims that variations in the sun's energy are likely to blame for global warming, making him an oft-invoked source among conservatives and other climate denying groups. It turns out that he has been paid over $1.2 million by the fossil fuel industry to have these views. He has also failed to disclose the conflict of interest in the majority of his scientific articles, according to the New York Times.
Correspondence between Soon and his funders include the scientist referring to his papers and even a testimony for Congress as "deliverables," which he would complete in exchange for payment.
The New York Times' Justin Gillis and John Schwartz have the story:
The documents were obtained by Greenpeace, the environmental group, under the Freedom of Information Act. Greenpeace and an allied group, the Climate Investigations Center, shared them with several news organizations last week.
The documents shed light on the role of scientists like Dr. Soon in fostering public debate over whether human activity is causing global warming. The vast majority of experts have concluded that it is and that greenhouse emissions pose long-term risks to civilization.
In 2011, Reuters reported that Soon was paid $120,000 by Southern and $131,000 by Exxon to study the Sun's role in climate change. In response, the scientist said: "I have never been motivated by financial reward in any of my scientific research."
Officials from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. have condemned Soon's actions and said they would explore how to handle the matter internally.
Kert Davies, executive director of the Climate Investigations Center said of the news: "What it shows is the continuation of a long-term campaign by specific fossil-fuel companies and interests to undermine the scientific consensus on climate change."
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NWhomes
Provided by University of Washington
Can thoughts be harnessed to move robotic limbs?
Originally published October 21, 2016 at 1:05 am Updated February 12, 2018 at 3:21 pm
Advances in neural engineering could make what sounds like science fiction a reality in less than a decade. (Provided by University of Washington)
Advances in neural engineering could make what sounds like science fiction a reality in less than a decade.
By University of Washington
“The day Jayna Bean Doll was born, May 11, 2006, we noticed seizure-like behavior. After close supervision, her doctor confirmed the seizures and ordered a CT scan of her brain. He closed the door to our room to give us the news… we knew right away, our lives were never going to be the same…” – Jayna’s mother, Sunshine Glynn, via CaringBridge.
The diagnosis was hemimegalencephaly, a rare condition in which one half of the brain develops abnormally larger than the other. The seizures, a symptom of the condition, lasted minutes, consuming Jayna’s entire being. The only answer, at 28 days old, was a hemispherectomy — performed on the youngest patient in the world at the time — by Seattle Children’s neurosurgeon and Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering member Dr. Jeff Ojemann. The surgery to disconnect the right hemisphere of her brain was successful, but the outlook was dim: doctors told Jayna’s family she’d likely never walk or talk. That they’d have only a few years with her, at best.
Fast-forward a decade, and Jayna — who lives life with partial blindness and paralysis on the left side of her body — is the happiest walking, talking 10-year-old you’ll ever meet. And, as a participant in the College of Engineering’s Ability & Innovation Lab pioneered by assistant professor of mechanical engineering and CSNE member Kat Steele, Jayna is working with mechanical engineering students to design body-powered orthoses to enrich not just her own life, but the lives of others.
“With Jayna, we’ve been working on a simple, mechanical solution that’s easy to use in daily life, and we’re really excited by the future opportunities in neural engineering with our partners at the CSNE,” says Steele. “There, researchers are working hard to develop the future of brain-computer interfaces that will let an individual simply think and move these devices.”
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For the uninitiated, it sounds like science fiction: humans using brain control to bring robotic limbs — or even their own paralyzed limbs — to life. For CSNE director Rajesh Rao and CSNE deputy director Chet Moritz, it’s the future of neural engineering — and it’s less than a decade away.
Housed in the University of Washington’s College of Engineering, the CSNE is a cross-disciplinary hub that brings together medicine and engineering to develop novel solutions for conditions that range from stroke to spinal cord injury. It’s an ecosystem of innovation centered on a shared mission: empowering people with disabilities through connecting brains with technology.
While the intent to move is still there for individuals who have undergone stroke or spinal cord injury and experience paralysis, there’s a missing link — maybe a damaged nerve — in the loop that sends that message from the brain to the muscle. That’s where the CSNE comes in.
Participants in the CSNE’s studies are patients who are in for an epilepsy diagnosis and have volunteered to assist during their one- to two- week hospital stay. There, CSNE researchers connect the signals measured directly from the brain to a computer translator connected to a robotic arm and, without physically lifting a finger, the participants think of controlling it. Reaching out to a loved one, grabbing a drink of water. The robotic arm moves.
“But what happens if we want to control our own paralyzed limb?” poses Moritz. “We can electrically stimulate the spinal cord below the level of the injury using an implantable device, a type of brain-computer interface.” Essentially, chips and wires that act as a pseudo nervous system and learn in real time, creating a bridge to reconnect the brain to the spinal cord below the injury.
“The goal isn’t so much to use a brain signal to control a prosthetic limb as it is to allow the brain to heal itself,” says Rao. Over time, the goal is to help brain and spinal circuits rewire around the area of injury and actually reanimate once-paralyzed limbs.
“Eventually, the device could go away because the individual has regained function,” says Moritz. “The individuals, like Jayna, who might one day benefit from what the CSNE is developing are just a wonderful, inspiring, rewarding group of people to work with. This is the kind of research that makes being at the UW so special.”
Learn more about this story from the University of Washington.
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NewsPoliticsCouncil
Road could be renamed in honour of Windrush generation
A Sheffield road could be named Windrush in honour of the Caribbean immigrants who moved to the city and worked in its industries.
By Lucy Ashton, Local Democracy Reporter
Monday, 17 June, 2019, 15:15
Nadia Jama asked for a street to be renamed near Sheffield and District African & Caribbean Community Association (SADACCA) and presented a petition to full council.
She said: “In many cities up and down the country there is recognition of the contribution made by diverse communities in the renaming of streets or buildings, so we call upon Sheffield Council to find a suitable road within the Wicker Area and rename it Windrush Road.
“We ask that the council pledge to this renaming, as a tribute to the Windrush generation, who worked in many industries within the city, from the NHS to transport and in particular the steel industry, as a way of showing our appreciation for the positive contribution, made by those who came to our great city from the Caribbean.”
Ms Jama also said campaigners would like to see the area renamed as Sheffield International Cultural Quarter.
“We also call upon Sheffield Council to give special recognition to the diverse and international communities that have set up businesses within the Wicker area over many decades, by recognising this part of the city, as Sheffield’s International Cultural Quarter.”
The petition has been signed by members of SADACCA and local businesses.
Coun Bob Johnson, cabinet member for development, said there were difficulties renaming streets with lots of houses but addded: “We would like to rename a street and want to find a suitable site near the SADACCA.”
A national Windrush Day was held June 22 last year to recognise the thousands of people who came to England in 1948 from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain.
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Lost and Found in Wales
Road Trip Jun 19, 2017
Independent Traveler
See recent posts by Independent Traveler
Author: estre68132
Date of Trip: November 2006
For the first time since she became an adult, my daughter and I took a two week road trip through England, Wales and Ireland. Vaughn lives in England and I was her first visitor from home. Extraordinary in so many aspects of sights, history and other-worldliness, the most striking was the character of the people we met. Vaughn had decided “making friends” was to be our theme, so everywhere we went we unabashedly spoke to anyone who would speak with us…asking questions about the area, the food, the bed and breakfasts, culture and very often, directions. People throughout the UK were above all, warm and friendly and often went out of their way to guide us to the best and most often missed sites. By the time we got to Wales, in our little rental car, I was driving like a pro on the left side of the road, and truth be told, it felt very natural for me, and we had even made some new friends!
The M-4 freeway exit to the coastal town of Swansea, where we had decided to stop for the evening, did not seem to be well marked and our friend, Tom-Tom on the dashboard, was not much help. Once off the freeway we followed a small road into an old section of Swansea on High Street, where we spotted a typical Edwardian tavern, the Red Lion, amid the rows of townhouses which lined up like soldiers on the cobbled and curved street, and headed in for our usual evening pint of Guinness and never-disappointing fresh fish and chips. Swansea is one of the old port cities of Wales and in November even thought the ferry to Ireland is shut down for winter, there is still a lot to see.
Just as we finished our meal a rowdy group of ten at a nearby table hollered over to see if we were Americans, then signaled us to join them for a pint. In the spirit of our mantra, “more friends”, we sat with them and listened to stories for about an hour before asking if they knew of a bed and breakfast nearby. Three of them immediately jumped up to make phone calls to find a room for us…without luck. Our new friends highly recommended the Fairyhill Cottages, because of the unique decor of fairies throughout, but it also had no vacancies. We will plan to stay there on our return to Wales. Resolving the best decision was to return to the freeway and take a room at the nondescript motel we had passed on the way in, we said our goodbyes, exchanged cell phone numbers and headed out.
The motel was full, and although the hostess tried for a half hour to find a room for us, there was nothing available within fifty miles. Naively thinking we could just drive around until we found something, we got in the car and headed back towards town, which, much like Brigadoon, had totally vanished! No matter which road we took, or how many times Tom-Tom told us to take a right or a left, we circled for about an hour and always ended up in the parking lot of the no-vacancy motel. About then, Vaughn got a call from Paul, her new friend, who asked if we were settled in for the night. When she told him that not only were we not settled in, we had no idea where we were, he patiently gave her directions back to the pub and told her to meet him there. Thank goodness for Paul…when we got to the pub, Paul was waiting in the parking lot, and had his lovely mother in the car with him and he and his mother led us to a friend’s house who kept a spare room above her beauty shop on High Street for spur of the moment travelers. We stood in front of the B&B and gave hugs all around, and then climbed the three flights of stairs to the attic, where we had a great night’s sleep….on mattress coils without mattresses.
At the direction of our new friends, the next morning we had a fabulous “proper” breakfast at Niki’s Cafe on High Street, with fresh baked croissants, and packed up chocolate filled delicacies for later in the day. The cafe is owned by Niki, he’s of Greek origin, and Kathy, she’s Welsh and was one of our “new friends” from the pub the evening before. The coffee was definitely worth finding an excuse to return to Swansea on another day. As we left town we saw ancient white-washed stone homes built right to the edge of the water, and with the light of the morning we could see an abundance of bed and breakfasts along the road, both in town and out, most with wisps of smoke from the chimneys, tempting travelers with the idea of hunkering down beside a fire with a warm mug of cider. The lesson learned was to call ahead for a Bed and Breakfast on our next visit to Swansea, because even in November Swansea is a popular destination.
We drove along the magnificently rugged and rocky Gower Peninsula coastline decked in its winter coat of silver and grey green moss, and stood nibbling our chocolate croissants on the cliffs. The wind blew steadily as we looked out to sea and it was easy to imagine the stirrings of excitement as Viking invaders first landed there hundreds of years ago.
Within close proximity to Swansea are numerous fortresses and castles, in various stages of decay and rehabilitation. Good maps of Wales show the castles and most do not charge a fee to enter. The one we arbitrarily picked was perched above a small village in the Welsh farmland and we were the sole explorers in the four hours we spent there. We felt there could be spirits of our Welsh ancestors watching us from those bastions and called out to them to be our friends. It certainly was beginning to feel like home, especially for Vaughn.
Paul checked in with Vaughn periodically during the day to make sure we weren’t lost again as we wandered in Wales. We floated that night on dreams of our new friends in foreign worlds and the world got a little closer and cozier knowing that there are kind and gentle people who look out for each other everywhere, if you look!
trip review
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Is cable back on track?
14 Jun 200538 Views
After years of lying in the doldrums, cable is back. Some would argue it never went away but there is no doubt that the promises made in the heady days of the late Nineties went largely unfulfilled. In reality, the troubles that cable went through were matched by the telecoms industry as a whole, but cable suffered. NTL and Chorus both underwent financial restructuring, with Chorus going into examinership and subsequently being sold to French company UGC. However, both companies are bullish about the future.
“Chorus had been over-leveraged with debt for years,” says Phil Friedman, CEO of Chorus. “This caused under-investment in the network and in new products and services. With examinership last year we were able to come out from underneath that and get new investment. Now we are upgrading our Cork networks, which are the largest of our cable franchises, and during 2005 we will be rolling out high-speed data in that city. I should point out that we have almost completed the rollout in Naas.
“In our wireless areas we have upgraded three more sites, which means the percentage of our MMDS customers who receive digital TV is now up to 80pc, so we are back on a roll and providing new services and servicing new areas. For 2006 we are looking to upgrade other areas such as Limerick and a few others. By 2007/2008, 90pc of our customers will be able to receive high-speed data from us,” he says.
The story at NTL is similar. “We now have 100,000 digital TV subscribers in our Dublin, Galway and Waterford franchise areas,” says Mark Mohan, sales and marketing manager at NTL Ireland. In addition our MMDS network is now 100pc digital. “In addition, we have 100,000 homes broadband ready and our Galway and Waterford networks are now completely upgraded to offer broadband.
“Overall cable is back on track,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean all cable operators are going to succeed or be market leaders. But we do believe across Ireland, the UK and Europe cable is making good progress right across the board. We do think that within our network service area we have done well and we have a very competitive product.
“We are in a good position vis-à-vis the competition in TV and broadband. We have a good eye to the future in terms of the triple play and we have a good, layered approach to product development.”
The triple play Mohan refers to is the combination of digital television, high-speed data and telephony. NTL withdrew recently from the telephony market following a safety scare but has plans to re-enter using new voice over internet protocol technology, a plan very similar to that of Chorus.
“We are looking forward to launching a telephone service,” says Friedman. “UGC has already launched such a service in several countries and we have been told that we will be on the map for 2006 in selected areas. So all the things cable was supposed to deliver in the Nineties, we are delivering now.
“During the late Nineties, when a lot of consolidation was taking place, cable companies were valued at between US$1,500 and US$2,000 per customer. If cable companies were changing hands today,” he says, “the value of customers would be between 30pc and 50pc of that. Chorus was a nice little company but we paid too much for some of our acquisitions and the interest on debt killed our cash flow. The same thing happened in Europe and the US.
“With a cleaner balance sheet and lower cost of customer acquisition in terms of equipment, the industry is in a strong position,” adds Friedman. “High-speed data has taken off, the demand is there. In 1999 price was way too high and customers didn’t know what to do with it. Now the costs are lower and demand is higher.”
By David Stewart
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Alan Goodrich and The Alligators
Alan Goodrich is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and solo performer based out of Concord, MA. Alan has been performing throughout New England for decades.
Alan Goodrich is also known for being the lead singer and drummer for “Alan and The Alligators” band, as well as drumming, singing lead vocals and playing acoustic guitar in the “Acoustic Alligators” (the acoustic duo presentation of the band). The Alligators critically-acclaimed debut CD “Reptile Rock” (released in 2000 on I.E.M. Records) has thus far been added at over 75 radio stations across the US and Canada, and charted twice in the Top 10 in college radio as reported by CMJ. Alan also plays in the acoustic duo “Alan Goodrich & Bruce Marshall” with fellow Concord, MA, resident Bruce Marshall, who states: “Trained by jazz great Alan Dawson, Alan Goodrich is a rarity these days: A rock solid percussionist who happens to be a singer, songwriter and guitarist of the first order.”
Alan and The Alligators is a three-piece Boston area band providing live entertainment since 1989 and is one of New England’s best bands for any event. Audiences appreciate our versatility, full sound, and talent for playing popular cover songs and catchy, danceable original songs. Our exciting performance style and expert musicianship has made us a popular live act. We love to play!
Our music is a mix of original and cover rock, funk, blues, R&B, dance, jazz, pop, jam band, folk music and other assorted fun music.
In addition to shows with Bruce Marshall, Alligators shows and Alan Goodrich solo shows, Alan has also performed live with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Platters, Greg Hawkes of The Cars, and T Lavitz of The Dixie Dregs, Jazz Is Dead, Pat Benatar, and Jefferson Starship fame.
<a href=”https://alligatorsband.com/”>www.alligatorsband.com</a>
events, rock the bokx
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A Trump administration thaw with Russia is 'unacceptable,' McCain says
By Karen DeYoung
| The Washington Post |
Nov 15, 2016 | 4:34 PM
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., appears with his wife, Cindy, to talk about his successful re-election bid on Nov. 8, 2016, in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin / AP)
Sen. John McCain, the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent his first shot across the bow of President-elect Donald Trump's national security plans Tuesday, saying that any attempt to "reset" relations with Russia was unacceptable.
"With the U.S. presidential transition underway, Vladimir Putin has said in recent days that he wants to improve relations with the United States," McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement released by his office.
"We should place as much faith in such statements as any other made by a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America's allies, and attempted to undermine America's elections," he said.
McCain gave tepid support to Trump after the Republican nominating convention, then withdrew it following the October leak of a recording revealing Trump's demeaning remarks about women, and then declined to speak about him as he headed toward his own successful reelection last week.
His comments on Russia followed a telephone call between Trump and Putin on Monday and came amid reports of upheaval in the national security transition.
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In their conversation, the Kremlin said, Putin and Trump agreed that U.S.-Russia relations were "unsatisfactory" and vowed to work together to improve them. Trump's office later said that they had discussed shared threats and challenges and the long-term relationship between them.
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By By Michael Birnbaum
Nov 15, 2016 | 12:24 PM
In his statement, McCain pointed out that Russia, in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, resumed large-scale bombardment Tuesday in Syria.
"The Obama administration's last attempt at resetting relations with Russia culminated in Putin's invasion of Ukraine and military intervention in the Middle East," McCain said. "At the very least, the price of another 'reset' would be complicity in Putin and Assad's butchery of the Syrian people.
"That is an unacceptable price for a great nation. When America has been at its greatest, it is when we have stood on the side [of] those fighting tyranny," McCain added. "That is where we must stand again."
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Superyacht Dream’s life after refit
TAGS: Abeking & RasmussenBannenberg & RowellNorthrop & Johnson
Potential superyacht owners have a key decision to make: buy new or buy something that’s out there and spruce her up. For the owner of Dream, a 60-metre Abeking & Rasmussen launched in 2001, the calculation was simple. “We looked at building a new boat but didn’t want to wait the 18 months of planning and the three years of construction,” he says. This led him to acquire the then Excellence III in the spring of 2012 and embark on a refit: “By buying an extremely well-built German boat that had a layout we liked and refitting it, we could get a boat with a new interior in about a third of the time compared to the four years it takes to plan and build a custom boat.”
Dream’s refit included a new hull colour from the original blue
The owner wanted a yacht that he could cruise himself but that would also hit the sweetspot with charterers. “Having chartered extensively we knew what we wanted and, more importantly, we knew what didn’t work. With seven cabins, an office and a yoga/spa room, this yacht had the ideal profile for our family, and would have many more amenities than any boat her size,” he says.
But the serious work was only just starting. “One very important factor was to redo everything that was dated. Many times you will see a boat that has had a refit in the master and main salon, but the rest of the boat has barely been touched,” he says. “We changed all the furniture, the carpets, the fabrics and the window treatments. All the audio-visual and internet systems were upgraded. To get the feeling of a new boat, we redid all the cabins, the outside deck areas, and had new tenders and toys. Now anyone visiting for the first time thinks it is a new yacht.”
The upper lounge cinema has become the focus for guests
The owner has long been an admirer of the work of Bannenberg & Rowell, citing the company’s work aboard the Lürssen Pacific and the A&R Elandess as particularly striking. “After meeting with them we liked their attitude. My wife and I had very clear ideas of what we wanted and Dickie and Simon presented us with many choices. We went back and forth many times and they kept trying until we were satisfied. We wanted an uncluttered yet sophisticated look, more the feeling of a loft or an art gallery than the usual look many boats have these days. I believe they have succeeded in that mission.”
The new desk was created from a wing section of a Grumman Albatross
While the owner was pretty happy with the arrangement of the yacht – “the layout of the boat was excellent” – some changes needed to be made to allow better access to the swim platform: originally, you had to go along a dark interior staircase in the garage. “Guests had to meander through the toys and tools in the garage,” says the owner. “So we created an elegant curved staircase that goes directly on the outside from the aft portion of the main deck to the swim platform. This gives easy access to the swim platform and the crew doesn’t have to worry about guests tripping in the garage.” He says that the extension added three metres to the boat’s length, which “streamlined her profile nicely”.
The original upper lounge on Excellence III
The yacht is now on charter through Northrop & Johnson from $425,000 per week, as well as providing a great place for the owner’s own cruising. “There are so many great areas aboard Dream. Inside, we love the sky lounge. We created very comfortable sofas that are really daybeds. By using supple, water-resistant Italian leather you can put your feet up with a good book or take a nap. But the fun really starts when you watch an HD movie on the 103in plasma. It is super-bright and you can enjoy it in broad daylight unlike TV projection systems that require blackouts. Having a cinema on board is an excellent way for up to 12 people to gather and end a day of fun activities,” he says.
And a favourite space outside? “The sundeck feels like a corner of South Beach with comfortable chaises that you can easily move around protected from the wind. In addition, there are funky seating corners and removable awnings that can provide shade to some areas while leaving others uncovered for the sun-worshipers. A bar and Jacuzzi are additional features on that deck that we love,” the owner says. And judging by the interest shown in Dream already this season, this refit has clearly met the owner’s brief of a yacht that will appeal to family charter parties.
• this story first appeared in SuperYacht World Issue 38
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BROKEN - A Year In The Life of Steve & Michelle
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF STEVE & MICHELLE
Photography: ERIK CASTRO
Story: MEG McCONAHEY
[audio/visual intro]
Loyalty and devotion held a homeless couple
together for nine years,
but the relentless struggle for survival on the streets
has left them with a more uncertain future.
I’m in hell
— Michelle says of life under hwy 101
SANTA ROSA, CA | 2017
Behind a metal door in a crawlspace under Highway 101, Steve Singleton and Michelle Last huddle in hiding. A spear of light from a thin, open seam between a wall and the underbelly of the interstate reveals their tent perched atop a steep earthen slope. It smells of mold and damp dirt. But the couple would rather be in this grave a few inches beneath the eerie thrum of freeway traffic than risk Steve’s going back to jail.
Steve and Michelle choose pure isolation in this tomb directly beneath Highway 101 as they hide out from police. March 8, 2017.
It’s a short reprieve. Two days later, police find the hideout and arrest Steve for failing to appear in court on a misdemeanor trespassing charge. He was popped when the pair took cover in an empty office, fearful after a homeless man was stabbed to death on the streets not far from where they were sleeping.
Life on the underpasses is loud, chaotic and dangerous. One day Michelle is pelted by loose change flung from a car window, on another Steve is awakened in the middle of the night by a drunk in a Mercedes calling people sleeping in the underpass “worthless.” February 21, 2017.
Alone, Michelle packs up the blankets, loads the tubs of clothing, food, and gear onto their bike trailer, and moves to a leaky underpass in downtown Santa Rosa. Being homeless means being constantly on the move. And Steve and Michelle have it down to a science. They can tear down and be on the road in a half hour.
About every 10 days police remove homeless persons living on the underpasses. Most return by evening to their exact same spot as Steve and Michelle did later this day. February 23, 2017.
Michelle and Steve aren’t legally married but refer to each other as husband and wife. They met at a Santa Rosa homeless shelter about nine years ago after Michelle, 47, fled what she said was a bad relationship with a drug dealer. As she tells it, the last straw was the day she stepped out of her room and found two police rifles pointed at her face.
Before becoming homeless, Steve lived in Forestville with a wife and two young sons and worked for a towing company. But at some point about 18 years ago, he began spiraling into a life of drugs, petty crime, and ever sketchier living situations that bottomed out on the streets.
He’s been in and out of jail many times, mostly on misdemeanor and failure-to-appear warrants. Steve also has a short fuse and a history of domestic violence. In addition to misdemeanor drug possession charges and a felony conviction for stealing a truck, his criminal record includes three convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence and one conviction for misdemeanor spousal battery in Sonoma and El Dorado counties.
At around 7 a.m. Michelle helps Steve prepare to leave for his full-time job at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. February 18, 2017.
But at the age of 52, he finds himself taking on a new role as “shot caller” and conduct-enforcer within the loose community of homeless that in Sonoma County has reached emergency proportions. He and Michelle condemn other street people who aren’t productive, and live in filth. They also are protective of those who are trying and the most vulnerable — the elderly and the young — some of whom call them “Mom” and “Dad” and look to them for help and leadership.
Steve is boisterous and a tease. When he gets to talking, it is non-stop, whether recounting a story or ranting about how the city disregards the homeless.
He’s made a certain peace with the streets.
“I went through a phase where I was embarrassed to be living on the streets, “ he concedes, “but now I realize we’re OK with our situation. We’re comfortable with where we’re at and maybe that’s why we haven’t made a big effort to get off the streets.”
Privacy is minimal as the sidewalk becomes both bedroom and living room for the couple. February 22, 2017.
Michelle, a quiet counterpoint to her gregarious partner, gets increasingly exasperated however, and desperate for a roof and four walls. Michelle also has a past and has spent time in jail. In 2010 she was convicted of credit card forgery and felony possession of a controlled substance.
Both want society to give them another chance. Steve says many people on the streets at one time “took a left turn,” but are trying to make their way back. “Whenever you traveled down that highway — a year, two years, three years ago — you got to travel all the way back down that road to get on the right turn again ... it’s a long goddam road to travel back. The thing is, you can’t give up.”
With their home neatly packed behind them, the couple prepares to venture out on their bikes for a late night shower at a secret location. "Getting around used to take us forever when we had to walk," says Steve. March 29, 2017.
Their relationship is alternately tumultuous and tender. Despite frequent fights and breakups, a fierce loyalty and devotion has held them together amid a relentless struggle for survival.
On the streets they uphold a code of conduct that includes no pan- handling, no booze, and a militant refusal to relinquish their civility amid the trash, noise, drinking, fights, poverty, drug abuse, danger, and grinding disrespect that comes with living on the ragged edges of Wine Country’s bounty.
Michelle delivers takeout Chinese food to comfort a fellow homeless person who is dying of cancer at Memorial Hospital. May 19, 2017
Steve and Michelle have a soft spot for others suffering in the shadows of a society that snubs them. One is Vinny Hayes, an old acquaintance, who is dying at Memorial Hospital. When Vinny asks for Chinese food, they bicycle from their campsite across the street to fetch him takeout. Michelle, in scrubs, quietly lingers as Vinny moans in pain, even as it stirs painful memories of her mother’s death from cancer when Michelle was just 7 years old.
In Vinny's hospital room the couple listens as he whispers quietly to himself, "Oh God, help me God, help me." It become unbearable for Steve seeing Vinny in so much pain. Soon after, Steve leaves Michelle alone in the room as she tries to finish her lunch.
They have fond memories of their former lives when they worked as carneys, living in the bunkhouse while on the road and gaining a following operating “The High Striker” strongman game. But Steve, for all his charm, can also be a hothead. When he got into a clash at the carnival, he was forced to leave; Michelle reluctantly followed.
The couple doesn’t scrounge for food. They appreciate meals at St. Vincent’s Dining Room in Railroad Square and often whip up their own, of sausage and eggs, pork chops and steak — prepared on a propane burner that has gotten them into trouble with police. The couple sleep on a stack of soft blankets — they refuse hand-me- downs — and bicycle to the portable showers run by The Redwood Gospel Mission and Catholic Charities — a chore that can take hours. They hit the laundromat weekly; Steve decries the homeless who filch free clothing, wear it once, and dump it on the street.
Look man, I live on the streets too. I’m just like you. Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?
— Steve struggles to bring a fellow homeless man to his feet
Steve and Michelle have mixed feelings about their peers on the street, variously protective and furious.
“I can’t let that guy sleep there, he’s making us all look bad,” Steve says one day as he spots a man sprawled beside a row of garbage bins in front of a small house beyond the underpass. Crouching down he yells at the man to get up, grabbing him by the collar as he struggles to lift him. Steve’s voice is shaking and his eyes fill with tears. “Look man, I live on the streets too. I’m just like you. Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?”
He offers to carry him to the underpass for safety but the man asks to be left alone. Defeated, Steve heads back to his tent, stopping to look back down the street where the man is still lying with the garbage. A soft rain begins to fall. “That guy doesn’t understand it,” he laments, his voice choking up. “If he’s drunk and he sleeps in the rain, he’ll die out there.”
Steve approaches the man
There is a brief struggle
Then, an emotional plea
At the start of 2017 Steve has a full-time job, pedaling five mornings a week on his nearly new bike to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, where he works on a maintenance crew, while Michelle sweeps away the dirt and trash outside their tarp-covered tent and checks rental listings that might by some remote chance meet the criteria for a housing assistance program. The futility of her tasks leaves her alternately angry, defiant, and depressed, her flashing moods reflected in her deep-set eyes.
Both find it increasingly hard to live on the streets as the effects of age set in. Michelle has colitis, back problems, and a torn shoulder from lifting the hammer of The High Striker. In April Steve severely tears a rotator cuff during the winter rainstorms while lugging wooden pallets he planned to use to get their tent off the muddy ground. He has already had multiple surgeries, including a heart stent, and suffers chronic diverticulitis. Years ago he had all his teeth removed and chose not to get dentures.
"I'm hurting bad and I can't work right now, I can't do nothing," Steve says during an examination of his injured right shoulder by Physician Assistant Luis Garcia. Steve tore a rotator cuff trying to build a platform in the mud. April 30, 2017.
A morning of severe shoulder pain. April 14, 2017.
Yet he says he’s healthier than he has been in years after weaning himself off a load of prescription medications that he said were only making him sicker. Both smoke pot, but claim they are otherwise clean after years of drug use.
“We have hard times. It’s stressful,” said Steve, who was born and raised in Sonoma County and then Lodi after his parents divorced. “I love my wife dearly. We are clean. We don’t do the things half the other people do. And people respect us.”
People on the street, that is. One day Michelle is pelted by loose change flung from a car window. Steve is awakened in the middle of the night by a drunk in a Mercedes calling people sleeping in the underpass “worthless.” Disheartened that no one else would stand up to preserve their dignity, Steve confronts “the gentleman,” knocks him down and delivers a lecture on respect. “No matter what these people have done, they may be drug addicts or alcoholics, but they’re human beings,” he said, a mantra he repeats often.
“It really got to me,” he reflects on a March morning as chill wind rips through the concrete tunnel between Santa Rosa’s east and west sides. “It made me sad they’d gotten to the point where they couldn’t speak up for themselves. Society has shut the door on them so many damn times.”
It was a galvanizing moment for Steve. That and the five days in jail on the trespassing warrant during which he stared at a message posted on his cell wall: “Use this time wisely, to think and to figure out the right thing to do.”
The dangers of street life are ever present. One evening Steve and Michelle prepare to protect themselves with a baseball bat when a fellow homeless man, who had earlier made a threatening remark to Michelle, returns to their campsite. March 1, 2017.
Wherever they land, they nest. Over the course of the year, Michelle and Steve move more than a dozen times, schlepping from one underpass to another and from one hidden campsite to the next. In April they settle into a sylvan glade behind the old cemetery off Chanate. But rains turn their lush Garden of Eden into a muddy mess.
Michelle at their home hidden by an intricately woven canopy of branches and leaves the couple created at this lush wooded location behind an old cemetery. April 5, 2017.
In May they scout a spot across from Memorial Hospital beside Santa Rosa Creek. Eventually they’re discovered by police, who give them 72 hours to move. They move to what they hope is a more hidden spot nearby. That also is discovered. This time, Steve is given 10 minutes to drag everything up on a tarp, even with his torn shoulder.
With a power drill, zip ties and screws Steve builds the frame for a cabin out of tree branches. August 30, 2017.
One of three cabins Steve built along Santa Rosa Creek during the summer. August 29, 2017.
Sick of the constant displacement and threat of arrest they decide it will be safer outside the city limits. By summer they carve out an elaborate homestead in the blackberries beside a pond in the creek. With a level and power tools, Steve constructs what amounts to a cabin, complete with door. Twice they’re told to tear it down. Each time Steve, undeterred, rebuilds farther downstream. Only after the third time at the end of summer do they admit defeat and head back into downtown six miles away.
A desperate Michelle confesses to feeling like she’s on the verge of a breakdown. “I’m tired; I can’t do this anymore,” she said from her camp back under the overpass. “It’s killing me. I’m too old for this. And it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end.”
I’m starting to forget what her face looks like
— Michelle, reflecting on the fading memory of her mother who died of cancer when Michelle was a child.
In late summer, they get an offer to share a two-bedroom house with a friend on property west of town for $600 a month. The hitch? The owner can’t take dogs and Michelle, several months earlier, had adopted a pit bull puppy for comfort, companionship and protection. She refuses to go without her Missy. But that’s not the only problem. One day while visiting and watching TV in the friend’s cottage, Steve suddenly panics. Sweating, all he can think is that he needs to get out.
He is perplexed by conflicting demons — a discomfort about being inside and the fear of getting a home only to lose it.
"Sometimes I feel better out here than I do in a house," Steve says while the couple lives on the banks of the Santa Rosa Creek. March 10, 2017.
“It makes me sad thinking this. Sometimes I feel better out here than I do in a house. But then again, my poor wife is out here sleeping on this dirt,” he laments. “I feel bad. I really don’t know how to make a change to make it better for her because who can afford $1,200 a month rent?”
Michelle with her 2-month-old puppy Missy. "If you can't care for yourself you shouldn't take on a dog," Steve says, but adds that the dog helps Michelle cope with the stress of living on the streets. June 20, 2017.
Steve’s shoulder injury early in the year has made him unable to work, so the pair ekes out a living by recycling. They approach the job professionally, targeting neighborhoods, houses, and businesses that are particularly fertile. It’s a night shift that can leave them exhausted the next morning. With flashlights and gloves they root through the blue bins only, trying to be considerate and not awaken sleeping residents, some of whom leave out bags of recyclables for them, knowing they’ll be by. Their efforts can yield up to $70 on a good night.
Michelle and Steve collect bottles and cans on this evening from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. They later sleep a few hours across the street from a popular restaurant under a row of redwood trees. In the morning they bike to a recycle center that pays them $60 dollars for their efforts.
"I'm not here to read through people's trash, I'm here for one thing and I try to be respectful and not leave a mess," Steve says while collecting plastic bottles in the Cherry Street neighborhood of Santa Rosa.
On this quiet Santa Rosa street the only sounds are of Steve and Michelle chatting to each other as they search for bottles and cans. July 24, 2017.
"I love my Job"
SUMMER - WINTER 2017
When the Sonoma County Fair rolls around Michelle lands an ushering assignment at the horse races. In shades and staff shirt, she’s in her element. She loves the work, which leads to an $11-an-hour job with Praetorian, a private security company. By late summer she’s tooling all over the county and the Bay Area, to everything from the Sausalito Art Festival to Fleet Week to the Dickens Fair in Daly City.
She takes pride in her work and develops a growing confidence, aided by a new friendship with a co-worker who drives her to gigs and provides a refuge during fights with Steve. She likes this other life, where no one knows she goes home to a tent.
Michelle's job at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds offers her something missing from her exiled homeless life; an opportunity to mingle with the general public, joke around with co-workers and socialize with fairgoers. August 6, 2017.
Michelle working the Dickens Fair with her co-worker and close friend Martina Boudrot who drives Michelle to most of her jobs. Boudrot's apartment is always open to Michelle for a respite from her life on the streets. November 26, 2017.
Steve and Michelle both have adult children and make an effort to stay in touch. Steve’s oldest, Chad, 29, couldn’t be more different than his dad. He has a good job overseeing programs for the Sonoma County Water Agency, is working on his master’s degree, and bought a home last year in Forestville with his wife, Alli. In September the couple presented Steve with his first grandchild, and he’s bursting with pride. Father and son talk once a week on the phone and periodically get together. A younger son, Brandon, 23, lives near Lake Tahoe.
Michelle has four grandsons by her daughter, Constance, and her son, Nickolas, both in their 20s and living in Washington. She says she and Nickolas were estranged for several years, and recently reconnected through Facebook.
Steve with his son Chad, daughter-in-law Alli and holding his grandson Brett during a Christmas time visit.
"I used to play with Chad's feet like this for hours when he was a baby," said Steve, as he cradles his grandson's feet.
Steve and his son Chad take a stroll around Chad's home in Forestville during a Christmas time visit. The quiet wooded area was once a playground for Chad as a young boy and the two reminisce about old friends and neighbors. December 22, 2017.
A PUBLIC BATTLE
A lot of people get off that cement and go to work every day
— STEVE SINGLETON, in an appearance before the Santa Rosa City Council
END OF 2017 - SPRING 2018
As winter sets in, the couple is forced over to Last Chance Village, a homeless encampment behind the Dollar Tree in Roseland that mushroomed after the city shut down homeless settlements throughout Santa Rosa. Desperation among the displaced grows as they are now competing with fire victims who themselves were on the margins, before the October disaster consumed 5,300 dwellings. Steve and Michelle settle in. It’s not where they want to be but they figure they have no other place to go.
Homeless advocates say Steve has always found a way to be a leader wherever he landed, and Last Chance Village is no exception. Steve becomes de-facto manager of the camp, working the phones, mediating arguments and fights, taking calls from people wanting information, and communicating with homeless advocates and attorneys. He travels by bike to city council meetings each week to stand before the council and argue the needs of his community.
During a weekly homeless camp "board meeting" at a small public library Steve and Michelle are seen in their new roles: Steve as camp manager and Michelle as secretary. Homeless advocate, Grace Cheung-Schulman, far left, and camp resident Diane McClatchy, far right, join the discussion on weekly challenges such as removing accumulating trash to dealing with feuds between homeless campers. February 3, 2018.
Steve thinks that six months in a shelter isn’t nearly enough time to get out of homelessness. And he’s come to believe that having a more permanent place to camp, without being run off constantly, is what people need to get back on their feet. He argues they need a stable place to set up camp, to free them from the need to “spend every minute trying to figure out how to survive.”
“I want to see something positive out here. I want a place where people can settle down and focus on themselves. Focus on what they got to do,” he says.
As homeless camp manager Steve is a liaison between health officials and the homeless campers. On this Monday morning he escorts Rafael Reyes, left, from Sonoma County Department of Health Services and Anna Branzuela, right, with the California Department of Public Health, who are passing out flyers announcing free STD screenings. January 29, 2018.
On Valentine’s Day advocates hold a press conference hoping to draw attention to the plight of camp residents, as the city makes plans to close it down with no alternative location. Both Steve and Michelle are key speakers.
Michelle is quavering as she reads a speech she wrote out in longhand. “Being homeless is a very hard life,” she says, hoping to soften one person’s heart to the homeless. “You have to carry your belongings everywhere you go, trying to find a place to hide it. If you’re not careful your stuff can get stolen or thrown away ... you can get a ticket for illegal camping or obstructing a sidewalk. How hard is it to think that something bad happened in a person’s life to where they lost their home and now are homeless? We are human just like you.”
Steve and Michelle moments after they both spoke at a press conference held at the homeless camp they have been living at since November. The couple have joined homeless activists and lawyers fighting to keep the camp from being shutdown. February 14, 2018.
Like an actress playing two distinct roles, Michelle moves between the world of the homeless camp and the world of the general public with ease. On the left photo, Michelle stands near the homeless camp border fence, and above, working a guard shift at the Art Museum of Sonoma County. March 25, 2018.
A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS
Steve and Michelle have long hoped to get a room in The Palms Inn on Santa Rosa Avenue, which is run by Catholic Charities. They see it as a bridge from life on the run. With only days before the city is set to shut down the Dollar Tree camp, throwing them back onto the streets, they learn their names have come up. They have a few hours on April 2 to break camp and board a shuttle to claim their room and bath.
The couple's last move of the year. After a tumultuous 5-month stay at this homeless encampment, Steve and Michelle now have a room at The Palms Inn; a former motel converted to temporary housing for the homeless. April 2, 2018.
Steve confesses to feeling “weird,” he’s grown so adapted to life outside.
“I’m kind of scared I won’t be able to stay inside,” he admits.
“I haven’t slept in a bed for awhile. I don’t know what I feel. I’m happy for my wife. She’s inside ... It’s good to be home. I want in two years to try to be somewhere else but right now this is better than where we’ve been. We’ve got a place to shut the door and call home.”
Michelle regards the air conditioning, the bathroom, the queen- sized bed with a real mattress after several months sleeping on milk crates. “I feel like I’m on vacation,” she says in wonderment, “but it’s mine.”
Neither Steve nor Michelle, however, is jubilant. Their joy is tempered by concern about those who are still out there. They feel like their work isn’t done. Michelle is concerned that others will think she and Steve are abandoning them.
“I don’t feel right,” Michelle says, fighting tears. “It’s not fair to all the other ones. I don’t know where they’re going to go.”
Steve and Michelle moments after entering their new home at The Palms Inn on Santa Rosa Avenue. The couple are filled with a mix of excitement, some anxiety about moving indoors after so many years outside and guilt for getting a place while so many they know and care about still live on the streets. Two months later the couple breaks up. April 2, 2018.
Steve and Michelle did not find happiness together in their new home. In early June, after a fight, Michelle’s friend Martina Boudrot called police on her behalf. Michelle threw Steve out of the apartment and he was charged with domestic violence. In securing a temporary restraining order against him, Michelle alleged Steve threw a bottle at her. She threw a bottle back at him, then he grabbed her eye. “I am scared for my life,” she wrote.
In the legal paperwork, Michelle outlined a series of assaults by Steve going back to 2016, including slamming her head against the wall of the underpass and stomping on her chest and face.
A deeply depressed Steve went back to the streets, writing on social media, “I never meant to hurt my soul partner.” He continued to try to contact Michelle in person and through social media. By mid-August he was in Sonoma County Jail, charged with violating the protective order and domestic violence. He will be released in November, leaving Michelle nervous and on edge.
She moved to a new room at the Palms with her dog, Missy, and continues to work security, winning a $1.50 an hour raise. Her thin frame is a little fuller, and she cut and colored her hair from blond to red. She is dating a man she has known for a long time. He is not homeless and treats her well, she says. But she’s taking it slow, acknowledging that she needs to figure out how to have a healthy relationship.
Michelle and Steve’s friend Vinny Hayes died in June last year.
Michelle maintains contact with few people from her life on the streets. In some ways it seems like long ago and far away. But sometimes that old world calls to her in haunting ways.
“There are times when I kind of wish I was still outside,” she reveals. “When I’m out there working and by myself and I smell the air. Then I look at the weather and wonder, ‘Where was I at this time last year? What was I doing?’ The rains are going to be coming soon. I think about all the people still out there and wonder, ‘Where are they going to go?’”
Epilogue was updated October 22, 2018.
“And now that I look back, I realize that a year can do a lot to a person,” Michelle says as she live alone at The Palms Inn and continues to work in event security.
BROKEN, A Year in the life of homeless couple Steve & Michell
Winter 2017 - Homeless couple during winter 2017 in Santa Rosa, California
Nest Building - Winter 2017 - Homeless couple building safe area in Santa Rosa, California
I Love My Job, Homeless couple working in California
Family, Homeless couple with family members
End of the Year, Homeless couple ending year in California
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Beware the Fall Army Worm
The Fall Army Worm (FAW) threat looms large in Sri Lanka. The larvae stage of the Fall Armyworm moth (Spodoptera frugiperda), commonly known in the country as the ‘Sena caterpillar’ has the ability to destroy hundreds of acres of cultivation overnight and could affect over 180 species of crops including paddy, maize, sugarcane, green gram, other vegetables and fruits.
The caterpillar, native to the Americas was, first reported in Africa in 2016 and has since spread to over 40 African countries and devastated thousands of acres of crops. A severe risk to world food security, it prompted the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to invest more than nine million USD from its regular budget and to mobilise USD 12 million on FAW control programs. First reported in India in May this year, Fall Army Worm spread was reported in Thamilnadu, the Indian state closest to Sri Lanka in early August. Earlier in the month, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a warning to farmers in the North Western and North Central provinces about possible FAW invasion. Crop destruction had already been reported from Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Galgamuwa, Rajanganaya, Thambuttha and Gampola areas.
The Fall Armyworm (FAW) or Spodoptera frugiperda which is indigenous to the American tropical and subtropical regions, is an insect pest which has the ability of causing significant crop yield losses and threat to food security if not properly managed. It is not clear how it was introduced to Africa, but it is believed that it was through commercial air transport from America. This pest is considered to be impossible to eradicate due to a number of reasons.
FAW favours maize, and the larvae are able to feed on more than 80 plant species that make up its food supply during the maize off season. They consume rice crops, cotton crops, sugar cane, and numerous types of vegetables. With the aid of air currents the FAW can fly up about 100 kilometres per night. Therefore, eradication of this pest is prohibitively expensive. FAW has the ability to adapt to different environmental conditions and climate change. This pest is wide spreading and invasive as it has a strong immune system.
There is an inverted ‘Y’ in the head of the worm. At the rear end of the worm’s back are four dots aligned in a square. FAW’s life circle lasts from 20 to 40 days depending on the food consumption. This moth is nocturnal.
According to Dr. Dayani Perera Additional Director of Pest Management, Department of Agriculture, Gannoruwa, Faw has the ability to resist pesticides so, the farmers have great difficulty in eradicating this invasive insect. One significant feature of FAW is, that after consuming the leaves, it crawls inside the shoot of the plant. Until the authorities find a proper solution, it is important to remove the worm with your hands, when you spot it on crops.
Or else you can use the pesticides relevant to the Spodoptera insect species. It is essential to inform the relevant authorities if you find this pest in your area.
The Department of Agriculture also has taken steps to educate farmers to prevent the spread of this worm. Scientists worldwide are experimenting on eradicating FAW.
There are technical cooperation projects in several affected countries. They basically focus on monitoring and early warning, mass communication and awareness, elimination of highly hazardous pesticides, promotion of biopesticides, botanical pesticides and biological control. Additionally, these projects focus on socio-economic impacts and issues plus crop damage.
From the onset of the FAW infestation, the Department of Agriculture has advocated for an Integrated Pest Management approach, supporting FAW management practices through technical assistance, awareness raising, communication and coordination, and capacity building.
The Pest Management division is engaging with smallholder farmers to help them cope with this pest.
More in this category: « Mary Poppins Returns: The story behind the soundtrack Why cheese is no longer my friend »
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Category Archives: Culturism
Robert Stark interviews John Kenneth Press
January 28, 2017 / robertstark / 1 Comment
Robert Stark and Co-host Pilleater talk to Culturist John K. Press. John is a professor at Namseoul University in South Korea, and the author of the book Culturism: A Word, A Value, Our Future. John also runs the website Culturism and writes for Alternative Right.
John’s background growing up in Santa Monica in the 70’s and 80’s, and how Southern California has changed since then
John’s background in Punk music and his band the patriots
John’s Grab ’em by the Pu**y Song
John’s running of the Brooklyn Tea Party, protest against the Ground Zero Mosque, friction with the Manhattan Tea Party, and the conflict between economic interest and culturism
The debate between the Alt-Right Ethno-Nationalist and color blind Civil Nationalist, and how culturism can address those issues
The multi-culturalist concept that all cultures are equal
Mechanism and institution of culturism
The importance of having high levels of social cohesion for a society to function
Whether to much culturism can be oppressive, and the need for a balance between individualism and cohesion
John’s experience living in Korea as a College professor, and his observations on Korea which is a culturist society
Why John views himself as an academic refugee
The book The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves
John’s book Capsule: A Search for Identity in Modern Japan
Culturism, architecture, urbanism, and aesthetics, and why modism and futurism needs culturism
Regional identities
The socio sexual status of the dominant culture
The Brittish Poet Matthew Arnold who was the founder of culturalism
John’s book Culturism: A Word, A Value, Our Future, a fictional biography about Matthew Arnold
The importance of being involved in culture rather than such politics
https://www.starktruthradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/John-K-Press.mp3
aesthetics, Alternative Right, American Culture, Architecture, Asia, Asian Culture, California, Christianity, Culture, Culturism, demographics, Diversity, Donald Trump, Economics, education, Futurism, Gender, Globalization, History, Immigration, Islam, Japan, Japanese Culture, John Kenneth Press, Korea, Literature, Los Angeles, Morality, Multiculturalism, Music, Nationalism, Philosophy, Pilleater, Political Correctness, Politics, Race Relations, Religion, Sexuality, social capital, social status, The Tea Party /
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TSD's Dalton Etkie hopes for another record-setting season
Danny Davis @aasdanny
Aug 22, 2011 at 12:01 AM Dec 12, 2018 at 9:02 AM
Dalton Etkie is not that different from the other high school quarterbacks in Central Texas .
Like Hutto's Ryan Higgins, Etkie, a junior at the Texas School for the Deaf , set single-season passing records for his school last season. Like Zed Woerner at Marble Falls and Tanner Rogers at Blanco, Etkie plays for a head coach who also is his father. Like Copperas Cove's Orlando Thomas, Etkie dreams of one day playing for the University of Texas.
"Deaf or hearing, it's really the same, we just can't hear," Etkie said recently, speaking through an interpreter .
Etkie, who was born deaf, is coming off a sophomore season in which he set school records for passing yards and touchdown passes in a season. He also set a single-game mark by throwing for 412 yards against St. Dominic Savio. A backup as a freshman , Etkie led the Rangers to a 3-9 record and an appearance in the TAPPS Division III playoffs in 2010.
When the Rangers open the 2011 season on Friday with a home game against Prince of Peace Christian, they will be led by a quarterback who threw for 2,392 yards and 21 scores last year.
"He's a little raw with his skills, but he's a competitor," Regents coach Beck Brydon said of the 6-foot-1-inch, 175-pound Etkie. "They've got a good athlete at the quarterback position."
This season, TSD will play in a district that includes Bryan St. Joseph , the Giddings State School and Regents, which won the Division III state championship in 2010 . The Rangers will start the season with varsity and junior varsity teams, and varsity head coach Kelvin Etkie estimated that he has about 40 athletes in his program.
On the field, the Rangers wear wristbands they consult for plays. (Last season, the playbook listed more than 50.) Etkie receives signals from the sideline, and he relays them to his teammates. "He explains it to us clearly so that we can understand it and so we know what the plays are," senior wide receiver Jonathan Ford said.
A communication barrier typically limits the Rangers' interactions with their opponents to facial expressions and fist pumps, although Ford admitted that the team does exchange smack talk when it plays another state school for the deaf. The Rangers also don't talk much with the referees, and although the team had a trainer last year who spoke and signed, she was used as a last resort to question calls.
"If it's a bad call, we can live with it and move on," Kelvin Etkie said.
Kelvin — who is deaf along with his wife, Marlene, and each of their four children — has been associated with TSD since 1993, coaching various sports at the school since 1998. Marlene teaches second grade at the school. Kylene , the oldest of the three Etkie daughters, set school records for aces and digs in a volleyball season last year, when she was a freshman .
Kelvin Etkie began coaching his son in football when Dalton played in a youth league with children who weren't deaf. Kelvin stepped in to serve as an interpreter and coach. Etkie, who has a 4-17 record after two football seasons as TSD, then began to assist his son with baseball, basketball, soccer and wrestling.
Now, the duo is trying to lead the Rangers' football team to back-to-back playoff berths. This season, Dalton hopes to cut down on his 23 interceptions of a year ago, when he completed 50.6 percent of his passes.
"It's kind of odd, my dad being my coach," Etkie said. "But when I play football, I look at him as a coach, not as my father. When we're done, he goes back to being my dad."
Etkie said he is comfortable at TSD, and "I've always just wanted to stay here until I graduate." However, he occasionally wonders what it would be like to attend a bigger school. Etkie lives in Bowie's attendance zone , and he sometimes sees the Bulldogs out on the practice field.
"I drive by and I see them out there on the field and I feel like I want to join them, but," Dalton Etkie said.
"You want to join them? Do you think you'd be the quarterback? " his father interrupted.
"No, I'd be at a different position."
"Like what?"
"Something on defense or tight end," Etkie said, before pausing. "Or I could play quarterback."
danieldavis@statesman.com; 445-3952
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Home Music Jean-Michel Jarre Announces North American Tour
Jean-Michel Jarre Announces North American Tour
Current Grammy-nominated artist and French electronic music composer and producer JEAN-MICHEL JARRE’s reputation for the spectacular is unmatched, having been one of the first artists in the world to perform electronic music as we know it today. Today, it has been announced he will bring his ‘Electronica’ World Tour to North America, marking his first time tour here. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 27 Pre-order the physical edition of his most recent release Oxygene 3 due out March 24 here http://smarturl.it/JMJ_Oxygene3 and get presale access for North American Tour Wednesday, January 25 at 10 am local through Thursday, January 26 at 10 pm local.
Today’s announced dates which kick off May 9 at the Sony Center for Performing Arts in Toronto, Canada mark JARRE’s first-ever proper North American trek. Expect JARRE to bring his incredible live show which blazed across the European continent last year, to high-acclaim, to many hallmark venues on this continent including Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Bell Centre in Montreal, The Greek in San Francisco, Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and more. All dates follow below.
Famed for staggering visuals and the use of cutting-edge digital technology, which has been seen by millions of people around the world, his new live show promises yet again to be a truly immersive musical journey, with JARRE set to showcase brand new music from his stunning two-part LP ELECTRONICA and most recent release OXYGENE 3, alongside classic material from milestone albums such as Oxygene and Equinoxe. View a video here of JARRE performing his signature laser harp “The Time Machine,” the title track to his current Grammy-nominated album (“Best Dance/Electronic Album”), ELECTRONICA 1: THE TIME MACHINE: https://youtu.be/DnAfXK-hft8
With his renowned city-scale concerts, JEAN-MICHEL JARRE has set Guinness World records across the globe, including: His memorable one-off city-scale concert in Houston in 1986 for NASA’s 25th Anniversary and in a moving commemoration of the Challenger Mission to which over 1.3 million people gathered to share this groundbreaking show at the foot of Houston’s skyline; An audience of 2.5 million in front of La Défense skyline, Paris; And going on to break his very own record in Moscow, when he played to over 3.5 million people for the city’s 850th anniversary.
In late 2016, JARRE unveiled digitally via Sony Music International the final chapter of his OXYGENE trilogy with OXYGENE 3. The album will now be available in physical format in the U.S. as of March 24 in advance of his ‘Electronica’ World Tour. 40 years on from the release of his groundbreaking first OXYGENE album and 20 years on from its sequel–JARRE completed the trilogy with seven new original compositions, titled OXYGENE parts 14-20, to cap off a trailblazing four decades in music. “Oxygène 3 has its place within electronic music’s history,” shared Consequence of Sound while Observer called it “superlative.” Billboard adds, “…If you’re looking for something to get you through the working hours or moments of reflection, put this beast on from beginning to end and watch the productivity and creativity explode.” Take a listen here.
Prior to his tour, JEAN-MICHEL JARRE travels to Los Angeles for an appearance at NAMM, Wednesday, January 18 and return again in Februar to Los Angeles to attend the 59th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony where his album ELECTRONICA 1: THE TIME MACHINE (Ultra Music) is nominated for “Best Dance/Electronic Album.” The first of a two-part album, it features a true who’s who list of collaborators (Pete Townshend, Moby, Tangerine Dream, etc) and was conceived with JARRE’s wish to encompass the last few decades of electronic music into one mesmerizing LP.
The North American tour dates for JEAN-MICHEL JARRE’s ‘ELECTRONICA’ WORLD TOUR are:
Date City Venue
5/9/2017 Toronto, ON Canada Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
5/11/2017 Montreal, QC Canada Bell Centre
5/16/2017 Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
5/18/2017 Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre
5/20/2017 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
5/22/2017 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
5/24/2017 Broomfield, CO 1st Bank Center
5/26/2017 Berkeley, CA The Greek Theatre
5/27/2017 Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
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One-Fifth of Detroit's Population Could Lose Their Homes
Many families could stay put for just a few hundred dollars, if only they knew how to work the system.
Rose Hackman
Evone Brown, a 55-year-old former machine operator, survives on $850 a month from retirement and disability checks, which wasn't enough to cover the roughly $8,000 she owed in property taxes on her home on the east side of Detroit. This year, because she was at least three years behind on her tax payments (most of which she inherited when she bought the house in 2011), Wayne County's treasurer foreclosed on her. As a result, her house is up for sale this week in Wayne County’s online foreclosure auction, at a starting bid of just $500. She will most likely be evicted this January.
She’s not alone: As Detroit seeks to leave bankruptcy behind and get back on its feet—ramping up development with construction of a light rail and a new hockey arena that will cost the city hundreds of millions of dollars—it is simultaneously bearing witness to a process that could evict up to 142,000 of its residents, many of whom are too poor to pay their property taxes.
Detroit is 83 percent African-American, and 38 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. But the older, blacker Detroit starkly contrasts with a whiter, wealthier new Detroit that's been wooed in by tax breaks and living incentives—which gives these evictions a heavily racial subtext.
Dean-Ginae Esters, aged four, and her family will be evicted if their house is sold at auction this week. (Michele Oberholtzer/The Tricycle Collective)
“Do you think they are going to take my home away from me?” Brown asks, breaking down in tears. A few feet from her lies her brother, sleeping. He has just come back from the hospital after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Brown herself suffers from arthritis and has mobility issues. A knee-replacement surgery gone wrong last year left her with one leg shorter than the other.
“If they kick us out, we won’t have anywhere to go. We will have to go to a shelter. I don’t want to go to a shelter. I want to stay in my home,” she says.
This year in Detroit, there have been 22,000 foreclosures on properties whose owners failed to pay property taxes three years in a row. Of those, 10,000 are estimated to be occupied, meaning this year's foreclosures are set to oust about 27,000 Detroiters from their homes.
That’s a large number in a dwindling city with fewer than 700,000 residents, but the figures are set to get even worse. In the next couple of months, Wayne County's treasurer will be serving foreclosure notices on 75,000 more properties, 62,000 of which are in Detroit, according to its chief deputy treasurer David Szymanski.* With half of those Detroit properties estimated to be occupied, this means a further 115,000 Detroiters might lose their homes next year. (There are 110,000 properties in Wayne County that are eligible to be foreclosed on next year, 85,000 of which are in Detroit.)
In a city supposedly trying to attract residents rather than lose them, this means a potential 142,000 Detroiters—one-fifth of the city’s population—will be shown the door within the next year and a half. The city has yet to announce plans for accommodating those who get evicted.
Detroit’s tax-delinquent residents, who together occupy more than half of the city’s properties according to local data firm Loveland Technologies, are frequently blamed for the city’s underfunded, poorly functioning public infrastructure and are considered part of the reason the city went bankrupt in the first place.
The city’s still relatively new mayor, Mike Duggan, likes to say at press conferences and town-hall meetings that he wants to work with Detroit’s “good” residents—those who seek to pay their bills and mow their lawns. But with little active effort put into retaining residents who are behind on their bills and facing foreclosure, some are beginning to feel like the evictions are a part of a bigger ploy to rid the city of large chunks of its poorer residents—a modern-day form of forced relocation.
“It’s a tragic and extreme version of a familiar pattern,” says Cheryl Harris, a professor of civil rights and civil liberties at the UCLA School of Law. Harris calls the Detroit auction a massive form of “racial dispossession.”
Forced relocation is a sensitive subject in Detroit, where, in the 1950s, large chunks of poorer, black neighborhoods were razed to make way for highway development. Black residents were violently kept out of whiter areas of the city until the '60s.
Harris says that these evictions should be viewed alongside the “legacy of specifically racialized housing policies that put these [black-owned] properties and these [black] property owners at a distinct disadvantage within the relative marketplace, and located them as devalued to begin with.”
In a seminal book on Detroit's inequality, Thomas Sugrue, a professor of history and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, highlighted the long-lasting effects of postwar housing-discrimination policies, including redlining, which categorized neighborhoods with even a small handful of black people living in it as unfit for investment or mortgage loans. (In the July issue of The Atlantic earlier this year, Ta-Nehisi Coates extensively mapped how these practices played out in Chicago.)
The establishment of two segregated housing markets strongly favored white people, blocking black people from federally sponsored low-interest housing loans and making them vulnerable to extortion from opportunistic lenders. These dual markets set the scene for Detroit’s 1967 race riots and accelerated the pace of white flight. Ongoing, growing wealth disparities between white and black families—a recent estimate is that white families are an average of six times wealthier than their black counterparts—can in part be explained by a continuing history of housing discrimination.
To many former and current homeowners in Detroit, this history is at the heart of their relationship with the city. Arquesha Esters, a 32-year-old mother of two, who formerly worked as a political organizer around the country and is now studying social work, returned to Detroit five years ago with her husband DeAndre after inheriting her great-grandfather’s house. It's the only house her family has ever owned.
“This is the house my grandfather grew up in, my mother grew up in, and the one I remember being in as a child. I want my daughters to grow up in this house too. This is our home,” she says. And yet Esters, who wants to eventually turn her home into a haven for teenage girls transitioning out of foster care, may forfeit it in the next few months.
When she first got back to Detroit, finding work was near impossible, Esters says. The only jobs she could find were at dollar stores and fast-food restaurants. Eventually, she went back to school and her husband found a job in construction as a forklift driver. Still, they struggled to make ends meet and fell behind on bills.
After their basement had a water leak, Esters was hit with a $4,000 water bill she was unable to pay. The debt was transferred over to her property taxes—a common practice, one that links Detroit's water-shutoff crisis directly to these foreclosures. When her house was foreclosed on this year by Wayne County's treasurer, she owed more than $12,000 in taxes, a bill that had skyrocketed because of fees and an 18 percent yearly interest rate. The sum was unreachable for Esters and her family, as was any payment plan made available to her.
Esters may keep an eye on her lawn, and even plant flowers, but to those in charge, that doesn’t quite cut it. “If they can’t afford to pay their taxes, they really can’t afford to own a home. Therefore rather than being a homeowner, they should be a renter,” says Szymanski, the chief deputy treasurer.
Perhaps because so many believe that poor people are ill-equipped to be homeowners, very few people losing their homes to foreclosure have been informed that they can re-buy their homes. A given house’s unpaid property taxes can amount to thousands of dollars, yet many homeowners aren’t aware that they could erase their debts and regain ownership by bidding on their own homes for prices as low as $500.
When Michele Oberholtzer, a Detroit-based writer and engineer, surveyed a thousand foreclosed properties on a private contract last month, she noticed that few of the residents knew about their options. She says around 90 percent of the people she spoke with were either unaware of the auction’s existence or of their ability to at least try to buy back their foreclosed houses, canceled of all debt. Community-based organizations are doing as much as they can to redress this information gap, but resources are limited.
Properties for sale in the Wayne County auction went up in a first round in September for the total cost of taxes and liens owed. The second October round irreversibly expunges all debt and sells houses at a starting bid of $500, covering Wayne County’s estimated administrative costs for one house. The second round of the auction started on October 9 and runs through October 28, but its most heated days are in its final week. Starting yesterday, final bids are closing on 100 houses every 15 minutes.
Since her discovery that families with young children live in foreclosed houses and are often ill-informed about what can be done to reclaim them, Oberholtzer began seeking funds. She created the ‘Tricycle Collective” and has managed to raise money for 10 families, including Esters’s, with the aim of buying their homes back at auction. Many of Oberholtzer’s friends—young, white, college-educated professionals like her—are bidding in the Wayne County tax foreclosure auction on houses for themselves, she says.
Tragically, the most desirable homes to be bought up at auction are those that are still occupied, like the houses Esters and Brown are living in. Abandoned properties, on the other hand, tend to quickly get stripped of all their valuable parts and are therefore very expensive to get back up to livable conditions.
There are other, larger-scale efforts to help. Ted Phillips, the director of the United Community Housing Coalition in downtown Detroit, has been leading the charge to inform people about their options once their houses have been foreclosed on. If they aren’t granted an extension or put on a payment plan, the coalition will do its best to bid on their homes. Phillips says he and his team of seven will be cramming round a conference table this week, seeking to buy back around 500 houses at an estimated average price of $1,250. When a wave of foreclosures hit the city a decade ago, the United Community Housing Coalition was able to prevent most evictions, but there are too many foreclosures now for the organization to fight all of them.
People like Brown, the former machine operator on the east side, inevitably fall through the cracks, putting them at risk of opportunistic lending schemes. The only person who has offered to help so far is a “foreclosure specialist” who phoned Brown last week offering her a last-minute loan, she says.
Predatory lenders and speculators circle around like vultures during the tax foreclosure process. Two years ago, a 96-year-old woman who was taking care of her 65-year-old disabled daughter was, unbeknownst to her, foreclosed on. Her house was bought by a speculator at auction for just $1,300, Phillips says. The following January, the new owner of her former house threatened her with eviction but offered to sell her the house back for $19,000. With the help of Phillips and his team, who managed to negotiate the price down a little, the house was eventually sold back to its original elderly occupant and daughter at a price of $13,000. This is common practice, Phillips says, with many houses being bought at auction by “investors” and sold back to poorly informed occupants at inflated prices—five to 10 times that of the auction sale.
Esters seems hopeful that she’ll get a last-minute reprieve, but second chances for people like her do not currently seem to figure within city policy. A recently revamped Detroit Land Bank Authority is focusing on attracting new residents to the city, not retaining old ones. The authority is selling homes owned or reclaimed by the city of Detroit through a much more curated online auction of its own—“Neighbors wanted,” its website chirpily declares.
The second part of the Detroit Land Bank Authority’s mandate—apart from attracting a desirable kind of resident—is to execute a plan to completely eradicate blight in Detroit over the next five years at a total cost of between $500 million and $1 billion. The money initially being used for blight removal is $52 million in federal funds that was originally marked for foreclosure relief. (The Detroit Land Bank Authority says it was not involved in the decisions about the allocation of the federal funds.) Craig Fahle, a spokesperson at the authority, called demolition efforts some neighborhoods’ “most pressing need.”
But Esters, whose block in East Detroit only has six occupied houses left out of around 26, says that in the past five years, three occupied houses have become vacant as a result of foreclosure. All three houses are now completely dilapidated, fit for demolition. “Don’t you think the best way to stop blight is to keep people in their homes?” she wondered.
Esters points to the house next door to hers, which had belonged to a family named the Longs for three generations. The Longs were foreclosed on two years ago, and now the house has become a magnet for crack users, she says. Still, Esters wants to stay. “This may look like a third-world country, but we’re a tight-knit community,” she says.
Regardless of whether she manages to keep her house, the future of Esters’s neighborhood may not be in her hands. Detroit's movers and shakers have widely accepted an urban-planning report and "strategic framework" released by Detroit Future City last year. Mayoral 10-point plans, city reports, and grant applications all self-consciously keep in step with Detroit Future City's agenda, which includes provisions for the emptying out of certain neighborhoods over others.
Detroit Future City's maps show that Esters’s and Brown’s neighborhoods are set to be emptied out, with the recommendation that they be “steadily depopulated.” This would be to make way for “innovation productive” use, which seems to refer to land being used for water containment and possible aquaculture.
The Detroit Land Bank Authority will be given all of the un-purchased lots from the Wayne County auction, meaning that the authority may soon begin to have what it needs to realize the Detroit Future City plan. The Detroit Land Bank Authority has said that a plan to prevent residents from losing their homes is in the works.
For Harris, the civil-rights law professor at UCLA, pushing residents out and blaming their lack of ability to pay is ignoring the larger, structural issue of racial discrimination. “I do want to resist the notion that this is about individual behavior of individual Detroiters when what’s been happening in the city is a kind of slow hollowing out for the purposes of a re-takeover,” Harris says. “They have no intention of locking the gates on Detroit and walking away. That is not what is happening here. What is happening is a kind of clearing on the ground for its reconstitution.”
* This post originally stated that 110,000 properties in Wayne County are set to be foreclosed on next year. We regret the error.
Rose Hackman is a journalist based in Detroit.
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Jack McCoy wins surf movie awards
January 19, 2012 | Surfing
"A Deeper Shade of Blue" has conquered the Best Documentary at the 2012 X-Dance Film Festival. Jack McCoy's 25th surf movie took almost 5 years to bring to the big screen, but the final result is remarkable.
McCoy's lifes work started as a poster grommet for film makers like Bruce Brown, Greg McGillivray and Jim Freeman. After going to Australia for the world surfing contest he began distributing surfing film around the country and in 1975, with Australian Dick Hoole, he made his first feature length surfing film.
"Growing up in Hawaii I had a real connection with my Hawaiian friends and thru their family members they taught me everything from surfing, body surfing, pipo boarding, diving, fishing, sailing and canoe paddling, all things to become an all around waterman."
"'A Deeper Shade of Blue' is the sum total of my lifes work. It was important to me to create a film that shared were surfing came from, what it means for a greater appreciation for the art/sport," said McCoy.
The multi-talented director also won the Life Time Achievement Award, at the 2012 X-Dance Film Festival. Jack McCoy focuses on Hawaiian surf culture's deepest roots, the evolution of the surfboard and the Polynesian Creed of Aloha, in this surf movie.
"Storm Riders", "Kong's Island", "The Green Iguana", "Occy The Occumentary" and the award winning feature "Blue Horizon" starring Dave Rastovich and the late great Andy Irons are some of his most famous surf films.
Always one to created new and exciting angles for the surf, Jacks dream came true with the discovery of an underwater jet ski that would travel 10 knots. He mounted his camera to the top of it and became the first to capture the action underwater behind the wave tracking the surfers like never before.
"I used to sit there underwater behind the wave waiting for some sort of action to go by, hoping I was in the right place. With this scooter I was able to move around, get to places quickly and follow parts of the ride at will. It was really a way I could capture images I'd only dreamed of for many years."
Recently, the legendary surf filmmaker has been asked by Paul McCartney to collaborate with a new song he was releasing using McCoy’s unique images. The result was a five-minute music video "Blue Sway", seen online my millions around the world.
Discover the best surf movies of all time are available.
William Finnegan's "Barbarian Days" poured into short film
Are you into "Log Rap"?
"Self Discovery for Social Survival" subverts the classic surf movie format
Gidget: the story of Hollywood's first surfing star
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Rider Points
Race Machines
SUZUKI RM-Z450 CLINCHES NZ CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE
Team Suzuki Press Office – May 15.
Brad Groombridge – RM-Z450 – 1st Overall
Suzuki's Brad Groombridge wrapped-up the New Zealand Cross-Country Championship at the weekend at the fourth and final round at Mosgiel with a runner-up finish aboard his RM-Z450 to make it three national cross-country titles in a row.
And now the 27-year-old Taupo locksmith is looking abroad for some "bigger fish to fry".
He said: "I'm making plans now to contest the Grand National Cross-Country Championships (GNCC) in the United States next year and it's a possibility. I'm hoping to go over and 'dip my toes in the water' at the final three rounds of the series this year, just to see how I go against riders of that calibre.
"I might be able to arrange to do a few desert races too, perhaps the famous Finke Desert Race in Australia, the race going from Alice Springs to Finke and back again. Plans are in progress for me to do that."
Groombridge has proven himself the man to beat in New Zealand these past couple of seasons: He took a Suzuki RM-Z450 to finish fifth in the MX1 class at the motocross nationals in 2016 and he rode a Suzuki RM-Z250 to claim overall runner-up in the MX2 (250cc) class in the motocross nationals this season.
Groombridge raced his 450cc Suzuki to win the New Zealand Enduro Championships in his first serious attempt at the title in 2016 and won his first national cross-country crown that year, backing that up by defending his Cross-Country title in 2017.
He had arrived at Saturday's venue for the fourth and final round of the 2018 New Zealand Cross Country Championship series as the clear favourite, his 1-1-9 score-card from the earlier three rounds giving him a mathematical advantage over his nearest rival, fellow Taupo man Nathan Tesselaar (4-3-1).
Results from only three of the series' four rounds would be counted, with riders to discard their one worst result, so theoretically Groombridge was 1-1 after he'd discarded his ninth placing from round three, that uncharacteristic result only because he ran out of fuel that day.
Groombridge finished runner-up on Saturday, behind Queenstown's former national motocross champion Scott Columb, with Tesselaar claiming third spot, and this was easily enough for Groombridge to celebrate overall victory.
Saturday's result not only gave Groombridge his third consecutive national cross-country title, but it meant he collected the over-300cc four-stroke class title as well.
"I should have gone toe-to-toe with Scotty (Columb) and we passed each other for the lead a few times, but I let him go in the end. I didn't need to race with him. He wasn't in contention for the title and not a threat to me. It was more important for me to concentrate on winning the championship.
"Now I've matched Paul Wilson and Adam Reeves in winning three national cross-country titles and, if I'm not instead overseas racing in the GNCC, then I'll go for title No.4 next year and hopefully match Adrian Smith in winning four titles."
In the meantime, Groombridge will switch back to enduro mode to continue his national enduro championships campaign.
After two of two of five rounds in that parallel-and-similar series, Groombridge is running second overall, behind Tom Buxton.
Buxton has indicated he is likely to skip the remaining rounds of the enduro nationals and that means, if Groombridge can maintain his momentum, he could be in line for a second national dirt-biking title this season.
The next round of the enduro nationals is set for Maruia, near Nelson, on May 26th.
Words and photo by Andy McGechan @ www.bikesportnz.com
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From Special Weapons for Military & Police Magazine
Classic Aircraft: Top 12 World War II Dogfighters
American aces fought bravely with these combat-ready Allied aircraft!
Jack Satterfield
Seversky P-35
The P-35, in service in 1937, was the USAAC’s first all-metal, single-seat pursuit aircraft, evidence of how far behind the U.S. was in aircraft development in early pre-war years. Fewer than 200 P-35s served the U.S. and nearly all were lost in the Philippines in the war’s first days in late 1941. The P-35 carried just two machine guns and a small bomb load and cruised at just 260 mph. Designed by Russian émigré Alexander de Seversky and his namesake company, the P-35 led to the renamed and reorganized Republic Aviation Corporation’s P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the war’s best fighters.
Bell P-39 Aircobra
Introduced in 1941, the P-39 featured several innovations, including tricycle landing gear when most aircraft were tail draggers and a mid-fuselage engine mount that permitted installation of a 37mm cannon that fired through the propeller hub, making it a formidable ground attack platform. Its maximum speed was 375 mph, but the Aircobra had no supercharger, limiting its altitude. The P-39 performed well in the Pacific through 1942 and briefly in the Mediterranean theater in 1944 with the Tuskegee Airmen of the 99th Fighter Squadron. The P-39 also served extensively in the Soviet Air Force.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The fork-tailed, twin-engine Lightning is legendary. Designed by Lockheed genius Kelly Johnson, it was the only American fighter in production from Pearl Harbor to VJ Day (more than 10,000 built) and it flew in foreign service until 1965. It was complex and more expensive than other U.S. fighters, but exceptionally effective, with a top speed of 414 mph and nose-mounted .50-caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon as well as hard points for rockets and bombs. The best Pacific USAAF aces flew Lightnings, and it also saw long service in the European theater. For more information, call 302-478-1583 or visit lockheedmartin.com.
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
Used by most Allied forces throughout the war, the Warhawk was the third most-produced fighter behind the P-51 and P-47, with about 13,700 built. It gained fame before the U.S. entered the war with the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers, festooned with shark mouths painted on the cowling, in China. With no supercharger for high-altitude combat, it was little used in Europe but saw extensive service in North Africa, Italy, the Middle East and the Pacific, performing well in ground attack roles. Its 360-mph maximum speed was adequate, but its rugged airframe could absorb extensive punishment and keep flying. For more information, visit curtisswright.com or call 973-541-3700.
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
Nicknamed “the jug” because of its bulky fuselage, the P-47 was big and heavy, well suited for air combat, ground attack and bombing missions because it could carry 2,500 pounds—half the load of a B-17. With eight .50-caliber machine guns and a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine that enabled the P-47 Thunderbolt to fly at a maximum airspeed of nearly 450 mph, it was very powerful and formidable, and its combined record of destruction in the air and on the ground led many experts to consider it the best Allied fighter of the war. Republic built approximately 15,500 Thunderbolts.
North American P-51 Mustang
The P-51 is the archetypal WWII fighter. Introduced in 1942, it retired from foreign military service in 1984. Its rapid development and low cost led to extensive production, more than 15,700, and it served with distinction in all war theaters. A 1,490-hp U.S. version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 with a two-stage supercharger, in the P-51D, the definitive model, ensured the Mustang’s superiority. Its advanced laminar-flow airfoil wing—reducing high-speed drag and increasing agility—combined with its 437-mph maximum speed, made the P-51D the dominant dogfighter of the war and the preferred escort for Allied bombers. For more information, visit boeing.com or call 312-544-2000.
Northrop P-61 Black Widow
The P-61, a purpose-built night fighter, entered service in 1944. Configured with twin tail booms and two engines like the P-38, but much larger and nearly twice as heavy, the Black Widow carried two or three air crewmen, including a radar operator who directed the pilot toward acquired targets. The P-61 suffered from developmental problems, and it had limited success in Europe because late-war German aircraft could outrun its moderate 366-mph maximum speed. It performed better in the Pacific, scoring the war’s final shoot-down one day before Japan surrendered. It remained in USAF service until 1954. For more information, visit northropgrumman.com or call 703-280-2900.
Brewster F2A Buffalo
The stubby F2A actually beat the Grumman F4F Wildcat in a competition to supplant the F3F, the Navy’s biplane carrier fighter, but added equipment weight without a power increase impaired its performance. Several nations flew the Buffalo, but its slow cruise speed, 161 mph, lack of self-sealing fuel tanks and just two machine guns made it far inferior to most adversaries, although it performed well in the Finnish Air Force in the Soviet invasion. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps flew F2As through Midway, when the Buffalos were quickly replaced by resurgent Grumman F4Fs. The Brewster Aeronautical Corporation dissolved in 1946.
Grumman F4F Wildcat
Tough little Wildcats came to the Navy and Marine Corps’ rescue in 1942. At first F4F wings did not fold, and landing gear were cranked up and down by hand. The rugged plane, despite its 313-mph speed, was slower than the Japanese Zero. But, coupled with superior tactics involving wingman pairs developed by Navy ace and future admiral John S. “Jimmy” Thach, it held its own in the Pacific in carrier engagements, on Guadalcanal and in Operation Torch in North Africa. Grumman and General Motors built about 7,800 Wildcats that enjoyed a nearly seven-to-one kill/loss ratio. For more information, visit northropgrumman.com or call 703-280-2900.
Grumman focused on F6F production after late 1942, and the Hellcat quickly took over as the Navy’s primary carrier fighter. It was bigger, burlier and far more lethal than its predecessor. It flew more than four times more sorties than Wildcats and shot down more than 5,000 enemy aircraft while losing only 270 in aerial combat, an outstanding 19-to-one ratio that produced 305 American aces. Powered by R-2800 Double Wasp two-row radial engines, Hellcats dominated Pacific air combat from 1943 to VJ Day. Grumman built nearly 12,300 F6Fs, but they retired from service soon after WWII. For more information, visit northropgrumman.com or call 703-280-2900.
Vought F4U Corsair
The inverted gull-winged Corsair was the most powerful Navy WWII aircraft, with the biggest two-row radial engine available. Its wing design was needed because landing gear weren’t long enough to keep its enormous propeller from hitting the ground when it landed. Its long nose made pilot visibility poor during carrier landing, so the Navy gave the Corsair to the Marines, and only 15 percent of its 64,000 sorties were from carriers. F4Us claimed 2,140 kills against 189 dogfight losses, an 11-to-one ratio. F4Us also excelled at ground attacks, flying 70 percent of the war’s fighter-bomber missions. The Corsair’s 414-mph top speed and excellent dive performance led the Japanese to nickname the F4U “Whistling Death.” It also served in Korea and retired from foreign service in 1979. For more information, visit triumphgroup.com or call 610-251-1000.
Grumman F8F Bearcat
The Bearcat entered service before war’s end but saw no combat, although it fought with the French in Indochina. It was smaller than the Hellcat, making it more maneuverable with a better climb rate than the Corsair, and with its 421-mph maximum airspeed, the Bearcat could perform better than many early jet aircraft. Known as one of the best piston-engine fighters, it was so responsive in maneuvers that it was the first mount of the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron in 1946, and it equipped 24 Navy fighter squadrons until improved jets replaced the F8F in the early 1950s. For more information, visit northropgrumman.com or call 703-280-2900.
World War II changed everything. It encompassed less than a decade, lasting from 1939 to 1945, but nearly every aspect of human civilization was revolutionized, abandoning old traditions and adopting new ways of life. The war created new technologies and expanded others. Probably no technological arena was altered more radically than aviation. Before the war, aviation had been a novelty on the periphery of society and military operations. After 1945, aviation was essential, at the center of the world’s new economy and the foundation of future conflict.
RELATED: Great American War Helmets Of World War I
RELATED: Top 10 Battle-Proven Military Cartridges From Around the World
Aviation’s coming of age in just a few years was due to extraordinary technical breakthroughs in design, manufacturing, distribution and management of airframes and power plants. Aviation engines, mostly in-line for the Army Air Force (AAF) and radial for the Navy and Marines to save precious carrier deck space, are still used today. Combatant nations, most especially the United States, produced radically new, sophisticated aircraft that left many of their predecessors in the dust and set the stage for even more remarkable innovations in the Jet Age that started as the war ended. Other countries frequently achieved comparable success by copying U.S. designs and processes.
Furthermore, these new aircraft became realities almost instantly and at remarkably low cost. For example, just 117 days elapsed from the P-51 Mustang’s contract date to the prototype’s first flight. At peak production in 1944, the Mustang’s unit flyaway cost was about $50,000. Seventy years of inflation would raise that price to less than $670,000 today, a ridiculously low cost when compared to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, with a current price tag of about $108 million for the Air Force’s F-35A designed for conventional runways to $134 million for the Marine Corps’ F-35B VTOL version and $125 million for the Navy’s F-35C carrier model. The U.S. built about 15,800 Mustangs for an estimated $10.59 billion in current dollars. The 2010 procurement plan, reduced several times since, called for 2,443 F-35s for an estimated $323 billion. Yes, the F-35 is more capable than the P-51, but should that capability improvement cost more than 197 times as much?
“The simple truth is that WWII required absolute and unyielding commitments to excellence from entrepreneurs,engineers and technicians because the stakes were so high.”
The simple truth is that WWII required absolute and unyielding commitments to excellence from entrepreneurs, engineers and technicians because the stakes were so high. In recent years, new U.S. military aircraft have performed well, but in conflicts with reduced challeges to their dominance. One reason Americans venerate WWII warbirds decades after they served is that they faced challenges, constant and dire, and not only endured, but prevailed, compelling evidence of the effectiveness of their producers and operators.
A survey of American fighter aircraft (the Army’s P-model designation stood for “pursuit”) flown by the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) and Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in World War II demonstrates several of these characteristics in spades.
lockheedmartin.com
curtisswright.com
boeing.com
northropgrumman.com
triumphgroup.com
F-35 Continues Rigorous Weather Testing
The F-35 has been undergoing climate testing at the 96th Test Wing's McKinley Climatic Laboratory...
by Tactical-Life / Feb 5, 2015
VIDEO: A Bamboo Fire Saw Tutorial For a Quick and...
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Hydro-Québec and Eversource Energy Partner on Northern Pass
The project will increase clean energy trade between the Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canadian electricity markets, a primary goal of the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers.
Hydro-Québec and Eversource Energy are working together to build the Northern Pass Transmission project, which will export 1,000 MW of hydropower from Québec’s generation fleet to New England. The project will increase clean energy trade between the Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canadian electricity markets, a primary goal of the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers.
This continued commitment follows the recent announcement by Eversource of its Forward NH Plan that addresses feedback from New Hampshire stakeholders, the issuance by the U.S. Department of Energy of a favorable draft Environmental Impact Statement, and in anticipation of the Clean Energy and Transmission Request for Proposals (Clean Energy RFP).
“Eversource will be our partner in the offering of new, clean energy that will be delivered to the New England power system through the innovative approach of the Clean Energy RFP,” said Eric Martel, Hydro-Québec’s CEO. “We are confident that the Northern Pass project will be the leading solution for delivering significant reliability, environmental, and economic benefits to both New England and Eastern Canada.”
Clean energy from Hydro-Québec will help to solve the unique energy challenges facing the New England power system, including the region’s reliance on natural gas for power generation and its need to expand use of renewable energy. Using new HVDC technology, the view impacts of Northern Pass will be reduced, while still providing energy cost savings and much-needed clean, reliable energy to the region. As the project’s comprehensive public permitting process moves forward, Eversource is continuing its outreach and soliciting additional feedback from New Hampshire stakeholders. Northern Pass will soon file for New Hampshire state siting approval. Hydro-Québec is pursuing a similar permitting process to construct a transmission line in Canada to connect its generation to Northern Pass at the border.
Hydro-Québec has also committed to the development of an energy verification and tracking process. This effort will ensure that clean energy is delivered to the jurisdictions that purchase it, a vital element of the Clean Energy RFP.
Mark Twain Transmission Project Reaches Major Milestone
Advanced Composite Mats Provide Access to Job Sites
Xcel Energy and ITC Midwest to Move Forward on New Transmission Line
New HVDC Cable Designed for High-Power, Long-Distance Transmission
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Microsoft drives US Xbox 360 price below Wii
By J. Mark Lytle 2008-09-04T08:21:00.247Z Consoles
Just $200 now for Arcade version, as US follows Japan
All this can be yours for just $200
After the price cut in Japan last week it was hardly a surprise to see Microsoft slash the cost of its Xbox 360 in the US to just under $200, taking it under the Wii's price-point for the first time.
According to a press release from the company, the Arcade 360 package will go on sale this Friday at $199 (£112), which is down by $80 (£45) from the current price.
First under the bar
That compares with Nintendo's soaraway Wii, which retails in the US at $250 (£140) and the cheapest $399 (£225) iteration of Sony's PS3.
The release quotes MS exec Don Mattrick as saying, "We are thrilled to be the first next-generation console on the market to reach $199, a price that invites everyone to enjoy Xbox 360".
As if to prove the point, it goes on to say, "History shows that more than 75 per cent of all console sales happen after the price falls below the $200 mark".
Do you think they're trying to say something?
Regardless of the Microsoft message on the battle for console territory, one thing we – and any other gleeful gamer – can add is that it's pretty clear the Xbox 360 won't be the only console under the $200 line for long – watch this space.
See more Consoles news
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March 10, 2018 / 9:02 AM / a year ago
China eyes 'black tech' to boost security as parliament meets
Pei Li, Cate Cadell
BEIJING (Reuters) - At a highway check point on the outskirts of Beijing, local police are this week testing out a new security tool: smart glasses that can pick up facial features and car registration plates, and match them in real-time with a database of suspects.
The AI-powered glasses, made by LLVision, scan the faces of vehicle occupants and the plates, flagging with a red box and warning sign to the wearer when any match up with a centralized “blacklist”.
The test - which coincides with the annual meeting of China’s parliament in central Beijing - underscores a major push by China’s leaders to leverage technology to boost security in the country.
That drive has led to growing concerns that China is developing a sophisticated surveillance state that will lead to intensifying crackdowns on dissent.
“(China’s) leadership once felt a degree of trepidation over the advancement of the internet and communication technologies,” said David Bandurski, co-director of the China Media Project, a media studies research project at the University of Hong Kong.
“It now sees them as absolutely indispensable tools of social and political control.”
Wu Fei, chief executive of LLVision, said people should not be worried about privacy concerns because China’s authorities were using the equipment for “noble causes”, catching suspects and fugitives from the law.
“We trust the government,” he told Reuters at the company’s headquarters in Beijing.
Reuters was able to verify that the glasses were being used in tests by the police to help identify suspect individuals and vehicles in the Beijing area in recent days.
China, under President Xi Jinping, is making a major push to use artificial intelligence, facial recognition and big data technology to track and control behavior that goes against the interests of the ruling Communist Party online and in the wider world.
A security camera overlooks Tiananmen Square in front of a portrait of the late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong in Beijing, China March 6, 2018. Picture taken March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Xi is expected to cement his power base this weekend as a reform to remove term limits is pushed through. That would in effect allow him to stay in his post indefinitely.
Delegates and visitors entering the Great Hall of the People, the venue for the parliament, the National People’s Congress, have to go through facial scanners. The same happened to those attending the related advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
“This year, security at the two sessions has some freshly-baked ‘black tech’ coming online,” wrote the state-run Science and Technology Daily newspaper, using a comic-book term in China for futuristic surveillance gadgets.
The paper said cameras at the event had been upgraded to capture, analyze and compare suspicious faces in around two seconds, powered by a system called “Skynet” - which has a national database of blacklisted individuals.
“The plot of sci-fi film ‘Minority Report’ is now basically becoming a part of daily life,” the newspaper added, referring to the Tom Cruise movie set in a futuristic society where crimes are solved and punished before they even happen.
ROBOTS AND DRONES
China has been deploying a growing arsenal of security technology, fuelling the growth of a domestic industry and worrying civil rights defenders about the growing intrusion on individual privacy.
A key concern is that blacklists could include a wide range of people stretching from lawyers and artists to political dissidents, charity workers, journalists and rights activists.
The new technologies range from police robots for crowd control, to drones to monitor border areas, and artificially intelligent systems to track and censor behavior online. There are also scanners to forcibly read mobile phone data and even police dogs with virtual reality cameras.
A recent Human Rights Watch report said China was also expanding a biometric voice database to boost voice recognition capabilities.
Surveillance measures long-used in restive areas such as Xinjiang in the northwest are also being rolled out more widely around the country, with a planned drive to centralize and standardize powerful but fragmented systems over the next year.
At the meeting of the NPC, most delegates said the increasing use of technology to improve state security was a positive, and that the benefits far outweighed privacy concerns.
“This is a good thing, it means our technology is really leading the world,” said Lu Yaping, a delegate from Jiangsu province in eastern China. “I don’t have any concerns about safety.”
Reporting by Pei Li and Cate Cadell in BEIJING; Additional reporting by Thomas Sun; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Martin Howell
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Congo Ebola center set on fire after armed attack
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Armed assailants attacked an Ebola treatment center in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, setting off a fire and becoming embroiled in an extended gunbattle with security forces, health officials said.
The identity and motive of the assailants were unclear. Aid workers have faced mistrust in some areas as they work to contain an Ebola outbreak.
Dozens of armed militia also regularly attack civilians and security forces in eastern Congo’s borderlands with Uganda and Rwanda, which has significantly hampered the response to the disease.
The health ministry said in a statement that 38 suspected Ebola patients and 12 confirmed cases were in the center at the time of the attack. Four of the patients with confirmed cases fled and are being looked for, it said.
None of the patients who have been accounted for were injured, nor were any staff members, the ministry added.
French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which runs the center together with the ministry, condemned the “deplorable attack” and said its efforts were focused on the immediate safety of patients and staff.
The attack in the city of Butembo was the second in Congo’s Ebola-hit east this week. On Sunday unidentified assailants set fire to a treatment center in the nearby town of Katwa, killing a nurse.
The current Ebola outbreak, first declared last August, is the second deadliest of the haemorrhagic fever since it was discovered in Congo in 1976. It is believed to have killed at least 553 people so far and infected over 300 more.
Reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Additional reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Gareth Jones and Rosalba O'Brien
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Bonds (public debt)
Business and community development
Census bureau (u.s.)
County buildings
Legal newspapers
Seven-county metropolitan area
2013 Subd. 1 Amended 2013 c 143 art 14 s 50
2013 Subd. 1 Amended 2013 c 143 art 12 s 5
2010 Subd. 1 Amended 2010 c 389 art 7 s 2
2005 Subd. 1 Amended 2005 c 1 art 4 s 101
2001 Subd. 7 Repealed 2001 c 214 s 49
1999 Subd. 1 Amended 1999 c 243 art 5 s 34
1994 Subd. 6 Repealed 1994 c 505 art 2 s 7
373.40 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS.
For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given.
(a) "Bonds" means an obligation as defined under section 475.51.
(b) "Capital improvement" means acquisition or betterment of public lands, buildings, or other improvements within the county for the purpose of a county courthouse, administrative building, health or social service facility, correctional facility, jail, law enforcement center, hospital, morgue, library, park, qualified indoor ice arena, roads and bridges, and the acquisition of development rights in the form of conservation easements under chapter 84C. An improvement must have an expected useful life of five years or more to qualify. "Capital improvement" does not include a recreation or sports facility building (such as, but not limited to, a gymnasium, ice arena, racquet sports facility, swimming pool, exercise room or health spa), unless the building is part of an outdoor park facility and is incidental to the primary purpose of outdoor recreation.
(c) "Metropolitan county" means a county located in the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121 or a county with a population of 90,000 or more.
(d) "Population" means the population established by the most recent of the following (determined as of the date the resolution authorizing the bonds was adopted):
(1) the federal decennial census,
(2) a special census conducted under contract by the United States Bureau of the Census, or
(3) a population estimate made either by the Metropolitan Council or by the state demographer under section 4A.02.
(e) "Qualified indoor ice arena" means a facility that meets the requirements of section 373.43.
(f) "Tax capacity" means total taxable market value, but does not include captured market value.
Subd. 2.Application of election requirement.
(a) Bonds issued by a county to finance capital improvements under an approved capital improvement plan are not subject to the election requirements of section 375.18 or 475.58. The bonds must be approved by vote of at least three-fifths of the members of the county board. In the case of a metropolitan county, the bonds must be approved by vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the county board.
(b) Before issuance of bonds qualifying under this section, the county must publish a notice of its intention to issue the bonds and the date and time of a hearing to obtain public comment on the matter. The notice must be published in the official newspaper of the county or in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The notice must be published at least 14, but not more than 28, days before the date of the hearing.
(c) A county may issue the bonds only upon obtaining the approval of a majority of the voters voting on the question of issuing the obligations, if a petition requesting a vote on the issuance is signed by voters equal to five percent of the votes cast in the county in the last general election and is filed with the county auditor within 30 days after the public hearing. The commissioner of revenue shall prepare a suggested form of the question to be presented at the election.
Subd. 3.Capital improvement plan.
(a) A county may adopt a capital improvement plan. The plan must cover at least the five-year period beginning with the date of its adoption. The plan must set forth the estimated schedule, timing, and details of specific capital improvements by year, together with the estimated cost, the need for the improvement, and sources of revenues to pay for the improvement. In preparing the capital improvement plan, the county board must consider for each project and for the overall plan:
(1) the condition of the county's existing infrastructure, including the projected need for repair or replacement;
(2) the likely demand for the improvement;
(3) the estimated cost of the improvement;
(4) the available public resources;
(5) the level of overlapping debt in the county;
(6) the relative benefits and costs of alternative uses of the funds;
(7) operating costs of the proposed improvements; and
(8) alternatives for providing services more efficiently through shared facilities with other counties or local government units.
(b) The capital improvement plan and annual amendments to it are not effective until approved by the county board after public hearing.
Subd. 4.Limitations on amount.
A county may not issue bonds under this section if the maximum amount of principal and interest to become due in any year on all the outstanding bonds issued pursuant to this section (including the bonds to be issued) will equal or exceed 0.12 percent of taxable market value of property in the county. Calculation of the limit must be made using the taxable market value for the taxes payable year in which the obligations are issued and sold. This section does not limit the authority to issue bonds under any other special or general law.
Subd. 5.Application of chapter 475.
Bonds to finance capital improvements qualifying under this section must be issued under the issuance authority in chapter 475 and the provisions of chapter 475 apply, except as otherwise specifically provided in this section.
1988 c 519 s 2; 1988 c 719 art 5 s 84; art 19 s 20; 1989 c 277 art 4 s 30,31; 1989 c 329 art 13 s 20; 1Sp1989 c 1 art 5 s 27; art 17 s 6,7; 1990 c 480 art 9 s 13; 1990 c 592 s 1,2; 1991 c 345 art 2 s 55; 1992 c 511 art 9 s 11; 1995 c 256 s 1; 1997 c 231 art 2 s 31; 1999 c 243 art 5 s 34; 1Sp2003 c 4 s 1; 2005 c 152 art 1 s 7; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 4 s 101,102; 2008 c 154 art 10 s 10; 2010 c 389 art 7 s 2
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It is our main concern that our customers trust that their data will be held and processed in compliance with data protection requirements. Therefore, we would like to inform you about the main principles of data protection when browsing our website.
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When you visit a page of our website that contains a social plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to Facebook servers. Facebook directly transfers the plugin content to your browser which embeds the latter into the website, enabling Facebook to receive information about your having accessed the respective page of our website. For this purpose, the internet address of the visited site (your IP address included) is transferred to a USA-based Facebook server where the data are stored. This occurs even if you do not have a Facebook account or are not logged into Facebook at the time.
If you are logged into Facebook, your visit can be assigned to your Facebook account. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking “Like”, or entering a comment, the corresponding information is transmitted from your browser directly to Facebook and stored by it. The information can also be published on Facebook, and shown to your Facebook friends.
If you are a Facebook member and do not want Facebook to connect the data concerning your visit to our website with your member data already stored by Facebook, please log off Facebook before entering our website. You can also block Facebook social Plugins by using add-ons for your browser, like the “Facebook Blocker” (http://webgraph.com/resources/facebookblocker/) or the script blocker “NoScript” (http://noscript.net/).
For information on the purpose and scope of data collection by Facebook and how it is processed and used, as well as your rights in this respect and settings options for protecting your privacy please visit Facebook’s privacy policy.
Use of Twitter plugins (e.g. ‘Tweet’ button)
Our website includes so-called social plug-ins of the micro-blogging service Twitter, which are operated by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA (“Twitter”). The plug-ins are identified by a Twitter logo, for example, in the form of a blue “Twitter bird”. If you want further information about Twitter, the plug-ins and their purpose please visit: https://twitter.com/about/resources/buttons
When you access a page on our website which contains such a plug-in, your browser connects directly with Twitter’s servers. The content of the plug-in is transmitted directly by Twitter to your browser and included on the page. By this inclusion of the plug-ins, Twitter receives the information that your browser has called up the corresponding page of our website, even if you don’t have a Twitter profile or are not presently logged in to Twitter. This information (including your IP address), is transmitted by your browser directly to a Twitter server in the USA and then stored.
If you are logged in to Twitter, your visit to our website can be directly assigned to your Twitter account. If you interact with the plug-ins, for example, activate the “Twitter” button, the corresponding information is also directly transmitted to a Twitter server and stored. The information is also published in your Twitter account and is shown to your contacts.
For information on the purpose and scope of the collection of data and the subsequent processing and use of the data by Twitter, as well as your corresponding rights and setting options for controlling privacy, please refer to the data protection instructions of Twitter: https://twitter.com/privacy
If you do not want Twitter to collect data via our websites and link them to your Twitter account, you must log out of Twitter before visiting our website. You can block the Twitter plug-ins with add-ons for your browser, for example with the script blocker “NoScript” (http://noscript.net/).
Use of Google+ Plugins (e.g. “+1“ button)
Our website uses so-called Social Plugins („plugins”) of the social network Google+, which is being operated from the Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA („Google”). The plugins are e.g. recognizable from buttons with „+1” on blank or colored background. Please find an overview of the Google Plug-Ins and their appearance here: https://developers.google.com/+/plugins
If you click on sites of our websites containing such plugins, your browser automatically establishes a connection with the Google servers. Google will transfer the content of the plugins directly to your browser and integrate it into the site. With that integration, Google receives the information that your browser has called the respective site of our website, even if you don’t have a Google+ profile or are not logged into Google+. This information (including your IP address) will be sent from your browser directly to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
If you are logged into Google+, Google can directly correlate your visit of our website with your Google+ profile. If you interact with the plugins, for instance clicking the „+1” button, the respective information will also be directly sent to a Google server and stored there. Moreover, the information will be published on Google+ and available for your contacts.
For sense and purpose of the data assessment and further processing and use of your data through Google as well as rights concerning this matter and the setup of the protection of your privacy, please refer to the Google privacy policy: http://www.google.com/intl/de/+/policy/+1button.html
If you don’t want Google to instantly correlate the information gathered on our website with your Google+ profile, you need to log out from Google+ before visiting our website. You can also completely prevent loading Google plugins with Add-Ons for your browser, e.g. with „NoScript” (http://noscript.net/)
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Our website uses the social plug-ins of the social network Pinterest, which is operated by Pinterest Inc., 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA (“Pinterest”). When you access a site which contains such a plug-in, your browser establishes a direct connection to the Pinterest servers. The plug-in transmits log data to the Pinterest servers in the USA.
Further information regarding the purpose, scope and further processing and use of the data by Pinterest as well as your rights and options relating to the protection of your privacy can be found in Pinterest’s data privacy policy: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy
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Our websites use the YouTube video platform operated by YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave. San Bruno, CA 94066 USA. For information about the scope and purpose of data collection, the further processing and use of the data by YouTube and your rights and the settings you can configure to protect your privacy, please refer to the YouTube Data Protection Notice.
Review Reminder by eKomi Ltd.
Unless you have given us this, during or after your order your express consent by activating a checkbox or clicked a space provided Button, we transmit your e-mail address for the reminder to submit a review of your order on eKomi, Markgrafenstraße 11, 10969 Berlin (http://www.ekomi.de), so that they will remind you by e-mail to the opportunity to submit their vote. This consent may be revoked at any time by a message to the contact possibilities described below or directly opposite eKomi Ltd.
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You have the right to information free of charge concerning the data stored by us about you, as well as the right to the correction, blocking and deletion of this data, if applicable. If you have any questions on the collection, processing or use of your personal data, or require information, the correction, blocking and deletion of data, or the cancellation of any granted consent or objection against a particular use of data, please contact us.
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OFF-THE-CUFF - T-6 pilot makes harrowing emergency landing
By Staff Sgt. Clinton Atkins, Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs Directorate at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Te / Published July 10, 2013
T-6 Texan II pilot Capt. Brandon Wolf earned the 2012 Daedalian Exceptional Pilot Award for Air Education and Training Command for his quick actions during an in-flight emergency. Wolf is a first assignment instructor pilot assigned to the 41st Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Charles Dickens)
The canopy glass shattered when the canopy fracturing system was inadvertently activated by the student pilot during a touch-and-go landing. (USAF Photo)
Related Fact Sheets
‘PIN’-POINTING THE PROBLEM
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- BOOM! The canopy shatters as if hit by a bowling ball. Inside the cockpit tiny shards of glass pierce the student pilot's eye. Debris from the blast also penetrates the skin and flight suit of Capt. Brandon Wolf, the instructor pilot. Bleeding from his neck, Wolf instinctively takes control of the aircraft, which has just touched down on the runway but is still hauling at nearly 100 mph. He needs to get the aircraft stopped and fast. Easier said than done. The blast fogged the windscreen, creating a monster blind spot. He can't see anything in front of him!
"We were doing just a touch and go landing," said Wolf, a first assignment instructor pilot with the 37th Flying Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. "We touched down, and it was an uneventful landing."
Then all hell broke loose.
When the student pilot pushed the throttle up to take off again, his sleeve snagged the canopy fracturing system handle. So the handle pulled up as he pushed the power up. When the canopy fracturing system handle is pulled, it sends a charge to a detonation cord that is laced throughout the aircraft canopy's frame, causing the canopy to explode outward into two pieces.
"While the student pilot's sleeve caught the canopy fracturing system handle, the location of the handle in the aircraft also contributed to the mishap," said George Chappel, Air Education and Training Command flight safety manager.
Inside the T-6, the canopy fracturing system has a "T" shaped handle that is inauspiciously located on the left side of the cockpit in front of the throttle lever. When performing the action of increasing the throttle, there is considerable potential for a loose article of clothing, such as a sleeve, to catch on the handle, Chappel said.
Those two factors combined put Wolf in dire straits.
"At first, I was thinking to myself, 'That was a good landing.' Then all of a sudden, 'What the heck!? What just happened!?" the Saginaw, Mich., native said. "I felt the thump of the explosion, and at first I thought it was a bird strike. I thought we hit a really big bird."
The fracturing system activated with the T-6 traveling at nearly 85 knots, the same speed at which liftoff occurs if the control stick is pulled aft.
Wolf had to act quickly.
"I instantly grabbed the controls (from the student) out of instinct," he said. "It took a second for my brain to process, 'Hey, we're still at max power!' We could have been airborne at the speed we were going, so I pulled the power back to idle."
And even though he was injured and had no forward visibility, Wolf successfully brought the aircraft to a stop.
The canopy explosion caused minor injuries to both pilots. More than 35 tiny pieces of debris hit Wolf's body and even penetrated his flight suit. Micro shards of glass went into one of the student's eyes, which caused him to miss three weeks of training.
"I was bleeding from my neck and stuff," Wolf said. "The detonation cord actually went through the flight suit. My arm and neck had a bunch of pieces of (detonation) cord in them."
Wolf, an Air Force Academy graduate with three years of experience as a pilot, credits his quick reactions to the instructor pilot training he received.
"(The student) let go, and I instinctively grabbed the controls," he said. "That's something we're taught here; IP defensive techniques is what we call them. I survived because they talk about those defensive techniques of having your hands near the controls ready to go in case something happens. ... My hands were right next to the controls. Especially for a student early on in the program, I'm going to be shadowing him closely -- watching his every move.
"This was something that happened in the blink of an eye. If I hadn't been near the controls or if we'd gone airborne, who knows what would have happened?"
Because of his quick actions, Wolf was credited with saving the life of his student and the $4-million aircraft. As a result, he earned the 2012 Daedalian Exceptional Pilot Award for AETC.
"Captain Wolf did a phenomenal job," said Lt. Col. James Sparrow, 37th FTS commander. "He made a quick decision in the heat of the moment when he had to, and I think that speaks well to his training."
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RISK MANAGEMENT TRANSFORMATION
By Randy Schavrien, AETC Safety Directorate / Published July 09, 2013
The U.S. Air Force is adopting a five-step risk management cycle to replace the former six-step cycle. The changes will be reflected in the updated Air Force Instruction 90-901, Operational Risk Management.
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- In its continuing pursuit to make risk management a part of its everyday culture, the Air Force released the latest, greatest guidance to this endeavor. Here are some highlights of Air Force Policy Directive 90-8.
It dropped the "O" from "operational risk management" and changed it to "risk management." The "O" tended to give folks the feeling that risk management only applied to the operational flying side of the Air Force, which couldn't be further from the truth.
It revised the steps in the risk management process from six to five (see illustration).
It directs Air Education and Training Command, along with the Air Force Academy, to integrate risk management into curricula for all education and training programs, including accession training, professional military education, continuing education and technical training.
A big change to the accompanying Air Force Instruction 90-802 is the addition of periodic refresher briefings or presentations. The wing or unit commander will direct these, and the topic will be at the discretion of the commander. Refresher training should be scheduled on safety days, training days, commander calls, etc.
AFPAM 90-803 -- the risk management toolbox -- gets into great detail on ways to do proper risk analysis with many examples of how to do it.
Visit the risk management Web site, which you can access through the Air Force Portal to the AFSEC site. If you have any questions, you might contact your local wing risk management advisers, or contact the major command representatives at DSN 487-5817.
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Home Sun & Moon Solstices & Equinoxes for Nãgpur (Surrounding 10 Years)
Solstices & Equinoxes for Nãgpur (Surrounding 10 Years)
Mar 20 10:27 pm IST Jun 21 4:21 pm IST Sep 23 7:59 am IST Dec 22 4:33 am IST
Mar 21 4:15 am IST Jun 21 10:07 pm IST Sep 23 1:50 pm IST Dec 22 10:17 am IST
Mar 20 10:00 am IST Jun 21 4:04 am IST Sep 22 7:51 pm IST Dec 21 4:14 pm IST
Mar 20 3:58 pm IST Jun 21 9:54 am IST Sep 23 1:31 am IST Dec 21 9:57 pm IST
Mar 20 9:45 pm IST Jun 21 3:37 pm IST Sep 23 7:24 am IST Dec 22 3:52 am IST
Mar 21 3:28 am IST Jun 21 9:24 pm IST Sep 23 1:20 pm IST Dec 22 9:49 am IST
Mar 20 9:19 am IST Jun 21 3:13 am IST Sep 22 7:00 pm IST Dec 21 3:32 pm IST
Mar 20 3:07 pm IST Jun 21 9:02 am IST Sep 23 12:51 am IST Dec 21 9:29 pm IST
Mar 21 2:54 am IST Jun 21 8:27 pm IST Sep 23 12:20 pm IST Dec 22 8:57 am IST
* All times are local time for Nãgpur. Dates are based on the Gregorian calendar. Times adjusted for DST if applicable. Current year is highlighted.
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Innovation and projects
We are involved in public transport beyond our own city, in consultancy projects with operators around the world.
TMB provides consultancy services along with a global, coordinated vison of all aspects required for the smooth running of an integrated public transport network. Our team is made up of specialists experienced in the operation and maintenance of a top-level network.
The aim of TMB Consulting is to provide knowledge of the technical, commercial and administrative aspects and of personnel for other national and international transport networks in order to help them consolidate new projects and to expand their business.
We also off far-reaching advice; any transport firm or local authority can benefit from the knowledge and experience of a leading transport operator.
Panama Metro Line 1 (2008-now)
Consortium made up of Ayesa, Inelecra and FMB.
In 2008, the Panamanian government Panama created the Secretariat for the Metro System of Panama as an official ministry, with the aim of exploring the construction of the first metro line in Panama City.
After the official rounds of bidding, the construction work on metro line 1 was awarded to a Brazilian and Spanish consortium (Oderbreig and FCC) while, at the same time, the construction of rolling stock (trains) was awarded to the company Alstom.
In October 2010, the consortium made up of AYESA - INELECTRA - FMB was awarded the contract for “project management” (control and monitoring of subway construction work) and technical assistance on the first Panama City metro line. The initial period of the contract was three years, extendable by two additional years.
The consortium's responsibilities include:
AYESA being responsible for supervising civil works.
Inelecta being responsible for supervising the integration of signalling and communication systems.
TMB being responsible for supervising and preparing the operation of the new line and rolling stock:
Supervision, from the operator's point of view, of construction work projects.
Guaranteeing the quality of the rolling stock delivered to the Panama Metro system.
Preparing and organizing facilities, processes and people.
Supervision of the works included a second technical assistance phase in which a team of three people from TMB carry out ongoing monitoring, advising the Panama Metro on operational matters.
Consortium made up of AYESA, Louis Berger Group and FMB.
On 10 July, 2014, the contract for the provision of the “Project management, interface coordination and technical assistance services for the Panama Metro Line 2 project” was awarded to the consortium made up of AYESA, Louis Berger Group and FMB. The purpose and scope of the contract are similar to line 1: comprehensive “project management” and operational assistance.
The expected contract period, which came into effect on 1 August 2014, is 58 months (until the end of March 2019), extendable by two years.
Participation of FMB:
Rolling stock.
“Pool” of experts to oversee different specialties.
Yards and workshop specialists.
General services.
Public transport in Béziers Méditerranée (2019-2029)
The public transport network of this urban area in southern France consists of 60 vehicles, providing service to 125,000 people. The 10-year contract is planned to come into force on 1 January, 2019.
During the bidding process, which included the participation of major European companies, the proposal by the tandem formed by Vectalia and TMB was notable for its presentation of a new public transport offer:
Commitment to energy transition. This includes the purchase of 33 natural gas buses, based on TMB's experience in operating in a large city with more than 400 vehicles that use this type of fuel.
Creation of a new commercial image that includes a visual identity change and implementation of new information and customer service systems such as: a new commercial office in the centre of the city, a new information point for travellers, a new website, an online store and a mobile application that allows passengers to validate their tickets using their telephones.
Proposal of an economic strategy consisting of a new range of prices to strengthen customer loyalty: review of rates that seeks to increase customer loyalty and give special consideration to disadvantaged social groups through adjusted rates.
This new mobile and integrated service offer is expected to result in a significant increase in passengers of 25% over the period of the contract.
Since 2011, the activities of Vectalia France have been carried out within the framework of a collaboration agreement between the Spanish Vectalia Group and TMB, both leading operators in the Spanish passenger transport market.
Antibes (France) surface transport - (2015-2019)
The company made up of TMB and Vectalia (group of transport and service companies based in Alicante) won the tender to operate the urban and school bus transport system within the urban area of Antibes. The network consists of 30 urban lines and 58 school transport lines, in addition to the Icilà on-demand transport system.
Operational advice for the Dublin metro (2017-2019)
TMB was chosen as Metro Operation Advisor in March 2017 by TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) to give advice on the construction and extension of the Dublin metro (MetroLink).
The MetroLink project is the development of a north-south urban rail service that will operate along the busy Swords to Sandyford corridor, linking points of interest such as the City Centre and Dublin Airport over a route length of 26 km. The current Luas Green Line tram will be adapted to include standard metro features as there are already some underground stations and subterranean sections on the route. There will be a total of 25 stations, 15 of them new, as well as 3,000 additional Park & Ride spaces. The anticipated end-to-end journey time will be 50 minutes and there will be 30 trains per hour running in each direction.
As an Advisor, TMB provides TII with their knowledge and experience in operational and maintenance matters by taking part in regular technical meetings and by reporting directly to the TII project manager.
The line is scheduled to open in 2026.
More information at MetroLink website.
Subterráneos de Buenos Aires audit (2012)
TMB, in cooperation with ATJ Consultores, conducted a technical audit of the Buenos Aires underground transport network. Specialised technical assistance was provided for conducting a technical audit of the facilities and rolling stock of the A, B, C, D, E and Premetro lines of the city's underground transport network, in order to determine the existing security conditions, maintenance levels and operating safety.
Technical assistance for Subterráneos de Buenos Aires (2017-2018)
SBASE is a company belonging to the State Government of the City of Buenos Aires, owner of the entire underground network of Buenos Aires and responsible for operating it. It is the control body for any concessions granted and also plans an executes any extension work on the network.
SBAE contracted TMB in 2017 for technical assistance in setting up a public bidding process on a national and international level for the concession to operate and maintain the metro system.
TMB took part in defining the strategy of the tender and proposed, specified and agreed the parameters of how the offers were to be assessed. It promoted participation in the bid and put forward clauses to guarantee the safety of the operation as well as supervising the economic implications of each of the decisions.
The tender was launched in February 2018. TMB’s part in the project was to analyse the offers submitted and advise the promoter SBASE on the final adjudication decision, on both a technical and economic level.
Metrobús in Panama City (2014-2015)
TMB is providing specialised consulting regarding the Metrobús system in the Panama metropolitan area, including a review and analysis of the concession to operate the Metrobús system. As part of this specialised consulting service, three aspects are being developed:
Assessment of how the current system is operating.
Development of operating rules, sets of indicators, service inspection plan and remuneration plan.
A service improvement plan.
Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh (2014-2015)
TMB provided consulting services to ALG for technical assistance in implementing the BRT between Gazipur and Dhaka Airport in the areas of design of terminals and stations, vehicle technology, control centre technology and fleet management. The project also consisted in updating the details of the bus routes that operate, wholly or partially, in the thoroughfare that crosses the corridor between Gazipur and the airport train terminal.
Automated lines 3 and 6 of the Santiago (Chile) Metro (2014-2015)
On 10 October, 2015, the Santiago Metro awarded TMB a specialist consultancy contract in relation to the design and detailed development of how to organize and operate automated lines 3 and 5 of this city's metro service. These lines are now being built and should go into service some time between 2017 and 2019.
The project includes an in-depth, assessed and justified proposal of the management organisation model for Santiago Metro lines 3 and 6.
Zaragoza tram line 1 (2014-2015)
TMB, along with Ayesa and Sering, oversees the contract between the joint venture between the Sociedad de Economía Mixta Los Tranvías de Zaragoza and the government, which entails the following tasks:
Analysis, review and proposals for the improvement of different aspects foreseen in the operating project for the joint venture of the Sociedad de Economía Mixta Los Tranvías de Zaragoza.
Assisting the government in overseeing the implementation of the operating project.
Support in payment settlement processes and calculating payment adjustments per user and availability.
Calculating and monitoring quality of service indicators.
Assisting in and supervising protocol tests (without passengers).
Electric freight train in Ecuador (2014-2015)
TMB won the contract to supervise the pre-feasibility study of Ecuador's electric freight train.
This supervision will help determine, in relation to pre-feasibility, the existence of supply and demand conditions, technical solutions and economic and financial plans for the implementation of an electric train network for transporting freight, integrating current and future production centres in Ecuador with Pacific ports and cross-border connections with Peru and Colombia.
Additionally, two railway alternatives complementing the proposed study will also be assessed:
The passenger train between Quito and Guayaquil given the high population density of these two cities and its intense level of intermobility.
The miner freight train that will transport mining production from the provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe to Puerto Bolivar (to the province of El Oro).
CNG buses in Astana, Kazakhstan (2014)
TMB provided technical assistance to the engineering firm TIPSA in the design of a depot to accommodate 120 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in the city of Astana. The depot formed part of the infrastructure of a BRT designed to connect the city centre with the Expo held there in 2017, terminating at Astana International Airport.
Consulting tasks focused on defining the different areas needed to operate a bus depot, the movement flow of vehicles and requirements for the workshop and vehicle parking.
Management and operation of the Perpignan urban transport service (2011-2019)
TMB and Vectalia, owner of the current operator CFT (Corporation Française de Transport), will operate the urban transport system in the Perpignan metropolitan area for eight years.
TMB's contribution to the successful group of bidders is essentially its experience as an operator of a large intermodal transport network, knowledge which it will share with the operator CFT, especially in the following areas:
Analysis and definition of necessary infrastructure (stops, traffic light priority, accessibility) for operating a transport network.
Analysis and definition of rolling stock needs and the workshops to maintain it.
Definition of basic operating elements, high-level service lines, content of operating staff training, recruitment.
Definition and development of marketing, passenger information and communication policy, surveys at origin/destination, data analysis and development, etc.
This is the first time that TMB has participated in the operation of a public transport network outside Spain. Until now, the company's international activity has focused on consulting.
Oran Tram (Algeria) (2010-2016)
For the first tram line in Oran, TMB, as part of the consortium ENSITRAS (consisting of the Lisbon Metro, TMB, Sener and Fernoconsult), is providing assistance to EMA, the owner's of the tram line, in reviewing the rolling stock project and supervising the manufacturing of 30 tram cars for the city's first tramway.
The trams are Alstom, model Citadis 302. TMB will oversee factory production, reception in Oran of the trams and empty test runs. TMB will also handle the certification for taking delivery of rolling stock for entry into service and the warranty period.
Algiers Metro (2010-2015)
ENSITRANS, a consortium of which TMB is a part, won the tender for the “project management”; (supervision) of the subway expansion project in the Algerian capital. The Algiers Metro expansion programme will involve the construction of an additional seven kilometres of track, with a total of six new stations, an initiative entailing an investment of 3,500 billion euros. The project will focus on tasks involving the control and construction of the Algiers Metro facilities.
Bogota's first metro line (2009-2011)
TMB was part of the group that won the tender to design and conduct the preliminary study for the first metro line in Bogota.
The Spanish consortium of companies, of which TMB forms a part, was chosen to design the first metro line in the Colombian capital, a project representing an investment of more than 6.5 million euros.
The consortium, made up of TMB and the companies SENER, Advanced Logistics Group (ALG), Incoplan Colombia, Santander Investment, Valores Colombia and Garrigues Abogados y Asesores Tributarios, competed with 56 other consortiums made up of 220 national and foreign companies to develop the conceptual and operational design of the service. It will require an integrated public transport system, as it will have to complement the commuter train service and the Transmilenio, an articulated bus service in operation since 2000. Likewise, TMB and the other members of the consortium prepared the legal and financial structuring, providing consulting services for the city's first metro line.
Seville Metro (2007-2010)
TMB provided technical assistance to the regional government of Andalusia for overseeing the operation of the city's first metro line. Line 1 is a metropolitan railway with light rail characteristics. Around 60% of its 18 kilometre-long route is underground, with some sections above ground, using an exclusive or separate platform, with a total of 22 stations. The construction work consisted of two phases: the first entailed compiling and analysing data for re-designing the operating project while the second consisted of project control and supervision.
Business with TMB
Notice website
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Pirates’ Attack: Titus Glover Urges Tight Security at Ghana’s Ports
By Cephas Larbi On Apr 2, 2018
Titus Glover
Following the attack on a Ghanaian fishing vessel, Marine 711, and the subsequent kidnapping of five sailors who were on board the vessel last Monday, the Deputy Minister for Transport, Titus Glover, has charged port officials to tighten security at Ghana’s ports, to avert similar incidents in the future.
Titus Glover, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Tema East Constituency was speaking when he visited the Tema Port to meet with management and security officials in charge at the facility.
Mr. Glover said the recent incident came as a surprise to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) because “Ghana has been acclaimed as one of the best ports in terms of security at both Tema and Takoradi”
He indicated that as part of measures to halt these attacks, the GPHA will be collaborating with operators at sea to ensure that they abide by safety standards.
“The Ghana Navy needs to be supportive in their patrols. Internally, GPHA security will also be engaging with the operators at sea with the support of Marine Police and the Ghana Navy so that the activities of those who are working outside the port, who go far in the sea to transact business are regularized to conform with the regulations of the country to forestall similar incidents in the future.”
Last Monday, a Ghanaian fishing vessel was reported to have been hijacked by some persons believed to be Nigerian pirates.
The Deputy Director of Environment and Safety Standards at the Ghana Maritime Authority, Captain Inusah Abdul-Nasir, indicated that this occurrence is not new, considering that this year [2018] alone, there had been “some significant number of hijackings in the West African sub-region”
Five persons on board were taken hostage, but the abandoned vessel was rescued by the Ghana Navy.
The five, including three Koreans, one Ghanaian and a Greek national, are believed to have been taken hostage by some alleged Nigerian hijackers, who attempted to seize the tuna vessel, Marine 711 on the Keta high seas.
However, one of the crew members who was found together with the abandoned vessel, is currently receiving medical treatment as a result of the traumatic experience.
The vessel, Marine 711, with official No. 316694, and registration No. AFT28 has successfully rescued and is currently at berth 10 at the Tema Port.
Source: Citimonline
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Writers Against Racism's Gary Younge on the perception of immigration in the UK and US
July 11, 2013 by srtrc in UK
As part of a lengthy interview, The Guardian's Gary Younge talks to Show Racism the Red Card about UK and US immigration and the role of the media
“Now the truth is that there’s always been an audience for fear and to a certain extent newspapers, the media who want large audiences, will play to that gallery."
Gary Younge, Writers Against Racism
Gary Younge is an author, broadcaster and award-winning columnist for The Guardian, based in Chicago. He also writes a monthly column, Beneath the Radar, for the Nation magazine and is the Alfred Knobler Fellow for The Nation Institute. He has written three books, "Who Are We - And Should it Matter in the 21st Century?", "Stranger in a Strange Land: Travels in the Disunited States" and "No Place Like Home: A Black Briton’s Journey Through the Deep South". Gary has made several radio and television documentaries on subjects ranging from the Tea Party to hip hop culture.
Here is an extract from Younge's Who Are We - And Should it Matter in the 21st Century?:
'Indeed, oftentimes, the emphasis on racial and ethnic differences is rivalled only by the negligible basis for those differences in biological fact. The outward difference of skin, eyes, lips, nose and other physical attributes are just that – outward. It is only thanks to the way race is constructed that these physical differences are transformed into racial characteristics.'
Gary Younge on immigration in the UK and US and the role of the media.
America, perhaps more than any other country was built on immigration and Britain as an island and former empire has a long history of migration in and out of the country. What do you think of the negative focus of sections of the media in both countries on immigration?
“Well, it’s not new. I mean, I think so as long as there have been immigrants, regardless of their colour actually. Whether they were Huguenots or Jews, or Caribbeans, there’s always been tension or negative portrayals I guess and the nature of those portrayals changes depending on the group and the time."
“So, if I think of when I was growing up the way that immigration was portrayed people would say to people of Caribbean descent, ‘Why can’t you be more like Asians?’ There weren’t any Muslims then, people didn’t talk about Muslims, they just said, ‘why can’t you be more like them?’ Then the stereotype was Asians work all hours that God sends, they don’t want to mix with us, they don’t want to date with our women, they keep themselves to themselves – that was the phrase you would hear time and time again.
"Then you fast-forward another 30 years and you are in the middle of debates about terrorism and immigration and they’re saying to Muslims ‘why do you keep yourselves to yourselves?’ – now they are Muslims, not Asians – ‘why do you keep to yourselves?, why won’t you mix with us, why won’t you marry our daughters, why can’t you…? And so the focus shifts from colour to culture and from race to religion."
“More recently and this has happened, I noticed it in the time I’ve been away, I’ve been away ten years now, the dominant migration debate isn’t about race actually, I mean it’s racialised but it has been about Eastern Europeans and Poles and Romanians. If we think back to Gillian Duffy, when Gordon Brown bumped into her in Rochdale; she lives in a town where there’s been a huge increase in the number of both Muslims and Bangladeshis and she’s worried about Eastern Europeans."
“Now the truth is that there’s always been an audience for fear and to a certain extent newspapers, the media who want large audiences, will play to that gallery. And the truth is also that some of those fears are grounded in real things that we shouldn’t dismiss, which are resources. If your school suddenly has an influx of a large number of people with particular language needs or dietary needs or whatever it is, then that is a cause for concern. But the concern should be about resources and not about the people.
"If you are struggling to get a council house, or any kind of house – I know that council houses still exist but I remember when I was growing up people would put their name on the list and actually expect to get a house, whereas these lists now I think just appear to be full."
“So here are these people, suddenly visible…and the easiest message is ‘they have your stuff’. A more difficult message is ‘join with them and fight for resources.’ ‘We need more resources.’ ‘We need a better school, we need more teachers, we need more housing’ and it’s long been the retreat into a kind of very narrow, exclusive identity, a mythological identity actually, of white Englishness as being something pure and besieged. That’s where a certain kind of politician goes, that’s where a certain kind of media will follow."
“That’s true here in America too. There are two main differences between the U.S. and Britain. The first is that America has never understood itself as a ‘White’ country purely. I mean African-Americans were here before the pilgrims, and before the pilgrims and the African-Americans there were the Native Americans. So if you’re looking for a real debate about immigration historically, you would start with the settlers and move on. America’s immigration debate has never been understood purely in racial terms, whereas in Britain, until recently, it has."
“The second is that pretty much every American, apart from the Native American, can refer to a land mass outside of America from which they came. And that informs American mythology, that even when you’re with the most rabid anti-immigrant stalwart they will still kind of make a pitch for immigration, a certain kind of immigration. Because immigration still speaks to all these dominant myths, class fluidity, reinvention, all of those things that are kind of dear to America."
"So in America, by and large the way the rhetoric goes, immigration is fine, it’s the immigrants that are always the problem and each time a new set of immigrants become that problem, whether it is Jews from Eastern Europe, the Irish in a certain moment, the Italians at a different moment, the Chinese at another moment and most recently, Latinos.”
Gary Younge profile
Writers Against Racism
July 11, 2013 /srtrc
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luna gourmet
NEWS: Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company Named to Inc. Magazine’s Prestigious Inc. 5000 List
posted Sunday Oct 21, 2018 05:45 PM
Denver-based Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company made its debut on Inc. Magazine’s 37th Annual Inc. 5000 list – the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies – at number 2,000. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment: Its independent small businesses. Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow – and coffee companies such as Intelligentsia and La Colombe – have also gained national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
Gov. Hickenlooper celebrated Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company, the top-ranking Colorado company on the list within the manufacturing industry, at a reception for all the state’s winners on Monday, Oct. 15. The accolade follows Luna’s recognition as “Emerging Business of the Year” from the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce in 2009, and as one of 2013’s “Colorado Companies to Watch.”
“We couldn't be more honored to have made this prestigious list,” said Jason Barrow, co-founder and president of Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company. “Our inclusion amongst the nation’s fastest-growing private companies is a reflection of our dedicated employees, who roast the finest coffees for the customers who rely on Luna to deliver what’s on-trend in a very competitive coffee market.”
For 21 years, Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company has been committed to roasting specialty grade coffees and blending whole leaf teas, while remaining socially responsible throughout the process. As the largest family-owned roaster in Colorado, Luna’s brands include Boyer’s Coffee, Boca Java, Luna Roasters and Boulder Organic Coffee. The company’s diverse lineup of products – including proprietary blended roasts, flavored coffee and imported coffee beans from more than 40 different origins around the globe – are sold in grocery stores, restaurants, cafes and online.
“In our industry, it’s important to realize that the simple act of drinking coffee every day can have a lasting impact throughout the world. That’s why we’re committed to being ethically sourced, socially responsible and open to opportunities to give back to the community – both locally and worldwide," says Douglass Barrow, co-founder and roastmaster.
Not only have the companies on the 2018 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists. The 2018 Inc. 5000 achieved an astounding three-year average growth of 538.2 percent, and a median rate of 171.8 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $206.1 billion in 2017, accounting for 664,095 jobs over the past three years.
“If your company is on the Inc. 5000, it’s unparalleled recognition of your years of hard work and sacrifice,” says Inc. Magazine’s editor-in-chief, James Ledbetter. “The lines of business may come and go, or come and stay. What doesn’t change is the way entrepreneurs create and accelerate the forces that shape our lives.”
The 2018 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2014 and 2017. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2014. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2017. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2014 is $100,000; the minimum for 2017 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
About Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company
For 21 years, Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea Company has been committed to roasting specialty grade coffees and blending whole leaf teas, while remaining socially responsible throughout the process. As the largest family-owned roaster in Colorado, Luna’s brands include Boyer’s Coffee, Boca Java, Luna Roasters, and Boulder Organic Coffee. The products are sold in grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and online. Luna Gourmet’s diverse line-up of products includes proprietary blended roasts, flavored coffee and imported coffee beans from more than 40 different origins around the globe. For more information, visit www.lunagourmet.com.
About Inc. Media
Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Inc. took home the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. The total monthly audience reach for the brand has been growing significantly, from 2,000,000 in 2010 to more than 18,000,000 today. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
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Greenlight Capital Battles for Seats on Mercer Int
NEW YORK (HedgeWorld.com)--Hedge fund manager Greenlight Capital Inc. is attempting to persuade the shareholders of Mercer International Inc., a European pulp and paper manufacturing company...
By Staff Writer | July 01, 2003 at 08:00 PM
NEW YORK (HedgeWorld.com)–Hedge fund manager Greenlight Capital Inc. is attempting to persuade the shareholders of Mercer International Inc., a European pulp and paper manufacturing company with a U.S. office in Seattle, to vote for its nominees at Mercer’s upcoming annual meeting.
Greenlight filed a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 20, nominating Guy Adams and Saul Diamond, both executives of private equity concerns, for the Mercer board of trustees. Two members of the seven-member board are scheduled for election at the July 15 meeting.
Mercer “has excellent assets, but suffers significant deficiencies in corporate governance,” according to Greenlight’s proxy filing. The hedge fund firm is known for short selling companies it sees as having managerial or accounting problems .
There is a need for new trustees because the Mercer board is in disarray and has not been properly supervising top managers, Greenlight argues. The board has not met once in the past three years and has been a revolving door, it claims. Among the red flags Greenlight points to is that a former chief financial officer and trustee of Mercer is under criminal investigation in Germany.
Greenlight alleges that the management has engaged in transactions that are not in the best interests of shareholders, such as the purchase of Landqart AG, a Swiss mill business, and that Chief Executive Jimmy Lee has conflicts of interest, such as being a director at a subsidiary of MFC Bancorp, which is involved in the Landqart deal.
The company has performed poorly because Mercer’s board “blatantly ignored basic corporate governance principles designed to protect shareholders,” the hedge fund states. Mercer’s five-year total return for the period ending Dec. 31, 2002, was negative 37%. Mercer stock is trading at its lowest historical price range.
Dueling Statements
Mercer executives have hit back with their own version of how the company is doing. Mr. Lee said in a statement, “Mercer’s goal has always been to build long-term shareholder value.” The corporation has taken significant steps to become an efficient, low-cost producer and to expand the business, he said.
He said that the Greenlight nominees do not appear to have experience in operating public companies or paper and pulp businesses or European firms. Mr. Lee is backing Per Gundersby, an executive from the European pulp and paper industry, for the board. In the meantime, Mercer has put on hold a previously announced private offering of US$65 million in convertible notes.
The two sides have known each other for several years. The hedge fund has been an investor in Mercer since August 1997 and owns 14.9% of Mercer’s outstanding shares. It is the company’s largest shareholder. In addition, Greenlight manager David Einhorn and his two nominees own Mercer shares separately from the hedge fund.
“We want truly independent board members who will protect shareholders, not rubber stamp management dealings,” said Greenlight Chief Operating Officer Daniel Roitman, in a statement. “We believe Mercer shareholders would benefit from independent board oversight that has been lacking.”
He added: “As Mercer’s largest shareholder, we’re forced to take a leadership role in representing the interests of all shareholders. Mercer has valuable assets and the ability to deliver solid earnings. Mr. Diamond and Mr. Adams are talented professionals who will work to create a bright future for Mercer and its shareholders, and stop the excessive losses shareholders have experienced.”
Mr. Lee, for his part, expressed disappointment at “the apparent opportunistic action of one shareholder to try to take control over a part of the board at such a critical point in our development and growth.”
CKurdas@HedgeWorld.com
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Ed Sheeran says he will quit music once him and Cherry have a baby
Ed Sheeran announced on his Instagram over the weekend that he and long-term girlfriend, Cherry Seaborn got engaged last year.
"Got myself a fiancé just before new year. We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well," he wrote.
Now he has revealed that he will give up his career once he starts a family.
Ed has spoken previously about wanting children by the age of 30 and at 26 years old now it looks like children will be next in his plans.
Speaking to Daily Star, Ed said he will focus on being a father over his career.
"My ambition is going to go to zero as soon as I have kids. 'I am going to be like, 'I do not really care anymore as I have another life to take care of'," He said.
"It is totally understandable because you have children and your ambition shifts to be like, 'I want to be a good father'."
In early 2016 told radio station Apple Music's Beats 1 that he 'wanted to be a dad like, last year.'
"I'm ready, let's go - tour bus babies, little fat, chubby babies that just walk around."
He told the Daily Star: 'I think the wheels should be in motion by the time I'm 30. But it's not really up to me.
'It's a two-way street. It has to be up to the partner as well.'
Source: Daily Mail
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Potvin, Gilles. "Opéra du Québec". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 16 December 2013, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/opera-du-quebec-emc. Accessed 17 July 2019.
Potvin, G., Opéra du Québec (2013). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/opera-du-quebec-emc
Potvin, Gilles, "Opéra du Québec". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 07, 2006; Last Edited December 16, 2013. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/opera-du-quebec-emc
Potvin, Gilles. The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Opéra du Québec", Last Edited December 16, 2013, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/opera-du-quebec-emc
Opéra du Québec
Article by Gilles Potvin
Last Edited December 16, 2013
Opéra du Québec. A company devoted to the production of operas, mainly in Montreal and Quebec City. It was created by the MACQ, and was active on a regular basis for four seasons 1971-5.
Broached many times after the beginning of the 20th century, the idea of state-supported opera in Quebec came nearer to realization during the summer of 1967 when Jean-Noël Tremblay, then Quebec minister of cultural affairs, announced the formation of 'a committee headed by Léopold Simoneau, charged with drawing up a plan for the organization and operation of a state-supported theatre devoted wholly or in part to opera.' Submitted at the end of 1967, the committee's report was never made public. It was not until February 1971 that a new minister at the MACQ, François Cloutier, announced that 'in response to the very marked interest of Quebeckers in opera, the minister had examined several solutions, including that of a state company.' He further announced that he had opted for a company that was 'flexible in structure,' one that would 'utilize the administrative services of the already existing institutions: the PDA and the Grand Théâtre in Quebec City.' Established as a non-profit company, the Opéra du Québec was incorporated under the Companies Act, with a seven-member board of directors including, ex officio, the managing directors of both the PDA and the Grand Théâtre. Its founding president, 1971-3, was H. Marcel Caron; he was succeeded by Jacques Vadboncoeur. Léopold Simoneau was appointed artistic director in 1971 but tendered his resignation at the end of that same year, following a disagreement over the hiring of a guest conductor, on which the management was insistent. Instead of appointing a successor to Simoneau the board set up a committee of three artistic advisers: Pierre Boutet, Edgar Fruitier, and John Newmark. An executive director, Émilien Morissette, was subsequently replaced by Gérard Lamarche.
By the musical and visual quality of its productions the Opéra du Québec immediately won the public's favour. Supported by an initial subsidy of $200,000 from the MACQ, it received additional sums from the Canada Council and donations from Seagram's and the du Maurier Council for the Performing Arts (du Mauier Arts Ltd). However, despite the desire for permanence expressed at the outset and massive public support, the Opéra du Québec soon faced a considerable operating deficit.
Beginning in 1973, three productions were presented instead of four. With the deficit approaching $1 million in the first months of 1975, a new minister, Denis Hardy, announced the cessation of activities, at least temporarily. Coinciding as it did with the memorable performances of Tristan und Isolde, this announcement of the company's demise sparked a sharp outcry from the public and led to some harsh exchanges between the minister in charge and the Opéra management. Inactive thereafter the Opéra du Québec nevertheless staged three performances of The Barber of Seville in July 1976 at the PDA, thanks to a special subsidy of $200,000. The production was part of the Arts and Culture program of the Olympics.
Early in 1980 the MACQ announced the establishment of two companies to succeed the Opéra du Québec: the Opéra de chambre du Québec, whose activities were limited to a few seasons, and the Opéra de Montréal.
In four seasons the Opéra du Québec presented 13 productions at the PDA, 10 of them presented also at Quebec City's Grand Théâtre, and one at the NAC, Ottawa. There were 114 performances in all, 82 in Montreal, 30 in Quebec City, and 2 in Ottawa. (The figures do not include the three performances in 1976.) The works presented were Samson et Dalila, Il Trittico, The Daughter of the Regiment, and La Traviata (1971-2); Rigoletto, Salomé, Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci, and Manon (1972-3); Otello, Don Giovanni, and Madama Butterfly (1973-4); and Falstaff, La Bohème, and Tristan und Isolde (1974-5).
In its very first season the troupe was proud that, of a total of 49 roles, 41 were given to Canadian singers. Subsequently certain productions - such as Il Trittico - were entirely Canadian. Among the singers were Colette Boky, Clarice Carson, Anna Chornodolska, France Dion, Claire Gagnier, Louise Lebrun, Maria Pellegrini, and Heather Thomson, sopranos; Fernande Chiocchio and Maureen Forrester, contraltos; Jean Bonhomme, Pierre Duval, and Jon Vickers, tenors; Bruno Laplante, Louis Quilico, Robert Savoie, and Bernard Turgeon, baritones; and Claude Corbeil, Yoland Guérard, and Joseph Rouleau, basses. Among the guest singers were the sopranos Roberta Knie, Ursula Schroder, and Tatiana Troyanos; the contraltos Rita de Carlo, Mignon Dunn, and Regina Sarfaty; the tenors John Alexander, Pier-Miranda Ferraro, and Robert Nagy; the baritones Peter Glossop and Sigmund Nimsgern; and the basses Giovanni Foiani and Peter Meven. The conductors were Jacques Beaudry, Alfredo Bonavera, Franz-Paul Decker, Jean Deslauriers (who assumed the position of regular assistant conductor in 1972), Pierre Hétu, Zubin Mehta, and Nicholas Rescigno.
Those responsible for stage direction were Jan Doat, Carlo Maestrini, Nathaniel Merrill, Albert Millaire, Ernst Poettgen, Peter Potter, and Peter Symcox. The Opéra du Québec called on the designers Robert Darling, Rudolf Heinrich, Roberto Oswald, Robert Prévost, Jean-Claude Rinfret, Mark Negin, and Hugo Wuetrich.
Gingras, Claude. 'L'opéra du Québec a été vraiment pensé pour notre public et nos chanteurs,' Montreal La Presse, 10 Feb 1971
McLean, Eric. 'On the demise of L'Opéra du Québec,' Montreal Star, 15 Feb 1975
- 'On the demise of L'Opéra du Québec,' OpCan, vol 16, Sep 1975
'Un nouveau souffle de vie anime l'Opéra du Québec,' Musique périodique, vol 1, Nov 1976
French-speaking Louisiana and Canada
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
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Lawmakers continue push for PFAS provisions in military spending bill, draw Trump veto threat
Kyle Bagenstose @KyleBagenstose
Jul 10, 2019 at 1:38 PM Jul 10, 2019 at 3:57 PM
Delaware Valley lawmakers are aiming to use a must-pass military spending bill to address concerns over chemical contamination in the region.
Congressional lawmakers are once again using a must-pass military spending bill to try and achieve their policy objectives regarding unregulated chemicals, with a crucial vote in the House anticipated by the end of the week.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are toxic chemicals being found in an increasing number of water supplies across the country, including significant contamination hot spots in southeast Pennsylvania and throughout New Jersey. As public concerns over the chemicals rose over the past several years, so too has action among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Washington.
But with Congress largely gridlocked, lawmakers have directed their efforts to the National Defense Authorization Act, one of two enormous spending bills that fund the United States military. In 2017, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, and Pat Toomey, R-Allentown, used the bill to help win funding for an upcoming nationwide study on the health impacts of PFAS, while local U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1 of Middletown, and Brendan Boyle, D-2, of Philadelphia, worked to include more funding for environmental cleanup.
This years’ NDAA is full of PFAS measures, although significant differences exist between efforts in the Senate and House, which will likely need to be worked out in a bicameral conference.
“While these amendments reflect a historic moment … they will not in themselves solve the PFAS problem,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. “They do reflect a very important first step.”
But the White House has already taken issue with two PFAS measures in the House bill, listing them among 42 other NDAA provisions in a veto threat issued Tuesday night.
The Senate passed its version of the NDAA in late June. A review of its text shows at least 14 different sections relating to PFAS, ranging from a requirement that military firefighters have their blood tested for PFAS during annual physicals, to a directive requiring the U.S. Geological Survey to test for the chemicals nationwide, to additional funding for communities hit with contamination.
Many of the provisions came via a “Capito-Carper” amendment to the NDAA, which watchers say was a PFAS compromise worked out by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, and Tom Carper, D-Delaware. One of the measures most highly touted is a section that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to set a drinking water standard for chemical family members PFOS and PFOA within two years.
“The bipartisan support for the Capito-Carper amendment is a testament to the fact that clean drinking water transcends party lines,” Casey said in a statement. “The provisions … were an important step toward getting the federal government to take responsibility for PFAS contamination and cleanup.”
Toomey also touted the NDAA in a press release, saying its PFAS provisions will provide “greater transparency on the use and risks” of the chemicals. One such measure would add the chemicals to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, which requires manufacturers to report how much PFAS they release into the environment each year.
But while officials and environmental groups largely praised the congressional efforts, those seeking robust action on the chemicals didn’t check off their entire wish list.
During a press call Tuesday, the Environmental Working Group’s Faber pointed out that the Senate compromise left out a provision that would designate PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law. Legal experts say such a measure would greatly aid efforts to get polluters, including the Department of Defense, to more quickly and robustly clean PFAS from the environment at sites such as the former NAS-JRB Willow Grove in Pennsylvania and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.
“The DOD has really been dragging its feet,” Faber said.
The House version also does not currently include a Superfund designation, although Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, has introduced an amendment. The House further currently lacks some items that appear in the Senate version, such as the EPA drinking water limit and Toxic Release Inventory provisions.
Faber said that could also change by the end of the week as new amendments to the House NDAA are proposed and voted on. Any leftover discrepancies would then be addressed “in conference,” with negotiators from both the House and Senate deciding what stays and what goes.
House lawmakers from the Delaware Valley say they’re already engaged with their chamber’s version of the bill. Matthew Bieber, a spokesman for Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4, of Abington, said the congresswoman has introduced two amendments to the House NDAA.
The first would authorize an additional $5 million for the nationwide PFAS health study, while the second would prohibit the use of firefighting foams containing the chemicals by 2025, Bieber said. The latter provision was one of the issues identified by the White House in its veto threat, along with a provision that would require the military to assist agricultural operations impacted by PFAS. The White House says the military is already pursuing a PFAS-free foam, and expressed concern about the foams being phased out before a suitable replacement is found.
Fitzpatrick said he supports Dean's effort to increase the health study funding, and also threw his weight behind provisions that would push the military to work more closely with state regulators and ban PFAS from the packaging of “meals ready-to-eat,” which are self-contained meals frequently used in the military.
“I appreciate the strong bipartisan support for PFAS amendments,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Mitigating exposure to PFAS chemicals should be a priority for this Congress and these proposed policy measures are a step in the right direction.”
In his first term, New Jersey congressman Andy Kim, D-3 of Bordentown Township, is also involved on PFAS. Communications director Anthony DeAngelo said Kim worked to include PFAS language in the bill through his role on the House Armed Services Committee. Kim supported provisions that would stop military use of PFAS by 2029, require the chemicals only be used for real world emergencies until then, and increase cleanup funding for the National Guard.
Other provisions could lead to cleanup
In addition to the potential for PFAS to be named a Superfund hazardous substance, watchers are also keying in on a second provision that could potentially assist communities impacted by nearby military bases, such as those in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
In the Senate NDAA, the provision states that after a request is made by a state governor, the Department of Defense must within one year enter into a “cooperative agreement” with the state, detailing the funding and process for cleaning PFAS from the environment. If the DOD fails to do so, it must then submit a report to Congress detailing why and setting forth a timeline to complete the agreement.
Perhaps most importantly, the provision appears to require the Department of Defense to adhere to state PFAS standards where they are stricter than federal standards. As reported by this news organization in April, the military has largely refused to follow the standards of several states that have created them, going so far as to sue the state of New Mexico over the issue.
That language is lacking from the initial House version of the bill, although another amendment from Dingell would add it.
Another section of the Senate’s NDAA bill offers additional intrigue, although its potential impact is unclear. Within a section that would formally add National Guard installations to the Department of Defense’s list of environmental liabilities, language also exists that appears to modify the military’s primary environmental requirements, spelled out under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program.
Created by Congress in 1986, the program requires the DOD to follow the EPA’s laws and processes when cleaning up its bases, but also puts the military in charge of carrying out the program, giving it some autonomy from the EPA. By law, the program still requires the DOD to cleanup all chemicals designated as hazardous substances under the Superfund law.
While PFAS is not such a substance, experts say the chemicals technically qualify as “pollutants” under the EPA’s rules. This second class of chemicals doesn’t carry the same weight as hazardous substances, but can still require some level of cleanup action.
The Senate’s NDAA bill stipulates that the language of the military's restoration program be modified to include “pollutants and contaminants” alongside hazardous substances, thus requiring the DOD to “carry out all response actions” required under the EPA’s rules for pollutants.
In an email, a spokesperson for the Senate Armed Services committee did not ascribe any particular importance to the clause, saying it simply “provides further clarification” to the addition of National Guard sites to the DOD’s environmental responsibilities.
Others weren’t as sure.
Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney for the Environmental Working Group, said it “does seem like” the provision would extend the military’s overall responsibility to address pollutants such as PFAS.
“However, there are some questions about how that would be implemented,” Benesh said. “I don’t know what DOD’s interpretation of the language is … There are still a lot of questions that are ongoing about cleanup levels, and how DOD understands what its responsibilities exactly are.”
Bill Muno, a former EPA Superfund director in the Midwest region, wrote in an email he believes the language would more clearly require the DOD to follow the same exact processes as EPA.
“Apparently, the early legislation failed to include the … reference to pollutants and contaminants,” Muno said. “It would expand the DOD’s ability to spend appropriated funds (to address pollutants). Overall, this is a step in the right direction.”
Similar language has yet to appear in the House NDAA.
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A Funeral Home Brought Back to Life
Posted By: Jambar Contributor 1704 Views
By John Stran
If the Halloween season has sparked interest in eerie sights and the desire to listen to live music, there may be a place that can fulfill these demands.
Located on Wick avenue, the Wickyards is a non-profit music venue locating in the previous McVean Funeral Home building, which closed two years ago.
Chief Operations Officer Erik Engartner said the Wickyards has been hosting shows for about a year and a half. He used to host shows at a venue in Boardman known as the Backyards, which, shut down in 2014.
When Erik Engartner’s father bought the former funeral home, he said he wanted to find a way to give the building a new purpose so it wouldn’t get turned into a parking lot. Since founding the venue, Erik Engartner said he’s been able to find bands to play on a monthly basis and pique the interest of many who enter.
The building still holds onto pieces of its past with a sign still bearing the funeral home’s name and equipment that was used for embalming left behind. A room in the building that used to keep the deceased still holds a wooden outline for casket storage, and a few caskets remain.
The venue allows an audience to see these acts as well as an opportunity to explore the building.
For acts, it’s an opportunity to test their music in front of a crowd while avoiding another bar show.
Joe Churpek, singer and guitarist of the band Fifer Pig, played his first show at the Wickyards on Friday and experienced something new playing at the venue.
“This is one of the coolest places I’ve ever played,” Churpek said. “I’ve played in a few abandoned churches but never a funeral home.”
Erik Engartner said that he thinks most people who come admire the uniqueness of it all and to venture around the vicinity.
“Most people who come in initially want to explore,” Engartner said. “I miss a lot of bands who play here because I’m usually too busy giving somebody a tour of the place.”
Catherine Engartner, Erik Engartner’s mother, said the venue allows for acts to test their material in front of a crowd and get a feel for what it’s like to be on stage.
“For some of these bands, it’s their first time playing anywhere,” Catherine Engartner said. “This is a great way for bands to bring friends and see how people respond to their music.”
The most recent show on Friday the 13th featured five acts of different ages and amounts of stage experience. The crowd grew as the night progressed with people floating in-between the music and lure of the building.
Erik Engartner is unsure as to how long this stint at the Wickyards will last, but said he’ll stay there as long as he can.
“If all works out, I’ll stay as long as possible,” Engartner said. “I want to keep it going by creating more exposure of what the building is and what it has to offer.”
The next show at the Wickyards will be Dec. 8. Details about who will be playing will be updated on its Facebook page.
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One thought on “A Funeral Home Brought Back to Life”
Meg Fisher says:
Eric…that used to be in my family. Max and I will have to check it out December 8th or maybe get a tour before! Awesome reading about you!
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National government of Spain endorses the Under2 Coalition
THE BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN: Spain has become the latest national government to endorse the Under2 Coalition last week, demonstrating its support for the largest group of ambitious states and regions committed to reducing their emissions to tackle climate change.
As a national endorser, Spain officially recognizes and welcomes the role being played by states and regions in cutting emissions. The national government will support the Secretariat team at The Climate Group to recruit more Spanish regions to the coalition.
National endorsers of the Under2 Coalition are committed to reducing emissions to keep global temperature rise to well below 2°C.
Other European national endorsers of the Under2 Coalition include Portugal, who endorsed the coalition last year, alongside the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
Another national endorser of the Under2 Coalition, Costa Rica, recently launched its plan to make the nation one of the first in the world to completely decarbonize.
Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition of Spain, said:
“Cooperative action is now more important than ever. We need successful partnerships that mutually reinforce combination between state and non-state actions, if we are to reach our well below 2 degrees goal. The Under2Coalition provides a forward looking space to come together, be innovative and look for pathways and instruments that will enable us to reach our climate objectives, while maximizing the enormous opportunities ahead.
The Spanish government has put forward an ambitious climate and energy framework that will decarbonize our economy by 2050, a great opportunity to make our country a more prosperous, sustainable and safe place, while ensuring this transition leaves no one behind. 2019 is the year for greater climate ambition and Spain comes ready to work, at all levels, and work together with the Under2Coalition partners to reinforce our efforts and push for higher global ambition.”
Climate action in Spain
Spain, Europe’s fifth largest economy, is committed to climate action and is set to decarbonize its economy by 2050.
The Spanish government has recently presented a comprehensive Strategic Framework on Energy and Climate that includes a Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, the ‘National Integrated Climate and Energy Plan 2021-2030’, which was submitted to the European Commission last month and a Just Transition Strategy.
Altogether, the Framework sets the path, with concrete measures, to decarbonize the Spanish economy in a sustainable, cost efficient, and equitable manner, with the ultimate objective of complying with the Paris Agreement against global warming.
With the Framework, the Spanish government is decarbonizing across its entire economy by 2050 with measures that foresee that more than 70% of electric generation will be renewable by 2030, GHG emission reductions of at least 20% compared to 1990, and at least 20% of the national budget to be earmarked for climate-positive investment.
The government is also determined to make the energy transition a just one, with the approval of a national Strategy on Just Transition that aims to support this transition by optimizing the opportunities ahead in a fair manner and ensuring no one is left behind.
It includes instruments to promote professional training, reskilling and upskilling of workforce, active employment policies for territories and sectors more exposed to the transition, such as mining regions where measures have already been undertaken.
Tim Ash Vie, Under2 Coalition Secretariat Director at The Climate Group, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Spain to the Under2 Coalition as a national endorser. Spain will play a crucial role in supporting the action being delivered by their regions in the Under2 Coalition and ensuring climate action that is integrated across all levels of government. With national government support states and regions can be even more empowered to cut emissions.”
Regional climate action in Spain
The Spanish regions of Andalusia, the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Navarra are all signatories of the Under2 Coalition and are already implementing climate change policies and cutting emissions. Together they make up over 40% of Spanish GDP.
The Basque Country
The Basque Government’s KLIMA 2050 Strategy aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030; and to be committed to a low-carbon energy model, where renewable energy consumption of 40% of final consumption is expected to be achieved by 2050.
Through a public-private partnership, The Basque Country became a smart grids leader.
The Basque Country have committed to an 80% reduction in their base year emissions of 2005 by 2050
In 2017, Catalonia passed a law to reduce emissions by 100% by 2050
Catalonia have committed to 100% in renewable energy consumption by 2050
In the 2018 Global States and Regions Annual Disclosure Catalonia were 95% complete in their 2020 targets of 25% emissions reduction compared to base year
Navarra has established itself as a European leader in wind power innovation. The region covers over 81% of its electricity demand by renewables and has also recently completed the construction of the world's tallest onshore steel turbine tower.
Navarra have set a target of 50% renewable electricity consumption by 2030
The government has set up new public-private initiative to drive the transition to electric vehicles
Navarra are 96% complete in their 2020 target of 20% emissions reduction compared to base year
Navarra is investing in the construction of energy efficient homes
Andalusia has already surpassed their 2030 target of 25% reduction of base year emissions
In September 2018, the Andalusian Parliament approved the ‘Law of Measures against Climate Change and the Transition towards a new Energy Model in Andalusia’ which aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and the consumption of fossil fuels and promote adaptation to climate change
The measures proposed include a 30% reduction in energy use across the region by 2030 while increasing the amount of renewable energy used
Sustainable agricultural policies from Andalusia were featured in the Low Carbon Regions Handbook produced by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Many Spanish companies are also playing a role in the clean energy transition. Telefonica, Bankia, Caixa Bank and BBVA are all members of The Climate Group’s renewable energy initiative RE100, and have committed to source 100% renewable electricity across their global operations. There are a further 41 companies committed to the RE100 initiative who have operations in Spain.
To read this story in Spanish click here.
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Researchers Quicken Drug Discovery Method via Zombie-Like Cells
Jessica Irvin, an undergraduate research assistant from Galloway, New Jersey, grinds a plant as preparation for creating a plant extract to be used in research.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Researchers are using zombie-like cells that behave normally on the outside, but are filled with magnetic particles inside, to screen potential drugs from natural products.
Discovered at The University of Alabama, the method could quicken a laborious task that slows drug discovery, according to findings in a paper published in the journal Nanoscale.
The method uses magnetic nanoparticles coated with a biological cell membrane as a lure to fish out pharmacologically active compounds from plants and other natural organisms such as fungi. It quickly sorts through hundreds, possibly thousands, of compounds found in a natural product in a few days, a process that can take weeks or months using traditional screening methods.
The work was done in the labs of Dr. Lukasz M. Ciesla, UA assistant professor of biological sciences, and Dr. Yuping Bao, UA associate professor of chemical and biological engineering. The lead author is Dr. Jennifer Sherwood, a former researcher in Bao’s lab who earned her doctorate from UA in 2018.
“This solves one of the main problems and bottlenecks in drug discovery from natural products,” Ciesla said. “It dramatically speeds up the process of the identification of new drug leads.”
About 70 percent of drugs approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration were first identified in nature, but teasing out possible chemical compounds from the abundance of plants is time consuming.
Pharmaceutical research has turned mostly to libraries of synthesized chemical compounds tuned for a specific purpose. However, nature is more diverse in the compounds it creates, and plants produce compounds designed for a biological response. The same pathways a chemical uses to ward off an insect, for example, can interact with humans.
“Plants produce chemicals with structures we cannot possibly imagine,” Ciesla said.
Natural samples, though, are complex. An extract of a plant produces scores of chemical compounds, and finding one that shows pharmacological promise is done by isolating and screening them individually.
The new method uses ionic solvents to leech out the innards of a cell and wrapping the cell’s shell around iron oxide nanoparticles. They are inserted into a plant extract.
Dr. Lukasz Ciesla examines a plant extract in his lab on the UA campus.
The encapsulation of the magnetic beads of iron oxide with a cell membrane keeps the function of the transmembrane proteins that act as receptors for active compounds, which bind to the coated nanoparticles.
Like a zombie moving despite being dead, the cell is no longer an active human cell, yet its membrane continues to function. This advantage differentiates it from computational methods that simulate chemical interaction in one, static state, Ciesla said.
“We have the receptor in its natural environment behaving the way it normally behaves in a cell,” he said.
If there is a compound in the natural extract that can interact with the receptor, they will stick to the surface of the nanoparticles. A magnet can be used to separate the nanoparticles from the extract, and solvents can detach them, yielding the possible pharmacologically active compounds.
The UA team used cell membranes with nicotinic receptors as a coating, but any transmembrane receptor could be used as way to search for compounds, Ciesla said.
“The cool thing of this project is it’s not limited,” Bao said. “All you need to do is switch out the cell type, and you can fish out a different type of drug candidate.”
Ciesla stresses this method is only a first step in the long process of creating drugs to treat a disease, but it shows promise in helping find medicinal uses from natural products.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Alabama Life Research Institute.
College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, Engineering, Health & Medicine, Research
Public Accounting Report’s 2017 rankings place UA’s Culverhouse School of Accountancy’s undergraduate program seventh overall and first for a program with a faculty size between 17 and 23 as well as first in the South. The master’s programs are ranked ninth overall, and the doctoral program is ranked seventh.
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Home › Construction News › Emaar announces building new sailing destination by Dubai Creek
Emaar announces building new sailing destination by Dubai Creek
Posted on 2nd May 2019
Image courtesy of: https://www.constructionweekonline.com/sites/default/files/cwo/styles/full_img/public/images/2019/05/02/Mina-Rashid-launch-Emaar-Dubai-devlopment-launch-real-estate.jpg?itok=Ehb8fQIM
According to *ME Construction News report, Emaar, the UAE-based master developer, has announced that is building a new sailing destination by the historic Dubai Creek near Bur Dubai/Deira, after P&O Marinas, a subsidiary of DP World – UAE Region, made the land available to it.
The developer has launched Mina Rashid, a $6.8 billion investment that will ‘celebrate Dubai’s maritime heritage while creating a future-ready lifestyle address’. The project will have several distinctive features, such as the ‘Dubai Mall by the Sea’ – a waterfront retail, dining and leisure destination; a floating yacht club; a 12,600sqm sandy beach and Dubai’s longest swimming pool, amongst others.
The development will also have over 430 wet berths, several of which can accommodate the largest yachts in the world and will also catalyse cruise tourism. The centrepiece of Mina Rashid will be the QE2, the world’s most celebrated ocean liner, which is now a 13‑deck hotel, dining, entertainment and events destination – docked permanently, and offering visitors an interactive exhibition of its heritage from the 1960s, sailing over 5.6 million miles and carrying over 2.5 million passengers.
Mina Rashid will feature a choice of mid-rise waterfront residences with promenades and a Venetian piazza with retail and F&B outlets overlooking the Arabian Gulf. In addition are signature hotels, a private beach club, interconnected parks, a 500m-long palm tree-fringed canal, art galleries, a theatre, museum and more.
“When Mina Rashid, the first modern port of Dubai, opened in 1972 – realising the vision of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Father of Dubai – it ushered in a new era of prosperity for the city, transforming it into an important port of call between the East and the West.
“Mina Rashid will also be a modern link to the heritage of the city with a direct pedestrian bridge connecting the House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, thereby honouring the legacy of the Al Maktoum family, to a museum and theatre,” Emaar said in a statement.
The new facilities will also complement the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, one of the most advanced cruise terminals in the world and the Middle East’s leading cruise destination.
The facility, which was built and currently operated by P&O Marinas, has received over 2.3 million visitors since its inauguration in 2014, and has seen per-year visitor numbers rise by 172% between 2014 and 2018. The terminal reached a major milestone last year when it successfully berthed five international cruise liners carrying a total of 25,000 passengers in a single day.
The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has also gained significant traction among luxury yacht owners who see Dubai as a preferable destination. The terminal boasts numerous state-of-the-art facilities for yacht owners, including 24-hour assistance, chandlery, dry storage, customs clearance directly from berth, and free Wi-Fi coverage across the terminal.
“For over two decades, we have worked tirelessly to contribute to the growth and evolution of Dubai as a global city that befits the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Now, with Mina Rashid, we are creating a future-ready city that honours the legacy of the Al Maktoum family and salutes the farsighted vision of Dubai’s rulers who have consistently built – not for now and then, but for the future and beyond.
The evolution of the city today as a knowledge-based economy, offering significant opportunities across all business sectors, drives demand for world-class developments that will further enhance economic growth,” said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties
Emaar said that it is now offering investors a chance to be a part of the Mina Rashid development through the launch of Sirdhana, a collection of 1,2 and 3-bedroom waterfront apartments and townhouses.
Named after the British Royal Mail Ship, which was the first commercial liner to dock at Mina Rashid, the residences are located by the main entrance of the promenade and adjacent to the canal pool.
Sirdhana will be in walking distance to QE2, a community park and The Dubai Mall by the Sea, the developer added.
“P&O Marinas is keen to support Dubai’s economic growth and to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to diversify the economy and support the development of a range of economic sectors including trade and tourism,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and chief executive of DP World and the Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation.
“The new development of Mina Rashid will strengthen Dubai’s position as a global city and the premier cruise hub in the Middle East. Our venture with Emaar will contribute to the city’s cruise tourism and create another strong economic catalyst.”
*News source: http://meconstructionnews.com/34709/emaar-to-develop-6-8bn-mina-rashid-project-with-po-marinas
Emaar Dubai Creek Bur Dubai P&O Marinas Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
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Veolia rewarded by the 2015 Global Equity Organization Award for the efficiency of its management incentive program
Press Release: Veolia rewarded by the 2015 Global Equity Organization Award for the efficiency of its management incentive program (28.51 KB)
Veolia was picked by a jury of independent personalities for the “Best Plan Effectiveness” Award. To explain why it had given this Award to the Group, the jury singled out the clarity and balance of the “Management Incentive Plan’s” objectives, the precise definition of its short-, medium- and long-term success indicators, as well as the Group’s determination to encourage its executives to buy into this program at a worldwide level. The jury also hailed this plan’s originality, designed on the basis of co-investment and in a manner aimed at reflecting Veolia’s employee shareholding’s history and objectives — and not on practices widely used nowadays.
Veolia’s “Management Incentive Plan” was set up and implemented in 2014. Its objectives aim at rewarding the commitment of executives within the framework of a long-term incentivizing compensation plan based on the company’s performance as well as reconciling managerial objectives and shareholders’ interests More than two-thirds of the employees eligible for this plan subscribed to it, illustrating the extent to which they back the Group’s strategy and its development. In the wake of the success of the “Management Incentive Plan”, another conventional employee shareholding plan will be opened to 150,000 employees and rolled out in 20 countries in 2015.
Veolia Group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 179.000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and replenish them.
In 2014, the Veolia group supplied 96 million people with drinking water and 60 million people with wastewater service, produced 52 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 31 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.4 billion* in 2014. www.veolia.com
Founded in 1999, Global Equity Organization (GEO) is an international not-for-profit organization. Its objectives are to spread information and share best practices in the field of equity compensation, to support corporate executives and equity compensation professionals. GEO counts more than 4,500 members, representing over 1,500 small or large firms, in more than 60 countries.
Tel: + 33 (0)1 71 75 12 52
Tel. + 33 1 71 75 12 23 / 06 00
Terri Anne Powers (USA)
Tel. + 1 312 552 2890
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Veolia steps up business with industrial customers in Germany through an acquisition with expected revenue of €287 million
Press Release: Northern Europe - Industries. Paris - Berlin, January 14, 2016 (213.92 KB)
At the 100 hectare Bizzpark Oberbruch site in Heinsberg, some 1,000 employees work in a variety of industrial companies. They include producers and processors of food products as well as manufacturers of carbon fiber and fuel cells. The 12 hectare Park Niederau in Düren is home to mainly chemical companies, which employ a staff of about 300.
At both locations, Veolia will supply the parks with electricity, gas, water (drinking water, process water and desalinated water), steam management services, and waste management brokering. In Heinsberg, Veolia also takes care of wastewater treatment at its own treatment plant (80,000 population equivalent) and provides logistics services. In Düren, Veolia operates a state-of-the-art gas turbine plant and a compressed air system. The objective is to work with the customers and the site owner in Düren to reduce the parks’ environmental footprint and optimize resource management. Fifty-five people join Veolia’s workforce.
Etienne Petit, General Manager of Veolia in Germany, says: “With this acquisition we are sending out a clear signal that we are looking for further growth in business with industrial customers in Germany. The industrial parks portfolio fits in perfectly with our approach of combining our core activities in water, waste and energy with a broad range of services specifically designed for the needs of industrial companies.”
The completion of the transaction is subject to anti-trust-approval.
Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 179,000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. In 2014, the Veolia group supplied 96 million people with drinking water and 60 million people with wastewater service, produced 52 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 31 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.4 billion* in 2014. www.veolia.com
Group Media Relations
Tél. : + 33 1 71 75 17 50 mobile: + 33 6 22 24 48 21
Media Relations in Germany
Matthias Kolbeck
Tél. : +49 30 206 2956-72 mobile: +49 172 250 88 95
Terri Anne Powers (États-Unis)
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Remarks by U.S. Senator Bob Menendez at EPLO
“Professor Flogaitis, I would like thank you for that kind introduction and your welcome here in Athens. EPLO’s leadership in scholarship and the advancement of public law in Europe is so essential in an uncertain world where more and more autocrats seek to flout those rules of the road so essential to our economic wellbeing, shared prosperity and security. Please continue to keep up the great work.
I am honored to be in the presence of such a prominent group of government officials, members of parliament and representatives from the diplomatic corps. In particular, I want single out my fellow Americans who are here and have invested so much in Greece.
I also want to acknowledge the presence of the U.S. Ambassador Geoff Pyatt. Geoff and I first met during a visit to Ukraine when he was Ambassador in Kyiv. During that trip, Russian troops streamed across the border in the form of little green men, the beginning of an armed conflict that continues to this day. Geoff helped Ukraine get on its feet during those darkest hours of its recent history. I am proud of the work he did representing the United States in Ukraine and am glad that he and the U.S. Embassy team here in Athens are working every day to strengthen this critically important bond between our countries.
I am honored to be delivering the 15th Manuel Chrysoloras lecture here at EPLO. The legacy and work of Mr. Chrysoloras has been studied for centuries – he was an exceptional figure, extolling and exporting the knowledge and wisdom of the greats from Homer to Plato in the Greek language. His legacy serves as an inspiration to so many of Hellenic descent today who work in academia and elsewhere to breathe renewed life into ancient Greek tradition, language and culture. His legacy also serves as inspiration to those of us who may not have Greek blood, but feel a deep connection to all that Hellenic culture has contributed to our shared civilization through the centuries.
And now I am here before you as someone who believes that these contributions from ancient civilization, these quintessentially Greek values, truly do underpin the international order in our modern day and provide the basis for democracy and the rule of law around the world.
I serve as the Ranking Member, the top Democrat, on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a position that gives me a purview over the conduct of U.S. foreign policy around the world.
On our committee, we continuously examine the core interests of the United States. Who are our true allies and where are our strategic alliances? Who are our competitors? Who are our adversaries? How do we implement a foreign policy that contributes to a safer world? One that is more prosperous. One with more open societies. One that is more democratic.
And as you are well aware, the challenges in U.S. foreign policy abound. A rising China. A revanchist Russia. Terrorism. The war in Afghanistan. A dictatorship in Venezuela.
I have to say that as we look around the world from the committee perch, the challenges have never seemed greater since the end of the Cold War.
To confront these problems, we need allies and friends in democratic countries. Countries that share our values of democracy, respect for human rights and open economies. Countries that share a deep respect for the rule of law. Countries that share our outlook on security.
I am here to propose that the Eastern Mediterranean as a region is a place where we can find such friends. A region where democracy was born, a region with allies that share our values. A region of unique geostrategic possibility as a bridge between east and west. So much possibility.
But also a place where Russia and China have increasingly sought to exert power and influence.
Over the course of my 27 years of public service in the House of Representatives and the Senate, I have been a stalwart supporter of the deep American bonds with Greece, Cyprus, Israel and others in the region. These bonds are rooted in rich and vibrant diasporas and in a shared abiding faith in democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
And I am proud to stand before you today and say that this truly is the dawn of a new day in the eastern Mediterranean. The possibilities for energy, security cooperation and prosperity have never been brighter.
The opportunities to deepen security ties that bring peace, security and prosperity have never been more promising. These possibilities exist if we are willing to seize them. If we have a plan. If we first and foremost simply show up, compete and demonstrate that the United States is a reliable partner and engaged ally.
So that’s what I’d like to share with you tonight. My assessment of the challenges from countries like Turkey, China and Russia. And my proposal for how we can work together on a strategy that promotes peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Let’s start with those challenges and an acknowledgment that they are real, and in some respects are growing.
Some of the most deep-seated problems in the region unfortunately have roots in Turkey under President Erdogan.
The 2016 coup attempt and its aftermath have debilitated the democratic process in the country. Hundreds of academics, opposition activists and journalists languish in prison – in fact, Turkey leads the world with the most jailed journalists. Recently, Human Rights Watch reported that Turkey is arbitrarily jailing hundreds of lawyers. Targeting lawyers is a tactic we see from the worst of oppressive regimes – not what we expect from a NATO ally.
Included amongst the imprisoned are American citizens and employees of the United States Embassy. This is simply unacceptable. Bogus charges against, and essentially hostage-taking of, U.S. citizens and mission employees are not the actions of a friend. As a most basic standard, U.S. citizens and employees and their families at our missions across the world must feel safe and secure. They should feel safest – and I can’t stress this enough — they should feel safest within the borders of a NATO ally. But that is not the case in today’s Turkey.
President Erdogan’s warming relationship with Moscow is disturbing on many levels. First, the Kremlin is an adversary of NATO and has made its intentions crystal clear on the world’s stage. It’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s attack on the 2016 U.S. election. Its chemical weapons attack in the U.K. This is not a responsible actor. This is not a reliable partner. And yet Turkey insists on treating it as such. And as Turkey seeks favor with Russia over the situation in Syria, the ties have grown stronger in other areas.
Turkey’s unfathomable intention to purchase the S-400 missile system is dangerous in the context of NATO and reckless in the context of its own long-term security.
Let me make two things absolutely clear. If Turkey takes the S-400 for delivery, it will be sanctioned under a U.S. law, that I was a co-author of, which penalizes significant transactions with the Russian defense sector. The law is clear and unambiguous. These sanctions could have devastating consequences for Turkey’s economy and defense sector.
Second, if Turkey takes delivery of the S-400, it will not have access to the F-35 fighter jet. That plain fact is simple and clear. There is no scenario in which an F-35 can be parked next to an S-400 system. None. And the sooner that President Erdogan comes to this realization, the better off we will all be. This view is held by the Administration and by a broad bipartisan group in the Senate and House. Rarely do we find such consensus on any issue.
As you all in this room are acutely aware, the challenges posed by Turkey extend to how it treats its closest neighbors.
We see this in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus. Turkish interference there is unacceptable. The Republic of Cyprus is well within its rights to explore for energy within its EEZ and the U.S., as well as the private sector, must be prepared to support those efforts in word and in deed.
Turkish violations of Greek airspace over the Aegean are dangerous, reckless and could result in a miscalculation that plunges the region into conflict. Again this is not acceptable behavior from a NATO ally. It is not the behavior of a responsible nation. God forbid if Turkey’s brazen actions were to result in the loss of life on Greek islands in the Aegean.
Turkey’s behavior in recent years requires that we ask some fundamental questions. Does it indeed want to be a democracy? Does it indeed want to be a member of NATO? Does it indeed see a future with the West?
I hope that Turkey will reorient itself. I hope that it will return to a democratic path. I hope that it will return to being a constructive member of NATO. I hope that its future is with the West. These are hopes that are shared by leaders across Greece and Cyprus who want a peaceful future with a constructive, democratic and secular Turkey.
But hope is not a strategy, nor can it be a policy. A strategy for the Eastern Mediterranean need not be anti-Turkey. But any realistic strategy does need to be clear-eyed. It needs to consider the best way to mitigate the challenges posed by Ankara. It needs contingencies.
Some have suggested that my legislative effort is somehow anti-Turkey. On the contrary, I believe that even absent the challenges posed by Turkey, even if we had a perfect partner in Ankara, building the security and energy architecture of the region is in our mutual interests and should be pursued. And such efforts are not unlike similar U.S. initiatives around the world.
The region has also increasingly become a platform and crossroads for Russian and Chinese influence. As we all have come to realize, China plays four-dimensional chess around the world, militarily, economically, diplomatically, and culturally.
If you need an understanding for how China’s Belt and Road Initiative will play out on the world stage, look no further than its island-building campaign in the South China Sea. This effort threatens not just regional stability, but the free flow of commerce, to freedom of navigation, to the resolution of disputes consistent with international law.
Through its Belt and Road initiative, China has used lucrative port contracts and support at bodies like the UN to grow its influence and win friendly trade terms. Globally, China’s brand of international diplomacy is best described as manipulative investment.
The U.S. may not be in a position to counter ‘dollar for dollar’ China’s state-owned enterprises or checkbook as it builds infrastructure around the world. But we also don’t need to be. That is not where our competitive advantage lies.
The U. S. must lead efforts to engage recipient Belt and Road countries and empower them to negotiate Chinese investment on better terms.
America and our allies must be present to create, shape, and set standards for the 21st century, or risk seeing the rule of law in these countries washed away in a flood of Chinese cash. It is not too late, but time is certainly running out.
Revitalizing the rules-based order and institutions built for the 21st century means dealing with the challenges posed by technology and artificial intelligence. It means being honest about how these advances can also lead to economic displacement. It means reforming our institutions in a way that delivers economic prosperity for all of our people.
Our best hope at establishing the rules of the road for the future of global commerce is to work together.
For example, the increasing prevalence of Huawei and other Chinese technologies in the ?European market is of growing concern and akin to entering into a deal where the Chinese military is your partner and your Achilles heel.
I have similar concerns about Chinese investments in infrastructure, like the Port of Piraeus here in Athens. What may seem like regular economic transactions can have serious security implications. While these ports may be commercially desirable, can they be relied upon at times of national emergency when the movement of goods or military vessels become critical?
This requires the United States, European Union and the international financial institutions to step up to the challenge, be present, and counter Beijing’s efforts to snap up infrastructure. As I understand it, Greece engaged in the Piraeus deal when in the depths of its economic crisis. Had the international community woken up to the potential implications of Chinese investments at the time, perhaps something could have been done to support Greek efforts to find alternative investors.
Likewise the United States must work with our allies to counter aggression by the Russian Federation.
Russia has made clear an intention to be more active in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Starting with its support for a war criminal in Damascus to its aggressive efforts to use energy as a weapon throughout Europe, Russia has proven to be an unreliable actor, one that long ago decided to disregard the rules-based international order.
As we saw last week, the Mueller Report clearly described the Kremlin’s assault on the U.S. democratic system. Russia’s malign influence operations could destabilize the European Parliament elections in May.
I have argued for years that the weakness of the international response to Russian assertiveness will only invite more aggression from the Kremlin.
And Russian pressure on governments across the Eastern Med is real and sustained.
It’s unacceptable, but with no real multilateral strategy to address Russia in place, we remain flat-footed while President Putin charges ahead.
This is why last month Senator Lindsey Graham and I introduced the Defending Americas Security from Kremlin Aggression Act – or DASKA – to improve our ability to meet the Russia challenge.
The bill increases sanctions pressure on Moscow for its aggression in Ukraine and its malicious influence campaigns, both by targeting the oligarchs complicit in the Kremlin’s malign actions as well as Russia’s energy and financial sectors.
I know there are differing views among our allies as to whether increasing sanctions pressure is the right approach. But as we confront serious challenges from bullies on the world stage, we have few options in our foreign policy toolbox.
Unlike Russia, which uses its military as a tool of first resort to pursue its aims abroad, we are limited to the peaceful tools of diplomacy – Persuasion. The denial of aid. The denial of trade. In the case of Russia, those tools have not worked so we resort to sanctions in order to confront this aggression.
So let’s remember the facts of the case. Recent history speaks volumes. The partnership with Maduro in Venezuela, leading to untold suffering. The illegal occupation of Crimea and the attack in the Kerch Strait. The use of chemical weapons in the United Kingdom. The assault on the 2016 United States election. Propping up of a butcher and war criminal in Damascus. The violations of international law on the high seas. And on and on and on.
I believe Moscow will continue to push until it meets genuine resistance. Our sanctions thus far have failed to change Kremlin behavior because they have not succeeded in changing the Kremlin’s calculus.
Countering Russia’s malign influence also demands more resources.
That’s why we seek to bolster the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, the NATO/EU Hybrid Center and other nongovernmental efforts in the U.S. and Europe. All of these entities must be present, especially here in the Eastern Med where the Kremlin clearly seeks a strategic foothold.
So this is how I see just some of the challenges to the region. From Turkey to China to Russia, they are real and growing. And it calls for the United States to be more present, more active and more strategic. It calls for a plan.
So what is our answer? We can’t simply complain about Turkey, China and Russia. We have to offer a positive vision for the region moving forward.
A good starting place is the legislation that I introduced last week in the Senate with Senator Marco Rubio. The Eastern Mediterranean Security and Partnership Act sends a clear message from the Senate to the region and the world. The Eastern Mediterranean is a region of central importance to our country. And it must therefore figure more prominently in how we allocate diplomatic energy, engagement and resources.
Here in the Eastern Med, I applaud the work of Secretary Pompeo, whose participation in the 3+1 in Jerusalem last month was historic. I urge him to participate in the next meeting. The engagement must be sustained and also take place at the highest levels. Putin and Xi have proven ready to meet the region’s leaders regularly – if the U.S. is serious, President Trump must do the same. We cannot expect our views to prevail if we don’t show up.
Our bill has one overriding message. The U.S. should be much more present in the Eastern Mediterranean and support our friends.
Let me start with Greece. Here, in this ancient city, the concept of democratic government was born so many hundreds of years ago. And this proud Hellenic legacy has seen this country through wars and economic hardship. And through the centuries, this city, this place, has served to inspire so many around the world to aspire to a better democratic future for themselves. This was especially true in recent years as Greek democratic institutions proved remarkably resilient in the face of devastating economic circumstances.
The recent U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue was an important step forward and I applaud the hard work of the teams on both sides. I am proud to say that under Ambassador Pyatt’s leadership, our defense relationship with Greece is the strongest it’s ever been. As a NATO member since 1952, Greece is a key contributor to the Alliance, starting with its 2% of GDP spending on defense. Greece actively participates in Afghanistan, and in the Baltic Air Policing missions. I commend its joint command at Thessaloniki’s NATO Rapid Deployment Center. Shoulder to shoulder across the world, this partnership is essential to accomplishing our common security goals.
The Greek-U.S. partnership at Souda Bay and other installations across the country truly do set a world standard for how security cooperation conducted on the basis of mutual trust, mutual values and mutual security interests, can be done right.
But we have to build on this important momentum. That starts with investment. The bill would authorize Foreign Military Financing assistance for Greece to support efforts to modernize its forces and reach its 20% commitment for new procurement. The bill would also authorize funds for military training and exchange programs between our countries.
Recent energy discoveries are having a transformational impact on the region. These finds need not be divisive – indeed they could be an important way to bind the countries of the region together. The Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum is facilitating better relations in the region. Eventually it has the opportunity to become an important political grouping well positioned to address issues beyond energy.
At this stage, all energy export options should be weighed and pursued. The Eastern Mediterranean pipeline, if commercially feasible, should continue to be considered. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline and Greece Bulgaria Interconnector Pipeline are on track to become reality.
Both are proof that political commitment to energy diversification can indeed yield results. Every effort should also be made to explore options for LNG transit capacity throughout the region. And countries like Greece and Cyprus with months of non-stop sunshine should be leaders in Europe on renewables, particularly solar.
Our legislation would authorize the establishment of a United States-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center to facilitate energy cooperation between the U.S., Israel, Greece, and Cyprus. We need to encourage the private sector to continue to engage in the region do what we can to help facilitate and support their efforts.
Greece can and should play an elevated role in foreign affairs. The opportunity is there and we should work together to advance our common interests.
Turning to Cyprus. We all aspire for the day when the island will be one, a bizonal, bicommunal federation where all communities and faiths can live together peacefully. And while the negotiators fell short at Crans Montana in 2017, friends of the Cypriot people must continue to support a peace process on the terms set by both communities. On the island. And not determined or shaped by any outside power. If left to their own devices and without undue influence from Ankara, I’ve always believed that an agreement could be reached. The people of Cyprus, on both sides of the green line, should be allowed that right to determine their own future.
Despite these challenges to the negotiation process, I am glad to see that Nicosia is charging ahead towards a new future for the Republic. It is moving forward with potentially historic efforts to explore for energy within its Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Republic of Cyprus is taking a bold stand in support of its sovereignty. A bold stand that we in the international community should and must be prepared to support.
Cyprus is enhancing its security relationship with the United States, with an important first step in the exchange of defense attaches at our embassies. We recently signed a statement of intent for cooperation across the board. The momentum in U.S.-Cypriot relations is truly changing with these developments, but now we must put meat on the bones.
We need to be prepared to meet the bold leadership of President Anastasiades and his government with a commitment commensurate with our interests. One that rebalances our posture in the region. One that corrects for past policy shortcomings.
And that is why I am leading the effort in the United States Senate to finally lift the arms embargo on Cyprus. It is overdue. It was the wrong policy under Democratic administrations, it was the wrong policy under Republican administrations and it must come to an end.
Any lifting of the arms embargo is not about weapons alone. It is an indication of political support. It is about treating an EU country with the respect it deserves. And it is an acknowledgement of the sovereign right that it has to defend itself. It is about acknowledging its ability to be interoperable with its allies and so we can maximize counter terrorism capabilities.
Cyprus has taken important steps to clean up its banking system and diminish security ties with Moscow. But much work remains as Cyprus determines where its future lies and we should be prepared to support any effort that rejects Kremlin influence on the island.
And in Israel, the U.S. finds one of its strongest allies, one with which we share an unshakeable bond that extends to security, economics and shared values. Israel’s leadership in defense, energy and counter terrorism serves as the essential anchor for these efforts moving forward.
And that is why the trilateral dialogue among Greece, Israel and Cyprus is so critically important. This is why U.S. participation by Secretary Pompeo in the Jerusalem meeting was so important. As our countries more deeply integrate on security and counter terror, the region will benefit. As the three integrate energy exploration and distribution, the region and European energy options will be better diversified away from the Russian gas station.
In conclusion my friends, we have a tremendous opportunity to change the course of events for the better. With strong support in Congress through our legislation, the relevant players in our American system are focused and engaged.
We are starting the long slow turn of the American ship of state in the Eastern Med. But we can’t rest on our laurels, we can’t expect the policy process to continue on autopilot. We must keep up the momentum and together must make clear that there is no turning back.
Tonight in Athens, I come before you as a true friend of the Hellenic people.
On a personal note, as many in this room know, my family roots hail from Cuba, an island country that has suffered for decades under the grip of unrelenting dictatorship.
I have always drawn inspiration from the Greek people who set the standard for democracy and freedom that we know today, a standard that Manuel Chrysoloras shared with so many Europeans hundreds of years ago.
Cyprus is also an island country, one that has fallen victim to repression, in the form of an external invasion. I deeply admire the resilience of the Cypriot people, so many of whom lost their homes in the north after the invasion.
It is this Hellenic resiliency, this commitment to democratic values and the rule law that is the basis of our renewed partnership. A partnership that will take a sober and clear-eyed approach to the challenges in the region and make the Eastern Mediterranean a more secure and prosperous place for generations to come.
As we collectively draw inspiration for the path forward, I would rely on the immortal words of the Hellenic philosopher Thucydides. He said, ‘The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it.’ And yet notwithstanding go out to meet it. That, my friends, is our charge. That, my friends, is our task. That, my friends, is our collective future.
Together in the face of glory and danger alike, let us have this clearest vision of a new Eastern Mediterranean architecture rooted in security and prosperity, one that can benefit all people of the region for generations to come.
Thank you for listening to my vision for the region. Thank you for your dedication to our shared values. And thank you for your commitment to our shared prosperity. Together, may we make this tremendous opportunity before us a reality.”
ΚΑΤΗΓΟΡΙΑ Ειδήσεις, Ελλάδα ΕΤΙΚΕΤΕΣ EPLO, Menendez. ΠΡΟΣΘΗΚΗ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΑΠΗΜΕΝΑ.
Συγγραφέας: darkos
Θράκη – Σοβαρή εμπλοκή του Τουρκικού Προξενείου στις αυτοδιοικητικές εκλογές
«Πολύ ουσιαστική» η συνάντηση Κατρούγκαλου – Μενέντεζ σύμφωνα με διπλωματικές πηγές
Ο υφυπουργός Εξωτερικών Αντώνης Διαματάρης για δημοσιεύματα
Με αφορμή σημερινά δημοσιεύματα ο υφυπουργός Εξωτερικών Αντώνης Διαματάρης έκανε την ακόλουθη δήλωση: «Ξεπερνά τα όρια του γελοίου σημερινό δημοσίευμα Αθηναϊκής εφημερίδας για το άτομό...
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Watching the Guatemala episode I was so shocked by how the Mayan sacrifices are happening today. Many people think Guatemala is totally evangelized, but seeing your episode showed another side of things. I am glad you could help the poor people in the trash yards and show us the hardships of people hooked on drugs. I want to watch all your episodes again and again. You are shining a light in the darkness...God bless you. — Mary
Better In Him
To truly understand your nature as a Christian, and to better know yourself, you must first realize there is two natures inside of you. One is the spirit and the other is the flesh. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please….”
The Ancient Paths
Today, in the modern church, the word tradition has almost become a dirty word. There are valid points of where tradition should not be accepted, such as non-doctrinally sound teachings and heresies that are anti-christ. But for the most part, we should embrace the true traditions of the Word of God and reject those that are not of Christ.
Problems are ever present in life. Those who can overcome them find success, but those who succumb to them find failure. The way you deal with problems will define who you are as a person. Time keeps going with or without you, so you better have a strategy to deal with problems or they will eat you up and spit you out. There are all sorts of ways of dealing with problems in life, some of which will yield good results and some that are a waste of time, but the simple fact is — The one common experience of all humanity is the challenge of problems.
Throughout the Bible we see a pattern of prophets and mighty men of God hear the voice of the Lord in solitude. There is something powerful about separating oneself from the world to hear the voice of God. Jesus practiced this more than anyone and as you read the Gospels you will see that Jesus constantly sought solitude. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” — Mark 1:35
Devil's on Horseback
[vimeo 1934087]
El Genina: In the first century AD John wrote what he saw in his Apocalypse, which is also translated Revelation. He writes, in the 6th chapter and 8th verse, "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death; and Hell followed with him." Last week in Darfur in one of the hundreds of dusty IDP camps a man in a plastic tent stated this to us, "The Devils on Horseback came and burned our village, raped our women, and killed us all." These horsemen he was speaking about are the Janjaweed, which translated means, "Devils on Horseback". Since 2003 the Janjaweed, who are apart of and supported by the Khartoum government, have carried out a campaign of terror on the people of Darfur. For the last two years all official numbers, according to the UN has stayed at 70,000 dead with 2,000,000 displaced from their homes; but in a recent statement a UN official said there were as many as 180,000 dead and even more likely the number was five times as high as the initial 70,000 figure making it over 350,000 dead (*In 2008 estimates place this figure at over 400,000 dead and counting.)
When we arrived in Darfur the Janjaweed were attacking NGO workers in the region, which forced, two days earlier, an evacuation of all Aid workers out of the region except El Genina. The situation was tense and the motivation of the Janjaweed was obvious—get rid of the aid workers, AU (African Union) and UN, and then the genocide can continue without restrictions. We use the word "genocide", but the UN official position is that the Darfur crisis is only "Crimes against humanity" and not "genocide". If they were to call it genocide they would be forced to act militarily, something neither they nor the AU is willing to due. So, in a haunting similarity Darfur is becoming like Rwanda '94. Thousands of people continue to die and we will read about it in Time and Newsweek and we will wonder, "Why didn’t anyone help?”
In the IDP camps the Darfurans told us their stories and when asked why they thought this was happening to them they replied, “Because we are black. The Arabs who are all Janjaweed said they will kill all blacks in Darfur and rape our women to get ride of the black." We then asked, "But you are Muslim and they are Muslim doesn't that make you brothers?" "No!" came the response with convicted anger, "They say because we are not Arab we are not truly Muslim."
Days later we traveled on helicopter missions with the AU to the border regions and to villages that had been a recent flash point of Janjaweed attacks. On one such mission we came face to face with a Janjaweed member. He dawned a green military uniform of North Sudan and brandished a whip in his hand. When asked about the insecurity in the area he pointed to the crowd in a harsh motion and said to the crowd of Darfurans around him, "Let anyone raise his hand if there is insecurity in this village." Out of fear everyone ducked his or her heads. There are many more things to speak about the Darfur crisis, but what is the conclusion for us who believe in Christ Jesus?
Well again in Revelation 19:11 it speaks of another horseman: "And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True: and in righteousness He judges and wages war." This horseman is Christ Jesus at His second coming. The Darfurans have been slaughtered by an evil upon a horse, and may they now know that they have a vindicator that will come upon a horse; one that is Faithful and True and who will fight the enemy—the Devil.
But how will they know about the one who is called Faithful and True without a preacher? Blessed are the feet of him who brings the Good News. May you read this and realize the Lord has use of you to speak to all mankind, especially those who have never heard the message of he who is named Faithful and True. Amen.
Tagged: African Union, Darfur, genocide, NGO, Revelation, sudan, united nations
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Wednesday, May 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India
S P O T L I G H T
Army holds exercises
Jaipur, April 30
The Indian Army is conducting exercises in the Rajasthan sector along the international border as part of its training programme under “Operation Parakram”, launched in the wake of the December 13 attack on Parliament. UNI
V. K. Nambiar
New Delhi, April 30
Mr V. K. Nambiar, who was called back by India as its High Commissioner to Pakistan after the December 13 terrorist attack on Parliament, was today appointed as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. TNS
Bill defeated
Mumbai, April 30
The Maharashtra Government today suffered a technical defeat when a Bill to disqualify candidates contesting the municipal elections for three years, on failure to file returns of election expenses was defeated in the legislative council today. UNI
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Two Buck Chuck?
Not anymore!
Now it's 2 1/2 Buck Chuck!
Yep, that's right, it went from $1.99 a bottle to $2.49 a bottle here in California!
But hey! For a cheap wine that's still pretty cheap!
OK, so here’s the story about how Charles Shaw wine (Two and a half Buck Chuck) came about.
The Two Buck Chuck Story: It all started back in 1893 when Giuseppe and Teresa Franzia emigrated from Genoa Italy to the United States. They bought 80 acres of land in the Central Valley of California in 1912 and had five sons and three daughters. In 1915 they opened the family winery. Teresa made wine on a modest scale until Prohibition in 1917. They lived about a half an hour’s drive south of Lodi, where the Mondavi family first lived.
One of their grandsons is Fred Franzia. One of their three daughters, Amelia, married Ernest Gallo, (Fred’s Uncle). One of their sons, Joseph, is Fred’s father.
Joseph Franzia and Robert Mondavi grew up together, sneaking out to the vineyards to smoke grape leaves, which in those times was a punishable offense.
After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the couple’s five sons established the Franzia Brothers Winery near the town of Ripon and produced 100,000 gallons of table wine that year.
Michael Mondavi, son of legendary Robert Mondavi, has known Fred since their days at Bellermine College Preparatory in San Jose, the Jesuit high school long favored by families of prominent Central Valley wine growers. They played on the football team together. Fred once booted a 42-yard field goal in a game at Kezar Stadium. Like Mondavi, Fred went on to Santa Clara University, where he graduated in 1965 with a triple major in finance, marketing, and accounting.
“No one who knew him ever doubted that Fred would do well in the wine business,” says vintner Don Sebastiani, the son of another wine legend, August Sebastiani. Don recalls the many times his father dragged “Freddy” home to lunch when Fred was in his 20s, and marveled “at how someone that young could go toe-to-toe with him discussing almost any facet of the wine business.” Boy, if he only knew about Two Buck Chuck back then!
Unlike those of Gallo, Mondavi, and Sebastian (names that became synonymous with California wine) the Franzia legacy suffered a painful breach, one that friends say profoundly influenced Fred Franzia’s relentless drive to become perhaps the single most influential player in the California wine industry (Two Buck Chuck).
Turning a deaf-ear to other family members, three of his uncles sold their shares of the Franzia winery to investment bankers in 1971 in a deal that netted them a mere $1 million a piece. I bet they wouldn't have sold out if they knew Two Buck Chuck was in their future! In 1973, after taking the company public, the new majority owners - over objections from the two remaining brothers, including Fred’s father, Joe - sold the winery to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York for just under $50 million. As part of the arrangement, the Franzia’s were barred from using their name in new wine making ventures.
The Coca-Cola Bottling Company didn’t last long in the wine business. In 1981, Coke of New York sold the Franzia operation and its other wine interests to The Wine Group, a privately held producer of bulk wines based in San Francisco. Now, this company produces bargain-basement bag in a box wines called Franzia that you see in the stores today. They don't compare to Two Buck Chuck in my opinion. Printed on the boxes are the story of Giuseppe and Teresa above the signature of Carlyse Franzia, Fred’s cousin and the offspring of one of the brothers who sold out in 1971. She is married to Arthur Ciocca, The Wine Group’s publicity-averse principal owner.
So you see the box wine Franzia doesn’t really have anything to do with Fred Franzia today. After the sale of Franzia Brothers Winery in 1973, Fred joined with brother Joseph F. and cousin John Franzia Jr. and started Bronco Wine Company, short for “brothers and cousins”, in Ceres, California.
So you say, where does Two Buck Chuck
fit into all this? Well… Let’s move on.
Bronco owns over 35,000 acres of vineyards, most of which is located in the Central Valley of California. They have production facilities and storage in Madera, Escalon, Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley and Ceres and have the capacity to produce 61 million gallons of wine annually. Total annual sales are approximately 20 million cases. Whoa! That’s a lot of wine!
The Bronco Wine Company maintains over 50 brands of wine, including, that’s right, you guessed it, Charles Shaw, Two Buck Chuck is one of them! They are the forth largest wine producer in California.
In 2002, Bronco’s Charles Shaw label, created for the Trader Joe’s chain, made history, and a name for itself, as the first “super-value” wine, affectionately dubbed “Two Buck Chuck.” $1.99 a bottle. It’s a dollar more East of the Rockies. They are sold exclusively through Trader Joe’s specialty markets.
The relationship of these two companies, Bronco Wines and Trader Joe’s seems to be a natural one. TJ’s as it’s known by its regulars, has purchased and sold great quantities of wine with its own label as well as a large selection of other brands.
Bronco has added to this process by providing its wines at a low cost. The cost of the wine to Joe’s is even less because Bronco acts as its own distributor. They both get what they want. Bronco moves tons of wine through the remarkable marketing of Trader Joe’s and Trader Joe’s gets exclusive brands with almost an endless supply and at a very low cost.
Following the remarkable success of Two Buck Chuck, Bronco Wine Company has introduced “Down Under” by Crane Lake, a Chardonnay imported from Australia. The price of the new addition is $2.99 in the western U.S.
Fred Franzia
The Bronco partners, Fred, Joseph and John Franzia have produced a family empire that should continue for generations. Even now, 9 of their 13 adult children are in the business.
Go Back to California Wine from Two Buck Chuck
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Student Travel: How to Find a Job in Italy
Trip Planning Budget Travel
By Kathleen Crislip
Peter Zelei Images/Moment/Getty Images
Working in Italy sounds like the ultimate dream, especially for American college students traveling abroad for a semester. With gorgeous landscapes, incredible food, and friendly people, why wouldn't you want to move to Italy to work?
Unfortunately, picking up a student job in Italy isn't as simple as it sounds. If you're an American citizen, you'll struggle to obtain a work visa, and if you're a student, it'll be even trickier.
Like many countries around the world, to gain a work visa for Italy, you'll have to be sponsored by an Italian company. To gain sponsorship from a company, they'll need to prove to immigration that you can perform a job for them that no Italians can. As a student with very little work experience, this is going to be tough to prove.
One alternative for American students, though, is to arrive in Italy on a student visa. Once you've arrived in the country, you can then attempt to convert your student visa into a work visa. Since it's not possible to convert a tourist visa into a work visa, entering on a student visa is your best bet.
How to Find a Job
Once you've established your legal right to work in Italy—or perhaps as part of your application process for a work visa—you'll need to find an employer who can vouch for you while you're in the country. However, finding a job in Italy can be quite challenging, regardless of your citizenship.
Italians are all about family and tight friendships, so many businesses don't tend to hire people they don't know. As a result, you may have better luck as a student searching for work in Italy by getting to know some locals during your first few weeks in the country before applying to jobs around the city where you're staying.
Although some of these jobs your new local friends will tell you about may pay in products (like picking olives for jars of olives), you should be able to find some paid gigs to get you started if you meet the right people. Additionally, you should check the information board in your hostel as they often advertise short-term jobs available for travelers.
Finally, you should be prepared for "interviews" with prospective employers by reading guidebooks about Italian culture, brushing up on your Italian speaking, and researching what to expect in an Italian job interview online. If you want a higher-paying job, you may struggle to find one if you only speak English or don't understand the cultural norms and expectations of the professional Italian world.
Resources and Work Permit Applications
While there are plenty of online resources for applying to job across the country, it's typically a good idea to check city-specific job websites first.
If you're in Rome, for instance, you'll want to browse the classified ads for the city to find non-skilled job postings for secretarial, nanny, and hospitality positions. There are even some job posting websites specifically made for cities like the popular Jobs in Milan website, which lists what's available in the city as well as what to expect for your salary in these positions.
Since Italian work permits are notoriously complex unless you have a company sponsoring you, you may want to look into declaring yourself as self-employed in order to work in Italy while you scope out the work scene and try to find an employer to sponsor you. Working as a translator, a farm worker, or work exchange employee may also be a great way to gain a work permit for the country.
Opportunities for Employment No Matter Where You Go
There are many ways you can make money abroad, no matter where you're traveling, but the top three international employment programs in which Italy also participates are the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF), and WorkAway programs.
If you're looking to make money while you travel and don't have the foundations to work online, taking a TEFL course before you go can help you land a solid gig while in Italy. Once you have this qualification, you'll be able to teach English around the world, which is an excellent way of funding your travels.
On the other hand, if you enjoy working outside and want to immerse yourself in the rural culture of Italy but don't mind working in exchange for room and board, you can join the WWOOF program. Many farms and even some farm-to-table restaurants will hire WWOOFers throughout the summer months in exchange for a place to stay and food to eat.
Finally, WorkAway is all about a cultural exchange, much like WWOOFing except that you won't be focusing on farms alone. You could be helping to build houses for communities in need, you could take care of injured animals, or you could even help renovate an old farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside. You won't be compensated for your time, but you will receive free accommodation and food, so this gives you a chance to hang out with Italian locals, while not having to spend a penny.
This article has been edited and updated by Lauren Juliff.
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Uncovering African American History
African American Heritage • News
The African American Historic Sites Database was developed in partnership with the Cleveland Historic Society using Omeka and Curratescape.
By Trey Mitchell
One of VFH’s first digital projects has been reinvented as a modern, mobile friendly, archive of African American history.
In 2002, VFH’s African American Program partnered with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to create a Heritage Trail highlighting 101 historically significant African American sites in Virginia. While conducting the research for the Heritage Trail brochure, VFH compiled a database of hundreds of sites all around the Commonwealth. In what was one of our first digital initiatives, VFH made this database available to the public online.
Over the years that database grew, changed, and was reimagined several times. VFH’s current director of African American Programs — Leondra Burchall — has reimagined it again.
The African American Historic Sites Database is an interactive guide to hundreds of sites across Virginia. The website works equally well on a desktop computer or smart phone, and there are even apps available for iPhone and Android devices. Install the app and you’ve got instant access to a treasure trove of Virginia’s African American history in your pocket wherever you go.
Site of the Foster home and cemetery. Image courtesy University of Virginia.
Using the app I discovered a site – The Kitty Foster Homestead and Cemetery – near the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities office that I was unfamiliar with. Here’s an excerpt of what I found in the database.
Catherine “Kitty” Foster’s home was located across from the University of Virginia in a community of free blacks called Canada. The community existed from the early 19th century until the 1920s, when the increasingly valuable land [including a community cemetery] was purchased by white speculators. The graves were eventually covered over and forgotten until their rediscovery in 1993 during the construction of a new parking lot.
Kitty’s home and the cemetery have been lost but the site is marked with an outdoor metal sculpture called “Shadow Catcher” and with a point on the map in our African American Historic Sites Database.
The database contains more than 300 such sites. Some have been lost to history and others are thriving communities, museums, or historic homes that you can visit.
This summer a group of teachers, librarians, and social studies supervisors will be visiting many of these sites and using the database in an initiative we’re calling “Think Historically, Act Locally” (THAL). THAL seeks to renew interest in local and state history by encouraging educatorsto use nearby history in their classrooms and museums.
But you don’t have to participate in THAL to uncover stories like the Kitty Foster Homestead in your own part of the Commonwealth. Visit AAHistoricSitesVA.org or download the iPhone or Android app for your phone to discover surprising pieces of African American history all around you.
Explore the Virginia African American Historic Sites Database
Learn more about African American Programs at VFH
Learn more about Think Historically, Act Locally
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James Zubok
Principal | Vista Equity Partners | Austin
James Zubok joined Vista Equity Partners in 2016. He is a Principal at Vista Equity Partners and Senior Advisor to the Flagship Fund. Mr. Zubok currently sits on the boards of ComplySci and Gather.
Prior to joining Vista in 2016, Mr. Zubok ran day-to-day operations of a number of a Vista portfolio companies (SER Solutions and subsequently, Brainware) for 10 years in roles that ranged from General Counsel to Chief Financial Officer to President. Mr. Zubok has also owned other software companies, including Mi9 Retail, which he operated independently of Vista for five years in roles ranging from Senior Vice President to Chief Executive Officer. While focusing on running the day-to-day operations (together with related matters) of these software companies, Mr. Zubok also managed a dozen buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions transactions, which include acquiring a platform company, recapitalization transactions, multiple add-on acquisitions structured as stock and asset purchases, founding and operating his own private equity investment structure, managing relationships with limited partners, and completing exits of multiple Vista portfolio companies.
B.M.E. in Mechanical Engineering, The Cooper Union
J.D., St. John’s University School of Law
Ann Braziel
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Cambodian American Hip Hop Artist Sings of Personal Struggles
LONG BEACH, CA —
A growing underground movement of Cambodian American hip hop artists is rapping about the struggles of living in urban America. Most, if not all of them, are refugees or children of refugees who came to the United States from Cambodia to escape the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s. Through their music, the artists hope to give voice to immigrants who have been struggling quietly for years.
At 36 years old, Chanthy Sok, known to his fans as “CS,” has experienced more than most people in a lifetime. The hip hop artist tells his story of pain and redemption through his music.
“My struggle was coming from a war-torn country, raised by a single mother who's probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, raising six kids living in somebody else’s living room. That struggle was real," he explains.
From Cambodia to California
CS's mother brought the family to Long Beach, California, where he experienced poverty, bullying and prejudice.
"It was basically the simple rules: go to school, stay away from trouble, if somebody hurt you look the other way, and get home," he says. "Those are the rules. But when you leave the household, it’s a different story. Those rules don’t apply. You can’t run from the bullies forever. You can’t run from racial slurs forever."
Without support from home or his mother, CS joined a gang, was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
"Ain't nobody love me at home so I felt like I’m going to go out whatever pain inflicted on me was going to be easy for me to inflict on other people, because my mama... that’s my life," he said tearfully, "though but I’m just glad that I got out of prison not the criminal not the tainted background not the tainted individual."
While in prison, CS says he had time to think and finally understood his mother’s struggles. He also found a way to give voice to his pain through rap music. More than a year after he was released, CS continued to work on his music, and ended up on the cover of an arts and entertainment newspaper in Los Angeles.
CS is one of a growing number of Cambodian Americans using hip hop to express themselves because it is the music of the urban communities where they grew up.
“We’re not saying we’re the best representation for Cambodians. We’re not. I think that I’m the best representation for the people who went through the struggle like me for the people who didn’t have a voice like me," CS says.
“A lot of these artists do their music as if it’s a sense of duty, as if this is their way to pay respect to the survivors to the victims of the genocide," says Seak Smith, who produced Cambodian Music Festival in Los Angeles this month, bringing together artists from around the United States.
"This is their piece of the voice that they can project to the world," she notes.
Mixed support
Smith says, as with any music of the younger generation, hip hop is not embraced by everyone in the community.
"There are older generation Cambodians here in the U.S. as well as in Cambodia who really don’t like the representation of Cambodian hip hop, feeling like it brings some kind of negative vibe to the culture and losing its tradition," she says.
In his songs, beyond talking about his own struggles, CS is working on infusing traditional Cambodian music into his work. According to Smith, many artists not only want to get in touch with their roots but are trying to connect with musicians in the Cambodian Diaspora locally and around the world so the artists can have a voice again after surviving the horrors of genocide.
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Politics and News
The Democrat Party
Page 19 of 23 First ... 91718192021 ... Last
Thread: The Democrat Party
A WATCHMAN
ARIZONA-a short distance from the sun
Dismantling the NEW WORLD ORDER piece by piece one day at a time.
~ Encourage one another with these words also...THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER GENERATION ~
https://www.christianevidence.net/20...h-time-is.html
Obama Appointees in the Communist Orbit
"Obama choose Communists and Marxists for the highest, most powerful positions in our land, including his closest political advisors, and his head of the CIA".
https://www.americanthinker.com/arti...ist_orbit.html
opsspec1991
Cobbs Creek, VA
And if we're lucky, AG Barr will weed out everyone behind these attacks on President Trump and hold them accountable.
The only easy day was yesterday
Dedicated to my brother in law who died
doing what he loved being a Navy SEAL
How many counts will the Obama & Hillary treason indictment finally contain?
Obama & Hillary MUST be prosecuted at least for the purpose to establish a punishment precedent to deter future criminal, treasonous activity in the highest office in the land.
Judge Makes Derogatory Comments About Trump, Gets 6 Month Suspension
A longtime Utah judge has been suspended without pay for six months after making critical comments online and in court about President Donald Trump, including a post bashing his “inability to govern and political incompetence.”
Judge Michael Kwan’s posts on Facebook and LinkedIn in 2016-2017 violated the judicial code of conduct and diminished “the reputation of our entire judiciary,” wrote Utah State Supreme Court Justice John A. Pearce in an opinion posted Wednesday.
Kwan’s Facebook account was private but could have been shared by friends, Pearce wrote.
“Judge Kwan’s behavior denigrates his reputation as an impartial, independent, dignified, and courteous jurist who takes no advantage of the office in which he serves,” Pearce said.
Kwan has been a justice court judge in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville since 1998. He deals with misdemeanor cases, violations of ordinances and small claims.
He was first appointed by elected city officials to a six-year term and was retained in the position by voters. Kwan argued the suspension was inappropriate and an unlawful attempt to regulate his constitutionally protected speech, Pearce wrote in the opinion.
Kwan’s attorney, Greg Skordas, said the judge is disappointed with the severity of the suspension but accepted that he would get some reprimand. Like many people after the 2016 election, Kwan felt strongly about the results and said some things “in haste,” Skordas said. He knows judges are held to a higher standard and must be careful, the lawyer said.
“He certainly regrets making those statements and is committed to not doing anything like that again,” Skordas said.
Read More: https://webnewspoint.com/judge-makes...8A69fC7yzjT4mI
Good. Get rid of him; make it on a permanent basis.
This isn’t the first time; he’s opened his biased liberal pie hole.
OBAMA SPIED ON MEMBERS OF CONGRESS!
There is now proof that Barack Obama not only spied on President Trump, but he also spied on members of Congress who had contact with Israel, particularly Netanyahu.
It appears now that the massive unmasking carried out by Samantha Power was focused on Israel, whom Obama hated with a passion. He even sent $350,000 to Israel to be used in trying to defeat Netanyahu. On Thursday Sara Carter told Sean Hannity’s audience that there was about to be a big break in the unmasking story, involving Power.
This could very well be the case. Will Democrats get angry if they find out Obama spied on them? Probably but won’t admit it.
From The Gateway Pundit
In December 2015 a report surfaced that Barack Obama intercepted communications between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US lawmakers. The Obama White House targeted Netanyahu because he opposed their insane nuclear deal with the Iranian regime.
Obama later ordered Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Ambassador Samantha Power to snub Netanyahu at the UN.
The Obama administration spent $350,000 trying to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office.
In May 2011 Barack Obama urged Israel to hand over half of Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall, The Temple Mount, Old Jerusalem, and the tomb of Jesus Christ to the Hamas-Fatah organizations.
Then in December 2016, Israel accused Obama of colluding with Palestinians in a ”shameful move against Israel at the U.N.”
In a final despicable act against Christians and Jews, on Christmas weekend, Barack Obama effectively signed over Christendom’s and Judaism’s holiest sites to radical Muslim groups.
Barack Obama refused to veto a Security Council resolution condemning settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. This UN resolution effectively turned over the Old City to Palestinian groups. The Palestinians are led by Hamas terrorists in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank. Obama thought this was a good move.
The United Nation Security Council passed the vote 14 to 0 with the US government under Obama abstaining from the vote.
Read More: https://steadfastandloyal.com/politi...ch%20of%202016
Obama even sent $350,000 to Israel to be used in trying to defeat Netanyahu. And the Democrats have the balls to attack Trump, when there's solid proof of what Obama did.
Trump Scores Legal Victory Against House Over Bank Records
resident Donald Trump’s attorneys have come to an agreement with the House Intelligence and Financial Services Committee. The agreement has the Democrat controlled committee agreeing to not enforce the subpoenas to get the president’s financial records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One for now, CNN reported.
“The parties have reached an agreement regarding compliance with and enforcement of the subpoenas during the pendency of Plaintiff’s appeal,” the document that was submitted to the court read.
Earlier this week, Judge Edgardo Ramos in New York had refused to block the subpoenas, setting off a one-week clock for the Trump team to find a way to prevent extensive financial information from being released. The agreement blocks the subpoenas for now until an appeals court can weigh in.
A federal judge in New York dealt Democrats a blow in a case in which they want to access President Donald Trump’s financial records.
“If this was an ordinary civil case, I would send you guys into a room … until you came out with a reasonable subpoena,” Judge Edgardo Ramos said.
The Southern District of New York judge gave Trump a minor victory when he told the Democrats that their subpoena was too broad but he still sided with the Democrats, Law & Crime reported.
U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York Edgardo Ramos on Wednesday ruled that President Donald Trump can’t block the congressional subpoena issued to Deutsche Bank, agreeing with his D.C. colleague’s rationale in the Mazars USA case. Trump, of course, sued both Mazars USA (his accountant) and Deutsche Bank after House Democrats demanded that these entities hand over documents related to Trump’s finances…
Douglas Letter, general counsel for the House of Representatives, argued that it’s about time the American people find out of its president or the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are beholden to foreign interests and entities.
Notably, Deutsche Bank reps were offered an opportunity to comment, but they opted to sit on the sidelines.
Attorney Richard Roth, founder at partner at the Roth Law Firm, PLLC, previously told Law&Crime why he thinks Deutsche Bank is taking this path.
“While typically a bank does stand behind its customer, there are two reasons why Deutsche Bank is staying silent. The first, and less obvious, is that when a motion is made to quash (or deny) the subpoena, banks generally sit back to allow the parties to fight and await the result,” he said.
“But in this instance, the issues are more serious. Essentially, we have a very public dispute between the legislative and executive branches of government, which no bank wants to takes side in,” he said.
Read More: https://conservativefighters.org/new...-bank-records/
GREAT, we all knew it was a fishing expedition from the start, by the way, these items took place prior to Trump becoming President.
Federal judge who blocked Trump's border wall donated $20K to Obama
A federal judge who partially blocked President Trump’s plans to build a border wall along the United States-Mexico border previously donated almost $30,000 to former President Obama, other Democrats, and a political action committee.
U.S. District Court Judge Haywood Gilliam, an Obama appointee confirmed in 2014, donated $6,900 to Barack Obama’s debut campaign for president and $14,500 to his reelection campaign, according to federal election records. The same records also indicate he contributed $4,500 to the Democratic National Committee in 2012 and, between 2012 and 2015, sent $3,100 to the Covington Burling LLP PAC, which supports candidates from both parties. His contributions totaled $28,000.
Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...RQbTglAza1hGxw
And Chief Justice Roberts says there's no such thing as a liberal judge or conservative judge. I say BS!
Leaked John Kerry audio: White House wanted ISIS to rise in Syria
On Wednesday, Wikileaks released new evidence of US President-elect Donald Trump’s assertion that Barack Obama was the founder of ISIS – a leaked audio of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s meeting with members of the Syrian opposition at the Dutch Mission of the UN on September 22. The audio also is an evidence of the fact that mainstream media colluded with the Obama’s administration in order to push the narrative for regime change in Syria, hiding the truth about arming and funding ISIS by the US, as it exposed a 35 minute conversation that was omitted by CNN.
Kerry admits that the primary goal of the Obama’s administration in Syria was regime change and the removal of Syrian President Bahar al-Assad, as well as that Washington didn’t calculate that Assad would turn to Russia for help.
In order to achieve this goal, the White House allowed the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group to rise. The Obama’s administration hoped that growing power of the IS in Syria would force Assad to search for a diplomatic solution on US terms, forcing him to cede power. In its turn, in order to achieve these two goals, Washington intentionally armed members of the terrorist group and even attacked a Syrian government military convoy, trying to stop a strategic attack on the IS, killing 80 Syrian soldiers.
Read More & listen to audio: https://off-guardian.org/2017/01/06/...bfhWQaa56Pl0fg
Wouldn’t trust Kerry as far as I could throw him. Why isn’t he being charged under the Logan Act? Hope they took his security clearance away from him.
Surely Kerry is on the AG Barr’s list to be prosecuted...
DEMOCRATS PREVENT ILLEGALS FROM BEING DEPORTED FOR COMMITTING GUN CRIMES
The same party that wants to confiscate guns from law-abiding Americans and send them to prison feels very different when it comes to illegal aliens. Not only don’t they want them to get deported, but they also want to give them amnesty if they are Dreamers.
The Republicans offered an amendment that would require deportation, but the Democrats blocked that amendment. But they probably would have approved of deporting Americans for the same offense. The Democrats have served notice that they are officially the party of illegal aliens, but Americans be damned. It makes sense though because the illegals will do things Americans won’t, like voting for Democrats.
From Breitbart News
House Democrats voted down an amendment Wednesday to prevent gun offenders from getting amnesty status under the DREAM Act.
The amendment was put forward by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
Gaetz tweeted, “Democrats voted down my amendment to prevent gun offenders from receiving amnesty status under the DREAM Act.” He noted the irony, “Democrats vote to give green cards to illegal immigrants who commit gun crimes, while they try to restrict American citizens’ right to bear arms.”
This refusal to block gun offenders from amnesty status is in line with other security measures the Democrats have rejected since taken control of the House. On February 18, 2019, Breitbart News reported rejected a Republican proposal to alert U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if an illegal alien is discovered via a background check for a firearm.
Ironically, they rejected the proposal to alert ICE during their push to criminalize private gun sales for Americans via universal background checks.
Read More: https://steadfastandloyal.com/politi...20the%20Border
It appears that the Democrats favor the illegals more that the US citizens.
Obama administration was corrupt, more and more evidence reveals daily.
His loyalties were to his power and authority
There was so much hope in January 2009 when Barack Obama took office. Here was the first black president of the United States, promising to be a leader for all Americans, to halt the rise of the oceans and to be the most transparent administration ever. Even black Americans were saying the Civil War was finally over.
Unfortunately for America, it didn’t turn out that way. As more and more evidence is revealed daily on the evening news, it is now very clear the Obama administration was the most corrupt presidency in the history of the republic.
As Mr. Obama’s favorite, President Abraham Lincoln, warned us, the most dangerous threats can come from domestic enemies.
First of all, that bit about being a leader for all Americans, color-blind if you will, was a tall tale. Mr. Obama never missed an opportunity to sow racial divide. During his term in the Oval Office, racial relations literally went off the cliff. Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle promoted the false narrative that white America was literally guilty of hunting down blacks with glee. They whipped up resentment in minority communities against the police, even though a Harvard study found that blacks are no more likely to be killed by police than whites.
But the racial divisions, as painful and heartbreaking as they are, were not the worst of it.
The abuse of power started to become clear when it was revealed the Internal Revenue Service was biased against conservatives. I still don’t understand why that woman is not in jail. She sat there and lied to the American people and to Congress with no accountability.
Mr. Obama used the agencies, and the awesome power of the federal government, against his political enemies. He used the power of the state against those he didn’t like. This was full-on banana republic dictator kind of stuff.
The negligence at Veterans’ Affairs, the “stimulus bill” that was simply a redistribution to unions (those “shovel ready projects” weren’t so shovel ready after all), the sale of uranium to the Russians, the lies about Benghazi, the Clinton email scandal that was not prosecuted, the appeasement of the Iranians — even sending billions in cash in the middle of the night and bragging about how they lied to the American press and public, the use of financial penalties to fund leftist causes, the use of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to take property from Americans, on, and on, and on. I literally could go on forever.
However, the coup-de-grace is what we are now learning about the 2016 election and the criminal spying on the Trump campaign.
The president of the United States was set up. Mr. Trump is exactly right. The weaponization of our intelligence and security services has damaged their reputation for generations, and the rule of law, to which this great nation is so committed, has been irreparably damaged as well.
I’ve said it before, the Obama administration was nothing more than highly organized crime.
Justice will be served. It may take a while, but the truth will continue to come out.
It’s a shame the administration of the first black president was also the most corrupt. Such a lost opportunity to better this great country.
It’s not that hard to understand. Still, it’s difficult to accept.
It shouldn’t happen here.
Read More: https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2...99ri_cW_acUcqs
This just proves that the MSM, CNN & MSNBC didn’t do their jobs during the eight years Obama was President.
cartels, criminal, democrat, party, u.s
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Gender wars: Women were driving the midterms for Democrats. Can a backlash boost the GOP?
Women as voters and candidates were driving the midterms for Democrats. Can a backlash after the Kavanaugh battle boost the GOP?
Gender wars: Women were driving the midterms for Democrats. Can a backlash boost the GOP? Women as voters and candidates were driving the midterms for Democrats. Can a backlash after the Kavanaugh battle boost the GOP? Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/12/midterms-gender-war-women-democrats-kavanaugh-voters-energized/1587840002/
Susan Page, USA TODAY Published 5:00 a.m. ET Oct. 12, 2018 | Updated 5:18 p.m. ET Oct. 14, 2018
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that Republicans have a longstanding gender gap when it comes to women voters, but he told the AP “nobody’s going to beat” Sen. Lisa Murkowski despite her opposition to Brett Kavanaugh. (Oct. 10) AP
Mary Schartman chants during the #Cancel Kavanaugh Take #MeToo into the Streets protest in Cincinnati. (Photo: ALBERT CESARE, Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY Network)
WASHINGTON – Women who have been driving the midterm elections as energized voters and first-time candidates already had fueled a record-breaking gender gap that was boosting Democrats.
Now the battle over Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court has provoked a backlash among those who argue the #MeToo movement has gone too far, a reaction that is increasing the odds Republicans can hold control of the Senate.
Call it the gender wars, a midterm battle that could be a dry run for the presidential election in 2020 and fundamentally reshape the nation's political parties.
The irony is this: It was the defeat of the first woman nominated for the presidency by a major party that helped spur a new era of political engagement by millions of women. Since Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016 to Donald Trump, his disruptive leadership and hard-line policies on immigration and other issues have forged bonds with core supporters but also opened a breach with many women, including some GOP-leaning and independent women who in the past have voted for Republicans.
The result has been a midterm election defined by women. "Women candidates, women voters and women issues are all together at the forefront, and that's been true the whole cycle," Democratic pollster Margie Omero said.
A disparity between the way women and men view issues and how they vote isn't new, but the divide has never been so yawning. Like so many things in American politics these days, it's being propelled in large part by President Trump.
2018 Election Quiz
The aftermath of Kavanaugh's dramatic nomination hearings and narrow confirmation has spotlighted the gender divide that has inflamed some voters since Trump claimed the Republican presidential nomination two years ago. One side saw a credible woman whose account of sexual assault against a powerful man was not believed and not taken seriously. The other side saw an accomplished man whose reputation was being smeared by an accuser who couldn't provide proof of her allegations or remember the details.
Trump decried "the Democrats' shameless campaign of political and personal destruction" at a campaign rally in Topeka, Kansas, hours after Kavanaugh was confirmed. He mocked Christine Blasey Ford's account of an attempted rape and complained that he himself had been the victim of unfair accusations of sexual misconduct. "This is a very scary time for young men in America," he told reporters.
At a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Trump ridiculed the #MeToo movement, saying "under the rules of MeToo, I'm not allowed" to use a certain expression. "See, in the old days, it was a little different," he said to laughter.
'The Kavanaugh effect'
That message seems to be resonating, energizing Republican voters who had been less enthused about the midterms than Democrats. GOP candidates in several too-close-to-call Senate races have seen their standing rise over the past week or so.
"The Kavanaugh effect ... is changing their U.S. Senate picture," GOP pollster Bill McInturff said. In Arizona, Republican Martha McSally led Democrat Kyrsten Sinema by 6 percentage points in a new statewide poll this week. In Tennessee, Republican Marsha Blackburn led Democrat Phil Bredesen by 8 points. In Nevada, Republican Dean Heller edged up to a 2-point lead over Democrat Jacky Rosen.
Elections 2018 Outlook: Senate Races
And in North Dakota, analysts in both parties say Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp hurt her chances of winning a second term when she voted against confirming Kavanaugh. Trump carried the state in 2016 by one of his widest margins anywhere, 36 percentage points. Republican challenger Kevin Cramer, who already had opened a 10- or 12-point lead in the race, has embraced Trump and declared his support for Kavanaugh.
"The political rhetoric is 'You can't vote that way if you expect to come back,' " Heitkamp said a few days later as she campaigned in Wyndmere, North Dakota, acknowledging the likely effect of her decision. "And I tell people, Ray and Doreen Heitkamp didn't raise me to vote a certain way so that I could win. They raised me to vote the right way."
While key Senate races are mostly in conservative red states that Trump swept in 2016, many of the swing House races are in suburban districts where voters tend to be more moderate.
A Washington Post poll of 69 battleground House districts Sept. 19 to Oct. 5 – as Kavanaugh's nomination was being debated – found women's support crucial in giving Democrats a narrow 50 percent-46 percent edge over Republicans in the contests that are likely to determine which party elects the next speaker of the House. Women supported Democratic candidates by 14 points, 54 percent to 40 percent. Men supported Republican candidates by 5 points, 51 percent to 46 percent.
In these districts, the "Kavanaugh effect" may be galvanizing voters who felt it was his accuser who wasn't given a fair hearing.
Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh walk through the Hart Senate Office Building as the Senate Judiciary Committee hears from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 27, 2018. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
"It was just another, additional piece of evidence for Democratic voters and particularly Democratic women that ... women are not valued as much as men, and they aren't to be believed, and they don't matter," said Shana Kushner Gadarian, a political scientist at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. "Since 2016, there's been a big push against that. That's one reason women say they're running: We need more women's voices. The Kavanaugh hearings were an additional piece of evidence that there needs to be more women's voices in politics."
As Election Day approaches:
The gender gap has become a chasm. In a CNN poll released Tuesday, women by 30 percentage points, 63 percent to 33 percent, said they more likely to vote for the Democratic congressional candidate in their district rather than the Republican. Men by five percentage points, 50 percent to 45 percent, said they were likely to vote for the Republican.
An unprecedented number of women are running for office, most of them as Democrats. The Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics calculates that 235 women already have been nominated for the House; the previous record was 167. Twenty-two to date for the Senate; the record was 18. Sixteen for governor; the record was 10.
Gender issues, including allegations of sexual assault by powerful men, have been more central than in any election in a generation. That has been the case since the the "Access Hollywood" audio tape surfaced in October 2016 of Trump bragging about grabbing and kissing women without their consent. The past year has seen the explosion of the #MeToo movement, exposing sexual harassment by powerful men in business, government, the entertainment world and the news media.
A fundamental shift
The day after Trump's inauguration, the massive Women's March signaled the strength of the resistance to his presidency. Now the coalition of groups that helped organize the Women's Marches is holding a series of them leading up to the midterms, beginning in Chicago and Massachusetts on Saturday. Later this month, "Marches on the Polls" are scheduled in Seattle; Atlanta; Houston; Little Rock, Arkansas; North Carolina; South Carolina; and Washington, D.C.
The series concludes with marches planned for New York City and on college campuses on Election Day.
Protesters rally at Women's March on Washington
Thousands of attendees fill the streets during the Women's March on Washington in Washington, DC on Jan. 21, 2017, one day after the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY
Protestors chat anti-Trump slogans during the Women's March on Washington in Washington, DC on Jan. 21, 2017, one day after the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Dressed in the iconic American wartime propaganda poster produced by J. Howard Miller, Kelly McMillan of Durham, NC marches by the Capital Building carrying the American flag. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
Thousands march on Washington for the Women's March. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY
Protestors chant as they walk during the Women's March on Washington. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, speaks onstage during the Women's March. Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Michael Moore speaks onstage during the Women's March on Washington. Theo Wargo, Getty Images
A non-stop flow of people roll into the Capital as they gather for the Women's March on Washington. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
Thousands of people pack the L'Enfant Plaza metro station while on their way to the Women's March on Washington. Jarrad Henderson, USA TODAY
People carry signs as they gather for the Women's March on Washington. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
Madonna performs onstage during the Women's March on Washington. Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Washington's streets are filled with participants for the Women's March on Washington. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
Yvonne Cash, 57, of Detroit, left, Delshawanna Hudgens, 40 of Inkster and Tony Braggs, 49 of Detroit representing UAW Region 1A during the Women's March on Washington. Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press
Janelle Monae speaks onstage during the rally at the Women's March on Washington. Kevin Mazur, WireImage
Thousands march along 6th Street as a larger than expected crowd gather for the Women's March on Washington. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
Katie Wagner from Alexandria, VA takes part in the Women's March on Washington in the streets of the nation's capital. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Eve Parkman, 7, from Worcester, MA holds a heart message she made for the Women's March on Washington. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
America Ferrera speaks onstage at the Women's March on Washington on Jan. 21, 2017. Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Women's March on Washington in the streets of the nation's capital. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Metrorail officials try to direct the overwhelming numbers of riders attending the Women's March on Washington. Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY
An attendee of the Women's March on Washington. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Van Jones attends the rally at the Women's March on Washington. Kevin Mazur, WireImage
Ashley Judd appears onstage during the rally at the Women's March on Washington. Kevin Mazur, WireImage
Gloria Steinem speaks at the rally at the Women's March on Washington. Kevin Mazur, WireImage
A general view of crowds gathered on the mall in front go the US Capitol during the Women's March on Washington. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
A man walks across the National Mall before The Women's March on Washington rally. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
A general view during the women's march on Washington, Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Kathy Hungate, Longmont, CO, was joined by her daughters and granddaughter in the crowd at the before The Women's March on Washington rally. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
People hold signs at the start of the Women's March on Washington, Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Men and women pass by the Capitol building, where President Donald Trump was sworn in yesterday, to begin the Women's March in Washington. Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com via USA TODAY NETWORK
Mary Parker turned 100 on Jan. 20 and drove with her family from Ann Arbor, Mich. to attend the Women's March on Washington. Emily Brown, USA TODAY
Signs fill the scene as participants gather during the Women's March on Washington Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Marchers hold signs with the faces of historic women during the Women's March on Washington. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Phillip Barker of Chicago, holds up his sign while Women's March on Washington ralliers fill the steps of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Jan 21, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; A general view during the women's march on Washington one day after the inauguration. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY NETWORK ORIG FILE ID: 20170121_jla_usa_045.jpg Robert Deutsch, Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY
People fill the inersection of Independence and 4th Street before The Women's March on Washington. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Participants carry protest banners and signs during the Women's March on Washington. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Protestors walk to join the Women's March in Washington DC. MIchael Karas/Northjersey.com via USA TODAY NETWORK
Claira Schiffrik is dressed up like the sign she holds up during the Women's March on Washington. An earlier version of this caption incorrectly identified Ms. Schiffrik. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
People walk to the rallying point for the start of the Women's March. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Crowds gather near the US Capitol building for the Women's March on Washington in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of President Trump. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Gloria Steinem, center right, greets protesters at the barricades before speaking at the Women's March on Washington. John Minchillo, AP
Protesters gather at the stage for the Women's March on Washington. John Minchillo, AP
Protesters walk past the Washington Monument as they gather for the Women's March on Washington. John Minchillo, AP
Nicole Monceaux from New York City, attends the Women's March on Washington. Sait Serkan Gurbuz, AP
People walk to the rallying point for the start of the Women's March on Washington. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Demonstrators protest on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the Women's March on Jan. 21, 2017. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, AFP/Getty Images
Protesters cheer at the Women's March on Washington during the first full day of Donald Trump's presidency, on Jan. 21, 2017, in Washington. John Minchillo, AP
Protesters gather beside the stage at the Women's March on Washington. John Minchillo, AP
Protesters gather for the Women's March on Washington. John Minchillo, AP
Demonstrators arrive on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the march. Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images
Large crowds head to a rallying point for the start of the Women's March on Washington. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Protesters arrive on the platform at the Capital South Metro station for the Women's March on Washington on Jan. 21, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Jessica Kourkounis, Getty Images
Demonstrators march on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the U.S. to send a defiant message to President Trump. Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images
Women arrive at the L'Enfant Metro Station for the Women's March on Washington rally in Washington, D.C. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Protesters assemble on the National Mall during the Women's March on Washington Jan. 21, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein, Getty Images
People gather on the National Mall before the Women's March on Washington rally in Washington, on Jan. 21, 2017. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Women arrive at the L'Enfant Metro Station for the Women's March on Washington rally. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Members of the '9 Ducklings' gather on the National Mall before the Women's March on Washington rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2017, one day after the inauguration of President Trump Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Women march across the National Mall before the Women's March on Washington rally in Washington, D.C. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Women pose for photos on the National Mall before the Women's March on Washington rally. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
A vendor sells buttons along the route for the Women's March on Washington. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Women march across Fourth Street across the National Mall before the Women's March on Washington rally. Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY
Marchers board buses bound for the Women's March on Washington at the Christiana Mall in Newark, Del., early on Jan. 21, 2017. Kyle Grantham, The News Journal, via USA TODAY Network
There's still time before Nov. 6 for a new controversy to erupt that persuades Americans to change their vote or determines whether they go to the polls – the single-most crucial task in midterm elections. Trump, who has been doing more campaign rallies for the midterms than any modern president, looms as a wild card.
That said, this fall's midterms are poised to provide the latest evidence of a fundamental shift in American politics: the movement of white college-educated women (many of them once Republican or Republican-leaning) to the Democrats, and the movement of white men without a college education (part of the old FDR Democratic coalition) to the GOP.
Trump didn't start this shift, but he has accelerated it.
In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC Poll, taken before Kavanaugh's confirmation, the gap between these two crucial voting groups was breathtaking. White college-educated women said they planned to vote for the Democratic congressional candidate by 23 points. White working-class men said they planned to vote for the Republican by 29 points.
If that trend holds, it might well mean that the gender wars are just getting started.
More: The female candidates making history in 2018.
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/12/midterms-gender-war-women-democrats-kavanaugh-voters-energized/1587840002/
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Bureau of Reclamation Launches Prize Competition Seeking Ideas to Better Estimate the Water Storage Capacity of Reservoirs
Solutions from this prize competition may lead to more effective, affordable and reliable methods to monitor and assess reservoir storage loss due to sedimentation
Media Contact: Peter Soeth, 303-445-3615
For Release: February 22, 2017
Estimating Reservoir Water Storage CapacityWASHINGTON - The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking problem solvers to develop new or improved analytical methods for estimating the water storage capacity and/or sedimentation volume of reservoirs managed by Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The best solution that meets the technical requirements for this prize competition will receive $50,000. Up to an additional $25,000 may be awarded for meeting additional, but not essential, criteria.
Reclamation and its collaborators are looking for ways to stimulate innovation that can lead to more effective, affordable and reliable methods to monitor and assess reservoir storage loss due to sediment accumulation.
Sedimentation in reservoirs is a problem in many reservoirs and may limit the active life of reservoirs by reducing storage capacity and impacting structures such as outlet works and water intakes.
The limited data on sediment accumulation across most of Reclamation's inventory of reservoirs presents a gap in assessing current and future sedimentation impacts at Reclamation reservoirs which store and deliver water and power. Measurement of reservoir storage loss is paramount in supporting the means to plan and ensure that Reclamation can meet its water and power deliveries now and into the future.
Reclamation is collaborating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey on various aspects of this prize competition. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contributed significant efforts to the design and will help judge the competition.
To register and learn more about this prize competition, visit https://www.usbr.gov/research/challenges/waterstorage.html. To learn more about Reclamation's Water Prize Competition Center, visit https://www.usbr.gov/research/challenges/.
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation's second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR.
More Information about the Bureau of Reclamation
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Home › News & Media › PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: WORLD’S FIRST DOUBLE LEED PLATINUM CONVENTION CENTRE
PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: WORLD’S FIRST DOUBLE LEED PLATINUM CONVENTION CENTRE
October 10, 2017 / News
Vancouver, BC (October 10, 2017) - The Vancouver Convention Centre is proud to announce that its iconic West building has been awarded LEED Platinum certification (version 4) for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance by the Canada Green Building Council. Coupled with its 2010 Platinum certification for New Construction, the Vancouver Convention Centre is the first double LEED Platinum convention centre in the world.
Platinum is the highest level of LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and version 4 is the newest version of the rating system, considered “the framework and benchmark for the next generation of green buildings.”
“Congratulations to the Vancouver Convention Centre on attaining double LEED Platinum status. It is through achievements like this that we will enhance B.C.'s reputation as a destination of choice for national and international visitors, while providing a healthy, sustainable environment for all British Columbians,” says Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
This achievement was a result of a rigorous process to re-examine all areas of operations at the Convention Centre, including engagement with stakeholders, clients and retailers to identify opportunities for enhanced sustainable performance. Specifically, the facility earned its Platinum certification for excellence in the areas of: waste management, energy efficiency, indoor water use reduction, and facility maintenance and renovations among others.
“While the Vancouver Convention Centre was built to the highest environmental standard with features like our six-acre living roof, marine habitat and impressive green technologies, our commitment to the environment is more than the building, significant as it is,” says Ken Cretney, President and CEO, BC Pavilion Corporation. “When we opened our West building, we set out to be a global leader in sustainability to make a difference in our community and global industry. I am extremely proud of our team for its dedication and hard work to further our sustainability program, resulting in this prestigious second Platinum designation.”
“Congratulations to the whole team at the Vancouver Convention Centre for once again proving their leadership in sustainability by earning Canada’s first LEED v4 Platinum Existing Buildings certification,” says Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council. “Through the LEED v4 Platinum certification, the VCC team is ensuring that this world-class venue continues to be operated and maintained at the highest level delivering environmental and health benefits for years to come. At the same time the VCC is setting an example for convention facilities around the world while showcasing Vancouver’s commitment to environmental excellence.”
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.
Editors: High resolution photos, video and infographic available here.
About the Vancouver Convention Centre
The Vancouver Convention Centre is the world’s first double LEED Platinum certified convention centre. Located on Vancouver’s downtown waterfront with a dramatic mountain backdrop, the facility offers one of the most beautiful settings in the world. The award-winning Convention Centre features two connected buildings with a combined total of 466,500 ft2 (43,340 m2) of flexible meeting, exhibition, ballroom and plenary space. The facility is committed to environmental sustainability as well as unparalleled service, technology offerings and culinary excellence.
To achieve LEED Platinum certification (version 4) for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance, the Vancouver Convention Centre introduced sustainability initiatives and enhanced existing programs. Highlights include:
The Convention Centre increased the capacity of its onsite Blackwater Treatment Plant by 30%. The combination of water efficient fixtures and the Blackwater Treatment Plant has made it possible to use 38% less potable water annually for the facility’s plumbing fixtures compared to the LEED baseline. The potable water saved, 1,815,962 litres, is equivalent to approximately 300,000 flushes of the facility’s water-efficient toilets.
The Convention Centre improved its waste diversion rate to over 75% from 50% the previous year. This was the result of enhancing the facility’s already extensive organization-wide recycling program, which included rebranding all recycling bins and launching an educational program with staff, clients and retailers to increase the understanding of the types of material that could be recycled.
The Convention Centre created a Reclaim Room for items left behind from events for donation to local charities or community groups for repurposing. To date, goods have been donated to: Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue Association, Vancouver Food Bank Society, Union Gospel Mission and social enterprises like Common Thread.
The Convention Centre continues to switch to more efficient LED lighting in the facility to improve overall energy efficiency.
The Convention Centre updated and created new building policies that focus on sustainability, providing a foundation from which its team and suppliers can make environmentally-friendly decisions in day-to-day practices:
Facility Maintenance and Renovation Policy
Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy
Site Management Policy
Indoor Water Use Reduction Policy
The Convention Centre is the first facility in Canada and only one of two facilities worldwide to earn the Venue Level Four certification from the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) – the highest standard for sustainability in the meetings and convention industry.
Jinny Wu
jwu@vancouverconventioncentre.com
World's First Double LEED® Platinum Convention Centre
1055 Canada Pl
V6C 0C3
© 2019 Vancouver Convention Centre
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PICKET: Santorum to Romney on earmarks: 'You don't know what you're talking about'
By Kerry Picket The Washington Times - February 22, 2012, 10:26PM
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney faced off in a heated exchange on earmarks at the CNN GOP presidential debate in Mesa, Arizona on Wednesday. While Mr. Romney attacked Santorum for being a big spender on Capitol Hill through the earmarking process, Mr. Santorum reminded Mr. Romney and the audience:
“He’s out there on television ads right now, unfortunately, attacking me for saying that I’m this great earmarker, when he not only asked for earmarks for the Salt Lake Olympics in the order of tens of millions of dollars, sought those earmarks and used them, and he did as the governor of Massachusetts, $300 million or $400 million.”
Romney then responded, “I’m sorry. The 6,000 earmarks that were put in place under the Speaker’s term, for instance, were oftentimes tagged on to other bill.” He then added, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be critical. That was the process. There were thousands — I mean, we’ve had thousands and thousands of earmarks. They are typically tagged on to — bundled on to other bills.”
Santorum shot back, “You’re misrepresenting the facts. You don’t know what you’re taking about.”
Santorum continued, “What happened in the earmark process — what happens in the earmark process was that members of Congress would ask, formally, publicly request these things, put them on paper, and have them allocated, and have them voted on a committee, have them voted on, on the floor of the Senate.”
Befuddled, Romney asked Santorum, “Attached to a bill? Attached to a bill?”
Santorum responded, “As part of the bill.”
“And the president can’t veto it?” Romney asked, apparently surprised.
Santorum answered, “He can veto the bill.”
“The whole bill, but he can’t veto the earmark?” questioned Romney.
Eventually, both candidates found agreement in the area of the line item veto, when Santorum answered Romney’s question saying, “Well, we tried to do that, by the way. I supported a line-item veto.” Governor Romney nodded saying, “That’s what I support. That’s what I support.”
The Pennsylvania Senator then said:
“Mitt, I agree with you. I support — I support the line-item veto. I voted for a line-item veto so we could do just that. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court struck it down. I would like to go back, as president, again, and give the president the authority to line-item veto.”
Senator Santorum then turned to Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican and reminded the audience about Mr. Paul’s issues when it came to earmarks.
“But that’s not the issue. The issue is were they transparent? And the bottom line was, when I was in the United States Senate, there was transparency, and Congressman Paul, who is one of the most prolific earmarkers in the Congress today, is — would tell you…and I’m not — I’m not criticizing; I’m just saying that’s a fact.”
Donald Trump 'Squad' attacks boost his 2020 reelection bid, strategists say
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Kent Bush: D.C. helps elect president but can’t vote in Congress
Kent Bush
I wonder how many people even know that the Electoral College includes more than just the 50 states. Congress is made up of representatives and senators from the 50 states. Several groups have non-voting delegates to Congress. Those include American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia.
I know politics has made visiting social media sites almost unbearable for most of us.
All of these friends and family members who you enjoyed keeping up with when they posted family photos, funny thoughts and random updates have become more obnoxious than Thanksgiving dinner at the home of James Carville and Mary Matalin.
I often wonder how many times one of these amateur political commentators has this thought: “You know, I don’t pay much attention to politics. I wonder if I will show my ignorance and lack of perspective by posting this obviously biased link with my rambling commentary on it?”
I don’t think it happens very often ñ at least not on my friends list or among those I follow.
Finding out what people don’t know can be disappointing. Ignorance is bliss. That is why life seemed better before you heard your friend’s rationale for which candidate they support.
Likewise, I wonder how many people even know that the Electoral College includes more than just the 50 states. Congress is made up of representatives and senators from the 50 states.
Several groups have non-voting delegates to Congress. Those include American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia.
But only one of those non-voting delegations gets to help elect the president. The 23rd Amendment gave the District of Columbia the right to choose electors for the Electoral College depending on population up to the amount of the least populous state. So with more than a half-million residents, the District of Columbia has three electoral votes.
The capital of the United States had been housed in both New York and Philadelphia when our country was young.
But George Washington was allowed to choose the permanent home during the country’s infancy. He called it Federal City.
In 1801, after Congress met there for the first time, presidential voting rights were suspended for residents of the district, which became known as Washington, D.C., in honor of the president who chose it.
However, about 160 years later, the Constitution was amended to allow residents there to choose electors.
Their first electors were selected on Nov. 3, 1964. The district has never cast an electoral vote for a Republican. In fact, in the last four elections, the Democratic candidate has received at least 85 percent of the popular vote in D.C.
Washington D.C. was run by Congress for 175 years. In 1973, the district elected its own mayor and council but Congress is still the supreme governing body and can overturn local ordinances.
So as D.C. prepares to award electoral votes for the lucky 13th time, now you know that they can help elect a president, can’t vote in Congress and can pass local laws that may be overturned by Congress.
Washington, D.C., is one of many districts that have hoped to add their star to Old Glory. You can see why residents there would enjoy autonomy granted to states rather than the fruit cocktail of governance policies they endure now.
Kent Bush is publisher of the Augusta, Kan., Gazette.
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The Northumberland Plate Festival 2014
Home > Newcastle Upon Tyne > Festivals | Music | Outdoor | Sport
by Margaret Waters (subscribe)
A former teacher and charity worker from the North East of England, I love people and places and like to try out new experiences wherever possible. Capturing that 'perfect pic' is all part of the pleasure. Access issues are a particular interest.
Event: 26/06/2014 - 28/06/2014
A Day at the Races to see the 'Pitmen's Derby'
Newcastle Racecourse is preparing itself for thousands of visitors this June as the North East's premier racing festival returns for another year.
Now Europe's richest handicap in the racing calendar, the proud history of the race that was once known as 'The Pitman's Derby dates back to 1833 and was once held on the city's Town Moor. The race originally took place on a Wednesday and was treated as the day's holiday for the mineworkers of the region as they celebrated the festival known locally as 'Race Week', but the tradition of holding a race meeting at this time of year goes back even further to the 1600s.
It's come a long way since then, with sponsorship by John Smith's brewery and a share of a glittering purse of £150,000 on offer for the winner and runners-up of the Northumberland Plate Handicap, which is held on the final day of the festival.
The festival has been held at Newcastle Racecourse at Gosforth Park on the outskirts of the city since the late 19th century and this year's event runs from 26th – 28th June.
Whether you're a regular race-goer or a first time visitor, there's sure to be something to cheer about as the tickets start from just £14 per person if you want to be close to the action in the Grandstand or Paddock.
Crowds turn out for the Northumberland Plate Festival' Newcastle Evening Chronicle Image
There's a chance to mingle with the crowds, see the thoroughbreds up close, have a bit of a flutter on the horses and watch the atmosphere change as it heightens to fever pitch as the race gets under way and you rally your favourite home.
As far as the equine contestants go, entrance to the festival is for thoroughbreds aged three years and over with last year's winner, six-year-old grey 'Tominator' and jockey Graham Lee completing the 2 mile and 19 yards flat race to take the £92,000 1st prize pot for owner, Patsy Byrne and trainer Jonjo O'Neill.
Tominator Wins the Day 2013 - Daily Mail image
But a day at the races is not just for connoisseurs of equine prowess and gentlemen's wagers. There are facilities for corporate events or you you can just enjoy a meal, make it a family occasion, works event or a day out with the girls (or boys) if you like. There are a range of hospitality packages from champagne receptions to beer and burger deals to help you enjoy your day and soak up the atmosphere. Children accompanied by a paying adult get in free and there are a range of food and drink outlets around the course. Dress smartly for the occasion.
I've only ever been to one race meeting and had a really good day out.
If you want to make a weekend of it, there are plenty of things to see and do in Newcastle and the high quality Marriott Newcastle (formerly the Gosforth Park Hotel) is just across the road from the racecourse.
Or for a great night out, the LadsCupNight takes place on Friday 27 June followed by a night of music with Oasis Tribute Band - Noasis.
The racecourse is about 5 miles outside Newcastle city centre and is quite close to the airport. The nearest mainline station is Newcastle Central Station which connects to the nearest Metro station at (Gosforth) Regent's Centre on the airport line. Shuttle buses to the racecourse are available on race days.
By car - the Racecourse is signposted from all main access roads to the city including the A1 and A19 - follow the brown tourist information signs. Free parking is available at the course.
Please remember to drink and gamble responsibly.
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Garrison Savannah Racecourse by Margaret Waters
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Why? Highlight of NE Racing Calendar, Great Day Out, Historic 'Pitmen's Derby', Great Hospitality Options, Thoroughbred Horse Racing
When: 26-28 June 2014
Website: www.newcastle-racecourse.co.uk
Where: Newcastle Racecourse
Festivals (subscribe)
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New Wetland Rulemaking Expected Late December 2013 or January 2014
The US Office of Management and Budget is expected to review and either approve or disapprove proposed rulemaking to clarify the jurisdictional reach of the Clean Water Act. If approved a notice of proposed rulemaking will appear in the Federal Register and opened for public comment.
Numerous interests across the country both favoring and opposing the rule (which is not yet available) will be making comments during the 90 day comment period.
The West Houston Association Board of Directors is watching the current activity closely and intends to file comments and attach the Association to national interests who have the same concerns.
While the rules are not yet available they are expected to be based upon a technical report entitled “Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence”. A copy of this report is available from the WHA by emailing or calling 713.461.9378.
WHA LETTER TO EPA/CORPS ON WETLANDS EXPANSION
WHA calls proposed guidance “a gross overreach of regulatory authority and runs counter to years of decision.” Read the WHA letter at this link (PDF)
NATIONAL WATERS ADVOCACY COALITION TAKES ON EPA/CORPS’ OVERREACH ON WETLANDS GUIDANCE
A coalition has formed to respond to the EPA Wetlands Jurisdiction guidance. It includes the AGC, National Association of Home Builders, NAIOP, National Association of Manufacturers, National Assoc of State Departments of Agriculture, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and approximately 30 additional associations from all facets of business and agriculture. The Coalition calls for the guidance to be abandoned in favor of moving forward immediately with a valid rulemaking which “would allow for public comments, add transparency and is subject to judicial review.” Read recommendations of the Waters Advocacy Coalition (PDF download).
EPA & CORPS PROPOSE EXPANDED WETLANDS JURISDICTIONS
The EPA and Corps of Engineers have published new guidance on how the Federal government will determine jurisdictional waters and wetlands with comments due by July 1, 2011.
The new guidance increases the jurisdiction of the Federal government substantially defining a new “nexus” standard and expands to all Clean Water Act programs including wetlands, NPDES, oil spills, water quality standards and TMDLs and water quality certifications. The agencies have said this guidance will be followed by formal rulemaking. A fact sheet prepared by the Waters Advocacy Coalition follows to give you additional information.
The Board of Directors of the West Houston Association will be preparing comments for the record before July 1st. We urge you to become familiar with this issue, if you are not already and contact local and national organizations to determine their activity. We will supply more information on this in the coming days.
The Clean Water Act Guidance Changes Agency Regulations, Increases Jurisdiction, Distorts Supreme Court Cases and is Cumbersome and Complicated
Prepared by Waters Advocacy Coalition
On May 2, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued “Guidance Regarding Identification of Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act.” The agencies also published a notice inviting comments on the guidance. 76 Fed. Reg. 24,479 (May 2, 2011). The 39-page guidance was prepared for agency field staff to use in identifying “waters of the United States” subject to Clean Water Act (CWA) regulation. The guidance applies to all CWA programs and specifically lists sections 404 (wetlands), 402 (NPDES), 311 (oil spills and SPCC plans), 401 (state water quality certifications) and 303 (water quality standards and TMDLs). The agencies are accepting comments on the guidance for 60 days, or until July 1, 2011, after which time they plan to issue the guidance in final form.
The agencies’ decision to issue guidance on this topic as opposed to a rulemaking runs contrary to the expressed views of the United States Supreme Court and the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Although the agencies claim in the guidance that they will initiate a future rulemaking on this issue, they give no specifics and make no commitments. By issuing guidance, the agencies shortcut critical rulemaking requirements such as responding on the record to the public’s comments, providing evidence to support the decision and engaging in reasoned decision making that can be subject to judicial review.
The Guidance Expands Jurisdiction
The agencies acknowledge that the number of jurisdictional waters “will increase” under the guidance. Guidance at 1. The acknowledgement is appropriate given that the guidance:
Applies a broadened view of Justice Kennedy’s significant nexus standard not only to wetlands (as Kennedy did) but also to tributaries and isolated waters;
Finds that a hydrological connection is not necessary to establish a significant nexus;
Allows the agencies to “aggregate” the contributions of all similar waters (small streams, adjacent wetlands, ditches or certain otherwise isolated waters) within an entire watershed, thus making it far easier to establish a significant nexus between these small intrastate waters and traditional navigable waters. Indeed, the agencies’ economic analysis assumes that all waters subject to this expanded aggregation principle will be jurisdictional. EA at 6;
Regulates all roadside and agricultural ditches that have a channel, have an ordinary high water mark and can meet 1 of 5 characteristics (2 of the 5 characteristics include a ditch that has “standing water,” or a ditch that drains a “natural water body.”);
Defines the “traditional navigable waters” to include all waters that support one-time recreational use. This is not the “traditional” understanding of the term “navigable waters” as used by the United States Supreme Court;
Gives new and expanded regulatory status to “interstate waters,” equating them with traditional navigable waters, thus making it easier to find jurisdiction for adjacent wetlands and waters judged by the significant nexus test; and
Makes all waters not in any of the other categories (also known as the “other waters”) subject to the significant nexus standard. According to the agencies’ economic analysis, these other waters were previously assumed “non-jurisdictional.” EA at 7. Now, 17 percent of these waters are assumed to be jurisdictional. Id.
The Guidance Is Inconsistent with the Agencies’ Regulations and the Supreme Court Decisions
The current regulations say nothing about ditches, but now there is a whole section of regulatory treatment and standards devoted to ditches.
The agencies’ regulations do not define tributaries. However, the guidance sets forth a new and broad definition that provides federal jurisdiction over most water features that have “channels,” presuming that most features that meet this “new” definition will be jurisdictional. Such a presumption is inconsistent with Justice Kennedy’s opinion in Rapanos, which requires the agencies to conduct a rulemaking to establish that classes of water are jurisdictional.
The guidance defines a significant nexus as anything that is “more than speculative or insubstantial,” thus, turning Justice Kennedy’s “significant” nexus into an “any” nexus standard. This “any” nexus standard is equivalent in scope to the “any hydrological connection” standard that the court previously rejected.
The current regulations determine jurisdiction over “other waters” based on certain specific connections to interstate commerce. The guidance replaces this standard with the significant nexus test, which as described above is overly broad.
The agencies’ regulations include adjacent “wetlands,” not adjacent “waters.” The guidance instead develops a new category of “other waters” and seeks to apply the term “adjacent” to those waters. This change finds no support in the Supreme Court decisions and will sweep in wet areas near other jurisdictional waters.
The Guidance Is Unlawful Because it Violates the APA
The agencies’ decision to define “the waters of the United States” through informal guidance rather than a notice-and-comment rulemaking violates the APA. The issuance of further guidance on this issue ignores encouragement from all of the Justices of the Supreme Court to undertake a rulemaking. Despite repeated claims by the agencies that they would conduct a rulemaking, they have not. Instead, the agencies continue to make fundamental changes to their regulations and expand their jurisdiction through guidance.
The agencies claim, on the one hand, that the guidance is not a rule, is not binding, and lacks the force of law. Guidance at 1st. Yet, once finalized, the guidance will be used to make determinations about whether a particular water body is subject to regulation. The guidance and the economic analysis clearly acknowledge that the new guidance will increase CWA jurisdiction. The guidance has the plain effect of changing the law. Many court decisions have made clear that EPA and USACE do not have legal authority to revise their regulations without engaging in a rulemaking.
The Agencies Acknowledge the Significant Economic Impacts of the Guidance
The agencies undertook an economic analysis to provide an estimate of the possible range of indirect impacts associated with implementing the proposed guidance. Based on EPA’s own assumptions, annual costs from implementation of the guidance are estimated to be between $87 million to $171 million. In addition to these substantial costs, the guidance also will impose new land use restrictions, permitting costs, and increased delays associated with increased federal jurisdiction, none of which is reflected in the EPA cost estimates.
The agencies claim that the guidance will improve CWA program predictability and clarity. 76 Fed. Reg. at 24,279. But in fact, the guidance will reduce clarity and create great uncertainty by expanding jurisdiction beyond the Clean Water Act, current regulations and Supreme Court decisions, as discussed above. The agencies should withdraw the guidance and instead engage in a formal rulemaking – starting with a notice of inquiry or advanced notice of proposed rulemaking – to explore the need for changes to the current jurisdictional regulations through a more careful and deliberative process.
CONGRESS POISED TO ADDRESS WETLANDS JURISDICTION
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is working with environmental groups, state organizations and industry interests to clarify federal jurisdiction over isolated wetlands. The issue has been controversial for many years with the Supreme Court issuing decisions on wetlands that have provided more confusion than certainty to both those seeking permits and regulators.
Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) recently introduced legislation that would amend the Clean Water Act to expand federal jurisdiction of wetlands. The bill, the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787), is similar to legislation that was introduced in previous years and would replace the term “navigable waters” with the term “waters of the United States” as the trigger for federal jurisdiction.
Proponents of this legislation believe the change is needed to strengthen the original intent of the Clean Water Act and will increase protections for the nation’s rivers, streams and wetlands. However, others believe that the legislation is ultimately a power grab by the federal government, infringing on state’s rights at the expense of landowners, who will be required to apply for permits for literally all wet areas. These areas include: intermittent streams, mudflats, sandflats, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows and man-made ditches.
The Senate is likely to mark-up the legislation sometime in May, while a specific timeframe has not been announced by the House. Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, James Oberstar (D-Minn.) is a strong supporter of this legislation and introduced an almost identical version last Congress. He has held several hearings on this topic.
While NAIOP agrees that Congress should offer a legislative fix to clarify federal jurisdiction over wetlands, we believe that isolated man-made ditches from construction sites should not be treated as actual wetlands. Permits for these ditches can have severe costs for developers, while providing little, if any, environmental protection. A balanced approach towards wetlands permitting is needed to protect the integrity of our nation’s wetlands. This approach also needs to clarify that not every wet area in the United States should warrant a permit from the federal government.
US EPA & Corps Leave Existing Guidance In Place
EPA and the Corps of Engineers have determined not to alter current federal regulations or definitions of wetlands. This apparently leaves stating existing guidance to Corp Districts resulting from a ruling by the Supreme Court that water fowl migration can not be used to establish jurisdiction over wetlands that are not navigable. The EPA had been seeking comments that would have led to rulemaking changes in light of the US Supreme Court ruling in the Solid Waste Agency of Northern of Cook County v. US Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC). Comments are being sought on the definition of “waters of the United States” a common phrase used in the Clean Water Act.
West Houston Association Calls for Clear Definition of “Adjacent” waters
Following is the text of a letter prepared by our Environment Committee and submitted to the Corps responding to the definition of “waters of the US”:
“The West Houston Association submits the following comments in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the definition of “waters of the United States”. Since 1979 the Association, a nonprofit group organized to promote responsible growth with acceptable infrastructure has actively participated at all levels of government that have regulatory and statutory authority over environments around the Houston/Galveston Gulf Coast. We are proud of the record our developer members have established with the Galveston District, one of the fastest growing regions of the United States.
Our membership consists of a significant number of landowners and others within the category of “potentially regulated entities.” Past experience with the Corp’s 404 permit program and wetland delineations in the Corp’s Galveston District indicates to us that a precise definition of “waters of the United States” be developed. The regulated community in this geographic area has seen a wide variety of areas determined to be wetlands such as portions of abandoned rice fields (isolated wetlands) as well as wetlands that clearly meet the criteria in the 1987 wetlands manual.
“Marginal” wetland determinations or those which barely meet the wetlands criteria are difficult to accept by private sector. Because of this the SWANCC opinion was very much welcomed in this community. Currently, the Galveston District is using a concept of “adjacent wetland” which includes areas which meet or marginally meet wetland criteria as long as these areas are located within the 100-year floodplain of a creek, bayou, stream or river. Typically, many floodplains in this area are large in size such that “marginal” wetlands many thousands of feet from a stream can still be determined to be “adjacent” to the stream.
We urge the Corps of Engineers to develop a concept of “adjacent” that is closer to the ordinary meaning of adjacent which is “lying near or adjoining”.
This meaning is identical to that ascribed to it by the government when the Riverside Bay View Homes case was being argued before the Supreme Court.
A review of the court’s question and answer session of that case clearly indicated the government specifically addressed “adjacency” because a member of the court asked the question “What is an adjacent wetland?” The government’s answer indicates that an adjacent wetland was a wetland that “lies immediately next to or abuts a navigable water. This is a definition the regulated community can accept and depend upon for fairness. The CWA refers to navigable waters and wetlands adjacent thereto (our emphasis). We believe the ordinary language definition of adjacent is the correct one and should become part of the Corps definition of Waters of the U.S.”
Legislation Introduced to Recapture Clean Water Act Jurisdiction
On July 25, 2002, Senator Feingold and Congressmen Dingle and Oberstar introduced legislation into the Senate and House respectively to protect isolated wetlands now in jeopardy as a result of a 2001 Supreme Court decision-Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC). The bills, which will be called The Clean Water Authority Restoration Act of 2002, were introduced to restore the protection that existed for all waters and wetlands prior to the SWANCC decision by:
1) Adopting a statutory definition of “waters of the United States” based on a longstanding definition of waters in the Corps of Engineers’ regulations (at 33 CFR 328.3).
2) Deleting the term “navigable” from the Act to clarify that Congress’ primary concern in 1972 was to protect the nation’s waters from pollution, rather than just sustain the navigability of waterways.
3) Including a set of findings that explain the factual basis for Congressional assertion of constitutional authority over waters and wetlands, including those that are called “isolated.”
The bills will be posted to http://thomas.loc.gov In the House the bill will be H.R. 5194. Additional information is available at http://www.naiop.org/membercenter/government/wetlands.shtml
Water Supply & Wastewater Regionalization
Transportation Archive
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Old Town student named as U.S. Presidential Scholar
By Morgan Sturdivant |
Posted: Tue 6:58 PM, May 14, 2019 |
Updated: Tue 7:34 PM, May 14, 2019
OLD TOWN, Maine (WABI) - An Old Town senior has won a prestigous, national award.
Emma Hargreaves has been named as one of this year's U.S. Presidential Scholars.
Only two students are picked from each state.
Emma says someone nominated her.
She was then picked to represent maine from the more than 52-hundred candidates who qualified.
The accomplished gymnast, track and field athlete and valedictorian says she credits her family and her school for this award.
"My eyes were glistening and I couldn't believe it. I called my mom at work and I was like "you'll never believe this!" And for the rest of the day I swear every single person I saw I told them about it. "I was like, I get to go to DC! A big thank you to Old Town High School and to RSU 34 as a whole. The opportunities they have made for me, they're out of this world and unexpected and they've worked really hard to put me in a position where I could be eligible for this award," she says.
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars picks the recipients based many factors including academics, artistic and technical excellence and community service.
Emma will be accepting her award in Washington DC in June.
She plans to attend Bowdoin College this fall.
Teachers learn how to teach students about the Holocaust at summer seminar
Financial assistance available for National Guard members at Husson University
Husson gets a donation for new business center
Some in Orono concerned after approval of $16.8 million for schools
DOJ supports lawsuit demanding religious tuition payments
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'No remorse': Rapist plied teenage girls with cocaine and alcohol before subjecting them to sex attacks
Tony Gardner
Published: 08:54 Updated: 08:57 Thursday 04 July 2019
A man raped a teenage girl and seriously sexually assaulted another after plying them with cocaine and alcohol when he met them in the street.
Cormac Brown was locked up for ten years after a jury heard he preyed on the vulnerable victims after going to buy vodka at a supermarket.
Cormac Brown was jailed for ten years for raping a 16-year-old girl and carrying out a serious sexual offence against a girl aged 15.
Brown ignored repeated calls from his partner for four hours as he took advantage of the youngsters.
He then took them back to a house where he carried out the sex offences.
A jury at Leeds Crown Court was played a recording of a 999 call made by one of the girls after the attack.
Judge Rodney Jameson QC told Brown he had shown no remorse for what he had done.
Read more: Man arrested and charged with series of sex assaults on women in Leeds city centre
He said: "The jury rejected your evidence and I also reject it.
"I cannot give you credit for any sort of guilty plea or for any remorse which you plainly do not feel."
Father-of-two Brown, 32, of Esther Grove, Lupset, Wakefield, was found guilty of rape against the 16-year-old girl and guilty of a serious sexual offence against the 15-year-old.
The offences took place on September 30, 2017.
The trial heard Brown and his partner had spent the day drinking with another couple but ran out of alcohol.
Brown drove the other man to a Sainsbury's store in Wakefield to buy a bottle of vodka.
The two men then decided to buy some cocaine on the way home.
Anti-social behaviour concerns on Knottingley street
They drove to a field in Lupset to take the drug so their partners would not know about it.
While they were there three teenage girls approached them and asked if they could have some of the cocaine.
Read more: Pensioner, 81, locked up for sexually abusing 10-year-old girl in his garden shed in Leeds
The judge told Brown: "Faced with three young people you should have sent them packing and you chose not to do so.
"You were content to allow them to take some of the cocaine.
"Over the next four hours or so, instead of going home, you ignored the repeated phone calls from your no doubt increasingly concerned partner and decided to set off with two girls - who you described as 'fit' - in order to spend time with them."
Brown and his friend drove around with the girls as they drank and took the cocaine.
He then took them back to a house in the early hours of the morning.
The court heard Brown had sex with one of the girls as she asked him to stop.
He then committed a sex offence against the second victim moments later.
Read more: Foot fetishist climbed under seats at Leeds cinema and sexually assaulted children as they watched Dumbo
Victim statements were read to the court on behalf of the victims.
They described suffering from depression and anxiety over the incident and at having to give evidence against Brown at court.
One girl said: "I found giving evidence very hard and felt like they were making me out to be a liar.
"When I was told that he had been found guilty I felt relieved that it was finally over."
Matthew Burdon, mitigating, said Brown's family had been badly affected by his convictions as he was the sole breadwinner.
Mr Burdon said Brown was struggling to cope in custody.
Brown was told he must go on the sex offender register for life.
Haribo to create 50 new jobs in Castleford
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Wakefield's Red Shed Players stage production to raise funds for St Catherine's food bank
The theatre group is raising funds for a food bank
The Red Shed Players are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for St Catherine’s Church food bank when they perform Peterloo - the Past Lives in the Present.
The play is at the Theatre Royal, Wakefield, on Wednesday July 10 at 7.45pm
Last year Wakefield-based Red Shed Players raised thousands of pounds for the Rugby League Benevolent Fund with They Walked on Water - a play about the 1968 cup final.
“We were shocked to see how many people have been forced to use food banks in recent years. In 2012 St Catherine’s distributed 109 food parcels, in 2017 that had risen to 3,576 and in 2018 it was 5,887 and we are advised that the situation is getting worse,” said Jackie Burton, cast member.
“Our play aims to remind people of their history, but also to be active in shaping the world they want to live in now.”
At Peter’s field, Manchester in August 1819 a peaceful demonstration for improved working conditions and democratic rights was met with cavalry charge and cold steel: 18 people were killed and between four hundred and six hundred were injured.
The play is made up of two parts; part one Peterloo gives the background to the slaughter of weavers who were campaigning against poverty and for political rights. It is based on eyewitness reports and historic documents along with poems and songs of the period and features specially developed films by Dave Hanvey featuring artwork from Barnsley artist John Ledger.
Part two the Past Lives in the Present is based in a modern day cafe and explores the question of how we respond to injustice in modern times.
Amanda Violet, cast member, said, “Our test audience found it was funny but thought-provoking which is what we hoped it would be. We also want to draw attention to the issues of poverty and also do something practical to help people in these difficult times.”
The Red Shed Players are happy to present the play in theatre and non-theatre venues to raise money for food banks , they can be contacted through their website: redshedplayers.co.uk
Tickets: 01924 211 311 or www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk
Wakefield exhibition recreates Mrs Pyrah’s Castleford classroom
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Kesha's 'Praying' is Grammys #MeToo moment
Kesha's prayers have been answered with a show of solidarity.At Sunday's Grammy Awards, the pop singer gave an...
Kesha's prayers have been answered with a show of solidarity.
At Sunday's Grammy Awards, the pop singer gave an emotional performance of her single "Praying," joined on stage by Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Andra Day, Julia Michaels and Bebe Rexha and the Resistance Revival Chorus.
After her performance, Kesha quoted lyrics from her song in a message of gratitude posted on Twitter.
"'After everything you've done I can thank you for how strong I have become,'" she tweeted. "Thank you to the @RecordingAcad, the women on stage with me tonight, and everyone who has supported me through this whole journey."
Kesha's hit song marked her first release of new music in almost four years.
The singer has been tied up in a long back-and-forth legal battle with producer Dr. Luke (real name Lukasz Gottwald), stemming from 2014 allegations that he drugged, emotionally abused and sexually assaulted her.
Gottwald has long denied those claims.
Singer and actor Janelle Monae, who introduced Kesha on the stage, gave a strong rebuke of sexual misconduct and gender inequality in entertainment and across industries.
"We come in peace, but we mean business," she said, while donning a Time's Up pin.
Earlier in the evening, Kesha lost out to Ed Sheeran's "Shape Of You" for best pop solo performance.
Stars weigh in on #MeToo at Grammys
Powerful, political moments at the Grammys
Kesha vs. Dr. Luke: A timeline (2016)
Kesha postpones concerts to undergo knee surgery
Donald Trump's #metoo moment is here
Rob Porter, and Mormonism's #MeToo Moment
How Easter became a #MeToo moment
The #MeToo moment inside the UN
Egypt's #MeToo moment targets street harassment
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Former Riley patient to deliver green flag for Indy 500
Big Race - Indy
by: Staff Reports
Posted: May 23, 2019 / 01:03 AM EDT / Updated: May 23, 2019 / 01:03 AM EDT
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A teenager who overcame a potentially life-threatening diagnosis has been selected for a special honor at this year’s Indianapolis 500.
15-year-old Trey Edens will deliver the green flag to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the race Sunday. He will fly with the flag in the Lifeline helicopter from the downtown heliport to the track.
Edens is a former patient at Riley Hospital for Children. He is now a Wildcat Township Fire Rescue cadet.
Edens was less than a day old when it was discovered he would need to have one of his lungs removed.
Wednesday, Edens and his parents met with some of the care team that helped save his life back in 2004.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the men and women of Riley and IU to transport me down there to get me the care and the surgery that I needed,” Edens said. “Knowing that now I’m meeting the men and women who did all that, who saved my life, is a miracle.”
Edens has since made made a full recovery.
More Big Race - Indy Stories
Simon says sweep: Pagenaud wins Indy 500
by Brian Eckstein / May 26, 2019
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) - It was a May to remember for Simon Pagenaud.
After winning the IndyCar Grand Prix and starting the Indianapolis 500 on the pole, Pagenaud was the dominant car Sunday afternoon, winning his first Indianapolis 500.
LIVE BLOG: 103rd Indianapolis 500
by Staff Reports / May 26, 2019
3:58 p.m. SIMON PAGENAUD WINS THE 103rd INDIANAPOLIS 500! Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Josef Newgarden and WIll Power are the top 5. Ed Carpenter, Santino Ferrucci, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan and Conor Daly round out the top ten.
3:57 p.m. Pagenaud passes Rossi back with less than two laps to go!
Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis walks Indy 500 red carpet
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) -- Celebrities are walking the red carpet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the Indy 500.
Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis joined News 8's Laura Steele on the red carpet. This marks Sabonis' first year at the Indianapolis 500.
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Database Fights Diploma Mills
Author: Ryan SingelRyan Singel
Prospective online-learning students have a new tool to help them decide between a master's that might lead to a promotion and a degree that could get them fired.
The U.S. Department of Education launched a searchable online database Tuesday that includes the names, addresses and enrollment of all schools accredited by organizations recognized by the federal government.
Assistant Secretary of Education Sally Stroup called the database an "important tool to combat the growing industry of diploma mills that scam unsuspecting consumers and employers by offering fraudulent degrees."
The agency created the database in response to calls for action from Congress in 2004 following revelations about high-level government officials holding questionable degrees and concerns that diploma mills are using the internet to deceive would-be students.
"Obviously diplomas become a growing concern as the internet has made it easier for these schools to proliferate," said Education Department spokeswoman Jane Glickman. "The department has no direct way to shut them down, but we want people to know what's a legitimate school and what's not."
The white-list database could be a useful tool for would-be students and prospective employers who do not know how to distinguish between Hamilton University, a diploma mill in Wyoming, and Hamilton College, a small, distinguished and legitimately accredited liberal arts school in New York.
Such a tool could be invaluable for those tempted to judge a school by its website.
For instance, Kansas State University's digital learning program's website looks to have been designed in 1998, while Almeda University's public face features roll-over drop-down menus and an online chat feature.
But Kansas State offers legitimate classes, while Almeda University, which is not accredited by a recognized agency, grants degrees based on life experience.
Distinguishing between a legitimate and fake online program is further complicated by intricate licensing and accreditation procedures.
The federal government does not accredit any school; it simply recognizes a number of regional and national organizations that evaluate schools.
However, some states do license schools, such as Wyoming does with Hamilton University.
But using a degree from that school for employment in other states, such as Oregon, New Jersey or North Dakota, could lead to jail time for fraud.
This morass of standards and rules confuses many, especially those who are the first in their family to go to college, according to Vicky Phillips, the CEO of GetEducated.com, an online learning clearinghouse that offers a free anti-diploma-mill service to the confused.
The new database can be useful, according to Phillips, but she considers it an inadequate response to the size of the problem.
"For the government to say we are solving this by putting out a list of accredited colleges, that's a superficial approach that is in some ways more dangerous since it leaves consumers with a false sense that if they are getting a degree from some place in the database, it's OK," Phillips said. "And it may not even be the same Trinity College, it may not be the University of California at Berkeley, it may be the University of Berkeley.
"People don't look that deeply, and diploma mills already know this stuff."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the chair of the Government Affairs Committee, applauded the anti-fraud database, which she requested be built in January last year.
"Our investigations have shown that diploma mills not only cheat students of their money by giving them useless degrees, they also end up scamming the federal government and businesses that may hire workers who hold these bogus diplomas," Collins said in a written statement.
School Ups Grade by Going Online
College Facebook Mugs Go Online
No Third Degree for Diploma Mills
Sketchy Grades for Cyber Schools
Discover more Net Culture
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Brandi Carlile Gets Real About Moms in "The Mother" Video
A beautiful look at the everyday day to day for Moms everywhere
Brandi Carlile and Dierks Bentley Give an Exclusive Preview of Their ACM Awards Performance
Get an exclusive look into their first ever performance of “Travelin’ Light.”
Khalid, Brandi Carlile, Kelly Clarkson To Sing At ACM Awards
The ACM Awards will feature collaborations between pop star Khalid and Kane Brown, three-time Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile with Dierks Bentley and pop star Kelly Clarkson pulling double-duty with performances with both Jason Aldean and Dan + Shay.
Maren Morris Brings out the Stars in Nashville
Miranda Lambert, Brandi Carlile, Cassadee Pope and Natalie Hemby joined the "GIRL" singer on-stage
Maren Morris Releases "Common" with Brandi Carlile
The new single laments the state of human interaction
GRAMMY Awards: Vote for Album Of The Year
Please, settle this for us
GRAMMY Awards: Vote for Record Of The Year
Eight will enter, but only one performance will be remembered as the year's best
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Miley Cyrus, H.E.R., and Brandi Carlile Added as Performers at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards
See them all at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, February 10th
GRAMMY Awards: Record Of The Year Nominees
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Prince Harry Is Reportedly Inviting Two of His Ex-Girlfriends, Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, to His Wedding
Brooke Marine
Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Should exes be invited to weddings? Prince Harry seems to think so.
The Daily Mail reports that Prince Harry may be inviting ex-girlfriends Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas to his wedding. According to a source: "Harry has stayed good friends with Chelsy and Cressida, so they will be there...He made sure there were no hard feelings when they split up. I don’t think Meghan will mind." This is not the first time an ex has been invited to a royal wedding—in 1981, Camilla Parker Bowles made an appearance at the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana—but the gesture may still raise a few eyebrows, for obvious reasons. (Parker Bowles and Prince Charles married in 2005.)
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle remains possibly the most composed future princess the royal family has ever seen. According to the source in Daily Mail, there is no bad blood between Markle and Prince Harry's ex-girlfriends.
However, her insouciance at the prospect of inviting exes stops there. Markle will not be inviting her ex-husband, producer Trevor Engelson, to whom she was married for two years until 2013 when the couple divorced, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the basis for their split. She has a good reason for not extending the invite to her ex—he is allegedly developing a television comedy about a man whose ex-wife marries a prince. While Engelson has claimed the project is fictional, the premise certainly is on the nose, or at least familiar enough for Markle to refuse him an invite to her nuptials in May.
Being a divorcée who plans to marry into the royal family marks just one of the many ways Markle is breaking tradition and royal protocal. Until 2002, the Church of England did not allow divorced people to marry in church, but according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Markle's divorce is no longer a problem in the eyes of the Church of England.
Related: Meghan Markle Was Not Sent Anthrax, But Still Faces Very Real Threats
Prince HarryMeghan MarkleRoyal WeddingRoyals
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China's health reform push faces challenges at local government level
Beijing, February 28, 2011 – Health disparities remain significant between urban and rural areas, and among different localities and socio-economic groups in China, and more equitable allocation of government health resources is needed in order to fully achieve health reform objectives, according to a new report prepared jointly by staff of the World Bank and UNICEF. The report, entitled Equity and Public Governance in Health System Reform: Challenges and Opportunities for China, uses official data to analyze possible challenges to the implementation of China’s current health system overhaul.
“Important health outcomes, such as maternal, infant and child mortality have improved in both rural and urban areas across provinces in China during the past 10 years. This has been achieved largely due to overall improvements in social determinants of health and thanks to targeted national funding for specific initiatives, such as hospital delivery. The challenge, however, remains how to align the resources and responsibilities of provincial and sub-provincial governments with the national policy priorities included in China’s health reforms,” said Hana Brixi, World Bank Senior Economist.
According to the report, despite weaker health status in China’s poorer rural communities, per capita government allocations increasingly favour wealthier areas, and better quality health services are increasingly centralized in urban areas. The risk of financial catastrophe due to ill health remained much higher for rural residents, but was also increasing for urban residents when last surveyed in 2008. This risk is not being reduced by the new health insurance programs, which only provide a low level of benefit for members at this stage.
The report infers that one main objective of China’s health reforms, namely improving the accessibility and affordability of health care, will be difficult to achieve because of local reliance on national earmarked funding rather than adequate prioritization of basic services in provincial and sub-provincial government resource allocations. It suggests that the increasing disparity in public expenditure on social services, including health and education, requires better alignment of government priorities at provincial and sub-provincial levels with those developed at national level. Fully addressing the weaknesses identified may require complementary reforms to improve local governance and central-local fiscal relationships, the report concludes.
In particular, the report suggests that given China’s size and decentralization in financing and delivery of public services, it may be crucial to strengthen the role and accountability of provincial governments. Provincial governments may have to become explicitly responsible for equity and efficiency in public resource allocation, for national policy implementation, enforcement of laws, standards and regulations, and for adequate health system performance within the entire province.
Finally, the reports’ authors noted that China’s policy makers would benefit from much greater availability and analysis of local data, including surveys of citizens’ perspectives on social services. This would more readily enable refinement of policies and evaluation of policy implementation at the local level.
Tel : 86-10-5861 7850
Lli2@worldbank.org
Equity and public governance in health system reform : challenges and opportunities for China
East Asia Pacific
View All newsletters »
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Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On
Posted On July 6, 2016 June 23, 2019 In Music History
July 6, 2016 June 23, 2019 Donna Raphael Music History
Marvin Gaye was a singer/songwriter from Detroit who was signed under Motown Records during the 60s and early 70s.
Motown was known for its unique brand of music that had a pop influence to it. Artists under the label such as Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, The Jackson Five, The Four Tops and The Temptations to name a few, followed that genre and style of music mixed with pop, gospel and orchestral blends. The music they produced was feel-good and uplifting. However, it was Marvin Gaye who ultimately ended up being ‘the top male recording artist under the record label during the 60s.’
Marvin Gaye was unique and quite different in the way he eventually viewed the world.
During his Motown days in the late 60s, Marvin was looking for a partner with whom he could sing and it was Berry Gordy, the head founder of Motown Records, who picked Tammi Terrell, another singer signed to Motown Records at the time to be Marvin Gaye’s partner. The pair quickly became great friends and together they sang powerful duets about love and relationships such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Your Precious Love,” and “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” written by Ashford & Simpson. Gaye and Terrell made quite a name for themselves in the short time they were together. However, Terrell became ill not long after their pairing and was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Marvin took the news very hard and gave up live performances with touring for a while. It is believed that the loss of his dear friend was a catalyst that fueled his “What’s Going On” album. The stories of being in the war told by his younger brother also influenced Marvin and caused him to change his views, image and the music he sang about.
Events such as ‘the shootings of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy as well as the violence in Detroit at the Democratic National Convention and at Kent State University’ strongly affected Marvin.
He went from singing about love songs and relationships to singing about socially conscious situations happening in the world like race, war, violence, protests and politics. He wanted people to look and see what was happening in the world. He wanted people to understand that war and violence were wrong and what we needed to solve our many struggles was love.
Unfortunately, Marvin’s stand on social and political awareness created an uncomfortable feeling for the top heads at Motown Records, specifically Berry Gordy. It went against the company’s image and they felt like if they released that album it would no doubt flop and most likely cause negative backlash since they thought it was more like a protest album. It certainly didn’t suit the image of the previous albums they had released. Marvin assured them that it wasn’t the case and they simply needed to give it a try. He was very stubborn over the matter, refusing to make any more music, which instigated a silent battle between him and Motown over the release of his album. In the end, it was Marvin’s stubbornness that eventually won out and got the album released.
The success the album and the single “What Going On” received was tremendous at that time. They sold 100,000 copies on the first day. Because of the different nature of the album, Marvin was able to touch people on a deeper psychological and emotional level.
The lyrics of his songs were inspiring, moving and powerful. They opened up people’s hearts and minds and brought awareness to issues that were otherwise ‘watered down,’ in terms of seriousness and an innate need to make a change.
I felt that the songs on What’s Going On, flowed nicely into each other, painting a story that needed to be told. The lyrical content of songs like “What’s Going On,” “Save The Children,” and “What’s Happening Brother,” stayed true to discussing the hardships of violence and the terrible things happening in the world. Then, there were powerful songs like “Wholy Holy” and “God Only Knows” that spoke of love for your fellow man and spiritual awareness.
The mixtures of horns, strings, bass and percussion that made up the instrumentation of the various songs on the album were nicely blended with the vocals and gave the album a soothing, soulful flavor. You could feel the emotions expressed in each song.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the What’s Going On album. It wasn’t my first time listening to it, but it was nice hearing these songs again and being reminded about what they stood for and how their importance and influence transcended through time. The single even became an iconic song performed by various popular celebrity artists after the events of 9/11. Marvin Gaye was definitely an innovative and ‘forward-thinking’ artist of his time.
Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On – References
Edmonds, B. (2001, December 7). What’s Going On by Ben Edmonds | Books | guardian.co.uk . Latest US news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | guardiannews.com | The Guardian . Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/dec/08/extract
Edmonds, B. (2001, December 7). What’s Going On by Ben Edmonds: part two | Books | guardian.co.uk . Latest US news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | guardiannews.com | The Guardian . Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/dec/08/extract1
Howard, D. (2004). Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers And Their Maverick Recordings (First ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation.
Moss, C. (2009, January 29). What’s Going On: Marvin Gaye’s Liberation from the Motown Sound. PopMatters. Retrieved April 17, 2012, from http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/69381-whats-going-on-marvin-gayes-liberation-from-the-motown-sound/
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Individual creation and collective responsibility that faces today the human being
Speech to the World Meeting of Directors of International Poetry Festivals
Poetry, as the oldest art form discovered and managed by humans, has been a loyal and pleasant company for thousands of years and has become an inseparable part of our lives; being a true spiritual existence, it has never failed to providewater and nutrition for thirsty hearts.Of course, poetry, being writing is an art, like many others have seen numerous renovations among various peoples, this is a truth acknowledged by history, without which there would have not prevailed until today.Going up the river of time, we cannot imagine the absence of poetry: how it would be written the intellectual history of the peoples of the world, and how barren and incomplete would be the spiritual life. Here I only want to emphasize one thing: poetry, both for men in general, and the individual in particular is a vital part rooted in the spiritual realm of human beings.In many villages in remote antiquity, poetry was perceived as light rays, representing the justice and conscience, and poets were regarded as hierarchs and real leaders.Dante, the great Italian poet, is still a spiritual symbol and a pillar of his country, despite the time elapsed until our XXI century.Just for that, and in my humble opinion, what poets write should not be taken as the fruit of a profession.I laugh inside every time I hear these words.The great history of poetry reveals that the poet is more of a dramatic nature, the spokesman for the spiritual, trying to talk in depth with his soul, reality and worldly things, simply by writing insightful.Therefore, it is not surprising that the community of mine who lives in the highlands, poets are seen as people chosen for their intelligence, whose gifts, thoughts and language are granted by the gods.I do not think that is just incomprehensible, because in the minds of many ancient nations, is a common recognition that it is for poets.In certain circumstances, they are not only the crystallization of the Spirit and Consciousness, but the morals and values.The contemporary poet Brodsky once talked about his previous Mandelstam and the Silver Age of Russian literature, saying that thanks to them, the universe silent and silenced history have been able to express a voice of poetry.Indeed, this agrees with the idea of "our mythology," meaning the existence of poetry and poets.I Always argue that the creation of poetry is, on one hand, the process by which the poet finds himself and reveals its inner mysteries, and on the other hand, the mechanism by which perceptions of reality are revealed.
Finally, the poets while living, will walk in search of answers to the unavoidable questions, through the conflict between life and death, existence and nothingness, and many others lurking in all individuals.The preferred form and that one that best understands the world is poetry that emerges naturally from his soul.However, fellow poets, what I would like to raise here is a reality with this background of globalization, in this era ruled by capitals, technology and the Internet, we, human beings, are facing many common challenges that threaten our existence;how to deter the nuclear threat, how to end hunger and disease, avoiding the destruction of the environment, and how to protect biological diversity and cultural concerns that urges us all and don’t leave us much time to brood.The threat that today overwhelms us is more overwhelmingly than ever.Many sages of our time, poets included, are concerned about the future of mankind, thinking of our target goal, and reflecting on whether we achieve development is a step forward or backward, especially in the so-called postindustrial erawe live.These questions obviously unavoidable require efforts by our poets.These days, when hopes and crisis are running parallel, the poet must not be immersed in their own corner, but instead, engage in a voluntary and forced way with the consciousness of the times and become a representative of the entire human species.One thing to note: It is appropriate that we show enough respect to individual expression of the poet, which has full freedom to delve into their feelings and overcome their anxieties, but the fact that poetry is the sanctuary of the man remains an immutable truth, despite all the adversities that come mostly from materialism.Thus, it alone shows what is necessary to stimulate the spirit of poetry.The poet is the most faithful son of the great human civilization.I am convinced that poetswho are dynamic in different regions of the earth, will play their indispensable role in the interest of world peace, and for communication and intercultural exchanges.
* Chinese Poet of the Yi ethnic group President of the International Poetry Festival of Lake Qinghai
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A Deeper Read on Slumping Stars
Five MLB players fallen on hard times who deserve a second look on fantasy teams
Nando Di Fino
It's important to remember that fantasy baseball is a six-month march. Fantasy football seasons last about 12 games, requiring know-how in tweaking rosters quickly as injuries mount up and players surprise or disappoint. But in baseball, a player who is hitting .200 with three home runs in April could hit .371 with 13 home runs in May and provide the impetus for the turnaround of your last-place team. By August, you may have a stranglehold on the league title, and it's all because you didn't panic and trade the player (in this case, the New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira) in that early slump.
Most...
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Yor Kepen Insulaa Modation
College & Education articles
Kurt Vonnegut, PTSD, and Slaughterhouse-Five
“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event – either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.” (Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)). Kurt Vonnegut came home from WWII suffering from PTSD. He struggled to overcome the horrors that he saw and turned to a pastime of his writing in order to recover. Although it took him many years to write, Slaughterhouse 5 became an antiwar book that inspired people to protest to the Vietnam War. It is considered a literary masterpiece by some and the ramblings of a delusional man by others. However one looks at it, the fact remains that Vonnegut’s writing will continue to inspire new readers for years to come. Kurt Vonnegut’s experiences as a POW in Dresden and the horrible things he saw likely scared him for life, which is why his writing is incongruous and centered around what he witnessed in WWII.
For Kurt Vonnegut reading and writing had always been a pleasure. Surprisingly, in college he majored in chemistry and biology, he believes this was good however, because there were no professors telling him what to write and what to read.The birth of Vonnegut’s writing style began to take shape when he entered WWII. Kurt was flunking many of his classes in Eastern University. Then the USA entered WWII and Kurt, a pacifist, saw an opportunity to get away: “I was flunking everything by the middle of my junior year,” he admitted. “I was delighted to join the army and go to war.” (Indiana Historical Society). At first he was rejected for health reasons, but was eventually accepted into the Specialized Training Program to study mechanical engineering. Shortly after Vonnegut was shipped overseas, he was captured, and sent to a POW camp in Dresden. What Kurt experienced there left a scar inside him for the rest of …
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https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/sports/article/TENNIS-Djokovic-Williams-win-Australian-Open-9470301.php
TENNIS: Djokovic, Williams win Australian Open semifinals
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic called it the best he has ever played against old foe Roger Federer. Serena Williams was just being her dominant self.
The defending champions both made their way back to the Australian Open final, with Djokovic beating Federer 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and Williams defeating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 on Thursday.
“I’ve had matches where I’ve played similar tennis,” said Djokovic, the top-ranked player in the world. “But I think against Roger, these first two sets have been probably the best two sets I’ve played against him overall throughout my career.”
Hours earlier at Rod Laver Arena, Williams advanced to within one win of another Grand Slam milestone. If the six-time Australian Open champion wins Saturday’s final against seventh-seeded Angelique Kerber, she will equal Steffi Graf’s 22 major singles titles, a record in the Open era and the second-most in history behind Margaret Court’s 24.
“I was able to do everything that I needed to do,” Williams said of Thursday’s match. “I was really hitting just all the right shots, making little to no errors, which is kind of hard to play like that.”
Djokovic, a five-time champion at the Australian Open, advanced to his sixth final at Melbourne Park. He’ll find out who his final opponent will be after Andy Murray takes on Milos Raonic on Friday.
For Federer, the signs were ominous from the beginning. Djokovic held his first service game at love and broke the 17-time Grand Slam champion in the second. After seven minutes, Federer was trailing 3-0.
The first set was over in 22 minutes. Most spectators — including a woman with a sign reading: “Just Married But Willing to Exchange for Federer” — were behind him, applauding Djokovic’s service faults and giving Federer a standing ovation when he broke to go ahead 4-2 in the third set.
The end came quickly in the fourth. Djokovic broke Federer in the eighth game to go up 5-3 — not even a stunning down-the-line shot after he earlier chased down a lob on the same point could save the Swiss great.
Djokovic held three match points in the next game and he clinched it when Federer netted a backhand. Djokovic, who won three Grand Slam titles last year, took a 23-22 edge in his 45 meetings with Federer.
“Definitely I’ve played unbelievable the first two sets but that’s what is necessary against Roger,” Djokovic said.
Asked about the crowd support for Federer, Djokovic displayed Swiss-like diplomacy.
“When I play Roger it’s something that is expected, in a way, considering his career and his greatness on and off the court,” Djokovic said. “He’s loved. He’s appreciated. He’s respected around the world. For me it’s normal in a way.”
Federer said he wasn’t surprised by Djokovic’s early blitz.
“I’ve seen Novak play this well before,” he said. “It’s tough when it’s from the start because obviously you got to try to stop the bleeding at some point. He can get one or two sets all of a sudden ... and it’s tough to get back into it.”
In the first semifinal match, Kerber ended Sydney-born British player Johanna Konta’s surprising run with a 7-5, 6-2 win to reach her first Grand Slam final. Konta was the first British woman since 1983 to reach the semifinals at a major tournament.
Williams is the overwhelming favorite in the final, and not just based on recent form. She continued her perfect streak in seven Australian Open semifinals.
“I definitely block it out,” Williams said in reply to a question about equaling Graf’s mark. “I was one off last year, too. If I don’t win on Saturday, I’ll still be one off.”
Despite all her success, it is a loss that is inspiring Williams in this tournament. She was two matches away from a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015 when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open semifinals.
“Physically I’m feeling a lot better, mentally I needed that break after the Open,” Williams said, but “I didn’t think I would do this well this fast.”
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3G3G refers to a group of third-generation mobile IP telephony standards, based on work done by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). W-CDMA, also known as UMTS, tends to be predominant in countries where GSM networks are used (mainly in Europe), while in the US and Asia, plain CDMA (without the W-) reigns.
By ZDNet Staff | July 25, 2005 -- 10:05 GMT (03:05 PDT) | Topic: Networking
3G refers to a group of third-generation mobile IP telephony standards, based on work done by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). W-CDMA, also known as UMTS, tends to be predominant in countries where GSM networks are used (mainly in Europe), while in the US and Asia, plain CDMA (without the W-) reigns.
3G datacard
A PC Card incorporating a 3G SIM that provides a notebook computer with wide-area broadband-speed (up to 384Kbps) Internet connectivity. Available from O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone in the UK.
A proprietary mobile platform based around the RIM operating system and Blackberry smartphones. Designed primarily to deliver push email from corporate servers or Internet accounts to supported mobile devices. Blackberry technology is now available under licence on several third-party devices, and is likely to become more widespread in future.
A short-range wireless PAN technology designed primarily for cable replacement duties within a 10m range. Uses the 2.4GHz frequency band, along with several other technologies (802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Zigbee).
Convertible Tablet PC
A Tablet PC that looks like a conventional clamshell notebook PC, complete with screen and keyboard, but whose screen can be swivelled around and laid flat on the keyboard, with the display outermost, allowing the Tablet PC to be held in the crook of an arm or placed on a desk and used in pen-input mode.
General Packet Radio Services. A extension to the GSM mobile phone network standard adding packet-switched data capabilities. GPRS is considered a step towards 3G, and is sometimes referred to as '2.5G'. GPRS allows for intermittent data transfer, which is more appropriate for uses such as Web browsing, email access and instant-messaging. Although GPRS can theoretically deliver near-broadband speeds, with a limit of about 170Kbps, real-world speeds are closer to 30-70 Kbps. Speeds also decline quickly as distance to the base station increases. An update to GPRS called EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) can increase speeds significantly.
A generic name for a pocket computer, sometimes also referred to as a PDA. The most popular operating systems for handhelds are Windows Mobile and Palm OS. Most handhelds come with personal- and local-area wireless connectivity, and some also incorporate wide-area connectivity in the shape of a GSM/GPRS mobile phone (3G connectivity has yet to appear in a handheld).
HSPDA
High Speed Packet Downlink Access. HSDPA is an incremental upgrade to 3G (UMTS) networks that increases peak data rates and quality-of-service, and improves spectral efficiency -- similar to the way EDGE has done for GPRS. HSDPA offers peak downlink data rates of up to 14 Mbps -- dramatically more than the 384Kbps typical of today's 3G networks.
Local Area Network. A short-distance network used to link a group of computers together within a building. 10Base-T Ethernet is the most commonly used form of wired LAN, while 802.11b Wi-Fi is the commonest wireless LAN technology. LANs and wireless LANs provide low-cost, high-bandwidth networking capabilities within a small geographical area.
Mobile application gateway
Client/server middleware that integrates with email/groupware servers and other back-end enterprise applications and data stores to deliver application services to mobile devices with wireless Internet connectivity.
The delivery of email to a mobile device, which can take three forms: pull email requires the user to make a connection with the server and collect messages; push email is automatically sent from a server to a mobile device, with no intervention from the user; polled pull is a compromise between push and pull in which a device collects email according to a predefined schedule.
Mobile WiMax
WiMax, part of the IEEE's 802.16 standard, is a wide-area wireless networking technology that promises to deliver wireless broadband access over a significantly greater range than that of Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g) wireless LAN technology. Currently under development, 802.16e is a mobile version of the technology that will offer broadband Internet access to users on the move. A fixed-wireless version of WiMax, 802.16a, was finalised in January 2003.
Over The Air. A term used to describe communications using wide-area wireless networks such as 2.5G and 3G cellular networks. It can be used to refer to data exchange such as the sending and receiving of email, or the delivery of software or critical updates -- also known as provisioning.
Personal Area Network. A short-distance network used to connect devices together within a range of around 10 metres. The interesting PAN technologies are wireless, and are designed to replace cables such as serial, parallel and USB. The oldest wireless PAN technology is infrared, which requires line of sight; the current exemplar is Bluetooth, which uses the 2.4GHz band along with the up-and-coming Zibgee. A future PAN contender is ultrawideband.
Personal Digital Assistant. The original name for a pocket computer or handheld, more relevant to the days when such devices lacked wireless Internet connectivity and were mainly used as a portable, offline vehicle for PC-synchronised email and PIM (Personal Information Management) data.
Pre-N
Refers to wireless networking equipment that offers some of the functionality of the as-yet-unratified IEEE 802.11n standard -- notably the MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) smart-antenna technology. Data throughput is double that of today's 54Mbps 802.11g and 802.11a.
Pen-based input
Both handhelds and Tablet PCs accept input from a pen or stylus, but handheld screens are passive touch-sensitive displays that also respond to the touch of a finger, for example. These are suitable for simple point-and-click operations, or letter-by-letter handwriting recognition. A Tablet PC's screen has an active digitizer, which means that input can only be accepted from a special stylus. However a digitiser is faster and more accurate, and therefore suitable for 'proper' handwriting recognition.
Slate-style Tablet PC
A Tablet PC that lacks a built-in keyboard. Slate-style Tablet PCs are designed for use in environments where keyboards are inappropriate -- examples include forms-based data gathering where the screen can be tapped to make direct input, or situations where a notebook might be a barrier to communications, such as customer-facing interactions.
A voice-centric mobile device that looks like a mobile phone (usually a somewhat bulky one), but includes more data functionality than a regular mobile. Typically this can include PIM (calendar, diary and contact management) data, email and Web browsing, plus the ability to run third-party software. Popular smartphone operating systems are Windows Mobile, Palm OS 5 Garnet and Symbian (with the UIQ, Series 60 and Series 80 interfaces).
Wide Area Network. Take two LANs, hook them together, and you've got a WAN. Wide area networks can be made up of interconnected smaller networks spread throughout a building, a state or the entire globe. Typical wireless WANs include the 2G, 2.5G and 3G mobile phone networks.
A common umbrella term for 802.11 wireless LANs and a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, a manufacturer association that performs and certifies compatibility testing, and promotes the technology.
Wi-Fi hot spot
A Wi-Fi access point or area, generally for providing Internet connectivity. Hotspots are often located in train stations, airports, restaurants, cafes, libraries and other public places.
Wireless messaging gateway
Client/server middleware that integrates with email/groupware servers to deliver email and PIM data to mobile devices with wireless Internet connectivity.
A new wide-area wireless networking technology from xG Technology that is claimed to deliver bandwidth and range that outclasses 3G, making it a serious contender for future 4G networks.
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HOT Lanes Are Heating Up in Los Angeles
Ashley K. Thomas
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OUT OF THE FRYING PAN - Starting on November 10, Los Angeles will begin a one-year experiment to convert High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, better known as carpool lanes, to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on two major freeways. Toll lanes are not new to California drivers, but this is the first time we will see these lanes on LA’s busiest freeways.
The HOT lanes will allow lone drivers to access the current carpool lanes on the I-10 (beginning early 2013) and I-110 (November 10) freeways by paying a toll that changes based on the current level of traffic. Drivers who utilize carpools, van pools, buses and motorcycles will continue to access those lanes for free. (For more information on all the rules and details, check out Metro’s handy-dandy FAQ page.)
Metro argues that HOT lanes will reduce congestion in the regular lanes, and that all revenue from freeway tolls will go directly to fund improvements to public transportation and roads near the freeways where tolls are collected.
Research conducted by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggests that in all cities utilizing HOT lanes, travel time and speed improved on at least some sections of the freeway, in some cases as much as 14 minutes in HOT lanes and 11 minutes in free adjacent lanes.
The transition is not without controversy. In order to make the system work, Metro has required all travelers using the HOT lanes to purchase and use a transponder. With no toll booths, if you happen to find yourself on the I-110 heading towards downtown on date-night, you will not be able to just jump into the carpool lane. Also, drivers must “self-declare” the number of occupants within a car before the trip begins, creating a difficult enforcement environment.
In my family, my mom and I take public transportation to our jobs downtown via the I-110, but on occasion we find ourselves needing to drive. Deciding whether or not to purchase the transponder has been a difficult one. Some months we take the bus every day, but just this week we had to drive and utilized the carpool lane. We saved approximately 20 minutes. We have to decide whether or not to pay the extra $3 inactivity fee or take our chances in the regular lanes even though we carpool.
In addition, some lawmakers argue that toll lanes create an unfair system where those with the income to spend an additional $2,000-$3,000 per year can speed past the rest of LA’s commuters.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) called it the “traffic system of haves and have-nots.” The initial setup cost alone of the transponder ranges from $40 to $75. Metro has indicated that an average trip, end to end, will cost about $6 on the I-10 and $4 on the I-110.
Research from the Government Accountability Office and local reports from the state of Washington and California suggest that HOT lanes do impact low-income communities but that the effects may be minimal depending on local conditions.
● A usage study indicated that drivers of all incomes used the HOT lanes and that a majority of commuters at all income levels do not use HOT lanes every day. However, another study suggested that high-income drivers used them more often than low-income drivers.
● Washington State’s research suggests that some low-income families “choose to pay for HOT lanes to get to work on time, to keep childcare costs down, and to make appointments on time without taking as much leave from work.”
● Moreover, the Washington research demonstrates that low-income drivers are potentially disproportionately impacted, primarily based on the usage of bank accounts, credit or debit cards, commonly used to bill for HOT lane use.
Metro officials cite their first-of-its-kind “Equity Program” for low-income residents. The program gives low-income families a one-time $25 credit to be used towards the purchase of a transponder or towards toll pricing. Low-income families also qualify for a waiver of the $3 inactivity fee, making occasional usage more accessible.
Metro further points out that all gross toll revenue will be reinvested into improvements in public transportation. This includes an increase in frequency of the Silver Line Busway that travels the I-110 from the Artesia Transit Center to the El Monte Busway via Union Station.
The HOT lane debate will no doubt heat up even more next month when carpool lanes open for the first time to lone drivers. Will the HOT lanes reduce congestion? Will they be fair for all commuters? Stay tuned.
(Ashley K. Thomas is a research/policy analyst with LAANE’s Construction Careers Project. This column was posted first at fryingpannews.org)
Pub: Nov 2, 2012
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Search results for: "africa"
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I By: Mery I 3 years ago I 5 Comments Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the continent. It towers over 19,300 feet, which is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summi Africa has the world's largest desert, the Sahara, which is almost the size of the United States With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. Ecology, biodiversity and geogra... READ MORE
I By: Mike I 3 years ago I 5 Comments Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the continent. It towers over 19,300 feet, which is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summi Africa has the world's largest desert, the Sahara, which is almost the size of the United States With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. Ecology, biodiversity and geogra... READ MORE
Africa Info
I By: Mery I 3 years ago I 5 Comments AFRICA HAS THE WORLD'S LARGEST DESERT. THE SAHARA HAS AREA OF 9,2 MILIONS SQUARE KILOMETERS, WHICH IS ALMOST THE SIZE OF THE UNITED STATEST Africa has the world's largest desert, the Sahara, which is almost the size of the United States With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. Ecology, biodiversity and geography READ MORE
I By: Mery I 3 years ago I 4 Comments BLOG WHERE YOU WILL LEARN ALL ABOUT AFRICA - THE MOST BEAUTIFULL CONTINENT IN THE WORLD Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the continent. It towers over 19,300 feet, which is so tall that glaciers can be found at its summi Africa has the world's largest desert, the Sahara, which is almost the size of the United States With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no re... READ MORE
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Call for Submissions: The 6th A.I.R. Currents Exhibition
A.I.R. Gallery
155 Plymouth Street
The sixth biannual CURRENTS exhibition continues A.I.R. Gallery’s mission of exploring timely themes through its open call series. This year’s CURRENTS will be curated by Carmen Hermo.
Deadline: 11:59 PM EST — October 13, 2019
The exhibition will explore the experiences and ramifications of manipulations of reality, or gaslighting, on individuals, communities, and culture. While much attention has been paid to “fake news” and “alternative facts,” further work is necessary to illuminate the social impact of more insidious, everyday deceit, especially on women-identifying people and marginalized groups. Whether in personal relationships, professional or cultural settings, or writ large in our socio-political moment, this type of intentional misdirection exploits vulnerabilities to distort reality.
Gaslighting undermines, isolates, and divides. The term comes from the 1938 play and 1944 film Gaslight where a woman, played by Ingrid Bergman, is manipulated by her husband to paranoid extremes of self-doubt and anxiety, though she is ultimately vindicated. From historical medical diagnoses of women as “hysterical,” to the lack of accountability following recorded police violence, to the current backlash to the #MeToo movement, gaslighting is used to reify existing power structures and dismiss challenges to the status quo. It is most commonly cited in relation to intimate partner violence, and is often accompanied by a lack of empathy, or pointedly victim-blaming tactics.
In the face of all of this, art and artists can push us to better recognize and resist this abusive assertion of power and control. They can call out, debunk, or subvert the lies. They can challenge epistemic injustice, a term devised by Miranda Fricker to encapsulate how the emotional or experiential knowledge of marginalized groups is dismissed or silenced. Artists can also establish new pathways for communication, self-knowledge, and self-confidence through these same forms of knowledge, and by prioritizing empathy and lived experience over traditional notions of expertise. This exhibition likewise aims to center bodily and emotional knowledge.
The exhibition will ask several questions of its artists, and of its eventual audience. How do we know what we know? How do we convey our knowledge—whether that is intellectual, emotional, bodily, or ancestral? Why are these forms of social manipulation so pervasive in 2019-2020? How do we hold on to our truths amidst persistent manipulation?
Carmen Hermo joined the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art’s curatorial team as Assistant Curator in June 2016 and was appointed Associate Curator in 2018. She curated Roots of “The Dinner Party”: History in the Making (2017), co-organized Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty (2016–17), the Brooklyn presentation of Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985 (2018), Half the Picture: A Feminist Look at the Collection (2018–19), Something to Say: Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine, Deborah Kass, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, and Hank Willis Thomas (2018–19) and formed part of the curatorial collective for Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall (2019). Carmen works to support the permanent collection and serves on the Council for Feminist Art and Young Leadership Council patron groups.
Previously, Carmen was Assistant Curator for Collections at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2010–16), where she served on the museum’s Young Collectors Council acquisition committee devoted to the work of emerging artists and co-curated the contemporary collection exhibitions Now’s the Time: Recent Acquisitions (2012–13) and Storylines: Contemporary Art at the Guggenheim (2015). She has previously worked with the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art. Carmen received her B.A. in Art History and English from the University of Richmond and her M.A. in Art History from Hunter College. Carmen lives in Jersey City.
All media, including painting, photography, prints, drawing, works on paper, new media, sculpture, mixed media, traditional or non-traditional materials, are welcome.
There is no size limit on artwork.
Please note that installations will ONLY be accepted if they have been completed. NO PROPOSALS will be accepted.
DELIVERY OF WORK
All work accepted for the exhibition must arrive at the gallery framed and/or ready to hang/install.
Work may be shipped via FedEx/UPS or hand-delivered to A.I.R. Gallery.
Return postage MUST BE provided for shipped work.
A $35 non-refundable entry fee for 1 – 3 images OR 1 video submission (price will increase to $40 after September 1, 2019).
An additional $5 for each extra image (up to 3 extra images allowed, 6-image limit).
72dpi, JPG, RGB files only.
Longest side of image must be 1000 pixels.
Each image may not exceed 1MB and 1000 pixels in any direction.
Images MUST be oriented properly (ex: top of the image is up).
File name MUST not include first or last name (this is a blind review).
VIDEO GUIDELINES
Videos may not exceed 5 minutes in length.
Videos may be a 5 minute clip of your full video OR up to 3 separate video clips within a 5-minute video.
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Nature And/Or Nurture
October 1, 2016 By Athol Dickson
Recently I read about the latest Christian to have his First Amendment rights trampled by the government in the relentless march to normalize homosexuality. Among the usual christophobics (a word I just made up!) who were commenting on the story was a woman who called the man an “idiot” because “He actually thinks people choose their sexuality.”
Do you follow the logic? She was saying if sexual orientation is caused by genetics, then we have no choice about our sexual desires, so acting on those desires is no sin. This is supposed to be an irrefutable argument against the traditional Christian prohibition of homosexual acts, and by proxy, an irrefutable argument against Christianity.
It’s common for Christians to counter this argument by insisting that homosexuality is rooted in learned behavior, not genetics. Returning to the comment thread at the link above, notice “Mary” who responds by writing “He’s no idiot! Sexuality IS a CHOICE!”
Whether true or not (and the latest science seems to indicate the truth is somewhere in-between) it’s a poor response for two reasons: first, it’s theologically incomplete, and second, it misses an opportunity to get people thinking about what Jesus really did for us all on the cross, and why it had to be done.
Of course Christianity teaches the common sense fact that we’re morally responsible for our choices. Pretty much every religion teaches that. What most other religions don’t answer is the question: Why is sin is so tempting? Why are we more tempted by one particular sin than by another? Why do we choose to do things even when we know they’ll harm us or those we love?
Christianity has a core doctrine which answers all of these questions, a bombshell of an idea that makes Christianity different, which is this: we’re compelled to make bad choices; it’s in our DNA.
We’re compelled to make bad choices; it’s in our DNA.
This is called the doctrine of “original sin.” The name comes from the original sin, the first sin, which according to Christian theology, caused a fundamental shift in human nature. Although most analogies fall short, in this case there’s a nearly perfect parallel. Think of sin as a harmful and addictive drug which alters the chemistry (or genetics) of the mind, causing an irrational compulsion to take more of the harmful drug. And just as addicted mothers often give birth to addicted babies, Christianity explains that the compulsion to sin was passed down from the first sinner to the next generation, and so on and on throughout the generations, right down to you and me.
Does this mean we can’t help sinning? Yes, absolutely. The proof of this is in everyone you know, because of course nobody, not one single solitary person, is or ever has been perfect.
Does it mean it’s unfair or unjust to punish sin because it’s “only natural”? Of course not. Clearly, there must be deterrents to keep us from stepping outside the limits of acceptable behavior, whether we’re born with a desire to go beyond those limits or not. In fact, the more deep seated a sinful desire may be, the greater the argument for limits on that desire. Think of any of the Ten Commandments (or at least the last five if you’re an atheist) and then imagine a society without such limitations, and you’ll quickly see my point.
For a Christian then, the “nature or nurture” debate is a false dichotomy. Every time we sin, we freely choose to do it even though we know it damages ourselves and others. We need to own that. Unfortunately, we can’t always make amends, which is a serious problem if one believes in justice. And it’s an equally serious problem that every choice to sin is motivated by something deep within us, something which makes us want to sin, some warped and twisted thing that we can’t change because it’s in our spiritual DNA, and maybe in our genes.
So it’s not about nature or nurture. It’s about nature and nurture. And this returns us to the second reason why it’s best not to insist that “homosexuality is a choice.” That response ignores half of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and half of why it had to be done. In the name of justice, Jesus sacrificed himself to make amends (atone) for the damage we’ve freely chosen to do that we cannot undo. He also died to heal (save) us from the warped and twisted sinful inclinations we can’t overcome. That’s why you see Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross explained in both ways in the Bible. In some places, it says Jesus atoned for our sins. In other places, it says he saved us. Like nature and nurture, it’s two different things. Two different reasons Jesus took our place on the cross. And two different reasons to be grateful.
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Mayor Sharief presents Key to the County and a Proclamation to Longtime Resident Mr. Marvin Price, Retired United States Air Force Veteran, who served during the Vietnam Era
I had the honor and privilege of presenting a Proclamation and the Key to the County to Mr. Marvin Price who has been a resident of the Carver Ranches Community in the City of West Park, Florida since 1974 and has been President of the Carver Ranches/Hyde Park Community Association for more than 15 years. Mr. Price was also very instrumental in the formation and incorporation of the City of West Park, Florida. Mr. Price is retired from the United States Postal Service after 38 years and is also a United States Air Force Veteran, having served during the Vietnam Era. He is a three-time past Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It gives me great pleasure in recognizing Mr. Marvin Price and designating today, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, as "MARVIN PRICE APPRECIATION DAY" in Broward County, Florida.
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Freedom Matters
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation
Think Tank News
4discussion
Review #1
Review #10
Hate speech: European Union – Central Europe – Poland
by 4liberty.euon May 18, 2015 May 19, 2015
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The spectrum of hate speech is very broad, varying from hatred to extremely abusive forms of prejudice. Oxford English Dictionary defines hate as “an emotion of extreme dislike or aversion; detention, abhorrence, hatred”. And often the qualification of an action as “extreme” is treated as a decisive parameter in defining hate speech.
From a legal perspective, the hate speech spectrum stretches from types of expression that are not entitled to protection under international human rights law, to types of expression that may or may not be entitled to protection, depending on the existence and weight of a number of “contextual variables” (e.g. extremely offensive expression), to other types of expression that presumptively would be entitled to protection despite their morally objectionable character (e.g. negative stereotyping of minorities).1
One of the definitions of hate speech can be found in Recommendation No. (97) 20 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe:
(…) the term “hate speech” shall be understood as covering all forms of expression which is used to spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including: intolerance expressed by aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility against minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin.
One more definition that does not come from a legal text is as follows:
Hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against, or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group. The law may identify a protected individual or a protected group by certain characteristics.
This understanding of hate speech includes publications, symbols, graffiti, songs, movies and radio broadcasting. This definition will be accepted as the official one in this report. It is broad and implies that hate speech cannot be left alone, and action must be taken against it.
Hate speech is growing in Europe. The years after economic crisis brought new antagonisms in the European Union. The rich against the poor, the locals against the new-comers, the South against the North… Antagonisms bring conflicts and conflicts bring hate speech. New surveys and researches show that the extremists are on the wave. Especially those from the far right who build their identity and programme on hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and many other phobias. They introduce hate speech to mainstream discourse, both in politics and media. And the latter ones influence a lot the speech of regular people.
The ultimate confirmation of the trend was remarked during the elections to the European Parliament in May 2014. Eurosceptic right-populist parties increased their vote share from 11% to 15%, with some countries receiving even more support. Lega Nord in Italy, Austrian Freedom Party, Jobbik in Hungary, Party of Freedom in the Netherlands, True Finns, and Congress of the New Right in Poland have now marked their representation in Strasbourg and Brussels. Danish People’s Party, National Front in France and the United Kingdom Independence Party won the elections in their states, scoring respectively 26%, 25% and 27% of votes. The National Democratic Party of Germany and the Golden Dawn of Greece, two parties considered neo-nazi also won seats for their MEPs. The last case is especially alarming because the Greek party (associated with a swastika-like symbol) promotes political violence, being under investigation for brutal crimes, and their leaders facing incarceration. This proves that the radical right present in the European Parliament is thus not only the so called “far right 2.0”, the one with more aesthetic look and rhetoric traits, but also includes the traditional far right that bases its support on racism, anti-Semitism, skinheads, etc.
Hate speech is one of the aftermaths of the development of extreme right movements in Europe. It is organically connected with nationalistic demagogy, with both phenomena feeding on each other. Hate speech reflects a negative attitude represented by nationalists towards different groups, and, on the other hand, hate speech becomes the nutrient for far right movements that institutionalize aggressive discourse. This is the classic knock-on effect, which can also be observed in the relationship between hate speech and hate crime. Therefore the fight against hate speech contributes to the fight against nationalism, which implies that focus on the topic is required from the liberal front.
Hate speech has become a typical behavior among politicians. More than 40% of respondents in a research dealing with this issue said that the use of offensive language towards LGBT people by politicians is widespread in their country. In some countries it went up to above 90%. On an average, 44% of respondents across the eight countries surveyed said that anti-Semitism in political life is a big problem. In some countries, this figure rises to well over 50%.
Political hate speech is connected with hate speech in media. The same survey shows that in those countries in which the respondents reported a high degree of anti-Jewish sentiment, there is also a heavy presence of anti-Semitic reporting in the media. This research appears to have identified an interaction between the media and the politics, that requires further investigating.2
Hate speech in Central Europe
Hate speech in the Eastern Europe has some specific features, especially when compared with the Western Europe. It is of course connected with the specific socio-economic situation that was determined by the common historical experience, built on the trauma of World War II and the communist era, with a strong role of the Christian religion in its more ludic and conservative version. The countries that were closed and partly isolated from the outside world developed different societies, that were more homogeneous, with specific national, ethnic and religious tensions.
As Andras Sajo observed:
After all, racism and incitement to hatred against ethnic (national) groups (primarily but not exclusively minorities) present a major social and regulatory problem in the post-communist period. Extremist nationalist propaganda has often been part of the self-assertion of nationalist political movements and become part of official government ideology. Extremist nationalist speech played a major role in the escalation of the Yugoslav conflict, contributing ultimately to genocide. Given the strong endorsement of nationalism by many political actors, including some governments, in many countries extremist speech, irrespective of the legal provisions, became, to some extent, socially normalized.3
It can be noted that hate speech in Eastern Europe targets some specific groups. Roma people, LGBT and Jews can be pointed out here. However, the reasons for that are very complex and explaining them lies beyond the scope of this article.
High level of discrimination against Roma people has been reported in many studies.4 Hate speech against Roma is permanently present in public discourse of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Romania. The media build a negative image of the Roma. Also the politicians do not avoid spreading hatred. An example of a Hungarian mayor can be quoted here. He once said “The Roma have no place among human beings. Just as in the animal world parricides must be expelled.”5 It is difficult not to see the connection between hate speech and other hate crimes here. For example, in Hungary between 2008 and 2009 six Roma people were killed with “Molotov cocktails” thrown at their houses, and they were shot as attempted to flee.6
Central and Eastern Europe is also deeply homophobic7 and it is reflected in the hate speech. 23% of Croatians, 22% of Bulgarians and 21% of Romanians believe that homophobic harassment and assault are very widespread in their countries. Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia come next.8 Countries of the region “won” also when their citizens were asked about how widespread offensive language about lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender people by politicians is in the country where they live (Lithuania 58%, Bulgaria 42%, Poland 33%), hatred jokes in everyday life (Bulgaria 68%), aversion towards transgender people in public (Bulgaria 47%, Croatia 42 %, Lithuania 41 %).9
The International Network Against Cyber Hate and the Paris-based International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism released a report documenting the explosion of online anti-Semitic hate speech. It is a trend observed in all of European Union, but while in the West it is connected with the war between Israel and Hammas, in the East it is still an aftermath of the stereotypes and experience of the war and communism. In a poll conducted by the Warsaw University Center for Research on Prejudice, researchers concluded that more than half of Polish youth visit anti-Semitic websites that glorify Hitler and Nazism. In Hungary, Marton Gyongyosi, an MP for the far-right Jobbik, who is the vice-chairman of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, had called for the authorities to compile a national list of Hungarian Jews, especially those in parliament and government, who represent what he described as a “national-security risk”, allegedly slanting Hungarian foreign policy in Israel’s interest.
In general, it should be noted that hate speech against the abovementioned groups, but also others, is very common in Central Europe and it seems more tolerated by the members of Central European societies. Therefore, it must be combated. Most former communist states in Central Europe regulated hate speech on the basis of its content. Some of the post-Soviet states, like Lithuania or Estonia, the post-Yugoslav republics and Romania, incorporated the anti-hate speech provisions into their constitutions. It is important to notice that the constitutional regulations of hate speech emerged in the region in states with big national minorities and heavy tensions between the groups of citizens (or non-citizens).
The scope of laws in different countries varies. Some states regulated hate speech with very general terms, giving their law enforcement bodies more freedom, while some have detailed regulations.
Combating hate speech
Hate speech can interfere with human rights and also with so-called operative values, such as dignity, non-discrimination, equality, freedom of expression, religion, association or effective participation in public life. Additionally, hate speech harms individuals and causes damages in individuals such as psychological damages, fear, inhibited self-fulfillment or disintegrated self-esteem. And this is the reason why it should be fought with legal instruments.
Such fight is as at least as old as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that reads: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. Also in the European Charter of Human Rights we read in Art. 11: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions, and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.”
The first hate speech legislation in European nations in the 20th century was aimed at stopping political racism associated with fascism and the experiences of the World War II. After the war, the United Nations, through various declarations and treaties, sought to fight racist regimes. In its International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (IECRD) the UN linked racial discrimination with racism, in an effort to outlaw not only discriminatory treatment but also hate speech and other elements of racism that might not fall under the definition of racial discrimination.
There is already quite a long list of legal instruments that are supposed to restrict hate speech from the public space. A very special place in that system of protection hold the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Both were created to guard legal standards, human rights and democracy. Among those international legal instruments are:
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (e.g.. Article III(c) – direct and public incitement to commit genocide);
The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) (esp. articles 4 and 5 – all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or racial hatred, incitement to racial discrimination, with due regard to the right to freedom of expression);
The International Convention on Civil and Political Right (ICCPR) (esp. Articles 19 and 20 – respectively, freedom of expression and advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence).
Many of the treaty provisions have been clarified by General Comments or Recommendations, eg. Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 34 on the right to freedom of expression and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s General Reccommendation No. 35, entitled “Combating racist hate speech”. ICERD is of special interest because it contains provisions on the relationship between freedom of expression and hate speech. Article 4 thereof requires states to render several types of expression punishable by law. This makes ICERD a special tool that creates more far-reaching obligations for states than other treaties.
States Parties condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination.
In Europe, Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECtHR) is the centerpiece for the right of freedom expression. It reads as follows:
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions, and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
In 1996 the European Union also adopted a Joint Action that encouraged action from Member States to prevent perpetrators of racist acts from moving to States with more lenient laws by either criminalizing certain behaviors, or by agreeing to remove the requirement for double criminality. On 28 November 2008, the Council of the EU adopted the Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law. As regards hate speech, Member States must ensure that the following intentional conduct is punishable when directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, color, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin:
– public incitation to violence or hatred, including by public dissemination or distribution of tracts, pictures or other material;
– public condoning, denying or grossly trivializing
– crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court (hereinafter ‘ICC’); or
– the crimes defined in Article 6 of the Charter of the International Military Tribunal appended to the London Agreement of 8 August 1945, when the conduct is carried out in a manner likely to incite violence, or hatred against such a group or one or more of its members.
Hate speech in Poland is, of course, very often connected with the most radical organized groups. The extremist nationalistic groups are: Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski (National Rebirth of Poland), Obóz Narodowo–Radykalny (ONR; National-Radical Camp) and Stowarzyszenie Narodowe Zadruga (National Association Zadruga). They have all organized different kinds of events, like marches, concerts, happenings, where they chant and shout radical, nationalistic, xenophobic slogans, e.g. “Our sacred Res – Jews from Poland go away”, “Whole Poland – only white”, “Free Poland – no niggers”. What is more, the ONR delegates “greeted” the memorial of Silesian insurgent with Nazi gesture.
However, it would be naive to think that hate speech in Poland is produced only by the marginalized extremists. It is also used by others, especially by the politicians, what is definitely worrying. Otwarta Rzeczpospolita (Open Republic), an association that, among others, monitors hate speech activities in Poland, gives an example of Maciej Giertych, a member of the European Parliament and the father of the deputy-prime minister in the Kaczynski government, who published a brochure “The War of Civilizations in Europe”. The publication referred to the works of a conservative historian Feliks Koneczny and presented Jews in a way that could lead to aggression and dislike as a “worse” nation. It is important to underline that Hans-Gert Pöttering called the brochure “the substantial violation of the fundamental individual rights, especially the right to dignity of a human being”10
Polish political scene has been sharply divided between the ruling Platforma Obywatelska (PO; Civic Platform) and the conservative Prawo i Sprawedliwość (PiS; Law and Justice). This conflict is not really about the political agenda but it is personal and powered by the attitude towards the Smolensk tragedy (when Lech Kaczynski died in the plane crash in Russia). Both sides of the camp speak about the other side without any respect, using words that can often be recognized as hate speech. Political aggression has been growing in years. Escalation of hate speech in Polish political discourse was noted after last elections when the first openly gay deputy and first trans-gender deputy won seats in the Polish parliament. This negative attitude towards sexual minorities has been strengthened by the Catholic Church and its crusade against “gender ideology”.
The example is set by the people at the top. An average Joe Bloggs speaks the way elites do. Hate speech is more and more acceptable in everyday situations. It is used in private conversations, written on walls, can be read in media and is omnipresent in the Internet. To sum up, hate speech in Poland is not a marginalized matter of the extreme right, it is observed in all groups, from the football hooligans to members of academia.
In the 2014 report on hate speech in Poland we read:
„I detest fags – they are degenerate human beings, they should be treated” – every fifth Pole thinks that such a statement is admissible in the public discourse. Almost two thirds of young Poles encountered examples of anti-Semitic hate speech on the Internet. About the same percentage of Polish young people heard hate speech towards Romani people from their friends. Every third adult Pole has read racist statements on the Internet, and as much as 70 percent of young Poles declare that they encountered such statements on the Internet. Surprisingly high percentage of Poles accept hate speech – in particular towards Jews, Romani people, and non-heterosexual persons – and see nothing offensive in it. But the representatives of the minorities are affirmative that such statements are offensive and should be forbidden.
These are the results of the latest study performed by the Warsaw University Centre for Research on Prejudice and the Stefan Batory Foundation11.
The survey showed that hate speech against non-heterosexual people receives the highest acceptance in Poland. 35% of adult and 38% of young Poles perceive it as acceptable. The most offensive statements were seen as acceptable by 22% of adult Poles and 20% of young people. Only 59% of adults said that such statements should be forbidden. Homophobic hate speech is encountered by young people mainly on the Internet (77%), when talking with friends (65%), and on the TV (33%). The level of acceptance for anti-Muslim hate speech is also relatively high – 15% of adult Poles and 19% of young people think that the statement: “Muslims are stinky cowards, they can only murder women, children and innocent people” is admissible.
Surveyed Poles (both adults and young people) believe hate speech towards Ukrainians and Africans/black people to be forbidden, but they are willing to accept hate speech against LGBT people, Romani people and Jews. The acceptance of hate speech, especially among young people, is strongly related to their right-wing, hierarchical attitudes. People with right-wing views were in particular tolerant of hate speech towards non-heterosexual people12.
Anti-hate speech laws in Poland
Hate speech laws in Poland are regulated at the constitutional level. Article 54 of the Constitution protects freedom of speech. By its Article 13, the Constitution prohibits political parties and other organizations which have programs based upon totalitarian methods and the modes of activity of Nazism, fascism and communism. Article 13 further prohibits any programs or activities which promote racial or national hatred. Article 35 gives national and ethnic minorities the right to establish educational and cultural institutions and institutions designed to protect religious identity.
Additionally, hate speech is regulated in criminal code: Article 196 makes anyone found guilty of intentionally offending religious feelings through public calumny of an object or place of worship liable to a fine, a restriction of liberty, or to imprisonment for a maximum of two years. Article 256 makes anyone found guilty of promoting a fascist or other totalitarian system of state or of inciting hatred based on national, ethnic, racial, or religious differences, or for reason of the lack of any religious denomination, liable to a fine, a restriction of liberty, or to imprisonment for a maximum of two years. Article 257 makes anyone found guilty of publicly insulting a group or a particular person because of national, ethnic, racial, or religious affiliation or because of the lack of any religious denomination liable to a fine, a restriction of liberty, or to imprisonment for a maximum of three years.
Additionally, Article 119 makes anyone found guilty of using violence or threats against a person or group of persons due to their nationality, ethnicity, race, political convictions, and religion up to 5 years of imprisonment.
Nevertheless, the statistics showing the number of people punished for committing hate crimes are very low.
There are many reasons why these articles are not used frequently by the police and the prosecution, among them:
Considered as low priority by prosecution authorities
No specialists to combat internet-related issues
Social acceptance of discriminatory speech (language issue)
Limited scope of legal regulations (sexual orientation, political convictions)
At local level prosecutors friends with perpetrators
No reaction from society
Little engagement of Internet Intermediaries/Internet Service Providers
All these reasons are intertwined. The society continues to be passive and does not see hate speech and hate crimes as important issues to be combated by the state authorities. This is transplanted onto the state organs. The definition of hate speech is not broad enough. The law-givers have not covered some important parts of hate speech, like gender-based hate speech, since there is not much public support for penalizing this kind of speech.
Moreover, the police and the prosecution do not treat these kinds of crimes with priority and victims are often convinced about the insignificance of their case. Another issue is connected with the fact that lots of hate speech crimes “take place” online and the police is not trained properly and does not have enough man power to take account of all the online hate speech cases.
On the other hand, some hate speech cases become very famous since they bring lots of media attention. It is connected with the fact that hate speech is a very delicate part of the legal system, and this involves regulating sensitive matters that interfere in the sphere of private feelings and sentiments. What is more, it often happens that they involve famous people or celebrities who are infamous for their controversial behavior. For example in 2010, the police charged the Polish singer Doda (Dorota Rabczewska) with violating the Criminal Code for saying in 2009 that the Bible was “unbelievable” and written by people “drunk on wine and smoking some kind of herbs”. The same year, the police charged the lead singer and guitarist of the Polish death metal band Behemoth, Adam Darski, with violating the Criminal Code. The charge dated back to a performance by Behemoth in September 2007 during which Darski allegedly called the Catholic Church “the most murderous cult on the planet”, and he tore up a copy of the Bible on stage. In 2006, the Jan Karski Association complained that a broadcast on a catholic radio station defamed the Jewish people and violated Article 257 of the Criminal Code. Prosecutors refused to pursue the matter.
How to change the current situation
Projekt: Polska and the European Liberal Forum prepared a policy paper entitled “Liberal Agenda Against Online Hate Speech”.13 It focuses mainly on hate speech in the Internet, but contains also more general recommendations. Among others, these policy recommendations are:
Broadening the scope of the definition of hate speech;
Ratification of the Additional Protocol of the Convention on Cybercrime;
Better monitoring of implementation of Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law;
Fast implementation of the Victims’ Directive;
Introducing online filtering capacities;
Online filtering capacities situated in the region.
These recommendations can improve the situation in Central Europe. Of course, because of the specific situation in the region some of them must be tailored to the needs of the particular countries. Education and integration is also a milestone to be achieved in combating hate speech in the region. Groups that are targeted by haters are very often alienated from big parts of the society. The hatred is connected with stereotypes and lack of knowledge about the groups. Therefore, campaigns that will bring closer Romanis, LGBT people or Jewish communities to other citizens can help more than any legislation. Educational campaigns for the youngest audience are of the utmost importance.
Projekt: Polska has been fighting hate speech for many years with its HejtStop project. HejtStop project aims at removing hate speech from the public space in Polish cities. A special web site was created, wherein everyone could send a picture of an offensive graffiti, and the coordinators together with local authorities, owners of the walls, and with the support of private companies, removed them. Some were covered with beautiful murals. The project received large success initially and developed further. A special application and HejtStop remove hate speech from social media. The campaign is a perfect example of a good practice that shows how we can fight hate speech successfully. We hope that similar campaigns will spread across Central Europe soon, with the help of other liberal organizations.
An article by Miłosz Hodun from Projekt: Polska.
The article was originally published in the second issue of “4liberty.eu Review” entitled “Energy: The Challenges Europe Must Face”. The magazine was published by Fundacja Industrial in cooperation with Friedrich Naumann Stiftung and with the support by Visegrad Fund.
Read the full issue online.
1The Council of Europe against online hate speech: Conundrums and challenges.
2 http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/hate_speech_warsaw_slide.pdf
3András Sajó, Freedom of Expression (Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw 2004) p. 128.
4Stewart 2012, European Union Monorities and Discrimination Survey
5Goldstone 2002, 156
6Daroczi 2012
7More http://ecpr.eu/Filestore/PaperProposal/c6f365c3-025d-41e3-809d-172390f5ba9e.pdf
8It is important to note that the Czech Republic comes last in the whole survey (only 2%).
9http://fra.europa.eu/en/publications-and-resources/data-and-maps/survey-data-explorer-lgbt-survey-2012
10http://www.aedh.eu/plugins/fckeditor/userfiles/file/Discriminations%20et%20droits%20des%20minorit%C3%A9s/Hate%20speech.pdf
11Michał Bilewicz, Marta Marchlewska, Wiktor Soral, Mikołaj Winiewski Warsaw, 2014
12Ibid.
13Available here: http://www.liberalforum.eu/en/publications.html
This entry was posted in Politics and tagged 4liberty.eu Review, Europe, featured, hate speach, legislative, Poland, Projekt Polska. Bookmark the permalink.
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IME Releases a New Book on Flat Tax in Bulgaria!
In 2007-2008, a single rate for income and profit tax of 10% (or “flat rate”) was introduced in Bulgaria. It is now apparent that this...
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Category: contemporary
Indian art auction in Paris
6 December, 2007 (05:00) | contemporary, paintings, south asia | By: xensen
Farhad Hussain, a 30-year-old artist from Calcutta, is among the Indian artists being featured at an auction in Paris. The auction is being billed as the first major contemporary Indian art auction in that city. The auction is organized by Artcurial of France. The company’s Indian art consultant, Herve Perdriolle, explains:
After successfully entering the Chinese market with two auctions of contemporary Chinese art, Artcurial is now ready to focus on the Indian art market and is planning to stage two auctions per year.
We have decided to start the Indian sale now considering the growing interest among French collectors in this field for more than a year now. This strong and deep interest is illustrated by several important events like the Indian Summer in Paris in 2005 and Lille 3000 in 2006 to name a few. In step, we know of the famous relationship between Subodh Gupta and Francois Pinault. Pinault, the French billionaire and collector, has been picked by ArtReview as among the 100 most influential people in the international contemporary art world.
Hussein is also the subject of an article in Asian Art News by Uma Prakash, entitled “The Mundane Uncovered.” And he will appear in From the Everyday to the Imagined: An Exhibition of Indian Art at the Singapore Art Museum, November 16 – January 16.
29 November, 2007 (05:00) | contemporary, japan, paintings, sculpture | By: xensen
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, (MOCA) is hosting a major exhibition of the work of Takashi Murakami through February 11 (the show opens October 29). Murakami is much influenced by anime and manga.
Murakami tends to work with flat planes of color. His often oversized work evokes otaku culture. He combines high and low art, slyly critiquing consumerist culture while being complicit in it. Like manga pioneer Tezuka Osamu, he has made his art a big business, mass producing items for sale in many types of venues. Sales of Louis Vuitton handbags are a prominent feature of the MOCA show.
The MOCA show website features 11 different videos, 8 of which make up an exhibition tour. Which is fine, but there is a dearth of text content to accompany the videos. This makes it difficult for the casual visitor to get a quick sense of the show. But maybe a video-only approach works in L.A.
Image: And Then, and Then and Then and Then and Then, 1996-97. Acrylic on canvas mounted on board (2 sections), 110 1/4 x 118 1/8 inches (overall). Image from the Marianne Boesky Gallery.
Monks with Traits of a Crow
28 November, 2007 (05:00) | contemporary, paintings, southeast asia | By: xensen
This painting by Anupong Chanthorn (sorry I haven’t been able to find a higher-resolution image) has caused quite a stir in Thailand. Entitled Bhikku Sandan Ka (Monks with Traits of a Crow), it suggests immoral behavior (avarice, it would seem) among some of Thailand’s Buddhist monks. The title comes from a phrase attributed to the Buddha to describe a kind of immorality.
When the painting was awarded a prize and an annual art exhibition in Bangkok, some monks staged a protest. Led by Satian Wibhroma, a member of a Buddhist group known as the People’s Network to Protect the Nation, Religion and the Monarchy, they accused the painter of insulting Thai monks. They asked Silpakorn University to revoke the prizes awarded to Anupong, which the university refused. The story is told in Asia Times Online.
An editorial in Thailand’s The Nation asserts that
People who consider themselves good Buddhists, who really care about their religion, should thank artist Anupong Chanthorn for creating a pair of award-winning paintings that honestly reflect the precipitous decline of Buddhism in this country.
Buddhist temples used to be centres of learning, and monks were the guardians of our cultural heritage, but many temples have turned into dens of iniquity. The failure to reform Buddhism and keep it up to date with the drastic social and economic changes has not only resulted in the religion’s diminished influence as a force for good but also contributed to corruption and social decay. Thai society needs more artists and lay Buddhists like Anupong, who care enough about Buddhism to criticise, to satirise, to put pressure on the monastic order to reform. These people deserve praise, not condemnation.
Roger Shimomura’s internment camp memories
26 November, 2007 (05:00) | contemporary, japan, paintings | By: xensen
An exhibition of Roger Shimomura’s paintings that recall his experiences as a young boy in a Japanese internment camp, called Minidoka on My Mind, is at the Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave. S., Seattle, through Dec. 22. Shimomura’s images are effective because he does not appear to editorialize but presents his recollections in an almost noncommital mode. He blends elements of ukiyo-e Japanese prints with an American pop art tradition (he is, of course, an American of Japanese descent). As Regina Hackett notes, compared to Masami Teraoka, Shimomura prefers harder and flatter forms.
The image is from the Kucera Gallery site. I think it is called “Justified Internment,” but I was not able to locate information about it on the site.
Himalayan art on a giant scale
23 November, 2007 (11:13) | contemporary, himalayas, paintings | By: xensen
This image of a giant thangka (devotional painting on cloth) produced for the annual Shoton festival in at the Drepung monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, was taken by Chris Webster.
The monastery was founded in 1416, and remains a popular pilgrimage destination. Shoton means “yogurt banquet,” and the Autumn festival celebrates the yogurt that was traditional provided to monks following their austere hundred-day summer retreat.
The Ruben Museum in New York is showing an exhibition of such large objects, through March 17, 2008. The museum’s website offers this brief description of the show, entitled BIG! Himalayan Art:
This exhibition presents the largest objects from RMA’s collection in a dazzling display of brightly colored paintings and explores the reasons for creating the even larger tangkas (Tibetan scroll paintings and textiles) that are majestically draped over mountainsides and in valleys. These large works are the focus of community celebrations and accrue merit for all who participate.
Seven Junipers plays the net
21 November, 2007 (21:44) | ceramics/metal/stone, china, contemporary, meta, sculpture | By: xensen
The internet, that is.
What could be a more appropriate image for our inaugural post than these ironic echoes of the first emperor’s terra-cotta army. The tennis warriors are in the offices of el blogador, a digital media consultant who divides his time between London and Antigua, Guatemala. They were created for the ATP Masters Cup being held in Shanghai (in fact, just as each of the first emperor’s soldiers has an individual face, so Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are recognizable in these images). The artist is not identified.
For 7Junipers I intend to range freely over Asian art and culture, from ancient to contemporary times and across the entire continent. Art and literature will be my main subjects. Since I’m already stretched thin, I’ll probably move somewhat slowly on this, but as posts accumulate I will gather them into categories by culture, era, and medium. The globe on right can be clicked to visit particular regions (not much is up yet).
The title alludes to the seven junipers of Zhidao Guan, a Taoist temple in the city of Changshu in China’s Yangzi delta, as well as to a famous 16th-century painting of them by Wen Zhengming. The seven junipers also represent the seven large cultural regions that fall under the scope of this website. For more, see the “about” tab above.
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Home Research
China and the 21st Century New Maritime Silk Road
Author: Péter Klemensits
One of the major elements of the One Belt, One Road initiative launched by China in 2013 is the concept of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The aim of this mega project is to revolutionize deep-sea trade from Southeast Asia through Africa to Europe, and to put the participating countries on the track of economic development with the help of the infrastructural developments along the coastline.
In the autumn of 2013 China furnished another proof of its intensifying global role when it launched the One Road, One Belt project, with an aim as ambitious as to revive the traditions of the old Silk Road. Beijing committed itself to build and upgrade transport networks following the traces of the one-time caravan routes connecting Europe and Asia, and, naturally, to boost the regions concerned economically. Basically, we can talk about a long-term international development scheme managed (funded) by China, which also satisfies the geostrategic goals of Beijing by linking the remote regions with major trade routes.
The One Belt, One Road initiative includes two mega projects: one of them is the Silk Road Economic Belt, and the other is the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The former links China with Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe on land, while the latter unites the major maritime trade routes of Africa, Europe and Oceania as well as South and Southeast Asia. The two schemes are inseparable, and the aim is their parallel implementation.[1] Although the significance of high-speed railways and motorways is unquestionable, maritime transport still plays a primary role regarding the volumes of transport. Therefore, in a global sense, the Maritime Silk Road has an even greater significance than the “economic belt” encompassing continents.
Collaboration for Mutual Prosperity?
The world could first hear about the plan of the Maritime Silk Road early October, 2013 in a speech which was delivered in the Indonesian Parliament by Xi Jinping, the President of China. The head of the Chinese state committed himself to the necessity of building a modern maritime infrastructure and developing transport routes, primarily between China and the ASEAN states.[2] Since Southeast Asia had already been considered as the centre of long-distant trade, this region plays an especially important role in the project for China.
The venue and time of the announcement was not a coincidence, either. The Chinese government had launched the One Belt, One Road project just a few weeks earlier, of which, in addition to the continental one, the maritime Silk Road forms an organic part, since the two schemes mutually complete each other. And of all the ASEAN countries, it was Jakarta which showed the greatest enthusiasm toward the Chinese plans, since modernising the maritime infrastructure of the island state is one of the most important political goals of Indonesian President Joko Widodo “Jokowi”.[3]
According to China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the One Belt, One Road initiative is in line with the 5 principles of the UN: mutual respect, mutual nonaggression, mutual non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.[4] Consequently, the new Maritime Silk Road – similarly to continental projects – is expected to extend beyond “mere” infrastructural developments funded by China (for example, constructing ports and shipyards). Its real aim is to promote regional collaboration, financial integration, free trade and scientific cooperation. Naturally, the largest merchant nation of the world did not forget about financial conditions, either. The planned investments will be funded by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Maritime Silk Road Bank. In the case of the former institution, China provided half of its equity of US$100 billion, and as for the latter one, its entire equity of US$16 billion was provided by the state. In addition, the Chinese government deposited US$40 billion for the Silk Road Fund.[5]
According to Professor Yang Baoyun at the University of Beijing, “just like the historical route hundreds of years ago, the new Maritime Silk Road will bring tangible benefits to neighbours along the route, and will be a new driving force for the prosperity of the entire East Asian region.”[6]
Legacy of the Glorious Past
China’s attachment to the past and the remembrance of ancient times resonates throughout the One Belt, One Road scheme. But how did the Maritime Silk Road look like centuries ago?
In geographical terms, we can talk about two main routes: one of them connected China and the Korean Peninsula, and the other crossed the South Chinese Sea along the shores of South and Southeast Asia as far as the Persian Gulf. Maritime routes were already used several thousand years ago, well before the continental routes evolved. In China, greater attention has been paid to sea trade since the Han dynasty (209 BC – 8 AD), and since the 7th century, when the role of the Arabs intensified, maritime routes wee preferred for security and financial reasons.[7] During the 15th century, the voyages of Admiral Zheng He symbolised China as the maritime great power; Chinese sailors got to the coast of Africa, promoting the extension of political-economic relationships. Regarding their significance, these enterprises may be considered as the precursors of today’s concepts.[8]
For centuries, the Maritime Silk Road enabled the peaceful interaction between different cultures and civilisations, contributing to the development of long-distance trade as well as ensuring the creation of a new international economic and political system, in which China’s leading role was indisputable.[9] The concept of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road – building on the successes of the past – is attempting to emphasise the positive effects of globalisation, and argues for mutual benefits, peaceful collaboration and the sustainable development of the maritime world.
A Geostrategic Game
According to the Chinese government, the sole objective of the new Maritime Silk Road and the entire One Belt, One Road initiative is of economic nature, namely “win-win cooperation”, to ensure common development and prosperity, furthermore, to promote economic and cultural integration between China and the states involved. In fact, there is much more than that, since there are serious diplomatic, economic and strategic considerations in the background.[10]
Indisputably, the development of trade, the reduction of costs, and the assurance of the safety of trade routes are equally important for China as well as its partners. From the viewpoint of internal affairs, the slowdown of Chinese economy and its planned restructuring demand the opening of new markets, therefore major foreign investments (such as the construction of ports) are vital for Chinese giant companies. In addition, developing countries may be the newest market outlets of Chinese import.[11] Although the “help” from China means several benefits for these countries, at the same time, Beijing may establish its economic and, where appropriate, political dominance in the region.
But the Maritime Silk Road has great significance also in a diplomatic sense. It is not a coincidence that lately it has become the decisive element of Chinese foreign policy. Southeast Asian countries have been considered as the most important potential partners from the beginning, since the scheme primarily aims at their appeasement, against the recent aggressive foreign and defence policy of China.[12] Although China says that infrastructural investments do not imply political constraints, the concentration of interests is obvious. In the case of ASEAN countries, we should not forget a greater strategic goal: reinforcing China’s influence in the region in the field of both economy and politics enjoys priority, due to the rivalry between China and the United States. Certain South and Southeast Asian countries (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Cambodia) are committed beyond doubt; with them the objective is to ensure long-term cooperation.[13]
In respect of geostrategy, the objective of the Maritime Silk Road project is to guarantee Beijing’s control over the most important sea trade routes and uninterrupted import of raw materials.[14] In this, the specific ports have particular significance. In November, 2015, China established its first foreign naval base in Djibouti, which provides great help in the military operations against piracy off the cost of East Africa. Some analysts see chiefly military ambitions in the background of the Maritime Silk Road, which can be best summarised by the “string of pearls” theory. Its main point is that in accordance with China’s strategic interest, China will establish permanent naval bases from the Middle East to China, like a string of pearls.[15] However, the way events are developing currently does not support the relevance of the theory; military considerations do not feature in the Silk Role project, and, for the present, the emphasis is on enhancing economic interests.[16]
Route on the Sea, Route Overland
In recent years, China has tried to do everything it could to obtain the approval of foreign countries for the implementation of the scheme. In 2014, the Maritime Silk Road, and in 2015, its joint creation was the central theme of the China-ASEAN Expo. The foreign travels of the leaders of the states also fit into this pattern.[17] On the whole, most of the countries concerned reacted positively to the Chinese initiative. Until today, more than 50 states and organisation, including the European Union and ASEAN, have reassured China of their support. According to the original plans, the main branch of the Maritime Silk Road leaves from Kanton and then goes along the Asian shores; its main stops are Kuantan, Jakarta, Colombo and Calcutta, and via Mombasa, on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, it reaches Europe, where the destination is Athens.[18] The other branch passes Southeast Asia and then continues toward Pacific islands. Naturally we can hardly speak of concrete routes, because – apart from current investments – the political position of the countries concerned has not been clarified yet.
However, there is one great difference between the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road: the routes outlined by the Maritime Silk Road have been operating with full capacity for a long time, thus developments would limit to the construction of new ports, and would aim at increasing the volume of trade through them. On the continent, roads and railways, at best, exist, but the construction of railway lines is still pending at most places.[19] We should not forget that the continental and maritime component of One Belt, One Road are closely related, during which the priority is the construction of ports, and the construction of railways into the mainland only comes second.
“Building” The Maritime Silk Road
After China, the second most important region of the Maritime Silk road is Southeast Asia. The Malacca Straits and Singapore are of strategic significance, but due to the power of the city state, Chinese influence may be considered minimal here. That is the reason why China mainly tried to engage Malaysia and Indonesia in the investments. Under the agreement, China will implement infrastructural investments of a value of almost US$2 billion in the port of Kuantan, located of the eastern shore of the Malaysian Peninsula.[20] Some concepts even consider connecting the Thai Gulf and the Andaman Sea with a canal realistic. There is even greater harmony between Indonesia and China: according to President Jokowi’s concept, Indonesia wishes to become a kind of “coastal axis” between the Pacific and the Indian Sea, and Chinese plans are completely adapted to this idea. For China it is enormous business, since Jakarta wants to build nearly 30 ports all over the country in the near future, mainly with the help of Chinese companies.[21]
In order to decrease the dependency from the Malacca Straits, China is also interested in the cooperation with Myanmar. The parties have agreed upon the construction of a deep-sea port and an industrial park in Kyaukphyu.[22] Negotiations on a new port have been ongoing for years in Bangladesh, but no agreement has been reached yet, despite all China’s endeavours.[23]
In South Asia, the main partners are Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Pakistan. Sri Lanka welcomed the “Colombo Port City” project of US$1.4 billion two years ago, which would mean a 20 billion dollar Chinese investment during 20 years in the future, due to the port in Hambantota and the new quarter to be constructed around it. Although the process was slowed down by the change of government in Sri Lanka, the investment has been given the green light.[24] During Xi Jinping’ visit in 2014, the Maldives committed themselves since a contract on constructing a bridge linking the capital and Hulhule Island was concluded, in addition to developing the airport and the road network.[25]
Pakistan has a central position China’s One Belt, One road initiative. Although the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor – concentrating on the development of the road network – may primarily be regarded as an organic part of the Silk Road Economic Belt, it also means an important link with the new Maritime Silk Road. Pursuant to an agreement made last year, China will implement developments of US$1.6 billion in the port of Gwadar, partly providing an alternative to the trade routes crossing Southeast Asia.[26]
Initially, China also expected India to take part in the Maritime Silk Road, since Manmohan Singh’s government supported the concept from the very start. The new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, – and his stonewalling tactics – however, made it obvious for everyone last summer that India was not enthusiastic about the idea at all.[27] In fact, the Indian government believes that the Chinese expansion violates their own geostrategic interests, because it decreases their influence in the surrounding regions (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives), and it would give China an advantage in the rivalry between the two major powers.
Destinations: Africa and Europe
The next strategically significant station of the new Maritime Silk Road is the coast of Africa. Senegal, Tanzania, Djibouti, Gabon, Mozambique and Ghana are all included in the Chinese investment plans. Like other regions, the development of ports, roads and railways are closely connected here as well. China’s enhancing economic presence on the continent may lay the foundation of Africa’s long-term development. At the end of 2015, China obtained the 10 billion US$ project aiming at the development of the Bagamoyo port in Tanzania, which is one of the greatest investments on the continent. If the plan succeeds, Bagamoyo will be the largest port in Africa, ensuring connections with several East African countries.[28] In Djibouti, renting a naval base for US$100 million per annum serves military as well as economic purposes but first and foremost, it is dedicated to guarantee the safety of the Maritime Silk Road.[29] In Mozambique, China has undertaken development projects of a value of US$1.4 billion, of which the upgrading of the port in Maputo also forms a part.[30] In Ghana, a new port will be built at Atuabo for US$600 million by Chinese companies.[31]
Egypt – due to the significance of the Suez Canal – is also participating in the Maritime Silk Road. The Chinese are primarily interested in upgrading the port of Port Said and increasing the capacity of the canal. The destination of the Silk Road in Europe can be found in the port of Piraeus in Greece. Last summer, the Chinese company, Cosco purchased the majority of the shares of the port, and committed itself to significant developments. The total value of the business reached €1.5 billion.[32] Piraeus, however, like Africa, cannot be regarded the end of One Belt, One Road, since it main role is to create a link between the remote parts of the European mainland through the high-speed railways to be built.
With the Silk Road into the Future?
The One Belt, One Road initiative, and the new Maritime Silk Road therein, is considered an exceptional enterprise from several aspects and unprecedented in history. The ambitious plan – providing proof of China’s growing global role – mainly focuses on the interests of the wold’s most populated country, but promises profit to all participants in the long term. The new Maritime Silk Road will certainly open a new chapter in the history of sea trade, since it places the system of regional diplomatic and economic cooperation onto a new basis. Beijing was right to recognise that in the globalised world only such multilateral solutions are appropriate which allows cooperation and cultural interaction between distant regions. To the countries of Europe, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the 21st Century new Maritime Silk Road means an enormous opportunity, but a lot must be done in order to take it; or, using the metaphor of Wang Yi, Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, in order not to play the joint “symphony” out of tune.[33]
[1] SCOTT, Richard: China’s Maritime Silk Road project advances. In: Hellenic Shipping News, 12 July, 2016 http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/chinas-maritime-silk-road-project-advances/ (02.08.2016)
[2] ROELL, Peter: China’s Maritime Silk Road – An Ambitious Undertaking. In: ISPSW Strategy Series, Issue
No. 423, May 2016, 3. http://www.css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/resources/docs/423_Roell_SLOC.pdf (02.08.2016)
[3] DUQUENNOY, Antoine – ZIELONKA, Robert: Bridging Asia and Europe Through Maritime Connectivity. European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels, March, 2015 http://www.eias.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Bridging_Asia_Europe_2015.pdf (02.08.2016)
[4] Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, with State Council authorization, March 2015, II. Principles http://en.ndrc.gov.cn/newsrelease/201503/t20150330_669367.html (02.08.2016)
[5] FOO, Sheryl: China-ASEAN Maritime Silk Road: A Path Towards Mutual Benefits or China’s Free Ride into ASEAN? Asia-Latam Connection, December 27, 2015 http://www.asia-latam.org/in-the-news/2015/12/27/china-asean-maritime-silk-road-a-path-towards-mutual-benefits-or-chinas-free-ride-into-asean (02.08.2016)
[6] JIAO, Wu – YUNBI, Zhang: Xi in call for building of new ‘maritime silk road. ChinaDaily USA, 2013. 10. 04. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-10/04/content_17008940.htm (02.08.2016)
[7] IFTIKHAR, Mohid – ABBASI, Faizullah: A Comparative View of the Ancient and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC), March 3, 2016 http://cimsec.org/ancient-land-and-the-maritime-silk-road/22660 (02.08.2016)
[8] SCOTT
[9] IFTIKHAR – ABBASI
[10] YALE, William: China’s Maritime Silk Road Gamble. In: The Diplomat, April 22, 2015 http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/chinas-maritime-silk-road-gamble/ (02.08.2016)
[11] SCOTT
[12] See for example the Chinese land reclamation in the South China Sea.
[13] YALE
[14] MORGAN, Clemens: The Maritime Silk Road and the PLA. A paper for China as a “Maritime Power” Conference, July 28-29, 2015, Arlington https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/maritime-silk-road.pdf (03.08.2016)
[15] BO, Zhou: The String of Pearls and the Maritime Silk Road. China & US Focus, February 11, 2014 http://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign-policy/the-string-of-pearls-and-the-maritime-silk-road/ (02.08.2016)
[16] VAN DER PUTTEN, Frans-Paul – MEIJNDERS, Minke: China, Europe and the Maritime Silk Road. Clingendael report, March 2015, 33. https://www.clingendael.nl/sites/default/files/China%20Europe%20and%20the%20Maritime%20Silk%20Road.pdf (03.08.2016)
[17] TIEZZI, Shannon: China Pushes ‘Maritime Silk Road’ in South, Southeast Asia. In: The Diplomat, September 17, 2014 http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/china-pushes-maritime-silk-road-in-south-southeast-asia/ (03.08.2016)
[18] DUQUENNOY – ZIELONKA
[19] VAN DER PUTTEN – MEIJNDERS: 28
[20] TIEZZI, Shannon: The Maritime Silk Road Vs. The String of Pearls. In: The Diplomat, February 13, 2014 http://thediplomat.com/2014/02/the-maritime-silk-road-vs-the-string-of-pearls/ (03.08.2016)
[21] VAN DER PUTTEN – MEIJNDERS: 30.
[22] TIEZZI, Shannon: Chinese Company Wins Contract for Deep Sea Port in Myanmar. In: The Diplomat, January 01, 2016 http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/chinese-company-wins-contract-for-deep-sea-port-in-myanmar/ (03.08.2016)
[23] The possible ports included Chittagong, Sonadia, Matarbari and Payra.
[24] TIEZZI: Shannon: China’s $1.4 Billion Port City in Sri Lanka Gets the Green Light. In: The Diplomat, March 12, 2016 http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/chinas-1-4-billion-port-city-in-sri-lanka-gets-the-green-light/ (03.08.2016)
[25] ONDAATJIE, Anusha: China’s Maritime Silk Road Is Sri Lanka’s Boon as Xi Visits. Bloomberg, September 16, 2014 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-15/china-maritime-silk-road-proves-boon-for-sri-lanka-as-xi-arrives#media-1 (03.08.2016)
[26] CHANG, Lyu: Chinese firm to develop SEZ in Gwadar. ChinaDaily USA, 2015. 11. 12.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2015-11/12/content_22441296.htm (03.08.2016)
[27] Narendra Modi changed India’s attitude towards Maritime Silk Road: China Daily. In: The Economic Times, July 04, 2016 http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/narendra-modi-changed-indias-attitude-towards-maritime-silk-road-chinese-daily/articleshow/53042664.cms (03.08.2016)
[28] LÉAUTIER, Frannie A. – SCHAEFER, Michael – SHEN, Wei: The Port of Bagamoyo: A Test for China’s New Maritime Silk Road in Africa. In: The Diplomat, December 01, 2015 http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/the-port-of-bagamoyo-a-test-for-chinas-new-maritime-silk-road-in-africa/ (03.08.2016)
[29] KLEVEN, Anthony: Is China’s Maritime Silk Road A Military Strategy? In: The Diplomat, December 08, 2015 http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/is-chinas-maritime-silk-road-a-military-strategy/ (03.08.2016)
[30] China funds reconstruction of fishing port in Mozambique. Macauhub, September 11, 2014 http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/2014/09/11/china-funds-reconstruction-of-fishing-port-in-mozambique/ (03.08.2016)
[31] Chinese firm wins $600m port construction contract in Ghana. ChinaDaily, 2015. 04. 09. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2015-04/09/content_20037004.htm (03.08.2016)
[32] BARNARD, Bruce: Greece, China Cosco finally seal Piraeus port sale. JOC.com, July 05, 2016 https://www.joc.com/port-news/european-ports/port-piraeus/greece-cosco-china-finally-seal-piraeus-port-sale_20160705.html (03.08.2016)
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You are here: Home / Blog / Print Editions / 2014 / The Wings of Rufus Snoddy
2014, Art, Events, Featured Stories, Print Editions
The Wings of Rufus Snoddy
First solo exhibition at the Oliver Art Center opens May 30
The Oliver Art Center’s first solo exhibition, featuring the work of artist Rufus Snoddy, will open May 30, with a reception to be held Friday, June 13, from 5-7 p.m.
“Rufus’ powerful and unforgettable ‘construction paintings’ have been on our radar for years,” says Art Center director Steve Brown on Snoddy’s selection as the inaugural solo artist. “More recently, Snoddy’s exhibition at the Dennos Museum [in Traverse City] gave us a chance to connect with him regarding his broader body of work. Beginning on May 30, we will be presenting various works spanning the past 20 years of his career, including the astonishingly beautiful sculpture installation titled The Wings of Icarus.”
Snoddy says that this installation, which first appeared at the Denoos Museum Center in March 2013, was inspired by the mythological story of Icarus.
“I utilized materials from my immediate environment—tree branches from the woods of Northern Michigan, found and fabricated objects, as well as traditional media and materials—to create visual metaphors,” says Snoddy. “Daedalus, the father of Icarus, also used materials in his immediate environment—wax from candles, string, bird feathers and wood—to make two sets of wings for him and his son to escape from the Prison of Minos in the Greek island of Crete. These works are visual personifications of the hypothetical question ‘If you or I were Daedalus and Icarus, and we had to make wings to escape from the Prison of Minos, what would our wings look like?’”
The Dennos show was meant to hang until June of last year, but museum director Eugene Jenneman says that “when the show was technically scheduled to close, there was little interest [in dismantling it.] It just held the space so wonderfully.” The Wings of Icarus only came down recently, Jenneman says, when the staff realized that it would visually conflict with works by the Tibetan monks, who would be doing a sand painting in the space. “[Snoddy’s was] probably one of the longest running solo exhibitions we’ve had in the Museum. Rufus is an outstanding artist, and he provided a fresh visual perspective. It stretched him—let him stretch his wings, if you will—and it worked so well within the space. It was the perfect exhibition to do here.”
Brown is excited to bring Snoddy’s Wings to Frankfort. “We will be working particularly hard to ensure that we exploit the unique aspects of space and natural light in our Beck and Borwell Galleries,” Brown says. “His work and output is tremendous, and we are very thrilled and honored to host him this year. He is also a superlatively kind and charming person, and we look forward to celebrating the opening reception with him on Friday, June 13. What’s more, Rufus’ free artist talk from 6-7 p.m. on Friday, June 27, will give people a chance to hear about Rufus’ work in his own words.”
In addition to Wings, the Oliver Art Center will feature work spanning several decades of Snoddy’s career. His art is playful and adventurous, bold in color and texture, and even his paintings are sculptural. In his wall-hung work Time Fragments, (acrylic on canvas, paper, wood, metal, and plastic; view it online at SnoddyArt.com), there are textures reminiscent of skin and fish scale; a body shape that echoes both guitar and reef creature; and a mastery of line, color, pattern, and contrast. In his Disappearing Man, Contemplating Devilled Eggs (acrylic on canvas and mixed media) even the border, or frame, is alive with colorful shapes twisting and climbing and braiding into one another. Snoddy’s ethos is one of harmonious play and experimentation, balance and proportion, meant to engage a viewer’s mind, and to inspire wonder and emotion, surprise and discovery.
“I have so many ideas,” Snoddy says. “I take inspiration from everywhere. I’m influenced by nature, and by my travels, and by other cultures, especially indigenous cultures. It’s very hard, I feel like I don’t have enough time to do all these things justice.”
Snoddy received his BA in Design in 1973, and a Fine Arts Master’s degree in 1976, both from California State University, Los Angeles. His curriculum vitae—a continuous cross-country and international exhibition record reaching back to the early 1980s—stands as evidence of Snoddy’s unwavering commitment to a less-trodden career path.
He credits his success, and his confidence to stick with an artistic life, to his parents, Rufus and Catherine Snoddy—“a poor but proud couple who spent their lives working menial jobs to support their large family.” The 10th of 12 children, Snoddy was very close to his father, who was forced to leave school after the death of his own father.
“Education was very important to him, pushing yourself. And being one of the last kids, I just wanted to make him proud,” says Snoddy, who showed an interest in drawing at age 4. “My mother was so proud of it. That just made me want to do it more and more.”
Despite his early artistic inclinations and family support, Snoddy almost didn’t become an artist. After one of his pieces was rejected from an eighth grade show, he gave up art to focus on athletics. Not until college, just a few credits shy of a degree in physical education, did he realize that he wasn’t going to be satisfied with a career as a gym teacher or a coach. He sat thinking on a park bench for over an hour, then got up and walked into the art department building and began his college career over again. And, he says, “I never looked back.”
May 22, 2014 /1 Comment/by Jenny Robertson Richardson
http://betsiecurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Wings-of-Icarus-Installation.jpg 1996 3000 Jenny Robertson Richardson http://betsiecurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/betsie-current-text-banner-2014.png Jenny Robertson Richardson2014-05-22 15:09:322014-09-10 10:15:28The Wings of Rufus Snoddy
Rufus Shoddy says:
Wonderful writing Jenny. Thank you!
Ribs in T-ville Who is That Seth Bernard Guy?
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First Teheran marathon: ‘Let’s build bridges, not walls’
Over 1000 runners from more than 50 countries including the US, UK were expected to join the 42km April 7 race in Iran, writes Ted Regencia.
Halfway through the Athens Classic Marathon in November 2003, Dutchman Sebastian Straten was about to collapse. The then 30-year-old runner had trained for five months for his first 42km race, yet his legs were giving up on him as he hit an uphill section of the course in the Greek capital.
“But I told myself, ‘I want to finish this’,” he said. “When I start something, I never like to give up. It doesn’t matter how hard it is. I think that every runner has that mentality.”
Straten clocked four hours and 30 minutes as he reached the finish line at Panathinaiko Stadium, the same venue as the 1896 and 2004 Olympic ceremonies.
Organising the first marathon in Tehran on April 7 is like running in Athens all over again and doing it every day, Straten told Al Jazeera.
“It is extremely challenging. I feel like I am constantly running to make sure that everything goes well.”
Tehran-based organiser Maryam Feize said by bringing the marathon to Tehran, they want runners around the world to experience Iranian hospitality through sport, as well as their food, arts and culture, which were closed off to the West following decades of sanctions that were only lifted last year. “We want to show everybody that Iran is a partner in making bridges, not walls.” Just recently, Iran has been the target of US President Donald Trump’s travel ban.
On that first Friday of April 07, runners from more than 50 countries gathered in the Iranian capital to make history.
For a country not accustomed to the tradition of street running, convincing public officials to shut down 42km stretch of roads in Tehran, and allow runners to take over the metropolis of 16 million people was the first challenge, he said.
“To do something new is always more difficult. It took a lot of explaining what a marathon is all about,” Straten said.
“It is the first time something like this is being held in Tehran, so it is very special for local authorities to make sure everything goes well and safely.”
With the snow-capped Alborz Mountains serving as their backdrop, runners will crisscross Tehran, starting from Azadi (Freedom) Stadium.
Straten said having organised a similar race in the southern city of Shiraz last year helped convince officials that a marathon can be done in the country.
But for Straten, who also operates a travel agency helping foreign runners come to Iran, the event is not just about work. He met his wife, Foroogh, while touring the ancient city of Yazd in 2005.
“Lighting struck,” he said with a chuckle. He ended up staying in Iran for five years. They now have two children.
He hopes the race will also ignite passion in outdoor running among the country’s youth, who make up over 70 percent of the 80 million population.
Convincing foreign runners to join and come to Iran was another hurdle.
“We have to explain to the runners that Iran is a perfectly safe country, and that there is no hostility towards Westerners or foreign tourists or runners,” Straten said
Andre Doehring joined last year’s race in Shiraz, where only male runners officially participated. He said running close to the ancient city of Persepolis was “unique”. Doehring, who had also run a marathon in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, said he hopes the Tehran race will “bring people together”.
Family ties persuaded British runner Bobak Walker to join. He last visited his mother’s country of birth in 2009, before the 2011 incident that forced the British Embassy in Tehran to shut down, and cut off of diplomatic ties between the UK and Iran.
Relations have since been restored, but it is still “very difficult” to get a visa, Walker said.
“To be there for the inaugural event is a really exciting, once in a lifetime thing,” he said. “I’ve made a big effort to get there. But I think it will be worth it.” – Al Jazeera News
Posted by: Al-Qalam // Sport Focus // April 7, 2017
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Vasso Karadassiou: Career Locations 1997-2003 2004-08
Vasso Karadassiou
Birth Date January 6, 1973 (46 years old)
Home Town Athens
Resides Athens
Web Site www.karadassiou.gr/en/
International 1st $359,980
FIVB 1st $357,080
FIVB C&S 2nd $2,900
Europe 1st (10 times) � 97,925
CEV 1st (10 times) � 97,925
Overall 1st (11 times) $481,925
Bio Bits
A two-time Olympian, Karadassiou started competing on the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour in 1997 and played 64 of her first 68 international events with Efi Sfyri. Karadassiou and Sfyri placed 17th at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and ninth at the 2001 SWATCH-FIVB World Championships together at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Klagenfurt, Austria. The Karadassiou/Sfyri partnership ranks fifth all-time in career FIVB starts with the pair posting a 136-132 match mark together with $247,610 in earnings (20th).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Karadassiou and Vassilliki Arvaniti ranked as Europe�s top team on the 2005 SWATCH-FIVB World Tour as the pair finished fifth in points. In addition, the pair captured the 54-country Conf�d�ration Europ�enne De Volleyball (CEV) continental championship in Moscow last August to clinch the 2005 European point�s title. While Karadassiou was named the top women�s player for the 2005 season by the CEV, Arvaniti became the youngest woman (20 years, three months, 15 days) to win a SWATCH event. She and Karadassiou upset top-ranked Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil in the finals of the Norway Grand Slam event last July in Stavanger. Arvaniti and Karadassiou, who won two of four CEV events in 2005, combined for $166,500 in earnings.
FIVB Best Setter 2008
Season Assoc Played 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th Money Points Rank 12th 13th 17th 19th 25th 33rd 37th 41st
1997 FIVB 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $0.00 37.0 112th 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0
1998 FIVB 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 $7,100.00 219.5 53rd 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 1
1999 FIVB 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $10,500.00 294.0 35th 0 2 4 0 1 0 0 0
2000 FIVB C&S 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 $1,600.00 27.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2000 FIVB 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 $12,000.00 353.0 52nd 0 1 4 0 5 0 0 0
2001 FIVB 11 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 $25,750.00 631.0 20th 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0
2003 FIVB 11 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 $27,500.00 743.0 31st 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0
2005 FIVB 13 1 1 0 1 4 2 2 $83,250.00 1,766.0 10th 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
(Rank) 119
(41st) 1
(130th) 3 2 6 17 9 23 $359,980.00
(53rd) 10,505.5 1 9 26 1 17 2 1 1
1999 CEV 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 � 1,250.00 103.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2000 CEV 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 � 900.00 27.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
2001 CEV 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 � 15,500.00 100.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2003 CEV 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 � 3,000.00 80.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2006 CEV 5 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 � 18,625.00 1,250.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
(40th) 10
(1st) 2 1 1 6 3 3 � 97,925.00
(2nd) 4,067.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
(72nd) 11
(46th) 5 3 7 23 12 26 $481,925.41
(52nd) 14,572.5 1 11 26 1 17 2 1 1
1 7/4/1999 CEV Xylokastro Efi Sfyri
2 9/8/2001 CEV Jesolo Efi Sfyri 3 � 15,500
3 7/2/2005 FIVB Stavanger Vasiliki Arvaniti 5 $20,750
4 8/9/2005 CEV Lucerne Vasiliki Arvaniti 6 � 5,525
5 8/28/2005 CEV Moscow Vasiliki Arvaniti 3 � 10,000
6 5/21/2006 CEV Alanya Vasiliki Arvaniti 1 � 5,525
8 5/20/2007 CEV St. P�lten Vasiliki Arvaniti 2 � 5,525
9 8/25/2007 CEV Valencia Vasiliki Arvaniti 16 � 10,000
10 5/25/2008 CEV Lucerne Vasiliki Arvaniti 1 � 5,500
11 9/14/2008 CEV Blackpool Vasiliki Arvaniti 2 � 5,500
Partner Played 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 9th Money Points 12th 13th 17th 19th 25th 33rd 37th 41st
Efi Sfyri 64 0 0 1 1 8 0 11 $120,905 3,210.5 1 6 21 0 11 2 1 1
Vasiliki Arvaniti 49 1 2 0 5 9 9 12 $233,175 7,176.0 0 3 5 1 2 0 0 0
Slavroula Theodorou 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $1,500 34.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Efthalia Koutroumanidou 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $1,500 34.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Total 117 1 2 1 6 17 9 23 $357,080 10,454.5 1 9 26 1 17 2 1 1
F�d�ration Internationale de Volleyball Challenger & Satellite
Efi Sfyri 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 $2,900 51.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 $2,900 51.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Conf�d�ration Europ�enne de Volleyball
Vasiliki Arvaniti 15 8 2 1 1 1 2 0 � 71,200 3,605.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Efi Sfyri 12 2 0 0 0 5 1 3 � 25,825 435.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rodi Ordoulidou 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 � 900 27.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 28 10 2 1 1 6 3 3 � 97,925 4,067.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Efi Sfyri 78 2 1 2 1 13 1 14 $149,664 3,696.5 1 7 21 0 11 2 1 1
Vasiliki Arvaniti 64 9 4 1 6 10 11 12 $328,451 10,781.0 0 3 5 1 2 0 0 0
Rodi Ordoulidou 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 $810 27.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 147 11 5 3 7 23 12 26 $481,925 14,572.5 1 11 26 1 17 2 1 1
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A List of History's Best Country Gospel Songs
Entertainment Music
oonal / Getty Images
by Robert Silva
Robert Silva is an electronics and audiophile hobbyist who writes about entertainment technology and films for more than 20 years.
Louvin Brothers: 'The Christian Life'
The Louvin Brothers sing about the simple pleasures of leading a moral existence on "Christian Life." It's certainly less fire-and-brimstone than the album's title track, "Satan Is Real." In 1968, the song was given a modern update by the Byrds on their country-rock breakthrough "Sweethearts of the Rodeo."
Religious Song Lyric: "I won't lose a friend by heeding God's call. For what is a friend who'd want me to fall?"
Merle Haggard: 'Pray'
Hag Records
Merle Haggard doesn't quote scripture in "Pray." He simply implores us to think beyond our daily cares and consider those who are struggling. The song's simple message has impressed singer-songwriter Greg Brown, who now covers it in concerts. It ranks among Haggard's finest efforts in the gospel department.
Religious Song Lyric: "Get your mind off yourself. Think of somebody else and pray. And pray."
Tammy Wynette: 'Precious Memories'
Ramwood Records
Tammy Wynette performs the definitive version of the gospel standard "Precious Memories." The country singer's knockout vocals are backed up by the Masters V gospel group.
Religious Song Lyrics: "Precious memories how they linger. How they ever flood my soul. In the stillness of the midnight, precious sacred scenes unfold."
Billy Joe Shaver: 'If I Give My Soul'
Volcano Records
"If I Give My Soul" is perhaps better known for its rendition on "Victory," Billy Joe Shaver's 1998 collection of religious songs. However, it was recorded earlier in 1993 for "Tramp on Your Street," a collaboration between Shaver and his guitarist son Eddy Shaver -- who later died of a heroin overdose. Its more rocked-out arrangement includes a line destined to shatter the hearts of fathers everywhere.
Religious Song Lyric: "If I give my soul, will He stop my hands from shaking? If I give my soul, will my son love me again?”
Listen to 1993 version
Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt: 'Farther Along'
"Farther Along" has been recorded by Brad Paisley, Johnny Cash, and others. But this version of the gospel standard is a triple threat. It was included on the much-anticipated "Trio," a group collaboration between vocal powerhouses Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. The results are pure fireworks.
Gospel Song Lyrics: "Farther along, we’ll know more about it. Farther along, we’ll understand why. Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine. We'll understand it -- all by and by."
Willie Nelson: 'Uncloudy Day'
Willie Nelson dreams of a place where there's shelter from the storms of earthly life. "Uncloudy Day" sounds like a gospel standard, but the song is actually a Nelson original that was recorded in 1973 for the album "The Troublemaker." It didn't see release until 1976 because of doubts about its commercial prospects. He proved music execs wrong with his multiplatinum "Red Headed Stranger," and it was an uncloudy day in 1976 when "The Troublemaker" and "Uncloudy Day" topped the charts.
Religious Song Lyric: "O they tell me of a home far away. O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise. O they tell me of an uncloudy day!"
Johnny Russell: 'The Baptism of Jesse Taylor'
A town hell-raiser finds the Lord in this 1973 song from Johnny Russell. The tune was written by Sanger D. Shafer, who co-wrote Lefty Frizzell's "I Never Go Around Mirrors." The revival feels of "The Baptism of Jesse Taylor," in which the narrator forecasts the ways in which Jesse is sure to change his ways, took it to No. 14 on the country charts. It was later recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys and Tanya Tucker.
Religious Song Lyric: "They baptized Jesse Taylor in Cedar Creek last Sunday. Jesus gained a soul and Satan lost a good right arm."
Red Foley: '(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (for Me)'
Castle Record
Pardon the word choice, but Red Foley performs the hell out of this spiritual. His nuanced phrasing is backed up by a perfect backing chorus. In 1951, the song was an unprecedented hit -- selling more than a million copies. Foley's rendering of "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (for Me)" shaped the later, even more, popular version recorded by Elvis Presley.
Religious Song Lyric: "And the beasts from the wild, shall be lit by a child. And I'll be changed, changed."
Garth Brooks: 'Unanswered Prayers'
Capitol Nashville Records
Garth Brooks uses a story about a man losing the girl of his dreams to illustrate an important lesson: Sometimes prayers that appear to have been unanswered really aren't. The material might seem a little lightweight compared to the other gospel songs included here, but "Unanswered Prayers" rocketed to No. 1 on the country charts. In 2010, it was adapted into a Lifetime TV movie, in which the protagonist feels considerably more temptation than his musical counterpart.
Religious Song Lyric: "Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs, that just because he may not answer, doesn't mean he doesn't care."
Ferlin Husky: 'Wings of a Dove'
K-Tel Records
Ferlin Husky took gospel music to the pop charts with his No. 1 country hit "Wings of a Dove." Written by Bob Ferguson, the song uses a dove as a symbol of hope -- a usage borrowed from the book of Genesis: "And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated." The crossover hit peaked at No. 12 on the pop charts and stayed at the top of country charts for 10 weeks. It continues to be Husky's best-known song. Beware of sub-par re-recorded versions.
Religious Song Lyric: "On the wings of a snow-white dove, He sends His pure sweet love. A sign from above! On the wings of a dove."
Watch Grand Ole Opry performance
Randy Travis: 'Three Wooden Crosses'
Curb Record
A parable in song form, "Three Wooden Crosses" tells the story of a roadside tragedy that claims three lives -- and saves one. In 2003, it was named Song of the Year at the CMA Awards and peaked at No. 1 on the country singles charts. "Three Wooden Crosses" continues to be one of Randy Travis' most enduring songs.
Religious Song Lyric: "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you. It's what you leave behind you when you go."
Waylon Jennings: 'I Do Believe'
Faith isn't something the man in the song advertises. He doesn't think he's been the best of believers, but then he doesn't feel a lot of commonality to those who preach hatred or feel they know what God knows. This remarkable song actually came from the Highwaymen's 1995 reunion album. Kris Kristofferson liked it so much that he sang it on the Waylon Jennings tribute album "Lonesome On'ry & Mean."
Religious Song Lyric: "I do believe in a higher power. One that loves us one and all. Not someone to solve my problems. Or to catch me when I fall."
Vince Gill: 'Go Rest High on That Mountain'
Vince Gill began writing this song after the death of his friend Keith Whitley from alcoholic poisoning. He didn't complete it until the death of his own brother, Bob, years later. In 1993, "Go Rest High on the Mountain" won a Grammy for Best Country Song.
Religious Song Lyric: "Go rest high on that mountain. Cause, son, your work on earth is done. Go to Heaven a-shouting. Love for the Father and the Son."
Johnny Cash: 'The Man Comes Around'
American Recordings
Johnny Cash has performed plenty of exemplary religious songs. Some of the best were collected in "My Mother's Hymn Book," which was released as part of the posthumous box set "Unearthed." But "The Man Comes Around" was a song he actually wrote, and it appeared late in his career, on "American IV," and showed the Man in Black was a powerful songwriter. The tune borrows its imagery from the Book of Revelation and builds to a powerful climax.
Religious Song Lyric: "Voices calling, voices crying. Some are born and some are dying. It's alpha and omega's kingdom come."
Josh Turner: 'Long Black Train'
MCA Nashville Records
Josh Turner wrote the eponymous song from his debut album, and it did a lot to catapult him and his subsonic baritone to fame. Trains have frequently taken on a religious significance in songs, from Tom Waits' "Down There by the Train" to Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming." Here, the train doesn't symbolize deliverance to heaven, but twin rails to hell.
Religious Song Lyric: "There's a long black train, comin' down the line. Feeding off the souls that are lost and cryin'. Rails of sin, only evil remains."
Watch music video
Roy Acuff: 'The Great Speckled Bird'
Roy Acuff's "The Great Speckled Bird" shares its melody with "Tonight I'm Thinking of My Blue Eyes," Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life" and Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels." Acuff's song is dense with Biblical imagery; the title comes from Jeremiah 12:9. "My heritage is to me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come you, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour." In his book "Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'n' Roll," Nick Tosches called it "one of the few truly mystical country records ever cut." It became Acuff's first hit in 1936.
Religious Song Lyric: "What a beautiful thought I am thinking, concerning a great speckled bird. Remember her name is recorded, on the pages of God's Holy Word."
Porter Wagoner: 'A Satisfied Mind'
"A Satisfied Mind" was Porter Wagoner's first No. 1 country song. Its sentiment recalls the verse from Matthew: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Written by Red Hayes and Jack Rhodes, the song went on to be covered by everyone from the Blind Boys of Alabama to Bob Dylan.
Religious Song Lyric: "The wealthiest person is a pauper at times. Compared to the man with a satisfied mind."
Watch performance
Kris Kristofferson: 'Why Me'
Sony Records
The last song on Kristofferson's 1972 album "Jesus Was a Capricorn" became the best-selling single of his career. The singer had plied religious territory more delicately in "Sunday Morning Coming Down." But this song is a straightforward gospel tune about a man surprised by God's grace. The song, which Kristofferson wrote, was recorded by many other artists, most notably Johnny Cash.
Religious Song Lyric: "Why me Lord? What have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I've known?"
The Carter Family: 'Can the Circle Be Unbroken'
The Carter Family sings the definitive version of this Christian hymn about the loss of a loved one. It dips its ladle in the buckets of hope and despair and finds spiritual transcendence in the image of the unbroken circle of life. Its searching quality (the song is one large question) makes it stick in the mind. The song's title is really a question. Johnny Cash was clearly a fan -- he later raided the lyrics for his own "Daddy Sang Bass."
Religious Song Lyric: "Will the circle be unbroken, by and by, Lord, by and by? There’s a better home a-waiting, In the sky, Lord, in the sky."
Hank Williams: 'I Saw the Light'
MGM Records
Hank Williams' song about a religious experience feels like one. It builds to a rousing gospel chorus about a man who has wandered off the lost highway and into the light. The song is relevant to Williams' life, in which he struggled between religion and the honky-tonk lifestyle. While he tried to split his drinking and church-going halves with his Luke the Drifter persona, "I Saw the Light" was released under his own name in 1948.
Religious Song Lyric: "I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin. I wouldn't let my dear savior in."
Essential Country Music Tribute Albums
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Check Out These 15 Top Country Driving Songs For Your Next Road Trip
Top 20 Country Music Songs About Cheating
Flashback: The Top 20 Country Songs of 2008
What Are the 20 Saddest Country Songs Ever Recorded?
www.karter-kiev.net/zaschity-kartera/vaz-82.html
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The Truth About Talos Energy: The Unbelievable Story
Posted by Carowine in Company, Energy
After a couple days of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation, the roads of Tim Duncan’s suburban isle north of Houston were insurmountable. The night was falling and the power was out when news came that an added 6 feet of floodwaters from the hurricane was incoming. Plodding through waist-high floodwater, Duncan raised Christy, his wife, his two dogs and 6-year-old son to a FEMA rescue vessel.
The 45-year-old chief executive of Talos Energy, Duncan, was by himself. For the last few months, he had been organizing a $2.5 billion merger with his privately owned company and Stone Energy Company that was publicly exchanged and bankrupt.
Obtaining a distressed outfit roughly the size of his own was quite dangerous, however, it would allow Talos to be a public entity with none of the expenses of public offering. “I have got to get the deal fulfilled,” Duncan said to himself. “The flood will not be an excuse.”
He requested the aid of a private airplane to bring him and his family into Alabama. Upon returning to Texas, he lodged out of his parents’ place which was in Houston but not harmed. After dinner, Duncan would seize the kitchen table and run late into the night for weeks. “I sold this deal in my mom’s kitchen,” he mentions.
Upon the finishing of the merger in May, Talos will assume control over Stone’s listing and Duncan is going to manage an oil organization with an annual income of $900 million.
Nearly all of Talos’ equity will be located in the Gulf of Mexico. It is low-risk profit margin ($2.3 billion in assets against $700 million in debt) that hardly offsets the enormous operating uncertainty in that place where a platform for drilling is hundreds of millions of dollars and the chance of a catastrophic accident is ever present.
This bet is contrarian. The best is somewhere else, in well-trodden areas such as the Permian Basin where modern methods (hydraulic fracturing) can be utilized in old reservoirs. Talos is a lot like a traditional wildcatter, betting on wells not only in U.S. areas but also in politically risky Mexico.
Read More : www.indeed.com/cmp/Talos-Energy
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Arun Gupta
Group CIO – Cipla Limited
Arun Gupta is Chief Information Officer at Cipla Limited. He specializes in transforming Business IT and is recognized as “Strategic and Business friendly CIO”.
From March 2007 until April 2012, he was Customer Care Associate & Group CTO for Shoppers Stop. Under his leadership, Shoppers Stop has won the coveted NASSCOM CNBC IT User Award in 2010 amongst many other award winning technology lead business initiatives.
He was inducted to CIO Hall of Fame by CIO Magazine in August 2011 and Global IT Leaders Hall of Fame by InformationWeek in October 2010. Arun has won many accolades including “The Global CIO 50: IT Leaders Changing the Business World”, by InformationWeek. In 2011, he was voted #1 in a peer vote as “The Most Respected CIO in India” poll conducted by CIO Association of India and in February was conferred the title of CIO of the year 2012 by BizTech2.0, a CNBC TV18 company.
His career spanning over 28 years include senior positions at Philips, Pfizer, Hughes Telecom, DHL, DSP Merrill Lynch and Great Eastern Shipping. He has held P&L responsibilities at Shoppers Stop for the Food & Beverage business, Internet Service Operations at Hughes Tele.com and ecommerce logistics at DHL.
Arun is President of TDWI India and earlier was the chair of Technology Committee of Retailers Association of India; he has been on the Advisory Board of CIO Magazine, from 2005-2009. He is an invited speaker globally on varied subjects in business and IT.
Arun is an active blogger under the pseudonym “CIO Inverted”.
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LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Tessa Woodward
We are delighted to announce the news of a special award presented to Tessa Woodward, who many of our readers will remember as a key member of the teacher training team at Hilderstone for many years. Tessa retired from Hilderstone in 2016 but has remained active in the profession, editing the Teacher Trainer and maintaining her connections with professionals from all over the world.
Tessa attended a ceremony in London on 18th June and was presented with the British Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2018. This is recognition of Tessa’s huge contribution to the profession through her teaching, training of teachers and teacher trainers, writing and publishing activities. At Hilderstone we are especially grateful to her for the years of service that she gave to the College and the work she did with hundreds of course participants. Many will also remember the support she gave to dozens of work colleagues in her capacity as the College’s professional development co-coordinator. All at Hilderstone congratulate her on her fantastic achievement.
For a video of the ceremony, further tributes to Tessa and her acceptance speech, please click here.
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8/26: Around Foxborough / In The Community & Fun Facts / Did You Know?
* Aug. 26: Strength Training/Enhance Fitness at Foxborough Senior
Center 8:30 a.m.
* Aug. 26: Norfolk County Retirement Board Meeting 8:30 a.m.
* Aug. 26: New Trading Post open 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Feeding Foxborough Community Farmstand open daily 10:00
a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Senior Wednesday at @ShowcaseUS today.
* Aug. 26: $3.99 Burger Wednesday at JakenJoes Foxborough.
* Aug. 26: First Responders Wednesday at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar
& Grill Foxborough.
* Aug. 16 – Aug. 28: Dine Out Boston at DaviosFox.
* Aug. 26: 15 Minute Hibachi Lunch at Saga Hibachi Steakhouse and
Sushi Bar ends 3:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Half price pizza at CBS Scene.
* Aug. 26: Al Truax Bridge Club at St. Mark's 11:00 a.m.
* Aug. 26: Summer Bowl Bash at Splitsville 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Fish Tank: Back to School with Cradles to Crayons at Muse
Paintbar 11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Bounce House outside @RedRobinBurgers 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Coffee & Conversation with Foxborough Town Manager at
Foxborough Senior Center 12:30 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Country Line Dancing at Foxborough Senior Center 2:15 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Knitters at Bethany 3:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: 1/2 off selected appetizers at Bar Louie 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Senior Supper Club at Foxborough Senior Center 4:30 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Foxborough Open House And Free Skate at #Hockeyinfoxboro
* Aug. 26: Maki Madness Wednesdays at Skipjack's 5:00 p.m. – close at the bar.
* Aug. 26: Skeet and Trap at ISC 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Open House at #HockeyInfoxboro 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Freshman Orientation at Foxborough High School 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Free Open Skate at #Hockeyinfoxboro 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: "Big Book Workshop" Beginners A.A. Meeting at Bethany 6:00
p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Bounce House at NRG Plaza at Patriot Place 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Free Summer Flicks presented by Renaissance Boston Patriot
Place 6:00 p.m. Movie (Toy Story) at sunset. Rain-date Sept. 2.
* Aug. 26: Shooting For Stars!™ event at Ace Archers 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Archery Classes at Ace Archers 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Youth Summer League at Ace Archers 6:30 p.m..
* Aug. 26: The Idea Pit at Boyden 6:30 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Boyden Library Director Search Committee Meeting at Boyden
6:30 p.m.(Interviews And Review Of Prospective Candidates)
* Aug. 26: FRD's Yoga For Adults at Chapel Meetinghouse 6:30 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Adults Beginner To Intermediate Tennis 6:40 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Bible Study at Foxboro Seventh-day Adventist/FSDA 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Mission Outreach at Bethany 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Dog Training by Jane Young at CRRA 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: 9 Ball APA Pool League at VFW 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: Mechanical Bull Riding at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar &
Grill Foxborough 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 26: N.E. Sports – Red Sox at White Sox – 8:10 p.m.
Fun Facts & Did You Know?
* Aug. 26: Today is Cherry Popsicle Day.
* Aug. 26: Today is Women's Equality Day.
* Aug. 26: Krakatoa erupted on August 26, 1883.
* Aug. 26: On August 26, 1843, Charles Thurber patented a typewriter.
* Aug. 26: On August 26, 1895, Niagara Falls Power Company delivered
power for the first time.
* Aug. 26: On August 26, 1970, ~50,000 women marched in a "Women's
Strike for Equality" in New York City.
* Aug. 26: Women's suffrage was granted on August 26, 1920, when the
19th Amendment was ratified.
Events are listed as scheduled.
http://blog.OnTheCommon.org
Posted by us at 6:03 AM 0 comments
8/5: Around Foxborough / In The Community & Fun Facts / Did You Know?
* Aug. 5: Strength Training/Enhance Fitness at Foxborough Senior
* Aug. 5: Zumba Gold at Foxborough Senior Center 10:00 a.m.
* Aug. 5: Senior Wednesday at @ShowcaseUS today.
* Aug. 5: New Trading Post open 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Feeding Foxborough Community Farmstand open Mon.-Sat. 10:00
* Aug. 5: $3.99 Burger Wednesday at JakenJoes Foxborough.
* Aug. 5: First Responders Wednesday at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar &
Grill Foxborough.
* Aug. 5: Davio's Power Lunch
* Aug. 5: 15 Minute Hibachi Lunch at Saga Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi
Bar ends 3:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Half price pizza at CBS Scene.
* Aug. 5: Al Truax Bridge Club at St. Mark's 11:00 a.m.
* Aug. 5: Summer Bowl Bash at Splitsville 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Town Pool open 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Knitters at Bethany 1:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Story Time for Ages 3-6 at Boyden 1:30 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Wednesday Line Dancing Class at Foxborough Senior Center
2:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Ends 10/7/15. Register via 508-543-1252.
* Aug. 5: 1/2 off selected appetizers at Bar Louie 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: 2015 Patriots Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies for Houston
Antwine and Willie McGinest on the NRG Plaza outside The Hall at
Patriot Place presented by Raytheon 5:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: History Lecture Series by Paolo DiGregorio at Foxborough
Senior Center 5:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Maki Madness Wednesdays at Skipjack's 5:00 p.m. – close at the bar.
* Aug. 5: Skeet and Trap at ISC 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Summer Skeet League at ISC 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Emannuel's Jr. High YG: Backwards Night 5:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: FRD'S Tennis For Children 5:30 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Scout Troop 32 Committee Meeting at Boyden 6:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: "Big Book Workshop" Beginners A.A. Meeting at Bethany 6:00
* Aug. 5: Archery Classes at Ace Archers 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: "Can You Shoot It?" event at Ace Archers 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Youth Leagues at Ace Archers 6:30 p.m.
* Aug. 5: FRD'S Tennis For Older Kids 6:40 p.m.
* Aug. 5: @Patriots annual in-stadium practice for Season Ticket
Members and Foxborough residents inside @GilletteStadium 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Foxborough Conservation Commission Sub-Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Dog Training Class 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Bible Study at Foxboro Seventh-day Adventist/FSDA 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Bethany's Children's Ministries 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: 9 Ball APA Pool League at VFW 7:00 p.m.
* Aug. 5: N.E. Sports – Red Sox at Yankees – 7:05 p.m.
* Aug. 5: Mechanical Bull Riding at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar &
* Aug. 5: Today is National Mustard Day.
All events are listed as scheduled.
Posted by us at 10:53 AM 0 comments
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Just a change of name...
For some reason or other the simple act of changing a trans person's name and title on medical records seems to be a subject that puts some GP practices and hospital records clerks into an awful tizzy.
This recent example is typical of the kind of question I'm often asked. In this case a gender clinic was being asked for guidance by the patient's GP practice:
We have a patient who is presently registered and was born as female. They have undergone a legal name change of forename to something more masculine. In the letter that you have sent to the practice you refer to the patient as male. You are assessing the suitability for cross-sex hormone therapy; I assume this indicates the patient has not had surgery.
In order for our practise to have this patient registered as male the Family Health Services Authority re-register the patient with a new NHS number and disregard the previous document as archived.
Could you please tell me at what point this patient should be registered as male?
This kind of question is covered in the Department of Health's guide, "Trans: A Practical Guide for the NHS". A common problem is that officials sometimes assume that they ought not to make any changes until the patient obtains a Gender Recognition Certificate. In a footnote on page 30 it says,
"Note that the purpose of a GRC is merely to facilitate the creation of a new entry in the register of births, from which a new birth certificate can be issued. The GRC as a document has no other legal standing. It is not appropriate to operate a policy of requiring sight of a GRC in order to change an individual's name in patient or employee records. A statutory declaration or deed poll is the most that should be required for changes of name and title, just as for anyone else, and regardless of the individual's state of transition."
In case that's not enough, the guide then touches on the topic again and again. There are passages about medical records on page 43, on record keeping on page 55 and a best practice fact box on page 35.
Yet still these questions are asked. For these reasons I thought it would be worthwhile to feature the rest of my answer to the above query. Essentially it comes in two parts:
Firstly, the appropriate time for changing records is when the patient commences living permanently in the new gender role. It is not appropriate to insist that they have had any particular endocrine or surgical treatment – or to insist they have a GRC.
Changing name and title is no big deal. Tens of thousands of such changes are accommodated every year when women marry, so the mechanisms already exist.
The most important day to day change for a trans person is that the records contain the appropriate form of title (Mr, Miss, Mrs, Ms) and the name they have taken. UK law does not require any specific process for that. You and I can change our names at any time just by telling everyone that henceforth we will be known as 'x'.
It's not technically necessary to have a piece of paper (deep poll, statutory declaration or marriage certificate), but banks and other agencies prefer something to put on file, so trans people are recommended to complete a statutory declaration of their name change. As this is a legal document, NHS Trusts should take account of it. To refuse to change records on this basis would be unlawful discrimination.
The second consideration is how records work for the purposes of sex-specific screening (e.g. inviting women over 50 for breast screening or people with prostate glands for checks). The Trans Guide again explains very clearly (top of p43) that screening should be on the basis of physiological need. Thus, depending on the way their systems work, GP practices and hospitals must make appropriate arrangements.
I'm not familiar with the precise operating details of these systems, but if it's possible to make a distinction between title (Mr / Miss / Mrs etc) and sex, there is a decision to make over whether the sex indicator should be changed or not.
A balance needs to be struck between calling the patient for the right kinds of screening and fulfilling the requirements of the Gender Recognition Act when they have a GRC. (i.e. A flag that says a trans man is female could be visible to people who should not see it and the practice would break the law in terms of unauthorised disclosure of protected information).
The best way in my view is to change the flag (as it should be) to reflect the transitioned gender and simply make alternative arrangements to screen the patient. E.g. diary events could be set up on the patient's personal record.
This is preferable in any case as a trans man would need to be seen for gynaecological examinations in a setting which preserves his privacy and dignity. I.e. You wouldn't just let the computer send him along to sit in a clinic full of women.
The same goes for a trans woman needing BOTH prostate exams and breast exams but not gynaecological tests.
Issuing a new NHS number is OK – and some trans people specifically request this. I'm not clear whether there's a gender indicator buried in the number or not. Conflicting answers have been given on this.
However, issuing a new NHS number is separate to the question of whether the patient's medical record should be replaced. Clearly that would not be in the interests of the patient.
The best thing, however, is not to try and make these decisions on a blanket policy basis but to sit down with the patient and discuss the options and the implications so they can decide what's best for them in an imperfect system.
For instance, if one option would mean that doctors couldn't access their previous medical history then patients may well decide that that isn't in their interests.
Remember that all people want is an appropriate sense of privacy, protection from disclosures that could make them vulnerable in their wrong hands, and respect for their dignity.
Josephine said...
I have (I think) had no problems with the NHS. In fact, I had a breast cancer scare, and my first mammogram, and the clinic was absolutely faultless in its handling of me.
I recently tried to buy some medical insurance though. This process was like something out of Dante...it was only after much kicking and threatening that the insurers registered me a female (and bizarely, if I should end up with a prostate problem my female policy will be temporarily cancelled and I will be readmitted as a male policy holder...and then that will be changed back again!).
Still at least they did it. Sort of. Pension and insurance companies are the worst. They've just flately refused to change gender without sight of a GRC (which I don't have yet). When I pointed out to them that agencies like the Passport Office, NHS, DVLA etc were prepared to do it, one response was "Well they're wrong to".
10:39 PM, October 08, 2009
Kirsch said...
Thanks, I've been searching every where for info on when I can change my title and if I have to wait for my GRC first. This is the first bit of info I have found that tells me clearly! Though I am not looking forward to the issues raised ahead of me, at least I can get off to a good start.
This article has also lead to me being more informed on what I can expect and how to handle it. Thanks again!
11:25 PM, September 13, 2010
A Statement of Support for the Liverpool Homophobi...
Dear Sir or Madam – The New Edition
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Benefits of watering the Ukrainian breadbasket
Written by Aaron Schapper | Jan 14, 2016
Change is occurring in post-revolutionary Ukraine and this process is having far-reaching implications for the country’s vast agriculture sector. Once known as ‘the breadbasket of Europe’, post-Soviet Ukraine had struggled to maintain that title in recent decades. The country is steadily strengthening this position through the growth and export of key crops with potential for continued dramatic increases. However, considerable investment is still required if the agriculture industry is to finally reach its potential.
Ascending agricultural superpower
Agriculture is an important part of Ukraine’s economy, making up 9.3 percent of the country’s GDP while constituting 17.2 percent of employment and 26 percent of national exports according to World Bank figures. The country’s main grain crops include wheat, barley and corn, which have been steadily increasing in demand. In fact, in the 2008-2010 growing season, Ukraine was the world’s largest barley exporter, occupying 30 percent of the world barley trade. If these positive trends continue, Ukraine grain exports are projected to continue experiencing growth in the foreseeable future, with the potential for Ukraine to become the world’s leading grain exporter.
Grains are not the only Ukrainian crops that have seen substantial production growth in recent years. Its main oil crops, sunseeds, rapeseeds and soybeans, have also seen growth, with Ukraine currently producing 20 percent of the world’s sunseed crop.
Much of these increases can be attributed to excellent growing conditions. The majority of the country’s regions have highly fertile soils, favorable climates, able growers and ideal export locations. However, the yield potential in Ukraine is largely underutilized due to a lack of modernization in agricultural practices. In other words, these impressive figures could be significantly more impressive with the use of the right technologies.
Wanted: irrigation infrastructure overhaul
One key avenue of opportunity for Ukrainian agriculture is better irrigation. Where mechanized irrigation equipment once stood in many Ukrainian fields, only irrigation infrastructure remains today. During the Soviet era, irrigation was widely used throughout the country, not limited to the south as it is today. There were about 74 million acres (30 million hectares) of arable land, 5.4 million acres (2.2 million hectares) of which were irrigated. This irrigation infrastructure grew by approximately 247,105 acres (100,000 hectares) per year.
Today, many elements of this irrigation infrastructure are still in place and functional with proper maintenance. While the irrigation machines from this era are now obsolete, much of the surviving infrastructure could theoretically be paired with new irrigation center pivots or linear (lateral move) machines and used once more.
Reducing risk whatever the weather
With crop yield as the main driver for the country’s production growth and the amount of farming acreage projected to remain relatively stable, installing modern irrigation equipment is an important step toward the continued development of Ukraine’s agribusiness.
Much of Ukraine’s crops are currently grown using dryland farming, making favorable weather conditions key to successful yields. This puts the country’s strategically crucial farming industry at the mercy of the elements. Such risks are inevitable in any agricultural undertaking, but better irrigation can reduce the level of risk exposure significantly.
Sergiy Melnychenko, territory sales manager at Valmont® Irrigation in Eurasia, explains, “If we start to irrigate in the area like we used to in Soviet times, we can double the production in southern regions of Ukraine. It has huge potential.”
An increase in irrigated land could allow for the potential Ukrainian harvest of an additional 10 million tons of grain – regardless of weather conditions. Broken down into smaller terms, if a grower were to yield 1.5 tons of alfalfa from each hectare of dry land, that grower has the potential to yield 4 to 5 tons of alfalfa on the same amount of land using mechanized irrigation. This increase in yield would create a more reliable food source for livestock and significantly raise the export potential for Ukraine’s agricultural sector without requiring farmers to expand fields.
Feeding a growing global population
This trend toward irrigation growth is already taking place on a global scale. An increase of 40 percent in global food production over the last 50 years has come almost exclusively from irrigated farmland, while rain-fed agriculture has remained largely unchanged. In fact, while only 20 percent of the world’s cropland is currently irrigated, it yields 40 percent of all food production and 50 percent of all crop revenue. A continued increase in irrigated farmland is necessary to achieve high enough yields required to feed a growing world population.
These global patterns could work in Ukraine with equally impressive results. The American example is informative. In the center of the United States, the state of Nebraska saw a yield of 170 bu/acre (10.5 tonnes/hectare) of corn on irrigated land compared to a yield of 65 bu/acre (4 tonnes/hectare) of corn on dryland. This resulted in an average of $614.97 more in revenues per irrigated hectare compared to dryland hectare.
Mechanized irrigation is ideal for many of Ukraine’s key crops. Proper irrigation technique would result in efficiency rates of about 75 to 95 percent. If more mechanized irrigation machines were installed, Ukraine could see similar yield results as the U.S.
Investing in irrigation
Some growers have already begun taking advantage of the existing but unused Soviet-era infrastructure in Ukraine, updating it with new mechanized irrigation equipment. Valmont Irrigation, the manufacturer of the Valley® brand of irrigation equipment, can help growers make this transition.
Valley center pivots and linears are ideal choices when upgrading to mechanized irrigation. They are closely related because both use a motorized tower concept and apply similarly sized towers and equipment for comparable hectares. However, center pivots are generally more economically feasible relative to other types of irrigation equipment. This is especially true when used on large areas, which is common in Ukraine. Center pivots also have a low labor requirement and circular travel path.
The price of this investment is often a concern for many growers, while others simply do not have access to sufficient sources of financing. Recognizing that the tremendous agricultural potential of Ukraine plays a critical role in contributing to global food security, the World Bank is currently engaged in discussions to finance projects for growers to gain access to the network of canals throughout Ukraine that are left over from the Soviet era. Additional talks are underway to develop a legal framework for secure land ownership. These initiatives hold great promise for the future, although the extent of the World Bank’s investments has not yet been solidified.
With so many advantages, Ruediger Claas, general manager at Valmont Irrigation in Eurasia, said the biggest benefit of investing in mechanized irrigation equipment is the return on that investment.
“If you’re purchasing irrigation equipment, it’s a fast return on investment, and it’s a kind of insurance against being reliant on rainfall,” Claas concludes.
About Aaron Schapper
President, Valmont Utility
Valley IrrigationAaron joined Valmont Irrigation in 2011 as Vice President and General Manager of International Irrigation. He is responsible for sales, service, manufacturing, international product development, joint ventures and acquisition opportunities. In 2015, Aaron's responsibilities grew to include overseeing the Global Engineering business unit.
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Home > Political Ranting > Yasukuni
Japanese politicians are yet again preparing to make an official visit to Yasukuni Shrine, further fueling anger in China and other countries in the region. Outside of the diplomatic question of unnecessarily pissing off your close neighbors and, apparently, deliberately alienating yourself from other countries surrounding you, there is the question of whether they would accept similar actions from others.
What if, in America, there was a shrine which glorified the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as those who planned and carried out the atomic bombings and the many bombing raids on Japanese cities which killed so many civilians; and further, what if American presidents as well as numerous lawmakers, in an official government capacity, visited this shrine on a regular basis?
I find it difficult to believe that the same Japanese lawmakers would not respond in tremendous outrage. I also find it hard to see how their own actions are in any way different from such an analogy.
Categories: Political Ranting Tags: by Luis
Tim Kane
April 20th, 2005 at 01:48 | #1
I find Japan’s actions in this regard unfathomable.
I studied Japanese law in Law School under one of America’s preeminent scholars on Japanese law.
More than any society, Japanese jurisprudence is heavily steeped in the jurisprudence of contrition in respect to criminal law. It is seen as one of the reasons for Japan’s remarkably low crime rate and strenuous efforts are being made all over the English Common Law world to find ways to duplicate it.
Contrition involves admiting a wrongful act, regret at committing a wrongful act, acknowledging its wrongfulness and acknowledging the superiority and authority of the law.
No society knows better than the Japanese the power of contrition. Yet they are still unwilling to admit the wrongfulness of the actions they took prior to World War II.
The fact remains, a person who refuses to admit that he committed a wrong, is reserving for themselves the right to re-commit the wrongful act again in the future. That’s precisely what everyone fears. Its true for an individual. Its also true for a nation of individuals.
By the way, we suffer from the same problem in the United States by Southerners who are unrepentent concerning the Civil War. They rather point out the wrongfulness of Northern aggression against the concept of and in violation to states rights. This intransigence is a source of southern biggotry and hatred and a source of radical politics coming out of the south manifested in George Bush, Neoconservatives and the Republican Party.
Its also the reason why Roosevelt insisted on unconditional surrender in Germany during WWII. He wanted to make the consequences of their decision to choose far right wing reactionary Nazi politics so awfull so as to permanently alter the mindes of the German electrate in the aggregate. The consequences of the “stick” presented by fascist in the 1930s and 40s, and the “carrot” presented by Roosevelt and Truman in the 30s, 40s and 50s created modern first world international prosperity through out the first world. Every where that Roosevelts/Trumans armies marched/occupied is now social democratic. But the influence they had on Europe and East Asia they could not manifest in their own country, where they shared power with Republicans and Reactionary Southerners.
As a result while Western Europe has become a social paradise, and Japan and South Korea nearly so, the United States is sinking into a Banana Republic. Perhaps Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomatix and his call for ending hostilities is not as fortuotous as it might seem. On the one hand, Lee’s behavior pretty much ensured that their would be no gurilla warfare east of the Mississippi, and only slight gurilla warefare west of it – a total warfare and total destruction, ala Germany in April 1945 and the misery that came with it might have permanently destroy southern intransigence. Like wise the surrender of Japan in August 1945 prior to U.S. invasion may have save far right wing reactionary politics their from the “dust bin” of history.
Anyway, their actions are totally stupid. My South Korean friends see it as a possible benefit to their economy. Because most East Asian’s are weary of Japan and its intransigence, they will more likely go to South Korea for Goods and Services. They see that perhaps Seoul might become to East Asia what London is to Europe – a neutral, politically sensitive and responsible big financial services center. 25 years ago Japan was the only advanced nation in east asia. Not anymore.
Right wing politics threatens to hurt international business interest in both Japan and the United States.
NHK English Must Be Good Judicial Nominees
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Kinky hanky-panky, Mr. International Leather to be discussed after film screening
Everything you wanted to know about kinky hanky panky – but were afraid to ask – will be addressed at an upcoming discussion hosted by The Center Long Beach.
“Kink Crusaders,” a documentary about the Mr. Leather competition and the leather community will be screened 7 p.m. July 13 at MADhaus in Long Beach.
Admission is $10 and entry is restricted to people 18 years and older.
The film and discussion are part of The Center’s QSpeak discussion series. The quarterly lecture and performance series features university scholars, activists, artists and pubIic figures in the LGBT community talking about queer studies, art, culture, social justice and history.
“The leather community is often an incredibly misunderstood subculture within and outside the LGBTQ community,” Porter Gilberg, administrative director at The Center Long Beach, said in a press release announcing the screening. “We hope this QSpeak can serve as a bridge between the many cultures and subcultures within the Long Beach LGBTQ and leather communities.”
“Kink Crusaders” director Mike Skiff added: “I applaud The Center for creating this opportunity for a greater understanding of the continuing contributions made by leather folks to LGBTQ history and culture.”
(This publicity image is from the
documentary “Kink Crusaders,” which chronicles the history of the Mr.
International Leather competition. Photo courtesy of the filmmakers.)
Continue reading “Kinky hanky-panky, Mr. International Leather to be discussed after film screening” »
Posted in Education | Tagged documentaries, leather contests, long beach, Mr. International Leather, Qspeak 2012, Qspeak lecture series, The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach | Leave a reply
Johnny Deep, Meryl Streep join call to lower ‘Bully’ film rating
Posted on March 14, 2012 by Phillip Zonkel
By Sandy Cohen, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – More Hollywood heavyweights are joining the call for a lower rating on the teen-focused documentary “Bully.”
The Weinstein Co, which releases the film March 30, said Tuesday Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees support the film.
Lee Hirsch’s documentary on bullying in American schools is rated R, which restricts children under 17 from seeing it without an adult. The Motion Picture Association of America, which oversees movie ratings, cited language as the reason for the R rating.
Distributors appealed the decision, but it was upheld by the MPAA.
One of the teens in the film is Kelby, a 16-year-old lesbian. After she came out, Kelby and her family were treated as pariahs in their small town of Tuttle, Oklahoma.
The onetime all-star athlete faced an outpouring of hatred from classmates as well as teachers, and was forced to leave her sports teams.
Refusing her parents’ offers to leave Tuttle, the gutsy teenager is bolstered by her adoring girlfriend and a few staunch friends, resolving to stay in her town and change a few minds.
The MPAA’s insistence on not lowering the rating prompted a lesbian teenager in Michigan – who says she was bullied in middle school – to start an online petition calling for a lower rating for the film so more young people can see it. She met with MPAA officials last week and delivered the 200,000 signatures she collected, but the group declined to change the rating.
(Katy Butler, a 17-year-old, lesbian high school junior from Ann Arbor, Mich., collected nearly 300,000 signatures on her petition asking the MPAA to lower the R rating on the film “Bully.”)
Continue reading “Johnny Deep, Meryl Streep join call to lower ‘Bully’ film rating” »
Posted in Education | Tagged Bully documentary, bullying, documentaries, films, Johnny Deep, Meryl Streep, MPAA | Leave a reply
Long Beach filmmaker’s ‘LA Black Lesbians’ to be screened Thursday night in Los Angeles
Posted on February 15, 2012 by Phillip Zonkel
Black religious institutions were indispensable during the Civil Rights Movement, but traditionally, the Black church does not welcome gays and lesbians – even though a significant number of the people attending Black churches are gay.
The documentary “LA Black Lesbians: The Black Church” (screening 8:20 p.m. Thursday as part of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival) examines how Black lesbians living in the Los Angeles metropolitan area perceive the church.
The women also discuss how they feel they are perceived by society, church leaders and their congregations.
The film is directed by Long Beach filmmaker Shea Harrison.
Jasmyne Cannick, Pat Munson, De’Mesha Spencer, TeRenna Rivera and Misty Bradley are interviewed in the film. A Q&A will follow the screening.
In other Pan African Film and Arts Festival news, festival organizers last Friday honored longtime LGBT and HIV/AIDS pioneer Jewel Thais-Williams with their Community Services Award.
Thais-Williams, founder of Jewel’s Catch One in downtown Los Angeles, the longest-running Black gay disco in the world, also founded The Village Health Foundation, which runs an alternative health clinic for low-income people.
(One of the women interviewed in “LA Black Lesbians” discusses her life experiences.)
Posted in Education | Tagged black activists, black lesbians, documentaries, Jewel's Catch One, lesbian activists, Pan African Arts and Film Festival | Leave a reply
Chely Wright documentary ‘Wish Me Away’ wins award at Palm Springs Film Festival
The Chely Wright documentary “Wish Me Away,” about the first country music star to “come out” as gay, won an audience award at the 23rd Annual Palm Springs Film Festival.
The film tied for Best Audience Award Best Documentary Feature with “The Girls in the Band,” a fascinating look at the hidden history of women jazz musicians.
The awards were given out Sunday.
During the 12-day festival, which closed Monday, 188 films from 73 countries, including 40 of the 63 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Awards, were screened.
“Wish Me Away” was filmed over a three-year period and the filmmakers were given extraordinary access to Wright’s life and her unfolding plan to come out publicly. The filmmakers used interviews with Wright, her family, key players in
Nashville and her management team as well as Wright’s intimate, private video diaries.
The film looks at back story as an established country music star and then forward as she prepares to step into the national media glare to reveal she is a lesbian. It shows the aftermath of Wright’s decision in her Nashville hometown and within the larger LGBT community, and the struggles of a Christian who happens to be gay.
“Wish Me Away” also reveals the devastation of Wright’s internalized homophobia – which led to her putting a gun in her mouth – and power of living an authentic life.
Posted in Education | Tagged chely wright, country music, documentaries, lesbian singers, Palm Springs, palm springs film festival | Leave a reply
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