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https://www.healthcentral.com/article/be-your-own-best-advocate-with-gastric-cancer
Managing Gastric Cancer
Self-Advocacy Helped Her Beat Stomach Cancer Odds
Rachel Zohn
Health Writer
Dream Focus Photography for the Florida DDF Symposium.
It took more than a year of determined self-advocacy before Branny Carrasco’s concerns were confirmed in a gastric (also known as stomach) cancer diagnosis.
In 2012, the active 31-year-old mother of two small boys noticed something was off. The former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman was used to a busy life when she began feeling constantly fatigued. At first, she was diagnosed with severe anemia and received a blood transfusion. The next day, she fainted at the top of her stairs and began vomiting blood.
She was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer (although an endoscopy didn’t find one). A test revealed she was infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria, known to cause ulcers and in some cases, gastric cancer. She was treated with antibiotics, but she continued to feel lethargic, nauseous, and have heartburn. She told her gastroenterologist that she was concerned about stomach cancer. He told her not to worry — gastric cancer isn’t common in the U.S., and Carrasco was too young to get it.
But while serving with the Navy, Carrasco had spent four years living in Japan, a country with higher rates of the H. pylori infection and stomach cancer.
Over the course of more than a year, the Northern California resident saw three specialists and each dismissed her concerns. She was diagnosed with chronic stress.
Then, in November 2013, she woke up one morning with a throbbing headache. Her whole body ached in a way that she knew something was acutely wrong. She went to the emergency room, where doctors found she was bleeding internally. Another endoscopy was performed, which found the cancer Carrasco feared she had had all along. By then it had eaten a small hole in her stomach and spread to nearby lymph nodes.
She was diagnosed with stage IIIB gastric cancer. Within weeks she had surgery to remove 80 percent of her stomach, followed by chemotherapy and radiation.
That’s when the fight of her life began, but also when she found her voice as an advocate raising awareness about the disease. She has become deeply involved with Debbie’s Dream Foundation (DDF), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and support to patients, families, and caregivers, and advancing funding for research, with the ultimate goal of curing stomach cancer. Branny, now 35, and her husband are co-founders of the San Francisco branch of DDF.
Health Central (HC): How did you get involved with advocacy and raising awareness about gastric cancer?
Carrasco: As soon as I found out I had stomach cancer, I reached out to support groups online. That’s where Debbie’s Dream Foundation got in touch with me. One of the representatives from DDF emailed me and said they’d like to learn more about my story. So I gave them my history and background and they mentioned they had an upcoming advocacy day on Capitol Hill. I didn’t even hesitate, I said “I’ll go!”
I saw this as my opportunity to make my voice heard. I was brushed off by all these specialists for over a year and I thought, there is such a lack of knowledge about H. pylori and stomach cancer in this country. The situation was frustrating because I fought so hard to get diagnosed and then had to go through such harsh treatments. But when I went to DDF events and I saw all these survivors, and I thought, “Ok, I have a chance, I am going to be part of that 14 percent [of survivors with her cancer type].” I started to feel more positive, and I had a purpose.
HC: Where are you now with your treatment?
Carrasco: I completed chemo and radiation in July 2014 and did well for about three years. I had a routine CT scan in November 2016 and everything came back normal. In January I started having abnormal bleeding with my cycle and went in for another scan. I was diagnosed with a reoccurrence; the cancer had metastasized to my ovaries. In just those few months, my ovaries had turned into apple-sized tumors. At that point, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I wasn’t given much hope. I was told if chemotherapy didn’t work, I had less than six months to live, and chemo was the only option given to me.
I wanted to find a surgeon who would do a procedure called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). It’s considered experimental and the benefits often don’t outweigh the risk, but I felt it was my best option. Eventually I found a doctor in San Diego who was willing to do it. As part of HIPEC, they cut me open, took out the tumors and my ovaries and did a heated chemotherapy infusion in my abdomen. They call it “shake and bake,” because they rotate you so the chemo gets to all the nooks and crannies. The heat makes it more effective, and it’s supposed to be less toxic then the intravenous form of chemo. Then they drain the chemo out of you and close you up.
But before I did the procedure, I spoke to several patients who had HIPEC and they all experienced a lot of complications and had really difficult recoveries. It was difficult to feel confident that things were going to be OK. I questioned what my quality of life would be like and the quality of life for my family. I was also worried because I had to be off of chemo for six weeks prior to the procedure, and chemo is what had kept my tumors in check. I basically planned my own funeral, wrote out my living will and wishes. It was the most difficult thing I had to deal with, facing my own mortality again.
I ended up having the surgery in July and it went as ideally as possible. They didn’t find any more metastasis. I was out of hospital in four days and I haven’t had any complications. I’m not considered in remission but there is no measureable disease in my body. I’m at extremely high risk for reoccurrence, and my doctors have said that any treatment I have is to prolong my life. I’ll never be cured of it. That’s a very difficult thing to hear. But I have outlived the less-than-six-months prognosis they gave me. And I’m grateful things have gone as well as they have.
HC: Are there any specific areas you have focused on in your advocacy? Why is it so important to you to be involved?
Carrasco: The year my husband and I joined DDF and took part in the advocacy day on Capitol Hill, stomach cancer got added to a list of a cancers that affect the military. Military personnel are at higher risk of coming into contact with H. pylori because of the countries and the conditions we are in. There is a higher exposure.
I feel like I’ve made a change through DDF. I hear it a lot, especially from people at stage 4. We have a 4 percent chance of survival. When in you’re in a situation where the odds are against you, you search for any bit of hope and for some reason I’m still here. And when I’m having one of those days when I just don’t want to do chemo, I look to Debbie and her story for inspiration. Her energy amazes me. I want to give that in return to our community.
HC: You have talked a lot about feeling frustrated by your experiences with doctors. What advice would you give to others about self-advocacy?
Carrasco: Be your own advocate. If you feel something isn’t right, speak up, question it. Doctors are experts in their field, but you are an expert in your own body. I believe being very assertive in communicating my concerns to doctors has helped me beat the odds. Stomach cancer is mainly asymptotic. It’s easy to attribute the symptoms to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome, or different digestive disorders. By the time it’s discovered, it’s often at [an advanced stage].
After I completed my treatment in 2014, I scheduled a meeting on behalf of DDF with the first GI [gastroenterologist] specialist I had seen. I told him, “I don’t know if you remember me, you treated me for an H. pylori infection and I had spent some time asking you about stomach cancer... Well, I did have stomach cancer.”
His jaw literally dropped, and he said, “I am so sorry.” I told him, “I’m not here for an apology. But I want you to take my experience into account so that next time you have someone like me, with my age, who may not look as sick as you think someone with stomach cancer should look like, you won’t ignore the symptoms.”
HC: What goals have you set for yourself now and in the future?
Carrasco: One of my recent goals is to do more traveling with my kids (now 7 and 10 years old). We always wanted to take to them Japan, where my husband and I met. We loved it there and I want to take them there and experience it with them. The goal is to go next year during spring break for two weeks.
My focus is to make as many beautiful memories with them as I can. I try and cherish the moments we have now and focus on my family. And I want to continue working with DDF as long as possible.
Where Can You Turn for Support if You Have Gastric (Stomach) Cancer?
Risk Factors You Should Know for Gastric (Stomach) Cancer
Tips for Cooking and Eating After a Gastrectomy
Gastric Cancer Risk Factors You Should Know
Want to know what puts you at risk for stomach cancer? Age, sex, dietary habits, and other factors are key.
@rachelzohn
Rachel Zohn is a mom, a wife, and a freelance writer who is striving to find the best way to juggle it all and maintain a sense of humor. She is a former newspaper reporter with a deep interest in writing about all things related to health, wellness and the human body. She enjoys writing about various health topics, including skin conditions such as eczema, different types of cancer and seasonal allergies.
Tags:Diagnosis, Treatment, Five Questions
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https://www.healthcentral.com/article/greatness-in-the-ordinary-the-selfcare-movement
Greatness in the Ordinary: The Self-Care Movement
Lene Andersen, MSW
“There is greatness in the ordinary. People who live with illness have many small victories every day and there is greatness in that.” These wise words were said by Grace Soyao, the founder and CEO of Self-Care Catalysts, the organization behind SelfCareMVMT.
Self-Care Catalysts is an organization committed to enabling people living with health conditions to engage in self-care and self-management. They do this through their app, the Health Storylines tool, which has been developed in different versions for a variety of conditions.
They also organized the Self-Care Movement Summit this summer in Toronto and I was privileged to attend.
The Self-Care Movement Summit
Margaret Trudeau, mother of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gave the keynote speech at the Summit. She spoke about her own journey with bipolar disorder, which began when her then-husband Pierre Elliott Trudeau was the prime minister of Canada and she was the mother of small children. Her speech was infused with humor and heart.
“Margaret Trudeau was just so funny, so endearing while talking about some of the most difficult things people can go through, and it just warms my heart,” said Kirsten Schultz. Kirsten is the creator of Chronic Sex, a community organization that’s a safe place to discuss issues related to chronic illness and self-care, intimacy, and sexuality. She also was a panelist at the Summit, discussing self-care stories.
“It was awe-inspiring to walk into that room and see how many people were there,” she said.
I had a similar reaction, feeling overwhelmed at being surrounded by so many of my peers. Approximately 400 people attended the Summit, and the event was so popular that the organizers had to actually turn away some individuals.
“One of the things that was reinforced for me was how common our experiences are,” Kirsten continued. “Different backgrounds and experiences, but at the end of the day everybody feels alone, not worthy of what they’re doing and receiving. How do we as a community attack that — there were some great messages presented.”
Empower the patient
“Patients were never trained to become patients,” said Grace Soyao as she told me about the background of Self-Care Catalyst. “increasingly, patients are being asked to continue their care at home. When they go home, they are no longer just patients, they become researchers, mentors for other patients, caregivers for family members. We built Self-Care Catalysts to empower the patient.” The organization does this through presenting speakers, templates, and resources so individuals can bring self-care to smaller communities, and the Health Storylines apps (scroll down when you access that link to find the many app offerings).
“We have the app to help people understand their own health journey and make it easier for them to communicate their experiences in between visits to the doctor,” said Elise Kayletz, manager of Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Relations with Self-Care Catalysts. She explained that there are “20 apps focusing on different conditions” and that the organization works with nonprofit foundations when building the apps.
“Working with our partners isn’t just about making an app, it’s about supporting their campaigns and backing them up when necessary.”
For instance, Positive Living Storylines, an app for people living with HIV, was launched on December 1, 2016, World AIDS Day. Self-Care Catalysts has also done a lot of work on an app for people living with schizophrenia.
The winner of their self-care design challenge was Kristy Speaks, who lives with schizophrenia. Her idea was a positive affirmations tool. Elise said the tool will be featured in the app.
“We flew her and her partner to Toronto from Oklahoma, and she worked with our entire team to build the idea and what it’s going to look like,” Elise said.
On December 8, 2016, the organization will support Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America (SARDAA) in their Hearing Voices of Support initiative.
“This is videos of individuals with schizophrenia talking about their own personal experiences. They will be airing every two minutes for 10 seconds each in Times Square on December 8. It’s going to be a huge presence,” Elise told me.
In 2017, Self-Care Catalysts will be focusing on the areas of schizophrenia, irritable bowel disorder, primary biliary cirrhosis, a rare autoimmune disorder of the liver, and will also be looking at expanding into arthritis.
Learn more on theSelf-Care Movement website. You can find the apps onHealth Storylines, Google Play, and the Apple Store.
Self-Care for the Holidays with Chronic Illness
#ChronicSex: Creating a Safe Place to Talk about Sex and Chronic Illness
Using Creativity to Cope with Chronic Illness
Lene’s new book isChronic Christmas: Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic Illness. She’s also the author ofYour Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tools for Managing Treatment, Side Effects and Pain,7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain, and the award-winning blogThe Seated View.
@TheSeatedView
Lene Andersen is an author, health and disability advocate, and photographer living in Toronto. Lene (pronounced Lena) has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since she was four years old and uses her experience to help others with chronic illness. She has written several books, including Your Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tools for Managing Treatment, Side Effects and Pain, and 7 Facets: A Meditation on Pain, as well as the award-winning blog, The Seated View.
Lene serves on HealthCentral's Health Advocates Advisory Board, and is a Social Ambassador for the RAHealthCentral on Facebook page. She is also one of HealthCentral's Live Bold, Live Now heroes — watch her incredible journey of living with RA.
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What Really Happens When You Come to Work Sick
Written by Anna Wahrman on January 23, 2017
The scratchy throat. The achy joints. The stuffy nose.
It’s hard to ignore the symptoms of cold and flu — but that doesn’t stop us from trying.
We show up to work and nurse a headache all day. We cough until, at last, we’re begged by our coworkers to take our germs home already.
Whether sick workers show up because there’s a crucial meeting, they fear being punished, replaced, or fired, or because they’re hourly workers who need the money, they do real harm by spreading their illnesses to everyone else in their vicinity.
Dr. Lee Norman, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Hospital, acknowledges that people “want to demonstrate to their bosses and coworkers that they have a strong work ethic, so a lot of them suck it up and go to work.”
“It might be a noble idea,” Norman told Healthline, but “it doesn’t work well for containing the spread of diseases.”
In fact, Norman says, there may be no place worse than an office environment for containing germs. There’s little air circulation and, in most cases, outside windows can’t be opened.
“People are in close proximity, and it’s just kind of a perfect setup for the spread of disease,” he says.
Read more: Do cell phones spread infections in hospitals? »
What’s so bad about offices?
Norman says that this time of year is ripe for respiratory viruses like cold and flu, which are spread primarily via coughing and sneezing.
But even if a sneeze from Mary in Accounting doesn’t land right in your face, “it’ll settle down on to a surface and be contagious from that perspective. Viruses live on the surface of things for a long time, and it’s easy to pick something up,” says Norman.
Anything people are touching presents the greatest danger of virus transfer, Norman says, but in office settings it seems the number of such items is a lot.
Copy machines, door handles, keyboards, phones, light switches, elevator buttons, vending machines, microwaves, and conference room tables are all breeding grounds for germs.
Says Norman, “Hands are the things that carry from one person to the next. People mop up their runny nose, then don’t wash their hands. Then they take the half-and-half out of the refrigerator,” and the next thing you know, half the office has been felled by the same lingering cough.
A poll of Healthline readers showed people are split over whether to come to work when they're sick.
In the online survey of 119 people done last week, about a third said they always come to work sick.
Almost half said they sometimes come in, while slightly more than 20 percent said they never come in.
Read more: If your job makes you sick, you may be out of luck »
January through March are typically the prime months for cold and flu.
That’s because the cold weather forces people indoors, and the period following the holiday season is notorious for creating illness in children (and, in turn, the parents of those children).
This year’s strain of flu is set to be a doozy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ten states — in particular, those on both coasts — have already seen spikes, and the CDC predicts it will only get worse.
The observations and data collected so far this year by Lisa-Marie Gustafson, a human resources manager at aerospace company Hexcel, certainly backs the claim that this time of year is ripe for employee illnesses.
“We are definitely seeing that our delivery is well below where it should be,” she told Healthline.
Speaking on behalf of the Society of Human Resource Management, Gustafson says, “It’s not just loss of employees’ time, it absolutely is loss of real dollars.”
Gustafson says that in order to stem the tide of sick workers, she’s had to have “some hard conversations” with employees who insist on coming to work while ill, because those who haven’t stayed home have affected those around them.
“Especially those who work in close team environments, it’s more than just one person that’s going out on illness,” she says.
Read more: It’s ‘Unsick Day,’ so go to the doctor »
Remote possibility
Like many employers, Hexcel offers working from home as an option for office-based employees who are feeling unwell.
Technology like email, video conferencing, and messaging apps have expanded the ability of workers to keep their germs at home.
But what about those in the manufacturing and retail sectors? Most part-time and hourly employees don’t have the option of working from home when they’re not feeling well, because not showing up means not making money.
Current U.S. law does not require employers to provide paid sick days. In fact, the law does not even protect workers from being fired when they miss work due to health reasons, as viral star Lamar Austin proved earlier this month. He was sacked for choosing to stay with his wife — instead of working at his security guard job — while she gave birth to their fourth child.
President Obama proposed a law in 2015 that called for mandating seven days of paid sick time a year for all workers, but Congress declined to pursue the legislation. However, 23 cities and states have passed laws requiring paid sick time for part-time workers, according to the nonprofit organization Workplace Fairness.
San Francisco passed a paid sick leave law in 2007. Since then, Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Washington; New York, and the state of Connecticut, among others, have followed suit.
Businesses have argued that these types of laws could lead to price hikes or negatively impact their overall hiring, but the New York law was studied last year by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), which found it to be a “nonevent.”
The authors of the report, economist Eileen Appelbaum, Ph.D., and sociologist Ruth Milkman, Ph.D., reported that the law had little business impact, saying, “The vast majority of employers were able to adjust quite easily,” and “85 percent reported that the new law had no effect on their overall business costs.”
Staying home (or, if possible, working from home) while under the weather benefits not only workers’ health, the health of their fellow employees, and the overall productivity of employers, it also benefits all the people with whom the sick worker would be interacting. That includes customers, clients, and the already immune deficient.
“There’s a whole frail segment of the population: older people, babies, people with immune deficiencies or underlying chronic illnesses, people with acute leukemia, people who are going through or just coming off of chemotherapy,” said Norman. “What might be a minor illness to you and me can be a life-threatening illness to somebody like that.”
Read more: Telemedicine is convenient and it saves money »
Sucking it up
According to Norman, “A cornerstone of public health is to voluntarily sequester oneself away so as to protect those around them.”
“It’s a blinding flash of the obvious,” he said.
So why do people persist in coming into work when they’re ill?
A recent study from global public health and safety organization NSF reveals that 25 percent of the U.S. workers the group surveyed said their boss expects them to come in no matter what.
The survey also found that 42 percent of workers “have deadlines or are afraid they will have too much work to make up if they take a sick day,” and 37 percent said they can’t afford to take the time off.
The survey also showed that men are twice as likely as women to tough it out when they’re not feeling well.
In addition, two-thirds of those surveyed by NSF considered sick coworkers to be hard workers, while 16 percent reported they felt their ill colleagues didn’t care about their coworkers’ well-being.
CEPR conducted a study of 22 other countries’ sick leave policies and found that in Europe, most workers are guaranteed days off for illness, paid for either by employers (Netherlands, Switzerland, and United Kingdom), the government (France, Ireland, and Italy), or a combination of both (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and Sweden).
Gustafson, whose company has offices throughout Europe, describes that continent’s sick-time policies as “far more robust,” but says about U.S. sick policies, “We’re getting there.”
Read more: Why healthcare workers come to work sick »
Flu shots and common sense
If human resources departments, and public health advocates can’t convince workers to stay at home or work from home while sick, what are the other options?
One way Gustafson’s company is trying to combat the spread of flu is by offering free flu shots to all employees.
So far, she says, “It seems like in those who got the flu shot, we’re not seeing the same amount of illness.”
Her company doesn’t mandate flu shots, but the University of Kansas does. It’s a requirement for the hospital’s 10,000 employees.
“There’s no question that the best way to reduce the burden of influenza is by influenza vaccine, and I’m very much a proponent,” Norman said.
No one is truly immune from flu or other viruses, but getting a flu shot can shorten the course of flu as well, says Norman.
In fact, the doctor says that he’s been immunized for 43 years running and has never had the flu. And according to the CDC, it's not too late to get a flu shot this year.
Read more: Why so many people don’t get flu shots »
The best defense
In addition to preventive measures like getting a flu shot, the NSF says to take defensive steps such as eating healthily and taking vitamins.
Norman recommends humidifying the air and getting a good night’s rest. He also recommends frequent hand washing or hand sanitizing.
“If I’ve been exposed to something, I should not assume I don’t have it on me. I should wash my hands," he says.
If you suspect you're coming down with something but you absolutely must report to work, make sure you’re doing all you can to avoid spreading your germs to others.
Cough and sneeze into a tissue, or at least into the crook of your arm instead of your hands.
Wash your hands frequently.
Don’t go into communal areas, and, if necessary, wear a mask.
As for employers who expect their employees to show up no matter what, they’re only hurting themselves in the long run.
“Your employees are your greatest competitive advantage,” Gustafson says. “If they are ill, or if they feel like, ‘I’m just another person,’ that hurts your bottom line. We want you to stay home and take care of yourself.”
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Your workplace can become a breeding ground for germs, especially the flu virus. Follow these tips to prevent catching and spreading it, as well as…
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> Profiles
Jon Voight - Biography
He may be known to many of today's younger generation of filmgoers as Angelina Jolie's dad, but with classic films such as Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance under his belt, actor Jon Voight long ago secured himself a place in Hollywood history.
Horoscope : Capricorn
Jon was born on December 29, 1938, in Yonkers, New York state. His father Elmer, killed tragically in 1973 when he was hit by a car, was a Czechoslovakian immigrant who became a pro golfer. His mum, Barbara, was a substitute teacher. Jon had two siblings, one of whom also went into show biz. Chip Taylor, nee James Wesley Voight, wrote the hits Wild Thing and Angel In The Morning while the other, Barry, became a volcanologist.
The aspiring actor attended Catholic University of America in Washington DC, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1960, aged 22. He got his start on Broadway a year later, and starred in his first film, Fearless Frank, in 1964. The obscure flick wasn't released, however, until his breakthrough role as a not-too-bright Texan hustler in 1969's Midnight Cowboy shot him to fame and brought an Oscar nomination. \"Midnight Cowboy put a stamp on my career for which I'm very grateful,\" he said of the risqué role. \"It was very dangerous for its time.\"
The 6ft 5in blond took on another edgy role in the Oscar-nominated film Deliverance in 1972, and won an Academy Award for his part as a quadriplegic Vietnam War veteran in 1978's Coming Home. During the Seventies the self-described \"fussy\" actor was nearly cast in a number of future classics. He fought for a role in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest losing out to Jack Nicholson but turned down Ryan O'Neal's poignant part in Love Story.
Jon lowered his profile in the mid-Eighties in order to spend time with his family, particularly his mother Barbara who died of cancer in December 1995 aged 85. Work was narrowed to projects close to his heart, including The Last Of His Tribe and The Tin Soldier. \"I had many other things happening,\" he said of this difficult period in his life. \"For about five years, my mother was quite ill...and I spent a lot of time focusing on her. I tried everything I could do to work close to her.\" He accepted a role in Mission Impossible in part because he wanted to take his ailing mum along with him to the exotic shooting locales.
His latest projects have seen him play everything from US President Franklin D Roosevelt in Pearl Harbor to action-man dad to real-life daughter Angelina's Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Despite the box-office blockbusters now on his resume, Jon doesn't believe success lies in a hefty pay check. \"My father used to say to me, 'Get the money, boy', because he knew what it meant to be poor,\" says Jon. \"But if you are making films you don\"t believe in... somewhere along the line you are losing your sense of truth.\"
Currently single, Jon has been married twice. His marriage to first wife Lauri Peters ended in 1967 after five years, and he wed Marcheline Bertrand in 1973. The couple were divorced in 1978. Having an inkling their kids might one day try their hand in Hollywood, Jon and Marcheline intentionally gave both their children middle names which could be used as stage monikers. The tactic seems to have worked Jon's son James Haven is now an actor and director, while daughter Angelina Jolie regularly sees her famous name in lights.
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Home » Reflections on the Past, Present and Future of Surgery
Reflections on the Past, Present and Future of Surgery
David Bouwman, M.D. retired on May 31, having served 38 years in the department of surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine. David Ellis made marginal contributions toward Bouwman's advancement of the technology and pedagogy of surgica...
In 1975, after finishing active duty in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, David Bouwman, M.D., joined the department of surgery at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, as a midlevel resident. With one of the busiest emergency departments in the nation and home to several world-changing medical breakthroughs, including the development (with General Motors engineers) and use of the first successful heart pump in 1952, Wayne State was by no means a bad choice. But what clinched it for Bouwman was a four-month rotation with Choichi Sugawa, M.D., who had some of the first Olympus flexible endoscopes available in the United States and who ran the first surgical residency-training program.
That Bouwman was drawn by technology to a specific residency illustrates a commonly held hypothesis: Surgery progresses by opportunistically following technological developments. This hypothesis certainly applied, Bouwman notes, in the case of laparoscopy:
"When somebody had the insight to take one of the new, small, portable video chips and stick it on the end of the telescope we previously used for solitary-view laparoscopy, laparoscopic surgery became a team sport, and the coordination available opened up many, many procedures so that now for young people entering surgery, laparoscopy is a given part of the air we breathe. But 20 years ago, it wasn't even thought of."
As a resident, Bouwman saw the arrival of transcutaneous catheter introduction and the elimination of cut-downs for putting in Broviac catheters for chemotherapy. Today, Hickman catheters and even exchange transfusion catheters are going in transcutaneously without any problems.
The coming of laparoscopy was a huge dislocation, but there were others, such as percutaneous, endoscopically placed feeding tubes. Being extremely strong in flexible endoscopy training, Bouwman's residency cohorts were part of the first wave of adopters, using it in practice, to the betterment of patient care, long before off-the-shelf kits became available. The residents would put together their own kits and perform the operation. By such means and manner as this, technology that delivers value is quickly established as the new norm.
The Coming of RoboDoc
Does Bouwman think that surgical robots could deliver enough value to replace human surgeons?
"The coming of technology is always seen as the coming of the Borg in Star Trek — something that threatens to displace humans from our heritage. I don't think we have to worry about that. Being able to do more with machines is going to be the dominant future. I love science fiction, but have sworn off dysfunctional postapocalyptic novels because I don't think that's the way we are heading. Rather, we are heading toward an enabled, broadened future which quite possibly will benefit individual surgeons."
Bouwman and I both believe that machines eventually will take over surgery, not just because they will do a better job, but also because they will extend the scope and, therefore the future of surgery. This can happen with even the simplest technological innovation. Consider the humble hemostat — the clamp used on open vessels in the old days to prevent hemorrhaging (now largely replaced by ultrasonic and electrical coagulators). Before the hemostat, surgeons could not safely perform many procedures in which potential blood loss was a major factor. After it, they could. Like the heart pump, it was a major advance. It changed the game.
Another game changer during Bouwman's lifetime was the full development of the blood bank: "Before this era, a patient's coming into the hospital with a five- or six-unit exsanguination was a dead person. Now, they are routinely resuscitatable and you can get people through bloodflow shortfalls that you could not get them through before."
Another was hyperalimentation: "It didn't matter how good a surgeon you were: If you couldn't get your patient to eat within a week to 10 days, you had lost the battle because there was no way to replete the calories, and the patient would fall into a starvation pattern and develop complications leading to inevitable death. Now, we can maintain people almost indefinitely on hyperalimentation; its best usage being where it allows people to get through a period of time when their gut is not working."
Yet another: "Image-guided breast biopsy quickly eliminated the open surgical breast biopsy that used to represent 20 to 30 percent of the cases done in community general surgical practices."
The Rate of Change and Its Impacts
The rate of change in surgery is increasing, much like Moore's Law, to the point where many surgeons are afraid that the brute, operative approach to cures will give way to simple pharmaceutical or immunological manipulation. Bouwman and I prefer to look past this boundary, however. We believe that surgery, and surgeons with vision and with appropriate education, will leap across the boundary and grow into areas once unapproachable by surgery but now accessible because of new technology. We only have to look to Bouwman's 38 years in surgery to see that it has happened before.
Those years saw an increase in the acuity and seriousness of diseases that surgical residents are trained on and care for. As a midlevel resident in the mid-1970s, he routinely would admit 30 to 40 people to the hospital on a Sunday for three-day bowel preps for colon surgery that would take place in the middle of the week. Even gall bladder patients were admitted one or two days beforehand, to make sure they were prepared for the operation. Today, those admissions are all done the same day, and gall bladder surgery, along with many other operations, are outpatient procedures.
During his residency, Bouwman scrubbed as a second assistant on many cases. That meant there was a more senior resident as first assistant to the surgeon leading the case. So, one learned on the job first as an observer (second assistant), then as a partial participant (first assistant) and finally as an independent operator (attending surgeon). In today's world, such "double- or triple-scrubbing" is a luxury of the past.
Residents today frequently are asked to participate actively in types of cases they have never scrubbed on before. The time for reflection, the time to learn the craft, has been condensed not just by the 80-hour work week, but also by the amount of material that must be learned during the course of the residency.
It takes a different kind of surgical education — what Bouwman calls a sort of "nonclinical clinical education," which he explains as follows:
"We are now working on training for the skills that you are going to apply in the clinical arena by teaching the basic skill before your arrival in the clinical arena — in the simulation laboratory. This is the epitome of conformance to educational theory; that is, you get to practice in a safe environment and you get to make learning errors and no one pays the price (which might otherwise be morbidity for the patient and cost for the hospital, where OR time costs hundreds of dollars for 10-minute blocks). The days of allowing a resident to learn how to suture in the OR are gone. What we need is sim lab training that demonstrably transfers into the OR, and that's what I've been involved in for the past five years."
Education, he says, is not (or should not be) a finite journey to a short-term destination; rather, it is a lifelong process. This is vital if, over the course of a professional career, one wants to keep current with advances in one's profession. The half-life of usable knowledge in surgery is said to have fallen to around three and a half years, or so we have heard. If that is true, it means (in a very unscientific manner of speaking, but it makes the point) that:
half of the surgical care provided by a top-flight resident will be outdated and perhaps not even standard of care within a mere three and a half years of completing residency;
75 percent will be outdated three or four years after that;
by the end of a typical surgeon's 20 to 24 years in practice, only a tiny fraction of the care provided will be at or above standard.
We should not be surprised, then, if surgeons opt to retire early! If there were a continuous updating of skills, they might get to practice longer if they wanted to, and they certainly would have the enjoyment of providing (and their patients the benefit of receiving) state-of-the-art skills well after formal surgical training.
"We live in a modern world," Bouwman concludes. "We do our best to get our staff and trainees to adhere to the 80-hour work week rule. We hear residents long for the good old days when wonderful cases dropped like ripe fruit into their laps and many of them wish they had been born 25 years earlier. I say, 'No, the world was different then. It was very frustrating to have ill patients and not have the ICU technology to be able to keep them alive, to not have the antibiotics to be able to intervene effectively in their infections, to have no effective chemotherapy for cancers. It was an era with most things best left behind.'
"I am an optimist and believe we are making progress toward a better future so that all eras, including today's, will rightly get left behind if we continue to apply ourselves to gaining knowledge and skills. But most of all, we need to continue inspiring able young people to join our vision and our profession. They are the only hope for the future. After all, no one can practice forever or take care of every patient in need."
David Ellis is a futurist, author, consultant and publisher of Health Futures Digest, a monthly online discursive digest of news and commentary on long-range, leading-edge technological innovations and their consequences and implications for health care policy and practice. He is also a regular contributor to H&HN Daily and a member of Speakers Express.
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Davis II (Destroyer No. 65)
World War I (WWI), U-boat, World War I, Convoy, Antisubmarine, U.S. Coast Guard
Boats-Ships--Destroyer
Charles Henry Davis, born on 16 January 1807 in Boston, Mass., was appointed a Midshipman on 12 August 1823 and made many valuable scientific contributions to the Navy before the Civil War during which he served with distinction. As Flag Officer of the Mississippi Flotilla he directed the capture and destruction of seven Confederate gunboats and rams near Memphis, Tenn., and received the surrender of the city on 6 June 1862; joined Farragut's fleet for operations against Vicksburg; and cooperated with the Army expedition up the Yazoo River from 16 to 27 August 1862. From 1862 to 1865 Adm. Davis served as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, then served as Superintendent of the Naval Observatory; Commander in Chief, South Atlantic Squadron; Commandant of Norfolk Navy Yard; and member of the Lighthouse Board. Admiral Davis died in Washington, D.C., on 18 February 1877.
(Destroyer No. 65: displacement 1,050 (standard); length 315'3", beam 29'10", draft 9'2.5"; speed 30.36 knots; complement 103; armament 4 4-inch, 2 1-pounders, 12 21-inch torpedo tubes; class Sampson)
The second Davis (Destroyer No. 65) was laid down on 7 May 1915 at Bath, Maine, by Bath Iron Works; launched on 15 August 1916; sponsored by Miss Elizabeth Davis, grand-daughter of the late Rear Adm. Davis; and commissioned on 5 October 1916 at Boston [Mass.] Navy Yard, Lt. Cmdr. Rufus F. Zogbaum, Jr., in command.
Broadside view of Davis in Hampton Roads, 10 December 1916, clearly showing her main and secondary battery, with 4-inch guns on the foc’sle deck and on the main deck aft, with 1-pounder antiaircraft guns mounted forward of the bridge and atop the deckhouse, aft. Her port side torpedo tube mounts are in the shadows. (U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships Photograph 19-N-1931, National Archives and Records Administration, Still Pictures Branch, College Park, Md.)
Close-up of Davis’ forward 4-inch mount, with the 1-pounder antiaircraft gun in the background, Hampton Roads, 10 December 1916. Part of the supports for the foc’sle awnings obscure some details of the bridge. Hospital ship Solace lies anchored in the distance (left). (U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships Photograph 19-N-1934, National Archives and Records Administration, Still Pictures Branch, College Park, Md.)
Davis engaged in shaking-down during her first months in commission, during which time the United States entered the Great War, and underwent final trials on 10 April 1917. Only three days later the Secretary of the Navy ordered Division Eight of the Destroyer Force, including Davis, to prepare for distant service. She sailed for New York, clearing the York River on 14 April in company with Wainwright (Destroyer No. 62), Conyngham (Destroyer No. 58), and McDougal (Destroyer No. 54). Wadsworth (Destroyer No. 60) joined en route, and the ships reached New York during the second dog watch on the same date. The following day, Davis began her fitting out, a process that lasted until 22 April. The following day, [23 April] she left New York with McDougal and proceeded to Boston to meet with the remainder of the division including the final ship, Porter (Destroyer No. 54). She arrived and joined the division before it left Boston Harbor on 24 April at 1645. After reaching a point 50 miles east of Cape Cod, Cmdr. Joseph K. Taussig, the division commander in Wadsworth, opened his sealed orders to lead the six destroyers to Queenstown [Cobh], Ireland. Davis and her division would be the first U.S. warships deployed to European waters during World War I.
The destroyers completed their transatlantic voyage on 4 May 1917, and the British destroyer HMS Mary Rose escorted the U.S. destroyers into port at 1245. Cmdr. Taussig met with British Rear Adm. Lewis Bayly, the commanding officer of Queenstown, who asked “When will you be ready to go to sea?” Taussig’s alleged reply, “We are ready now, sir,” entered American naval folklore. While the Americans might have been ready, their ships required work before they engaged in anti-submarine warfare. Over the next few days the American ships were fitted for depth charges.
On 8 May 1917 Davis stood out of Queenstown for her first patrol. Three days later she picked up 22 survivors in two boats from the sailing bark Killarney, that had been sunk without loss of life on 8 May by the German submarine U-21 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Hersing, commanding). Davis disembarked the sailors on 13 May at Queenstown. Later that month, the destroyer was escorting a merchantman when she spotted her first submarine on the horizon 7 miles distant, but her quarry submerged without a trace as she closed.
While Davis was patrolling during the forenoon watch on 17 June 1917, Warrington (Destroyer No. 30) emerged out of a heavy fog half a point off the port bow only 100 yards away. Both warships applied full rudder to avoid each other, but the maneuvers proved too late and a collision ensued, Davis losing a whaleboat and suffering a damaged propeller guard while Warrington received a hole in her port side, damage that compelled her to return to Berehaven, Ireland, for repairs as Davis continued on patrol. Capt. Joel R. P. Pringle, the highest ranking U.S. naval officer at Queenstown, ruled that the often treacherous conditions of patrolling the Western approaches proved responsible for the collision and he did not find either crew at fault. On 23 June, Davis cleared Queenstown on her first convoy mission of the war, and beginning on the 25th she escorted seven troop transports to St. Nazaire along with five other destroyers. The convoy arrived on 28 June without incident.
On the crew’s first Fourth of July overseas, Davis located and rescued survivors from the British steamer Thirlby, sunk two days earlier [2 July 1917] by UC-31 (Kapitänleutnant Otto von Schrader). She landed the survivors and returned to sea, where she assisted 42 more British sailors adrift from the steamship Matador, which had also been sunk by UC-31 on 3 July. On 1 August, she received orders to search for survivors from the British passenger steamer Karina, sunk with the loss of 11 souls by UC-75 (Oberleutnant zur See Johannes Lohs) but after searching she was unable to locate any.
While escorting oilers westbound at the beginning of forenoon watch on 14 August 1917, Davis’ lookouts spotted a presumed torpedo wake and the ship maneuvered hard left to avoid it. The wake passed astern and Davis attempted to locate the assailant unsuccessfully. The attacker disappeared without further harassing the convoy. She stood into the Cammell Laird shipyard in Liverpool, England, and received repairs and alterations in dry dock (2-7 September), and additional work until 13 September. Back at sea, the destroyer sighted a large oil slick on 21 September and dropped a single depth charge. More oil came to the surface and her commanding officer surmised that the attack may have damaged a submerged submarine.
While escorting a convoy at 1225 on 18 November 1917, Cushing (Destroyer No. 55) sighted a submarine. Davis laid smoke as the convoy changed course to avoid the assailant. The escort commander ordered Davis patrol the spot of the sighting after the convoy passed. Three hours later she spotted an oil slick and dropped a depth charge on its origin. The crew did not notice any results. The destroyer dropped another charge on a second slick on the following day, but the weapon failed to function. On 2 December Davis sighted a submarine on her port beam distant approximately 5,000 yards. She turned hard left full rudder at emergency speed but the submarine submerged only one minute into the destroyer’s charge. Likely with this encounter in mind, eleven days later Davis wasted little time and opened fire at a submerging submarine at 10,000 yards, landing a shell 1,000 yards short before the enemy disappeared beneath the surface. She then searched the vicinity unsuccessfully for the enemy for 15 minutes before returning to the convoy, deploying a smoke screen on her way.
Davis rang in the New Year 1918 with a periscope sighting close aboard three points on the starboard bow 250 yards away. She closed and dropped a depth charge, but the weapon failed to explode and the destroyer lingered in the vicinity for an hour without another sighting. Three days later, she sighted an oil slick on the port beam and turned to investigate, but a lookout immediately reported a periscope sighting on the starboard beam. The officer of the deck gave the periscope sighting precedence, but by the time Davis swung around to close, the enemy had disappeared without a trace.
Lookouts on board Davis spotted a wake 25 yards ahead of the ship on 18 January 1918. The crew initially took the wake to be a submarine until its source broached the surface 75 yards on the starboard bow and was revealed as a torpedo at the end of its run. Davis attempted to locate the attacker but the dark overcast night made her task impossible. She did, however, come across a broken lifeboat containing four survivors from the British steamer Ethelinda, sunk on 29 January 1918 by UC-31 (Kapitänleutnant Kurt Siewert) but a search for further survivors among the wreckage proved unsuccessful.
From 29 January to 11 February 1918, Davis underwent further alterations at the Cammell Laird yard at Liverpool but suffered minor damage on 12 February escorting the troop transport Leviathan (Id. No. 1326). While Leviathan proved able to keep up high speed despite rough seas, her diminutive destroyer escorts were pounded by the conditions while attempting to keep pace. On 17 February, while returning to Queenstown from an escort mission to Belfast, Ireland, however, she located two boats filled with 22 survivors from the Queenstown-bound British steamer Pinewood sunk earlier that day by U-86 (Oberleutnant zur See Helmut Patzig).
At 1609 on 24 February 1918, Davis was steaming back to Queenstown in company with Trippe (Destroyer No. 33) and Paulding (Destroyer No. 22) after handing off a convoy to French patrol vessels when she sighted a submarine moving at 10 knots on the port bow 1,500 yards away. As she approached the submarine, she saw the vessel’s conning tower exposed, and the boat seemed unable to dive due to a heavy swell. Davis opened fire with Paulding before the target submerged, and the charging warship continued pursuit and dropped two depth charges. The submarine partially surfaced after the depth charges exploded. Davis dropped another depth charge close to the submarine as Trippe and Paulding opened fire. The Americans continued firing until the submarine crew poured from the hatch waving their hands. On closer inspection, the crew was holding up a British National ensign and L-2 was spotted on the side of her conning tower. The vessel confirmed all suspicions when it signaled “We are English,” to her assailants. Fortunately, the barrage caused no casualties, but had damaged the submarine’s superstructure. Davis escorted L-2 to Berehaven while the smaller vessels headed for Queenstown. After reviewing the incident, British submariners marveled how the U.S. destroyermen had “made a most remarkably efficient attack.”
Davis dropped a depth charge on 5 March 1918 on an oil slick after fellow escorts engaged a submarine earlier in the day. Later in the same month, the destroyer dropped depth charges on two consecutive days on 26 March and 27 March 1918. The first barrage was dropped for counter mining purposes and the second in reaction to a suspicious oil slick. She depth-charged other slicks on 29 April, 2 May, 5 May and 6 May again without results.
The destroyer survived a dangerous encounter when a torpedo passed directly under the bridge on 10 May 1918 from 2 points forward on the starboard beam half way through the mid watch. Davis circled the vicinity but was unable to locate the U-boat. The next day she formed part of the convoy escorting the British troop transport Olympic (a sister of the ill-fated Titanic) from Queenstown. Early on 12 May 1918, crew on Davis witnessed Olympic firing her forward guns and then spotted several signal rockets arcing into the sky. Davis rushed to the scene, but upon arrival soon discovered that it was in fact Olympic’s assailant that was in need of assistance. The huge British vessel had sliced submerged U-103 (Kapitänleutnant Claus Rücker) with a massive propeller, forcing the German to surface and leaving her in sinking condition. Davis arrived to see the submarine’s deck crowded with her crew, imploring the Americans: “please pick us up.” Davis obliged and took on board four officers (including Rucker, who by that point had sunk 80 ships and damaged three), and 31 men as prisoners and set course for Queenstown. While en route, the destroyer dropped two depth charges on a promising slick, bringing more oil to the surface. At 1730 Davis deposited her prisoners with British intelligence upon arrival in her home port.
Davis dropped six depth charges on a perceived periscope wake on 20 May 1918 and six altogether on 24 May on two separate oil slicks. She dropped two more on a slick the following day without results and four more on 27 May for the same reason. The British admiralty reviewed the success of the attacks on 20 and 27 May attacks, and ruled that there were submarines in the vicinity of the attack but they continued operating after the reported depth charge without apparent damage.
On 13 June 1918 Davis dropped a barrage of 18 depth charges and noticed that a wooden buoy attached to a manila line surfaced. She laid two barrages on 29 June, the first on a phosphorescent wake during first watch and another following a barrage laid by a fellow escort toward the end of afternoon watch. Again the admiralty ruled that the attacks did not likely cause any damage to an enemy submarine.
While flying the broad pennant of convoy commander, Davis noticed a small open boat on the starboard bow and heard shouts emanating from the craft. At 0442 she picked up the boat’s occupants; the six crewmembers of the two-masted British schooner Katherine Allan, shelled by an enemy submarine one day earlier. The destroyer disembarked the survivors at Dunmore, Ireland, before returning to Queenstown for further escort duty. Later that month Davis saw a suspicious sail through the dark at 0256. Knowing U-boats often disguised themselves as fishing vessels, Davis charged, but the sail disappeared. She dropped two depth charges and patrolled for approximately 15 minutes before moving on with the convoy. Three days later, she was part of a “hunting group” of destroyers that fanned out across the western approaches as some used listening devices that purportedly could help locate subs under water. Rear Adm. Bayly ordered the destroyer commanders to form a scouting line and “stop, look, and listen” for submarines at varying intervals. Davis dropped a pair of depth charges on the 26th and 28th on oil slicks but the listening devices did not play any role.
The real test of the hunting group came on 29 July 1918 when Davis located a submarine in the old-fashioned way, through a lookout’s binoculars, and she closed on the spot but was unable to locate the submarine upon arrival. Two U.S. flush-decked destroyers equipped with listening devices rushed to the scene and applied their state-of-the art hydrophones in the search, but achieved results no better than Davis. Cmdr. William V. Tomb, her commanding officer, acknowledging that he missed an opportunity to drop barrages on the estimated location of the submarine in order to follow the order to “stop, look, and listen.” The hunting group steamed back to Queenstown empty-handed on 31 July. After arriving at Queenstown, the destroyer steamed to Cammell-Laird yard for refit from 3 August to 17 August.
On the night of 10 October 1918, Davis was escorting mercantile convoy HH-71 when through the dark she spotted lights broad off the starboard bow moving aft. The OOD realized with a shock that the lights were dim and much closer than he originally anticipated and they belonged to one vessel crossing the bow close aboard. The officer ordered hard left rudder and then full astern. The maneuvers were, however, not enough, and the British destroyer HMS Hardy swept across Davis’ starboard bow, inflicting significant damage, the latter arriving in Queenstown the following day and received repairs there that lasted until 6 November. On November 7 she stood out for her final convoy mission, escorting the British troop transport Aquitania, returning to her home port on 9 November. Two days later, on 11 November, the Armistice stilled the guns of the World War.
Following the cessation of hostilities, Davis continued escorting convoys to and from Europe. On 12 December 1918, she helped escort the troop transport George Washington (Id. No. 3018), with President Woodrow Wilson embarked, into Brest to proceed on to the Paris Peace Conference, then, in company with other fleet units, passed in review before the Chief Executive. Davis left European waters for her new station at New York on 26 December 1918, and arrived on 7 January 1919 after touching at the Azores and Bermuda en route.
From May until August 1919, Davis operated with Division 4, Flotilla 8, of the Atlantic Fleet Destroyer Force, between Newport and Annapolis. She was being towed in July 1919 through the North River in New York City when a tug struck her, causing slight damage. One month later, the Navy placed Davis in reserve.
On 25 March 1926 the Navy transferred Davis at the Philadelphia Navy Yard to the Treasury Department for service with the U.S. Coast Guard. The destroyer retained her name, but her hull number was re-designated CG-21. Assigned to service with the Coast Guard’s Destroyer Force, she was to interdict the illegal importation of alcohol in the enforcement of the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). Capable of well over 25 knots, seemingly an advantage in the interdiction of rumrunners, she was easily outmaneuvered by smaller vessels. As a result, the destroyer picketed the larger supply ships ("mother ships") on Rum Row in order to prevent them from off-loading their illicit cargo onto the smaller, speedier contact boats that ran the liquor into shore.
Ordered to be homeported at New London, Conn., she underwent trials based from Philadelphia before departing for her duty station on 2 September. Arriving the next day, she was commissioned at New London on 4 September 1926, Lt. Cmdr. Raymond J. Mauerman, USCG in command.
While Davis was underway on patrol on 7 September 1927, she collided with the British-flagged speedboat One Seventy Four. The boat appeared to be making an attempt to force the destroyer to alter her course. As they were at moderate speeds, however, there was no visible damage to either vessel.
On 7 January 1928, the Coast Guard reorganized Division One of the Destroyer Force. Now constituting three sections based from New London, Davis was placed into Section 3 along with Tucker (CG-23). Later that month, on 28 January, while on patrol off Fort Lauderdale, Fla, Davis seized two motor boats and arrested four prisoners for violation of the Volstead Act. The destroyer continued to operate in Southern waters in the following months. She was patrolling between Gun Cay and Bimini in heavy seas, 30-31 March, until relieved by Trippe (CG-20) on 2 April. She then proceeded to Charleston [S.C.] Navy Yard. After a time in port, she returned to patrolling the waters between Florida and the Bahamas (12-17 April). When she returned to Charleston, she had to be towed into port as she had defective steering gear that required repairs.
On 10 November 1928, the British steamship Vestris, flying the house flag of the Lampert & Holt Line and with 326 souls on board (128 passengers and 198 crew), sailed from Hoboken, N.J., bound for South America. The following day, a severe storm battered the ship and she began to list dangerously, with the vessel’s condition worsening markedly by 12 November. Ultimately, at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon, the ship foundered and sank. The death toll eventually amounted to 111 (68 passengers, 43 crew), including all 13 of the children and 25 of the 33 women passengers. Davis participated in the search and rescue operations in the wake of Vestris’ tragic loss (12-15 November).
During the competition for Gunnery Year 1928-1929, Davis stood third among the 24 destroyers competing. Interestingly, the destroyer placed second in the Short-Range Battle Practice, but a disappointing 18th in the Long-Range Battle Practice. Her performance the following year, Gunnery Year 1929-1930, fell off markedly as she rated only 14th among the nineteen ships in the competition. On 21 October 1930, Davis turned over the flag for the division to Tucker and proceeded to the Charleston Navy Yard. Arriving the next day, she underwent overhaul. Upon completion of that period of maintenance, she returned to her routine patrolling duties. Davis departed New London in company with Wilkes (CG-25) on 4 December 1930, and they arrived the next day, along with Conyngham (CG-2), at the Washington Navy Yard.
Davis later shifted to Savannah, Ga., where she arrived on 15 March 1931. From there, she moved into the Florida East Coast Patrol Area which she entered on 17 March en route to St. Petersburg, Fla, for gunnery practice. During the gunnery competition for 1930-1931, Davis repeated her disappointing performance from the previous year, finishing 11th of thirteen destroyers competing. On 29 April, the recently commissioned Herndon (CG-17) relieved Davis as the flagship of the Commander, Patrol Force, Destroyer Force and the latter, proceeded to New London where she arrived later that day and moored at the State Pier.
Operating from New London on 8 June 1931 in conjunction with the units of the Destroyer Force and other Coast Guard patrol assets, Davis was assigned to Patrol Area Baker Two. While underway on 11 June she encountered the drifting British-flagged oil screw vessel Shubenacadia, out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, about 60 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The boat was being picketed by the 125-foot Coast Guard patrol boat Marion. While Davis continued her patrol, Marion was to continue her surveillance of the Newfoundlander. During the early evening, Davis approached and Shubenacadia got underway at nine knots. The two Coast Guard vessels continued to trail her. With dusk, the suspicious vessel doused her lights, emitted large clouds of smoke from her exhausts, and began circling to avoid the searchlights in an attempt to escape. Unable to get away, she stopped and turned on her lights. Then, just as suddenly, doused the lights and attempted to get away in a cloud of smoke. Increasing speed, Davis and Marion and kept the rumrunner within range of their searchlights. Shubenacadia attempted a number of evasive maneuvers but could not shake her pursuers. Soon the destroyer Welborn C. Wood (CG-19), picketing another rumrunner, moved into the area and put her searchlight onto Shubenacadia. The Newfoundlander continued to maneuver frantically, in a desperate attempt to evade a boarding, Shubenacadia attempted to cross ahead of Davis and in doing so rammed the destroyer’s starboard side abreast the No. 1 waist gun at 0330 on the 12th. The rumrunner was shattered and began to sink. Her crew abandoned ship and Marion pulled them aboard. The collision opened bulkhead seams in Davis’ forward oil tank, causing it to leak into the forward berthing deck. As Shubenacadia sank large liquor-filled kegs floated away. These were subsequently broken up by Marion’s crew as hazards to navigation. Having cleaned up the oil, Davis received permission to proceed to New London, where she returned with Marion in mid-afternoon on the 12th.
On 9 February 1932, Davis was temporarily at St. Petersburg for target practice for Gunnery Year 1931-1932. As in preceding years, her poor performance in a single battle practice undermined her overall standing and she finished 8th of thirteen in the competition. Afterward, Davis returned to New London on 20 February to resume her patrol duties. On 24 March 1932, Davis received orders to proceed to the Boston Navy Yard upon completion of her patrol. When the patrol ended on 29 March, she proceeded to Boston for authorized repairs to her boilers. Upon completion of her yard work, she returned to New London and resumed patrolling the waters off New England.
Davis arrived at New London on 12 November 1932 for an in port period. While there, she received orders to proceed to the Boston Navy Yard. Departing New London on 18 December, she underwent repairs to her propeller and a damaged porthole. The destroyer departed Boston and returned to New London on 22 December and then continued to perform her regular patrol schedule.
The airship Akron (ZRS-4) crashed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on 4 April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 crewmen and passengers on board, those who perished including Rear Adm. William A. Moffett, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. Davis was later dispatched on 17 April to search for the wreckage by dragging the waters where the airship went down. She continued into the next day until relieved at 2000 and then returned to New London, arriving in the morning on the 19th.
Davis’ grueling anti-smuggling interdiction duties off the Eastern seaboard wore on her and over time she, along with many of her fellow former-Navy destroyers, had become unfit for service. She returned to New London from her last patrol on 13 May 1933. Ordered to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, she arrived on 27 May 1933.
Davis was decommissioned there on 5 June 1933 and returned to the Navy on 30 June. On 5 July 1934, Davis was stricken from the Navy Register, in compliance to limits placed on destroyer tonnage by the 1930 London Naval Conference. She was later sold to Michael Flynn, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y. on 22 August 1934 for scrapping.
Commanding Officers Dates of Command
Lt. Cmdr. Rufus F. Zogbaum Jr. 5 October 1916 – 20 December 1917
Cmdr. William V. Tomb 20 December 1917 – 25 August 1918
Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin V. McCandlish 25 August 1918 – 6 August 1919
Lt. Morris H. Spriggs 6 August 1919 – 14 August 1919
Lt. (j.g.) Robert M. Dorsey 14 August 1919 – 30 November 1921
Lt. Axel Lindblad 30 November 1921 – 20 June 1922
Lt. Cmdr. Raymond J. Mauerman, USCG 4 September 1926 – 18 October 1926
Lt. Cmdr. Clarence H. Dench, USCG 18 October 1926 – 6 August 1928
Lt. Cmdr. Leo C. Mueller, USCG 6 August 1928 – 3 October 1931
Lt. Cmdr. Frederick J. Birkett, USCG 3 October 1931 – 30 January 1933
Lt. Cmdr. Harold G. Bradbury, USCG 30 January 1933 – 5 June 1933
S. Matthew Cheser & Christopher B. Havern Sr.
Published: Mon May 08 09:38:34 EDT 2017
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Gail Phaneuf
Her new musical, The Love Note Musical, was produced Off Broadway in 2014. It has since gone on to have numerous spirited productions at schools, camps, and youth theaters. www.thelovenote.com
Gail Phaneuf wrote MONSTERS! A Midlife Musical Meltdown , a comic musical collaboration with composer and Broadway lyricist Ernie Lijoi. MONSTERS was produced at The Deertrees Theatre Festival in Harrison, ME and at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA.nbspnbspThe comic musical was a finalist in the Rod Parker Playwriting Competition, kicking off developmental readings in Boston and New York City. MONSTERS! had its first full production in Boston, where it garnered excellent reviews, and has gone on to several stock productions. www.monstersthemusical.com
Gail is a former president of The Playwrights Platform, where several of her plays were introduced. Her short play Stop Requested, (in the Heuer catalog) was awarded best play and best director at the 2008 Playwrights' Platform summer festival. Games and Puzzles was produced by Image Theatre Co. for the 2008 Boston Theater Marathon. Her prickly Urban Gardens was produced by the South Camden Theatre Company in New Jersey. The play won an Audience Choice award at the Platform 2004 Summer Festival. Her play A Perfect Match was produced at the 2008 ACME Winter New Works Festival. Her edgy political piece Random Selection was chosen for the Provincetown Theatre Company Spring Playwrights Festival and was performed at the Boston Theater Marathon. It was staged as part of The War Games Series at Curry College and was published in Belgium in a collection of short plays by Boston playwrights. Binding the Artful Dodger received a staged reading in Provincetown in early 2007, and a full production by GP Productions in 2009. Her latest play Breakfast with Mary was staged at The Deertrees Theatre Festival in 2011. Gail has appeared as an actor on New England stages for several years, most recently in the role of Leona Dawson in Tennessee William's Small Craft Warnings, Stevie in Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? and as Anna in Paula Vogel's The Baltimore Waltz. She also appeared in the inaugural Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown, as Viola Shields in The One Exception.
Gail is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She holds a Master's degree from Emerson College in Theater Education, and for ten years was the Playwright in Residence and a Senior Lecturer at Curry College where she taught Scriptwriting and ProTools Digital Audio design. Gail created and directed the Curry New Plays festival, and was also in charge of directing musicals on their Main Stage. Gail is the President of G.P. Productions where she works to produce new works as well as design and operate sound equipment.
Most recently Gail has finished a project collaborating with Beth Healy on a new screenplay called KIPPY, The Hidden Women of Rosie's Place. It is the story of Kip Teirnan of Boston. She began Rosie's Place, the very first homeless shelter for women in the United States in the early 1970's.
Visit Gail Phaneuf's web page: http://www.gailphaneuf.com
Plays by Gail Phaneuf with Heuer Publishing:
LOVE NOTE
LOVE NOTE JR.
MONSTERS!
STOP REQUESTED
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GE dumps its legacy performance review for a new app-driven system
Don O'Brien
Tom Starner
To cultivate empowered, collaborative, cross-functional teams, GE has been experimenting with a new approach to performance development. Teams were among the first to adopt it as part of a pilot, and GE has used it to drive a fivefold productivity increase in the past 12 months, according to an article at Harvard Business Review.
GE is now rolling it out throughout the company, and it will replace the company's legacy Employee Management System (EMS) by the end of 2016.
Rather than a formal, once-a-year review, managers and their direct reports hold regular, informal “touchpoints” where they set or update priorities that are based on customer needs, according to authors Leonardo Baldassarre and Brian Finken.
The aging concept of performance reviews has been a hot topic, as many employers are abandoning the end-of-the-year review.
GE is taking a new approach, one mentioned by many experts - the idea of keeping performance on the radar screen in a much more ongoing manner, giving employees and their managers a chance to plan and adjust with much more flexibility.
While GE still used a year-end review as part of the process within the pilot, the co-authors, who work in GE's Oil & Gas area, note that a simple, contemporary smartphone app, developed internally by one of the company’s top IT teams to support the new approach, accepts voice and text inputs, attached documents and even handwritten notes. The sole aim is to facilitate more frequent, meaningful conversations between managers and employees and among teams, they write.
HBR.org GE’s Real-Time Performance Development
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DNA an acronym HR doesn't need to know (Editor's Notes)
There may be benefits but there are also pitfalls to genetic testing
By Todd Humber
Fourteen years ago — and there’s a phrase that makes one feel old — I wrote an article for Canadian HR Reporter on genetic testing in the workplace. It was so long ago that I threw a reference to O.J. Simpson in the lead — after all, for many, that seminal murder trial was the first time DNA appeared in the day-to-day lexicon.
The dilemma in 2002 was that since science had finished mapping the human genome and had a blueprint of human DNA, the groundwork had been laid for changes to the way diseases are detected and treated. That opened the door to the possibility of employers and insurance companies testing employees — or even job applicants — to see if they were at a higher risk for certain diseases.
That could have opened the door to the possibility an employer would refuse to hire a worker, or perhaps even package a worker out, if she had the genes for a disease that could eventually turn into a long-term disability leave and enormous benefit costs.
It also opened the door to the development of new, effective and expensive medications that could be tailored to individuals.
In 2002, the science was called “sloppy” by Chris MacDonald, assistant professor of philosophy at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. Now it’s 2016 and one of this issue’s cover stories is taking a look at the issue again, thanks to legislation that has been kicking around the House of Commons in Ottawa in various forms since 2013.
Based on what Liz Foster uncovered in her story, I’d still call the entire genetic testing scene sloppy. Sure, the science has improved. But the human understanding hasn’t really — and that means questions abound about whether and how genetic testing should be used by employers.
Putting the costs of testing aside for now, the benefits are kind of intriguing — if HR was able to uncover information it had an employee base that was more at risk for certain diseases, it could tailor its health and wellness programs.
But there are so many pitfalls — both ethical and legal — that I’d guess most employers wouldn’t want this information at their fingertips. Bev Heim-Myers, chair of the Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness (CCFG), summed it up thusly: “An employer could see that a person has a predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease and think, ‘Gee, I don’t want to employ this person because in the future they’re going to be a drain on my benefits package.’”
B.C. makes move towards biosimilars
Employment lawyers would have a field day with that case — even though Canada is, surprisingly, the only G7 country without protections in place for genetic information. That will undoubtedly change soon.
At this point, it’s still probably best to leave genetic testing in the hands of professionals — the medical community can use the testing to identify risks and treat patients while the pharmaceutical community can use it to develop powerful medications.
There are too many ethical pitfalls and privacy concerns for the benefits to outweigh the drawbacks in the workplace.
Still time to vote for your favourite supplier
Who is your favourite HR supplier? We want to know.
Canadian HR Reporter is proud to unveil its inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards for 2016. We’re asking our tens of thousands of loyal readers from across the country to cast ballots and choose their favourite vendors in 14 categories and 63 subcategories.
In June, we will announce the winners in a special section in our print and digital editions. It’s a great opportunity to vote for the partners that help your organization succeed and to find out what firms across Canada have made good impressions on your colleagues.
Voting closes on March 11 – so please take some time to complete our survey at www.hrreporter.com/readerschoice2016. As a special thanks for taking time to complete the survey, we’re giving away one eReader in a special draw.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Cast your vote today.
RBC Insurance
Aird & Berlis LLP
DFI Forensics Inc.
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Electric Shock/Electrocution
?Where do electric shock injuries occur?
?What are some of the possible injuries from a major electric shock?
?What is dangerous about an electric shock injury?
?What are my legal options if I suffer an electrical shock injury on the job?
?How common are electrical shock injuries?
Chesapeake Department of Public Utilities Worker Shocked by Booby-Trapped Water Pipe
How many people claim to have a friend who “knows a guy” who has found a way to get free cable television? This is stealing of course, and it’s illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to get it and other utilities for free. In fact, Chesapeake Department of Public Utilities (DPU) workers frequently find people trying to circumvent water meters with rigged systems to steal city water. When they find such a system, part of their job is to disconnect it and reconnect the water meter.
Chesapeake DPU workers had removed 28 of the so-called “straight pipe” systems since June 2013 without incident. Then, on May 28, a DPU employee was electrically shocked by a booby-trapped plastic pipe in the 700 block of Harway Ave. in Chesapeake.
According to The Virginian Pilot, DPU workers first turned off water to the resident’s house on April 2. On May 28, a female worker went to the house and found that the meter was on, so she removed it. Later that day another worker went to the house and removed a garden hose that was configured to tap into city water. It was upon the first worker’s return later that day that she found the plastic pipe and disconnected it, having no idea that when she did two batteries were rigged to shock her.
She required medical treatment from the electrical shock, and on Tuesday the resident was arrested and charged with malicious wounding and theft of services.
I doubt anyone at the Chesapeake DPU could have anticipated that someone would booby-trap their water pipes. Still, this DPU employee suffered an electric shock through no apparent fault of her own while she was doing her job. Electric shock injuries can cause electric burns to nerve endings that can’t be seen. If she hasn’t already, she should consider filing a claim for workers’ compensation.
Generally, workplace injuries are only compensable through workers’ compensation benefits. However, when the injury is caused as a result of another person’s negligent or reckless act, the injured worker may be able to bring a third-party action against the at-fault party in addition to receiving workers’ compensation benefits. There are special rules about paying back workers’ compensation benefits from third-party damages, so an injured worker in this situation should consult a personal injury lawyer who has experience with both electric shock-related injuries and third-party actions. For more information, see this article about injuries from electric shock and compensation through third-party actions.
by Randall E. Appleton
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Paul Bessire, Contributor
Sports statistician, PredictionMachine.com
Game of the Week: Mississippi State at Ole Miss
11/26/2014 08:53 am ET Updated Jan 26, 2015
STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 28: Detailed view of 'Bully', the mascot of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, prior to a game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Davis Wade Stadium on November 28, 2013 in Starkville, Mississippi. Mississippi State won the game 17-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
It's "Rivalry Week" in college football and few games mean more to the College Football Playoff picture than the Egg Bowl taking place in Oxford, Mississippi between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. If Mississippi State wins, it will finish the regular season with just one loss and will have a very good chance to make the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs may even get into the SEC Championship Game if Alabama happens to lose as well. If Ole Miss wins, the College Football Playoff opportunities open up for teams outside of the conference. Outside of the SEC, fans are rooting for Ole Miss. Those fans should get their way. In this matchup between even teams, the home team is an underdog in sports books right now. Ole Miss projects to win outright.
The Rebels are 8-3 straight-up and have played the eighth toughest schedule in the country. Two of their losses have come in heartbreaking fashion as the team lost in back-to-back weeks at LSU, by a field goal when they had the ball in the red zone in the final minute, and at home against Auburn, by four points, after Laquon Treadwell broke his leg and fumbled the ball just inches before crossing the goal line for a go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter. All three of the Ole Miss losses have come against teams that rank in the Top 20 of our College Football Power Rankings. By the numbers, Ole Miss ranks as having the nation's third-best overall defense, ranking #8 against the run and #14 against the pass. Though senior quarterback Bo Wallace has had his ups and downs as a three year starter at Ole Miss, the passing offense has been efficient and, even now without Treadwell, ranks among the Top 25 in the country by our roster and schedule-adjusted metrics (he is coming off of a bad game at Arkansas, yet the overall numbers look very good).
Mississippi State is 10-1 straight-up against just the 39th ranked FBS schedule - the weakest, by far, of any team in the SEC. A key to understanding any team is putting its numbers into the context of the schedule and this projection adequately accounts for misleading numbers from games between Mississippi State and the likes of Southern Miss, UAB, South Alabama and UT-Martin (not to mention getting Vanderbilt and Kentucky as its two opponents from the SEC East). There have been two games in which Mississippi State lost against-the-spread (vs. UAB and @ Arkansas), one in which it lost outright to Alabama and one in which the final margin was the spread (@ Kentucky). In those games, opposing quarterbacks threw for 1,285 yards on 153 attempts (8.4 yards-per-pass). This includes 12 pass plays of 35+ yards in just four games against teams ranked #62, #51, #22 and #2 in pass efficiency. Ole Miss has allowed fewer than that all season. To say that the Bulldogs are susceptible to big plays in the passing game would be an understatement. They rank 110th nationally in number of 10+ yard pass plays allowed. (Also worth noting is that Ole Miss has the 15th highest number of 10+ yard pass plays in the country and 26th most 35+ yard pass, both significantly better than Mississippi State.)
Rivalry or otherwise, explosive plays tend to make the difference in close games. Ole Miss has the best opportunity of hitting such plays at home and against a Mississippi State defense proven to be exploitable through the air.
According to 50,000 games played by the Predictalator at PredictionMachine.com, Ole Miss wins over Mississippi State 52.8% of the time and by an average score of 28-26. As two point underdogs winning outright more often than not, the Rebels cover the spread 56% of the time, which would justify a $38 play from a normal $50 better. The total goes OVER 49.5 56.5% of the time, which warrants a wager of $43 from a normal $50 player. There are eight stronger totals and four stronger against-the-spread plays on Saturday according to our Week 14 analysis.
Sports SEC Football Dak Prescott College Football
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Neil Young, Contributor
Activist and rock legend
So You Want A Big Electric Car?
12/20/2008 05:12 am ET Updated Dec 06, 2017
President-elect Obama's plan to put a million electric vehicles on the road in 10 years is doable and should be surpassed by its own momentum. As people discover the many advantages of electric vehicles (EVs), this momentum will build. Not only are these cars green and responsible, they also enhance National Security. From all we've been told about EVs we know a little. They are cleaner. We've heard about plugging them into our homes to recharge overnight. But most of us don't know much about electric cars yet.
The momentum of the Electric Vehicle Age will stem from enhanced performance, smoothness of acceleration, quietness, and superior control. The way an electric car can be tuned to behave a certain way for a certain driver allows for a whole new feeling in the driving experience. People just don't know how cool these cars are.
Existing designs can be manufactured as electric cars with no change to the tooling of the existing designs. Adapting kits are possible. Build electric versions on these existing tools to keep people working and get people interested in buying again. The technology to make these new electric vehicles exists today right here in this country.
From Wichita, Kansas we get this report: A 1959 Lincoln Continental repowered to be a self charging electric vehicle by a small group of engineers and local services, is now achieving up to 65 mpg in informal tests. Work there continues. The goal of the project is to attain up to and beyond 100mpg for the biggest and heaviest car made in 1959. The car has been driven in California and Kansas and shown to over 15,000 people. In an audience of 12,000, one tenth of the people raised their hands when asked if they would like to have a car like that. That Lincoln represents a future for Detroit. It is the possibility of Big Clean cars that do not promote Global warming. Let's build them now, as well as economical small clean and green electric cars and let's put people to work. We already have the existing tooling and the facilities and manpower.
From Detroit we get this report:
We have devoted significant resources to this project: Over 200 engineers and 50 designers are working on the Volt alone, and another 400 are working on related subsystems and electric components. That's how important we think this is, and that's how much stock we place in the future of extended-range electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt.
- Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director - E-Flex Systems and the Chevy Volt, GeneralMotors Corp.
The GM, FORD and Chrysler CEOs then each boarded private personal business jets to be paid for by taxpayers money, and flew to Washington to ask tax-payers to give them a 25 billion dollar infusion to save hard working American's jobs. Have they changed direction but it's just too early for our senators and congress representatives to see it yet? I don't think so. Maybe introducing a new high-performance fossil fueled Shelby Mustang and jumping into a private jet to go to Washington for a bailout was not such a good idea.
Efficient technology can power the existing designs we have today.
We don't need a car that looks different with a new sunroof over the back seat creating an air conditioning challenge as a feature.
We don't need new tooling to start building electric cars now.
We need kits to adapt what we are currently making to today's demands.
We need new thinking from new leaders and we need new perspectives from unions.
Today the news is Hybrids. Everyone is making them. Some of these hybrids offer very poor mileage in the 20-30 mpg range. They may be already on their way out because of the inherent inefficiency of their design. An electric motor and an internal combustion engine both driving the wheels in one car may not be the most efficient approach. Forward thinkers are wondering about that inefficiency and working on ways to solve it. Plug-in kits are now available for Prius and Ford Escape, allowing these vehicles to plug in for a re-charge, increasing their efficiency and reducing their negative impact on the environment. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) look like the future, but are they the future?
There are huge limitations. The battery is the biggest. An average EV is only good for a short trip before it needs a charge. Maybe 40 miles or so is a good estimate. Some electric cars get a long range like 100 miles before they lose power and have to recharge. The Tesla (a super light sports car) goes over 150 miles on a charge. Two things that all basic EVs have in common is they are small in size and they have to stop and re-charge. If you run out of power you are down. Just like gas.
To re-charge, you need a power source. It may be your home, or it may be your parking garage at work. It might be a charging system that is privately owned and is a business enterprise (Better Place), or it may be a public utility service (PG&E). You may have a cable to plug in that identifies you so your account can be automatically charged. One thing is for sure. You need to re-charge. So you are going to be more conscious of your energy use.
Not every EV has to plug in. For some, it's optional. Cars like the Chevy Volt have an onboard generator to re-charge batteries or power the car. These cars are Self-Charging EVs (SCEVs). That means on long trips you use gasoline. A long trip is over about forty miles in a Volt, on level ground. When the battery starts to die, an onboard generator rescues it and powers the electric motor, while slowly recharging the battery. This sequence cycles on and off while you take a long trip. Mostly the generator is on... using gasoline, a fuel widely seen as a National Security disadvantage. The Volt generator will charge the batteries faster if the car is not moving, by using gasoline. On short trips, you won't even use the generator. You will go the first 40 miles on plug-in power. An average commute in the USA is about 35 miles.
Efficiency in the self-charging electric car is the big decider. If the efficiency of your charging system allows you to make electricity with less financial cost than buying it from the grid, then your car can power your house and turn the meter backwards to reduce or eliminate your electric bill. Potentially, you may even be able to sell electricity to the grid someday. That would be a good reason to buy a SCEV with a highly efficient self-charging system. These cars are mobile power plants.
Big electric cars are left out of the story so far by major manufacturers. They have made some very poor hybrid SUVS. SUVs, big sedans, pick-up trucks are all by the wayside. They have been relegated to dinosaur status. But don't count them out. A big Self-Charging SUV with a super efficient self-charging system would create enough power to support 6 homes. You could be part of a distributed power system by using the grid backwards, selling power back to your Utility Company. In this approach, power enters the grid from plugged-in vehicles, avoiding the loss found in the lines when power comes to you from a central Power Plant located miles away. Imagine a big electric car that earns you income.
But you just wanted a big electric car. You may be surprised to know why size is important. Big SCEVs, while taking big power to run, and requiring large battery banks and big electric motors, will undoubtedly be getting up to 100 mpg or more in the near future. A big developmental car, Lincvolt, seen at Lincvolt.com , is proving this technology. Big SCEVs may well be earning you money while you are charging the grid. They may be recharging with super efficient self-charging systems, and even using Domestic Green bio-diesel fuel, a fuel that does not contribute significantly to Global Warming. Big may be an unexpected Green alternative.
The Lincvolt:
Read more opinion from HuffPost bloggers on the Detroit bailout
Green Living Cars Electric Cars Neil Young Green
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Upholding the Cooperative Spirit
Electric cooperatives were started by people who cared about their neighbors and wanted to make sure that everyone could join in the benefits of electric power. Because our roots are in the cooperative community, Homestead’s people have never lost sight of that mindset: We aim to bring the benefits of investing to all members of our shareholder community.
Surprisingly – or maybe not – that mindset also helps us keep talented, experienced people on the Homestead team. Our diverse crew of associates upholds the cooperative spirit every day.
Whether you’re a co-op employee or family member, an individual investor or an advisor, our people are prepared to meet your needs and answer your questions.
Check the background of our registered representatives and registered principals on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
INSTITUTIONAL SALES CONSULTANT, INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVE AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Thaddeus Anderson
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Dima Awamleh
SENIOR INSTITUTIONAL CLIENT SERVICES ASSOCIATE AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Peter Blackstone
SENIOR EQUITY ANALYST
Prabha Carpenter, CFA®
SENIOR EQUITY PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Sarah Cavanaugh
DIGITAL MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Beth Civerolo
DIRECTOR, MUTUAL FUND OPERATIONS AND REGISTERED PRINCIPAL
David Corea
Amy DiMauro
BOARD TREASURER AND FINANCIAL OPERATIONS PRINCIPAL
Keith Ellis
SENIOR CLIENT SERVICES ASSOCIATE AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Kara Gardner
SENIOR OPERATIONS SPECIALIST AND REGISTERED PRINCIPAL
Michael Hailemeskel
MARKETING AUTOMATION/CRM SPECIALIST
Mark Iong, CFA®
Marc Johnston, CFP®, ChFC®, CAIA®
MONEY MARKET PORTFOLIO MANAGER, FIXED-INCOME ANALYST AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Darryl Keeton, CIMA®
HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Dave McCaskill
SENIOR CLIENT SERVICES ASSOCIATE
Megan McFarland, CFP®
SENIOR CLIENT RELATIONSHIP ADVISOR, INVESTMENT ADVISER REPRESENTATIVE AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Quintanya Moat
SENIOR OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE
Jim Polk, CFA®
Michelle Rivers
Rachel Rosenberg
Mark Santero
DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT AND CEO; REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
John Scott, CFP®
CLIENT RELATIONSHIP ADVISOR AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Raymond Scott, CFP®
Danielle Sieverling, IACCP®, QKA®
CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND REGISTERED PRINCIPAL
Makia Tillman
MUTUAL FUNDS OPERATIONS SPECIALIST AND REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVE
Laura Tillman
Laurie Webster, CFA®
VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER; REGISTERED PRINCIPAL
Brian has been providing investment guidance and client services to Homestead Funds shareholders for more than a decade. He holds FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) and Series 65 (Investment Adviser Representative).
He is a graduate of King College, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in business administration. He received his MBA from Marymount University.
Thaddeus has been working in the trade support area of Homestead Funds’ operations since 2002. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Thaddeus may be the biggest Dallas Cowboys fan east of the state of Texas. Outside of work, he enjoys vacations, playing softball and spending time with his family.
He received a BS from State University of New York College at Buffalo and majored in business administration. He received his MBA from the University of Maryland University College.
Dima joined Homestead Funds in 2017. She is responsible for coordinating resources to provide proactive service with the goal of developing long-term, successful partnerships with Homestead Funds clients. Prior to this role, she was the client support and business development manager at Calvert Investments, Inc. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
Peter is a senior equity analyst supporting RE Advisers’ large- and small-cap value strategies. Prior to joining RE Advisers in 2018, Peter was a senior equity analyst and portfolio manager at Ironwood Investment Management covering a variety of economic sectors. He was also an energy sector specialist at The Boston Company Asset Management.
He is a graduate of Trinity College, where he received a BA in economics and an MBA with a specialization in finance from Boston University.
Prabha manages the company’s large- and small-cap value strategies. Prior to joining RE Advisers in 2002, she was a portfolio manager for a division of GEICO Corporation, where she oversaw a regional equity fund. Prabha began her career with GEICO as an equity analyst with a focus on stocks in the financial and consumer sectors. She has also held senior positions at bank trust and commercial finance companies, where she managed convertible securities funds. She served as a past president and board chair of the CFA Society of Washington, D.C. Prabha is a member of 100 Women in Finance and is included in the group’s female fund manager listing.
She is a graduate of the University of Madras, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in business economics and an MBA with distinction in finance from American University. Prabha holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Sarah joined Homestead Funds in 2017. She works on digital campaigns to support sales and client services, along with engagement and education outreach to clients and prospects.
She received a BS from George Mason University and majored in marketing.
Beth has been managing operations since 2004. She oversees the client services teams and is proud to play a lead role in supporting her staff with the goal of providing superior client service. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts), Series 26 (Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Limited Principal) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
She received a BA from John Carroll University and majored in English and communications.
David supports RE Advisers’ fixed-income team by implementing solutions to facilitate the monitoring of portfolio risk, exposures, performance and best execution. He also conducts company financial analysis and data reporting. He joined RE Advisers in 2009 as a member of the Homestead Funds’ operations team and was promoted to the investment analyst position in April 2018.
He is a Bachelor's degree candidate at University of Maryland University College.
Amy has been working with Homestead Funds since 1996 and became the treasurer of the funds in 2007. She holds FINRA securities license Series 28 (Introducing Broker/Dealer Financial and Operations Principal) and Series 99 (Operations Professional). She passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, but no longer maintains the CPA designation.
She received a BS from Bentley College and majored in accounting.
Keith provides financial education and account services to clients and communicates the benefits of investing with Homestead Funds. He enjoys bowling and is an avid sports fan, especially soccer and basketball. Keith has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
He received a BA in economics from Ohio State University.
Kara has been with Homestead Funds since 2005 and enjoys helping new and existing shareholders understand the role mutual funds can play in bringing investors closer to their financial goals. Away from work, Kara enjoys being outdoors in the garden and spending time with family. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), Series 26 (Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Limited Principal), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) and Series 99 (Operations Professional).
She received a BS from the University of Tennessee and majored in finance.
Michael joined Homestead Funds in 2019. He assists in the configuration and customization of the company’s client relationship management system and the implementation of marketing campaigns.
Michael earned his undergraduate degree with honors in business administration at De Monifort University’s Niels Brock Business College and completed his master’s degree in international business and management at the school’s Leicester campus.
Mark is a senior equity analyst supporting RE Advisers’ large- and small-cap value strategies. Mark brings more than 10 years of investment experience, most recently as a senior equity analyst at Chartwell Investment Partners on the large-cap team. Prior to that, he was a senior analyst and portfolio manager at Columbia Partners where he helped oversee growth and value strategies. As an equity analyst, Mark has focused on stocks in the technology and industrials sectors.
Mark is a graduate of Cornell University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Research and Information Engineering. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Marc manages the Daily Income Fund portfolio and analyzes risk, return and volatility attributes of RE Advisers’ fixed-income strategies. Before joining RE Advisers investments team in 2013, he held financial services management positions at the company’s parent organization, NRECA, and Citicorp Investment Services. Earlier in his career, he was with New York Life Insurance, where he became a registered representative for the company’s broker-dealer subsidiary. He has FINRA securities licenses Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) and Series 65 (Investment Adviser Representative).
He is a graduate of Villanova University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in general arts. After graduating from college, Marc served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He received his MBA from Northeastern University and holds the designations of Certified Financial Planner™, Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst®.
Darryl has broad experience in asset management distribution and channel development, including work with advisors, retirement plans, institutions and insurance companies. Prior to joining RE Advisers in 2015, he was the director of internal sales at Calvert Investments. Darryl also held a variety of executive and management roles at Neuberger Berman, most recently senior vice president of RIA distribution. He has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 24 (General Securities Principal) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
He is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in business administration. He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation.
Dave helps shareholders with their financial goals by communicating the benefits and resources that Homestead Funds has to offer. In his free time, Dave enjoys coaching his son’s house league basketball team and is a fan of the Washington Nationals. He is studying for FINRA’s Securities Industry Essentials exam and FINRA’s securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
He received a BSBA from Western Carolina University.
Megan started in the investments industry in 2008 and joined Homestead Funds in 2010. She appreciates that this is a small company — like a family — which is how she views and treats shareholders. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law), Series 65 (Investment Adviser Representative) and Series 99 (Operations Professional).
She received a BS from University of Maryland University College and majored in accounting. Megan is a Certified Financial Planner™.
Tanya joined the Homestead Funds team in 2010 and in 2016 transferred to the trade support team in management operations. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
She is a graduate of Virginia State University, where she received a BS in economics with a concentration in finance. She received her MBA from University of Maryland University College.
Jim co-manages the company’s large- and small-cap value strategies. Prior to joining RE Advisers in 2019, he was a portfolio manager at Putnam Investment Management, LLC, where he managed small-, mid- and multi-cap value oriented mutual funds.
He is a graduate of Colby College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He received his MBA from the Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Jim holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Michelle has provided administrative support for the Homestead Funds team since 1998. Away from work, she enjoys watching movies and spending time with her two sons.
She received a BS from Westwood College and majored in management.
Rachel helps prepare and produce fund company communications and supports outreach to clients and prospects. Before joining Homestead Funds in 2016, she worked for the company’s parent organization, NRECA.
She received a BSBA from Appalachian State University and majored in accounting.
Mark joined Homestead Funds in 2018 as president and CEO. He is also president and CEO of the fund company’s investment advisor, RE Advisers. Mark is responsible for shaping the strategic vision and directing the business activities of the fund company and its related money management entity. He oversees portfolio management, operations, client services, marketing and sales. Mark holds FINRA securities license Series 7 (General Securities Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
He is a graduate of Fordham University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in finance. Mark received his MBA in finance from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business.
John helps shareholders with their financial goals by communicating the benefits and resources the Homestead Funds has to offer. In his free time, John enjoys playing golf and is an avid fan of all the Washington DC sports teams. He has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) and Series 99 (Operations Professional).
He received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the College of William and Mary. John is a Certified Financial Planner™.
Raymond Scott Jr. was born and raised in the small town of Chester, VA. Raymond has had a love for finances since he was a little boy counting his grandma’s quarters on the kitchen floor. He looks forward to sharing his knowledge and passion with Homestead investors to help them achieve their financial goals. He has FINRA securities licenses Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law), Series 65 (Investment Adviser Representative) and Series 99 (Operations Professional).
He received dual BA degrees: one in accounting and a second in business/economics, both from Randolph-Macon College. Raymond is a Certified Financial Planner™.
Danielle is the Chief Compliance Officer of Homestead Funds and RE Advisers, positions she has held since 2005. She is an Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP) and has obtained the Qualified 401(k) Plan Administrator (QKA) designation. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts), Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 26 (Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Limited Principal) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law).
She is a graduate of Kansas State University, where she received a BS in business administration. She received her MBA from Rockhurst University.
Makia joined Homestead Funds in 2017 after relocating from the financial hub of Charlotte, NC. She has been in the financial services industry since 2005, with roles such as client service associate, quality assurance analyst and operations team lead. Away from work, she enjoys film photography, crafting and baking with her daughters. She has FINRA securities licenses Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) and Series 99 (Operations Professional).
She received a BSBA from Strayer University.
Laura has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She began her career in the mutual fund industry with T. Rowe Price, also worked at Calvert Group and rejoined Homestead Funds in 2013. She has primary responsibility for messaging, brand, content and creative services. Laura and the other members of the marketing team develop and implement initiatives that build awareness of the company’s capabilities, generate interest and keep shareholders informed.
Laura received a BA from Earlham College where she majored in English literature.
Laurie has over 30 years of experience in the asset management industry including roles in fixed-income portfolio management, index construction and asset management, client servicing, performance measurement and various operational positions. She joined RE Advisers’ in 2017. Prior to this role, she was the vice president of investment operations and indexing at Calvert Investments and chief operation officer at Solomon Hess Capital Management.
She has FINRA securities licenses Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 24 (General Securities Principal), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) and Series 99 (Operations Professional)
She is a graduate of University of Colorado, Boulder where she received her BS in business. Laurie holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
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Rudolphe R. Couture
October 22, 1928 ~ March 30, 2019 (age 90)
Rudolphe R. Couture, 90, of Old Orchard Beach died Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Avita of Wells. He was born October 22, 1928 in Biddeford, a son of Lucien and Ovina (Picard) Couture and was educated locally.
Rudy served in the U.S. Navy and was employed as an electrician at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for over 30 years. He also owned and operated several businesses during his working years including Rudy’s Market and Rachel’s Laundromat (Rudy always told Rachel he would put her name in lights).
In his free time, Rudy enjoyed card playing, golfing, boating, making puzzles and joking with family and friends. Most of all he loved being a grandfather. Rudy was also a member of the Biddeford & Saco Country Club and the St. Louis Alumni Association.
In his retirement years he enjoyed tinkering with carpentry, electronics and welding.
Rudy leaves behind his wife of 66 years Rachel (Morin) Couture of Biddeford along with his three children, Mike Couture, (his wife Dede), Janice Couture all of Old Orchard Beach and Bruce Couture ( his partner, Marcel Gagnon) of Sanford. He will be missed by granddaughters Brooke L. Cambridge, “Pepere's Sweet Pea” and Michaela Couture. He is survived by brothers Edward Couture of Saco and Roland Couture of Scarborough and many nieces and nephews
Visiting Hours will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm Street, Biddeford, ME 04005. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 5th at St. Joseph’s Church in Biddeford. To share condolences online, please visit www.HopeMemorial.com. Donations in memory of Rudolphe may be made to: Alzheimers Association, 383 U.S. Route 1, Suite 2C, Scarborough, ME 04074.
383 US Route 1 Suite 2c, Scarborough ME 04074
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5 Questions to Amanda DeBoer Bartlett (Director, Omaha Under the Radar)
Megan Ihnen
Invariably as I travel around the country for different festivals and series, I hear fellow practitioners say to each other, “Oh, do you know Omaha Under the Radar? You should really talk to Amanda DeBoer Bartlett. She definitely knows what she’s doing there.” Going into their fifth annual season (July 25-28, 2018), Omaha Under the Radar (OUtR) is a ground-breaking experimental performance festival in the Midwest. The festival’s organizers, Amanda DeBoer Bartlett, Stacey Barelos, and Aubrey Byerly, are powerhouses who genuinely do know what they’re doing there. They have worked tirelessly to present over 200 artists from more than a dozen cities throughout the United States since 2014. Their commitment to presenting a multiplicity of genres in radically different types of venues makes this one of the most unique and invigorating festivals in the country. And, it all takes place in Omaha, Nebraska.
When did you know that you wanted to build a festival dedicated to experimental performance in Omaha?
I grew up in the suburbs of Omaha, then left immediately after graduating high school. When I moved back to Omaha after finishing grad school in 2012, I was on the road constantly, so I never became familiar with the city as a working artist. I was missing a sense of community, and I think I was also looking for a way to connect with Omaha as an adult. Making a big hoopla festival gave me the chance to immerse in the scene and helped me start feeling at home in my hometown.
Amanda DeBoer introduces a string quartet performing new music by Stacey Barelos at Joslyn Art Museum during Omaha Under the Radar 2016–Photo by Aleksandr Karjaka
You first began with the festival in 2014. Since that time, you’ve added SOUNDRY (an experimental music workshop) and the Generator Series to your offerings. How did you know that it was time to add those programs and how did you go about creating them?
To be clear, I never know when it’s the right time to do anything. I do first, think later. That said…
SOUNDRY was Stacey Barelo’s idea. Our first year, we hosted artist talks, which was interesting, but too academic for our taste. So, in year two, Stacey took the reigns on education and collaborated with KANEKO to create SOUNDRY. She’s such a brave and curious musician, and I love the way she structures the workshop. If I wasn’t busy working the festival, I would be a student at SOUNDRY.
The Generator Series was also a KANEKO collaboration. We wanted to expand our programming throughout the season, rather than focusing it all during one week per year, and around the same time, KANEKO reached out to us to see if we’d be interested in producing events for them. Having the support of KANEKO and building that relationship has taken our organization to the next level. They challenge us to go further with our concepts and break the concert mold. They have also helped us connect with new audiences through their membership, which has been extremely helpful. We love them so much!
Omaha Under the Radar is clearly a relationship between new music and residents of Omaha. How have you built those community bridges?
One person at a time, which we can do slowly since we live here.
When I was presenting a festival in Madison, it became a totally one-sided relationship. I was asking so much of the venues, the locals, the artists, because I wasn’t there to lay the ground-work before everyone else rolled in to town. And, since I didn’t really get what the city was about, I had no idea how to meaningfully give back to the community.
Growing the audience in Omaha has been pretty organic by comparison. When I’m not on tour, I’m here, talking about what we’re doing, meeting with people, putting up posters, and wearing our shirts. I’m seriously obnoxious about it.
The venues and local artists we present are also essential. They bring together their people and encourage them to check out our events. I’m grateful that we’ve reached outside the art scene a bit because of that. We can always do better, but we’re in it for the long haul, so we have time to keep figuring it out.
To me, this is the role of presenters in the 21st century–to rebuild the audience infrastructure for live performance on a local level, one person at a time, in unique ways that feel welcoming and exciting. Tilling our own soil, so to speak.
Dancers perform a new work with music and choreography by Vivian Kim at Joslyn Art Museum during Omaha Under the Radar 2016–Photo by Alexsandr Karjaka
Each festival is such an incredible undertaking. What keeps you continuously committed to presenting year after year?
I honestly don’t know. Certainly not the pay :) Every year, about one month before the festival, I question my life choices. But then, the day after the festival, every year, I’m already planning the next event. It’s such a thrill watching everyone come together and seeing the performances. I can’t get enough.
If you could go back in time to tell yourself a key bit of advice before you started, what would you say?
Stay on top of your mental health throughout the planning process so that you don’t have a meltdown at the events.
3:00AM emails don’t accomplish anything. Go to bed.
Feature image credit
Aleksandr Karjaka
Amanda DeBoer BartlettAubrey ByerlyGenerator SeriesKANEKOOmaha Under the RadarSOUNDRYStacey Barelos
Megan Ihnen is a mezzo-soprano on a mission to change the world through the commissioning, performance, and proliferation of new music.
This week: concerts in New York (July 16, 2018 – July 22, 2018)
Turning Up The Volume: Jess Rowland (Composer, Sound Artist)
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IGNITE: A Burning Man Experience
Home FILMMAKERS WATCH HISTORY Special Thanks Contact
HomeFILMMAKERSWATCHHISTORYSpecial ThanksContact
A cinematic journey to Burning Man
Director/Producer Ryan Moore
Ryan Moore is known for directing and producing the feature film documentary "MANNY" narrated by Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson. The film chronicles the boxer Manny Pacquiao's meteoric rise from abject poverty to 11-time world champion. "Manny" was directed and produced by Ryan and had its world premiere at the SXSW film festival. The film premiered at the TCL (Grauman's) Chinese Theater in Hollywood, was nominated for MovieGuide's Most Inspiring Movie of 2015, went on to win the Audience Award at Toronto Reel Asian Film Film Festival, and was acquired by Universal Pictures International which has released the film in over 75 countries.
Ryan has been a long-time attendee of Burning Man since 2007.
MUSIC/SCORE PRODUCER LORNE BALFE
COMPOSER Lorne Balfe is a Grammy Award-winning, EMMY and BAFTA nominated film composer. His filmography boasts an incredible breadth and depth of titles, ranging from major studio (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, THE DARK KNIGHT, INCEPTION, IRON MAN, GHOST IN THE SHELL,) to independent films, tentpole video game franchises (ASSASSIN’S CREED III, CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2, BEYOND: TWO SOULS), beloved animated feature films (LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, HOME, MEGAMIND, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR), critically acclaimed television series (A.D. THE BIBLE CONTINUES, GENIUS about Albert Einstein), and documentary features.
COMPOSERS: MAX ARUJ & STEFFEN THUM
Max Aruj
Steffen Thum
Max Aruj recently composed the score for N'cee Van Heerden's O.I., and Michael Reilly's HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, starring Whoopi Goldberg. He also served as score producer for Lorne Balfe's THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE and PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING. Currently, he is the composer for Well Played Studios' Virtual Reality gaming platform RIPPLE EFFECT, which is now available on Steam.
Steffen Thum is a German born film composer. Most recently, he wrote the music for Matt Routledge's MANIPULATION and upcoming TV show MACHIAVELLI. Thum served as score producer for Lorne Balfe’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT and GEOSTORM, and contributed additional music to TV shows like NatGeo's GENIUS: PICASSO and iTV's MARCELLA.
As frequent collaborators, Aruj and Thum also scored Netflix’s IBOY (starring Maisie Williams) and the upcoming thriller WARNING SHOT (with David Spade, Bruce Dern), as well as TAKE THE SHOT and Warner Bros. short RESURRECT.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY JEREMY "JEZ" THIERRY
CINEMATOGRAPHER Jeremy Thierry has over 20 years experience working throughout the world in almost every genre of film and television. Originally from the UK now living in Los Angeles, he started out as a TV Cameraman and Director/Cameraman creating hundreds of hours of programming for all the major UK networks and production companies including; BBC, ITV, CNN, MTV, VH-1, Discovery, National Geographic and Channel 4. Jeremy was nominated for a Silver D&AD Award, the most prestigious award in world advertising with his very first campaign. He went on to be nominated for major international awards in 6 out of the next 7 years including a further D&AD Annual Nomination and was a national entry into the Saatchi & Saatchi World’s Best New Directors Showcase in Cannes. Over his commercial career he has shot over 70 commercials either as a Director or DP.He now works as the Director Of Photography for Insomniac Events, the world’s leading dance music event production company.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY NEIL FERNANDEZ
CINEMATOGRAPHER Neil Fernandez is a filmmaker who first started editing tv shows such as Paranormal State (A&E) to Emmy nominated shows like Animal Planet and Whale Wars. As a cinematographer Neil has worked on films which have premiered at the LA Film Festival while others have been featured on Netflix. Neil also films music videos using his stylish techniques with artists as Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, and Busta Rhymes. He also enjoys traveling around the world filming beautiful models and pro-athetes such as Manny Pacquiao. Recently, he is most proud of an anti-bullying music video he directed/filmed in Chicago. He loved working with the kids but more importantly is proud of being able to reach people positively and emotionally through the art of filmmaking.
Editors: Christian May / Gretchen Shroeder / Ryan Moore
Assistant Editor: Daniel Freedman
ILLUSTRATOR ANTHONY FRANCISCO
Anthony Francisco is the Senior Visual Development Artist at Marvel Studios wherein he has been responsible for creating characters like the Dora Milaje (Black Panther), Baby Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2), Loki and Hulk (Thor: Ragnarok), and other notable superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anthony has been a Concept Artist/Art Director who has worked on many projects- for both the film and gaming industry. He has created concepts for numerous movies, such as: Men in Black 2, Alien Vs. Predator, Species3, Spiderman, and Chronicles of Riddick (just to name a few). He has also taught character design at Gnomon, Concept Design Academy and the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts and has illustrated for Wizards of the Coast's Magic:the Gathering. In 2004 he started his first full time job at NCsoft working on Guild Wars and Tabula Rasa after which he joined Khang Le at Project Offset in 2006. The game got cancelled after 4 years and Anthony finds himself back in the film industry at Rhythm and Hues to work on Seventh Son where he helped visualize the dragons for the film. Other project were RIPD and Percy Jackson - Sea of Monsters
SOUND DESIGNER/MIXER EDDIE KIM
Eddie Kim is an EMMY award winning sound designer/mixer ("Sonic Highways" on HBO). He has designed sound for more than 30 feature films and hundreds of national television commercials. He studied film at The Academy of Art University of San Francisco and worked nights as a DJ in local clubs. Kim was the Supervising Sound Editor for Stacy Peralta's documentary Dogtown and Z Boys, and served in a similar capacity for the director's other films, Riding Giants and Lords of Dogtown. Kim's film credits also include Good Girl, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 8 Mile, The Animatrix, Treasure Planet, and House of Wax. His commercial credits include spots for Nike, Lexus, Ford, Honda, Pioneer, and Travelers Insurance. He has won multiple awards including a 2006 Silver Clio for Adidas "Impossible Field" and a 2007 Silver Clio for his work on Toyota Yaris "Chase." Kim also a member of the band "Mangchi"
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Home Activities Press Releases Press release: Morsi trial exposes western human rights hypocrisy
Press release: Morsi trial exposes western human rights hypocrisy
President Morsi was deposed in a military coup in July after failing to stem mass protests calling for him to step down as Egypt’s first democratically elected leader. Since then he has been in military custody awaiting trial for charges that by all accounts appear to be politically motivated and calculated to destroy the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most popular political movement, and bring about the return of the ancien regime. In August, police and army personnel shot dead thousands of Egyptians in mainly peaceful protests that gripped Egypt after the coup.
The aftermath of Morsi’s ousting has exposed as a lie the military’s contention that he was removed to preserve security and order. In addition to installing a puppet interim government, the army has also imposed a state of emergency in most of the country, swept away the free press that had mushroomed following the fall of Hosni Mubarak, arrested and imprisoned hundreds of opposition figures and workers complaining of poor wages and conditions.
All the while it has insisted to the outside world that it is gradually restoring democracy, a claim supported by the US and Britain along with their authoritarian allies in the Gulf. Yesterday’s visit of US secretary of state John Kerry to Cairo should be seen as a US nod to the generals to continue on their course of repression. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Kerry reiterated Washington’s stance that Egypt was on track to implement its so-called road map to democracy. He made no mention of Mohammed Morsi’s trial or the deteriorating human rights situation. It should be remembered that Washington has steadfastly refused to call July’s events a coup.
Separately Britain has resumed 24 arms export licences to companies supplying the Egyptian regime which were suspended after August’s bloody crackdown on anti-coup supporters.
The US is Egypt’s main political backer. Since 1979, as a reward for Cairo signing the Camp David peace accords with Israel, its army has been lavished with an annual $1.5 billion in aid from Washington, allowing it to become the most powerful institution in Egyptian society. The largesse has enabled the army to dominate the state and extend its tentacles into all aspects of society, without any accountability. After ousting Morsi, the army was also rewarded with a $12 billion aid package by Saudi Arabia, itself wary of the potential fallout of the Arab Spring inside the kingdom. Last week the UAE announced its own aid package to Egypt worth $4.9 billion.
“It’s quite clear that it is not only the authoritarian Arab regimes but the whole western world which is lined up against the empowerment of ordinary Egyptians” said IHRC chair Massoud Shadjareh. “This is because they believe it will be detrimental to the continuation of their interests and control not only of Egypt but the whole area”.
For media enquiries please email media@ihrc.org or call 020 8904 4222[Ends]
IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
Twitter @ihrc
military coup
Morsi’s “murder” exposes international double standards
Imam Al-Asi's Blog
Imam Asi: Miraj / Taqwa / Ramadan and Reality
Libya and Egypt: Latest Developments
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Macedonian pioneer
by Martin Merk|16 JUL 2018
Monika Pizevska is the only woman who plays ice hockey in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and wants to teach the game to more girls in her country.
photo: Martin Merk
Monika Pizevska is the only woman who plays ice hockey in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. But after attending the World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend program at the 2018 IIHF Women’s High-Performance Camp she hopes to change this in the future.
The reason for the lack of women is the lack of opportunities to play ice hockey in general. During Yugoslav times the country’s capital of Skopje in the very south of the former multinational country was represented in the top league and even hosted an IIHF event at the former outdoor ice stadium. And that’s where the 21-year-old started to go on the ice already as a small kid before it was shut down.
“I have been skating since I was 2 but I didn’t go to practice until I was 14 because we didn’t have a hockey or figure skating school. We just had an ice rink that was open two months a year, maximum three months. So I learned to skate on my own and my dad, who watched hockey and figure skating, would tell me how to make a turn, try skating backwards. That’s how I learned. After that there was a break, we didn’t have ice at all,” Pizevska explained the history of her, one that was too similar for many in her country.
“When I was 14 I learned at school that there was a figure skating and hockey school so I signed up for figure skating first. It was really nice in the beginning but for two years we just had synthetic ice but we learned basics. Two years later we got real ice so I did figure skating for two more years until I was 18 and then I broke my leg.
“I had to stop for a few months, I returned and went to competitions but my coach wouldn’t really give me much attention anymore, she would think it’s over due to the broken leg, it won’t be the same. I started to get frustrated. They wouldn’t coach me the right way, they would just say do whatever you like. That’s not coaching.”
After the bad luck came the turnaround thanks to hockey. A hockey coach saw that she was a fast skater, something he was looking for. He went to her father and asked whether she would be interested in playing ice hockey.
“So I did. But it’s different, I needed new skates, I played two months with figure skates and would fall a lot. But I did the basic turns and although I was the only girl playing with the boys I found it fun,” she said. “My team now is a male club that usually plays abroad. Sometimes we have games with Canadians and Turkish teams.”
The new rink has improved the situation but is still far from ideal. It has a roof and is now also partly closed on the sides, it’s now open three or four months a year instead of two like the old one, but it’s not full size.
“It’s still not the real thing. The ice is bad because of the rink, when it rains it’s flooded, when it’s warm it’s flooded. And the Zamboni often doesn’t work, so we have to scrape the ice or play on ruined ice. It’s now open for about three-and-a-half months, which is little even to get to intermediate level,” she said.
Ice hockey in Skopje has restarted in the last few years with the new rink. Games are played there and teams go abroad. Last season, a national team was formed for the first time to play games against another former Yugoslav country, Bosnia & Herzegovina, in Sarajevo. But it’s a sport mostly men and boys are playing although Pizevska is not the only female player anymore as three young girls have taken up the sport and are eager playing it.
“Unfortunately the interest of girls in hockey is not so big. In figure skating we had hundreds of girls. In ice hockey we now have three young girls who play,” she said.
“The problem in Macedonia is that when the kids come and the parents see the rink they don’t want to send the kids there. It’s not totally closed, there’s wind, kids can get sick. Facilities are the most important things to improve, then we can create teams and get better.”
Pizevska is a university student in political science in Skopje going into her third year. When she was figure skating, she was on the ice twice a day.
“I used to do many different sports. In figure skating we had off-ice activities outside of the season, in ice hockey unfortunately not. I did rhythmic gymnastics, now I go to the gym, I read books, listen to music, do cooking, horse riding. And languages,” she said about her free-time activities. Apart from English and the Slavic languages in her neighbourhood she learns Swedish. Does she want to move there to play hockey?
“Actually I have never experienced the female game. I would want to know what it would be like, what my level is, which position I would play. I play with guys, with kids, I’m somewhere in between. I haven’t thought much about moving,” she said.
At the Sport Institute of Finland in Vierumaki with its two full-size ice sheets she had one of her seldom experiences on full ice. Before she skated on the old full-size outdoor stadium in Skopje when she was a kid but that facility, while it still exists, has become disused for many years. And once she was at a full-size rink in Budapest. “It’s the best facility I’ve been too, it’s new and modern,” she said about being on the ice in Finland.
The World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend program as one of two development programs in the 2018 IIHF Women’s High-Performance Camps combines elements of the Learn to Play program for instructors with elements of organizing and promoting an event for kids to try hockey. The World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend is an initiative for girls to try hockey for free in dozens of countries all around the world. Before the IIHF launched it at a global scale in 2011, such events were only organized in a handful of top countries. Since then around 50 countries have participated in this initiative. This year’s World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend will take place on 6th and 7th October 2018. Make sure to mark it in your calendar and reserve ice time.
While Pizevska and her fellow ice hockey enthusiasts in Skopje may not be lucky enough to have ice already then, she learned a lot on how to get other girls to the rink.
“I’ve been thinking to become an instructor or coach for a few years now because I’m teaching kids how to skate and I really like it. When this opportunity came up I though it will be perfect. I don’t just work on skills I have but develop something new. I like the program. It’s very in-depth. You have a lot of things you have to learn, a lot of methods. We went into children’s psychology, learned what to expect and what not to expect. I like it a lot,” she said.
The biggest thing she learned is the methods of teaching kids compared to introducing the sport to adults. “In the beginning you just think you show the kid a certain skill and they will just do it. But it doesn’t happen that way. They’re developing so you can’t expect them to think at a level of a grownup. We learn methods so kids understand what you’re saying and what we can expect from them. I think the approach is the most important thing I learned,” she said and is happy to take valuable experiences back to her country.
Second Development Cup held
FYR Macedonia tops tourney aimed at helping smaller nations
MKD 29 NOV 2018
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Home > News Travel
What to Experience in The Nawabi City of Bhopal
Bhopal is a potpourri of experiences, no matter the kind of traveller you are.
Updated: April 4, 2019 6:13 PM IST
By Charu Chowdhary Email
Bhojpur Temple, Photo Credit: GettyImages
Bhopal is a city that successfully blends old world charm with modern day development. So naturally, there’s no dearth of things to do here. Whether you’re a culture vulture, a nature lover, a wildlife enthusiast or a new age traveller – here are the top things to experience in the City of Lakes.
City Chowk
The best way to explore Bhopal is to walk through its best known and oldest alleys. The Chowk area, an old market square of Bhopal, is known for preserving the charm of the past. Remember to stop and admire the architecture of Imam Square, Shaukat Mahal and Sardar Manzil on your city walk.
An interesting place to visit is the Bhojpur Temple – an incomplete temple dating back to the 11th-century. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and is also known as Somnath of the East. The carvings on it are intricate and it is located on the banks of river Betwa.
The beautiful Shaukat Mahal. An architectural gem in the city of #bhopal. The city shot to international ‘fame’ for all the wrong reasons, on the evening of 2-3 December 1984 when the #UnionCarbide plant exposed 500,000 people to 42 tonnes of toxic gas. Thousands died immediately from the effects of the gas, waking up to a burning sensation in their lungs, many were trampled to death in the ensuing panic. The official death toll was 2259, Another estimate had 8000 people die in the 1st two weeks and a further 8000 have since died from gas related diseases! This is frequently cited as the worst ever industrial accident. #Costcutting was the reason for this most tragic disaster. In 1998 the India Supreme Court reached an agreement with Union Carbide and $US 470 million had to be paid to the Indian State – at that time the company made 9.5 billion, 20 times that amount !!!! Surprisingly, VERY LITTLE MONEY REACHED THE VICTIMS. The terrain where the plant stands is STILL contaminated and #DowChemical who owned Union Carbide (now recently merged with #DowDuPont) REFUSES to DECONTAMINATE the soil. #Greenpeace estimate it would only cost $ US30 million to decontaminate it….#tragedy #criminal #india #corporate #costcutting #travel #igers #tagsforlikes #architecture #cityscape
A post shared by antonyphilip (@maantigo) on Mar 2, 2018 at 12:34am PST
Natural abundance
Though Bhopal is a modern day city, it is nicely balanced out by the abundance of natural beauty in and around the city. You must visit the iconic Upper and Lower Lakes, divided by an overbridge. There are walkways offering great views around and a government run boat club with facilities for sailing, paddle boats and motor boat rides. Another natural attraction is the Bhimbetka Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s located 45km from Bhopal and is known for the cluster of 14 rock shelters which house some of the best prehistoric rock art in the world.
This may come as a surprise, but Bhopal is a fine activity hub for those who love being in the wilderness. Located 10km away from the city, Van Vihar National Park, is home to some of India’s well known flora and fauna. Perched on Shymala Hills, it’s a natural-looking enclosure for tiger, lion, sloth bear, striped hyena, crocodiles and other carnivorous animals. Van Vihar National Park was created with the motive of protecting animals from various parts of the state. Today, however, it’s ideal to come and observe animals from a close quarter.
Published Date: April 4, 2019 6:10 PM IST
Updated Date: April 4, 2019 6:13 PM IST
bhopalMadhya Pradesh
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Home > News > India
Kerala: Woman Tortured, Starved For Dowry, Dies Weighing 20 Kgs
At the time of her death on the midnight of March 21 due to illness and uneasiness, the woman weighed just 20 kg.
Published: March 30, 2019 10:17 PM IST
By PTI Feeds Email
Kollam: A 27-year-old woman was reduced to a “bag of a skeleton” and has died allegedly due to starvation enforced by her husband and mother-in-law for dowry, police said Saturday, in a case that has caused public outrage.
Thushara, a native of Karunagappally near here, was denied proper food for days and survived only on soaked rice and sugar syrup before she breathed her last at a government hospital here, police said, quoting the postmortem report and neighbours.
At the time of her death on the midnight of March 21 due to illness and uneasiness, the woman weighed just 20 kg, they said.
Thushara’s husband Chandulal and his mother Geetha Lal were arrested and remanded Friday, police said.
The alleged torture of the woman came to light in a probe the police conducted after her death.
“She looked like a bag of a skeleton with hardly any flesh on her body. She weighed just 20 kg. A detailed inquiry has thrown light to the cruelty. Her relatives alleged that the torture was to get more dowry,” a police official told PTI.
Thushara’s mother Vijayalakshmi alleged the accused had been torturing her daughter for the past five years and had not allowed the family members to meet her for one year.
“My daughter had suffered gruesome torture. We did not give any police complaint as we feared it would put my daughter’s life in danger,” she said.
A Chandulal neighbour said the woman was allegedly tortured mentally and physically by the husband and her in-laws.
The woman’s husband used to do odd jobs other than welding works. The couple married in 2013. At the time of the marriage, the woman’s family had given some gold ornaments and money to the man’s family and had promised to give Rs 2 lakh later.
The deceased woman had two children — the younger aged 1.5 years and the other three — and both of them are healthy, the police official said.
Published Date: March 30, 2019 10:17 PM IST
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Ikea To Invest 3,000cr In Maharashtra For Stores, Experience Zones
February 23, 2018 / 3 min read
Initially, the company had earmarked Rs 10,500 crore to open about 25 stores in the country by 2025.
Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has decided to invest Rs 3,000 crore in the state over the long-term to set up multi-format stores as well as experience centres.
Patrik Antoni, deputy country manager, Ikea told reporters here, "We will be investing close to Rs 3,000 crore over the long-term in the state to set up multi-format stores. We will also open experience centres in Mumbai going forward."
He indicated that the Maharashtra operations will be key for the company, and hence it has allocated sufficient funds to develop the market here.
He said, "Now that we have been working to open a few stores, we could increase the investments here going forward, informing that Delhi-NCR would be another key market for the company.”
The retailer has already committed to invest Rs 750 crore over the next 2-3 years in setting up its first distribution centre in Pune.
When asked about the delay in opening the first Ikea store in Hyderabad, which was slated to open early 2018, he said that the company was focusing on safety of workers, and quality of the construction. "We will open it in the next few months."
Antoni added, it is also looking at job creation, as each store would engage about 2,000 coworkers, of which 800 at least would be directly employed, according to a company release.
Maharashtra market manager Per Hornell commented on increasing the sourcing from the country as well as from the state saying that company is already working with suppliers in the areas of textiles and plastics.
Hornell said, Globally, India accounts for about 3 per cent of the retailer's total sourcing. "Ikea currently sources from 11 suppliers in the country in categories such as textiles, including carbon steel, metal and plastics.” He informed the company is also looking to partner with state governments to source local sustainable raw materials including bamboo, jute, rubber wood, banana barks, coir etc.
Last year, Ikea India had committed to double its local sourcing from Euro 318 million to Euro 600 million by 2020.
Ikea Furniture
Swedish companies
Furniture Business
Indian Furniture Retailing
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Aaj Ki Baat News
Aaj Ki Baat October 4 episode: 'How PM Modi demolished his critics' charges on economy'
The Prime Minister made it clear that he was in full control of the economy, and was keeping a watchful eye on shortcomings.
Rajat Sharma
New Delhi Published on: October 05, 2017 14:33 IST
Aaj Ki Baat October 4 episode
When senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha wrote a column to mount a frontal attack on Modi government's management of economy, it created political ripples. He was promptly supported by Congress stalwarts like P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Several experts wrote articles in newspapers on the current state of our economy. Allegations were levelled to say that Prime Minister Modi and his Finance Minister Arun Jaitley are unable to manage the economy.
The articles mentioned about falling GDP rates, small and medium businessmen facing crisis, workers losing their jobs, GST regulations making life hell for traders and businessmen, no tangible benefit accruing from demonetization, and the like.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing company secretaries, clearly addressed these critical issues. He had come fully prepared for his speech. He had facts and figures ready with him, to buttress his arguments and reasons.
The Prime Minister made it clear that he was in full control of the economy, and was keeping a watchful eye on shortcomings. It is in the fittest of things that he admitted to some shortcomings. He also said, some criticisms were justified, and the government was ready for another set of reforms.
I personally feel that we should trust our Prime Minister's words and wait for another four to six months to see in which direction our economy is heading, and how much improvement has taken place.
Watch the full episode here:
Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9 PM
India’s Number One and the most followed Super Prime Time News Show ‘Aaj Ki Baat – Rajat Sharma Ke Saath’ was launched just before the 2014 General Elections. Since its inception the show is redefining India’s super prime time and is numerically far ahead of its contemporaries.
Economic Slowdown
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Meet the 2011 LA Film Festival Filmmakers | “Salaam Dunk” Director David Fine
Meet the 2011 LA Film Festival Filmmakers | "Salaam Dunk" Director David Fine
Basketball is much more than a game in David Fine’s stirring documentary about an Iraqi women’s basketball team at the American University of Iraq—Sulaimani in Kurdistan. For the young women on the team, most of whom have never touched a basketball or been allowed to play any sport, it is a blissful release from the realities of a war-torn nation. They come from all ethnicities and sects—Iraqi, Kurd, Shiite, Sunni—but the joy they discover in playing and the deep love they come to feel for the young American man who coaches them reveals an Iraq united in a way we’ve never seen before. [Synopsis courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival]
[indieWIRE invited directors with films in the Narrative Feature and Documentary Competition at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival to submit responses in their own words about their films. These profiles are being published daily through the beginning of the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, which starts June 16. To prompt the discussion, iW asked the filmmakers about what inspired their films, the challenges they faced and other general questions. They were also free to add additional comments related to their projects.]
“Salaam Dunk”
Documentary Competition
Directed By: David Fine
Executive Producers: Peter Furia, Beau Lewis
Producers: San Saravan, Peter Friedrich
Cinematographer: San Saravan
Editor: David Fine
Responses courtesy of “Salaam Dunk” director David Fine.
Your movie: In 140 characters or less, what’s it about?
Women’s basketball in Iraq… One team. One season. One Iraq.
OK: Now tell us what it’s really about…
Two years ago, most of the women on the basketball team at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) had never been running before. Many had never played sports. None had ever been on a team with other women. They came from all corners of Iraq to attend this prestigious school, but many could not tell their families back home that they were going to an “American” university.
Through traditional interviews and private confessional video diaries, “Salaam Dunk” follows the ethnically diverse AUIS women’s basketball team as they discover what it means to be athletes. From the joy of their first win to the pain of losing the coach who started their team, the film gives a glimpse into an Iraq we don’t see on the news.
Merging film with sports…
I’m originally from Seattle, where there were good family, ritzy private schools, juvenile keg parties in the rain and parents who put education above all else. Sports have always been a big part of my life (I played lacrosse in high school and college). When I went to college (Wesleyan University) I got interested in film and it became my major. My senior thesis was about a youth hockey team in Connecticut. Originally I wanted to make a funny documentary about crazy soccer moms, but in Connecticut, the crazy parents are all at the ice rink. The questions came naturally and I could relate to the players and parents as an athlete.
After graduating, I spent four years working in Los Angeles. Then in 2007, I moved to San Francisco and started a production company (Seedwell) with two of my oldest friends. Making movies for me is about challenging people to look differently at something they think they know. I’ve always gravitated toward documentary for a few reasons. 1) I like the idea that I can give voice to those who otherwise would not be heard. 2) If I followed the adage “write what you know,” my narrative would probably be quite boring, predictable and full of misplaced teenage angst (Dr. Dre on repeat for a few years there…). And 3} I’ve never had the money to shoot a narrative.
Changing how we see Iraq…
I think that people in ‘”the west,”‘ especially the United States, need to begin to look at Iraq differently. We will only perpetuate the unfortunate aspects of the country if we continue to see and talk about Iraq the way our mainstream news media portrays it. Americans need to see Iraqi people as human beings. I think we need to see Iraq differently in order to help Iraq change and grow and prosper.
I didn’t want to make something about the war or occupation. That’s been done and I think we’ve seen enough of it. What hasn’t been done is a film about the humanism of the Iraqi people that makes you laugh, cry and walk away feeling better than when you sat down. That was the goal.
Working with the team…
I was quite worried that the girls on the team would not open up to me, that we would not connect. I’m a white male from the USA. Before going, I figured I wouldn’t be able to rely on traditional interviews alone to get the content and stories needed for the film. So, in addition to traditional interviews, we gave the main characters flip cameras with a list of questions to answer and discuss. We called them “assignments,” hoping the girls would do them as they would a piece of homework. The footage that came back was fantastic and is a huge part of the film.
By the end of our time in Iraq, the girls became good friends. I am actually writing this from Sulaiman, where we just got finished showing the film to the team earlier today. Needless to say, I was quite nervous about how they would receive the movie. They loved it and are so excited for people in the U.S. to see it. After watching the film together, we proceeded to have a fantastic day complete with 20 pounds of biryani, multiple pots of dolmas and some extremely energetic Kurdish line dancing. These kids are amazing.
How will audiences respond?
The team is not good at basketball. In fact they are total beginners. Most of the girls had never played any kind of sport before joining the team. I think audiences will be struck by the degree to which these girls love to play basketball (despite being relatively bad at it). Basketball represents a new opportunity for them, a chance to prove they are capable and, for many, to finally have “their own thing.” They love to play, they want to win and their energy and love for the game is absolutely infectious.
Check out these prior participants in the Los Angles Film Festival, courtesy of SnagFilms [Disclaimer: SnagFilms is indiewire’s parent company]
Watch more free documentaries
This Article is related to: Festivals and tagged Features, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival
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Behind the Wheel: The Goodwood Estate, in the fast lane for sustainable growth
May 13, 2019 PRESS RELEASES
What does the English ancestral home to the Dukes of Richmond have in common with one of the largest capital goods companies in the world? The Goodwood Estate and CNH Industrial: two global, multi-faceted businesses with a reputation for excellence in their various fields are committed to finding new, innovative and sustainable ways of working. Nowhere does this become more apparent than on Goodwood’s own Home Farm. Find out how an unlikely pairing became a successful partnership in the latest Behind the Wheel webisode: cnhindustrial.com/goodwood_en
London, May 13, 2019
The Goodwood name is synonymous with some of the most glamorous and iconic sporting events in the world but behind the scenes, working tirelessly to support the Estate, is its very own fully organic farm. Sustainability and organic farming are amongst Goodwood’s core values, values which are shared by CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI), a company at the forefront in the development and implementation of alternative fuel vehicles, precision farming and telematic solutions. The Company’s brands CASE Construction Equipment, New Holland Agriculture and IVECO are all involved in the partnership with Goodwood, from tractors to combines, from excavators to wheel loaders, to supplying commercial vehicles – no other single company could support all of the Estate’s varied vehicle needs.
Nestling in the rolling hills of the South Downs near the south coast of England, the farm has one of Britain’s first 100% organically fed dairy herds, and is also home to a flock of sheep, suckler cows and pigs. A “closed loop” system has been created where all the fodder for the animals is grown on the farm which in turn also runs its own butchery, bottles its own milk and makes its own cheeses. Most of the farm’s produce is delivered to the restaurants on the Estate and around the South East of the UK as well as used at the various sporting events.
This latest episode of Behind the Wheel shows the partnership at work and demonstrates how CNH Industrial’s brands are working together with Goodwood to help increase efficiency, productivity and sustainability on the Estate: cnhindustrial.com/goodwood_en
CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) is a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence. Each of the individual brands belonging to the Company is a major international force in its specific industrial sector: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr for tractors and agricultural machinery; Case and New Holland Construction for earth moving equipment; Iveco for commercial vehicles; Iveco Bus and Heuliez Bus for buses and coaches; Iveco Astra for quarry and construction vehicles; Magirus for firefighting vehicles; Iveco Defence Vehicles for defence and civil protection; and FPT Industrial for engines and transmissions. More information can be found on the corporate website: www.cnhindustrial.com
Sign up for corporate news alerts from the CNH Industrial Newsroom:
bit.ly/media-cnhindustrial-subscribe
Laura Overall
Tel. +44 (0)2077 660 338
E-mail: mediarelations@cnhind.com
www.cnhindustrial.com
20190513_PR_CNH_Industrial_BTW_Goodwood
CNH INDUSTRIAL N.V.
Sequa Petroleum N.V. Annual Report 2018 and Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
The Sequa Petroleum N.V. (the Company) Annual Report 2018 is now available to download.
The Company has also published the agenda of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) to be held on 18 June 2019, at 11:00 a.m. hours CET.
On May 10th the Company’s Directors signed a new shareholder agreement with the Company’s main shareholder Sapinda, relevant details of which are reflected in the AGM documents.
A copy of the Annual Report and AGM documents is available on the Company’s website at www.sequa-petroleum.com
CIFTIS 2019 to Shape the New Pattern of China’s Comprehensive Opening-up
May 13, 2019 Business & Finance
BEIJING, May 13, 2019 – (Antara/ACN Newswire) – This year’s “Two Sessions” (National People’s Congress, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) sent a positive message to the world that China will deepen reform and expand opening-up. The China International Fair for Trade In Services (CIFTIS), co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Beijing Municipality, has been running successfully for five years while becoming the leading exhibition for service industries in China and the world’s largest for Trade In Services. CIFTIS 2019 will be held in Beijing from May 28 to June 1 under the theme of “Opening-up, Innovation, Intelligence and Integration”.
To promote China’s expanded opening-up and deepening reforms, celebrating the national character on the 70th anniversary of the nation’s founding, continuing Belt and Road achievements following the second forum, and driving high-quality development of China’s service industries and trade in services, CIFTIS 2019 follows the guidance of “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, and China’s new development concepts. CIFTIS will continue to implement China’s opening-up strategy and emphasize exchange and cooperation in international trade in services, actively pushing for the facilitation and liberalization of global trade in service policies, building the economic power of trade in services while promoting an open world economy.
This year’s CIFTIS has 5 major features:
i. Highlighting expansion of opening-up in service industries and trade in services, contributing to building a new pattern of comprehensive opening-up.
CIFTIS will implement China’s strategy of expanding opening-up, displaying the 68 achievements made during the first two batches of Beijing’s expansion of opening-up in service industry and China’s opening-up measures such as free trade pilot zone, promoting Beijing’s new round of pilot policies for expansion of opening-up in the service industries, standards of trade in service, rule-making and system construction, advancing further opening-up and cooperation in global trade in services and contributing to building a community sharing the future for mankind.
ii. Stressing internationalization and deepening international Belt and Road cooperation on trade in services.
CIFTIS will invite countries from along the ‘Belt and Road’, the 30 top countries and regions of trade in services, 14 countries that signed trade in services agreements with China, and international trade associations and well-known enterprises across service industries and trade in services to participate in the fair.
iii. Emphasizing innovation-driven, intelligent development, integration and improvement; leading the innovation and development of service industries and trade in services.
CIFTIS actively implements innovation-driven development strategies, exhibiting new models, businesses, services, and technologies such as artificial intelligence and 5G as applied in service field; promotes innovation achievements in manufacturing, healthcare, and personal services, the digitization and intelligence of service industry and trade in services; facilitates integrated development between service industries including the modern service industry and advanced manufacturing, culture and tourism, and between trade in services and service consumers.
iv. Emphasizing trade negotiations, enabling participating enterprises to achieve practical cooperation.
CIFTIS recognizes serving customers as a fundamental goal, and facilitating trade negotiations as core, gathering demands for project trade and carrying out trade matching in advance, pushing negotiation, with more than 100 negotiating rounds scheduled, as trade support, and encouraging cooperation.
v. Creating a new exhibition layout, magnifying CIFTIS’ role as a platform.
This year’s CIFTIS uses one main venue supported by multiple others for the first time, the main venue China National Convention Center with the neighboring Beijing International Convention Center and Olympic Celebration Square. Other venues include Wangfujing Business Street, Financial Street, the Central Business District, Huilonguan and Tiantongyuan areas, and others.
As the world economy is in slow recovery and China’s economy enters a stage of high-quality development following its rapid growth, the development of trade in services faces a range of new challenges. As a state-level, international and comprehensive trading platform for trade in services, CIFTIS is important to serving national politics and economics, diplomacy and foreign trade, reform and expansion of opening up, and development, while achieving high-quality development of China’s service industries and trade in services.
CIFTIS is the first comprehensive platform specializing in world-wide Trade In Service. The World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are permanent supporters. CIFTIS is the only platform in the world covering the 12 sectors of trade in services as defined by the WTO: business services, communication services, construction & engineering services, distribution services, educational services, environmental services, financial services, health & social services, tourism & travel-related services, recreational, cultural & sports services, transport services and other services.
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International | Housing
Demonstration aims to highlight housing shortage in Galway 22:43 Apr 08 0 comments
Census reveals 1 in 8 houses empty while thousands homeless 23:43 Jul 28 0 comments
Video from the Villa Park eviction in Dublin 02:09 Jan 24 0 comments
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Call to all squatters, antifascists and everyone else to support the struggle in Calais 09:19 May 23 0 comments
Yet Another Government Betrayal
international | housing | press release Thursday June 28, 2012 17:35 by Anti Eviction Task Force - Anti Eviction Task Force
Labour and Fine Gael are content to put their feet on the heads of home owners who re struggling to keep their heads above water
Labour agree with Fine Gael that it is better to pay the mega wealthy than to keep the promises made to the slave class... oooops working class
The Anti Eviction Taskforce strongly condemns Minister Bruton's actions in signing an order restricting access to the mortgage interest supplement, which has helped thousands of low income families meet their monthly repayments. This action by the government is untenable and is a further blow to the people most affected by the misdeeds of the government and banks.
Since coming to power on a tidal wave of lies and broken promises starting with the infamous mantra of 'not one more red cent', we have seen nothing but broken promises, including the present government's promise of 'being committed to helping homeowners in distress to weather the recession, and to ensuring that Ireland has a sustainable housing policy'.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind the government and the people of Ireland of what they said in their programme for government:
Introducing a two-year moratorium on repossessions of modest family homes where a family makes an honest effort to pay their mortgage.
Fast-tracking personal bankruptcy reform needed to bring us into line with best international standards, such as introducing a flexible discharge period for 'honest bankrupts', defined as one that has materially complied with the Tax, NAMA and Companies Acts among others.
Converting the Money Advice and Budgeting Service into a strengthened Personal Debt Management Agency with strong legal powers. The agency will support families who make an honest effort to deal with their debts, including non-mortgage debt, providing protection from their creditors where appropriate, so that they have time to sort out their affairs. In order to do so, the Personal Debt Management Agency will have quasi-judicial status.
Making greater use of Mortgage Interest Supplement to support families who cannot meet their mortgage payments, which is a better and cheaper option than paying rent supplement after a family loses their home.
It has become apparent without any shadow of a doubt that the only people that Fine Gael and Labour represent are those in positions of power: the very wealthy, the bankers and bondholders. This month €3.6 billion has been paid to unsecured, and even unguaranteed bondholders, yet the reasoning for this decision to stop paying the MIS from Enda Kenny according to the Independent is "It is the banks who get this money. This year it will cost about 50 million euro."
The great hope that Fine Gael and Labour would work together to get the country up and running has dwindled from a flame to a flicker to a dying ember. In fact, we have witnessed the ultimate betrayal: a Labour politician sign away the only hope that some people have of keeping a roof over their families' heads - not just a roof but a home. The most recent and most telling episode in this saga of betrayal is being released this week with the two-pronged attack on ordinary families that are striving to keep their heads above water. The Personal Insolvency Bill gives not one shred of assistance to homeowners yet gives the banks a veto on any possible resolution, coupled with the removal of the Mortgage Interest Supplement it is win/win for the banks and government and lose/lose for the people of Ireland.
Under new rules, hard-pressed mortgage holders will first have to approach their bank or building society and negotiate a restructuring of their mortgage. The restructuring plan will have to be in place for 12 months before they can even apply to the Department of Social Welfare for the mortgage interest supplement. However, there is NOTHING in place that actually obliges the banks to do this.
To date, we are all still living with the moral hazard of the financial sector, paying for their mistakes and having homes repossessed by the very same institutions we are bailing out. Restricted access to the Mortgage Interest Supplement will mean that more families will lose their homes.
There has been no real strategy or assistance given to the people of Ireland. During recapitalization the banks were given €7.5 billion specifically for residential mortgages, yet only a tiny fraction of this can be accounted for. Despite the fact that the main lenders have received significant subvention from the State, precisely to help them deal with mortgage losses. AIB, for example, was recapitalised to the tune of €7.5 billion to cover losses on residential mortgages. As of last September, the bank had written down just €600,000 in residential mortgage debt for borrowers. (Bank of Ireland received €1.8 billion, and had at that point written down nothing.) There is nothing to oblige banks to help people, yet we have been forced to pay for the mistakes of the financial sector.
Is the Irish government willing to stand over and be the cause of yet more families becoming homeless?
by Des - None Fri Jun 29, 2012 16:27
The short answer to your question is yes, a lot (perhaps a majority) have taken on the values of the system. They don't give a stuff about anyone but themselves. What the 50% who abstained in the austerity poll think about is a mystery, perhaps they don't even try.
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Data Security › Multinationals
Binding Corporate Rules, A Variable-Geometry Solution For Multinational Companies
by Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP on 6/27/2019
1. Binding Corporate Rules To Facilitate Intragroup Data Transfer - Personal data is meant to circulate without boundaries inside the European Union (EU). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) subjects personal...more
Les règles contraignantes d'entreprises ("BCR"), une solution pour les multinationales qui peut être à géométrie variable
I. Les BCR pour faciliter les transferts intra-groupes - Les données personnelles ont vocation à circuler sans s’arrêter aux frontières de l’Union européenne (« UE »). Aussi, le règlement général sur la protection des...more
GDPR Collective Civil Claims Present Potential for Reputational Risk and ‘Ruinous’ Damages
by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP on 2/8/2019
While much attention has been paid to the maximum level of administrative fines under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — up to 4 percent of total worldwide annual turnover — the regulation also provides for...more
Employee Training is Key to GDPR Compliance
by Fisher Phillips on 2/2/2018
The EU’s General Data Protective Regulation (“GDPR”) goes into effect on May 25, 2018. It is a mammoth regulation and perhaps the most significant European data protection legislation in more than 20 years. In fact, the...more
China’s New Cybersecurity Law Is a Start
by Dorsey & Whitney LLP on 7/27/2017
On June 1, China’s new Cybersecurity law took effect. The new law applies not only to domestic Chinese companies but has wide-ranging implications for U.S. and other foreign companies doing business in China....more
China's New Cybersecurity Law and Draft Data Localization Measures Expected to Burden Multinational Companies
by Jones Day on 5/10/2017
China's new Cybersecurity Law ("new Law") is set to come into effect on June 1, 2017, and introduces sweeping provisions that may have a significant impact on companies doing business in and with China. To provide guidance on...more
Focus on China - October 2015
by McDermott Will & Emery on 10/29/2015
Welcome to the third issue of Focus on China Compliance for 2015. According to the FCPA Blog’s October 2015 Corporate Investigations List, China leads the countries reported to be involved in FCPA investigations with 29...more
No Safe Harbour? Immediate Implications for Employers
by Seyfarth Shaw LLP on 10/19/2015
A landmark decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has held that companies may no longer rely on “Safe Harbour” to justify transferring personal data from the European Union to the US, because the US Government has a...more
What Does the European Court of Justice's Invalidation of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework Mean For U.S.-Based Multinational...
by Littler on 10/7/2015
In a landmark decision that will dramatically affect thousands of U.S. companies that transfer personal data from the European Union ("EU") to the United States, the European Union Court of Justice ("ECJ") yesterday...more
Pardon the “Intrusion” – Cybersecurity Worries Scuttle Wassenaar Changes
by Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on 9/8/2015
Companies concerned about their cybersecurity posture can breathe a small sigh of relief, as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) recently announced it was scrapping plans to implement new...more
A Primer on Russia’s New Data Localization Law
by Proskauer - Privacy & Data Security on 8/28/2015
Privacy and data security professionals worldwide should circle September 1 on their calendars, as it’s the day Russia’s new data localization law goes into effect – and possibly generates major waves far beyond Russian...more
Discovery in International Litigation: Data Privacy and Best Practices for Global Organizations
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Personal DataData PrivacyEUInternational Data TransfersCybersecurityData ProtectionEU Data Protection LawsGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)PopularBinding Corporate RulesChinaSurveillanceCorporate CounselCritical Infrastructure SectorsCross-Border
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Iraqi kidnappers release Emirati diplomat
Iraqi kidnappers have released an Emirati diplomat kidnapped this week in Baghdad, his brother told The Associated Press Friday. Naji Rashid al-Nuaimi, 28, the first secretary at the United Arab Emirates Embassy was seized Tuesday night in Baghdad by gunmen who shot his Sudanese driver. His brother, Mohammed al-Nuaimi, said the family had been told by the government that he was free, but they did not know how his release had come about. "The officials just told us that he was released and he was on his way to the embassy," al-Nuaimi said in a phone call from his home in Dibba, a town in the southern Emirates.
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Syria disrupting Shalit negotiations
Hamas refuses to approve Egyptian deal because "Syrians are inciting" leaders.
2 minute read.
Gilad Shalit 298 ch 10. (photo credit: Channel 10)
Negotiations over the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit have stalled because of the intervention of Syria, which is exerting pressure on the Hamas leadership not to accept proposals made by the Egyptian mediators for a prisoner swap with Israel, Palestinian Authority officials here told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. "Syria is playing a very negative role," said one official. "[Hamas leader] Khaled Mashaal, who is based in Damascus, is refusing to approve an Egyptian-brokered deal because the Syrians are inciting him." Another senior PA official told the Post that the Syrians were clearly unhappy with the involvement of the Egyptian government in the negotiations. "The Syrians believe that Egypt is representing the interests of Israel and the US in the region and that's why they are very suspicious of the Egyptian role," he explained. "Had it not been for the intervention of the Syrians, the Israeli soldier would have been released a long time ago." Despite the pessimistic note, the official said that the working assumption in PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's office is that Shalit would be released sometime in mid-September in exchange for some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. He said that at the request of Abbas, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states were pressurizing the Syrian authorities to stop meddling in the case. "We are hoping that the case of the soldier will be closed before the start of the holy month of Ramadan [in the last week of September]," he said. Recent reports in a number of Arab newspapers in London, Cairo, Beirut and the Gulf claimed that a prisoner exchange deal had already been reached and that Shalit's release was imminent. Abbas on Tuesday downplayed the reports, saying the negotiations had yet to produce fruitful results. Mashaal, in an interview published on Thursday in Lebanon's daily Al-Akhbar, said that no serious negotiations have been held on a prisoner swap. He reiterated Hamas's earlier position that Shalit would only be released as part of a prisoner exchange deal. "There is no other way except negotiations, which have not started yet because Israel refuses to admit that its attempts to free the soldier without a price have failed," he said. "We receive many international delegations that come to discuss the issue but none of them has a full and serious mandate." Abu Mujahed, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, one of the groups believe to be behind the abduction of Shalit last June, said on Thursday that the captors were the only ones authorized to set conditions of the release of the soldier. "We alone will decide the criterion for any deal and the names of the Palestinian prisoners who will be included in it," he said. Abu Mujahed dismissed as untrue details of purported deals that had been reached with Israel. "We don't know about these deals that appeared in the media," he said. He added that the kidnappers were demanding that Israel first release all female and minor prisoners in return for information about Shalit's condition. Then, he added, Israel would be required to release 1,000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners, including leaders of various groups and elderly and sick inmates. At a later stage, Israel would have to lift the closure imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip and halt all its military activities in these areas.
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On Retirement
Social Security: Later is better
New Fidelity survey shows more Americans plan to wait to claim benefits
Apr 26, 2017 @ 11:07 am
By Mary Beth Franklin
Americans are finally getting the message: Waiting to claim Social Security until full retirement age or later results in bigger monthly benefits for life and can also boost survivor benefits for a remaining spouse.
Today's pre-retirees (ages 55 to 61) are far less inclined to begin taking Social Security benefits as soon as possible, according to the latest Fidelity Investments "Social Security IQ Survey." This year, only 28% of those aged 61 said they are planning to claim benefits at 62, a marked contrast from the last time the survey was conducted nine years ago. In 2008, 45% of those surveyed said they planned to start collecting benefits immediately.
While the decrease in 61-year-olds planning to claim Social Security early is the most dramatic shift from the 2008 survey, many pre-retirees say they intend to wait longer before collecting. In 2008, 27% of 55- to 61-year-olds indicated they would collect Social Security as soon as they became eligible. This time, only 21% felt the same. The average age most people say they plan to collect is 67, with 7% opting to wait until 70, according to the latest survey.
There are a few possible reasons for the shift. An improving economic environment is one of the biggest factors. During the Great Recession nine years ago, more than half of 61-year-old respondents described themselves as unemployed, which may have prompted some of them to claim Social Security benefits early. In contrast, the number of 61-year-olds describing themselves as unemployed now has dropped to 41%.
In addition, twice as many pre-retirees today say that delaying benefits offers a better return than simply claiming Social Security as soon as possible and investing the benefits. Workers who postpone collecting benefits beyond their full retirement age receive an extra 8% per year in delayed retirement credits up to age 70 — an attractive return in today's low-interest rate environment. For married couples, a larger retirement benefit translates into a larger survivor benefit for the remaining spouse.
Another factor in the current desire to delay claiming benefits may be the increase in the full retirement age. Nine years ago, all the pre-retirees surveyed were born between 1947 and 1953, meaning their full retirement age was 66. Claiming benefits as early as possible at 62 would result in a 25% cut in benefits for the rest of their lives.
But for today's pre-retirees, the reduction for collecting benefits early is greater. The full retirement age for those born from 1956 through 1962 ranges from 66 and 4 four months to 67. For someone born in 1960 or later, collecting benefits at 62 would result in a 30% reduction in monthly benefits.
"We are encouraged that more people seem to be making this decision more thoughtfully than in years past — not simply out of economic necessity," said Ken Hevert, senior vice president of retirement at Fidelity Investments.
"Social Security-related decisions can be complex with a number of trade-offs associated with the various payment strategies," Mr. Hevert added. "This decision can be challenging and may be dependent upon several factors, including one's financial situation, health and lifestyle considerations and the needs of your immediate family."
To help people better understand their Social Security claiming options and how they can impact retirement income, Fidelity has introduced a new Social Security benefits calculator. After answering just five questions about your age, gender, marital status, recent earnings and family health history, the calculator estimates your monthly and lifetime benefits based on your claiming age. The calculator is very basic and doesn't delve into claiming strategies to maximize lifetime benefits, but the Fidelity website offers helpful articles and webinars about Social Security rules and retirement income.
For more than 20 years, many Americans have relied on the annual estimated benefits statements they receive in the mail from the Social Security Administration to remind them how much they could expect to receive in monthly benefits when they retire. But due to budget restraints, the agency has decided to stop mailing statements except to those individuals who are 60 or older, who are not yet collecting benefits and who have not set up a personal Social Security account on line at Ssa.gov/myaccount.
The demise of the paper statements may represent a lost opportunity to improve future retirement security. New research from Barbara Smith, senior economist at the Social Security Administration's Office of Retirement Policy, and Kenneth Couch, professor at the University of Connecticut, shows the paper statement had a significant effect on claiming behavior.
"We find that receipt of the statement resulted in statistically significant decreases in benefit claiming at earlier ages and corresponding increases in claiming at later ages," according to an abstract of the pair's latest research. They suggest the paper statement "might be an effective tool for policymakers interested in encouraging retirement security by having workers delay claiming Social Security benefits and work longer."
Is the online estimated benefit statement as effective as a public policy motivator? So far, more than 27 million people have created personal Social Security accounts online. While an impressive increase since the online accounts were launched in 2012, it still represents a mere fraction of the more than 170 million American workers who pay Social Security taxes and who will one day rely on those benefits.
(Questions about new Social Security rules? Find the answers in my new ebook.)
Mary Beth Franklin is a contributing editor to InvestmentNews and a certified financial planner.
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Omid, a memorial in defense of human rights in Iran
One Person’s Story
Ali Karam Khosravi
Nationality: Iran
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Civil Status: Unknown
Date of Execution: April, 1997
Location: Chaharmahal Va-Bakhtiari Province, Iran
Mode of Execution: Hanging
Charges: Murder
Memorial Home
Human rights violations in this case
The Legal Context
Islamic Revolutionary Courts, 11 February 1979-1994
In the immediate aftermath of the 11 February 1979 Revolution, an ad hoc tribunal, initially referred to as the Extraordinary Revolutionary Tribunal, was set up to try the officials of the previous regime, for which no specific procedures were devised. In a decree dated 24 February 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini, the revolutionary religious leader, appointed a cleric as Shari’a Judge and instructed him “to issue Shari’a-based rulings,” thereby establishing the foundation of a system of special courts.
Initially, the revolutionary courts’ jurisdiction was determined by the religious judge’s interpretation of the Shari’a (Islamic law based on the teachings of the Qur’an, the traditions of the Prophet, the 12 imams, and the teachings of Shi’a scholars. On 17 June 1979, the Revolutionary Courts and the Prosecutor’s Office Rules of Procedure, which was only selectively observed, established the latter’s jurisdiction and make-up.
The Courts’ jurisdiction encompassed a wide array of offenses including moharebeh (“waging war with God”), efsad e fel arz (“spreading corruption on Earth”), crimes against national and international security, economic crimes, murder, profiteering, prostitution, rape, and narcotic drugs-related crimes. The law required that two of the three principal members of the Revolutionary Courts be Shari’a judges.
Islamic Revolutionary Courts, 1994-2002
With the adoption of the Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 14 June 1994, and the Code of Criminal Procedure for General and Revolutionary Courts of 19 September 1999, a uniform code of procedure was applied to both revolutionary and general courts. The jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Courts was limited to 6 categories of offenses:
1. Crimes against national and international security,“moharebeh” (enmity with god) and “efsad e fel arz” (corruption on earth;)
2. defaming Ayatollah Khomeini and the Supreme Leader;
3. plotting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, armed action, terrorism, and sabotage;
4. espionage;
5. smuggling and drug-related crimes; 6. claims under Principle 49 (economic crimes) of the Constitution.
6. Furthermore, pursuant to the Law on the Manner of Punishing Individuals Engaged in Unauthorized Audio and Visual Activities, Article 11, the revolutionary courts have jurisdiction over crimes that fall within the purview of said Law, including production and distribution of obscene materials and misuse and abuse thereof.
These courts continued, however, to try cases falling outside their jurisdiction, such as theft and sexual offenses. Further, the vagueness of laws regarding national security allowed the revolutionary courts to try political and media crimes whenever they wished to do so.
The new law eliminated the Prosecutor’s Office and gave the judges inthe Revolutionary Courts the power to perform the duties of the prosecutor, as well as their own, in any case brought before them.
Islamic Revolutionary Courts, 2002-Present
The Amended Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 2002 reinstated the Prosecutor’s Office in both revolutionary and general courts. In cases involving political and media crimes, revolutionary courts’ jurisdiction overlaps with that of Province Criminal Courts.
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014, and its coming into force in June 2015, the jurisdiction of the revolutionary courts remains unchanged, with slight modifications in procedural aspects of adjudication. For instance, the new law provides that for crimes subject to the death penalty, life imprisonment, amputation, third degree, or higher, the revolutionary court shall convene with three judges, whereas, prior to the passage of this law, adjudication of all crimes within the jurisdiction of revolutionary courts took place with only a single judge.
The Appellate System of Revolutionary Courts, 1979-Present
From their inception until 1994, the rulings of the Revolutionary Courts were not subject to appeal. In the early 1980s a court entitled the Supreme Court of Qom was established in the city of Qom and which reviewed cases of execution and confiscation of properties, thereby forming a first tier form of appeal. The exact date of the creation of the court is not clear, but, based on available information, the court became operational in the early 1980s, even though Ayatollah Khomeini's official order for its creation is dated 1985. The court’s procedure was not systematic and did not meet the international standards for a court of appeals; there was no official record of its jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of Qom was dissolved in 1989.
The Law of 14 June 1994 subjected the Courts’ decisions to appeal. An appellate court was established at each provincial capital, called the Province Court of Appeals, composed of a three-judge panel, to review decisions made by the Revolutionary Courts. The Supreme Court was designated as the appellate authority for particular decisions, including those involving capital punishment.
Narcotic drugs-related crimes constitute a significant exception to the appeals process. Governed by the Anti-Narcotic Drugs Law of 1988, as Amended on 8 November 1997 and 31 July 3 2010, these crimes are within the jurisdiction of, and are adjudicated on a regular basis by, Revolutionary Courts whose decisions are final. After being handed down by the judge, death sentences are sent to the Prosecutor General or the Head of the Supreme Court as a matter of administrative approval.
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014 (and its coming into force in June 2015), however, drug related crimes became subject to appeal as well.
General Courts, 1979-1982
In cases not falling under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Courts, the system devised under the previous regime continued to function in parallel with new systems devised by laws passed by the Judicial Council, one of which, entitled The Legal Bill for the Establishment of General Courts of 11 September 1979, radically changed the entire structure and categorization of the courts. It divided the courts in three branches: Criminal, Civil, and Peace (a sort of arbitration court dealing with minor financial and other disputes). Specialized courts such as family courts were eliminated.
The Law of the Amendments to the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1982 established a new criminal courts system, Criminal Courts I and II. Criminal Court I, established only in provincial capitals, had jurisdiction over more serious offenses, including those punishable by death, and Criminal Court II heard less serious crimes.
The Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 14 June 1994 established umbrella courts called General Courts, which replaced and dissolved pre-existing civil and criminal courts. The law dissolved the Prosecutor’s offices and tasked a single person with the roles of judge, prosecutor, and investigator.
In 2002, the 1994 Law was amended, reviving the role of the Prosecutor’s Office in General Courts. The prosecution offices were re-established in a gradual process over several years. The amended law also re-established specialized branches within general courts dealing separately with criminal and civil matters. In addition, this law allocated a number of branches of the Province Court of Appeals to have original jurisdiction over a number of cases including the most serious offenses, as well as political and media crimes. In these cases, the branches are called the Province Criminal Court.
General Courts, 2015 to Today
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014 and its coming into force in June 2015, general courts underwent certain changes as well. Criminal courts were divided into Criminal Court One, Criminal Court Two, Military Court, Juvenile Court, and Revolutionary Court. Criminal Court One has jurisdiction over serious crimes such as those subject to the death penalty, life imprisonment, amputation, third degree, and higher, as well as political and media crimes. Criminal Court Two has jurisdiction over other crimes. Another change consists of the establishment of juvenile courts, which adjudicates crimes committed by individuals less than 18 years of age. In cases where the individuals less than 18 commit serious crimes such as those subject to the death penalty, however, Criminal Court One will have jurisdiction, observing rules of juvenile criminal procedure.
The Appellate System of General Courts, 1979-Present
The Legal Bill for the Establishment of General Courts of 11 September 1979, abolished appeal of most criminal courts’ decisions. The law of 1982 restricted the appeal possibility even further. According to the Islamic Republic authorities’ interpretation of Islamic Law, a qualified jurist’s decisions were not subject to appeal except under special circumstances, such as when the judge realized his own mistake, or another judge advised him so, or when he did not have jurisdiction over the case. Even in such situations, the case would not go to a higher court but would be subject to review by the same judge or another judge at his level. The judges were even urged to call their verdicts “opinions,” so that the possible change in the verdict would not be “haram” (“sinful,” the highest level of prohibition in Islam, disobedience of which would result in a sin).
In October 1988, the Majles (Iranian parliament) passed a law regarding review of court judgments. This law provided for an appeal if the conviction was claimed to be based on invalid documentation or false testimony. The defendant could also base an appeal on a point of law or a procedural violation.
The appellate system was expanded in other laws in the late 1980s and in 1993. The Law for the Establishment of Criminal Courts I and II of 11 July 1989 created the Branches of the Supreme Court. Crimes of less importance, tried in Criminal Court II, were subject to review by Criminal Court I.
For the most important crimes involving death punishment, which were under the jurisdiction of Criminal Court I, the law allowed limited appeal to the Branches of the Supreme Court. Defendants had the right to petition the Supreme Court for appeal in certain cases involving false testimony or procedural violations, and if granted, the case would be remanded to either another criminal court or the original one.
Finally, the Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 1994, as amended in 2002, established an appellate court at each provincial capital, called Province Court of Appeals, composed of a three-judge panel, to review decisions made by both general and revolutionary courts. The Supreme Court was designated as the appellate authority for particular decisions, including those carrying the death penalty, as well as decisions made by the Province Criminal Court.
The amended law of 2002, continued the appellate procedure to the Branches of the Supreme Court established by the afore-mentioned law of 11 July 1989
The Supreme Court continues to be the competent authority to rule on new trials, which have been provided for in limited circumstances.
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014 and its coming into force in June 2015, the Court of Appeals shall be the competent authority to hear appeals from Criminal Court Two decisions, and the Supreme Court shall hear appeals from Criminal Court One decisions.
Special Courts for the Clergy
These courts are rooted in a 1979 decree, issued by Ayatollah Khomeini, which established a committee of religious and noble figures in every region to purge the clergy of anti-revolutionary elements under the supervision of the Revolutionary Courts. Between late 1981 and 1984, a special court in the city of Qom handled, though not systematically, the trial of clerics.
On 29 July 1987, Ayatollah Khomeini officially appointed a prosecutor and a member of the clergy as Shari’a judge for Special Courts for the Clergy. On 6 August 1990, a directive was issued regulating the conduct of these courts, the jurisdictional ambiguity of which is such that it effectively extends to “anyone where one of the parties is a cleric” and to “all matters in which the Court is designated as competent by the Supreme Leader.”
The court, which was not mentioned in the Islamic Republic's constitution, was mandated to try “pseudo clerics, those related to/connected with the clergy, for public and/or anti-revolutionary crimes, and violations of the prestige of the clergy,” and where the principal suspect is a member of the clergy, “any co-conspirator or assistant, whether a cleric or not.”
These courts are generally not open to the public and can issue sentences for all acts and omissions punishable under codified Iranian laws or Shari’a or for any other acts or omissions which can bring dishonor to the clergy or to the Islamic Revolution. Further, in certain particular cases – which have not been defined – where no punishment has been devised by either the Penal Code or even the Shari’a, the Court “can rule as it deems fit.”
The Appellate System of the Special Court for the Clergy, 1979-Present
There is no information on any appeal process for the Special Court for the Clergy prior to the 1990 directive. Article 49 of said directive set up, however, an appeals court called Special Appellate Court for the Clergy, the head of which is appointed by the Supreme Leader, to which the decisions of the lower court can be appealed.
Military Courts
The military court system, independent from the judiciary under the previous regime, became a part of it on 1 December 1981. The Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces, established in 1986, replaced and merged other military courts and tribunals in existence at the time, namely the pre-revolution Judiciary Organization of the Army, the Revolutionary Tribunal of the Army (established on 8 December 1979), and the Revolutionary and General Court for the Revolutionary Guards (established on 15 July 1979.) The Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces has its own Criminal Code and follows the country’s general rules of criminal procedure.
The Law of the Criminal Procedure of the Armed Forces of 15 May 1985 created Military Courts I and II. Military Court I has jurisdiction over more serious offenses, including those punishable by death, and Military Court II hears less serious crimes.
The Appellate System of Military Courts, 1979-Present
The law of 8 December 1979, establishing the Revolutionary Military Court, did not provide for any appeals. The Law of 15 May 1985 created a system of appeals through the creation of a two-tier system of courts. The decisions of Military Court II were subject to review by Military Court I. This law also provided that multiple Branches of the Supreme Court be designated as the appellate court to review decisions of Military Court I.
The judges
1979-1997: Prosecutors and judges are not necessarily law graduates and jurists. Shortly after the Islamic Revolution, a five-member Committee was established to purge the judicial system of undesirable elements, pursuant to the Legal Bill for the Modification of the Judiciary and the Law for Hiring Judges of 8 March 1979. The power of the committee was absolute and its decisions, resulting in a widespread purge of the judiciary, final.
The Law for the Conditions of Selection of Judges of 4 May 1981 established the conditions of eligibility for judges. The latter were to be hired among men who were legitimate children and had practical commitment to Islam and allegiance to the Islamic Republic. The law, which led to the hiring of clerics and Islamic legal scholars, also allowed hiring practically anyone as a judge who could “obtain the Judicial High Council’s permission.” Moreover, Note 2 of the Amendments of 4 October 1982 to this law allowed widespread employment of seminary students “who ha[d] general knowledge equivalent to a high school diploma” as judges at prosecutor’s offices in general as well as Revolutionary Courts.
By 1989, the judiciary counted about 2,000 new judges trained in theological seminaries (graduates and students) and political appointees, many having replaced judges trained in law schools.
1997-Present: As of this writing (2013) the Law for Hiring Judges and its amendments of 4 October 1982, 7 February 1987, and 9 May 1988 are in full force and form the basis for hiring judges. The Executive Rules of Procedure of 22 December 1997 subjected such hiring to passing an entrance examination and successful completion of an apprenticeship program, the duration of which ranges between one and two years. The law does not limit hiring to men only but does not specify in what capacity women will be functioning, other than an advisory one.
Currently, judges are selected in accordance with the Guidelines on the Recruitment, Selection, and Internship for Judicial Candidates and the Hiring of Judges.
Dismissal of Judges: From 1979 to 1989, the judiciary was run by the Supreme Judicial Council which was composed of the head of the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General (both of whom were appointed by the Supreme Leader), and three judges elected by the entire body of judges in the country. The Council had the power to hire and dismiss judges in accordance with the law.
The constitutional reforms of 1989 substituted the Supreme Judicial Council with one person, the Head of the Judiciary. The Supreme Leader, whose mandate is not subject to popular vote, appoints the Head of the Judiciary for a 5-year term. The latter has significant power to influence the dismissal of judges. Dismissal cases are referred to three types of disciplinary courts, presided over by judges appointed by the Head of the Judiciary, who has veto power over any decisions made by the relevant courts.
Two of these courts, established in 1991 and 2011, are charged with examining the judges’ conduct from a religious and ideological standpoint. The process does not necessarily involve the defendant and the final decision, left to the Head of the Judiciary, is not subject to appeal.
Based on the available information, the following human rights have been violated in this case:
The right to liberty and security of the person. The right not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 9.1.
The right to due process
The right to be presumed innocent until found guilty by a competent and impartial tribunal in accordance with law.
ICCPR, Article 14.1 and Article 14.2.
Pre-trial detention rights
The right to know promptly and in detail the nature and cause of the charges against one.
UDHR, Article 9(2); ICCPR, Article 9.2 and Article 14.3.a
The right to counsel of one’s own choosing or the right to legal aid. The right to communicate with one’s attorney in confidence
ICCPR, Article 14.3.b and Article 14.3.d; Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, Article 1, Article 2, Article 5, Article 6, Article 8.
The right to adequate time and facilities for the preparation of the defence case.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.b.
The right not to be compelled to testify against oneself or to confess to guilt.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.g.
The right not to be subjected to torture and to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
ICCPR, Article 7; Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment, Article 1 and Article 2.
Trial rights
The right to a fair and public trial without undue delay.
ICCPR, Article 14.1, Article 14.3.c.
The right to defence through an attorney or legal aid. The right to examine, or have examined, the witnesses against one and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on one’s behalf under the same conditions as prosecution witnesses.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.d and Article 14.3.e.
The right to have the decision rendered in public.
ICCPR, Article 14.1.
Judgment rights
The right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence.
ICCPR, Article 6.4.
The inherent right to life, of which no one shall be arbitrarily deprived.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 6.1; Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, Article 1.1, Article 1.2.
The right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.
About this Case
Correct/ Complete This Entry
The execution of Mr. Ali Karam Khosravi was announced in the Kayhan newspaper on April 21, 1997
Arrest and Detention
The circumstances of this defendant’s arrest and detention are not known.
No information is available on the defendant’s trial other than it took place in Branch 2 of the Farsan court (Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province).
According to the Kayhan newspaper, “in February of 1997, the defendant kidnapped and murdered an eight year old boy named Morteza Jamshidi on his way to school.”
The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial. International human rights organizations have drawn attention to reports indicating that Islamic Republic authorities have brought trumped-up charges against their political opponents and executed them for alleged drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. Each year Iranian authorities sentence to death hundreds of alleged common criminals, following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.
Evidence of Guilt
The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against the defendant.
No information is available on Mr. Khosravi’s defence.
The court condemned Mr. Ali Karam Khosravi to death and, after the ruling was confirmed by the Supreme Court, he was hanged in public.
Correct/ Complete This Entry ❯
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Tules: Weaving Baskets, Boats, Decoys, and Houses
Tules: Weaving Baskets, Boats, Decoys, and Houses | KCET
tending the wild
Paige Bardolph
Paige Bardolph is the Director of the Global Museum at San Francisco State University, where she also teaches graduate courses in Museum Studies. She was formally an Associate Curator at the Autry Museum of the American West and lead curator of the California Continued exhibit. She has served as consulting producer and co-producer for multiple KCET projects, including "Tending Nature," "Tending the Wild," and "The Art of Basketry" episode on "Artbound."
Tule bundles | Photo courtesy Tima Link
Tima Link, when she describes herself, says: “I’m not just a basket weaver, I’m a weaver.” In addition to baskets, she weaves cordage, nets, baby cradles, headdresses, bow strings, houses, and boats. Her words stuck with me when thinking about California Indian material culture, and how important one singular plant can be. This thought prompted a discussion between Tima and myself about an essential plant in Native California: tule.
Tule (pronounced too-lee) is one of those fascinating plants that has been a part of California Indian culture for millennia. It is one of the most versatile plants in California, and multiple species grow in different environmental regions. Two major species in California are the common tule (Schoenoplectus acutus) and California bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus). In addition to Native North America, tule and its relatives are used around the world.
See how basketweaving becomes an essential part of Native American life and creativity on "Artbound" S9 E8: The Art of Basketweaving. Watch now.
Tule is related to papyrus, one of the most famous plants worldwide due to its use by the ancient Egyptians. Early surveyors to California lauded the potential of tule for paper products, due to its similarity to papyrus. The industry never took off, to the benefit of the plant, but those early accounts reveal the richness of the resource two centuries ago. Tule also thrives in South America. Indigenous communities in Peru, for example, have constructed boats out of tule for thousands of years. Today, artisans on Isla Del Sol in Lake Titicaca, among other places, still continue this practice.
Prior to contact, Native peoples across the land we now call California used tule to make houses, clothing, mats, baskets, and tools. Tule can be used to make a variety of baskets, from incredibly finely woven water bottles to rougher, open weave sifting baskets. Women from the various Chumash communities and other coastal peoples traditionally wore skirts made of tule. They would slice triangular bulrush into strips, forming them into skirts. Tima Link emphasizes the length of time it takes to process the materials and the amount of work it takes to produce one skirt.
Left: Cradle made of tules, photo courtesy Tima Link. Right: Paiute duck decoy made by Davin George; photo: Autry Museum of the American West
Some communities use tule for baby cradles, and others for more unusual objects like the duck decoys traditionally used in the Sierras. These tule decoys would lure fellow waterfowl to a particular area, making them more accessible to hunters.
Kumeyaay cultural educator Stan Rodriguez recounts that his people, whose ancestral territory includes what is now San Diego, used to hunt whales in tule boats. Tongva and Chumash peoples used asphaltum as a caulking material for tule boats. Tongva artist L. Frank recently built a tule boat for Northwest Journeys, an annual intertribal event in Washington state where Native communities come together to build and sail traditional vessels. Tima relays that L. said that one of the best caulking methods was to use asphaltum mixed with tule piths. It makes the adhesive more flexible, allowing the boat to move in the water without cracking.
Tule used to thrive all over California. Essentially, as long as there was a waterway, there was tule. Tule can grow in any type of freshwater—along rivers, lakes, and estuaries, both near the coast and inland. Prior to contact, huge tule fields spanned the state. There used to be a large tule field in the center of Santa Barbara, which the Schmuwich Chumash called Kaswa' (place of the tule). Early photographs from the turn of the twentieth century reveal tule fields in Pomo territory near Clear Lake; community members used those tules to build traditional dwellings. The Pomo tribes still hold an annual boat festival on Clear Lake every July; community members say the tule there is not doing very well.
Lake Pomo by Edward Curtis, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West
As a water-loving plant, tule has faced a multitude of threats due to drastic landscape changes over the past two centuries. For example, the former Tulare Lake in Central California, was named for the rows of tule plants that lined its shores. This lake used to be the largest freshwater body of water in California, home to tule elk (also named after the plant, one of the elk’s primary food sources), waterfowl, fish, and mussels. By the 1930s the lake had completely dried up, due to the conversion of land for agriculture and ranching in the Central Valley. The loss of Tulare Lake severely impacted the cultural traditions of the Yokuts peoples, who have lived in that area for thousands of years.
Tulare Lake is just one example. Across the state, most places where tule thrived have been developed. Areas where tules were once plentiful have now almost completely disappeared. The remaining areas of tule fields are often on land owned by state or federal parks, or by conservancies. In the few places where one can find tule, it is often difficult to access. Some of the few places that tule grows in anymore are undesirable, hard to reach spots, such as in steep ravines. Another huge environmental factor affecting tule is drought, which impacts tule even more significantly than other plants because it needs standing water to live in.
The launch of a traditional tule boat in the Santa Barbara harbor | Photo: courtesy Tima Link]
The health of the water also impacts tule. Although tule is mostly used as a building material, it is also a traditional food source. Native California peoples ate the white tuber portion of the root that goes down into the water. Today, the water that tule grows in is often stagnant and polluted. Tima laments the fact that she has never tasted tule because she doesn’t feel comfortable harvesting tule roots from the water they grow in. Of the state’s remaining tule fields, many are filled with garbage and sometimes inhabited by the homeless, who out of necessity pollute the water with excrement and waste.
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Today, the types of cultural items people can make out of tule are being restricted by scarcity. Tima recounts that a decade ago it was still possible to easily gather enough tule to build a traditional house or a traditional boat. The tule plants were tall enough, green enough, and abundant enough. Now, the remaining tule is often too short and dried out. It is still possible to make items like baskets and mats, but a lot more difficult to make boats or houses.
Tule is just one example of how cultural activities are starting to disappear because of environmental change. A century ago, cultural traditions were disappearing for a different set of reasons. Native people across California suffered devastating population losses due to the mission system, the Gold Rush, and the targeted extermination efforts of the 19th century. Many who survived this genocide were then part of the boarding school era, where children were forbidden to speak their languages and practice their cultural traditions. Tima reflects that one hundred years ago, cultural practices disappeared because there weren’t enough people. Today the people have rebounded, but natural resources are now under pressure.
In response to these environmental pressures, community members are joining forces to help repair the health of tule in California. For example, many of the Southern California tribes have a strong working relationship with the University of California, Irvine. Biologists at the university are currently restoring a huge tule field on the campus, and are working with tribes to monitor the health of the field. The biologists look at factors that might be impacting the fields, such as monitoring blackbird nesting patterns, and in turn the tribal members keep an eye on the health of the plants, inspecting them for rot issues and other problems. Tima herself has developed an assessment form to monitor the plants, and teaches tending practices, applying her traditional ecological knowledge. Other similar collaborative partnerships also exist between tribes and conservancies and federal parks.
Watch Tending the Wild: Weaving Community
Tima, along with other community members, hopes to raise awareness about the plight of this culturally significant, versatile plant. She has a very real fear that the traditions of making cultural items from tule will completely disappear. For her community, the loss of tule would be a huge blow to tradition. When wrapping up our conversation, she asked the question: “what if Christmas trees weren’t doing well and no one could ever have a Christmas tree again?”
To me, that’s definitely food for thought on how we view our plants, our natural environment, and our connection to them. I hope it doesn’t come to that.
Banner: Contemporary tule gathering, photograph courtesy of Tima Link
Co-produced by KCETLink and the Autry Museum of the American West, the Tending the Wild series is presented in association with the Autry's groundbreaking California Continued exhibition.
Weaving Through the Fences: A Talk With Tima Link
"Nothing we do is primitive. Everything comes from thousands of years of skill, knowledge, community and working together."
E1: Cultural Burning - How Native American Peoples Use Fire to Rejuvenate the Land
Suppressed for over a century, indigenous cultural burning is still practiced today and holds important lessons for managing the threat of destructive wildfires.
E2: Keeping the River - How the Klamath River's Native Peoples Maintain Their Relationship With Salmon
The Yurok, Karuk, and Hupa peoples have maintained a close relationship with the Klamath River. They have secured traditional fishing rights and mobilized against the threats of dams and agriculture, setting an example for Native environmental rights.
E3: Weaving Community - How Native Peoples are Rediscovering Their Basketry Traditions
Despite barriers to access, traditional gathering and basket weaving is still practiced across California as a new generation is rediscovering and preserving its cultural heritage.
E4: Decolonizing the Diet - How Native Peoples are Reclaiming Traditional Foods
The Chia Cafe Collective is working to revive Native food practices and raise awareness about the threats to native plants in Southern California.
E5: Gathering Medicine - How Native Medicinal Practices Are Thriving Today
Native herbalism has a long history and continues to be practiced today. This video explores a holistic approach to health and how the environment can inform healthy living.
tending the wild weaving
Basketweaving AB s9
The Art of Basket Weaving
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New York accident leaves two critically injured
On behalf of Howard R. Sanders, Esq. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, January 6, 2014.
Witnesses and the FDNY say that two people were critically injured in a car accident in the Murray Hill neighborhood in Queens on New Year's Eve. Authorities took two injured drivers to New York Hospital Queens following the car accident. Police provided little information, but witnesses were able to describe the scene.
A woman was driving on 172nd Street when a 2003 BMW sedan, which was headed east on 33rd Avenue, collided with her vehicle, causing it to flip just after 2:40 p.m. A witness to the accident said that the driver of the BMW hit his brakes hard, but he was unable to stop his vehicle until it collided with a parked car. The witness said that she was surprised when the man got out of his car and that he looked like he was in shock. He apparently told her that he hadn't seen the other car coming.
Police arrived at the scene quickly and had to smash out one of the car's back windows to pull the woman free. An ambulance arrived and paramedics preformed CPR on her as they put her into the ambulance and rushed her to the hospital, but she died after arrival. Authorities transported the man to the hospital as well.
It is unclear what caused the accident or if one of the drivers failed to yield the right of way. If it is determined that driver negligence led to the accident, either the injured driver or the family of the deceased woman may choose to file a claim for compensation. Even if it was the deceased woman's actions that led to the accident, the injured man could choose to file a claim against her estate.
Source: DNA Info New York, "Two People Critically Injured in Murray Hill Crash, FDNY Says", Aidan Gardiner, December 31, 2013
Tags: Car accident, compensation, police
Related Posts: How alcohol affects driving skills, New York's "Boulevard of Death" gets a facelift, Woman flees after causing car accident in New York, Driver charged in New York wrong-way car accident
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The beaches of Hong Kong have become a 'plastic tide' after being flooded with garbage
Molly Sequin
Asian cities have been known for their high levels of pollution, and the current trash problem on Hong Kong beaches is a stark reminder of the ongoing issue.
In the past two weeks, beaches in Hong Kong have been inundated with loads of garbage. This is a problem, not just for anyone wanting to spend time relaxing by the water, but also for the local wildlife.
Locals have called the situation a "tragedy" and referred to the beaches as "a solidified oil spill of trash."
There have been reports of bunches of dead fish, as well as a dead sea turtle covered in plastic. And it's likely that other species are being widely affected by this phenomenon, as well.
Hong Kong beaches have faced large amounts of trash in the past. This summer, however, the labels on the trash trace it back not only to local sources, but also to mainland China. Some officials think this points to illegal dumping that is going on in the ocean.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) partially blames the mid-June floods on that mainland that brought trash to sea and then back to Hong Kong through monsoon currents. They don't, however, have any official plans to remedy the problem at hand.
CNN reported that the EPD estimates that the amount of waste on the beaches in 6 to 10 times higher than what is normally found during the summer on Hong Kong's beaches.
Southeast Asia Director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Gary Stokes, also attributes part of the problem to different wind or tide patterns that are redirecting mainland trash that would otherwise flow out to sea. He also attributes some of the problem to Wai Ling Ding Island, a small island nearby that houses a huge trash dump.
Citizens have started taking photos of the huge trash piles on the beaches and posting them to social media. They hope to share them as a way of making the government notice the phenomenon, and make the municipalities in charge of the trash fix this mess.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported in 2015 that marine pollution in Hong Kong wasn't a serious problem to worry about, but the current state of its beaches only highlights that there's still a lot of work to be done.
SEE ALSO: The 15 best cities in the world, according to travelers
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Jannet Lai Yee Wing has a better understanding of herself thanks to the Hong Kong Award for Young People.
At the 90th Silver Award Presentation in Hong Kong, a record number of 796 Award holders received their Silver Awards, and Jannet Lai Yee Wing was one of them. Jannet is full of excitement when speaking about her Award experience – excitement that wasn’t to be found in Jannet two years ago.
Jannet was always good at physical and academic activities. She was a lead singer in the school choir, a competitive swimmer and athlete and her academic performance was outstanding. Holding a glowing report card, Jannet enrolled at an elite secondary school.
Struggling to fit in
At this new school where everyone was talented, Jannet felt she had lost her uniqueness. She auditioned for the choir but was not accepted and became a reserved, unconfident athlete. Despite her determination to succeed, it was a shock for Jannet not to be one of the highest achievers and she was afraid of letting others know of her struggles. Instead she would adopt a confident facade to hide her depression. Despite this, Jannet’s father knew that something was wrong.
Jannet’s father had joined The Hong Kong Award for Young People and was an Award holder himself. He understood how the Award could help young people to discover their skills and grow as individuals. He encouraged Jannet to embark on her Award two years ago.
Meeting other young people from different backgrounds, Jannet began to realise the various strengths in her peers: “I have great teammates. Some of them can cook well, some of them are good at map reading.” She no longer judges people according to their academic performance.
Jannet loves nature. She is interested in horticulture but had previously refused to join the Horticulture Club at school as the club was regarded as boring by the other students. Since embarking on her Award, Jannet said, “I will not insist on being number one in others’ eyes. For now, my number one goal is to work hard for my dream and enjoy my life.” Jannet is now the Chair of the Horticulture Club. To attract members, she strived to organise a range of interesting activities. Her efforts paid off as numbers increased and Jannet even received compliments from those who had questioned the club in the past.
Although Jannet is busy with her school work, she aims to complete her Gold Award and become an Adventurous Journey instructor. She hopes her own experience will inspire other young people. Jannet has developed and grown throughout her Award journey. Before beginning her Award, Jannet focused on how others viewed her. Now she has a better understanding of who she is as an individual and is determined to flourish in the areas of interest that she personally enjoys.
The Award in Hong Kong
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SAUDI ARABIA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Issue dated 29/06/2016
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The evolution of U.S. war propaganda
By ◊ -
By Caleb Maupin | NEO
In the 1984, millions of people in movie audiences in the US were subjected to a right-wing action movie entitled “Red Dawn”
The film depicted a Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan invasion of the United States. It starred Patrick Swayze as a leader of a band of high school aged guerrillas called “Wolverines” who fought against the invaders in the mountains of Colorado.
The film was a vulgar piece of Anti-Communist propaganda, and was widely criticized for its lack of plot structure, and its highly graphic depictions of violence. The film has been listed by many mass murders, such as Timothy Mcveigh and Dylan Klebold, as a favorite.
The film’s plot was beyond unrealistic. The idea of a Soviet, Cuban, and Nicaraguan invasion of the United States was absurd. However, the Hollywood film, still routinely shown on US cable television, fit right into the foreign policy rhetoric of then president Ronald Reagan. Much like many earlier Hollywood films from the 1950s, it screamed “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!”, hoping to build a justification for US militarism around the world. Such rhetoric had been used during the Vietnam and Korean wars as well.
At the time the film was made, Ronald Reagan was sending weapons and guns to a group of armed terrorists in Nicaragua. These thugs known as the “contras” bombed hospitals, schools, and churches. They engaged in barbaric crimes against humanity, with Washington D.C. paying the bill.
Reagan justified his arming of the terrorists by spinning nightmares similar to the plot of “Red Dawn.” The supporters of Reagan’s policy argued that if the revolutionary leftist Sandinistas in Nicaragua were able to establish a stable government, this would lead to the US being encircled by Communists, and eventually invaded.
Such a scenario was highly unlikely in reality, but as has often been said “anything is possible in Hollywood.” It should be noted that the film was remade in 2013 to depict, not a Soviet-Cuban-Nicaraguan invasion, but an invasion of the US from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Like the original, the remake portrays an equally unlikely scenario.
No More “Red Menace”
In current times, Marxism-Leninism is no longer the dominant ideology among groups striving for national liberation and economic independence. War propaganda, used to insight public support for military aggression from the United States, has been forced to adapt to the changing world.
The enemy is not “Communism” as it once was. The US gives weapons to Israel, allegedly to help it fight a Palestinian resistance movement guided by Islam. The US gives weapons and financial support to the Kiev Junta as it fights pro-Russian separatists in the Eastern and Southern regions. The US gives weapons to Islamic radicals in Syria, who are trying to overthrow the secular government. At the same time the US puts illegal unilateral sanctions on Iran, which has a deeply religious, Islamic leadership.
In current times, the victims of US aggression all vary in their ideological outlook, religion, history, and circumstances. As has always been the case, regimes are targeted not for ideological reasons, but because they stand for independence from economic domination by Wall Street and London.
There is no ideological clarity in the current US foreign policy.
Even during the Cold War, there were many inconsistencies in the “Anti-Communism.” A number of leaders targeted by the US during the Cold War, were not Communists. The democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala was not a Communist at all, but he was removed in violent US backed coup for getting the way of profits for the United Fruit Corporation. Mossadeq, the elected leader of Iran, was not also not a Communist by any means, but he got in the way of Wall Street and London’s control of the oil markets. He was also removed by a CIA coup, and replaced by the Shah, a brutal US backed dictator.
The “Anti-Communism” of the cold war was certainly dishonest, but it was also convincing. It was easy to demonize “wealth redistribution” to many people in the US during the economic prosperity of the 50s and 60s, and the global anti-imperialist movement was clearly dominated by Marxist-Leninists.
“Humanitarian Intervention”
There was always an element of “rescue mission” rhetoric involved in US militarist propaganda, but after the collapse of the USSR, it became a much more dominant feature. With the USSR gone, intervention could no longer be pitched as simply an effort to prevent Soviet Tanks from pouring down Main Street in Topeka, Kansas.
Suddenly, US leaders began spinning wars by claiming they were filled with compassion, and felt a moral obligation to rescue people. When George H.W. Bush attacked Iraq in the Gulf War, false stories about Iraqi troops “pulling babies from incubators” in Kuwait were projected all over the media. Bush compared Saddam Hussein to Hitler, and said the bombs would fall in order to rescue “innocent children.”
The horror stories that had justified the war to the US public were eventually proven to be largely fabricated. However, they had been very effective. They convinced millions of people throughout the country to join a patriotic war frenzy, wave flags, and scream “support our troops.” The anti-war protest movement was far smaller than had been expected, and the war was a huge public relations victory for the pentagon.
Clinton’s bombing of Serbia was done under similar pretenses. The media worked overtime, telling of alleged atrocities committed by the Serbian government. The bombs fell, and thousand died. Afterwards, many of the horror stories about “concentration camps” and “ethnic cleansing” were completely disproved.
George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 began with talk of “weapons of mass destruction”, but soon fell back on “giving the Iraqi’s a chance at freedom.” The message was “Saddam is a bad guy” and the US was doing an act of compassionate kindness by invading the country, destroying its infrastructure, and killing hundreds of thousands of its people.
Obama’s “Revolutionaries”
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 did not did not change much in the United States in terms of economics or politics. Power remained where it has always been, with the billionaires who own the major banks and corporations.
However, for millions of people in the US, it was a highly emotional moment. For an African-American named Barack Hussein Obama to be elected as US President, caused a great deal of excitement. It was the culmination of a long dramatic shift in US society regarding racial issues.
Many young people, especially young African-Americans and Latinos, enthusiastically campaigned for Obama and loudly cheered his victory. The financial collapse of 2008 ushered in a new wave of economic populism, with Michael Moore’s film “Capitalism: A Love Story”, and the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011.
In this atmosphere, millions of people in the United States were talking about radical sounding words like “class struggle”, “socialism”, and “revolution.” The strategy of war-makers was to turn these anti-establishment sentiments within the US, into imperialist bloodlust internationally.
Samantha Power, who has a record with the left, having appeared on “Democracy Now!” with Amy Goodman, and reviewed the writings of Noam Chomsky, found herself in the White House. She is considered to be a chief player in promoting the US/NATO intervention in Libya.
US rhetoric talked of the armed insurgents in Libya, funded by the US, as romantic revolutionaries. These “revolutionaries” lynched dark skinned African guest workers. They kidnapped, beheaded, and tortured innocent people. But this was largely ignored in US media. Gaddafi was demonized for being wealthy, and the “Obama generation” was told that their government was “supporting the revolution.”
At the same time that young people were Occupying Zuccotti Park in lower manhattan near Wall Street, the US was sending cruise missiles to Libya. Many liberals and democratic activists were convinced these event were “uprisings” of the same character. Despite the actual intentions of the Libyan and eventually Syrian insurgents, a slick public relations campaign made them appealing to liberals who hated “the one percent.”
As the war drags on, US efforts to continue such rhetoric against the Syrian Arab Republic are failing. Efforts to portray the insurgents in Syria as romantic revolutionaries are especially difficult now that ISIS has spread to Iraq.
Samantha Power has moved from the White House to the United Nations, representing the US as its ambassador. Power has worked with “Invisible Children Inc.”, and claims to be on a mission to oppose the recruitment child soldiers. Yet, at the UN, she is happy to champion the insurgent terrorists in Syria, who actively recruit children as young as eleven and twelve years old into their ranks.
When Obama threatened to send cruise missiles to Syria in 2013, within the United States he was met with almost nothing but opposition. Though the US media screamed about “chemical weapons”, the US public did not budge. Obama simply could not convince the people to support bombing Syria, no matter how much he tried to present it as a “rescue mission.”
The economic crisis in the United States is continuing to intensify, despite talk of a recovery. Campaigns demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage are gaining popularity, and labor unrest is on the near horizon.
Distrust of US elected officials is higher than ever, especially after so many were disappointed with Obama. The US public is completely un-supportive of military intervention around the world, whether in Ukraine, Syria, or anywhere else. Polls continue to show this.
Around the world, the result of US intervention, whether done with the cover of “stopping the spread of Communism”, to “rescue innocent people”, or to support “revolutionaries”, has always been the same. The people of Libya are no better off since their country was destroyed by US/NATO bombs, and various violent factions battle for power. The Syrian people are no better off as their country is engulfed in an ugly civil war, and US funded terrorists continue killing. Iraqis are no better off after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Afghanistan is also in ruin.
Every US military intervention has obviously resulted in greater misery for the people. Wall street has gotten richer, but the US public has just become deeper in debt. The character of the propaganda is desperately changing, twisting, and evolving, as the public becomes more and more aware of this reality. With Anti-War sentiments growing larger amid the economic crisis, it is getting much harder for Wall Street and Washington to sell war to the US public.
Caleb Maupin is a political analyst and activist based in New York. He studied political science at Baldwin-Wallace College and was inspired and involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.
◊
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BIFF reveals international guest list for 2017
Organizers for the 2017 Busan International Film Festival have uncovered the list of South Korean and foreign film industry figures who will go to the current year's festival.
Some eminent figures include actors Jang Dong-weapon and Moon Geun-youthful and also directors Oliver Stone, Darren Aronofsky, John Woo and Hirokazu Kore-eda.
The current year's BIFF commences its 22nd release in the southern port city of Busan on October 12. Jang Dong-gun will be co-facilitating the opening service of the celebration with actress Kim Ha-neul. The opening movie is "Glass Garden" coordinated by Shin Su-won.
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Boyfriend of murdered Olathe pregnant woman makes first court appearance
By: Andres Gutierrez
OLATHE, Kan. — The 26-year-old man accused of killing his girlfriend, Ashley Harlan, and their unborn child faced the judge Friday afternoon.
It’s a stark contrast from the last time the public saw Devonte Wash, with his head bowed down as Harlan’s grieving family desperately pleaded for tips to solve the case.
Olathe police found Harlan dead inside her grandfather’s townhouse on the 1200 block of East Westerfield Place on Jan. 30.
On Friday, the family of the 23-year-old woman filled the front row of the courtroom.
“We want to send a big thank you to the Olathe Police Department for all their hard work for pursuing the truth and making this arrest. It's huge for our family. We look forward to getting justice for Ashley and for her baby boy,” Nikki Chapman, Harlan’s aunt, told 41 Action News after the hearing.
The Johnson County District Attorney's Office charged Wash with capital murder for a specific reason.
“Both are victims in this case, the mother and her unborn child, and so by Kansas law that counts two different people,” Steve Howe, the Johnson County District Attorney, said. “Under the law, it doesn't matter at what number of weeks in the gestation the mother is.”
Howe added his office has filed two other similar cases in the past.
Wash has a history of violence against women.
According to court records, police arrested Wash in 2011 and 2013 for domestic battery against an ex-girlfriend.
In the latter case, she filed an order of protection against him in which she wrote that Wash allegedly punched her, pulled her hair, and slammed her on the floor.
In Harlan’s case, law enforcement believes Wash didn’t act alone.
“We are aware, as part of our investigation, that there are people who have knowledge of it and we haven’t identified those individuals,” Howe said.
Harlan’s family is once again asking for help from the public.
“We want to make sure this is a solid case. We need as many tips to come in. The reward money is still there. Please, if you know anything, we want justice for our niece. Please. Please,” Chapman said.
The district attorney said his office is still considering the death penalty. They don't have to reach a decision until Wash undergoes his preliminary hearing.
At Friday’s hearing, attorneys Mark Manna and Jeff Dazey with the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit said they are representing Wash.
Wash is being held on a $5 million bond. He goes back to court on May 3 at 11:45 a.m. in division 8.
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BASEBALL MISCELLANY
By ROSS NEWHAN
The St. Louis Cardinals have six regulars batting less than .250, among them former Oakland catcher Mike Heath, who is 0 for 27 against right-handers.
Toronto’s Dave Stieb, amid rumors that he has blown out his elbow by throwing too many sliders, is 5-11 since last season’s All-Star break. The Blue Jays’ touted rotation is 3-7 with an earned-run average of more than 5.00 this year.
Texas, which was last in the American League in runs scored last year, and the Angels, who were last in batting average, lead the majors in runs per game. The Rangers were averaging 6.07 through Thursday; the Angels, 5.5.
Toronto relief pitcher Tom Henke, who formerly pitched for Texas and was called gutless by then-manager Doug Rader, has come back to haunt the Rangers, registering four saves and a win in five appearances against them. He has struck out 11 and allowed one hit in 5 innings.
The San Diego Padres, through 15 games, had scored just two first-inning runs, primarily because their leadoff hitters were hitting a combined .211 with two stolen bases. Bip Roberts, the rookie second baseman, was 0 for 16.
Willie Hernandez has converted four of five save opportunities this year and is 68 for 79 in two-plus seasons with the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers will definitely miss Kirk Gibson’s speed. He was 5 for 5 on steals. The rest of the Tigers were 1 for 8.
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Case Coverage: Military Commissions
Updates from the Military Commissions, 11/13: Finally, a Cross-Examination!
By Yishai Schwartz
Tuesday, November 28, 2017, 1:00 PM
MV Blue Marlin Carrying USS Cole (Source: Wikimedia)
When last we left Lawfare readers, the prosecution in the United States v. al-Nashiri military commission had begun “preadmission” of evidence despite the ongoing refusal of defense counsel to participate. This process continued Nov. 13, but with an interesting twist.
Proceedings began with brief preliminary matters. The presiding judge, Col. Vance Spath, again noted the absence of both al-Nashiri and most of his designated defense counsel. He instructed the defense to provide the court with an update on its search for additional learned counsel (though he reiterated his view that additional learned counsel was unnecessary and that he had not released Richard Kammen, the current learned counsel, from the al-Nashiri defense team) and indicated his intent to seek such updates twice weekly. He also ordered the prosecution to work with the necessary officials to declassify, to the extent possible, information about the alleged intrusions that triggered defense counsels’ resignations, which he indicated would reveal “the complete lack of evidence of intrusion in this case for this accused.”
The proceedings then moved on to the remote testimony of Emily Olson-Gault, director and chief counsel of the American Bar Association (ABA)’s Death Penalty Representation Project. (Note: Olson-Gault, readers may recall, had authored an affidavit asserting that ABA standards require a learned counsel at every phase of a capital case, including pretrial stages. This, in turn, was cited by the defense team in justifying its refusal to participate in the ongoing proceedings following Kammen’s resignation.)
Spath initially questioned Olson-Gault directly, probing both the substance of her views as well as the facts surrounding how she came to prepare the affidavit. Olson-Gault explained that she was approached by Eric Freedman, a professor at Hofstra and a member of her steering committee, who put her in touch with Michel Paradis. Paradis was the only person associated with the defense team with whom she spoke and he had only provided “very minimal background”: that a learned counsel has resigned for ethical reasons, leaving only a younger attorney without capital litigation experience or training. Her affidavit, she affirmed, was based on that information and her interpretation of relevant ABA guidelines
Olson-Gault repeatedly explained that she had no particular familiarity with the military commissions system, and was not an expert on their requirements. Nevertheless, Spath engaged her in a wide-ranging examination, where he emphasized that al-Nashiri had a large, well-trained legal team that had worked with him for years. Judge Spath questioned Olson-Gault on the ABA rules surrounding client abandonment, on the apparent duty of counsel to continue representation when ordered to do so by a tribunal, and on language in the Military Commissions Act suggesting only a more limited requirement of capitally qualified counsel.
Next, al-Nashiri’s remaining defense counsel, Navy Lt. Alaric Piette, asked Olson-Gault a series of questions. Using thinly veiled “hypotheticals” where he described his own training and situation, Piette repeatedly asked whether his background suffices to permit him to make litigation decisions on behalf of his client under the ABA guidelines. Her answer in each case was no.
Next, trial counsel Mark Miller examined Olson-Gault on behalf of the prosecution. He repeatedly pushed her on whether specific capital training was necessary for every aspect of trial, even those that were common in various non-capital cases, such as attacking the chain of custody for evidence. Throughout, Olson-Gault asserted that having a capitally-qualified attorney directing the team was necessary under the guidelines for all phases, no matter the task. Miller then pressed her on the factual underpinnings of her affidavit, emphasizing the fact that Paradis was the only person associated with the defense she had spoken with, not Piette, Kammen, or any of the other members of al-Nashiri’s direct defense team. Miller suggested that the affidavit was mistaken because other attorneys were in fact representing al-Nashiri. In response, Olson-Gault insisted this was not the case. Only relevant to the guidelines is whether attorneys are working on the case, not whether they are assigned to the case. Miller also pressed Olson-Gault on whether her affidavit had masked the fact that the Supreme Court and military courts did not accept the ABA guidelines as binding. She conceded that she had not cited certain cases he identified but denied that her affidavit was intended to create the impression that the ABA guidelines were accepted as “gospel” as Miller asserted.
Finally, on re-direct examination, Spath again pressed Olson-Gault on whether the guidelines are binding on the military commissions. Olson-Gault conceded that they were not mandatory for courts-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and that the language of the Military Commissions Act (MCA) requiring learned counsel to “the greatest extent practicable” required judicial interpretation. That said, she maintained that the ABA guidelines ought to be given substantial weight in the present proceedings, particularly given that Congress discussed the ABA guidelines in the course of enacting the MCA.
After a brief break, the prosecution called John Adams, assistant director of the intelligence directorate at the FBI, as a witness. Following preliminary questions about Adams’s background, experience, and training, Miller questioned him about his October 2000 trip to Yemen as an investigator of the Cole bombing. Miller showed Adams a series of photographs of the bombing scene and the body recovery operation that followed. Adams explained details of each photograph, identified himself and colleagues in some, and discusses some of the investigative techniques used at the scene. The prosecution then requested the photographs be entered into evidence, the defense declined to take a position, and Spath explained that he would temporarily hold off on admitting them into evidence, consistent with the “preadmission” procedures employed previously.
Next, Adams described how the investigative team searched for the remains of items that did not belong to the ship, and in particular a small ship that may have carried a bomb to the Cole. Miller then presented him with an evidence bag containing machine pieces and confirmed that Adams had collected them from the scene. Adams explained that he had collected them because they did not appear to come from the Cole.
Following Adams’s testimony, Spath briefly discussed the importance of getting clarity regarding Paradis’s apparent ongoing role in the matter, despite his having been conflicted off the case due to his role in representing another detainee in separate proceedings. Spath concluded the hearing once again by asserting that the absence of the resigned civilian counsel from the defense team was inappropriate, and that Piette’s refusal to cross-examine witnesses was a “strategic decision” that reviewing courts would not view as ineffective assistance of counsel under Strickland v. Washington.
Al Nashiri
Yishai Schwartz is a third-year student at Yale Law School. Previously, he was an associate editor at Lawfare and a reporter-researcher for The New Republic. He holds a BA from Yale in philosophy and religious studies.
@yishaischwartz
Last Week at the Military Commissions: A New Judge Hits the Ground Running
Jacques Singer-Emery, Patrick McDonnell Fri, Jul 12, 2019, 3:21 PM
It’s Time to Admit That the Military Commissions Have Failed
Steve Vladeck Tue, Apr 16, 2019, 10:40 PM
Summary: D.C. Circuit Vacates Military Judge’s Rulings in Al-Nashiri
Sarah Grant Tue, Apr 16, 2019, 5:06 PM
Court of Military Commissions Review Upholds Life Sentence for al-Bahlul
Patrick McDonnell Tue, Apr 2, 2019, 8:25 AM
Last Week at the Military Commissions: Discovery Disputes and a Medical Recess in al-Iraqi
Sean Quirk Tue, Mar 12, 2019, 8:00 AM
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Home / Indian Laws / Railways Law /
[Act No. 23 OF 1957]
[29th August, 1957]
An Act to provide for the constitution and regulation of a Force called the Railway Protection Force for the better protection and security of railway property.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows.
(1) This Act may be called the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “Force” means the Railway Protection Force constituted under section 3;
(b) “Inspector-General” means the Inspector-General of the Force appointed under section 4;
(c) “Member of the Force” means a person appointed to the Force under this Act other than a superior officer;
(d) “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(e) “Railway property” includes any goods, money or valuable security, or animal, belonging to, or in the charge or possession of, a railway administration;
(f) “Superior officer” means any of the officers appointed under section 4 and includes any other officer appointed by the Central Government as a superior officer of the Force;
(g) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Indian Railways Act, 1890, shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them under that Act.
Section 3. Constitution of the Force
(1) There shall be constituted and maintained by the Central Government a Force to be called the Railway Protection Force for the better protection and security of railway property.
(2) The Force shall be constituted in such manner, shall consist of such number of superior officers and members of the Force and shall receive such pay and other remuneration as may be prescribed.
Section 4. Appointment and powers of superior officers
(1) The Central Government may appoint a person to be the Inspector-General of the Force and may appoint other persons to be Chief Security Officers, Security Officers or Assistant Security Officers of the Force.
(2) The Inspector-General and every other superior officer so appointed shall possess and exercise such powers and authority over the members of the Force under their respective commands as is provided by or under this Act.
Section 5. Classes and ranks among members of the Force
There shall be the following classes of officers and other ranks among the members of the Force, who shall take rank in the order mentioned, namely.
A.Classes of officers——
(i) Inspector,
(ii) Sub-Inspector,
(iii) Assistant Sub-Inspector.
B.Classes of other ranks——-
(i) Head Rakshak,
(ii) Senior Rakshak,
(iii) Rakshak
Section 6. Appointment of members of the Force
The appointment of members of the Force shall rest with the Chief Security Officers who shall exercise that power in accordance with rules made under this Act:
Provided that the power of appointment under this section may also be exercised by such other superior officer as the Chief Security Officer concerned may by order specify in this behalf.
Section 7. Certificates to members of the Force
(1) Every member of the Force shall receive on his appointment a certificate in the form specified in the Schedule, under the seal of the Chief Security Officer or such other superior officer as the Chief Security Officer may specify in this behalf, by virtue of which the person holding such certificate shall be vested with the powers of a member of the Force.
(2) Such certificate shall cease to have effect whenever the person named in it ceases for any reason to be a member of the Force, and, on his ceasing to be a member of the Force, shall be forthwith surrendered by him to any superior officer empowered to receive the same.
Section 8. Superintendence and administration of the Force
(1) The Superintendence of the Force shall vest in the Central Government, and subject thereto the administration of the Force shall vest in the Inspector-General and shall be carried on by him in accordance with the provisions of this Act and of any rules made thereunder.
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), the administration of the Force within such local limits in relation to a railway as may be prescribed shall be carried on by the Chief Security Officer in accordance with the provisions of this Act and of any rules made thereunder, and he shall discharge his functions under the general supervision of the General Manager of the Railway.
Section 9. Dismissal, removal, etc. of the members of the Force
(1) Subject to the provisions of article 311 of the Constitution and to such rules as the Central Government may make under this Act, any superior officer may-
(i) Dismiss, suspend or reduce in rank any member of the Force whom he shall think remiss or negligent in the discharge of his duty, or unfit for the same; or
(ii) Award any one or more of the following punishments to any member of the Force who discharges his duty in a careless or negligent manner, or who by any act of his own renders himself unfit for the discharge thereof, namely.
(a) Fine to any amount nor exceeding seven days’ pay or reduction in pay scale;
(b) Confinement to quarters for a period not exceeding fourteen days with or without punishment, drill, extra guard, fatigue or other duty;
(c) Removal from any office of distinction or deprivation of any special emolument.
(2) Any member of the Force aggrieved by an order made under sub-section (1) may appeal against the order to such authority as may be prescribed, and the decision of the said authority thereon shall be final.
Section 10. Officers and members of the Force to be deemed to be railway servants
The Inspector-General and every other superior officer and every member of the Force shall for all purposes be regarded as railway servants within the meaning of the Indian Railways Act, 1890(9 of 1890), other than Chapter VIA thereof, and shall be entitled to exercise the powers conferred on railway servants by or under that Act.
Section 11. Duties of members of the Force
It shall be the duty of every superior officer and member of the Force-
(a) Promptly to execute all orders lawfully issued to him by his superior authority;
(b) To protect and safeguard railway property;
(c) To remove any obstruction in the movement of railway property; and
(d) To do any other act conducive to the better protection and security of railway property.
Section 12. Power arrest without warrant
Any superior officer or member of the Force may, without an order from a Magistrate and without a warrant, arrest-
(a) Any person who has been concerned in an offence relating to railway property punishable with imprisonment for a term exceeding six months, or against whom a reasonable suspicion exists of his having been so concerned; or
(b) Any person found taking precautions to conceal his presence within railway limits under circumstances which afford reason to believe that he is taking such precautions with a view to committing theft of, or damage to, railway property.
Section 13. Power to search without warrant
(1) Whenever any superior officer, or any member of the Force, not below the rank of a Senior Rakshak, has reason to believe that any such offence as is referred to in section 12 has been or is being committed and that a search-warrant cannot be obtained without affording the offender an opportunity of escaping or of concealing evidence of the offence, he may detain him and search his person and belongings forthwith and, if he thinks proper, arrest any person whom he has reason to believe to have committed the offence.
(2) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898(5 of 1898) relating to searches under that Code shall, so far as may be, apply to searches under this Section.
Section 14. Procedure to be followed after arrest
Any superior officer or member of the Force making an arrest under this Act, shall, without unnecessary delay, make over the person so arrested to a police officer, or, in the absence of a police officer take such person a cause him to be taken to the nearest police station.
Section 15. Officers and members of the Force to be considered always on duty and liable to be employed in any part of the Railways
(1) Every superior officer and member of the Force shall, for the purpose of this Act, be considered to be always on duty, and shall, at any time, be liable to be employed in any part of railways throughout India.
(2) No superior officer or member of the Force shall engage himself in any employment or office other than his duties under this Act.
Section 16. Responsibilities of members of the Force during suspension
A member of the Force shall not by reason of his suspension from office cease to be a member of the Force; and he shall, during that period, be subject to the same responsibilities, discipline and penalties to which he would have been subject if he were on duty.
Section 17. Penalties for neglect of duty, etc
(1) Without prejudice to the provisions contained in section 9, every member of the Force who shall be guilty of any violation of duty or wilful breach or neglect of any rule or regulation of lawful order made by a superior officer, or who shall withdraw from the duties of his office without permission, or who, being absent on leave, fails, without reasonable cause, to report himself for duty on the expiration of the leave, or who engages himself without authority in any employment other than his duty as a member of the Force, or who shall be guilty of cowardice, shall be liable, on conviction before a Magistrate, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898(5 of 1898), an offence punishable under this section shall be cognizable.
Section 18. Application of Act 22 of 1922 to members of the Force
The Police (Incitement to Disaffection ) Act, 1922, shall apply to members of the Force as it applies to members of a police force.
Section 19. Certain Acts not to apply to members of the Force
Nothing contained in the Payment of Wages Act, 1936(4 of 1936), or the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947(14 of 1947), or the Factories Act, 1948(63 of 1948), shall apply to members of the Force.
Section 20. Protection of acts of members of the Force
(1) In any suit or proceeding against any superior officer or member of the Force for any act done by him in the discharge of his duties, it shall be lawful for him to plead that such act was done by him under the orders of a competent authority.
(2) Any such plea may be proved by the production of the order directing the act, and if it is so proved, the superior officer or member of the Force shall thereupon be discharged from any liability in respect of the act so done by him, notwithstanding any defect in the jurisdiction of the authority which issued such order.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, any legal proceeding, whether civil or criminal, which may lawfully be brought against any superior officer or member of the Force for anything done or intended to be done under the powers conferred by, or in pursuance of, any provision of this Act or the rules thereunder shall be commenced within three months after the act complained of shall have been committed and not otherwise; and notice in writing of such proceeding and of the cause thereof shall be given to the person concerned and his superior officer at least one month before the commencement of such proceeding.
(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing powers, such rules may provide for-
(a) Regulating the classes and grades and the pay and remuneration of superior officers and members of the Force and their conditions of service in the Force;
(b) Regulating the powers and duties of superior officers and members of the Force authorised to exercise any functions by or under this Act;
(c) Fixing the period of service for superior officers and members of the Force;
(d) Regulating the punishments and providing for appeals from, or the revision of, orders of punishment, or the remission of fines or other punishments;
(e) Any other matter which has to be, or may be, prescribed.
(3) All rules made under this section shall be laid for not less than thirty days before both Houses of Parliament as soon as possible after they are made and shall be subject to such modifications as Parliament may make during the session in which they are so laid or the session immediately following.
(See section 7)
A.B.has been appointed a member of the Railway Protection Force under the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957, and is vested with the powers, functions and privileges of a member of the Force.
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Centre for Applied Social Research (CeASR)
Centre for Psychological Research (PsyCen)
Centre for Applied Social Research (CeASR) Centre for Psychological Research (PsyCen)
PIR Festival 2016
About the Politics and International Relations Festival 2016
The annual Festival of Politics and International Relations (PIR) is a four day event running from 14-18 November 2016. It features a programme of engaging talks, debates and workshops led by academic staff, students and high-profile external speakers, all of which focus upon a wide range of current and engaging social and political issues.
The festival – which reflects the range of our undergraduate politics, international relations, peace and development studies – is organised by our PIR group which is part of the University’s School of Social Sciences. Festival events are free and open to students and staff, as well as members of the public interested in engaging with these issues. The festival will also feature an appearance, via Skype, by Ben Wozner, the lawyer of Edward Snowden.
For further information and to book your place on one of the sessions please visit our booking page.
Newsletter March 2019 003
PIR Festival links
PIR blog.
View our PIR courses.
Festival Programme
Plus Icon Monday 14 November
Visit to International Slavery Museum, Albert Dock, Liverpool
Guided tour 11:30 - 12:30
Coach departs from Leeds Beckett 9:00
(Leeds Beckett Politics & International Relations students only)
Plus Icon Tuesday 15 November
9.30am – 10.30
Oriel Kenny
Identify appropriate volunteering opportunities in the UK, in readiness for the Level 6 Volunteering module.
(Level 5 / Year 2 Politics & IR students only)
Dissertation Supervision Cafe
12:00-13:30 BPA 103, Broadcasting Place
With the deadline looming for Assessment 1, this drop-in session is an opportunity for you to meet your supervisor and discuss your proposal.
Refreshments will be provided.
(Level 6 students only)
What is critical engagement?
Tom Purcell & Robin Redhead
Critical thinking and engagement is an important element of studying Politics and IR, and a key criterion in assessment. This workshop will help you to understand what is meant by critical engagement, how you can be a more critical thinker, and how you can demonstrate this in your work
(PIR students only)
Making Sense of the Syrian Conflict
15:30-17:00 Woodhouse Lecture Theatre 3
Federico Venturini, Leeds Friends of Rojava
Javaad Alipoor, co-author 'Khiyana: Daesh, the Left and the Unmaking of the Syrian Revolution'
Ben Leonard (Chair)
The ongoing civil war in Syria has left many of us in the West bewildered due to claims and counter-claims in the press about the nature of the uprising and the existence of moderate rebels, and the seemingly unfathomable and constantly shifting web of allegiances involved. As a result, most people think the conflict is simply too complex to understand, never mind work out who is worth supporting, what the West’s role in the conflict should be or how it can ever come to an end.
Too often the conflict is viewed from the ‘top-down’, with much focus on the tension between the US, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and their allies on the ground. In this session, Javaad Alipoor and Federico Venturini (more panellists TBC) will tell a different side of the story, looking at the civil war from the ‘bottom-up’, with a focus on those in Syria who are struggling for peace and social justice in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Javaad Alipoor is a writer, director and activist based in Bradford. As well as being artist-in-residence at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, he co-authored ‘Khiyana: Daesh, the Left and the Unmaking of the Syrian Revolution’ in December 2015. You can read some of his writing on Syria and other issues here: attheinlandsea.wordpress.com
Federico Venturini is a member of Leeds Friends of Rojava - the de-facto autonomous Kurdish region of Northern Syria currently under the administration of revolutionary Kurdish forces. He travelled to the region last spring as part of the International Imrali Peace Delegation, and recently finished a PHD on Social Ecology - one of the guiding principles of the Kurdish project in Rojava.
Should universities be ‘safe spaces’?
Robert Sharp, Head of Campaigns and Communications, English PEN.
‘No platform’ policies adopted by student unions are justified on the grounds of ensuring that universities are ‘safe spaces’, but critics argue that they are unacceptable restrictions on free speech.
Robert will provide a strong defence of free speech against ‘No Platform’ policies which, he will argue, are counter-productive. Robert will also criticise as reactionary and equally counter-productive the response of some of those who seek to defend free speech. He will also address the problem of universities ands and student unions threatening legal action or expulsion to student journalists that criticise them, and the government measures to tackle extremism that could lead to a chill on the discussion of radical ideas.
Plus Icon Wednesday 16 November
Undergraduate Focus Group
12:00-13:00, BPA104 (Broadcasting Place)
Jess Gifkins & Tom Purcell
Provide feedback to help us to improve your course and your experience as a student. Refreshments will be provided.
Political book club discussion
13:00-14:00 CL211, Calverley Building
A Better Politics: How Government Can Make Us Happier by Danny Dorling
In an age of disillusionment with our political system and low levels of trust in politicians, the desire to define and realise a better politics is widely felt. In his most recent and highly acclaimed book, Danny Dorling’s conception of a better politics is ‘one that will enable future generations to be happier’. His approach is based on evidence of what matters most in affecting people’s happiness. He argues that ‘there are many policies that we could adopt if we really want to be collectively happier and healthier. We could have a government that makes our lives happier, if we win the argument for it.’ So, read the book here and join the discussion, with Paul Wetherly.
How studying Politics and International Relations can make you employable
15:00-16:00 Lecture Theatre F, Rose Bowl
Professor John Craig, Dean, School of Social Sciences
Graduate employability has become a key issue for students, universities and government. While there is often a focus on the development of generic and transferable skills, the intellectual and practical skills that come from studying a discipline are also important. This session will examine how studying politics and international relations can contribute to your employability. It will explore how employability has always been an aspect of studying politics and the social sciences, and how governments and local authorities have long recognised the value of education in this area. It will examine some of the particular skills that politics and international relations students develop during their studies and help you to think through how these might be presented to potential employers.
17:30-19:00, NT118 (Northern Terrace)
Javaad Alipoor, Federico Venturini & Muzna Al- Naib
Too often the conflict is viewed from the ‘top-down’, with much focus on the tension between the US, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and their allies on the ground. In this session, Javaad Alipoor, Federico Venturini and Muzna Al-Naib will tell a different side of the story, Looking at the civil war from the ‘bottom-up’, with a focus on those in Syria who are struggling for peace and social justice in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Javaad Alipoor is a writer, director and activist based in Bradford. As well as being artist-in-residence at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, he co-authored ‘Khiyana: Daesh, the Left and the Unmaking of the Syrian Revolution’ in December 2015. You can read some of his writing on Syria and other issues here: attheinlandsea.wordpress.com.
Muzna Al-Naib has an MA in media and International development. She writes for children and she is a documentary filmmaker. Muzna lived in Damascus during the revolution and was involved in peaceful activism on the ground. She left Syria in 2014 and came to the UK to do her MA. She is a spokesperson for Syria Solidarity UK.
Plus Icon Thursday 17 November
Talking about Immigration
Paul Wetherly
Immigration and its economic and cultural impacts, positive or negative, has been a key political issue in the UK for several years. The vote to leave the European Union has been interpreted by the government primarily as a vote in favour of controlling, and reducing, immigration. Some people who are anxious about immigration may feel that evidence of its benefits does not reflect how it has affected their lives. Many people, on the other hand, are relaxed about immigration, feel it has brought benefits and worry about the anti-immigration sentiment that the Brexit vote seems to express. So, immigration is at the heart of political divisions in Britain today.
This session will take the form of a conversation, to discuss and explore attitudes to immigration and the mixture of hopes and anxieties people feel about its impacts.
16:00 – 17:30, WH135 (Woodhouse Building)
Sophia Price & Mark Langan
Responding to the Refugee Crisis. What can be done locally and nationally?
17:30-19:00 NT118, Northern Terrace
Jon Beech, Director, Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network (LASSN)
“The largest movement of people in modern times has prompted questions about all aspects of our lives, and our rights and responsibilities as citizens. These issues include travel, citizenship, foreign policy, democratic accountability, border controls, human rights, labour markets and welfare, and they are being raised at a time of unprecedented austerity and increased local responsibility.
This talk will look at local action - how citizens of Leeds have responded to events, and how local and national Government have attempted to keep up.
Plus Icon Friday 18 November
Should ‘killer robots’ be regulated? You decide.
Jess Gifkins, Steve Wright
Autonomous weapons systems (aka 'killer robots') can select and engage targets without any human involvement once they are activated. This technology is being explored by many countries and weapons manufacturers. The 'benefits' of this technology could mean less harm to soldiers and greater precision. The 'risks' of this technology are the possibility of terrorist use, dehumanisation of war, and the possibility of malfunctions. So should this technology be used? You decide.
This session will begin with an overview on the current state of development and regulation of killer robots, led by Dr Steve Wright. Then you will be assigned to represent a country in a mock-United Nations negotiation over how the technology could be regulated, led by Dr Jess Gifkins. In this simulation you will have the opportunity to negotiate with your fellow UN Ambassadors (aka 'students') and to see if you can reach a global agreement on whether to regulate this technology. You will then also have the opportunity to reflect on your own position regarding the use of killer robots (This session ties directly to Steve's modules and Jess's International Relations modules).
Bringing Mass Surveillance in Europe Under Democratic Control – Is it Too Late?
14:00-15:30, BPAG02 (Broadcasting Place)
Tony Bunyan, Editor of Statewatch, and and Ben Wizner, Attorney for Edward Snowden (via Skype)
As Editor of Statewatch Tony Bunyan has done more than any other researcher or Journalist to keep the issue of democratic accountability, freedom, justice and security on the European political agenda. In that context, mass political surveillance has always been a core issue and Tony and his colleagues at statewatch have put more documents into the public domain tracking changes in surveillance tactics, technology and targeting than any other NGO. This work has been accomplished with dedication and slender resources and yet many European politicians will go to statewatch when they want to understand the complexities of modern surveillance and the chicanery involved in expanding the scope of mass surveillance. And much of this was started 30 years before Edward Snowden was leaking just how far the technology had gone to track everyone’s telecommunications.
It is Statewatch’ s meticulous research which is its defining brand and we have moved on significantly since Snowden described specific mechanisms and algorithms to create universal surveillance. Recent official inquiries have concluded that much of this snooping has been illegal. But successive governments have looked the other way and said so what. It has been down to NGO’s such as Statewatch and Privacy International to alert a largely somnolent public to the dangers. Tony will Addressing the topic of have we lost meaningful human control over mass surveillance or are there political ways of ensuring proper accountability over targeting and data retention in Europe.
Ben Wizner (@benwizner) is the director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. For nearly 15 years, he has worked at the intersection of civil liberties and national security, litigating numerous cases involving airport security policies, government watch lists, surveillance practices, targeted killing, and torture. He appears regularly in the global media, has testified before Congress, and is an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law. Since July of 2013, he has been the principal legal advisor to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Ben is a graduate of Harvard College and New York University School of Law and was a law clerk to the Hon. Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Few surveillance lawyers have Ben’s expertise and knowledge and he is uniquely qualified to address the issues of bringing mass surveillance under democratic control, post the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. This will be amongst the first public speeches of Edward Snowden’s lawyer in Europe, following the presidential election.
Can Labour Win Under Jeremy Corbyn?
18:00 – 19:00, Rose Bowl Lecture Theatre C
Richard Burgon MP (Labour, Leeds East)
Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Jeremy Corbyn has achieved decisive victories in two leadership elections and, in the process, inspired a huge growth in membership of the Labour party. But can the party now be united under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership? Can a social movement also be a successful electoral party? And can Labour defy the conventional wisdom that parties only win elections when they occupy the centre ground? Richard Burgon, a key figure in the transformation of Labour, will argue that the answers to these questions are positive.
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+ Featured: LGBTQ+
Post on: June 15, 2019
Ana Rivera
In the 1970s, Jean Nicolas, Trotskyist militant and activist of the French Homosexual Front of Revolutionary Action, published “The Homosexual Question,” a brilliant analysis of the history of the oppression of “homosexuals” and the struggle for liberation, as connected to the struggle for socialism and new human relations.
The 1970s were a moment of worldwide revolutionary upsurge: from the French May to the feminist movement, the Vietnamese resistance to the U.S. anti-war movement, the Argentine student and workers movement and Chilean revolution to the Prague Spring, from the black liberation movement to the LGBTQ+ riot at Stonewall. Deeply influenced by the revolutions in Cuba and China, the working class and the youth were becoming radicalized and were shaking the bourgeois social order to the core, defying capitalism and the bureaucracies held up by the USSR. Everything was subject to struggle and transformation: capitalist exploitation, colonial domination, racism and sexism, everyday relations, the family.
“The Homosexual Question”* was written in France in 1966, a few years before the French May of 1968 (during which students launched their war cry “All power to the imagination!”) and the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York. It would not be published until a decade later, in the December 1976-January 1977 edition of the theoretical journal of the LCR, Critique Communiste. The author, Jean Nicolas, sought new links between the Marxist left and the effervescent sexual liberation movement, of which he was a participant, being a member of the Homosexual Front of Revolutionary Action and later the Homosexual Liberation Group.
His reasons for the article were two-fold: “On the one hand, to convince the workers’ movement of the importance and significance of the struggle for homosexual liberation, and on the other, to convince the homosexual movement of the need to combine its struggle for sexual liberation with the struggle of the working class for socialism.”**
Sexuality: Between Normalization and Desire
Marxists inscribe gender and sexual relations in the realm of social relations. Thus, sexuality is historically determined by the dominant relations of production. According to Jean Nicolas, “homosexual oppression” is part of a historically constructed “process of sexual normalization.” The bourgeoisie appropriates this process with the goal of consolidating monogamous heterosexual marriage based on private property, women’s and children’s oppression, and the repression of everyone’s “latent homosexuality.” The aim is to reproduce social relations that conform to the capitalist mode of production and to create people who can insert themselves into it. These relationships get deeply ingrained in our psyche; they stain our daily lives, our emotions, our conscience: they are part of a process of submission that is indispensable to bourgeois domination. The heterosexual norm is inculcated by the family, the school, and the church.
Although there is a normative social discourse on sexuality, it cannot completely quell desire. Sexual practices and aspirations of sexual and social life never completely correspond to the norm: there is a permanent mismatch. There is always a rebellion of desire against social imposition. Depending on economic, demographic, historical, and political needs, “deviation” from the sexual norm will be sanctioned in one way or another. The bourgeoisie manages to establish a normative discourse about sexuality and commercialize it, profiting from sexual repression.
“Homosexuality” and Repression
In many indigenous communities with communal property, same-sex desire and gender fluidity were strongly integrated into society. LGBTQ+ oppression is a result of societies that are based on private property and is deeply connected to women’s oppression. The development of monotheism and the emergence of the state and the family were also part of this historical process. Inheritance from fathers to sons was the basis of the taboo of homosexuality and the repression of female sexuality. Ancient societies that allowed or valued some level of sexual and gender diversity were forced to become societies based on the patriarchal family, with sharpened restrictions on sexual freedom. Later, the Christian tradition took up the taboo against homosexuality, and the Church became the guardian of the social discourse about sexuality.
Nicolas argues that the criminalization of same sex desire arose in the late Roman Empire when Christianity became a state religion and Constantine criminalized “sodomy,” punished by the death penalty. During the Middle Ages this repression developed further. The myth of the homosexual relationship as an unnatural act was created by St. Thomas, a myth that still persists today even after being destroyed by Freud. The sodomite was a heretic and the heretic a sodomite: These accusations of sexual perversions were a weapon against those who dared defy religious power, and also a tool to undermine the power of feudal lords and keep their lands.
But the bourgeoisie also destroyed the family unit on which it was based. “It inexorably tore apart the variegated feudal ties that joined man to his natural superiors, and left standing no other bond than plain interest, that hard cash, which has no heart,” Marx said in “The Communist Manifesto.” The center of human life is the person themselves — as long as they can afford it. How to maintain that order, then? How to replace the fear of God with the fear of leaving the modern flock in capitalism? By establishing categories of “excluded,” “asocial,” “deviant,” and “sick”; by reinforcing state power and creating institutions for the marginalized, like prisons and psychiatric hospitals.
These deviants are precisely those who are not integrated into the social body, those who are outside the production and reproduction of the capitalist system. For the first time there is a “homosexual identity”: Homosexual “acts” are no longer punished; there are instead maladapted individuals who are criminalized or pathologized. They, as people, are the deviants, the sick. At the same time, capitalist society suppresses homosexual desire in everyone, arbitrarily dividing people between heterosexual and homosexual categories. Yet psychoanalysis has shown that one is no more natural than the other, and that it is only under the effects of society that normative heterosexuality develops.
This is why Jean Nicolas argues that there is a “myth” of homosexual identity, affirming that in a society that does not systematically oppress homosexual desire, the arbitrary division between homosexuality and heterosexuality would dissolve, giving way to authentic sexual liberation. For this reason, he criticizes the theories of homosexuality as a “third sex” that emerged at the end of the 19th century. These theories sought to provide theoretical foundations to the first struggles of the homosexual movement, arguing that homosexuality in itself represents a subversion against the existing social order. The identity of “homosexual,” the appropriation of the taboo that comes with being stigmatized as a “faggot” is the response to systematic repression and devaluation, to attempts to “cure,” to depression and to suicide. In that case, the bourgeoisie confines those who identify themselves as “homosexuals” to their own ghetto.
The Homosexual “Ghetto”: If You Can’t Beat Them, Make a Profit From Them
The multiple forms of confining homosexuals are not only prisons and psychiatric hospitals, but also commercialized or noncommercialized spaces in which “homosexuals” can exercise their desire in a more or less clandestine way. Nicolas differentiates between an unmarketed ghetto in public spaces, parks and restrooms, which “homosexuals” frequent for clandestine encounters, and a ghetto marketed at parties, clubs, bars and “gay-friendly” bowling alleys that can be accessed only by those who can afford it. He points out that the bourgeoisie has a special interest in systematically repressing noncommercial spaces in order to channel homosexual desire into a commercial circuit from which to profit, while trivializing gay identity and normalizing it.
This analysis is increasingly relevant, with the flood of pinkwashing and all kinds of commodities, events and spaces for LGBTQ+ consumption. Of course, this is available only for those who can afford to buy their way into this consumption. Entire cities are marketed as gay friendly, even though gays, lesbians and trans people suffer discrimination in the workplace, police violence and lack of rights. Brazil is marketed as an LGBTQ+ paradise, yet it has the highest number of trans femicides in the world.
“It is foreseeable,” Nicolas writes, “that if it continues, the current trend towards a relative ‘banalization’ of homosexuality, the power will try to eliminate the untraded ghetto, to clean up public places, while benefiting the expansion of the commercialized ghetto over which it can, moreover, exercise its control more easily.” Nicolas seems to be talking about the present situation.
That’s why Nicolas raises the need for revolutionary Marxism to fight the repression directed at the ghetto, and to be part of the struggle of those who rebel against police brutality. But the ghetto and its systematic repression will persist as long as the roots of the oppression of homosexuals remain. In France there was a massive struggle against the anti-homosexual legislation established by De Gaulle and exacerbated by the Mirguet amendment. The government called for an end to the “social plague” of homosexuality and punished “unnatural relations.”
In Russia this meant a strong fight against the Communist Party and the Stalinist currents that revived homophobic prejudices in the working class, rejecting homosexuality as an inheritance of “bourgeois decadence.” Right after the revolution, the Bolsheviks transformed Russia into the first country to legalize abortion and decriminalize homosexuality.
Stalin repressed LGBTQ+ people in the USSR, eliminating many of the revolution’s enormous gains for LGBTQ+ people and for women.
Generations Fighting for Our Rights
“The three generations of the homosexual movement” is the title of perhaps the most interesting and moving chapter of Jean Nicolas’ book. It marks the emergence of the movement, which continues to this day, in Germany and Great Britain toward the end of the 19th century. It was then that Karl Ulrisch, who went down in history as the first lawyer of the “homosexual” cause, led the fight against Prussian anti-homosexual legislation, which spread throughout Germany with the famous Paragraph 175, which established prison for the crime of sodomy.
Paragraph 175 had existed in different forms until 1994, and hundreds of thousands of people were sent to prison for gay sex and for defying gender norms. Although the Ulrisch did not succeed, he helped create the first generation that would fight for our rights. This first generation of the homosexual movement, despite being driven by sectors of the bourgeoisie, was supported by Marxist organizations. The German Social Democratic Party, for example, publicly supported the struggle against homosexual legislation. This included Ferdinand Lasalle, August Bebel and Eduard Bernstein (who publicly defended the writer Oscar Wilde, who was imprisoned for his homosexuality).
This generation and the homosexual movement were brutally annihilated by fascism. Tens of thousands of people were locked up in Nazi concentration camps for being “homosexual,” marked with the pink triangle. The full extent of the horror of concentration camps toward its sexual and gender deviants did not come to light until decades later.
Stalinism, on the other hand, was in charge of wiping out the traces of revolutionary Marxism’s solidarity with the homosexual cause and brutally persecuting those deemed homosexuals in the USSR. The second generation of the homosexual movement emerged after the Second World War, in the 1950s and 1960s, aimed at achieving legal reforms.
Nicolas marks the emergence of a third generation, a radicalized homosexual movement that criticized the integration of homosexuality into bourgeois society. While the foundations were there before, the Stonewall rebellion of 1969 was the spark that spread like wildfire. This generation pointed to capitalism as the root of oppression and argued for the need to unify the struggles of women, Black people, and all oppressed sections of society. Links to the labor movement were more complex, especially due to the reactionary ideology of the Communist Parties and reformist organizations in the labor movement that reproduced homophobic prejudices and distanced LGBTQ+ people interested in joining their ranks. Jean Nicolas writes about the roots of this movement, attempting to build ties between “homosexuals,” workers and revolutionary organizations.
True Sexual Liberation
For Jean Nicolas, the ideological repression of homosexuality has a material basis in capitalism. Thus, he refuses to reduce the struggle against oppression to the struggle against normative culture: The power of the bourgeoisie lies in the power of capital over labor, and all types of oppression are inscribed in it and reinforced by it. It would be futile to fight capitalist exploitation without fighting oppression, as the working class is diverse and capitalism is fed from oppression. It would also be useless to struggle for sexual liberation without attacking the source of bourgeois rule: the appropriation of the means of production and the control of social wealth.
Capitalism condemns us to sexual misery, owns our bodies in painful working days, and governs or removes our desires. Without liberating bodies from wage slavery, authentic sexual liberation will be impossible to achieve. Nicolas argued that our society could easily reduce work hours as a way towards true sexual enjoyment for all:
“One of the preconditions for genuine sexual liberation is the overthrow of capitalist production relations and a massive reduction of working time. Indeed, it must be stressed that one of the most powerful foundations of sexual misery in the capitalist regime comes from the subjection of the body of the workers to prolonged and painful work. The possibility made concrete today thanks to the development of automatism, of massively reducing working time and eliminating those heavier tasks, opens the way to an authentic sexual liberation in order to undermine, at the same time, the foundations of bourgeois ideology, which values work while trying to repress sexual activity. … This is how the body, freed from long and painful work and from the weight of an unwanted motherhood, can truly give itself to pleasure.”
We live in a time when pinkwashing reaches obscene levels, and LGBT rights are turned into a way of legitimizing neoliberal governments. There are even extreme right figures who are gay or lesbian, like Germany’s Alice Weider, who is openly xenophobic and anti-Semitic. Additionally, the repression of LGBTQ+ people is intensifying in the heat of the international capitalist crisis. The struggle for genuine sexual liberation and for unity between the LGBTQ+ movement and the working class against the capitalists, who condemn us to exploitation and oppression, is stronger than ever.
*Homosexual is not the preferred term of for Left Voice, but it is the term used by Jean Nicolas. Thus, we will use it in this text when referring to his work.
This article was originally published in Spanish on la Izquierda Diario. It was translated by Natalia Pons.
Tags: LGBTQ+Marxism
A New Revolutionary Organization is Born: The Socialist Workers’ Current (CST) of Peru
Brazilian Workers Strike Against Bolsonaro’s Pension Cuts
The Trotskyist Drag King of Mexico City
The following is an interview with Mexican drag king, Nancy Cazares, also known as Gabriel. Nancy is also a Trotskyist ...
NYPD, Apology for Stonewall Not Accepted
New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill apologized for the police brutality at Stonewall. Apology not accepted.
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Letter from the Youth of the PTS to the Youth of Baltimore
Post on: May 1, 2015
We, the Youth of the Partido de los Trabajadores Socialistas (Socialist Workers’ Party) in Argentina, raise our voices with you, the youth in the streets of Baltimore, just we have with youth of Ferguson and many other cities across the U.S. We stand in solidarity with all the young people fighting against the brutality of the cops that is killing black people in US, and which is practiced against youth throughout the world. In our country, we raised our voice for Luciano Arruga, who was killed for refusing to participate in a robbery organized by the cops. He was disappeared for more than 5 years and a few months ago his dead body was found.
The state maintains a system which excludes most African Americans from the so-called “American Dream”. But not all African Americans are suffering this oppression, certainly not Obama and the so called “community leaders” like Al Sharpton, who together with other mass media, are criminalizing your protests and calling for the “peace”. They don’t want your anger, that is a result of years of oppression, to be expressed.
They do this because they are afraid of the mobilization of the workers and the poor, who have taken to the streets to put an end to the impunity of the cops. There are important examples of the alliance that the youth and the workers need in order win their demands, such as the protests held in many other cities as part of #BlackLivesMatter, or the strike led by the dockworkers in Oakland in solidarity.
The youth of the PTS, as part of the FIT (Left and the Workers’ Front), join our voices with yours and denounce the curfew in Baltimore and the repression carried out by the National Guard and the State Troops.
In Argentina, we fight against police repression that directed against the poor and the youth, known here as gatillo fácil or trigger happy cops, and we are proud and are willing to fight when we see that you are also fighting in Baltimore. That’s why we offer our strong support from the parliamentary seats of Nicolás del Caño and Christian Castillo, and from the Human Rights Layer Myriam Bregman. We also send you our solidarity from the student unions of the schools of Social Sciences, Philosophy and Literature, and Psychology at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Our comrades Jorge Medina, from Madygraf company (the former Donnelly factory, today under workers’ control), Ruben Matu from the autoparts factory Lear, and many other leaders from the anti-bureaucratic and combative workers’ movement in our country, are also joining your fight and sending their solidarity.
The struggle continues. Stay strong comrades.
Tags: ArgentinaBaltimorePTS
The call for justice for Freddie Gray on May Day in the U.S.
Militant journalism, revolutionary politics.
Trotskyists to Pack Stadium of 20,000
The Argentine Left and Workers' Front has called a national rally for this Saturday, November 19. The event will be ...
ARGENTINA: Hundreds of factories on strike in Northern Area in Greater Buenos Aires
Leaders of the fighting unionists and the left of Buenos Aires Northern area have informed La Izquierda Diario about the ...
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NEWS: Alfreton Game On TV
Leo Tyrie
FA Cup with Budweiser tie at Alfreton chosen by ESPN for live coverage
ORIENT'S FA Cup with Budweiser Round Two tie at Alfreton Town has been selected for live television coverage on ESPN.
The game will take place at Alfreton's Impact Arena on Sunday December 2 with a 3.15pm kick-off.
Both clubs receive a TV fee of £67,925 from the FA. The O's had three ties televised on ESPN during their FA Cup run two years ago - the second round draw at Droylsden and both fifth round matches against Arsenal.
Alfreton, of Blue Square Bet Premier, defeated Wrexham in the first round, while Orient booked their place in Round Two with a 2-0 win at Gloucester City on Wednesday night.
This year's FA Cup run matches the best in The Reds' history, when they also reached the second round in the 2008/09 campaign.
They currently sit 16th in their division, with 21 points from 17 games.
Ticket information for this fixture is yet to be released. Keep checking leytonorient.com for details.
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Home/CyProb News & Updates/The Greek Cypriots do not want to share power: Cavusoglu
CyProb News & UpdatesLatest Headlines
The Greek Cypriots do not want to share power: Cavusoglu
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said that South Cyprus did not want to share governance and power, adding that the issue of security and guarantees was just an excuse.
Speaking on TRT Haber, Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey had backed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at the negotiations He said “negotiations were held on the island within the UN framework. There are six chapters. There was convergence on four of them, however, there were outstanding issues. We wanted to discuss and conclude the last two chapters, especially territory and also security and guarantees together.”
Pointing out that Turkey and the TRNC had done their part, Çavuşoğlu said concrete proposals were presented and everyone had seen that Turkey and the TRNC had been highly logical and constructive.
Stating that the Greek Cypriot Administration and Greece could not come closer to a solution with the current parameters, he said “because they think that they are EU member state. Therefore, they do not want to share governance and power. Security and Guarantees is just an excuse.”
Stressing that the Greek Cypriot Administration’s unilateral drilling activities in Cyprus were wrong, the Turkish Foreign Minister said “Turkish Cypriot people also have rights there.”
Çavuşoğlu also reiterated Turkey’s desire for reaching a settlement in Cyprus.
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Miranda July: Artist & Filmmaker
For Miranda July, the extraordinary and the mundane go hand-in-hand. Her performance art, films and books all began with one great story: her own.
Artist & Filmmaker
Miranda July: Motherhood
Miranda July shares intimate details on her most recent creation: her child.
Miranda July: Her Inner World
Miranda July realizes her strength comes from listening to her emotions and embracing her inner world.
Miranda July: Valuing Fun
Miranda July gives the advice she wishes she had received as a teenager: have fun.
Miranda July: Live and Learn
Growing older can often bring new challenges, but some life experiences actually get easier with age.
Miranda July: Always Experiment
Experimenting is necessary in the arts. July shares how she pushes forward with her ideas, despite criticisms.
Miranda July: Energy Flows
Time and energy are limited and Miranda July thinks they should be well-used.
Miranda July: Women in the Spotlight
Miranda July provides her insight into the changing perspectives on women in leadership positions.
When Miranda July (née Miranda Jennifer Grossinger) dropped out of college to move to Portland in the 90s, it was clear she was already adept at conveying gravitas. Through a manner that would hint at her proclivity for creative storytelling, she told her parents of her departure through letters recorded on cassette tapes left with her brother, in order to create a "real sense of drama" about her decision to leave school. These early experiments communicating through multimedia matured into a lifetime of award-winning performances and writing. Miranda July is now a filmmaker, artist and writer. She is the author of It Chooses You (2011) and No One Belongs Here More Than You (2007), a collection of short stories that won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. July wrote, directed and starred in two feature-length films, The Future (2011) and Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), winner of the special jury prize at the Sundance Film festival and four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Camera d'Or. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, Harper's and The New Yorker and her multimedia projects have been presented at the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and featured in two Whitney Biennials.
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The Boys From The White Stuff
Tate And Lyle Liverpool
John Wright and Co had a sugar refinery in Liverpool from about 1809. In 1859, Henry Tate, a successful grocer in Liverpool joined them as a partner. Henry Tate realised that a more efficient production on a much larger scale was needed if British sugar refining was to survive European competition. He set up his own refinery in 1862 and expanded this business by moving to Love Lane in 1872. Future expansion was achieved by buying out major competitors, partly to eliminate competition and partly to acquire their sites for extensions. In 1921 Tate’s amalgamated with Lyle’s of Greenock. Production at the Love Lane factory reached a peak of 550,000 tons in 1972 and eventually 300,000 tons per year.
The Tate and Lyle Sugar Refinery photograph taken from the Recovery Pan Floor,the building to the right is the boiler house and the one to the left is the raw sugar silos.
(Information courtesy of Michael Greenall)
In 1921 Tate’s amalgamated with Lyle’s of Greenock and the need to transport the company's raw materials and finished products, resulted in Tate and Lyle investing in their own in house transport fleet. From those early days Tateand Lyle adopted a navy blue and gold livery which the company still use today. Production at the Love Lane factory in Liverpool reached a peak of 550,000 tons in 1972 and stood at 300,000 tons per year when the factory closed.
Ariel view of the Tate and Lyle site
Despite strong efforts to keep the Tate and Lyle factory in Liverpool open, it closed down in 1981. It was claimed that the reason for closure was a surplus capacity in cane sugar refining caused by the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Community. In July 2010 Tate and Lyle announced a deal to sell its sugar business to American Sugar Refining for £211m in cash. The name will continue to be associated with sugar as the American firm will use the Tate and Lyle brand on the sugar products it sells. At the time of the acquisition American Sugar Refining's co-president Luis Fernandez said: "Tate and Lyle is steeped in 130 years of tradition and consumer loyalty.
Tate and Lyle Lorries, Liverpool 1981 By Dave Forrest
In December 2010 the last of Tate and Lyle’s operations in Merseyside disappeared as the sale of its molasses business to W and R Barnett was completed, ending its 150-year association with Liverpool Today Tate and Lyle once famous in the UK for its sugar products, including its Golden Syrup is now set to concentrate on its industrial food ingredients division, which produces items used in processed foods such as soups and sauces.
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That which is done
Is what will be done.
And there is nothing new under the sun.
Until PBS began airing Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s documentary, “The Vietnam War,” I had almost forgotten how bad the ‘60s were.
The counterculture’s mantra, “make love, not war,” had hippies copulating in the streets. The shocking assassinations, the Cuban missile crisis, war protests, the burning and bombing of campus ROTC buildings, the killings at Kent State, Charles Manson, the upheaval of civil rights, fire hoses and snarling dogs, ceaseless violence and death in Vietnam, the sudden dissolution of moral standards that theretofore had been commonly accepted, and then, the frightening duplicity of Richard Nixon.
I remember thinking, in my inexperienced youth that “the country was coming apart.” Sound familiar?
Now, though I disapprove of it, the protest of a few athletes kneeling during our national anthem doesn’t get me “all fraught up,” to use a phrase favored by my father. An intransigent Congress, a shoot-from-the-hip president, the poisonous seepage of Islamic extremism throughout the world, war upon war…. Thank goodness I now possess an experienced core that shrugs and remembers we’ve survived worse.
Yet we do well to care, very deeply, about the issues troubling us and our country, no matter that it has ever been so and will ever be. We suffer in our present moment, and decent people do their best, individually and collectively, to make circumstances better. Just as they have throughout human history.
I’m not suggesting equivalence here, but the pose of football players taking a defiant knee bears a strong resemblance to the depiction of Gen. George Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge. Taking exception to unfair treatment is thoroughly American. Lest we forget, our own Revolutionary War was a violent protest against being viewed as vassals.
As a democracy, we require an agonizingly long time to redress wrongs. Sometimes we need a nudge even to see the problem. Like it or not, protests that provoke outrage get the gears grinding, often more quickly than reasoned discourse.
In one segment of “The Vietnam War,” an American POW recalls that at night, he and his fellow prisoners would softly sing patriotic and spiritual songs. We finally realized, he said, that though we came from different social and economic backgrounds, different races and religions, we were all Americans.
Yes we are, have been, and ever will be. Americans, all.
All is “vanity and grasping for the wind,” Solomon chants throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. Despair pervades his worldview. In the last two verses of the book, however, he lifts his head and says the following.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Or as the prophet Micah said, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
And to bear in mind that there is nothing new under the sun.
Carol Megathlin is a writer living in Fairhope, Alabama and Savannah.
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Adobe touts early customer adoption of AIR
By Elizabeth Montalbano
IDG News Service | PT
Adobe on Monday will release the first full version of its Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), while revealing early adopter customers who are building both business and consumer applications using the technology.
AIR 1.0 is now available as a free technology, said Adobe Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch. He said hundreds of thousands of developers have downloaded the software development kit (SDK) for AIR during the beta process, which began in June. Some of the first applications built using AIR also will be available Monday, and Adobe plans to highlight these releases with customers at an event in San Francisco.
AIR is Adobe's technology aimed at bringing the same functionality of rich Internet applications built using technologies such as Adobe Flash and Flex Builder to the desktop. AIR acts as a wrapper for rich Internet applications, allowing those applications to run locally in the Flash Player.
[ Further reading: Learn more about macOS Catalina ]
Adobe also will release the latest version of its developer framework for rich Internet applications, Flex 3, on Monday, along with a new technology, Adobe BlazeDS. The former integrates with software from Adobe's Creative Suite 3 applications, while the latter is a data-services layer that helps send information between back-end IT infrastructure-like application servers and front-end applications more quickly and efficiently.
Flex 3 and BlazeDS are open source and available for free.
Adobe hopes AIR will expand its reach beyond the Internet into business and desktop applications, where competitor Microsoft plays prominently. Meanwhile, Microsoft is gunning for Adobe's position as the leading provider of RIA tools with its browser-based technology Silverlight and its Expression graphic- and Web-design toolset.
In fact, if Microsoft's bid to purchase Yahoo is successful, it would likely displace the use of Flash on many of Yahoo's Web sites and services, helping Microsoft proliferate the use of Silverlight more quickly.
Lynch, who just last month was promoted to his CTO position at Adobe, said that it's taken 10 years for Flash to reach 99 percent adoption among Web users, so he is not overly concerned with what might happen to Flash if the Microsoft-Yahoo deal goes through.
"It's not an easy task to get that kind of distribution," he said, adding that Adobe would even welcome more competition in the rich Internet applications market. "It keeps all of our teams on their toes," Lynch said.
Indeed, Adobe, particularly with the acquisition of Macromedia in 2005, has been successful at building a comprehensive set of tools that developers use primarily to deliver multimedia and high-impact, customer-facing Web sites and Web-based applications. Barring Microsoft, the company really has no major rival in this space.
With AIR, Adobe provides Internet companies with new ways to reach consumers, Lynch said. Companies going live on Monday with consumer-facing applications that leverage AIR include eBay and AOL.
eBay, working with consulting firm EffectiveUI, is one of the earliest adopters of AIR. The online auction company will release the first full production version of eBay Desktop, a version of its auction site that can run on the desktop without being connected to the Internet or accessed through a browser. By leveraging AIR, eBay Desktop can automatically update user information whenever the user is connected to the Internet.
AOL plans to launch an AIR-based application called Top 100 Music Videos, which allows users to search for and view music videos from AOL Music even when they are offline.
AOL is working on another AIR-built application that it plans to launch soon called AOL Xdrive. The personal hard drive offering 5GB of storage is currently a Web-based service that lets users share photos, spreadsheets, videos, and other content; the coming version will let users access the service via Adobe AIR.
Phil Costa, director of product management for Flex and ColdFusion in Adobe's platform business unit, said bringing rich Internet applications to the desktop has a number of advantages for end-users. A desktop application built with Adobe's tools can deliver the same experience regardless of what platform a user is running. And putting such programs on the desktop gives them access to local files and storage.
Users also don't have to be in a browser or, in some cases, even online to use such applications, Costa added. Take eBay Desktop, which will be able to deliver product notifications and auction updates to users without requiring them to launch a browser. The eBay application also can grab auction and product information that users can review offline at their leisure.
With AIR and related free offerings, Adobe also hopes to drive adoption of its for-fee developer, design and server software in the business and enterprise market.
Some of the customers announced Monday show some momentum toward that goal. For example, BusinessObjects, the business-intelligence software provider recently acquired by SAP, is using AIR for a new product called BI Widgets. The technology allows users to search, organize and access BI content in back-end systems and databases from the desktop.
Web-based CRM (customer relationship management) provider Salesforce.com also is using AIR to deliver applications built using its Force.com hosted developer environment to the desktop, said Adam Gross, vice president of platform marketing for Salesforce.com. The company is launching a new product called Force.com Toolkit for Adobe AIR that allows developers to extend applications built using Force.com to the desktop.
"In theory, one could build [technology to bridge that gap] themselves, but it would be an enormous amount of work," Gross said. "AIR makes it a lot easier."
Another enterprise customer, Deutsche Bank, is using AIR for a new Internet service for its business customers called db-direct, which provides instant desktop alerts about account activity to corporate clients and financial institutions.
Other companies scheduled to show off how they're using AIR at Adobe's event Monday include The New York Times Company and The Nasdaq Stock Market.
Macworld.com executive editor Philip Michaels contributed to this IDG News Service report.
This article was reposted at 2:12 p.m. on February 25 to correct erroneous references to AIR as open-source technology.
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Big Easy Braces for Barry Flooding; Emergency Declared
file image: AdobeStock / © mode list
New Orleans braced for severe flooding with residents told to hunker down as a growing tropical storm in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico headed for landfall late on Friday or early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana late on Thursday, hours after the region's oil production was cut by half as energy companies evacuated offshore drilling facilities and a coastal refinery.
Tropical Storm Barry was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 km/hour) early on Friday.
Authorities were keeping a watchful eye on the levee system built to contain flooding along the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and has been running above flood stage for the past six months.
Barry was forecast to bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the river that could push its crest to 19 feet (5.9 m) on Saturday - a foot lower than initially predicted but still the highest level since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the city's levees.
The brunt of the storm was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans instead of making a direct hit. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the city had not ordered any voluntary or mandatory evacuations, but added that 48 hours of heavy downpours could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water in the low-lying city.
Pumps were already working at capacity after heavy rains flooded streets on Wednesday, she said.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned: "The more information we get, the more concerned we are that this is going to be an extreme rain event."
Officials for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the levees, insisted no significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was likely.
Some residents, recalling the deadly, devastating floods unleashed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, said they were determined to get out of harm's way.
"It's really the river that has us worried," said Betsey Hazard, who lives with her husband, Jack, and their two young children a block from the Mississippi River. She said the family was packing up and heading for the neighboring state of Mississippi to ride out the storm.
"They say that the river won't flood in New Orleans, but we have a 5-year-old and a 10-month-old, and we don't want to take any chances."
Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways in hopes the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage.
A tropical storm warning was posted on Thursday afternoon for metropolitan New Orleans, and a hurricane warning for a stretch of the Louisiana coast south of the city.
Barry will be classified a hurricane once sustained winds hit 74 mph (119 km), which could occur late on Friday or early on Saturday when its center is expected to be near the Louisiana shoreline, the National Weather Service said. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland.
Reporting by Kathy Finn
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Britain said on Friday it would deploy the destroyer HMS Duncan warship to the Gulf to replace HMS Montrose, maintaining a continuous presence there d
On Guard! Ocean Guardian helps Ship Owners on Enviro Compliance
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By Aiswarya Lakshmi June 7, 2017
EU Intensify China Cooperation for IMO CO2 Strategy
Photo: European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA)
Following the decision of the United States to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) encourage the intentions of the European Union and the People's Republic of China to intensify cooperation in achieving a global climate deal for shipping.
Indications of such cooperation materialised during the 19th EU-China Summit held in Brussels last week. At the Summit, EU and Chinese leaders reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change. EU and Chinese leaders also looked forward to co-hosting, along with Canada, a major ministerial gathering in September to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement and accelerate the clean energy transition.
"The withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement should not jeopardise an ambitious global strategy to reduce the CO2 emissions of shipping", said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven, "We are therefore pleased that the EU and China appear to be working towards reinforced co-operation on delivering a climate agreement for shipping at the International Maritime Organization (IMO)."
Discussions on the IMO greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy will start in a few weeks' time, at the 71st session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). The IMO aims at establishing an initial strategy in 2018, which is to be finalised in 2023, after real-time data on CO2 emissions of global shipping have been collected and analysed.
Ahead of the MEPC meeting, the global shipping industry, represented by four international shipowner organisations, submitted a proposal to keep total global CO2 emissions below 2008 levels, and then progressively cutting annual total emissions from the sector by 2050, by a percentage to be agreed by IMO.
“We call upon the EU and China, and indeed all IMO Member States, to support the industry proposals", said ICS Secretary General Peter Hinchliffe, "The priority of governments should be to focus on the development of alternative, fossil-free fuels and IMO should assess whether holding CO2 below 2008 levels can be achieved with technical and operational measures alone.”
ECSA and ICS continue to express concern about unilateral measures that the EU, China and other regional powers may be contemplating. The European Parliament is notably pushing for the unilateral inclusion of shipping in the European Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).
'"We remain firmly opposed to a patchwork of regional schemes that would distort international shipping markets while doing little to tackle the reduction of the global industry’s actual emissions", concluded Patrick Verhoeven and Peter Hinchliffe, “Imposing regional solutions will be counterproductive. It will anger developing nations that have agreed to participate in the IMO process despite their concerns about the implications for their economic development, making the prospect of a global agreement on truly meaningful CO2 reductions far more difficult if not impossible."
• Canada • European Parliament • European Union
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Navy Innovation: Using Virtual Reality
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Yakusoku no Neverland First Impressions (1): And suddenly...
Well, I can't really pretend to be surprised by the content of the episode since I knew it going in. That being said, this adaptation seemed pretty solid to me, with interesting visual representations and music. I do like the concept of the series as a whole, with the idea of a happy orphanage for kids holding some dark secret. Honestly, I think part of what turned me off from the manga was that the uncertain nature of manga release made me question whether I could handle the constant tension that's inherent to a story like this. Perhaps it makes more sense in anime, which tends to have more defined time constraints.
I do like how the episode puts emphasis on the game of tag, though, since it's such an innocent game on its own. This scene gains a lot more weight given the comparison at the end, and the constantly ticking clock is a valid representation of the central opposing factor in the show. The scene serves a great dual purpose of setting an early tone that is light while representing the harsh truth.
Given the nature of kids, it's hard to believe that no one has jumped this fence before. These kids are eleven years old, right? That's a long time to notice something.
As always, it's fun to see these kinds of hints when you're watching a scene for the second time. This conversation is pretty suspicious even on its own, and it's fun to see how much the episode emphasizes the fact that Conny isn't one of the brightest kids. I think it's a testament to how well the episode builds itself to its reveal, dropping hints while keeping the tone light.
Honestly, I find it pretty funny that the orphans who leave to meet their "foster families" end up going in the dark. You'd think that this sort of event suits the break of dawn or something.
I can't remember what kinds of creatures these guys were, but I'm not sure I was ever convinced in the manga that they were especially important. Sure, they're the entire reason for the system that's in place, but it feels like they could have been anything. Shock factor?
The way the music abruptly cut out at this scene was amazing.
Posted in: Winter 2019
horror escape harvesting kids
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Family compiles letters from Vietnam for book
Matt Lynch/Daily News staff
Nearly 40 years ago, Pattie Nickerson was at home celebrating after being crowned queen of the Marlborough High School Junior Prom the night before, and her sisters were in class at Immaculate Conception.
With her mother, Rosalie, at the market, and her father, Paul, at work, Nickerson was home alone when she saw two Marines walking to the front door.
Paul Minehan, a Marine who fought in World War II, had told his daughters to call him or their mother if two Marines and a priest came to their door. But, in the early morning after the prom, Nickerson saw there was no priest with the Marines and thought nothing of it.
"I told them my parents weren't home and they said, 'Ok, we'll get back in touch with you,"' said Nickerson, 56. "As they pulled out of the driveway, it dawned on me what had happened."
Nickerson's older brother, Michael Minehan, a Marine lance corporal, had been killed on June 2 by friendly fire in the vicinity of Quang Nam, when an air strike by U.S. forces had the wrong coordinates.
"He was killed by friendly fire, a term I can't accept," said Carol Lynch, 53, one of Minehan's sisters.
Almost 40 years to the day after Minehan died - his family didn't learn of his death until June 13 - his sisters say they remember the times he would give them an extra couple bucks when he dropped them off for pizza in Marlborough just as vividly as the letters and phone calls they got from him in Vietnam.
"He was the best big brother anyone could want to have," said Lynch. "He was very friendly and very popular. Our house was like the Dew Drop Inn, with Michael and all the boys."
Now, in hopes of preserving the memories of their older brother, the sisters have created "Letters from Nam," a collection of all of the letters Minehan wrote to his family from Vietnam.
The dispatches from Minehan's six months in Vietnam are a collection of letters he sent to his sisters individually and to the family collectively. In them, Minehan asks for updates on how his sisters are doing and tells them not to worry.
The book, however, also includes a group of letters his sisters and mother never saw, letters he sent to his father at work. In them, Minehan details more candidly the near misses and daily dangers of combat in Vietnam.
"His father was a proud Marine, and he was a proud Marine," said Matt Nickerson, Pattie's husband and a childhood friend of Minehan's who served as staff sergeant for the U.S. Air Force in the Phillippines during the Vietnam War.
"It was a family thing. It was in his blood," said Nickerson, 60.
Copies of the book, which was made four years ago, will be passed from generation to generation, said Kathy Beaudoin, Minehan's youngest sister.
"I'll give it to my children," said Beaudoin, 45. "It's painful to read, but it's important."
The front of the book features a picture of Minehan in Vietnam looking at his high school yearbook and the epitaph Paul Minehan wrote for his son: "He chose to stand and fall amongst those who felt it an honor to serve their country."
Minehan, who excelled in hockey and golf, could have stayed in America and never been drafted, but he chose to enlist in the Marines because of his love for his father, who served in the Marines in World War II.
"Michael wasn't the type of guy to back away from a challenge," said Lynch. "He was always in the forefront ... I know dad was proud of him. He always looked up to our father as his hero."
But it was Rosalie Minehan who first learned of her son's death.
With both of her parents gone, Nickerson called the police and asked for officer Bob Costanzo, a family friend. Minutes later, Costanzo found Rosalie Minehan in the market.
"He put his hand on her shoulder and said, 'Chickie, you've got to go,"' said Beaudoin. "She collapsed at the meat counter."
Pam Foley, Minehan's second youngest sister, said she remembers being called into the principal's office at Immaculate Conception to be told her brother died on June 2, 1968.
"I said, 'But it's June 13," said Foley, 49.
The sisters said the following days were a blur of wakes and receptions, capped by Minehan's funeral at Immaculate Conception.
At first, Minehan's parents rarely discussed his death, the sisters said, but as the girls grew older, discussions of their brother grew more common. That culminated with the book, which includes his last letter, dated May 28, 1968.
"As hard as it is to read, it's part of the healing process," said Lynch.
(Matt Lynch can be reached at 508-490-7453 or mlynch@cnc.com.)
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Bill Pollock Show
Missourinet
Your source for Missouri News and Sports
You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Case of Rabies Prompts Warning from Health Department
Case of Rabies Prompts Warning from Health Department
A case of rabies in Franklin County prompts state health officials to remind people of the dangers of rabies.
State Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Howard Pue, says you must act quickly if someone is bitten by an animal. First, see a doctor who will do a risk assessment. If the animal is tested and determined to be rabid, the series of rabies shots must begin immediately. Even if the animal is suspected of being rabid, the treatment should begin. It’s too late if you wait until symptoms develop. The Department of Health and Senior Services has more information on rabies.
Pue says no one should take a suspected case of rabies lightly. He says around 60 rabid animals are discovered in Missouri each year with many more animals being rabid.
A teen-age girl was bitten by a rabid bat while lying in her bed. Franklin County officials say the bat entered the bedroom from the attic. The girl began a series of shots and is expected to fully recover.
Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)
Filed Under: Health / Medicine Tagged With: Children & Families, Department of Health
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Across Our Wide Missouri
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Body on a Chip to Study Drug Effects on Multiple Organ Systems Simultaneously
Conn Hastings Genetics, Materials, Medicine
Researchers at MIT have developed an advanced microfluidic system that encompasses tissues from up to 10 organs. The device allows scientists to test the effects of drug candidates on multiple organ systems simultaneously. Screening drug candidates in this way reduces the chance of unexpected side-effects during subsequent clinical trials, and reduces the need for animal testing.
At present, drug candidates are routinely screened in animals, but this approach has several limitations. Drugs that have a therapeutic effect in animals may not work in humans, and similarly, side-effects may not be present in animals but arise when researchers administer a drug to humans.
“Animals do not represent people in all the facets that you need to develop drugs and understand disease,” said Linda Griffith, a researcher involved in the study. “That is becoming more and more apparent as we look across all kinds of drugs. A lot of the time you don’t see problems with a drug, particularly something that might be widely prescribed, until it goes on the market.”
An alternative approach is to culture human tissues from specific organs on a microfluidic chip, to create a system that more closely mimics human physiology. However, so far, no-one has managed to culture more than a few different tissues on the same chip, making it impossible to get an understanding of how a drug candidate might affect multiple organ systems in one test.
The MIT team has developed a new microfluidic system in which they can culture up to 10 tissue types simultaneously, consisting of clusters of 1–2 million cells each. Most microfluidic systems are enclosed, making it difficult to manipulate the cells and take samples for analysis. The new chip is an open system, and incorporates several pumps that move fluid among the different organ systems, mimicking the circulatory system.
To date, the research team has cultured skin, lung, gut, liver, endometrium, heart, pancreas, brain, kidney, and skeletal muscle tissue samples in the chip, and have used primary cells derived directly from patients, making their results more clinically relevant. The team tested the system by delivering a drug to gastrointestinal tissue in the chip, mimicking a patient taking the drug orally, and monitored where the drug traveled among the other tissues on the chip, its effect on those tissues, and how it was broken down.
“An advantage of our platform is that we can scale it up or down and accommodate a lot of different configurations,” said Griffith. “I think the field is going to go through a transition where we start to get more information out of a three-organ or four-organ system, and it will start to become cost-competitive because the information you’re getting is so much more valuable.”
Study in Scientific Reports: Interconnected Microphysiological Systems for Quantitative Biology and Pharmacology Studies
Via: MIT
Conn Hastings
Conn Hastings received a PhD from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland for his work in drug delivery, investigating the potential of injectable hydrogels to deliver cells, drugs and nanoparticles in the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. After achieving his PhD and completing a year of postdoctoral research, Conn pursued a career in academic publishing, before becoming a full-time science writer and editor, combining his experience within the biomedical sciences with his passion for written communication.
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Publish Date August 7, 2018
Cannabis for Multiple Sclerosis: Prescriber’s Perspective
Tori Rodriguez
Cannabis has been shown to reduce the use of prescription drugs that have more numerous and serious side effects, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants.
Although treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) has advanced significantly in recent years, symptom management remains challenging, prompting many patients to seek alternative approaches such as cannabis for symptom relief. In a survey conducted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 66% of respondents indicated that they currently use cannabis for this purpose.1
Medical cannabis use is now permitted in 30 states and Washington, DC.2,3 Because of conflicts between state and federal drug laws, there is no such thing as a medical cannabis prescription. Instead, patients must obtain certification from a physician who is approved to certify patients for participation in the program, based on one of numerous conditions, including MS. Once certified, patients receive a card that allows them to purchase medical marijuana from designated dispensaries.
With increasing legalization and social acceptance regarding the use of cannabis, it is anticipated that the number of people using it to manage symptoms of MS will increase as well. However, evidence supporting the benefits of cannabinoids varies widely in terms of quality and bias.
A 2018 systematic review examined randomized controlled trials pertaining to the symptoms with the strongest evidence base, including 2 that are relevant to MS: pain and spasticity.4 The authors found that patients taking cannabinoids were more likely to achieve pain reduction of at least 30%, with a risk ratio of 1.37 (95% CI, 1.14-1.64) and number needed to treat of 11. Most studies investigating the effects of cannabinoids on pain focused on neuropathic pain. In addition, a positive global impression of change in spasticity was observed (risk ratio 1.45; 95% CI, 1.08-1.95; number needed to treat=7). These specific benefits are recognized by the American Academy of Neurology as having strong supporting evidence.5
There is also “indirect evidence that reductions in spasticity, pain, and fatigue may result in improvements in the mobility of [people with] MS,” according to another recent paper.3 The authors further noted that cannabis use has been shown to reduce the intake of prescription drugs that have more numerous and serious side effects, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants. Findings published in 2017, for example, demonstrated that 77% of frequent opioid users had reduced consumption since initiating cannabis use, and many patients also decreased their use of antianxiety (72%), migraine (67%), and sleep-promoting (65%) medications.6
To learn more about how medical cannabis is currently being used among patients with MS, Neurology Advisor spoke with Clyde E. Markowitz, MD, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Penn Medicine and associate professor of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Thorsten Rudroff, PhD, FACSM, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, and adjunctive assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Colorado Medical School.
Neurology Advisor: What are some of the most pronounced benefits of cannabinoids for MS and how are they currently being used to treat MS symptoms?
Dr Markowitz: To date, the major active metabolites [identified] in medical marijuana are Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and these have been found to have benefits in individuals with MS, particularly regarding pain and spasticity. Whether there are other benefits is less proven. Animal data suggest immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects, but these have not been adequately studied in humans.7,8
Dr Rudroff: Cannabinoids are effective for the treatment of pain and spasticity in people with MS. There is scientific evidence9 supporting the effectiveness of cannabinoids with a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC, as noted during a recent meeting sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Marijuana and Cannabinoids: A Neuroscience Research Summit, in 2016. People with MS are currently self-medicating with cannabis. There are no specific guidelines, so patients must figure out which cannabis product is best for them.
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Neurology Advisor: How do you feel about recommending cannabis, and what are patients reporting back thus far?
Dr Markowitz: [Editor’s note: Although Dr Markowitz supports his patients’ use of medical marijuana when indicated, he does not wish to become an approved physician who can certify patients for program participation, as he does not want new patients to initiate contact solely for this purpose.] In Pennsylvania, approved physicians must be listed on the state’s website, and I am not interested in that. I’m of the belief that I can take care of my own patients and can make recommendations, but I’m not interested in seeing patients for anything other than MS.
Most of my patients who have used medical marijuana have reported fairly good results. Some have been able to come off medications to treat spasticity that can cause sedation, and others have reported decreased pain. Other benefits have also been reported, but there is a lot of variability between patients.
Dr Rudroff: In my experience, physicians are very hesitant to recommend cannabis. They cannot prescribe cannabis, but they can [provide certification for patients to obtain] a card that allows patients to buy medical cannabis in a dispensary. In speaking with patients with MS who participated in my research, several [reported that they had] reduced or completely stopped other pain drugs such as opioids when using cannabinoids.
Again, without any guidelines about CBD:THC ratio, how often to use, and how to use the product, people with MS often have problems finding a physician who supports or is open to the use of cannabis.
Neurology Advisor: What are the top takeaways for clinicians, and what should be the focus of future research in this area?
Dr Markowitz: In the correct patient populations, medical marijuana clearly has benefits. Some patients can’t tolerate the medications that are used to treat spasticity and pain, and this provides the opportunity to treat these symptoms in these individuals without the side effects [associated with the standard medications].
One thing that’s important to understand is that there are many different preparations of medical marijuana — vapor, oil, edibles, and more — with varying amounts of THC and CBD. We do not really have a handle on that yet to really understand what quantities of these compounds are needed to manage specific symptoms.
In addition, while we know about the short-term benefits, we need to know more about the long-term effects in areas such as cognition and learning ability. So, there are a lot of pieces we don’t yet understand — but the same is true for certain other drugs such as opioids, for example.
Dr Rudroff: In my opinion, cannabinoids are an effective alternative to treat MS-related symptoms. However, while cannabis seems to be effective for the treatment of MS symptoms like pain and spasticity, there are so many unknowns. For example, we don’t know much about interactions with other drugs. Also, based on my own research, it seems that cannabis may further impair cognitive function in people with MS, especially in older adults.
More interventional studies are needed to investigate the acute effects of cannabis in people with MS. The best CBD:THC ratio and interactions with other drugs need to be investigated, and longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of cannabinoids.
Kindred JH, Li K, Ketelhut NB, Proessl F, et al. Cannabis use in people with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis: a web-based investigation. Complement Ther Med. 2017; 33:99-104.
ProCon.org. 30 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC: Laws, Fees, and Possession Limits. https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881. Updated July 17, 2018. Accessed July 19, 2018.
Rudroff T, Sosnoff J. Cannabidiol to improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis.Front Neurol. 2018; 9:183.
Allan GM, Finley CR, Ton J, et al. Systematic review of systematic reviews for medical cannabinoids: pain, nausea and vomiting, spasticity, and harms. Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(2):e78-e94.
American Academy of Neurology. Medical marijuana in certain neurological disorders. https://www.aan.com/Guidelines/Home/GetGuidelineContent/650. 2014. Accessed July 6, 2018.
Piper BJ, DeKeuster RM, Beals ML, et al. Substitution of medical cannabis for pharmaceutical agents for pain, anxiety, and sleep. J Psychopharmacol. 2017; 31(5):569-575.
Rudroff T, Honce JM. Cannabis and multiple sclerosis—the way forward. Front Neurol. 2017;8:299.
Chiarlone A, Bellocchio L, Blázquez C, et al. A restricted population of CB1 cannabinoid receptors with neuroprotective activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(22):8257-8262.
Wade DT, Makela P, Robson P, House H, Bateman C. Do cannabis-based medicinal extracts have general or specific effects on symptoms in multiple sclerosis? A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on 160 patients.Mult Scler. 2004;10(4):434-441.
This article originally appeared on Neurology Advisor
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Mistreatment Programs Reviewed for Reducing Abuse of Medical Trainees
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Books Interviews
How a 13th-century royal chapel influenced the history of France
By Maggie Sharpe
Glittering stained glass. Intricately carved botanical capitals. A cedar spire towering over the heart of Paris. These features all make the Sainte-Chapelle, a royal Gothic chapel built nearly 800 years ago, spectacular in its own right and a perennial stopping point for tourists. Consecrated in 1248, this showcase of piety and power within the French sacral monarchy eventually evolved into a symbol of the artistry and beauty of France across Europe.
In a new book, The Sainte-Chapelle and the Construction of Sacral Monarchy: Royal Architecture in Thirteenth-Century Paris (Cambridge University Press, 2015), UCLA art historian Meredith Cohen shows us that the rich history and cultural significance of the 13th century Gothic chapel are equal in importance to its artistic merits.
“This building was a special, ingenious way for King Louis IX to unite his people under his rule and to really convince them that he was the God-given king,” said the assistant professor of art history.
The chapel was built by the king to hold the crown of thorns purportedly worn by Christ on the cross. Today, with its spire still visible over buildings in Paris, the Sainte-Chapelle is a renowned historical site and a paragon of the ideals of Gothic architecture. When a project to restore and protect its 1,113 panels of much-admired stained glass is completed this year, the chapel will be without scaffolding for the first time since the 1970s, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In her book, Cohen looks beyond what previous scholars have explored to reveal the function of the building and the historical significance of its uses. Cohen spoke recently with Maggie Sharpe from UCLA Media Relations:
What initially drew you to the Sainte-Chapelle?
I was an art history student at UC Santa Barbara, and I had to take an intro class to medieval art like everybody else. There I was in this huge lecture theater, and I saw the most beautiful building I had ever seen — it’s really breathtaking. That image of the Sainte-Chapelle is on the cover of my book. All throughout my undergraduate years, and even as a graduate student, I could not forget that building. It simply captivated me and made me ask questions about its purpose and function, questions that I aimed to answer in this book.
What struck me about the Sainte-Chapelle was that it doesn’t seem nearly as dark or ‘heavy’ as other Gothic structures — like Notre Dame, for example. Is that accurate?
Yes, it’s different. It’s much smaller in span than most Gothic churches because it’s a chapel, and what makes it so beautiful and light is that it has walls of stained glass. Cathedrals are generally much larger, so they’re not able to have walls of stained glass. But the goal of Gothic architecture really was to open up the walls as much as possible for the colored light of stained glass. The Sainte-Chapelle is, therefore, a high point in the technical achievements of Gothic architecture. It’s a monumental jewelry box, whereas Notre Dame is an imposing stone church.
What would you say are the architectural features and artistic elements that make the chapel so noteworthy?
Well, the stained glass for one, but the architecture is also noteworthy. In medieval Paris the Sainte-Chapelle was one of the tallest buildings and could be seen from anywhere in the city. The exterior decoration was concentrated at the top of the building. There are gables that alternate with pinnacles, and they go all the way around the building, kind of like a crown. The decoration matched the building’s function; it was the repository for the actual relic of the crown of thorns, and the chapel was located in the palace of the kings of France, who held the political crown. I would say the gable and the pinnacle motif became the emblem of the architecture of that time. All of the architecture made in the city had this motif. This artistic turn in Parisian culture is quite striking.
Can you talk a bit about the sacral monarchy and its impact on the 13th century?
Over history, many rulers have used religion to bolster their authority … the Egyptians had the pharaoh who claimed to be divine; even in Rome, the emperor claimed to be divine. The Sainte-Chapelle is a medieval recasting of that same idea where the king is then also claiming divine authority. Through this building in particular, the king asserted divine authority over the church, a significant statement because in the Middle Ages, the church and its leaders were immensely powerful.
You mention in the book that Paris wasn’t necessarily predestined to be the central city in France. How did Paris earn that distinction?
One reason was that Paris became the site of the first university (now the Sorbonne). Paris also became the future political capital of France seemingly by chance: King Philip Augustus was on campaign — kings were itinerant, so they carried all of their archives, their important records and other valuables with them. One day he was ambushed by the British king, who took all of King Philip’s documents. After that, King Philip decided to put his archives in the city of Paris and established an administrative structure. Because the intellectual life and the political life are centered in Paris, the artistic life then begins to grow in Paris at the time. My book examines that part of its cultural development and how that contributes to the construction of French identity.
Did the construction of the chapels and cathedrals, like Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame, contribute to this focus on Paris?
Oh, absolutely. That’s one of the claims of the book. The book argues that the Sainte-Chapelle represents a certain high point in Gothic architecture that’s easily reproducible. And yet it’s happening at this political and social moment when Paris is becoming the artistic, political and intellectual center of France, the capital of France. Because it’s so closely tied up with politics, the social life and the city of Paris, the building becomes a symbol of all of that — an emblem of a French cultural, artistic, national identity — even though you couldn’t really speak of “nations” at that time.
~ Thank you to the UCLA Media Relations for this article. You can learn more about Sainte-Chapelle in the third issue of The Medievalverse.
Tags2015 Books • Architecture in the Middle Ages • Churches in the Middle Ages • Medieval France • Paris
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'Medicare for all' proves to be tricky issue for Democrats
Susannah Luthi
“Medicare for all,” the concept of expanding Medicare into a single payer for seniors and non-seniors alike, has divided the House Democratic caucus ahead of November's midterm elections.
Single-payer advocates continue to push the idea, but Democratic strategists hope the issue remains fringe at best, making it fodder for debate in the primaries but unlikely to define Congress' healthcare platform for 2020.
An April poll on the subject found a slim majority—51% of the public—favors a single-payer system, according to the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation, which conducted the survey.
As far as the actual vote goes, looking district by district, the lead goes away, operatives say. Most Americans get coverage through their employers, and those people are mostly satisfied with the way things are.
The baby boom generation also is opting for Medicare Advantage coverage, making it difficult for members of both political parties to believe a large-scale amorphous shift to an expanded version of Medicare can ever be a political winner. Both Republicans and mainstream Democrats are messaging accordingly.
“The American people don't have an appetite for scrapping everything and starting over,” said Brad Woodhouse, who as campaign director of the liberal advocacy group Protect Our Care is overseeing a massive campaign effort across 14 mostly swing states. “That applies to scrapping the Affordable Care Act for single-payer and scrapping the Affordable Care Act for repeal.”
One insurance industry lobbyist said he believes the “Medicare for all” message will continue to gain momentum because its simplicity appeals to people after the last few years of turmoil over the individual market. Democrats may be pushed to the left before voters understand the complexity of a single-payer plan, he added, and Republicans who don't want to touch repeal-and-replace again may find themselves on the defensive pushing back against “Medicare for all.”
Adding fuel to the debate, an economist from the libertarian Mercatus Center of George Mason University predicted massive reductions for providers as the sole restraint to the healthcare costs spurred by the “Medicare for All” plan put forward by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The white paper calculated the plan would cut provider payments by more than $380 billion in the first year and nearly $660 billion in 2030.
Ceci Connolly, president of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, compared today's inter-party debate to the massive public backlash against the continuous double-digit premium increases of the late 1990s. But Connolly says the tone of the discussion has changed. “That era was very different than where we are today, when we have small but vocal groups with a very sharp opinion of what they want from the healthcare system,” she said. “I don't see that opinion broadly across the electorate—probably just within the base of the two political parties.
Key posts on House, Senate panels could be up for grabs
Several House and Senate members are in heated re-election races that could change the makeup of committees that take up healthcare policy issues. View the list of posts.
Democratic strategists had hoped to avoid much discussion of creating a single-payer system, fearing it would hurt the party as it angles for a majority in at least one branch of Congress. In the wake of the GOP's failed measure to repeal Obamacare, Democratic operatives saw an opportunity and urged incumbents and challengers to attack Republicans and the Trump administration for its acts of ACA sabotage.
Woodhouse cited the Trump administration's recent refusal to defend the ACA in a Texas federal court, along with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, as gifts the Democrats needed to galvanize voters around healthcare. Early primary elections favored Democrats who ran on shoring up the ACA and promoting the so-called public option.
But then progressive Democratic candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated longtime Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), a rising star in the party who was considered a shoo-in as next Democratic speaker. A former campaigner for the presidential bid of Sanders—the “Medicare for all” torchbearer—Ocasio-Cortez is now criss-crossing the country to campaign for fellow progressives.
Often joined by Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez is calling for the creation of a single-payer system, with mixed success. She pushed hard for progressives running on “Medicare for all,” but Brent Welder, running for GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder's Kansas seat, and Abdul El-Sayed, running for Michigan governor, both lost. Welder lost by about 2,000 votes and El-Sayed by a margin of 21 percentage points. Those losses, however were followed by wins by two single-payer supporters, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
They've got the fever
But “Medicare for all” fever had already hit the House. Shortly before lawmakers left Washington for August recess, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democratic freshman from Washington state, launched the 60-plus member Medicare for All Caucus. Her explicit goal is to write substantive single-payer policy over the next two years in time for the 2020 election. Significantly, several in the crowd of potential contenders in the 2020 primary signed onto Sanders' “Medicare for all” legislation: including Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
In a burst of drama, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the lead sponsor on the House single-payer bill, suggested progressive groups should call out Democratic lawmakers who don't back “Medicare for all.” “We need to run ads pointing out to constituents people who are not on the bill,” Ellison said at a single-payer conference last month, according to the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.
This rankled Rep. Betty McCollum, a fellow Democrat from Minnesota. McCollum's office did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but in a statement to the Star Tribune the lawmaker criticized Ellison's comments. “Mr. Ellison's rhetorical attack on Democrats fighting to gain control of the U.S. House is extremely disappointing, especially since he's quitting Congress and abandoning his own legislative effort,” McCollum told the newspaper.
Other House Democrats want to slow down the messaging war. “For each member, they really have to think about it on a district basis,” said Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey who represents a district in Dallas-Fort Worth that has one of the lowest insured rates in the country. “Everybody wants to nationalize everything, but the fact of the matter is that everyone needs to figure out how to address this. I think everybody's concerned about healthcare.”
Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), a physician who sits on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, offered a similar sentiment when asked whether the “Medicare for all” message could be detrimental for Democrats. “I think we have to be very cautious on how we achieve universal care because if we don't get it right, it's not going to come up again for another century,” Ruiz said.
On the state level, legislatures and governors are wading into the minefield of industry opposition with a span of measures, including single-payer proposals. This could offer a glimpse of what the fight to come would look like should a “Medicare for all” coalition rally around a detailed plan.
One major point of contention centered on a California proposal that moved in the universal payment direction through an all-payer model. The bill by state Democratic Rep. Ash Kalra would have moved California's providers to an all-payer rate to be set as a percentage of Medicare by a special commission. Backed by patient advocates and labor unions who decry how healthcare costs are cutting into wage growth, the measure drew tremendous opposition from industry groups, especially hospitals that alleged the bill would cut provider pay by $18 billion in the first year alone.
The legislation never got passed by a committee, but a spokesperson for Kalra said he would likely introduce it again next year.
Legislators in New York and California both introduced single-payer bills, and Democratic gubernatorial candidates from California to Michigan to Massachusetts are also calling for single-payer, absent much detail.
It isn't clear how far states can go under the Trump administration. CMS Administrator Seema Verma took aim at “Medicare for all” in a speech at the Commonwealth Club in California, saying the agency would likely deny single-payer waivers. “It doesn't make sense to waste time on something that's not going to work,” she said, citing the cost of the program and Medicare's pending insolvency.
What's the new status quo?
If Democrats take control of the House, or even both chambers of Congress, they could serve mainly to block Trump's moves. While mainstream Democrats say they want to stabilize the ACA, Trump has in the first half of his term worked to reduce the law's role, promoting the use of short-term plans and association health plans. The GOP-majority Congress has delayed and repealed Obamacare taxes including the individual mandate.
“Medicare for all” proponents want to fine-tune their message for 2020, Connolly said, but she'd prefer Congress to focus on correcting the existing system.
Similarly, liberal policy advocate Woodhouse said it would be more effective to support correcting the ACA's flaws. “If the point is to maintain what people have and strengthen it, and if that's where the American people seem to be, the most effective political argument for Democrats is to expose Republicans for wanting to rip away healthcare for millions of people,” he said.
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Hmm… With Crom
Crombie
This new (and probably short-lived) column is called Hmm…, as in, ‘Hmm, I’m not sure how I feel about that.’ In it, I’ll be highlighting some things I’m a bit Hmm… about.
For some of you, the Hmm‘s below will be right on the money. For others, though, the things I’m Hmm… about will upset you, and you might even write me an email to explain how I am wrong. Please do that because there’s nothing I like better than receiving mail, hate or otherwise. Hmm… Let’s get started.
Jordan Peterson
I’m a little bit Hmm… about Jordan Peterson. Everything he says seems to make perfect sense, but then a lot of it strikes me as a bit mean or unfair. If you’re not familiar with Peterson, he’s a Canadian Psychologist who gets regularly attacked by feminists and libertarians because some of his views aren’t very inclusive. He’s intelligent, highly articulate, and he has the patience of the Dalia Lama on a Nyquil bender, so what he says appears to be reasoned and logical. But then I’m like, ‘Hmm… are his seemingly rational and acceptable ideas just a Trojan horse for more hateful ideas he keeps hidden behind those unquestionably hateful eyes?’ Does he seem like a cunt? Hmm…
I know, how could I be even remotely Hmm… about these burglar bastards? I haven’t thrown a punch since Fleet Week 2004, but I’d happily go helicopter on these twits because if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s plagiarism. It sickens me. I put plagiarists on the same scum-tier as pedophiles and people who like Two and a Half Men, and these turkeys are blatantly, unabashedly ripping off the greatest rock band ever after AC/DC: Led Zeppelin. And yet, that ‘Highway Tune’ is so utterly ZEP-TASTIC, I wish Zeppelin had written and recorded it so I can enjoy it without feeling like I’m wanking with Jimmy Page’s tears. Hmm…
I hate that I just typed those five disgusting letters into one of my articles, but there’s something I’m a bit Hmm… about with Trump, and that’s the theory that he’s an idiot. I’m positive he’s a greedy, unfeeling, self-serving asshole, but an idiot? I’m not so sure. Years ago, Elizabeth Hurley said something like, ‘I don’t mind if people underestimate my intelligence–it just makes it easier for me to do the unexpected,’ and I think that might be Trump’s trick. You think he’s stupid, but he’s actually very cunning, and part of that cunning might be convincing you he isn’t cunning at all. Case in point: he was the only guest on the Ali G Show to figure it was a piss-take. Watch how fast he gets a read on the situation in the video below. Hmm…
Female Teachers with French Surnames Having Affairs with Students
Seattle High School teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, thirty-two, total babe, had an affair with a thirteen-year-old student. Debra Lafave, Floridian High School teacher and super-fox, aged twenty-three, had an affair with a fourteen-year-old student. Lisa Lavoie, a teacher from Holyoke, Massachusetts, aged twenty-something, coulda been a model, had a love affair with a fourteen-year-old student. I could go on. I won’t, but I could. There are hundreds of them. Which makes me think, Hmm… What’s up with hot female school teachers with French surnames interfering with male students? Also, why didn’t my English teacher, Miss Beauchêne, trespass upon me? Hmm…
Music Snobbery
I’ve got two Morrissey tattoos, so far be it from to make anyone feel bad about their taste in music. But dumb tattoos or not, what right do I or anyone have to criticize someone’s taste in music? I don’t like Justin Bieber, but he makes millions of children happy, and that’s a good thing. Reggae makes me want to pour Drano in my ears, but I’m glad it’s there because it helps me identify the people I can’t be friends with. Steve Earl? Guys a bigot, but my dad really likes ‘Copperhead Road’. There’s no such thing as ‘bad taste’ in music because the beauty is in the eye (ear) of the beholder. Imagine someone who hates pineapple ridiculing you for eating one. That’s pretty Hmm… if you ask me. Everyone is entitled to listen to whatever they want without some self-righteous little creep telling them they’re wrong. That said, how is that orange smudge called ‘Ed Sheeran’ a thing? Hmm…
So that’s Hmm… for this week. If you have something you’re a bit Hmm… about, why not tell me about it at monster@monsterchildren.com? Hmm…
Sign up for the Monster Children Newsletter
Why Are People Still Climbing Uluru?
Insufferable tourists are racing to decimate sacred Aboriginal land.
By Erin Bromhead - | July 17, 2019
One of Sydney’s Best Restaurants Comes to Splendour
And festival co-founder Jessica Ducrou got the inside scoop for us.
By Monster Children - | July 17, 2019
Breakup Songs With Mark Ronson
We chat about heartbreak and the five records that got him through it.
MC Jumps Splendour 2019
The best tracks from this year's lineup, all in one place.
How to Pitch a Tent
If you're old enough to read, you're old enough to erect a tent.
By Crombie - | July 16, 2019
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Home Entertainment Supermodel Naomi Campbell Is Currently In Nigeria
Supermodel Naomi Campbell Is Currently In Nigeria
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, 48, is currently in Nigeria. There are unconfirmed reports that she is in town for GTBank Fashion Weekend. The GTBank Fashion Weekend is a consumer focused fashion exhibition and capacity building event that aims to promote enterprise within the fast growing Nigerian fashion industry.
The events bring together the promising, talented and recognised fashion designers, brand from across Africa and beyond to celebrate the convergence of global fashion design.
The second edition of “Africa Finest” fashion exhibition is scheduled to hold on the 11th and 12th of November, 2017 in Lagos.
The model was spotted in Lagos as she shared a video clip of a view of Eko Atlantic on her Instagram page.
Ms Campbell was recently escorted to the 2018 GQMen of the year awards by Nigerian pop star, Wizkid as her date in London.
Both celebrities were also spotted on the runway of Dolce and Gabbana during its Spring Summer 2019 Men’s Fashion Show in Milan.
Ms Campbell, who was recruited at age 15, is also into singing and acting established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and the 1990s.
She was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press and has embarked on other ventures, which include an R&B-pop studio album.
The model also appeared in several film and television, such as the modelling competition reality show “The Face’’ and its international offshoots.
Ms Campbell is also involved in charity work for various causes.
Previous article“Donald Trump’s Whole Family Will Be Going To Jail Soon” – Tyrese Declares
Next articleVIDEO: BBNaija Bisola Says Her Father Was Selfish And It Will Be Hard To Forgive Him
Between Cardi B, Kris Jenner, Ciara & Naomi Campbell: Who rocked the Chanel’s Button-Down Shirt better
PHOTOS: Naomi Campbell, 48, and ‘new flame’ Liam Payne, 25 attend Vogue BAFTA party amidst romance rumours
Can you tell which is the real photo of Naomi Campbell and which is a drawing?
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As part of a major restructure a new Chief Executive was appointed for a global energy company.
His brief was to move the business forward to address the changing demands of a globally competitive market place. To do this, he had to prepare the senior team to lead, drive and manage a significant process of change.
Morgan Clarke was asked to enable the client to build a cohesive, high performing executive team. They faced the following challenges:
Recently appointed CEO with a new approach and clear change agenda
Existing senior team had relevant and solid experience but was struggling with the different cultural and commercial environment in which they were now operating
Organisation structure was over elaborate and process driven, where emphasis was given to delivering first class engineering solutions without sufficient commercial realism
Workforce had seen a succession of Chief Executives come and go. The business was viewed internally as successful, “why change anything now?”
We facilitated an internal review with the existing senior management team, in order to identify issues, test perceptions and gather evidence on whether they could or would be able to embrace a programme of change
External review of market data in order to test the business strategy. Key clients were contacted to seek feedback on their experiences as customers and to identify relevant factors. This was then taken into account in the design and formulation of the way forward
Designed and delivered an Executive Team workshop which enabled all members of the executive team to arrive at a common understanding of the drivers of the business strategy, also agreement on what that strategy meant in terms of focus and daily activity at both an individual and team level
Worked collectively with the team to arrive at a clear understanding of what was required by team working, where that differed from current practice and coached each individual in the design and implementation of individual action and personal development plans
Mentored the executive team in the design of a change programme which allowed the senior team to demonstrate unified commitment to change and provided a basis for consistent leadership
Created new vision, values and mission statement. Kick started a changed culture, reward and recognition and talent managemetn process
Removed old “silo” mentality and developed an integrated commercial approach
The Chief Executive and the senior team have become an effective and cohesive unit which has delivered substantial, improved business results.
"The coaching has worked well, and the benefits have sustained. Our coach was very focused on the business aspect which made the coaching a powerful experience for me."
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Mesa College lacks spirit
Mark Gail/MCT
DeeDee Williams, Sports Editor
Mesa College is suffering from a severe school spirit drought. In high school, sporting events were extremely important. Many people probably recall sports as being their favorite memory during high school. Whether they were an active supporter, an athlete themselves or part of the band, athletics typically played a significant role in establishing a well-rounded high school experience.
Imagine it once more: the crowd goes wild with every touchdown, the stadium is filled with nachos and blankets, and moms are screeching their sons’ names from yards away. Visit the parking lot, a crowd of boys are hurling insults at each other and physical altercations are taking place when someone says, “your team sucks.” So, where is this spirit at Mesa College?
You seldom overhear students or staff having conversations about the football team’s recent victory or expressing how excited they are about the women’s basketball team’s upcoming season.
“It’s not often you see someone walking around asking people whose going to the Mesa game.” said Mark Cottrell, a student at Mesa.
Also, it is rare to see someone circulating information on upcoming events and roweling up a crowd to get pumped for game nights.
“I never see anybody actually turning up and spreading positive vibes around the school,” stated Mesa student Khistapher Graham.
It is obvious, college requires a lot of time and energy. Everyone is focused on homework, projects and assignments. Spending valuable time and money on a game doesn’t seem practical for most students. Balancing school, work and maybe even children is the main priority. School spirit seems to have no place during this overwhelming and time-consuming season of life.
“Everyone seems to be on their own individual level,” stated Mokoto Mojus, a student and athlete at Mesa, “seems like nobody cares.”
Plus, there are many students that are older and returning to college to further their education. They already lived through the college years and choose to remain focused on their studies. If they really want to watch sports, they are more than happy to do it in the comfort of their own living room.
However, students fail to realize how much of an impact their spirit has on an athlete and even on themselves. Going to these events boosts the morale on the campus in general. It promotes unity, energy and positivity when we come together with a common goal and support our fellow peers.
“Sometimes us athletes feed off the energy from the fans,” stated Mojus, “I think it would help instantly and long term.” The roar of an audience sparks a fire in an athlete. The sound of someone screaming their names and cheering them on pushes them to try even harder. Not only do they want to try hard for the team, they also want to persevere with the intentions of not disappointing their supporters.
Referring back to high school, posters and banners played a significant role in getting people to go support sports teams.
“I don’t feel like the school addresses the upcoming events that happen with the sports, schedule and game wise,” stated Cottrell.
Attendance rates can be increased at sports events simply if the students know when they are going to happen! Some students are ready and willing to show their support at any given moment.
“I do not attend (sports) events at school because I never know of them,” said Graham, “I’ve been at Mesa for a year now and still don’t know when the games are. I would most definitely go so I can get wild in a boomin’ way!”
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27 Facts You Probably Didn't Know About 'Star Wars'
By Noah Gittell
The Star Wars movies have been a part of the cultural zeitgeist for 37 years, and with Episode VII now in the works, a whole new generation of fans will soon be forged. While we still have 18 months to go until the next film is released, we can take some deep trivia dives to tide us over and get us up to speed for the next installment.
Now, let's explore some little-known facts and figures about the galaxy far, far away.
1. 'Star Wars' was not the original title of the film.
In early drafts, the script was entitled Adventures of Luke Starkiller, as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars. Later it was changed to The Star Wars, and then, eventually, just Star Wars.
2. Chewbacca was inspired by George Lucas' beloved dog Indiana.
Image Credit: TheMagazine
The dog was an Alaskan malamute named Indiana, whose name was the inspiration for another famous Lucas character. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Henry Jones (Sean Connery) explains his son's namesake: "Indiana was the dog's name."
3. Harrison Ford was no one's first choice for the role of Han Solo.
Because of his involvement with Lucas' American Graffiti, he was asked to read the role while screen-testing other actors. It was only after testing several prominent stars that Lucas realized he had his Han Solo all along.
4. But then, one of Han Solo's most famous lines was written by Ford himself.
Right before he was lowered into the carbonite freezing chamber, Han was supposed to say, "Just remember that because I'll be back," in response to Leia's "I love you.” According to interviews with director Irvin Kershner, the line was later changed to "I love you, too." But no one liked Han's response, especially Ford, who improvised the now-immortal "I know."
5. Lucas dreamt big with his first choice for the voice of Darth Vader.
Lucas originally wanted Orson Welles for Vader's voice but ultimately decided that Welles' voice was too recognizable. Darth Vader was, of course, voiced by James Earl Jones.
6. The actor who played Darth Vader's body ended up causing a lot of drama.
Image Credit: WordPress
David Prowse, the actor who physically played Darth Vader, was very angry that his voice was replaced with that of James Earl Jones. He claims he was the victim of "reverse racism," since there are no other prominent black actors in the film (apparently glossing over Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian). Subsequently, Lucas has barred him from all Star Wars-related events, reportedly for "annoying" him.
7. The production of the first film was troubled from the start.
Image Credit: Space.com
The very first day of shooting took place in Tunisia, standing in for Tatooine, Luke Skywalker's home planet. On the first day of filming there, the country experienced its first major rainstorm in 50 years and a rest day had to be called.
8. In fact, 'Star Wars' almost started a real war.
Image Credit: Wookieepedia
Also while on location in Tunisia, the Libyan government became worried about what they thought was a massive military vehicle parked near the Libyan border. In response, the Tunisian government, receiving threats of military mobilization, politely asked Lucas to move his Jawa sandcrawler farther away from the border.
9. 'The Empire Strikes Back' also started a George Lucas vs. union war.
Lucas left the Directors Guild of America over a conflict about the opening credits of The Empire Strikes Back. The DGA required all films to have opening credits, but Lucas wanted to bypass them and go straight to the famous Star Wars crawl. Instead of acquiescing to their demands, he left the union.
10. This lead to some tricky director calls for 'Return of the Jedi.'
Steven Spielberg was Lucas's first choice to direct Return of the Jedi, but Spielberg had to pass because of his guild membership. David Lynch was then offered the chance to direct, but he turned it down and chose Dune as his next project. In the end, Lucas chose little-known Welsh director Richard Marquand, who some believe was a puppet and that Lucas actually directed the film himself.
11. The 'Star Wars' franchise owes a lot of success to an unsung hero.
That hero would be the first film's publicity supervisor, Charles Lippincott. Aware of the power of the sci-fi fan, Lippincott went to conventions to promote A New Hope prior to its release and is largely credited with bringing in huge opening day audiences.
12. George Lucas did some unusual research regarding the original trilogy's most famous plot twist.
Image Credit: Blogspot
Lucas had solid reasoning behind why Yoda corroborated to Luke that Darth Vader was his father. During the making of the film, Lucas consulted with a child psychologist, who told him unless it was unequivocally stated that Vader was Luke's father, moviegoers age 12 and under would dismiss Vader's claim to be Luke's father as a lie.
13. Lucas was also a pioneer in protecting against script leaks.
Empire's most iconic line — "No, I am your father" — was a secret to everyone but Lucas. During filming, the actors had a fake script that read, "Luke, you are your own father!" None of the actors understood what that meant, leading Lucas to concoct a lie about time travel and the plot of the upcoming Return of the Jedi to appease them.
14. Yoda's look was inspired by one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century.
Image Credit: NewsWorldToday
Introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda's facial features were based on Albert Einstein. Even the wrinkles on Yoda's lip were inspired by Einstein's famous moustache.
15. Thanks to Nien Numb, the franchise has a lot of fans in Kenya.
Image Credit: Wikia
In Jedi, Lando Calrissian's copilot Nien Numb speaks a Kenyan dialect called Haya. According to the sound designer, the lines were delivered by a Kenyan student living in the U.S. Audiences in Kenya were reportedly thrilled to hear their language properly depicted in the film.
16. Speaking of language, the Ewoks spoke an amalgamation of several languages.
Some of their lines are in Tagalog, a Filipino language. Most of their dialogue, however, is in Kalmuck, a language spoken by nomadic tribes living in central China.
17. One of the greatest directors of our time cut his teeth on 'Return of the Jedi.'
Image Credit: Tumblr
A young man named David Fincher got his first job on the film as an assistant camera operator. Fincher would go on to direct such contemporary classics as Se7en, Fight Club and The Social Network.
18. Jumping a few decades, in 'The Phantom Menace,' Benicio del Toro was originally set to play Darth Maul.
Image Credit: Imgur
Del Toro left the film after George Lucas took most of Maul's dialogue out of the movie. In the finished film, Darth Maul only speaks three lines.
19. George Lucas had a sense of humor about that whole Jar-Jar thing.
In fact, some original scripts of Attack of the Clones bore the joking title Episode II - Jar Jar's Big Adventure.
20. And even huge movie stars become kids on the 'Star Wars' set.
During filming of The Phantom Menace, Ewan McGregor made lightsaber noises as he dueled. The sounds were corrected during post-production. Rumor has it that Hayden Christensen did the same thing the first time he was handed a lightsaber during rehearsal.
21. If you look closely, you can see an old friend of Steven Spielberg's in the Senate in 'The Phantom Menace.'
The Senate contains E.T.'s species of alien, a clever crossover between collaborators George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. In fact, one named senator, Grebleips, is "Spielberg" spelled backwards.
22. The plot of 'Attack of the Clones' is rooted in real-life fascism.
In Clones, the Senate votes to give the Supreme Chancellor sweeping emergency powers to go to war against the Separatist forces. This is the same tactic Hitler used to gain power in mid-1930s Germany.
23. 'Attack of the Clones' was also the only film in the franchise to not be a top earner.
Image Credit: Flix
Although it earned $302 million in domestic box office receipts, it was beaten by both Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
24. 'Star Wars' and 'Revenge of the Sith,' were made under completely different circumstances.
Technology between the years these two films changed an unbelievable amount. One example of the technology: Every clone trooper in Revenge of the Sith is computer-generated. Not a single clone costume or helmet was created for the film.
25. The franchise's anti-union ways continued to create obstacles through the second trilogy.
Image Credit: TotalFilm
British actor Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight) had agreed to be the voice of General Grievous, but pulled out of the film because it was being made using actors who are not part of the Screen Actors Guild, of which Oldman is a member.
26. Chewbacca is a life's work.
Image Credit: GeeksofDoom
Peter Mayhew has basically just played Chewbacca his entire adult life. Revenge of the Sith (2005) marked his first return to the big screen since Return of the Jedi (1983). Between the two films, the only other movie he has done was Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy (1997), a made-for-TV movie in which he has a voice over role. He will return for Star Wars: Episode VII.
27. It all comes full circle.
The newest entry in the Star Wars franchise recently took a hit when Harrison Ford, who will be reprising his role as Han Solo, injured his ankle when a door on the Millenium Falcon reportedly closed on it. Production on his scenes will be delayed up to eight weeks while the star recovers.
Considering we have been waiting 37 years for this installment, two months doesn't seem so long.
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EgyptAir to Commence New Dulles International Service to Cairo on June 3
Three nonstop flights per week on Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft
new air service
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) announced Tuesday that EgyptAir will begin round-trip flights to Cairo (CAI) three times per week on June 3, 2019. Passengers on this new route will travel nonstop aboard Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which the airline is scheduled to take delivery of in mid-April. EgyptAir is a member of Star Alliance, which enables flexible booking opportunities for passengers by combining the networks of 27 different airlines in a codeshare environment.
“The addition of EgyptAir to the Dulles Airport family gives passengers a new choice for traveling nonstop from Washington to the Middle East and beyond,” said Jerome L. Davis, executive vice president and chief revenue officer for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. “This is an exciting addition to the array of worldwide travel options to and from Dulles International Airport – route networks unrivaled by any other airport in the National Capital Region.”
Flights will be available for booking at www.egyptair.com. The schedule is:
Departure/Arrival
2330 / 0540 +1
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
The nonstop schedule is complemented by the option to connect through codeshare airline partners on other days and times.
“As part of EgyptAir’s ambitious plan to reach new horizons around the world, Washington Dulles International Airport will serve as a strategic hub for the airline in the United States, complementing and further integrating our network of more than 70 nonstop destinations around the globe,” said Captain Ahmed Adel, EGYPTAIR Holding Company chairman and chief executive officer. “EgyptAir is adding up to 45 new aircraft, including the Boeing 787-9, catering to both the needs of business and leisure travelers with 30 Super Diamond® fully flat business class seats, giving more privacy to our customers, in addition to a world class entertainment system, providing customers a more relaxed way to travel.”
Tuesday’s announcement is the latest new airline planning to initiate service from Dulles International in 2019, which saw passenger activity increase by more than 5 percent in 2018. With its new nonstop service to Cairo, EgyptAir joins 32 other airlines offering 62 daily flights to 57 nonstop international destinations from the leading international airport in the U.S. capital region.
About EGYPTAIR
EGYPTAIR is the national airline of Egypt, based in the cosmopolitan City of Cairo. The carrier has more than 87 years’ experience in the aviation industry. It’s the first in the Middle East and Africa and the 7th in the world to join IATA. EGYPTAIR is a Star Alliance Member since 2008. The Egyptian flag carrier operates from Terminals 3 and 2 at Cairo airport where customers can enjoy the exclusive services inside Star Alliance lounges owned and operated by EGYPTAIR reaching more than 70 destinations worldwide.
About the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority operates the U.S. Capital Region’s gateways to the nation and the world, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, as well as the Dulles Airport Access Highway, the Dulles Toll Road and construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Metrorail public transit system through northern Virginia. In 2018, 45.7 million passengers passed through the two airports.
Frontier Airlines Adds Service to
New Nonstop Flights to Colorado Springs, Las Vegas and Austin; Nonstop Denver Service Re-Introduced
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What are copyright and phonogram rights (© and ℗)?
What are copyright and phonogram rights (© and ℗)?dmosby@nactape.com2019-03-01T16:21:19+00:00
A song played on the radio encompasses two separate copyrights, one for the musical composition and one for the sound recording.
The standard copyright symbol is © and applies to the author of a composition, the song and its lyrics. Copyrights generally apply to the life of the author (or last survivor of a team) plus 70 years, with some variations. This legal protection may also extend artwork and photographic materials used in the creation of packaging.
The symbol for copyrighted sound recordings is ℗. The p stands for phonogram, a legal term applied to the master recording of music, spoken words, or sounds on LPs, audiotapes, cassette tapes, compact discs, etc. A specific sound recording copyright does not apply to any other rendition or version, even if performed by the same artist(s). It is usually noted in the same way as the more familiar copyright symbol (example: ℗ 1987 Name of Owner). The author of the sound recording is typically the performer(s), the record producer, or both.
Answers to specific individual questions should be obtained from qualified legal counsel.
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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/04/new-phase-matter-confirmed-solid-and-liquid-same-time-potassium-physics.html
Confirmed: New phase of matter is solid and liquid at the same time
The mind-bending material would be like a sponge made of water that's leaking water.
Photograph by Turtle Rock Scientific/Science Source
As a small particle of potassium metal is dropped into a test tube of water, it moves around vigorously—melts, fizzes, and even jumps, changing into bubbles of hydrogen gas and potassium hydroxide. Under the right pressure and temperature, the metal can become a solid and a liquid at the same time, scientists have confirmed. “It’s kind of strange,” says study coauthor Andreas Hermann of the University of Edinburgh.
By Adam Mann
Solid, liquid, gas … and something else? While most of us learn about just three states of matter in elementary school, physicists have discovered several exotic varieties that can exist under extreme temperature and pressure conditions.
Now, a team has used a type of artificial intelligence to confirm the existence of a bizarre new state of matter, one in which potassium atoms exhibit properties of both a solid and a liquid at the same time. If you were somehow able to pull out a chunk of such material, it would probably look like a solid block leaking molten potassium that eventually all dissolved away.
“It would be like holding a sponge filled with water that starts dripping out, except the sponge is also made of water,” says study coauthor Andreas Hermann, a condensed matter physicist at the University of Edinburgh whose team describes the work this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The unusual state of potassium could exist under conditions found in Earth’s mantle, but the element is generally not found in a pure form and is usually bound up with other material. Similar simulations could help study the behaviors of other minerals in such extreme environments.
Earth 101 Earth is the only planet known to maintain life. Find out the origins of our home planet and some of the key ingredients that help make this blue speck in space a unique global ecosystem.
Leaky crystal
Metals like potassium are fairly straightforward on a microscopic level. When shaped into a solid bar, the element’s atoms link up into orderly rows that conduct heat and electricity well. For a long time, researchers believed that they could easily predict what might occur to such crystalline structures under pressure.
But around 15 years ago, scientists discovered that sodium—a metal with similar properties to potassium—did something strange when compressed. At 20,000 times the pressure present at the Earth’s surface, sodium transformed from a silvery block into a transparent material, one that did not conduct electricity but rather prevented its flow. By probing the sodium with x-rays, scientists could see that its atoms had adopted a complex crystal formation instead of a simple one.
Potassium, too, has been subjected to much experimental scrutiny. When compressed to similar extremes, its atoms arrange themselves into an elaborate formation—five cylindrical tubes organized into an X shape, with four long chains sitting in the crooks of this assembly, almost like two separate and non-intertwining materials.
“Somehow, these potassium atoms decide to divide up into two loosely linked sub-lattices,” Hermann says. But as scientists turned up the heat, x-ray images showed the four chains disappearing, and researchers argued about what exactly was happening.
Hermann and his colleagues turned to simulations to find out, using what’s known as a neural network—an artificial intelligence machine that learns how to predict behavior based on prior examples. After being trained on small groups of potassium atoms, the neural network learned quantum mechanics well enough to simulate collections containing tens of thousands of atoms.
The computer models confirmed that between about 20,000 and 40,000 times atmospheric pressure and 400 to 800 Kelvin (260 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit), the potassium entered what’s called a chain-melted state, in which the chains dissolved into liquid while the remaining potassium crystals stayed solid.
This is the first time scientists have shown that such a state is thermodynamically stable for any element.
The machine learning technique that the team developed could be useful in modeling the behavior of other substances, says Marius Millot, who studies material under extreme conditions at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
“Most of the matter in the universe is at high pressure and temperature, for instance inside planets and stars,” he adds.
Exoplanets 101 Exoplanets challenge the notion that we are alone in the universe. Learn what types of exoplanets exist, the methods scientists employ to find them, and how many worlds might exist in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Producer / Narrator: Angeli Gabriel
Editor: Dan Steinmetz
Associate Producer: Marielena Planas
Research Manager: Mark Levenstein
Sound Recordist: Jay Olszewski
Exotic states
Now that the chain-melt phase of potassium is confirmed, it joins the known array of other unusual states of matter beyond gas, liquid, and solid.
Plasma: A superheated form of gas in which atomic nuclei are separated from their electrons, meaning they can generate and be affected by electric and magnetic fields.
Bose-Einstein condensate: Only formed at temperatures close to absolute zero, all the atoms in this material begin to act as a single particle.
Superconductor: A state achieved when certain metals are cooled to low temperatures, and electricity can move through them with no resistance.
Superfluid: A liquid cooled to near absolute zero, so that it can flow without friction, even climbing up the sides of a container and dripping down the outside.
Degenerate matter: Only found under the extremely high pressures achieved in white dwarfs and neutron stars, two types of dead stars.
Quark-gluon plasma: A state in which protons and neutrons dissolve into their constituent quarks, which can move freely among particles called gluons that carry the strong force.
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News & Views | Published: 16 February 2011
Extreme light-bending power
Xiang Zhang1
Nature volume 470, pages 343–344 (17 February 2011) | Download Citation
Metamaterials are best known for their ability to bend light in the opposite direction to that of all materials found in nature. A hidden ability of these man-made materials has now been discovered. See Letter p.369
You've probably noticed that, if you look at it from the side, a straw in a glass of water seems to bend. This is because light bends and slows down when it travels from air into water or other substances. How much the light bends depends on the type of material through which it travels or, more specifically, on the material's refractive index. Ideally, with a view to applications, we would want unlimited power to control the refractive index. A computer-chip maker, for example, would be thrilled to have a lens of huge refractive index in their lithographic machine, because such a lens would allow chips to be made that are much smaller and perform better than those currently available. But nature cannot always supply our ideals: naturally occurring materials have only a limited range of optical refractive indices, typically between 1 and 3. However, on page 369 of this issue, Choi and colleagues1 bring us good news: they have found a way to create metamaterials with an unnaturally high refractive index.
During the past decade, metamaterials2 have generated great enthusiasm among scientists and engineers. These artificially engineered composite materials gain their unique properties, which are not attainable with naturally occurring materials, from their physical structure rather than their chemical composition. The very ability of metamaterials to reach beyond nature's limitations is not only scientifically exciting, but also technologically important: scientists have achieved intriguing physical phenomena and properties in these composite materials that their parent materials do not possess. For example, strong magnetic responses in the terahertz frequency regime have been engineered3 with a composite material containing split-ring structures made of copper. Such strong magnetic responses do not occur in natural materials.
Metamaterials research has made it possible to create the negative-refractive-index materials first envisioned4 by the Russian scientist Victor Veselago in 1968. The negative electrical and magnetic responses of these materials cause them to bend light in the 'wrong' direction5,6. Consider a fish in a tank of water. If water had a negative refractive index — which it doesn't — the fish would seem to an observer to be swimming upside down above the water. Naturally occurring materials have an index with a small positive value, which fundamentally limits the resolution of optical-imaging lens systems to about half the wavelength of the incident light, and so prevents the tiny details of an object from being imaged. Negative-index materials can overcome this limitation. The 'perfect imaging' capability of metamaterials would open the door to many exciting applications, including ultra-high-resolution medical imaging and data storage, and revolutionary miniaturization of computer chips7.
At the other end of the metamaterials spectrum would be materials with a very large positive index — beyond that of naturally occurring materials. A lens with such an index would allow more details to pass through an imaging system. Recently, an ultra-high-index metamaterial has been proposed theoretically8 that uses metallic (conducting) structures embedded in a dielectric (insulating) host. However, its experimental implementation has been impeded by its complicated three-dimensional geometry. Inspired by this idea, Choi et al.1 stacked centimetre-sized planar layers to create bulk-like metamaterials. They formed each layer by printing arrays of thin I-shaped gold building blocks, or 'meta-atoms', onto a polymer (polyimide) substrate using the conventional lithographic technique used for printing electronic circuits. The resulting metamaterials, which are free-standing and flexible (Fig. 1a), have a very high refractive index — more than 30 at the terahertz frequency regime.
Figure 1: Choi and colleagues' high-refractive-index metamaterial1.
a, Photograph of the centimetre-sized, free-standing and flexible metamaterial. b, The internal structure of the metamaterial consists of a lattice of I-shaped gold unit cells, each 60 micrometres in size. When light of terahertz frequency is shone onto the material, the small gap between the bars of two adjacent I cells produces an extremely strong electric dipole of equal but opposite oscillating charges, which confers a high refractive index on the material. (Modified from ref. 1.)
The refractive index depends on the product of a material's electrical and magnetic responses to an electromagnetic field. The authors achieved a large electrical response by placing the I-shaped meta-atoms close to one another, leaving only a small gap. Upon irradiation with terahertz light, the small gap between the bars of two adjacent I meta-atoms produces an extremely strong electric dipole that significantly enhances the electrical response (Fig. 1b). However, at the same time, the incoming light has the detrimental effect of decreasing the material's magnetic response by inducing electric-current loops that prevent the light's magnetic field from penetrating the metallic structures. The authors came up with a creative approach to minimize this effect: they thinned the metallic structures such that the area subtended by the loop current was reduced, effectively minimizing the loss of the magnetic response. In this way, the overall refractive index, which arises primarily from huge electrical dipole moments, was kept at a high value.
To measure the refractive index, Choi et al.1 used terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, in which terahertz pulses are sent through the sample and the time-dependent transmitted pulses are recorded and transformed into frequency-dependent values. The detailed features of these transmitted pulses are then used to deduce the sample's refractive index. The authors found that the metamaterial's observed high index occurs over a broad band of frequencies with low energy loss in the metal. This is caused by strong interactions between the meta-atoms.
Choi et al.1 estimate that a much higher refractive index — of a few hundred — could be obtained by further shrinking the gaps and embedding the layers of metamaterial in a substrate that has a higher refractive index than polyimide, for example strontium titanate. Such an index would be a remarkable amplification of the refractive indices of nature's materials. However, this requires a precision of 10–50 nanometres for the manufacture of the metallic structures into a large (centimetre-scale) area of metamaterial, which can be challenging.
A shortcoming of Choi and colleagues' I-shaped metamaterials is the fact that they are sensitive to the polarization of incident light. Although the authors also designed isotropic two-dimensional metamaterials, which are insensitive to polarization, it will be a challenge to build truly isotropic three-dimensional metamaterials with a refractive index that is both high and does not depend on polarization. But for now, the unusually high index of Choi and colleagues' materials has demonstrated a hidden potential of metamaterials, which once again beats the limitations of naturally occurring materials and will greatly extend our ability to manipulate light.
Choi, M. et al. Nature 470, 369–373 (2011).
Pendry, J. B., Holden, A. J., Robbins, D. J. & Stewart, W. J. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Techniques 47, 2075–2084 (1999).
Yen, T. J. et al. Science 303, 1494–1496 (2004).
Veselago, V. G. Sov. Phys. Uspekhi 10, 509–514 (1968).
Shelby, R. A., Smith, D. R. & Schultz, S. Science 292, 77–79 (2001).
Valentine, J. et al. Nature 455, 376–379 (2008).
Fang, N., Lee, H., Sun, C. & Zhang, X. Science 308, 534–537 (2005).
Shin, J., Shen, J.-T. & Fan, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 093903 (2009).
Xiang Zhang is in the NSF NanoscaleScience and Engineering Center, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720–1740, USA.
Xiang Zhang
Search for Xiang Zhang in:
Nature Research journals •
Correspondence to Xiang Zhang.
To obtain permission to re-use content from this article visit RightsLink.
https://doi.org/10.1038/470343a
Tuning the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition to zero temperature in anisotropic boson systems
Jhih-Shih You
, Hao Lee
, Shiang Fang
, Miguel A. Cazalilla
& Daw-Wei Wang
Physical Review A (2012)
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
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Nature | Letter
A terahertz metamaterial with unnaturally high refractive index
Muhan Choi
, Seung Hoon Lee
, Yushin Kim
, Seung Beom Kang
, Jonghwa Shin
, Min Hwan Kwak
, Kwang-Young Kang
, Yong-Hee Lee
, Namkyoo Park
& Bumki Min
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New Coalition Fights Moves for Concealed Carry
Published Nov 26, 2012 at 5:01 PM | Updated at 11:33 PM CST on Nov 26, 2012
An outspoken Chicago pastor is fighting to keep Illinois the only state in the nation that prohibits its citizens from carrying concealed weapons.
"Those that are concerned about pushing for concealed carry: read the papers, look at the facts, look at the blood, and wake up and care about life more than money," Fr. Michael Pfleger said at a Monday press conference at the Chicago Temple.
Pfleger and members of the "Stop Concealed Carry Coalition" urged community leaders and lawmakers to fight the gun lobby and shoot down legislation that would allow concealed carry permits in the Land of Lincoln.
Coalition members say they're concerned that lame duck lawmakers could pass legislation before Illinois' new General Assembly is seated in January.
Officials from 10 rural counties earlier this month passed non-binding measures calling on lawmakers to allow concealed carry. Gov. Pat Quinn has vowed to veto any legislation that allows citizens to carry guns.
Wisconsin last year became the 49th state allowing concealed carry.
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Teen Charged in Maine Man's Murder
The boy's name has not been released yet
By Marc Fortier
Published Apr 1, 2015 at 5:11 PM
FILE - necn
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a Maine man last month.
The teenager was taken into custody in Lewiston and transported to the Waldo County Jail. He will make his first court appearance on Thursday or Friday in a Belfast courtroom. Because of his age, police are not releasing the boy's name until he appears in court.
Detectives with the Maine State Police have been investigating the death of Steven Hodgdon, 49, since March 8, after Waldo County sheriff's deputies were called to his home on Rutland Road in Troy around 2:30 a.m. and found him unresponsive.
The state medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide, saying that Hodgdon died of a stab wound to the chest.
Man Found Unresponsive in Home; Death Remains Under Investigation
NECN
For up-to-the-minute news and weather, be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. Sign up for our new breaking news email alerts by clicking here and download our free apps here.
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Looking for plant data (Copyright Michel Durinx/GARNet).
Project (2014)
Understanding Life in the Digital Age
Sabina Leonelli
This project aimed to provide a philosophical framework through which the current emphasis on data-intensive biology, and more generally the role played by data in scientific inquiry, can be studied and understood. To achieve this, Sabina Leonelli focused on the history and contemporary instances of what she called data journeys: the ways in which scientific data are disseminated in order to function as evidence for knowledge claims. As she shows in her work, the more widely data are disseminated and re-used, the more significant their epistemic role is deemed to be. To be transformed into knowledge, scientific data need to be ordered, labeled, and packaged so as to make them portable—that is, capable of being picked up and transported across different sites.
During her time at the MPIWG, taking inspiration from the lively intellectual environment provided by the Sciences of the Archive project, Sabina Leonelli finalized a book manuscript provisionally titled Researching Life in the Digital Age: The Epistemology of Data-Intensive Biology.
Leonelli, S. (2014). What difference does quantity make? On the epistemology of Big Data in biology. Big Data & Society 1, 1-11.
Leonelli, S. (2013). Why the Current Insistence on Open Access to Scientific Data? Big Data, Knowledge Production and the Political Economy of Contemporary Biology. Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society 33(1/2), 6-11. Leonelli, S. (2013). Integrating Data to Acquire New Knowledge: Three Modes of Integration in Plant Science. Studies in the History and Philosophy of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences: Part C 4(4), 503-514.
Leonelli, S. (2013). Global Data for Local Science: Assessing the Scale of Data Infrastructures in Biological and Biomedical Research. BioSocieties 8(4), 449-465.
Leonelli, S. (2013). Classificatory Theory in Biology. Biological Theory 7(4), 338-345.
Leonelli, S. (2012). Classificatory Theory in Data-Intensive Science: The Case of Open Biomedical Ontologies. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 26(1), 47-65.
Leonelli, S. (2012). When Humans Are the Exception: Cross-Species Databases at the Interface of Clinical and Biological Research. Social Studies of Science 42(2), 214-236.
Leonelli, S. (2012). Making Sense of Data-Driven Research in the Biological and the Biomedical Sciences. Studies in the History and Philosophy of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences 43(1), 1-3.
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Preface by Lewis Lehrman
Introduction by Richard Behn
Mr. Lincoln’s Visits
Visit to Albany and Niagara Falls
Business Trip to New York
Cooper Union Speech
Before the Speech
Arrival in New York City
The Cooper Union Text
After the Speech
Remainder of Speaking Tour
Historian’s Comments
Printing and Publicizing the Speech
Pre-Inaugural Visit
Dunkirk and Westfield, Febuary 16, 1861
Buffalo, February 16, 1861
Buffalo to Albany, February 18, 1861
Albany, February 18, 1861
Albany to New York City, February 19, 1861
New York City, February 19-20, 1861
Visit to West Point
Mrs. Lincoln’s Shopping
The Funeral Train
New York Editors
James Gordon Bennett (1795-1872)
John Bigelow (1817-1911)
William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)
Charles A. Dana (1819-1897)
Horace Greeley (1811-1872)
Manton Marble (1834-1917)
Henry J. Raymond (1820-1869)
Theodore Tilton (1835-1907)
James Watson Webb(1802-1884)
Benjamin Wood (1820-1900)
Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)
Henry W. Bellows (1814-1882)
Moses H. Grinnell (1802-1877)
George Templeton Strong (1820-1875)
Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903)
Archbishop John J. Hughes (1797-1863)
New York Republicans
Hiram Barney (1811-1895)
Roscoe Conkling (1829-1888)
david duley
David Dudley Field (1805-1894)
Simeon Draper (1804-1866)
Reuben E. Fenton (1819-1885)
Ira Harris (1802-1875)
George G. Hoskins (1824-1893)
Preston King (1806-1865)
Edwin D. Morgan (1811-1883)
George Opdyke (1805-1880)
William H. Seward (1801-1872)
James S. Wadsworth (1807-1864)
Abram Wakeman (1824-1889)
Thurlow Weed (1797-1882)
New York Democrats
Samuel L. M. Barlow (1826-1889)
August Belmont (1816-1890)
John J. Cisco (1806-1884)
Erastus Corning (1794-1872)
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Had Chauncey M. Depew “devoted himself to politics exclusively there is no office in the United States he might not legitimately aspire to,” wrote Lincoln chronicler Allen Thorndike Rice. “He is one of the foremost orators in the country, and as an after-dinner speaker is unrivaled. He charms a cultivated audience by his subtle humor, and a general audience by his flowing wit; is, in fact, so flexible that he can readily and easily adapt himself to circumstances.”1
The young Yale graduate and lawyer was first elected to the New York Assembly in 1861. In the 1863 legislative session, Chauncey Depew was a likely candidate for speaker of the State Assembly, but the body was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. A Democratic assemblyman offered Depew a deal in which the Assemblyman, T.C. Callicot of Brooklyn, would get the speakership in exchange for assuring that outgoing Governor Edwin D. Morgan was elected Senator by a joint session of the two houses. Two other Democrats offered a counter proposal by which Depew would be elected speaker. Depew chose the Callicot alternative because “the government at Washington needed an experienced senator of its own party, like Edwin D Morgan, who had been one of the ablest and most efficient of war governors, both in furnishing troops and helping the credit of the country. I finally decided to surrender the speakership for myself to gain the senatorship for my party. I had difficulty in persuading my associates, but they finally agreed. Callicot was elected speaker and Edwin D. Morgan United States senator.”2
It was a highly contentious contest in which Democrats repeatedly tried to block a vote — coming near to violence at some points. According to historian Sidney David Brummer, Callicot was accused of having entered into a corrupt agreement with the Chairman of the Republican-Union State Committee and another member of that body, by which Callicot was to vote with that party in effecting an organization of the House and in the election of a United States senator in return for his own election as speaker and for an amount of money sufficient to enable him to pay certain private debts….”3
Depew’s good nature and oratorical prowess stood him in good stead in the Civil War. He had risen rapidly in politics after graduation from Yale. Depew served one and a half terms in the State Assembly before he seeking statewide office in 1863. Depew cut a deal whereby a Democrat was elected Speaker of the Assembly in February 1863 — and a Republican, Edwin D. Morgan, was elected to the Senate. By himself, he collected political IOUs for the future. Depew’s friend Wayne MacVeagh convinced him to campaign for the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania, where the vote was held in early October, before campaigning for his own election as New York Secretary of State in November. “When I returned to New York to enter my own canvass, the State and national committees imposed upon me a heavy burden. Speakers of State reputation were few, while the people were clamoring for meetings,” wrote Depew. “The programme laid out called upon me to speak on an average between six and seven hours a day. The speeches were from ten to thirty minutes at different railway stations, and wound up with at least two meetings at some important towns in the evening, and each meeting demanded about an hour. These meetings were so arranged that they covered the whole State. It took about four weeks, but the result of the campaign, due to the efforts of the orators and other favorable conditions, ended in the reversal of the Democratic victory of the year before, a Republican majority of thirty thousand and control of the legislature.4
As Secretary of State Depew was in a position to make political connections and help other Republicans. He was in a position to do a favor for Utica Republican Roscoe Conkling, who wanted to seek his old congressional seat in 1864 but was afraid of Republicans allied with the Seward-Weed machine:
When I was elected secretary of state I received a note from Mr. Conkling, asking if I would meet him. I answered: “Yes, immediately, and at Albany.” He came there with Ward Hunt, afterwards one of the associate justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. He delivered an intense attack upon machine methods and machine politics, and said they would end in the elimination of all independent thought, in the crushing of all ambition in promising young men, and ultimate infinite damage to the State and nation. “You,” he said, “are a very young man for your present position, but you will soon be marked for destruction.”
Then he stated what he wanted, saying: “I was defeated by the machine in the last election. They can defeat me now only by using one man of great talent and popularity in my district. I want you to make that man your deputy secretary of state. It is the best office in your gift, and he will be entirely satisfied.”
I answered him: “I have already received from the chiefs of the State organization designations for every place in my office, and especially for that one, but the appointment is yours and you may announce it at once.”
Mr. Conkling arose as if addressing an audience, and as he stood there in the little parlor of Congress Hall in Albany he was certainly a majestic figure. He said: “Sir, a thing that is quickly done is doubly done.” Hereafter, as long as you and I both live, there never will be a deposit in any bank, personally, politically, or financially to my credit which will not be subject to your draft.”5
Depew learned early how to reconcile political differences. He recalled in his memoirs: “Mr. Lincoln told me of an experience he had in his early practice when he was defending a man who had been accused of a vicious assault upon a neighbor. There were no witnesses, and under the laws of evidence at that time the accused could not testify. So the complainant had it all his own way. The only opportunity Mr. Lincoln had to help his client was to break down the accuser on a cross examination. Mr. Lincoln said he saw that the accuser was a boastful and bumptious man, and so asked him: ‘How much ground was there over which you and my client fought?’ The witness answered proudly: ‘Six acres, Mr. Lincoln.”Well,’ said Lincoln, ‘don’t you think this was a mighty small crop of fight to raise on such a large farm?’ Mr. Lincoln said the judge laughed and so did the district attorney and the jury, and his client was acquitted.”6
“I saw Mr. Lincoln a number of times during the canvass for his second election,” Depew later wrote. “The characteristic which struck me most was his superabundance of common sense. His power of managing men, of deciding and avoiding difficult questions, surpassed that of any man I ever met. A keen insight of human nature had been cultivated by the trials and struggles of his early life. He knew the people and how to reach them better than any man of his time. I heard him tell a great many stories, many of which would not do exactly for the drawing-room; but for the person he wished to reach, and the object he desired to accomplish with the individual, the story did more than any argument could have done.”7
Depew noted: “Every one wanted something and wanted it very bad. The patient president, wearied as he was with cares of state, with the situation on several hostile fronts, with the exigencies in Congress and jealousies in his Cabinet, patiently and sympathetically listened to these tales of want and woe. My position was unique. I was the only one in Washington who personally did not want anything, my mission being purely in the public interest.”8
Depew, who was allied with the Seward-Weed-Morgan wing of the party, played an important role in heading off at an attempt to undermine Secretary of State William H. Seward at the 1864 Republican Convention in Baltimore. According to historian William Zornow, “In order to assure the nomination of [Andrew] Johnson the support of New York was also needed. The Empire State had its own favorite son, Daniel S. Dickinson, who was being supported for the Vice-Presidency. William H. Seward, apparently aware of the President’s desires, took Chauncey Depew and Judge Robertson of the New York delegation aside at the convention and told them, ‘You can quote me to the delegates, and they will believe I express the opinion of the President. While the President wishes to take no part in the nomination for Vice-President yet he favors Mr. Johnson. Depew and Robertson carried this message to the delegates who acted accordingly and supported Johnson. The nomination of Johnson was a triumph of Lincoln’s political skill, for Hannibal Hamlin was very popular with the delegates.”9
After leaving the office of Secretary of State, Depew resumed his law practice and began legal work for the New York & Harlem Railroad — eventually rising to president and chairman of the board of the New York Central Hudson River Railroad Company. His attempts to win political office were unsuccessful — including one attempt to become the Republican candidate for president — until he was elected to the Senate in 1899. He represented New York State there until 1911 and subsequently returned to law and business.
Allen Thorndike Rice, editor, Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time, p. 637.
Chauncey M. Depew, My Memories of Eighty Years, p. 25.
Sidney David Brummer, Political History of New York State During the Period of the Civil War, p. 270.
Chauncey M. Depew, My Memories of Eighty Years, p. 326-327.
Allen Thorndike Rice, editor, Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time, p. 427 (Chauncey M. Depew).
Chauncey M. Depew, My Memories of Eighty Years, p. 55-56.
William Zornow, The Many Faces of Lincoln, p. 101-102.
Chauncey Mitchell Depew, United States Congress
Roscoe Conkling
John A. Dix
John A. Dix (Mr. Lincoln’s White House)
Daniel S. Dickinson
Reuben E. Fenton
William H. Seward
William H. Seward (Mr. Lincoln and Friends)
William H. Seward (Mr. Lincoln’s White House)
Horatio Seymour
Thurlow Weed
Thurlow Weed (Mr. Lincoln and Friends)
Thurlow Weed (Mr. Lincoln’s White House)
Soldier Vote
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Environment and waste
Environmental health and pollution
Environmental Protection Act 1990, Part IIA
Deciding if land is contaminated
Developments on contaminated land
Manage land contamination
Environmental search requests
Contaminated land register
We have a legal duty under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to identify land that presents an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment and ensure that those who are responsible for the contamination clean it up. Our Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy sets out the way we deal with potentially contaminated land.
The Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy is being re-written and will be published in 2019.
Remediation of land, with a historic industrial use, via the planning system is the Government’s preferred option, allowing the redeveloper to pay for the cost of such.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides statutory guidance on how local authorities should implement the regime on contaminated land (Part IIA), including how they should go about deciding whether land is contaminated land in the legal sense of the term.
Deciding if land is contaminated
Land contamination can be caused by:
pollution incidents such as accidents, spills, deposits from the air
existing contamination from historical industrial use of the land
a contaminant that has migrated overland or by infiltration into the ground
high levels of naturally occurring substances
historical waste deposits such as a former landfill
When we investigate contaminated land we follow guidance set out by DEFRA using the Source, Pathway and Receptor principle. All three of the elements must be present for the site to be legally defined contaminated land:
The source is the contaminant which is likely to cause harm to people or the environment.
A pathway is a way in which the contaminant can reach a receptor.
The receptor is the person or environment that could be harmed.
Most sites are remediated as they are redeveloped. A condition is placed within the planning permission to deal with the contamination and any risk. In order to discharge such a condition, sufficient information will need to be submitted to show that the potential risks have been identified and assessed. Validation of any remediation work will also be required.
If you are the owner or developer of a site it is your responsibility to investigate and address any contamination issues and ensure that the proposed development is safe and suitable for use.
If your development is for a sensitive end use such as housing, or you are developing land that has had past industrial use, it is likely that you will need to provide a contaminated land risk assessment as part of your planning application. Please contact us on 0191 278 7878 if you wish to discuss your development and our requirements for the submission of a contaminated land risk assessment.
Manage contaminated land
Land contamination can cause unacceptable risks to the environment and to people. You may need to manage potential land contamination:
as part of a planning application for redevelopment
as a Part IIA obligation
as voluntary remediation
as a regulatory requirement, such as an environmental permitting condition (known as EPR H5) or compliance with an anti-pollution works notice
for the purposes of complying with building regulations
for purchase, transfer or sale of the land or property or to support funding decisions
for valuation or insurance purposes
The Environment Agency has published risk management guidance to help you manage land contamination. You can use the principles in this guidance to assess if there's unacceptable risk, decide which options are the most suitable to manage the risk and implement remediation if needed.
We are often asked if there is any contamination to a particular piece of land. We can undertake environmental searches and provide information on environmental issues for individual properties or pieces of land within the city. In some cases, we may have details of remediation that was completed when a site was redeveloped, but for many properties, the only information we have is the past use of the land. Enquiries are usually raised by solicitors as part of property transactions or asset management.
Enquiries are subject to a charge to cover the costs of providing the information.
From 1 April 2019, these charges are:
private residences (search and first two hours): £55
business properties (search and first two hours): £110
each additional hour: £40
Please be aware that we can offer no definitive answers as to past or present contamination. We advise purchasers and interested parties to seek professional advice to assess the available information. Although a property may be situated on land with a past industrial use, it does not necessarily mean the property is on contaminated land, but instead that there is the potential for contamination to be present.
We are required under section 78R of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2000 to maintain a public register of information relating to the remediation of contaminated land. An entry on the register will be created if one of the following happens:
the land is designated as a Special Site (as defined by regulation 2 of the Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2006)
the remediation declaration is published
a remediation statement is published
a remediation notice is served
A summary of the register can be found here. A full version of the register is kept at the Civic Centre and can be inspected by appointment.
The public register will not include details of the historic land use and other records used in the investigation of potentially contaminated land.
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Home > Chuck Todd and Liberal Panelists Champion Radical ‘Green New Deal’
Chuck Todd and Liberal Panelists Champion Radical ‘Green New Deal’
By Nicholas Fondacaro | February 10, 2019 1:34 PM EST
NBC’s Meet the Press and moderator Chuck Todd have taken a radical stance on climate change and they’re proud of it. Late last year Todd boasted about banning “climate deniers” from his show. On Sunday, he and his fellow liberal journalists tried to boost the dangerously radical Green New Deal while avoiding the craziness it proposes.
At the start of the panel discussion, Todd eagerly jumped right into touting some of the idealized goals of the GND:
This week, here's a bullet points of the Green New Deal. I want to put it up here. Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, upgrade all existing buildings, overhaul transportation systems, guarantee a job for every American. It's a resolution, not a bill.
Of course, Todd twisted the facts and utterly failed to mention the ludicrous details of the GND. He didn’t even fact-check Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), the GND’s author when she was lying to his face.
The GND admits that the goals of “overhauling the transportation system” and “net-zero” gas emissions would be met by getting rid of “farting cows and airplanes”. Those “upgrades” to “all existing buildings” gutting your home and rebuilding it. And that’s not to mention the parts that involved installing a socialist government in America. Todd praised the GND for “guaranteeing a job for every American”, but he neglected to mention that the proposal called for shoveling money to people “unwilling to work”.
“Yeah, I think this is aspirational,” praised Daily Kos and Vox founder Markos Moulitsas. “This is so ambitious that these details will have to be worked out over decades. This is a broad, aggressive, bold agenda. It will take time to implement, but at least it shows people where the Democratic Party is going on the issue of climate change.”
A short time later, facts-adverse MSNBC host Katy Tur tried to scare people into accepting the radicalness of the GND:
The U.N. said we have 12 years before complete disaster. Talk to the representative of the Marshall Islands and he's calling it what could amount to genocide if we allow things to go as they are. The reports aren't just hey, it's going to get bad. The reports are people will die. Millions and millions and millions of people will die and I think that there's an appetite among voters out there, especially democratic voters and potentially swing voters…
And according to Kimberly Atkins, senior Washington reporter for radio station WBUR, it was “brilliant” of Ocasio-Cortez to not mention the details regarding implementation of the GND. “And I think that is an issue that moves and I think the aspirational aspect of this; I think it was pretty brilliant to not to put in a bunch of details that people can immediately start taking down.” In other words, it was brilliant because people couldn’t see the full absurdity of the proposal.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Meet the Press
10:55:35 a.m. Eastern
CHUCK TODD: This week, here's a bullet points of the Green New Deal. I want to put it up here. Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, upgrade all existing buildings, overhaul transportation systems, guarantee a job for every American. It's a resolution, not a bill. Here was President Trump's tweet in response, a bit of sarcasm. “I think it is very important for the Democrats to press forward with their green new deal. It would be great for the so-called carbon footprint to permanently eliminate all planes, cars, cows, gas and the military – even if no other country would do the same. Brilliant!” Markos, the party – the Democratic Party is this a healthy debate that's happening right now?
MARKOS MOULITSAS: Yeah, I think this is aspirational. This is actually popular and if Trump thinks this is going to hurt us politically he's absolutely not really paying attention to the pulse of the country. This is aspirational like you said, it's not a bill. The details would have to be worked out. This is so ambitious that these details will have to be worked out over decades. This is a broad, aggressive, bold agenda. It will take time to implement, but at least it shows people where the Democratic Party is going on the issue of climate change.
DAVID BRODY: And I believe this is a major, major pothole for Democrats coming in 2020. Big time. Iceberg right ahead.
KATY TUR: I'm not so sure about that. I mean, I think you have some real reporting out there from experts not just analysts on television, but from actual experts at the U.N., from Donald Trump's own administration saying how dire this is. The U.N. said we have 12 years before complete disaster. Talk to the representative of the Marshall Islands and he's calling it what could amount to genocide if we allow things to go as they are. The reports aren't just hey, it's going to get bad. The reports are people will die. Millions and millions and millions of people will die and I think that there's an appetite among voters out there, especially democratic voters and potentially swing voters to say, “hey, let's do something about this now because it's going to affect our future.” And there's real economic damage that can happen as well. Billions of dollars in economic damage from crops, to deaths, to losing ocean front homes and businesses in -- over the next century.
KIMBERLY ATKINS: I think on the issue like this, on the environment, it’s sort of like health care, it’s something that people understand and connect to. And they are seeing these dire warnings and they're thinking of their children, not even only their grandchildren, their children and what kind of world we are literally leaving for them. And I think that is an issue that moves and I think the aspirational aspect of this; I think it was pretty brilliant to not to put in a bunch of details that people can immediately start taking down. I think it says, “hey, come to the table with the proposals that will help us deal with this very important problem.”
NBDaily Environment Global Warming Bias by Omission Conspiracy Theories Labeling Political Groups Liberals & Democrats Broadcast Television NBC Meet the Press Video Chuck Todd Katy Tur Markos Moulitsas Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Nicholas Fondacaro
Nicholas C. Fondacaro is a News Analyst for the Media Research Center
Source URL: https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2019/02/10/chuck-todd-and-liberal-panel-champion-radical-green-new-deal
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This article is from the source ' bbc ' and was first published or seen on July 12, 2019 04:06 (UTC) . The next check for changes will be July 18, 2019 01:44
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-48950771
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East of England 999 software risks missing sepsis
2019-07-12 09:16:15 UTC (about 5 hours later)
Limitations in software being used by some ambulance call handlers means there is a "significant risk" signs of sepsis are being missed. Limitations in software being used by some ambulance call handlers means there is a "significant risk" signs of sepsis are being missed.
The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) said it was working with suppliers so extra questions could identify a patient with sepsis. The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) said it was working with suppliers so extra questions could identify a patient with sepsis.
A report found one patient who called 999 should have been flagged as a risk. A report found one patient who called 999 should have been flagged as a risk.
Instead of sending a ambulance, the patient was told to go to their GP or make their own way to hospital. Instead of sending a ambulance, the patient was told to go to their GP or make their own way to hospital.
The patient was later found to have an immune condition and bacterial infection and had to spend seven days in hospital. The patient was later found to have an immune condition and bacterial infection and had to spend seven days in hospital.
The EEAS looked at the case, which happened in December 2018, and established there was "no specific protocol" in 999 software for identifying sepsis, also referred to as blood poisoning. The EEAS looked at the case, which happened in December 2018, and established there was "no specific protocol" in 999 software for identifying sepsis, also referred to as blood poisoning.
"There is a significant risk of not being able to identify this group of patients during the initial 999 phone call," the report presented to the EEAS board meeting on Wednesday found. "There is a significant risk of not being able to identify this group of patients during the initial 999 phone call," the report presented to the EEAS board meeting on Wednesday found.
The report said the trust is now seeking to "ensure key phrases or symptoms, such as a high temperature or ongoing treatment, are included in the guidance for call handlers". The report said the trust is now seeking to "ensure key phrases or symptoms, such as a high temperature or ongoing treatment, are included in the guidance for call handlers".
Dr Ron Daniels, NHS intensive care clinician and founder of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: "Complex critical conditions such as sepsis should be afforded the same priority as chest pains by call handlers. Dr Ron Daniels, NHS intensive care clinician and founder of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: "Complex critical conditions such as sepsis should be afforded the same priority as chest pains by call handlers.
"The level of training of call handlers can be variable and no computer protocol can replace a face-to-face examination, but we would be delighted to work with the EEAS to improve training." "The level of training of call handlers can be variable and no computer protocol can replace a face-to-face examination, but we would be delighted to work with the EEAS to improve training."
'Sepsis leaves no time' 'Sepsis leaves no time'
Sepsis is a condition when the body's immune system - which is meant to fight against disease and infection - starts to attack the body's own organs. Sepsis is a condition when the body's immune system - which is meant to fight against disease and infection - starts to attack the body's own organs.
It can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms can at first appear to be flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection. It can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms can at first appear to be flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection.
Jess Tuffield contracted sepsis when she caught a chest infection. Jess Tuffield contracted sepsis when she caught a chest infection.
The 23-year-old survived a total of two bouts of the potentially-fatal condition, which can cause catastrophic organ failure. The 23-year-old survived a total of two bouts of the potentially-fatal condition, which can cause catastrophic organ failure.
She's now urging others to be aware of the symptoms. She's now urging others to be aware of the symptoms.
The EEAS said it was working with the software providers to develop a specific telephone screening tool. The EEAS said it was working with the software providers to develop a specific telephone screening tool.
"While this development is ongoing, we have introduced a standard operation procedure to help call handlers identify patients with neutropenic sepsis and are developing other tools to support the screening of sepsis symptoms," the statement added. "While this development is ongoing, we have introduced a standard operation procedure to help call handlers identify patients with neutropenic sepsis and are developing other tools to support the screening of sepsis symptoms," the statement added.
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Choose the Winners of the ‘Power of Age’ Challenge
Vote for three favorites among the 14 remarkable people over 60 who are doing inspiring work, locally and globally
By Richard EisenbergMoney & Work EditorMay 21, 2013
By Richard Eisenberg
Credit: Photo courtesy of U.S. Administration for Community LivingJeanne Wease
I don’t know about you, but I’m weary of reading articles about how retirement may be lousy in coming years for many Americans.
So I was especially cheered to learn about the government’s new Unleash the Power of Age Challenge, celebrating remarkable people over 60 doing remarkable things. This week, you can vote for your favorites among the 14 finalists to help choose the three winners.
The challenge is the brainchild of the U.S. Administration for Community Living, a year-old agency that includes the Administration on Aging, and the culmination of Older Americans Month (a creation of President John F. Kennedy, 50 years ago).
(MORE: Want to Age Well? Learn New Tricks, Not Facts)
A New Way to Celebrate Older Americans Month
“We wanted to do something a little different this year” to recognize the positive aspects of aging, said Edwin L. Walker, deputy assistant secretary of the Administration on Aging.
“The competition," said contest judge Gay Hanna, executive director for the National Center for Creative Aging, "has produced inspiring stories of the ways people are continuing their careers, improving their communities, being creative and contradicting stereotypes.”
Tom Endres, director of the Aging Networks Volunteer Collaborative and another challenge judge, added, “These people are real examples of active living and drive in the later stages of life.”
On Monday, a panel of six judges selected 14 finalists from 50 nominations. The public has until Tuesday, May 28, to cast their votes. Winners will be announced Friday, May 31; their profiles will be featured on the Older Americans Month website.
A Look at the 14 Challenge Finalists
The inspiring nominees were volunteers and paid professionals over 60 who are positive role models making significant contributions locally or globally. Here are brief descriptions of each:
Jeanne Wease of Crown Point, Ind., is a former teacher and Principal of the Year who has spent a decade as a court-appointed advocate for abused and neglected children. She also works to help local elders stay in their homes for as long as possible. “Retired teachers are a force of nature,” Hanna said.
Emily Lewis of Boulder, Colo., is a staff member at Boulder County AAA’s LGBT Elder Outreach Program and helped create its award-winning Project Visibility training for senior service providers and friends and families of LGBT elders.
“LGBT elders have very specific challenges," said Alecia Torres de Valdez, development director for the National Center for Creative Aging, "and the work Emily Lewis has done to address them is fantastic.”
(MORE: 85-Year-Old Graduates From College, Finds Job)
Mary Ann Sterling of Melbourne, Fla., founded Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, a nonprofit agency that provides training, support and resource information to caregivers. Sterling raised her grandson from the time he was 6 after her daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver; he’s now an attorney.
Patricia Sussman of San Francisco, had a casual discussion with some friends and neighbors in 2006 about how they wanted to age and the ways their parents were aging. That talk led Sussman to co-found Ashby Village, a 270-member San Francisco East Bay group that’s part of the growing Village movement helping older people live independently in their homes. At 75, she volunteers there frequently.
Dr. J. Robert Buchanan of Evanston, Ill., retired from his job as chief executive of Massachusetts General to devote most of his retirement to establishing Western-quality health care services and health professions education programs in Pakistan, Afghanistan and East Africa. He does this by working with the Aga Khan Development Network, a group headed by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims.
“Dr. Buchanan's story shows that an older person can continue a career after retirement in a global way,” Torres de Valdez said.
Ross Smith of Fresno, Calif., is a key member of Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life, which works with police and faith-based groups to lower crime in southwest Fresno. He and his wife help create a Santa’s Village each year for children of families in impoverished neighborhoods.
Bob Burt of Orinda, Calif., is a retired higher-education executive who tutors first-graders each week for Experience Corps Bay Area, a program of volunteers age 50 and older.
Lolo Sarnoff of Bethesda, Md., founded Arts for the Aging (AFTA) in 1988 at age 72, a nonprofit engaging older adults in health improvement and life enhancement through the arts. The group, known for its work with Alzheimer's patients, now employs 12 professional artists who lead 600 workshops annually in 20 senior day care centers. At 97, Sarnoff is considered the spirit of AFTA.
Carol Aastad of Lancaster, Pa., is a former advertising woman who was named Volunteer of the Year in 2011 by CASA of Lancaster County (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Milagro House, which provides housing, education and counseling for homeless mothers and their children. Now president of the board of Milagro House, Aastad is "an example of how to have an impact on children," said Torres de Valdez, "and for children to have positive interactions with older people.”
June Wesbury, a retired certified public accountant and resident of Willow Valley Retirement Communities in Willow Street, Pa., is her county’s unpaid regional coordinator for the AARP Tax-Aide program — the largest, free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service in the nation. Last year, more than 3,000 citizens — many of them low-income retirees — benefited from her work.
“June is using the talents she honed over her career in the second half of her life,” Torres de Valdez said.
Shirley Cox Gordon of Independence, Va., was back volunteering at the Matthews Living History Farm Museum last year, at 82, six weeks after back surgery. She’s also a grant writer whose work helped her county receive several million dollars.
Epifano Vega Gonzalez of Puerto Rico is a 72-year-old guitar hero known as Vega who takes his musical talent and Catholic Social Services volunteers to long-term-care facilities, helping residents celebrate traditional, native Christmas parties. His music led an 81-year-old man suffering from depression to cry with joy and begin improvising verses to Vega’s songs.
Quinin Velez Rivera of Boston coordinates medical escort trips for a primarily Spanish-speaking elder community through her volunteer work for FriendshipWorks La Cadena de Amistad, a nonprofit dedicated to reduce social isolation. In the past year, she accompanied older residents to their medical appointments 172 times. Velez Rivera is also a “friendly visitor” for Friendship Works, visiting seven elderly people weekly.
“She’s helping older people overcome a top challenge: transportation,” Hanna said.
(MORE: 4 Paths to a More Fulfilling Retirement)
Robert Craig of Bridgewater, N.J., is a volunteer dynamo doing everything from helping out at Somerset Medical Center two days a week to delivering food to the homeless to mentoring four elementary school children. As community events chairman for Men Mentoring Men, a local support group, he coordinated the building of three homes for Habitat for Humanity.
Reminiscent of the Purpose Prize Winners
These 14 finalists reminded me of the Purpose Prize winners, people 60 and older chosen annually by Encore.org for their inspiring work improving their communities and the world. (I wrote a blog post about the 2012 winners and Next Avenue also has articles on each.) The next crop of winners will be chosen in late 2013.
I asked Marci Alboher, vice president at Encore.org and author of the Encore Career Handbook, for her view on the work being done by the extraordinary people nominated for the Unleash the Power of Age Challenge and the Purpose Prize.
“Never before has there been so much talent and experience available to tackle the world’s biggest problems, from hunger to homelessness and from education to the environment,” Alboher said. “All that wisdom and experience is an underutilized resource. It’s about time we mine it.”
I couldn’t agree more.
One last thing: Don’t forget to vote in the Unleash the Power of Age Challenge.
You can cast your ballot for as many of the 14 finalists as you want, but you can’t vote for anyone more than once. Your votes, however, will help make a powerful statement about aging in America.
Richard Eisenberg is the Senior Web Editor of the Money & Security and Work & Purpose channels of Next Avenue and Managing Editor for the site. He is the author of How to Avoid a Mid-Life Financial Crisis and has been a personal finance editor at Money, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, and CBS MoneyWatch.@richeis315
Meet the Inspiring 2012 Purpose Prize Winners
Why a Love of the Arts Will Help Your Brain Age Better
A Lifelong Peace Corps Dream Comes True
Huff/Post 50: Why This Bestselling Novelist Feels So Young at 80
8 Habits of Highly Effective Retirees
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Eric Clapton announces massive British Summer Time Hyde Park show
Nick Reilly Nov 27, 2017 8:30 am GMT
Eric Clapton will play Hyde Park Credit: Getty
Slowhand is back...
Eric Clapton has announced that he’s returning to Hyde Park next year for a huge British Summer Time Festival show.
The guitar icon, 72, will take to the Great Oak stage on Sunday July 8 for his first show in Hyde Park since 2008.
He’ll also be joined by an impressive support bill of Steve Winwood, Santana, and Gary Clark Jr.
Tickets for the huge show range from £65.00 for general admission to £249.95 for a Diamond Circle view. You can buy them here from 9AM on Friday December 1.
Amazon customers are also able to take advantage of a pre-sale from Wednesday 29 November at 9AM, which can be accessed here.
“I have happy memories of performing in Hyde Park in the past,” Clapton said of the gig.
“I’m really looking forward to playing there again – the whole atmosphere is very special.”
Clapton’s show sees him take his place as the fourth headliner at next year’s series of British Summertime gigs, joining an already announced line up of Roger Waters, Michael Buble, and Bruno Mars.
Since launching in 2013, British Summer Time has seen some of the world’s biggest acts taking to the Hyde Park show, with the likes of The Killers, Justin Bieber, Green Day, Tom Petty and The Strokes previously playing their own headline shows.
The Big Read – EXCLUSIVE – The Cure: "Glastonbury won't be the only time I'll burst into tears on stage this summer"
Roger Waters Credit: Getty
Roger Waters announces special 'Us + Them' concert film
Chance The Rapper / Donald Glover Credit: Getty
Chance The Rapper is in 'The Lion King' — and it's all thanks to Donald Glover
David Bowie performs live on stage at Earls Court Arena on May 12 1973 during the Ziggy Stardust tour Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
A David Bowie 'Space Oddity' box set is being released to mark its 50th anniversary
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Review: Years and Years
Andy Murray July 4, 2019 Arts, Blogs, Northern Electric, TV No Comments
In recent months a good many television shows – your Fleabags, your Game of Throneses – have been hailed as landmarks in the history of the medium. But not nearly enough people have been championing Years and Years, a bold, remarkable British TV drama which, as well as being gripping entertainment, has real weight and impact.
Skilfully directed by Simon Cellan Jones for Manchester’s own Red Production Co, it’s written by Russell T Davies, whose career has taken an unexpected trajectory. Go back 15 years and he was one of the medium’s most fascinating scriptwriters, with the likes of Queer as Folk, Bob and Rose and The Second Coming under his belt. Then he masterminded the revival of Doctor Who, a project which many expected to fall flat on its face, only for it to become one of the biggest hits in modern British television. His stewardship of the show was pretty much impeccable, and some of the episodes he wrote were remarkable, but it meant that his career as a purely original TV playwright was derailed for a while. In recent years he’s put that right.
Davies has said that central idea for Years and Years, which follows members of the Lyons family over fifteen years into the near future, had been brewing for a while, and that the election of Trump was the key event that spurred him on. Sure enough, the dark vision of Britain that the show offers up, in terms of politics, ecology and technology, is a troubling one which has caused more than one viewer to declare it ‘almost too real’ – not an accusation you could aim at Game of Thrones, to be fair. The heart-in-mouth experience of watching it might well require you to have a nice calming sit down afterwards. Just don’t watch the news, obviously.
The great trick which the show manages to pull off is that it anchors its predictions in telling the story through engaging, believable, complex characters, rather than getting lost in a barrage of ideas. What could so easily come across as a neat, dry thought experiment becomes so much more. The viewer cares about the Lyons family, roots for them and relates to them. In large part that’s because Davies’ finely tuned writing is coupled to a marvellous cast. Rory Kinnear, Jessica Hynes, Russell Tovey and Ruth Madeley get the most to do, and they all have impressive moments. Particularly brilliant are T’Nia Miller, who brings life to icy Lyons-in-law Celeste over the course of the six episodes, and Lydia West as her fascinating, tech-obsessed daughter Bethany. Perhaps the greatest performance of all, though, comes from the mighty Anne Reid as family matriarch Muriel, effortlessly getting many of the biggest laughs as well the most stirring, heart-rending moments. She also establishes surely the best TV double-act of the year with Signor, an Alexa-like ‘virtual assistant’ (voiced by Glen McReady).
No spoilers here, but the show delivers some almighty moments of high drama. In fact, though, some of the most haunting scenes aren’t trying for spectacle at all, such as when see Vivienne Rook, a ghastly right-wing pundit turned politician played by Emma Thompson, in an unguarded, off-duty moment which sheds light on the reality of her situation. Even more so, there’s a scene in which the assembled Lyons family go off to vote en masse and we follow each member into their polling booth. The truth of who they all vote is often unexpected, but ultimately it all makes perfect sense. It’s an observation, that people you think you know well may vote in ways that you wish they didn’t, that says a great deal about the current political situation.
When you look at it, several of Davies’ Doctor Who and Torchwood contributions explored this same notion that civilisation is far from robust and is in fact just a few short steps away from total collapse. Years and Years is like an outcrop of his masterful Doctor Who story ‘Turn Left’ – in this case, though, more like ‘Turn Right’. At a push you could even view Years and Years as an evil twin of Davies’ 2004 show Mine All Mine. That starred Griff Rhys Jones as the father of the tight-knit if at-odds Vivaldi family, who discover that – yes! – they own the whole of Swansea and suddenly become rich and powerful. In Years and Years, though, the family members are more likely to lose everything than to gain it.
Yes, the show is a sometimes-messy sprawl, and there are times when it introduces new technology in a slightly clunky fashion that’s more Tomorrow’s World than Black Mirror. And yes, there are moments when it really pushes its luck in terms of putting long, impassioned monologues into the mouths of its characters. In all honesty though it’s actually refreshing to hear non-compliant, non-balanced, just plain angry opinions on mainstream television. Like the heyday of Play for Today, this is TV drama reflecting the world that we live in.
Because ultimately, of course, Years and Years isn’t about the future at all. It’s about the present, and it extrapolates from there. This isn’t a show that features hover-cars and teleport booths. Davies knows that the technology around us only changes if it really needs to. If it works, it’ll last. Indeed, rather than present the tech revolution as the devil itself, he suggests that it might offer people a sense of companionship and solace. Essentially, this is about life with the Lyons, about the connections we make with our family and our friends. Nothing else matters much in the end.
Years and Years is a mighty achievement, a bold, intelligent, rich drama that never loses sight of its characters. It feels important and vital. It’s by no means a flat-out laugh riot but it’s often genuinely funny in a way that hair-raising dystopias usually aren’t. And at times it will break your heart. The conclusion isn’t neat and tidy, but fittingly it ends by asking the same question that the whole show asks: “What could happen next?”
By Andy Murray, Film Editor
All six episodes of Years and Years are available on BBC iPlayer until September 2019.
Tags: Andy Murray, Northern Electric, Tv, Years and Years
The book that changed my life Tim Burgess Nadine Hill charity North West Matthew Connolly A Christmas Carol Pauline Hadaway Contemporary Six Gallery ShowUsYourGinnels devolution The Late Shows Imperial War Museum Spring Chinese Greater Manchester Fringe Flapjack Press Fashion Grenfell Tower Jon Aldridge James gangs detox West Side Story
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3 What are compounds?
Activity 1: Elements and compounds
Click on the video clip to watch Elements and Compounds, which focuses on water and its constituent elements.
Click below to v
2.2 Generativity and duality of patterning
Let us now reconsider the sentence you heard in the imaginary scenario at the beginning of this unit. Here it is again.
(1) My dad's tutor's no joker, and he told me the TMA's going to hit home with a bang.
7 Sedimentation and tectonics at a mid-Ordovician to Silurian active margin
The document attached below includes the seventh section of Mountain building in Scotland. In this section, you will find the following subsections:
7.2 Mid-Ordovician to Silurian sedimentation in the Midland Valley Terrane
7.2.1 Ordivician sedimentation
7.2.2 Silurian sedimentiation
7.2.3 Summary of Section 7.2
When you have studied this unit you should be able to:
describe the geological history of the Scottish Highlands;
give examples of igneous, metamorphic and structurally complex rocks.
11.5 Summary of sections 8 to 11
In these sections we have described some of the quantitative relationships between the physical dimensions of simple sounds and their subjective psychological dimensions. The physical dimension of intensity, or pressure amplitude, given in decibels (dB), directly affects loudness. Frequency of pressure changes, in hertz (Hz), mainly determines pitch.
The lowest threshold value and hence the maximal sensitivity for humans is in the region of 3000 Hz.
The quantitative relationship b
11.3 Frequency selectivity
In preceding sections we examined two ways in which the auditory system may code frequency information: the place theory and phase locking. In this section we will look at the psychophysical evidence for place coding on the basilar membrane by examining the ability of the auditory system to resolve the components of sinusoidal waves in a complex sound – a phenomenon known as frequency selectivity.
The perception of a sound depends not only on its own frequency and intensity but also o
Psychophysics is the oldest field of the science of psychology. It stems from attempts in the nineteenth century to measure and quantify sensation. It attempts to quantify the relationship between a stimulus and the sensation it evokes, usually for the purpose of understanding the process of perception. Historically, psychophysics has centred around three general approaches. The first involves measuring the smallest value of some stimulus that a listener can detect – a measure of sensitivit
7.2 Coding of information in the higher auditory centres
We have seen that in the cochlear nerve, information about sound intensity is coded for in two ways: the firing rates of neurons and the number of neurons active. These two mechanisms of coding signal intensity are found throughout the auditory pathway and are believed to be the neural correlates of perceived loudness. The tonotopic organisation of the auditory nerve is also preserved throughout the auditory pathway; there are tonotopic maps within each of the auditory nerve relay nuclei, the
3.5.2 Mechanical force directly opens and closes transduction channels
It is believed that tip links aid in causing ‘channels’ to open and close near the top of the hair cell (Figure 16). Tip links are filamentous connections between two stereocilia. Each tip link is a fine fibre obliquely joining the distal end of one stereocilium to the side of the longest adjacent process. It is thought that each l
3.2 The anatomy of the cochlea
The cochlea has a spiral shape resembling the shell of a snail (Figure 4a). You can approximate the structure of the cochlea by wrapping a drinking straw 2.5 times around the tip of a sharpened pencil. The hollow tube, represented by the straw, has walls made of bone and the central pillar of the cochlea, represented by the pencil, is a conical
The inner ear (Figure 3) can be divided into three parts: the semicircular canals, the vestibule and the cochlea, all of which are located in the temporal bone. The semicircular canals and the vestibule affect the sense of balance and are not concerned with hearing. However, the cochlea, and what goes on inside it, provides
1 Sound reception: the ear
In order to hear a sound, the auditory system must accomplish three basic tasks. First it must deliver the acoustic stimulus to the receptors; second, it must transduce the stimulus from pressure changes into electrical signals; and third, it must process these electrical signals so that they can efficiently indicate the qualities of the sound source such as pitch, loudness and location. How the auditory system accomplishes these tasks is the subject of much of the rest of this block. We will
2.5.1 Quantum mechanics and chance
The real quantum revolution dates from the formulation of quantum mechanics by Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976) and others in 1925, and its physical interpretation by Max Born (1882–1970) in 1926. However, before attempting even the most basic sketch of quantum mechanics let's take a small diversion into the realm of philosophy.
The basic working philosophy of most scientists, including those who say they have no philosophy, is a kind of realism. (Philosophers recognise m
2.3.2 Equilibrium and irreversibility
As the science of thermodynamics developed beyond its industrial roots, two powerful ideas came to the fore – equilibrium and irreversibility. These ideas were already implicit in studies of heat. You have already seen that heat flow from a hot steak to a cold plate is an irreversible process. The effect of this process is to cool down the hot steak and warm up the cold plate, leading to a more uniform distribution of temperature. The heat transfer continues until a state of e
5.2.1 The GM Science Review
The review was undertaken by the GM Science Review Panel, chaired by the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King. Its role was to assess the evidence available in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The panel produced two reports, the first in July 2003 and the second in January 2004. The main conclusions of these reports are listed below.
The risk to human health is very low.
There is little likelihood of such plan
4.4 Incorporating substantial equivalence into national and international law
The concept of substantial equivalence very quickly became important in international trade law. The WTO aims to harmonise national food standards to meet international norms. Under its rules, a country could be penalised if it imposed food standards more stringent than those agreed internationally. In this context, international food standards are set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Table 1). In 1996, a report was issued within the Codex framework, which endorsed the principle of subst
4.2 Scientific risk analysis
In the context of national and international legislation on the safety of food and animal feed, much of the thinking about assessing risk has come from the experience of developing legislation to cover potentially toxic chemicals. In this regard, the terms ‘risk’ and ‘hazard’ are particularly important. ENTRANSFOOD (European network safety assessment of genetically modified food crops) has defined the terms as follows:
2.2 What is natural?
Many critics of GM feel that the techniques reflect an unwelcome form of ‘tampering with nature’. This is a particular concern of some consumers with respect to food. Such a view is sometimes scornfully interpreted as an expression of what is called the ‘naturalistic fallacy’ – a belief that equates morality with naturalness, seeing what is natural as ‘right’. But concerns about GM foods may reflect a more reasoned and defensible position. It might be argued that consumers are n
2.5 Using stars to probe the interstellar medium
The effects of interstellar material on starlight can be used to probe the properties of the interstellar medium itself. A few examples are:
The presence of particular interstellar atoms or molecules may be determined by identifying the observed spectral lines or bands.
The temperature of the gas may be determined from the relative strengths of different lines or bands produced by different energy state changes of the same atom or mol
1.1 Constructing the H–R diagram
Three properties which are suitable for comparing stars are temperature, luminosity and radius. However, we don't need all three.
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Archives|Help for School Boards
Help for School Boards
Hubert B. Herring (Lessons column, May 31) writes that most voters on small-town school bonds, whether because of lack of time or expertise, ''have little choice'' but to put their faith in the school board they elected.
Each year, there are fewer people to handle the many complex matters that come before a district -- student achievement, multimillion-dollar budgets, management of buildings and state mandates. School board members do not usually have expertise in these areas before they begin their service. They rely on a staff that is shrinking as the range of issues needing decision is increasing.
It is time to recognize that running a school system is at least as complex as running a business and devote the resources necessary to do the job.
CATHERINE SHAW
Ann Arbor, Mich., June 1, 2000
The writer is director of external relations, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan.
A version of this letter appears in print on June 7, 2000, on Page A00030 of the National edition with the headline: Help for School Boards. Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Archives|One Cosmic Question, Too Many Answers
One Cosmic Question, Too Many Answers
By DENNIS OVERBYE SEPT. 2, 2003
Call it the theory of anything.
Einstein once wondered aloud whether ''God had any choice'' in creating the universe. It was his fondest hope that the answer was no.
He and subsequent generations of physicists have hoped that at the end of their labors there would be one answer -- a so-called Theory of Everything -- that would explain why the details of the world are the way they are and cannot be any other way: why there was a Big Bang, the number of dimensions of space-time, the masses of elementary particles.
For 20 years, physicists have lodged those hopes in string theory, a mathematically labyrinthian effort to portray nature as made up of tiny wriggling strings and membranes, rather than pointlike particles or waves.
Once called a piece of 21st-century physics that had fallen into the 20th century by accident, string theory has become one of the hippest fields of science, celebrated in books like the recent best seller ''The Elegant Universe,'' by the Columbia theorist Brian Greene, and the subject of a miniseries on ''Nova,'' coming this fall.
In principle, strings can unite all the forces of nature, including gravity, in a single mathematical framework. But the ''stringiness'' of nature manifests itself only at energies and temperatures that can be generated in a particle accelerator the size of a small galaxy.
As a result, physicists have been left at the mercy of their mathematical imaginations or sifting cosmological data for hints of a clue from God's own particle accelerator, the Big Bang.
The hope was that when all was said and done, there would be only one solution to the theory's tangled equations, one answer corresponding to only one possible universe. But recent progress in string theory paradoxically seems to leave physics further than ever from that dream of a unique answer. Instead of a single answer, the equations of string theory seem to have so many solutions, millions upon millions of them, each describing a logically possible universe, that it may be impossible to tell which one describes our own.
In a series of conceptual and technical breakthroughs, a group of theorists at Stanford showed this year that string theory could describe a universe whose expansion was accelerating -- something that many experts thought impossible.
That was no small accomplishment because cosmologists now theorize that some puzzling and so far unidentified ''dark energy'' is wrenching space apart ever more violently. This energy seems to make up 70 percent of the cosmos, according to astronomical observations.
The new calculations suggest that this dark energy cannot last forever, that it will disappear sometime in the far future, according to the researchers, Dr. Shamit Kachru, Dr. Renata Kallosh and Dr. Andrei Linde, all of Stanford, and Dr. Sandip P. Trivedi of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay.
But the same calculations confirmed that string theory could have a vast number of solutions, each representing a different universe with slightly different laws of physics. The detailed characteristics of any particular one of these universes -- the laws that describe the basic forces and particles -- might be decided by chance.
As a result, string theorists and cosmologists are confronted with what Dr. Leonard Susskind of Stanford has called ''the cosmic landscape,'' a sort of metarealm of space-times. Contrary to Einstein's hopes, it may be that neither God nor physics chooses among these possibilities, Dr. Susskind contends. Rather it could be life.
Only a fraction of the universes in this metarealm would have the lucky blend of properties suitable for life, Dr. Susskind explained. It should be no surprise that we find ourselves in one of these.
''We live where we can live,'' he said.
Dr. Susskind conceded that many colleagues who harbor the Einsteinian dream of predicting everything are appalled by that notion that God plays dice with the laws of physics.
Among them is Dr. David Gross, director of the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara, Calif., who said, ''I'm a total Einsteinian with respect to the ultimate goal of science.''
Physicists should be able to predict all the parameters of nature, Dr. Gross said, adding, ''They're not adjustable.''
But Dr. Max Tegmark, a cosmologist at the University of Pennsylvania, said, ''I think this grand dream is basically dying.''
Dr. Michael Douglas of Rutgers and the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies, near Paris, called the plethora of string universes ''the Alice's Restaurant'' problem.
''You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant,'' he said. ''Is this a theory of something, very many things or nothing? That's what we're trying to establish.''
The Early Hopes
Not Particles, But Strings
The question of whether strings will provide a unique answer to the universe has been hanging over physicists' heads ever since the modern form of string theory made its triumphal emergence in 1984. That year, Dr. John Schwarz of the California Institute of Technology and Dr. Michael Green, now of Cambridge University in England, showed that thinking of elementary particles as little strings instead of points eliminated troublesome mathematical anomalies from theories that sought to combine gravity with subatomic physics.
Even Einstein had failed to unite those disparate and mathematically incompatible realms. But the 1984 calculation raised the hope that physicists had finally found the key to the so-called Theory of Everything.
''There was this wild enthusiasm, unbridled enthusiasm, that we paid for later,'' said Dr. Andrew Strominger, a professor of physics at Harvard.
In 1985, Dr. Strominger, Dr. Edward Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Dr. Gary T. Horowitz, now at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and Dr. Philip Candelas, now at the University of Texas, published a classic paper showing that it was possible to construct a string theory consistent with the so-called Standard Model that describes particles and forces in our four-dimensional universe.
One problem is that string theory requires 10 dimensions of space-time, whereas we appear to live in four. Dr. Strominger remembered being excited when he found a paper by the mathematician Dr. Shing-Tung Yau, now of Harvard and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It proved a conjecture by Dr. Eugenio Calabi, now retired from the University of Pennsylvania, that the extra dimensions could be curled up in microscopically invisible ways like the loops in a carpet.
The paper described only one way this folding could be done. But Dr. Yau soon told the physicists that there were thousands of what are now called Calabi-Yau spaces, each one representing a different solution of the string equations. By the time their paper was finished, ''the uniqueness of string theory was certainly already in question,'' Dr. Strominger said.
That was just the beginning. For each of the thousands of ways of curling the extra dimensions into Calabi-Yau spaces, there were hundreds of variations in details like the sizes of the loops and the way electrical and magnetic fields thread through them. When the variations are taken into account, the number of solutions and the number of possible universes can easily exceed 10 100.
A Universe Unfit For Life or Physics?
This bounty of possibilities makes it extremely daunting for scientists who want to test string theory by comparing its predictions to the real world. One telltale clue to the right answer, as well as a huge challenge, developed five years ago when astronomers discovered that the expansion of the universe was apparently accelerating. But until recently, many theorists doubted that strings could produce even one example of an accelerating universe.
The reason is that the leading explanation for this behavior is a cosmic repulsion, known as the cosmological constant, that results from the properties of empty space itself.
It was first invented by Einstein in 1917 as a fudge factor to stabilize the universe and then abandoned by him when astronomers found out that the universe was not static, but expanding.
If Einstein's fudge factor is real after all, the universe will continue to expand faster and faster as space grows bigger and bigger, producing more and more repulsion.
String theorists did not know how to deal with the cosmological constant. According to quantum mechanics, the weird laws that govern subatomic physics, empty space should be foaming with energy and particles that wink in and out of existence, and their collective effect could produce a repulsive force like Einstein's constant. But the calculations also suggest that this force should be some 1060 times what astronomers have measured; it would have blown the universe apart in its first millisecond, long before atoms, galaxies or humans could form.
Moreover, a permanently accelerating universe would present deep conceptual problems, several physicists pointed out, including Dr. Thomas Banks of Rutgers and the University of California at Santa Cruz, Dr. Willy Fischler of the University of Texas, Dr. Susskind and Dr. Witten.
Such a universe would slowly empty itself of energy and information because most of the galaxies would eventually be flying away so fast that humans could not see them. The observable universe would actually shrink, as if surrounded by a black hole. Life would become impossible, and the usual methods of formulating physics might not apply.
As a result of such arguments, it was widely presumed that a universe that accelerated forever -- that is, one with a cosmological constant -- was incompatible with string theory, Dr. Kachru of Stanford said.
It was partly to counter such claims, he added, that he and his colleagues were motivated to look for the cosmological constant in the gazillions of possible string universes.
The Hitch
A Breakthrough, But a Bleak One
Last winter, Dr. Kachru and his colleagues succeeded in using string theory to construct universes that accelerated, but with a surprising twist.
The hitch, in each case, was that the acceleration would be only temporary. It might last an extremely long time, but eventually the dark energy of the cosmological constant would melt away, decaying just in time to avoid the problems of permanent acceleration that string theorists have worried about. The universe would then coast for the rest of eternity.
The work followed on previous work by Dr. Kachru with Dr. Joseph Polchinski of the Santa Barbara Institute and Dr. Steven Giddings of the University of California at Santa Barbara, and by Dr. Polchinski and Dr. Raphael Bousso of the University of California at Berkeley.
Part of the reason dark energy decays, explained Dr. Linde of Stanford, is that these solutions describe the four-dimensional universe we observe around us -- three dimensions of space and one of time -- with the other six curled up so tightly that they cannot provide closet space. But it takes energy to keep the extra dimensions confined.
''In the long run,'' he said, ''the universe doesn't want to be four-dimensional. It wants to be 10 dimensions.''
So sooner or later, the loops will unravel like a tangle of rubber bands, passing through a succession of configurations that take less and less energy to maintain, until finally the other dimensions expand and the cosmological constant is gone.
The decay of the cosmological constant will be fatal, astronomers agree. At that moment a bubble of 10-dimensional space will sweep out at the speed of light, rearranging physics and the prospects of atoms and planets, not to mention biological creatures.
''What it leaves behind,'' Dr. Susskind said, ''it's hard to say. Almost certainly not a livable universe.''
The Role of Luck
A Controversial Idea Returns to Stage
The universe is certainly livable now, but why has long been a vexing and polarizing issue. Life as We Know It seems to require an almost miraculous juggling of a few atomic and astronomical parameters.
Was the universe designed for us? Or did we just get lucky?
Searching for answers, some theorists have invoked the so-called anthropic principle, which states that our universe has to have laws suitable for life. Otherwise we would not be here to see it. The apparent ''fine-tuning'' of this universe is simply an artifact of our own existence here as observers, Dr. Brandon Carter, now at the Paris Observatory in Meudon, argued in 1974.
The principle fits well with recent theories of the Big Bang that suggest that the universe seen through telescopes is just one in an endless chain of bubble universes that sprout from one another.
If there is just one universe, the fact that it suits us would seem suspiciously lucky. But if there are many universes to choose from, our existence is less miraculous.
It might be the diversity of string-theory universes that gives this metacosmos a chance at harboring life, Dr. Susskind says.
He likes to portray it as a mountain range, the ''cosmic landscape,'' in which the height of the peaks represents the energy or the cosmological constant of that configuration. The universe is like water rolling around the hills, always seeking a lower state. There are valleys and basins and plateaus where it can rest. But it can spread, plopping like a wave sloshing over the hills from valley to valley, from one configuration of dimensions and fields to another.
As a result, he said, in whatever form it starts, the universe will branch out into other forms. If it keeps sloshing, it will eventually land in a valley with the lucky mix of cosmic constants that allows for galaxies and carbon-based chemistry somewhere. If a small fraction of the subuniverses can support life, then there is a good chance that life will arise somewhere, Dr. Susskind explained.
Others caution, however, that it has not been proved that different classes of universes would be so interconnected. ''It could be that there are many disconnected landscapes,'' explained Dr. Douglas of Rutgers.
Dr. Susskind said that ''whether we like it or not,'' the new findings gave further credence to the anthropic principle and a mathematical framework for how it might work.
But such ''anthropic thinking'' is defeatist to many physicists. ''We see this kind of thing happen over and over again as a reaction to difficult problems,'' Dr. Gross said. ''Come up with a grand principle that explains why you're unable to solve the problem.''
The notion that some problems are unsolvable is discouraging to the younger generation, he said, pointing out that nobody even knows what the final form of string theory will be.
Dr. Witten said he also disliked the anthropic principle. ''I continue to hope that we are overlooking or misunderstanding something and that there is ultimately a more unique answer,'' he wrote by e-mail.
Dr. Susskind conceded that he had once been on the other side of the question.
''I've had myself jerked around by this theory,'' he said. ''When you have to give up your fondest dream for what the theory would do'' -- a reference to the quest for a unique answer -- ''that's a hard thing to swallow.''
Still Listening For Orderly Music
Dr. Strominger of Harvard said the debate on anthropic principle was indicative of the ''all-or-nothing psychology'' of string theory.
''It's not enough to solve some problems,'' he said. ''It has to solve every problem.''
Theorists have long hoped that all but one of these solutions will eliminate themselves through some mathematical inconsistency or failure to reproduce an essential feature of the universe like the cosmological constant. Dr. Douglas of Rutgers has challenged that hope, saying string theory may have so many solutions that physical measurements can not distinguish among them.
Indeed, he pointed out in a recent paper, it has not been proved that string theory does not have an infinite number of solutions. So far, anything seems possible.
Rather than sifting myriad solutions for the one that fits our universe, Dr. Douglas has developed statistical methods to analyze the set of string solutions as a whole to find patterns that will not show up when the solutions are examined one by one.
The results could help ascertain which features of this ''zoo of possibilities'' are more common and which are more rare, and how many solutions really are too many.
''My own philosophy,'' Dr. Douglas said in an interview, ''is that we should do our best to listen to what string theory is trying to tell us. It is smarter than we are.''
Dr. Kachru suggested that it might be wishful thinking to expect that a ''smoking gun'' confirmation of string theory could be found from comparing it to today's universe. The full glories of string theory, he said, manifest themselves only at energies trillions of times what earthbound particle accelerators can produce.
Perhaps, he said, theorists should be looking for the smoking gun in the Big Bang.
Asked what the smoking-gun question might be, Dr. Kachru laughed and said, ''If I knew, I would be working in that field.''
A version of this article appears in print on September 2, 2003, on Page F00001 of the National edition with the headline: One Cosmic Question, Too Many Answers. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Archives|Bin Laden Says West Is Waging War Against Islam
Bin Laden Says West Is Waging War Against Islam
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN APRIL 24, 2006
CAIRO, April 23 - Osama bin Laden denounced what he called a "Zionist-crusaders war on Islam" in an audiotape broadcast Sunday, pointing to the isolation of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, talk of a Western peacekeeping force in Sudan and Muslim outrage over Danish cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad as new evidence of a clash of civilizations.
His voice sounding strong and combative, Mr. bin Laden implied that killing American civilians was justified, beseeched Muslims to fight any Sudan peacekeeping force and called for the creators of the offensive cartoons to be turned over to Al Qaeda for punishment.
The audiotape, broadcast by Al Jazeera and deemed authentic by American intelligence officials and terrorism experts, was Mr. bin Laden's second in three months and the first in which he has raised Sudan as a possible new battleground where Muslims should go to fight. The tape appeared intended not only to re-establish his role as a sort of supreme guide for Al Qaeda, but also to inform his enemies that he is acutely aware of current news events that reflect violent confrontation between Islam and the West.
While Al Qaeda had previously criticized Hamas leaders for participating in Palestinian elections, Mr. bin Laden sought to tap into the wide public support among Arabs for Hamas, which Israel, the United States and the European Union regard as a terrorist organization.
"The blockade which the West is imposing on the government of Hamas proves that there is a Zionist-crusaders war on Islam," he said.
Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, told reporters traveling with President Bush in California that the White House believed the bin Laden tape to be authentic and that the president had been informed of its existence early Sunday morning. Mr. McClellan also said that "the Al Qaeda leadership is on the run and under a lot of pressure."
Although there was no way to absolutely confirm the tape's authenticity, terrorism experts said it was credible in part because it hewed closely to Mr. bin Laden's ideological and tactical profile. While Mr. bin Laden did not mention the American occupation of Iraq in the portions of the tape that were broadcast, he focused on three issues that have resounded across the Arab and Muslim worlds: efforts of the West to isolate Hamas; calls for sending Western peacekeeping troops into the Darfur region of Sudan to stop the killing of civilians; and the outrage over the Danish cartoons.
As in the past, Hamas sought to distance itself from Al Qaeda and its leadership. But Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, said Western financial penalties against the Palestinian Authority government it now leads were a source of anger for Muslims around the region.
"We have warned many times that the siege upon Hamas and the policy of hunger will create a situation of hatred in Arab and Muslim nations," Mr. Zuhri said. "It will create the impression there is a Western war against the Islamic world."
In the case of Sudan, Mr. bin Laden sought to portray talk of bringing in peacekeeping troops as another attempt by the United States to divide Arab lands and to impose a foreign military on an Islamic country.
"I call on mujahedeen and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arab peninsula, to prepare for a long war against the crusader plunderers in western Sudan," Mr. bin Laden said. "Our goal is not defending the Khartoum government but to defend Islam, its land and its people."
In the audiotape three months ago, Mr. bin Laden suggested that there could be peace between the West and Al Qaeda. But that notion was absent from this tape, replaced with a call to arms and what appeared to be a rationale for attacking civilians.
"They send their sons to armies to fight us and they continue their financial and moral support, while our countries are burned and our houses are bombed and our people are killed," he said.
Even before rising to international notoriety with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Mr. bin Laden had long sought to unite a culturally, politically and socially fragmented community of Muslims behind a common enemy: Israel and the West. With his most recent tape, analysts said that Mr. bin Laden held true to form, not only by embracing Hamas, but in particular by pointing to Sudan.
"He is using the hottest topics in the Arab world -- Hamas, for example -- he knows that the Arab street is very angry as America is cutting off Hamas aid, and he is using this issue to fuel the situation even further and incite young people to join his cause," said Muhammad Salah, Cairo bureau chief for the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat and an expert in Islamic extremism.
"What is new in this tape is the issue of Sudan," Mr. Salah added. "He had lived in Sudan and invested his money there and he knows that the Arab people and government are against international intervention in Sudan."
Experts in Islamic-related terrorism said the tape appeared intended as a finger in the eye to the White House, and a chance to use American foreign policy initiatives to support his notion that the United States is waging a war against Islam.
"He is asserting his presence," said Diaa Rashwan, an expert on Islamic groups with the government-financed Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Egypt. "He is keen to show that he is aware of what's going on in the world. He is well informed so he is not isolated or hiding in some crack underground."
Michael Scheuer, former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency's bin Laden unit, said the segments of the tape he had read about suggested that Mr. bin Laden "is at the top of his game" largely because of America's own foreign policy. "We cut off Hamas after we had a fair election," he said. "It looks like we are going to intervene in another Muslim country with oil, in Sudan; we followed Israel's lead with Hamas. His most important ally is American foreign policy."
But while Mr. bin Laden's name still resonates around the world, it is not entirely clear that he can reclaim the mantle as the leader of the Qaeda terrorism network. And there has been no videotape seen of Mr. bin Laden since the last American presidential campaign.
"My initial impression is he is clutching at straws," said Michael Chandler, former head of the United Nations unit on counterterrorism. "If he really wants to show leadership, the way you show leadership is to show yourself. So why haven't we had a videotape?"
Mona el-Naggar contributed reporting from Cairo for this article, Elisabeth Bumiller from Palm Springs, Calif., and Greg Myre from Jerusalem.
A version of this article appears in print on April 24, 2006, on Page A00008 of the National edition with the headline: THE REACH OF WAR: AUDIOTAPE; Bin Laden Says West Is Waging War Against Islam, and Urges Supporters to Go to Sudan. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Asia Pacific|Kailash Satyarthi’s Nobel Peace Prize Caps Decades of Fighting Child Slavery in India
Kailash Satyarthi’s Nobel Peace Prize Caps Decades of Fighting Child Slavery in India
The Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi speaks after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against the oppression of children.CreditCreditAdnan Abidi/Reuters
By Ellen Barry
NEW DELHI — Many years have passed, but a police chief named Amitabh Thakur can remember the precise moment when he first set eyes on Kailash Satyarthi, who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
Mr. Satyarthi was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from the head, while a group of men converged on him with bats and iron rods. They worked for the Great Roman Circus, which was illegally employing teenagers trafficked from Nepal as dancing girls. Mr. Satyarthi, a Gandhian activist in a simple white cotton tunic, had come to free them.
As he approached the scene, the chief realized he was interrupting a savage beating.
“I remember that when I reached this man, he was rather composed,” Mr. Thakur said. “I was very impressed, for the simple reason that a man was putting his life in danger for a noble cause.”
Mr. Satyarthi is not an international celebrity like 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan, with whom he is sharing the prize. Instead, he has labored for three decades to shave away at the numbingly huge problem of child slavery in India, using undercover operatives and camera crews to find the airless workrooms and mine shafts where children were being kept.
The circus raid was a reminder of the factors that converge in favor of employers using bonded labor in India: caste differences, religious differences, political and economic leverage. About 28 million children ages 6 to 14 are working in India, according to Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency. Mr. Satyarthi’s organization, called Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or Save the Children Mission, is credited with freeing some 70,000 of them. In 1994, he started Rugmark, now GoodWeave International, in which rugs are certified to have been made without child labor.
Kailash Satyarthi in his office in New Delhi on Friday, after the news broke that he was a co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.CreditBernat Armangue/Associated Press
Asked to explain the origin of his life’s work, Mr. Satyarthi sometimes tells a story from his childhood, when he proudly entered a schoolyard for the first time and noticed a boy his own age, the son of a cobbler, gazing at him from outside the gate. He screwed up his courage and approached the cobbler, asking why his son did not go to school.
“He replied, ‘Look, sir, we are the people who are born to work,’ ” he said. “I was so disturbed. Why do we people have so many dreams, and they have none? This has gone so deep to my heart, and that is when I started working with poor children. It was a nonissue in my country.”
Mr. Satyarthi is the eighth Indian to win a Nobel, and only the second — after Mother Teresa — to win the Peace Prize.
As India undergoes swift economic expansion, a growing middle class has created a surging demand for domestic workers, jobs often filled by children. There is virtually no enforcement of labor laws, and newspapers regularly carry accounts of children sold into service and confined in horrific conditions, paid nothing and barely fed. They are sought-after employees, and in a population struggling with dire poverty, there is little will to stamp out the practice.
Simon Steyne, a longtime friend and colleague of Mr. Satyarthi’s, said reducing child labor was ultimately the responsibility of governments and lawmakers. “I don’t think Kailash would say, ‘We are going to go out and rescue the other 168 million,’ ” Mr. Steyne said. But he added that his friend was driven by a sense of moral urgency and a ground-level network of informants who continually provide reports of exploitation.
“If there is intelligence that there are children being physically trafficked on a train, they will get raid and rescue workers together at a station,” said Mr. Steyne, an official at the International Labor Organization. “And when the train stops, they’ll board the train and rescue the children.”
Born about six and a half years after India won independence, Mr. Satyarthi, 60, was so deeply impressed with Gandhi’s teachings that, as a teenager, he invited a group of high-caste local bigwigs to a meal prepared by low-caste “untouchables”; the invited guests boycotted the event and then shunned his family. Deeply upset, the boy dropped his Brahmin family name in favor of Satyarthi, which means “seeker of truth,” according to an account on his website.
A few years later, Mr. Satyarthi was studying engineering at college when Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency, cracking down on civil liberties and suspending elections. Already a Marxist, he mobilized students against the government and spent much of the period avoiding arrest warrants, said Prabhat Kumar, a longtime friend and fellow activist.
Mr. Satyarthi ultimately came to prominence by organizing raids to free child laborers. Undercover operatives posing as buyers or laborers would persuade businesspeople to reveal the location of child workers.
A2002 documentary for PBS followed Mr. Satyarthi to a quarry at 5 a.m., where he found children and adult workers living in brick shacks. Some of the children cry as he hugs them. The workers lift cloth parcels with their belongings onto their heads, and he ushers 52 people onto a truck to take them away.
“If they are caught, any kind of torture is meted out to them,” he tells the camera. “They are beaten up severely, burned with cigarettes, sometimes tied down on trees and beaten with stones.” He added, “It’s very difficult for them to realize or internalize freedom.”
Many of the children were temporarily resettled at an ashram run by Bachpan Bachao Andolan before returning to their villages.
Among those who celebrated on Friday was Mohammad Manan Ansari, who began working at a mica mine at 6, digging ore that would sell for 5 to 20 cents a pound. Mr. Ansari, now a college student in his late teens, recalled watching as a small friend was crushed by falling rocks in one of the mine’s tunnels. He said he would be grateful to Mr. Satyarthi for the rest of his life.
“My happiest moment was when Bachpan Bachao Andolan workers came and saved me,” he said. “Now Kailash’s Nobel is the second happiest moment of my life. I can’t explain my joy in my own words.”
Correction: Oct. 14, 2014
Because of an editing error, an article on Saturday about Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights advocate who shared the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday with Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist, misstated, in some editions, the number of years after India’s independence that Mr. Satyarthi was born. It was about six and a half years, not five and a half. (India won independence from Britain in 1947; Mr. Satyarthi was born in 1954.)
Nida Najar contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Nobel Caps Decades of Fighting Child Slavery in India. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Two Champions of Children Are Given Nobel Peace Prize
Malala Yousafzai, Youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Adds to Her Achievements and Expectations
Nobel Committee Awards 2014 Peace Prize
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Homophobic attack on K'Rd: Sickening, not surprising
ASOS mocked over see-through pants
Fox News host who said he hasn't washed his hands in 10 years now said he's kidding
He said he didn't believe in germs because he can't see them. Photo / Getty Images
By: Michael Brice-Saddler
Fox News host Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that he hasn't washed his hands in a decade - sparking laughter and confusion from those on social media who found his comments extremely gross.
Speaking with his "Fox and Friends" co-hosts, Hegseth said one of his goals for 2019 was to be as honest on the air as he is backstage.
Without warning anyone, he immediately followed through on that resolution, the Washington Post reports.
"I don't think I've washed my hands for 10 years," he blurted out, prompting hysterical laughter from his colleagues. He provided some sort of explanation.
"Really. I don't really wash my hands ever. I inoculate myself. Germs are not a real thing. I can't see them, therefore they're not real."
Fox News’ @PeteHegseth admits, unprompted, that he hasn’t washed his hands in 10 years.
“Germs are not a real thing,” Pete says. “I can’t see them, therefore they’re not real.” pic.twitter.com/9hsAb9YA9j
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 10, 2019
"So you're becoming immune to all the bacteria," interjected co-host Jedediah Bila, who also yelled, "Someone, help me!"
"Exactly," Hegseth replied. "I can't get sick."
Newsweek reports that Hegseth's comments were sparked by a conversation over day-old pizza - the co-host had apparently eaten some slices that were left out from the day before. He defended himself by saying pizza "lasts for a long time."
The Fox personality's remarks made the rounds on social media, prompting many to react and wonder why, if true, he would even admit to such a thing.
A Fox News spokeswoman told The Washington Post Hegseth was joking, of course, which he later said was "obvious."
"We're on a show, and we have fun, and we banter, and I'm like, eh, you know, maybe I haven't washed my hands for 10 years," he told USA Today. "If you look at Ed and Jedediah's reaction, they are laughing like we are (on) every show."
He continued: "My halfhearted commentary to the point is, we live in a society where people walk around with bottles of Purell in their pockets, and they sanitize 19,000 times a day as if that's going to save their life. I take care of myself and all that, but I don't obsess over everything all the time."
Hegseth doubled down in a string of tweets Monday, urging "The Media" to "loosen up and have some fun." Several people in the replies accused him of lying and backpedaling to save face.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dedicates several pages of its website to hand-washing, underscoring its importance in preventing the spread of germs.
"Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water," the CDC writes, recalling lessons most of us were taught in kindergarten.
They further note that everyone should wash their hands before preparing or eating food.
That suggestion probably applies to day-old pizza as well.
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Objective News Report
News Without The Narrative
HomeFact CheckingDoes The US Have The Best Healthcare In The World?
Does The US Have The Best Healthcare In The World?
David Lynch Fact Checking
During the CNN Debate Night debate between Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders on the issue of the future of healthcare in America, Ted Cruz made the claim that the United States has the best healthcare in the world. In this article, we’ll fact-check Cruz’s statement and answer the question: does the US have the best healthcare in the world?
Does The US Have The Best Healthcare In The World? Here Are The Facts.
The effectiveness of the United States healthcare system has been a hotly debate topic for decades. While the rest of the industrialized world has implemented some form single-payer healthcare, the United States created the Affordable Care Act, which was designed to make healthcare insurance more affordable and accessible to all Americans. Despite this massive overhaul, the United States still does not have a very effective healthcare system relative to the rest of the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the American healthcare system 37th in the world, trailing other major countries such as France (1st), the United Kingdon (18th), Germany (25th), and Canada (30th).
In 2014, the Commonwealth Fund, a private United States foundation dedicated to promoting a high-quality healthcare system, ranked the United States healthcare system last compared to ten other major nations in North America and Europe. In this study, the United Kingdom had the best overall healthcare system.
These two studies, the most well-respected when examining healthcare systems, demonstrate that the US does not have the best healthcare coverage in the world.
The United States Doesn’t Have The Best Healthcare Coverage, But…
The United States does take first place when it comes to most expensive healthcare system. The Commonwealth Fund found that the United States spends more on healthcare than any other high-income country in the world. So while the US doesn’t have the best healthcare coverage, the nation does have the most expensive system in the world. Although it doesn’t sound great, some are optimistic that tweaks to the system can make great healthcare coverage affordable for everyone in America.
The Verdict: Ted Cruz Was Wrong
Objective News Report rates Ted Cruz’s claim that the US has the best healthcare in the world as FALSE. The United States’ healthcare system is demonstrably flawed and inferior to other major nations, but remains the most expensive system in the world.
About David Lynch 62 Articles
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Copyright © 2019 Objective News Report
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The growing problem of content chaos
Home/Content Challenges, Resources/The growing problem of content chaos
Like algae blooming in a nutrient-rich lake, the amount of content being produced by companies today is growing at an exponential rate. How much content is being created, which functions within the business are creating it and how much of it is being exposed to customers is, for the average business, an utter mystery.
Being polite and mundane, this could be described as inefficient. A more accurate description would be ‘chaotic’.
To understand what this chaos looks like, let’s take a look at a mid-sized B2B company – we’ll expand this to B2C companies in a moment.
This average B2B company has all the obvious content platforms. It has its website with the all-important blog. It has a Linkedin page, Twitter feed and even a Facebook page, and newsletters are sent out regularly (in a correct GDPR compliant manner!)
Over the years it’s added a bit of digital confusion with a specific microsite to support some thought leadership positioning as well as one for its annual customer event. All pretty common stuff.
But wait, that’s just the marketing content. Throw the net wider and you’ll quickly discover a wealth of additional content in terms of sales and service content.
If you cast a similar lens over an average B2C company then the array of content, channels and functions creating content widens still further. There’s a lot more outbound content being created and the range of channels is far broader. There are almost certainly more functions creating content, more regularly, and there are also a lot more external agencies involved.
In a world where the average company is increasing its content investment and the breadth and depth of its content creation, this matters a lot.
If there’s a lack of control today, this is only going to get worse and where it will hurt the most will be with the customer.
The chaos will create confusion with the customer and a disjointed, frustrating experience. It will certainly create even greater unnecessary cost and what is a problem today will become a source of considerable pain in the not-too-distant future.
Worryingly, these average companies are very much the norm and as global content investment looks set to double from 2016’s levels of just over £200bn to an eye-watering £400bn in 2021, it is time to take action and turn content chaos into content control.
Aly Richards 2018-09-06T12:50:52+00:00
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Huawei Contracted to Install Fibre Optic Cable in the Solomon Islands
The submarine division of Chinese telecoms equipment manufacturer Huawei, has been contracted by the Solomon Islands government to install a fibre-optic cable linking Sydney to Honiara.
Solomon Island’s finance minister Snyder Rini said an agreement will be signed this month, and work will begin in February, with a ready for service (RFS) date currently set at the middle of 2018.
Mr Rini added that the cable would be jointly owned by the government’s commercial arm, the Investment Corporation of Solomon Islands, and the National Provident Fund.
Work on the submarine cable project will commence as soon as the CEO of the Solomon Islands Submarine Cable Company (SISCC) assumes duty, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT) announced.
“Arrangements are now underway for the new CEO to take up the position early February 2017 in Honiara.
“The Cabinet has awarded the supply and laying of the undersea cable to Huawei. The Government is committed to this important project and arrangements are being made for contract negotiation and signing to take place.
“The SISCC is the company established to implement the submarine cable project and the shareholders in this company are the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and Investment Corporation of Solomon Islands (ICSI).”
The MOFT statement said officials from both MOFT and the Ministry of Communication and Aviation are in the meantime arranging the financing package for the project. Source: Solomon Times
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For the 1st-ever upcoming California Clean Air…
For the 1st-ever upcoming California Clean Air Day, people are pledging to make small sacrifices for big impact
Ed Begley Jr., is an actor who is also an environmental activist. Begley goes up the escalator after taking the Metro Red Line from Universal City to Union Station to take part in a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
PUBLISHED: September 28, 2018 at 9:52 am | UPDATED: November 23, 2018 at 11:48 am
The bottom half of the barbecue, on display at Union Station, was turned into a potted plant to convey a simple — green — message.
“Charcoal barbecues are really bad,” said Brian Sheridan, development director for the Coalition for Clean Air during Thursday’s kickoff of California’s first Clean Air Day. The statewide event is coming up on Wednesday, Oct. 3.
Ed Begley Jr., is an actor who is also an environmental activist. Begley walks through Union Station after taking the Metro Red Line to take part in a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Ed Begley Jr., is an actor who is also an environmental activist. Begley enters the Metro Red Line at Universal City to ride the train to Union Station to take part in a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Ed Begley Jr., is an actor who is also an environmental activist. Begley works on a cross-word puzzle while riding the Metro Red Line from Universal City to Union Station to take part in a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Dirty cabin filters from a car are displayed to demonstrate the need to change them out so that cars can run more efficiently. The display was set up at Union Station for a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Joe Lyou, President and CEO from the Coalition for Clean Air, speaks at a reception at Union Station. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
Ordering multiple items to be delivered on the sam day demonstrates the need to consolodate shipping so that trucks burn less fuel and pollute less. The display was set up at Union Station for a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
An air quality sensor is displayed at Union Station during a Coalition for Clean Air reception. Los Angeles on September 27, 2018. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
So far, more than 1,000 individuals, 40 local mayors and 100 businesses have pledged to do the small things to help clean the air breathed by 30 million Southern Californians.
That includes ditching the charcoal grill that pollutes by releasing particulates, cleaning with vinegar and baking soda instead of commercial cleansers that emit chemical vapors and riding clean public transportation to and from work.
Each year, the coalition pushes politicos, celebrities and corporations to spread the word that each small act from individuals — when done in unison — can add up to a big difference.
“This day will be what everyone in California makes it to be,” said Joe Lyou, president and CEO of the clean air nonprofit during a kickoff at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles attended by about 40 people, including representatives of Southern California Gas, Southern California Edison, L.A. Metro, Foothill Transit, Dignity Health and Honda.
TV and movie actor Ed Begley Jr., one of the group’s long-standing board members and unofficially the owner of the first electric car in L.A. — a $950 golf cart with a windshield and a battery pack he bought in 1971 — took the Red Line subway from Studio City.
“I took my big electric car to get down here,” joked the actor, known for his early role in the Emmy-winning drama “St. Elsewhere.”
Begley was asked why more Southern Californians don’t ride the buses or trains.
“It’s because people haven’t tried it. If you try it people will get hooked,” he said.
Dragging out a clipboard with two nearly completed crossword puzzles and a sharp pencil, Begley said: “I can’t do these while I am driving.”
Begley, who appeared in the 2018 movie “Book Club” from Paramount Pictures with Jane Fonda and Diane Keaton, said he rode the Expo Line to the Culver City sound studio, leaving his reserved parking space on the lot empty.
“I’d bring my script on the train. I’d learn my lines on the way to work and from work.”
With a year that produced a record 89 consecutive non-compliance days for ozone — the most caustic component of smog — a day without smog may be a welcome relief to residents of the four-county region, plagued this past summer by record heat and persistent bad air.
Many like Begley remember living with the smog alerts of the 1970s and 1980s, especially in the San Fernando, San Gabriel and San Bernardino valleys. They want to do something to cleanse the air further.
Why is Southern California’s air quality so bad? It’s smog season
Foothill Transit buys two new electric buses for $2.4 million
The possible downfall of cleaning the air, according to JPL study
Southern California still has some of the worst air pollution in the country, report finds
As Trump attacks California auto emissions standards, counties stay on track with electric train and mass transit projects
Today’s cars produce one-one-thousandth of the tailpipe pollution of cars in the 1970s. But cleaner cars are not enough, as the population of Southern California grows and the number of cars on the road has increased.
Marcos Frommer, manager of corporate affairs for Honda North America, told the group he experienced the brown air during those decades.
“We still have bad air in California,” Frommer said. “And we all can do something about it.”
Small changes
Lyou said scientists back then didn’t realize the tremendous impact to health. Today, multiple studies show that in Southern California 7,500 people die prematurely from exposure to air pollution.
Some small measures included in the pledge at cleanairday.org include:
• Using vinegar, water and baking soda as household cleansers to reduce indoor air pollutants
• Asking parents who drive their children to school to turn off their engines while dropping or picking them up.
• Leaving the car in the garage and taking a bus or train to work; riding to the train station on a bicycle
• Dialing 1-800-CUT-SMOG to report smoking cars, trucks on the roads and freeway
• Changing your car’s cabin filter located behind the glove box
“Take the low-hanging fruit first,” Begley advised. “Get an energy-saving light bulb. Get an energy-saving thermostat and program it. Take public transportation as I did today. Or ride a bike when weather permits.
“You are not only going to save the environment but you will save money.”
On Wednesday, the LAX pylons will be colored blue and Caltrans electric signs will post reminders of California Clean Air Day, Lyou said.
Sign up for The Localist, our daily email newsletter with handpicked stories relevant to where you live. Subscribe here.
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'These were the nights when the German bombers growled through the sky, their bellies full with steel and cordite. When the moon was low their dark shapes and still darker shadows came over the coast. Several hours later they'd return again, wearily, lighter in weight, fewer in number, dropping the occasional bomb on the forgotten land of creeks and channels beneath them. On one of those nights it all began for me - war, after all, starts many things, and even though I wasn't born for another twenty-five years, my story began there.'
It is May 1945 and as church bells ring out Victory in Europe over the Norfolk saltmarshes, Goose's daughter Lil is born. But as Lil enters Goose's world, her father leaves it, in a makeshift boat bound - or so the story goes - for Germany, his home.
Forty years later it is Lil's son, Pip, who begins to make sense of his family's fragmented history. Who was his grandfather, who fell from the sky into Goose's life and then disappeared as suddenly as he came? What was the truth of his mother, Lil, who lived and lost her way between the creeks and the samphire? And what does it all mean for Pip, whose heritage of flood, fireworks, fish and clouds, has left him ill-prepared for life beyond the marshes?
Stunningly good. Captures the landscapes with a truly deft, water-colourist's touch. His ear for Norfolk cadence is extremely acute
Rose Tremain
Jeremy Page is the author of Salt, which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book and the Jelf First Novel Award. He grew up in North Norfolk and has worked as a scriptwriter and also as an editor for FilmFour and the BBC. He lives in London with his wife and two children.
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OSTI.GOV Technical Report: Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Northwestern, Central, and Northeastern Africa (including Morocco, northern and western Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, eastern Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and southeastern Egypt)
Title: Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Northwestern, Central, and Northeastern Africa (including Morocco, northern and western Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, eastern Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and southeastern Egypt)
This report was prepared as part of the World Energy Resources Program of the US Geological Survey (USGS). The objective of the study is to assess the undiscovered conventionally recoverable resources within the petroleum producing provinces. The study utilizes geological and petroleum engineering data, in conjunction with statistical techniques, to estimate undiscovered resources by a process involving a team of geologists and statisticians. The estimates represent the views of the US Geological Survey estimating team and should not be regarded as an official Department of the Interior position. 21 figures, 2 tables.
Peterson, J.A.
Geological Survey, Missoula, MT (USA)
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 6956459; Legacy ID: TI84900972
USGS-OFR-83-598
ON: TI84900972
02 PETROLEUM; 03 NATURAL GAS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; AFRICA; NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS; PETROLEUM DEPOSITS; NATURAL GAS; RESERVES; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; PETROLEUM; ALGERIA; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC; CHAD; DATA COMPILATION; EGYPTIAN ARAB REPUBLIC; ETHIOPIA; MALI; MAURITANIA; MOROCCO; NIGER; NIGERIA; SOMALIA; SUDAN; TUNISIA; DATA; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; ENERGY SOURCES; FLUIDS; FOSSIL FUELS; FUEL GAS; FUELS; GAS FUELS; GASES; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; INFORMATION; MINERAL RESOURCES; NUMERICAL DATA; RESOURCES 020100* -- Petroleum-- Reserves-- (-1989); 030100 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves-- (-1989); 294002 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum; 294003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
Peterson, J.A. Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Northwestern, Central, and Northeastern Africa (including Morocco, northern and western Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, eastern Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and southeastern Egypt). United States: N. p., 1983. Web.
Peterson, J.A. Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Northwestern, Central, and Northeastern Africa (including Morocco, northern and western Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, eastern Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and southeastern Egypt). United States.
Peterson, J.A. Sat . "Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Northwestern, Central, and Northeastern Africa (including Morocco, northern and western Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, eastern Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and southeastern Egypt)". United States.
title = {Assessment of undiscovered conventionally recoverable petroleum resources of Northwestern, Central, and Northeastern Africa (including Morocco, northern and western Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, eastern Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and southeastern Egypt)},
author = {Peterson, J.A.},
abstractNote = {This report was prepared as part of the World Energy Resources Program of the US Geological Survey (USGS). The objective of the study is to assess the undiscovered conventionally recoverable resources within the petroleum producing provinces. The study utilizes geological and petroleum engineering data, in conjunction with statistical techniques, to estimate undiscovered resources by a process involving a team of geologists and statisticians. The estimates represent the views of the US Geological Survey estimating team and should not be regarded as an official Department of the Interior position. 21 figures, 2 tables.},
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that may hold this item. Keep in mind that many technical reports are not cataloged in WorldCat.
Africa: the emphasis is exploration
Journal Article Not Available - World Oil; (United States)
Individual country reports on drilling, oil and gas production, and petroleum exploration and reserves are given for Africa. Nigeria was the continent's largest oil producer in 1979, averaging 2.3 million bpd, followed closely by Libya with 2.07 million bpd. Algeria cut production of crude oil in 1979 to a level of 1,194,350 bpd, and increased gas production to 2031 mmcfd. In Egypt, the return of Israeli-occupied oil fields and a surge in productive capacity enabled production averaging 524,000 bpd. Brief country reports are included for Gabon, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Cameroun, Tunisia, Morocco, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Niger, Chad,more » Republic of South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Seychelles Islands, Mauritania, Republic of Mali, Benin, Kenya, Madagascar, Botswana, Gambia, Mozambique, and Senegal.« less
Turmoil doesn`t dampen enthusiasm
Journal Article NONE - World Oil
The paper discusses the outlook for the African gas and oil industries. Though Africa remains politically and economically volatile, its vast energy potential is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign oil and gas companies. Separate evaluations are given for Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Angola, Libya, Congo, Gabon, Tunisia, Cameroon, Cote D`Ivoire, and briefly for South Africa, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Zaire, Benin, Mozambique, Chad, Namibia, Tanzania, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Morocco, Sao Tome and Principe, Ethiopia, Niger, Madagascar, Rwanda, Mauritania, Seychelles, Uganda, and Liberia.
Tropical Africa: Land Use, Biomass, and Carbon Estimates for 1980 (NDP-055)
Technical Report Brown, S.
This document describes the contents of a digital database containing maximum potential aboveground biomass, land use, and estimated biomass and carbon data for 1980. The biomass data and carbon estimates are associated with woody vegetation in Tropical Africa. These data were collected to reduce the uncertainty associated with estimating historical releases of carbon from land use change. Tropical Africa is defined here as encompassing 22.7 x 10{sup 6} km{sup 2} of the earth's land surface and is comprised of countries that are located in tropical Africa (Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Benin, Equatorial Guinea,more » Ethiopia, Djibouti, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Zaire, and Zambia). The database was developed using the GRID module in the ARC/INFO{trademark} geographic information system. Source data were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center, and a limited number of biomass-carbon density case studies. These data were used to derive the maximum potential and actual (ca. 1980) aboveground biomass values at regional and country levels. The land-use data provided were derived from a vegetation map originally produced for the FAO by the International Institute of Vegetation Mapping, Toulouse, France.« less
Petroleum developments in Central and Southern Africa in 1964
Journal Article Cordry, E.A. - Bull. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.; (United States)
This review includes 43 countries, i.e., all of Africa except Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan. Total annual production for Central and Southern Africa increased by 43% to 58,795,166 bbl in 1964. This increase was contributed largely by Nigeria although Gabon and Angola also recorded new highs. Congo (Brazzaville) had a 23% drop in production. No other countries are currently producing oil. Fifty-four exploratory wells were completed in 1964, of which 51.9% were successful. Twenty-one oil discoveries were made in Nigeria, one in Gabon, and one in Congo (Leopoldville), the latter's first discovery. Four gas discoveries were recorded inmore » Nigeria as well as a gas-condensate discovery in Angola. Exploratory wells were completed, but without successes, in Niger, Somali Republic, South West Africa, and Spanish Sahara. Eighty-one development wells (solely in Nigeria and Gabon) were completed with 88.8% success. A total of 1,265,201 ft (a new high) of wildcat and development footage was drilled in 1964 in Central and Southern Africa.« less
African oil plays
Conference Clifford, A.J. - AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)
The vast continent of Africa hosts over eight sedimentary basins, covering approximately half its total area. Of these basins, only 82% have entered a mature exploration phase, 9% have had little or no exploration at all. Since oil was first discovered in Africa during the mid-1950s, old play concepts continue to bear fruit, for example in Egypt and Nigeria, while new play concepts promise to become more important, such as in Algeria, Angola, Chad, Egypt, Gabon, and Sudan. The most exciting developments of recent years in African oil exploration are: (1) the Gamba/Dentale play, onshore Gabon; (2) the Pinda play,more » offshore Angola; (3) the Lucula/Toca play, offshore Cabinda; (4) the Metlaoui play, offshore Libya/Tunisia; (5) the mid-Cretaceous sand play, Chad/Sudan; and (6) the TAG-I/F6 play, onshore Algeria. Examples of these plays are illustrated along with some of the more traditional oil plays. Where are the future oil plays likely to develop No doubt, the Saharan basins of Algeria and Libya will feature strongly, also the presalt of Equatorial West Africa, the Central African Rift System and, more speculatively, offshore Ethiopia and Namibia, and onshore Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania.« less
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Opening hours - 4:30am to 8:30pm, every day.
There is no admission fee.
Several sections of the abbey building and grounds are open to the public. An exhibition tells the story of the abbey building and our community of Benedictines living here, and there is a gift shop, visitor toilets and parking on site.
Visitors are also welcome to attend Mass or any office (a set of sung prayers, such as Vespers).
On weekdays, Mass is at 9:00am.
On Sundays, Mass is at 8:00am in English and 10:00am in Latin (with readings in English).
See full timetable of mass and office times.
Find out more about the abbey buildings and grounds.
Elgin, Morayshire,
IV30 8UA
Travel & directions
The Abbey lies 6 miles west of Elgin, 40 miles east of Inverness and just over 70 miles west of Aberdeen; at both cities there are airports. There are good bus and rail services to Elgin. Buses from Elgin to the Abbey are infrequent. A taxi costs around £12.00. Pluscarden Abbey is marked on most maps and road atlases. By road, the simplest routes are from the south the A9 to Inverness and the A96 to Forres or Elgin, or via the A92 to Aberdeen and the A96 to Elgin.
See more detailed directions.
Please write to the address above, or send us a message:
• to stay at the abbey, use the retreat form.
• to discuss a vocation to become a monk, use the vocations form.
• to contact us about anything else, please use our general enquiries form.
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Home / Press Office / Werksmans RSS ← Back
Business|Contractor|Paper|Service|Technology|Contracting|Equipment|Services
Non-standard forms of work and the gig economy
South African labour law creates extensive rights and protections for employees, but it is sometimes difficult to determine when a person is an employee. There has always been a recognised distinction between employees and independent contractors, and the Labour Courts and CCMA have developed mechanisms for determining whether a person is one or the other. However, the new “gig economy” that is emerging globally presents novel challenges to the existing structures, not least to the fundamental question of who is an employee?
The gig economy is widely referred to as the engagement of a worker for a one-off job, or “gig”. A specific work or end-result is contracted for, the person performs the work to produce the result, and the relationship between the parties ends. However, this overly simplistic definition can be further enhanced, into at least two broad sub-categories. For example, the International Labour Organisation in 2018 released a paper through its Conditions of Work and Employment Series, which distinguished between “crowdwork” and “work on-demand via apps”, in which it defined these as follows:
Crowdworkers operate online through platforms that connect vast numbers of clients, organisations, and businesses, often across borders. Because crowdwork is performed online, an infinite number of workers and clients are often spread over large geographic distances.
“work on-demand via apps” is platform-facilitated, yet place-based and geographically limited work. This includes delivery driving, transportation, domestic work, home repair, and more; all requiring direct interface between gig workers and those requesting gig services.
An example of “crowdwork” would be fiverr.com, whereas Uber or Taxify would be examples of a “work on-demand app.” The question remains, are persons who perform services to end users recognised as employees?
The Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 (“LRA“), contains a basic definition as to who is an employee. The LRA says that an employee is “any person, excluding an independent contractor, who works for another person or for the State and who receives, or is entitled to receive, any remuneration; and any other person who in any manner assists in carrying on or conducting the business of an employer”.
The LRA also contains rebuttable presumptions of employment, which provide that a person is rebuttable presumed to be employed if:
the manner in which the person works is subject to the control or direction of another person;
the person’s hours of work are subject to the control or direction of another person;
in the case of a person who works for an organisation, the person forms part of that organisation;
the person has worked for that other person for an average of at least 40 hours per month over the last three months;
the person is economically dependant on the other person for whom he or she works or renders services;
the person is provided with tools of trade or work equipment by the other person; or
the person only works for or renders services to one person.
The above rebuttable presumptions apply in respect of persons who earn less than R205 443.30 per annum. Where a person earns above R205 433.30 per annum, the Labour Courts and the CCMA apply what is known as the dominant impression/reality test, which applies (essentially) the same factors set out above to determine whether the substance of the relationship is that of employment, rather than the contractual form, which would describe it as independent contracting.
The above rebuttable presumptions and the dominant impression/reality test provides a structure within which persons working in the gig economy can be categorised either as employees or independent (non-employee) contractors. The distinction is critical, since although being defined as an employee brings rights and protections (such as the right to not be unfairly dismissed, and the right to annual leave), it also brings restrictions, such as limitations on working hours, which cannot be exceeded even if desired by the employee.
In South Africa, the Labour Court has considered in principle whether persons who perform work in a “gig economy” are employees. In the case of Uber South Africa Technology Services (Pty) Ltd v National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) and Others 2018, the court ultimately did not have to pronounce on whether Uber drivers are employees of Uber (due to the wrong party being cited as the respondent in the matter), but the court did indicate in principle that the above tests would be applied to determine this question.
In the European Union, workers who engage through crowdwork or work on demand apps, are generally regarded as freelancers or non-employee independent contractors, but individual countries also allow for the possibility that this classification may hide a disguised employment relationship and allow their courts to test the true relationship. SA courts could take guidance from European approaches, and may be influenced by EU law.
At present, the approach seems to be that “gig economy” workers of these kinds fall somewhere in between traditional employees and arms-length contractors, and are best thought of as performing “non-standard forms of work”. As such, they are not recognised as employees and fall outside of the scope of labour legislation in South Africa.
Written by Bradley Workman-Davies, Director and Megan Livingstone, Candidate Attorney from Workmans Attorneys
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Tracy Chapman - Baby Can I Hold You
"Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single released by the American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song reached the top fifty in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top forty hit, peaking at #48. It did, however, give her a second chart entry on the US Adult Contemporary charts, peaking at #19 in early 1989. (Her first adult contemporary hit was "Fast Car", which reached #7 on the AC charts.) Given the commercial decline Chapman suffered following the release of her second album Crossroads, "Baby Can I Hold You" also became her last top fifty hit until 1996's "Give Me One Reason". Neil Diamond recorded the song for his 1989 album, The Best Years of Our Lives and became the first of many artists to cover the song.[1] Chapman subsequently re-recorded the song as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti for the CD Pavarotti and Friends for Cambodia and Tibet. And it was re-released as a single in promotion of the hits package Collection which reached #3 in the United Kingdom in 2001.In 1989 for the song was notably covered by Jamaican Reggae singer Sanchez which became a staple in dance clubs internationally and still widely played on America urban radio stations.
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Penguin English Library
By Anthony Trollope
Fiction Classics / Classics / Contemporary Fiction
Anthony Trollope's The Warden is the first of his well-loved Chronicles of Barsetshire, edited with an introduction and notes by Robin Gilmour in Penguin Classics.
The tranquil atmosphere of the cathedral town of Barchester is shattered when a scandal breaks concerning the financial affairs of a Church-run almshouse for elderly men. In the ensuing furore, Septimus Harding, the almshouse's well-meaning warden, finds himself pitted against his daughter's suitor Dr John Bold, a zealous local reformer. Matters are not improved when Harding's abrasive son-in law, Archdeacon Grantly, leaps into the fray to defend him against a campaign Bold begins in the national press. An affectionate and wittily satirical view of the workings of the Church of England, The Warden is also a subtle exploration of the rights and wrongs of moral crusades and, in its account of Harding's intensely felt personal drama, a moving depiction of the private impact of public affairs.
In his introduction, Robin Gilmour examines Trollope's background and his influences, especially his use of contemporary newspaper scandals. This edition also includes suggestions for further reading and notes.
Anthony Trollope (1815-82) had an unhappy childhood characterised by a stark contrast between his family's high social standing and their comparative poverty. He wrote his earliest novels while working as a Post Office inspector, but did not meet with success until the publication of the first of his 'Barsetshire novels', The Warden (1855). As well as writing over forty novels, including such popular works as Can You Forgive Her? (1865), Phineas Finn (1869), He Knew He Was Right (1869) and The Way We Live Now (1875) Trollope is credited with introducing the postbox to England.
If you enjoyed The Warden, you might like Trollope's The Way We Live Now, also available in Penguin Classics.
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Also by Anthony Trollope
Last Chronicle Of Barset
A Small House At Allington
Dr Thorne
John Gribbin, Anthony Trollope
Dr Wortle's School
The Eustace Diamonds
Phineas Finn
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Found in Bosnia
The Myth Of The 12 World Pyramids
Everybody knows about the pyramids of Egypt. Most people also are aware of pyramid-type structures built by the ancient civilizations that once inhabited the jungles of Central and Northern South America.
But there are other pyramids that exist, some in China, India, and the ruins of a large pyramid also were found not long ago in the swamp lands of South Florida.
In short, large stone pyramids seemed to have existed at one time in the distant past all over the world. Over the years I have wracked my brain attempting to link some common thread to this phenomenon. How could people so far apart be interested in building massive stone structures of the same basic design? What or who motivated them to take on such monumental tasks?
It was almost as if some superhuman entity . . . alien visitors perhaps . . . dropped down out of the sky and gave the instructions and the basic blueprint for the structure they were to erect. That the work involved cutting and lifting stones of phenomenal weight, it even may be suggested that there was extraterrestrial help in doing the work.
Could it be that all of these colossal stone megaliths, including such unexplained mysteries as Stonehenge in England, and the strange heads peering out to sea from Easter Island, were put there for the same reason. And was that reason to remind us of who we are. We were to remember that we are descendents of the star people or that the Earth is our Mother. I like to think that we were to remember our covenant to care for the Mother Earth so that we, as a people, might live and prosper for a long time.
With that in mind, I was fascinated by some writing I found on the Crystal Links website titled the Twelve Pyramids of Thoth. Thoth, identified as an Egyptian Moon god, claims to be the overseer of the great pyramid of Egypt. The message in this work was that the Egyptian pyramid was the last of the 12 great world pyramids to be built.
The first, he said, is located under the ice in Antarctica. The others are in Tibet, Lumeria (a legendary lost continent in the Pacific region), Atlantis, Mexico, Peru, Europe, Australia, Canada, Middle East, United States and finally Egypt.
Indeed, pyramids, or at least the remnants of what may once have been large pyramid type buildings, have been found in most of these places. I am not sure about Australia but then I believe there are secrets hidden in that desolate land that are known only to the aboriginals. The locations of both Atlantis and Lumeria are either unknown or long disputed.
What interested me was a prophetic message in the information linked to the Antarctic pyramid. It says this structure is a portal to other planetary systems and its function is to assist in the comings and goings of alien entities who have been part of the history of Planet Earth.
“These entities came to the planet in great spaceships and interacted with those who lived on the planet, in the water, and below the surface,” the messenge says.
The kicker comes with this: “And when this book is found, the ice shall melt from this place, revealing starships created by this pyramid, left behind as reminders of their work and interaction on your planet.”
That the book is known is a clear indication that if it is ancient, it has indeed been “found.” That we are watching with alarm the global warming reports that both the Arctic and Antarctic regions are melting. Many of us could live to see the day when the entire continent of Antarctica will be exposed, as will all of the ancient artifacts that once existed there.
If a giant pyramid and starship is found there, it will change the thinking of the world forever.
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Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (29-58) at Milwaukee Brewers (50-41), July 14-16
By Kirsten Swanson
The first half was ugly, unexpected, and downright scary at times. The Phillies went into the All-Star break with the worst record in baseball, failing to reach 30 wins.
While we will never forget the awfulness that was May, June, and July, the Phillies can salvage what’s left of the season with a strong second half. Players will be traded, prospects will be called up and the likes of Aaron Nola and Nick Williams will hopefully continue their recent strong play.
First up are the Milwaukee Brewers, who are still holding onto a considerable 5.5 game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
The Phils will have their work cut out for them, that’s for sure. There’s no doubt that the Brewers are going to come out strong in attempt to cushion that division lead even more. They have won seven of their last nine games, scoring 57 runs during the stretch.
Despite losing their last three series, the Phillies have shown some promise. The offense is still non-existent but the starting pitching has been a bright spot as of late with a 3.21 ERA over the last 21 games. Jeremy Hellickson seems to have settled down just in time for the trade deadline, rookies Ben Lively and Nick Pivetta have been impressive, and Jerad Eickhoff rebounded nicely on Sunday in his return.
Pitching Matchups
Friday, 8:10 p.m.: Nick Pivetta (2-4, 4.73 ERA) vs. Zach Davies (10-4, 4.90 ERA)
After a rough outing against Arizona where he didn’t make it out of the third inning, Pivetta threw 14 innings in his last two games. In those starts, he gave up just four runs on six hits with 13 strikeouts.
Davies is going for his 11th win of the season – hard to comprehend considering nine Phillies starters have just 18 wins. He won his last three starts, including a two-run performance against the Cubs last week. He’s faced the Phils just once before, last season where he gave up four runs and suffered the loss
Saturday, 7:10 p.m.: Aaron Nola (6-6, 3.59 ERA) vs. Jimmy Nelson (8-4, 3.30 ERA)
One of the biggest disappointments through the first two months of the season was Nola. Since June, however, he has looked like his old self. In his last seven starts, he’s gone at least seven innings in all but two games and has given up more than three runs just once. He’s 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA since the calendar turned to June. Most importantly, his command issues seem to have subsided, striking out 52 batters in 48 1/3 innings
Nelson has been lights out at home this season. In 10 starts, he has a 2.35 ERA and has struck out 71 over 65 innings. In three career starts against the Phils, he has 6.89 ERA with three homers and 7 walks.
Sunday, 1:35 p.m.: Jeremy Hellickson (5-5, 4.49 ERA) vs. Matt Garza (4-4, 3.98 ERA)
The clock could be winding down on Hellickson’s stint in Philadelphia considering he has upped his trade value over his last four starts, giving up nine earned runs over 25.1 innings. During that stretch, Hellickson walked just four batters and struck out 19. That’s huge considering in his first 14 starts he struck out just 35 batters.
It seems hard to believe Garza is playing in his 12th season this year but he’s still chugging along. The 34-year-old just had his best outing of the season, throwing six scoreless innings against the Orioles. In his last three starts he’s given up just five runs over 17 1/3 innings.
Along with many players, Dusty Wathan knocking on major league door
Phillies fall short in second-half opener
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John D. Knox was named president at Trainer Wortham, replacing Charles...
John D. Knox was named president at Trainer Wortham, replacing Charles V. Moore, who was named to the new position of CEO. Mr. Moore remains chairman. Mr. Knox was managing director, fixed income, a role he will keep, said Greg Berardi, a company spokesman.
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Cardax Launches Human Clinical Trial Targeting Cardiovascular Inflammatory Health
CHASE Trial to Evaluate Impact of ZanthoSyn® in Largest Astaxanthin Study Ever
Cardax, Inc.
HONOLULU, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardax, Inc. (OTCQB: CDXI) has launched its Cardiovascular Health Astaxanthin Supplement Evaluation (CHASE) clinical trial targeting cardiovascular inflammatory health. The first subject was dosed on September 19, 2018.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled CHASE clinical trial will evaluate the effect of low-dose and high-dose ZanthoSyn®, Cardax's premium astaxanthin supplement, on cardiovascular health, as measured by C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels, over 12 weeks in up to 360 subjects with documented cardiovascular risk factors. The study will also include an optional open label extension through 48 weeks.
Of the more than 50 human clinical trials conducted to date with various forms of astaxanthin, this pioneering study is believed to be the largest ever reported. The next three largest astaxanthin studies each had approximately 100 to 130 subjects and examined lower doses and/or shorter durations. The CHASE trial is expected to be more than 10 times the average reported astaxanthin clinical trial size of approximately 30 subjects.
In addition to CRP as a primary endpoint, other markers of inflammatory health will be measured as exploratory endpoints in CHASE, including activation of FOXO3, the important anti-aging gene. Previous work with the University of Hawaii demonstrated that one of Cardax's astaxanthin compounds, CDX-085, activated FOXO3 in mammals (mice) for the first time. Extensive safety parameters will also be assessed.
The trial is being conducted in Hawaii by Premier Medical Group (PMG), headed by Scott Miscovich, MD, the study's principal investigator, with the support of its Director of Clinical Research, Josh Green, MD. The unique structure of the collaboration between PMG and Cardax is expected to provide efficient recruitment of subjects and an economical cost structure consistent with the Company's resources and planned R&D expenditures.
"This study is an important example of our commitment to the science underlying our products," said David G. Watumull, Cardax President and CEO, "and if the results are positive, its well-controlled, scientifically credible design should provide a strong foundation for our future growth."
The CHASE medical monitor and trial design lead is Jon L. Ruckle, MD, Cardax Chief Medical Officer, who has extensive experience as principal investigator of more than 350 clinical trials at leading contract research organizations.
In keeping with ZanthoSyn®'s regulatory status as a dietary supplement, the trial is focused on a structure/function outcome (cardiovascular health) and thus according to FDA regulations an Investigational New Drug application (IND) is not required. The trial has been approved by an Independent Review Board (IRB) and will conform to Good Clinical Practice (GCP), an international ethical and scientific quality standard for designing, conducting, recording, and reporting trials that involve the participation of human subjects. The safety of the doses studied is well supported by extensive high dose animal toxicity studies in multiple species and includes more than a 100-fold human equivalent dose safety margin compared to the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) in animal toxicity studies of similar duration with synthetic astaxanthin.
The CHASE trial builds on decades of research around the role of inflammation in cardiovascular health, highlighted by the landmark Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS), sponsored by Novartis and published in August of 2017 in the New England Journal of Medicine, with ancillary articles in The Lancet. In the CANTOS study, reduction of CRP below 2 mg/L resulted in a highly significant 25% reduction in the primary endpoint of non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and cardiovascular death, as well as a 31% reduction in all-cause mortality. All patients in the CANTOS study received standard of care, including statins, and no significant changes in LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, or triglycerides were observed. Severe adverse events, including fatal infections, were reported with the drug used in the CANTOS study, canakinumab, an expensive monoclonal antibody targeting IL-1β.
"With the recent CANTOS study highlighting the importance of cardiovascular inflammatory health and the numerous animal and exploratory human studies demonstrating astaxanthin's ability to safely impact CRP, we look forward to the results of this potentially transformative study," said Scott Miscovich, MD, CHASE principal investigator.
About Cardax
Cardax devotes substantially all of its efforts to developing and commercializing dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. Cardax is initially focusing on astaxanthin, which is a powerful and safe naturally occurring anti-inflammatory that supports health and longevity.* The safety and efficacy of Cardax's products have not been directly evaluated in clinical trials or confirmed by the FDA.
About ZanthoSyn®
ZanthoSyn® is a physician recommended anti-inflammatory supplement for health and longevity that features astaxanthin with enhanced absorption and purity.* ZanthoSyn® is sold online and in GNC stores. ZanthoSyn® contains astaxanthin, which is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) according to FDA regulations.
About Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a clinically studied compound with safe anti-inflammatory activity that supports joint health, cardiovascular health, metabolic health, liver health, and longevity.*
About Premier Medical Group (PMG)
Premier Medical Group (PMG), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, provides comprehensive primary care and serves over 20,000 active patients with 4 family physicians, 6 physician assistants, and 2 nurse practitioners. PMG also teaches students from University of Washington, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, and other universities.
Media and Investors
Janice Kam
press@cardaxpharma.com
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding our prospective performance and strategies within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are including this statement for purposes of said safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies, and expectations of our company, are generally identified by use of words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "seek," "strive," "try," or future or conditional verbs such as "could," "may," "should," "will," "would," or similar expressions. Our ability to predict results or the actual effects of our plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. Some of the factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations or beliefs include, without limitation, the risks discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which such statements were made.
SOURCE Cardax, Inc.
http://www.cardaxpharma.com
Cardax Reports Q1 2019 Results...
Cardax Reports 2018 Results...
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Pro-cannabis O'Rourke has Cruz on the ropes in Texas Senate race
By Daniel Ulloa
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) looks vulnerable to his Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke who supports the decriminalization of marijuana.
While O’Rourke has not made it a centerpiece of his campaign, he has not backed down from his position when questioned or attacked. He has called for an end to the war on drugs in the past and has cited its harmful effects on communities as a reason to do so.
“A school-to-prison pipeline has produced the largest prison population on the face of the planet,” O’Rourke told onlookers at a recent rally, according to The Dallas Morning News. "People are doing time right now for nonviolent drug charges, including possession of marijuana, a substance that is legal in 29 states in this country today."
[Read More: Without financials, Acreage Holdings places star power behind cannabis’ next IPO]
Also, O’Rourke lamented publicly that the amount of money spent fighting the war on drugs would have been better spent addressing the opioid epidemic or funding education.
O’Rourke is a long-time champion of marijuana reform since his days as a Councilman in El Paso, Texas when he introduced a resolution that was ultimately unsuccessful calling for, “honest, open national debate on ending the prohibition on narcotics.”
Cruz has sought to use this against him, claiming in a campaign video he wants to legalize all drugs. "I don’t support drug legalization," said Cruz. "I think drug legalization ends up harming people.”
In response, O’Rourke says he merely wanted to begin a general conversation and regrets the wording of the resolution and the fact that he did not know that marijuana is not a narcotic.
In response to Cruz’s claims and O’Rourke’s stance, NORML endorsed O’Rourke.
“As Senator, O’Rourke will be an outspoken and indispensable ally in reforming our federal laws relating to marijuana,” said a Spokesman for NORML.
In their endorsement, they cited a poll by the University of Texas that said 83 percent of Texans support legalizing marijuana for some use.
“Texas ranks as one of the states with the highest arrests rates for simple possession of marijuana, at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion in taxpayer money annually,” said Jax Finkel, Executive Director of Texas NORML.
We must end the federal prohibition on marijuana in this country.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) April 20, 2018
A close race defies expectations
According to a recent poll by Emerson College, O’Rourke is only one point behind Cruz with 38 percent in favor of Cruz, 37 percent in favor of O’Rourke, and 21 percent declaring themselves undecided. The race is considered a “toss up” or “too close to call.”
Cruz has been an ardent right-wing advocate throughout his career in politics. His filibuster during the 2013 federal government shutdown over funding the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare remains infamous.
In an era where money has become the great factor in political campaigns, O’Rourke has outraised Ted Cruz in the last 15 months and garnered roughly $22 million. While Cruz has raised about $26 million from a combination of sources, he has done so since 2012. O’Rourke has been raising money a much faster rate than Cruz when the time to do so is critical.
[Read More: Cuomo, Nixon talk cannabis legalization in New York Democratic primary debate]
And not only is O’Rourke outraising Cruz, but there is also an “enthusiasm gap” in which a Cruz supporter admitted is working against him. While seemingly ephemeral, if one’s supporters are more enthusiastic, this means that devout supporters of the campaign will contribute both their time or energy to helping elect the candidate —which helps bring more voters to the polls.
O’Rourke has received support from across the country for his eloquent response to the national anthem controversy in the NFL. In a recorded town hall, O’Rourke voiced support when questioned, defending the players right to take a knee as a peaceful protest for civil rights against police brutality in the vein of Dr. Martin Luther King. He received great applause for his speech and videos of the town hall have subsequently gone viral.
.@TedCruz also has a new TV ad contrasting his work on unemployment drug testing with @BetoORourke's 2009 comments about the war on drugs (Background: https://t.co/cLxvNdigIs). #txsen pic.twitter.com/leVOnazXaN
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) August 3, 2018
A longshot in a Republican hotbed
Even with Trump dragging down Republicans running across the country and O’Rourke poised to win, the race remains exceedingly difficult for him.
Ted Cruz might be a bad candidate, but Texas overall is still a Republican bastion. The Democratic candidate for Governor, Lupe Valdez, is down 20 points in the polls, 48 to 28 percent with 20 percent undecided and four percent voting for others against the Republican incumbent.
And while Cruz does look vulnerable, he understands the position he is in and has begun calling in favors. Donald Trump, who called him “Lyin’ Ted” in his failed presidential bid, has said he will come campaign for him at a rally. Also, organizations such as the Club for Growth are prepared to support him with millions of dollars. Also, Super PACs will run uncoordinated ads in support of Cruz.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) is likely eager to support vulnerable members of his caucus. However, Cruz has not had the best relationship with McConnell, having blasted him during his presidential run.
But even so, in a bad year, it is hard for such organizations to give sufficient support when so many of their endorsed candidates are in competitive races.
The last Democratic Senator from Texas was Lloyd Bentsen who was appointed Treasury Secretary in 1993 by then-President Clinton and whose seat was filled in a special election by Kay Bailey Hutchison.
And not only have Democrats not held a Senate seat from Texas, they lost all statewide offices in Texas in the last 20 years.
However, Texas is not the same as it used to be. Metropolitan areas such as Austin have become increasingly progressive as they have grown in recent years. Also, the Hispanic population is growing and they been trending solidly Democratic. And even if O’Rourke loses, the future looks bright. He leads in the polls with 18-34-year-olds by 19 points.
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Last-minute adventures
Goodbye winter – hello spring! Now that the days are starting to brighten up, you’ll find plenty of fun things to do in the UK this spring whether you’re headed for a wedding, looking for the perfect gig or planning to discover exquisite new flavours at a food festival. Wherever your journey takes you, you’ll find a Premier Inn nearby to help you get the most out of your trip.
Wedding Stays
Weddings are a celebration of life, love and new beginnings – perfect for the spring. Wherever you’re heading for a wedding in the UK, you’ll find a Premier Inn nearby. So you can relax and enjoy those magic moments with the happy couple, knowing that you have a comfy Hypnos bed to come back to.
Hedsor House
In a beautiful setting near Windsor and surrounded by gorgeous parkland, this stately Victorian country house overlooking the River Thames is a picture-perfect venue for a spring wedding. Hedsor House has also served as a majestic location in hit shows like Downton Abbey and Quartet.
|Hotels in Berkshire
Belvoir Castle
Belvoir means “beautiful view” in French and, looking out from this historic landmark across the scenic Leicestershire countryside, it’s easy to see how Belvoir Castle picked up its name. The castle itself is an architectural marvel and adds an almost fairy-tale-like quality to any wedding.
|Hotels in Grantham
Blenheim Palace was the birthplace of Winston Churchill and is steeped in over 300 years of English history. The palace is surrounded by 90 acres of gardens including the enchanting Water Terraces and Rose Garden, and has featured in major films like Harry Potter and James Bond. Set just west of Oxfordshire, this historic palace has great links to the city of Oxford, too.
|Hotels in Witney
The Gillyflower, Elmore Court
An innovative alternative to more traditional wedding venues, the Gillyflower was built to celebrate music, dance and energy, and that’s reflected in its sustainably built estate-marquee with great acoustics and cutting-edge LED lighting technology. The Gillyflower is a unique setting in beautiful Gloucestershire, and only a 20-minute drive from Gloucester’s city centre.
|Hotels in Gloucester
Concert stays
Never worry about missing an encore again when you book a room with us. You’ll find our hotels near the best concert venues in the UK, so no matter what gig you’re at, make the most of your night with Premier Inn.
The O2 Arena
The O2 Arena was originally built in 1999 to celebrate the millennium, and has since become one of the most impressive venues in the country. With a seating capacity of up to 20,000, the O2 is where the world’s biggest stars come to play their headline gigs in the UK. The O2 is near scenic Greenwich in south London, next to North Greenwich tube station.
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Wembley Stadium has been a dream venue to play for hundreds of acts in its history. In 2019, this famous arena will host headline acts ranging from Taylor Swift to Fleetwood Mac. Of course, Wembley Stadium also doubles up as the iconic home of English football and boasts a seating capacity of 90,000.
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Manchester Arena is the largest indoor venue in the UK and its fantastic stage has been graced by the likes of Little Mix, Elbow and The Rolling Stones. An iconic fixture in the heart of Manchester, Manchester Arena is a great venue for famous headliners and fresh new acts alike.
|Hotels near Manchester Arena
Arena Birmingham
Arena Birmingham has been a staple of Birmingham’s concert rock history since it first opened its doors in 1991. Since then this distinctive, lively venue has hosted acts like Muse, Elton John and The Who alongside the Birmingham Canal Old Line.
|Hotels near Arena Birmingham
Music festival stays
There’s nothing like a live music festival and rocking out to your favourite bands in the great outdoors. You don’t have to worry about how to get home afterwards, either – book a comfy room with Premier Inn, and enjoy the festival all night long.
Liverpool Sound City is one of the UK’s leading independent music festivals and hosts the best new bands from across the world. This exciting event has hosted headliners like Clean Bandit, The Vaccines and Royal Blood, as well as great new music from bands looking for their big break in the city that gave the world The Beatles.
3rd - 5th May 2019
|Hotels in Liverpool
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is a one-day festival showcasing the best new artists in the UK and beyond, alongside more established musicians. Set in different venues across Leeds, this exciting, award-winning festival is the perfect event if you’re looking to discover your next favourite band, and experiment with great new sounds.
|Hotels in Leeds
Bristol Sounds
Enjoy five nights of fantastic music on the harbourside at the Canons Marsh Amphitheatre with Bristol Sounds. In 2019, the festival line-up includes big names like George Ezra, The Cat Empire and Bloc Party, who’ll be performing surrounded by beautiful riverside views.
|Hotels in Bristol
GALA is a major independent festival in south London that celebrates the best of disco, house and party music. It’s a lively event set across Peckham Rye Park, with great food and drink to keep partygoers fuelled throughout the day.
|Hotels in Dulwich
Food festival stays
Treat your taste buds with amazing new flavours at one of the UK’s food festivals. Acclaimed chefs serve up samples of their finest work alongside local culinary delights across the country. No matter what flavours you’re craving, staying at a Premier Inn means you can experience all kinds of new and exciting tastes by exploring the best UK festivals for foodies.
Bakewell Food Festival
The Bakewell Food Festival celebrates the tasty local produce of the bustling Derbyshire town of Bakewell. As well as live cookery demonstrations and road shows, there’s plenty of things to do with the kids with pony rides and other activities held in one of the Peak District’s most vibrant towns.
27th - 28th April 2019
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Foodies Festival Brighton
The Foodies Festival is an exciting national event where Michelin star chefs and MasterChef winners showcase their favourite recipes and share great tips with the public. The festival is held throughout the country and will be in Brighton in early May. Where better to enjoy this fun celebration of all things food than at one of the UK’s most scenic seaside cities?
4th - 6th May 2019
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Artisan Cheese Fair
Sample some of the UK’s rarest and most delicious cheeses at Melton Mowbray’s Artisan Cheese Fair. Around 80 professional cheesemakers will be serving up over 300 cheeses, all accompanied by wine, cakes, beer, chutneys and – of course – Melton Mowbray’s famous pork pie.
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In June, Regent’s Park hosts one of the UK’s most delicious food festivals, where world-class chefs showcase their cooking. There’s always an exciting atmosphere and plenty of things to do at this top event for foodies, whether you’re concocting your own cocktail or enjoying the live entertainment.
19th - 23rd June 2019
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Party Stays
Going out with friends and celebrating good times is what great memories are made of, and booking a room with Premier Inn means you don’t have to worry about cutting the night short or rushing for the last train. Party late into the evening at some of the best venues in the UK.
London is full of top nightlife venues, from blasting all-night adrenaline at the Ministry of Sound to Cargo’s atmospheric outdoor terrace in Camden. If you’re looking to party, the UK’s capital won’t disappoint.
York has a fantastic party scene hidden amongst its more well-known history and heritage. Try Vudu Lounge York for one of the busiest R&B bars in the city, Flares York has great anthems from the ‘70s to the ‘00s and Club Salvation has fantastic DJs and a great rooftop terrace.
|Hotels in York
Whether you’re looking to dance the night away or just get together with some friends, Liverpool has some great spots like the legendary Cavern Club where The Beatles made their debut in 1961, or Heebie Jeebies, a trendy underground bar and nightclub with great DJ sets.
Cardiff is a highlight in the Welsh party scene and a great place to spend a night out. GLAM is a major party attraction and a favoured haunt of many a celebrity, Retro is an electric 90s retro spot and Clwb Ifor Bach hosts fun-fuelled dance club nights.
|Hotels in Cardiff
Fancy going somewhere new and exciting, but not sure exactly where to visit, or what to do? With so many hidden treasures across the UK, here’s a little inspiration.
Charlestown, St Austell
Picturesque and historic, the village of Charlestown on the south coast of Cornwall is the perfect spot for a quiet day out in St Austell. While you’re there, be sure to visit Charlestown Harbour, where some of the country’s grandest tall ships make their moorings.
|Nearest Premier Inn: St Austell (3.2 miles)
The famous Edinburgh Castle has been an iconic part of Edinburgh’s skyline for over 700 years. Sat atop the volcanic crag of Castle Rock, the view of Scotland’s capital city from this historic attraction is awe-inspiring. Thanks to its integral part in Scotland’s history, Edinburgh Castle remains a vital part of Scottish heritage centuries after it was built.
|Hotels near Edinburgh Castle
Leighton House Museum
The former home of Frederic Leighton, one of the most famous painters in the Victorian era, the Leighton House Museum is a must-see attraction for art lovers. Built in 1866 to act as a studio-house, today the museum displays some of Leighton’s most impressive works of art.
|Hotels near the Leighton House Museum
East Lancashire Railway
With steam trains and quaint, rustic carriages, the East Lancashire Railway is a little different from your regular commute. Covering 12 ¹⁄₂-miles from Greater Manchester to Lancashire, you can look forward to a fun family day out with a journey on the East Lancashire Railway.
|Hotels in Lancashire
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