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__label__cc	0.666882	0.333118	[Photos]: Celine departs ... [Photos]: Celine Dion attends ... [Photos]: Celine is spotted ... Rip Rene Angelil René Angélil, CM, OQ was a Canadian musical producer, talent manager and singer. He was the manager and husband of singer Celine Dion. I Megan the site owner of Celine-Dion.Org send out my love and prayers always to the beautiful Celine for losing the only man she loved in her life her husband. To Rene Rest in peace you beautiful soul thank you for discovering Celine and most of all thank you for sharing her with us without you we may have not have heard her beautiful voice we all love you rest easy. <3 Las Vegas (Most Successful Residencies Ever) A New Day … is the most successful residency of all time, grossing over US$385 million ($465.2 million in 2018 dollars) and drawing nearly three million people to 717 shows. Celine… is the 2nd most successful of all time , grossing over US$296.2 million and drawing nearly 1.5 million people to 427 shows. Latest Singles/Songs Title: Encore Un Soir Download: iTunes "Encore un soir" (meaning "One More Night") is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released as the lead single from her upcoming French-language album, set to release in Fall 2016. Title: The Show Must Go On Date: May 19th 2016 Encore un soir is a French-language studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Columbia Records on 26 August 2016. It is her first French studio album since 2012's Sans attendre. Title: Loved Me Back to Life Date: November 5th 2013 Loved Me Back to Life is the eleventh English-language studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 1 November 2013. It was preceded by the lead single and title track, "Loved Me Back to Life," which was released on 3 September 2013. Title: Sans attendre Date: November 2nd 2012 Sans attendre (meaning Without Waiting) is a French-language studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Columbia Records on November 2, 2012. It is her first new French studio album since 2007's D'elles. On Magazine Covers Celine's online store has re-opened in July 2016 with new t-shirts for right now be sure to check back for more stuff that will surely be added. Celine's Online Store Celinununu (Kid’s clothing) CELINUNUNU unites two forces by one voice: fashion has the power to shape people’s minds. Inspire your children to be free and find their own individuality through clothes.Website: https://www.celinununu.com/ Elite Partners 7 places left / Apply Live On Tour July 5th London, UK September 18th Québec, QC September 21st Québec, QC September 26th Montréal, QC October 1st Montréal, QC October 4th Montréal, QC Site name: Celine-Dion.Org Owner:Megan Staff: None at this moment Contact Us: Email Us \| Tweet Us Hosted By: Host: Flaunt Network \| DMCA \| Privacy Policy Design By: DesignTopia Launched By: February 27th,2016 Celine-Dion.Org is an unofficial fan site dedicated to five-time Grammy winner Celine Dion. Our sole purpose is to provide YOU with updates on the singer. We are a non-profit site so all materials (photos,videos,etc) respectfully belong to the rightful owners. Unless stated of course. No copyright infringement is EVER intended. Selena Gomez meets/sees Celine Dion 3/12/16 Published by: admin \| (0) Comments Read MORE Filed Under: Celebs, Vegas Residency Actress and Singer Selena Gomez stopped by Celine’s last show before she takes a break for about two months and returns on May 17th. You can check out the adorable photo of the duo below. It will be in the gallery too. 🙂 View in gallery: Click Here	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1707
__label__cc	0.709878	0.290122	"When I got home I couldn't speak to anyone. All I could do was watch garbage TV." Dr. Kristi Hopfinger worked in Chicago as a clinical psychologist with athletes suffering from eating disorders. Reflecting on her long work days and nights on call, Kristi stated, "I couldn't step out of it well enough; I couldn't compartmentalize." Her husband also had a soul-eating job and they had very little energy at the end of the day. When they found out she was pregnant, they decided to move back to Rochester where they grew up and still have family. Kristi's husband found a family-friendly job in finance at the Wegmans Corporate office and she stays home full time with their two children. Tyler is almost 3 and his sister Emmy, who is 2 months old, took a nice long nap while I was visiting. Kristi runs for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to have something to call her own. "I was fairly successful with psychology but now I'm just a mom. I am trying to keep running as my thing." Kristi broke into a huge grin when Tyler started saying, "Go mommy, go mommy!" from the sidelines. He learned to cheer for his mom at the Lilac Festival race. Kristi has been running as long as she can remember. She is a triplet with one brother and one sister and her whole family was athletic. Her dad ran, she and her sister played soccer, and her brother played golf. She realized that she was faster than some of the other girls on her soccer team and began to focus on running. She has since completed two marathons and two half marathons. Now she goes on several six mile runs and a few four to five mile runs per week, more when she's training for a race. Eventually she would like to start racing competitively. She also wants to set an example for her kids. "I want my kids to see that I really try hard and practice a lot. I want them to see what it means to run in races. I want Tyler to see me as something other than his mom - as doing something for myself and not just for him." Kristi's mom and mother-in-law take turns babysitting during nap time so she can train. When her kids wake up she tells them that she was running while they were sleeping. When I showed her this image she said, "Yes! That's what I dream of - Ty and I running together." When I asked her if she felt like her education was wasted she said her job was so completely draining that it didn't feel like a sacrifice. "Being pregnant and having babies protected me from questioning whether my education was wasted. Either it was such a good decision I don't need to reflect on it, or I was in such denial that I didn't want to." She was laughing but went on to explain that her last year working was a miserable experience and left a bad taste in her mouth. "I haven't had the feeling that I need to go back... I was a good therapist but the best of who I am is to be with my kids." Ty pointed out that Kristi doesn't play games on the swing like daddy. Kristi is a very animated story reader. For now, Ty really enjoys princess books. This article is the second in a series about awesome women. It was inspired by Chase Jarvis who said that photographers and other creatives need to have their own personal projects that are above and beyond their usual workload. I'm traveling back to my photojournalism roots and writing some stories about awesome women. Be inspired. If you know someone interesting who you would like to see featured here e-mail debra@debrawallacephotography.com. Like this post? Be awesome and share it!	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1714
__label__cc	0.555304	0.444696	The Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington Hidden London Add comments The Royal Albert Hall and SW7’s museums were built as a consequence of the public interest generated by The Great Exhibition of 1851 with its Crystal Palace built by Sir Joseph Paxton. This precursor to the world fair took place originally in nearby Hyde Park before moving to its final resting place in Sydenham. When it became clear to His Highness and his advisors from the overwhelming success of The Great Exhibition that the general public had an appetite for culture and world achievements, the 35-hectare Gore estate was purchased in order to build a complex of public buildings – the Science Museum, The Natural History Museum and of course, the Victoria & Albert Museum, once known simply as the South Kensington Museum. Also on the site are the Royal Colleges of Art, Music & Organists, the Royal Geographical Society, Imperial College and the Central Hall, now known as the Royal Albert Hall. In essence, a Central Hall of Arts & Sciences (renamed as the Royal Albert Hall unexpectedly by Queen Victoria in honour of her spouse!), surrounded by museums and places of learning. To some, this area was known simply as Albertopolis. The Royal Albert Hall opened on 29th March 1871 with the largest iron roof structure and the largest pipe organ in the world at the time. The design took inspiration from Henry Cole’s love of the amphitheatres of southern France – namely Nimes and Arles – and the interior does seem to have a similar horse-shoe shape, similar to Rome’s Colisseum. Upon opening, a huge – seemingly unsurmountable – problem soon revealed itself – the acoustics were awful with a resounding echo which lead some wags to say that you pay for one concert and get a second free with the echo! It was only in 1969, that the problem was finally resolved with dampening discs. More recently, between 1996 and 2004 in fact, further work took place – this time largely behind the scenes or rather below them – the largest refurbishment since the Hall opened to allow greater access and better services. Today, over a million people a year watch sports, theatre, opera and rock concerts at this Grade I listed venue with over 350 performances per annum. Take a fascinating tour of the Hall for around GBP12 per adult – group size limited to 20 pax – for around an hour and enjoy 10% discount at both the shop and the rather tasty cafe next to it. I joined one on the day but you can book ahead via their website to avoid disappointment. Our tour included a visit to the Queen’s Box (well almost – viewed via an open door) and the Royal Retiring Room where Her Majesty and her guests assemble pre-performance. In-between productions, you may be allowed to take photographs inside the Hall but only when the guide gives permission. Follow the Royal Albert Hall on Facebook/Royal Albert Hall and on twitter: @RoyalAlbertHall. Posted by khhadmin at 1:13 pm Tagged with: The Royal Albert Hall Prince Albert’s Memorial – Kensington Gardens, London Heads of State!	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1715
__label__wiki	0.756577	0.756577	Home bollyfmblog Old Stories Ragini Ragini MMS Real 'Ragini' to take legal action... Real 'Ragini' to take legal action... Delhi-based Deepika, whose real life story inspired Ekta Kapoor's upcoming film Ragini MMS, on Friday said that if the film is not shown to her prior to its release, she will take legal action against the producer. "I want to see the film. I have spoken to Ekta about it. She doesn't want to show it to me, I don't know why?" the 22-year-old told reporters here. "I'm coming from Balaji office right now and the only answer I get is that the movie is not ready. How is it possible? The movie is releasing in one week. If I'm not shown the film before release, I will take legal action," she added. Deepika, who was shown the script of the film before it was filmed, said she wants to see whether she has been portrayed in the right light or not. "When the film was being made, I was shown the script and I did read it. I have no problem with the script. But there is a lot of difference between reading the script and interpreting that on the screen. I want to see how they have portrayed my character. Because if there is something bad, then my image will be ruined," said the Delhi girl. Ragini MMS, which is produced by Ekta and directed by Pawan Kripalani, is slated to hit screens on 13th May and is about a couple who go for an adventurous weekend and get filmed by 24 cameras amid some paranormal activity. Ekta has maintained that only 30 percent of the film is based from Deepika's incident and the rest is pure imagination. According to Deepika, she was offered money as compensation for her story but she refused. "Ekta asked me if I want to be paid. But I said no. She didn't mention an amount but she said she can pay me for this. But I told her that I don't want anything because it's a story on my life," she said. In the real life incident, Deepika said, her boyfriend secretly filmed both of them involved in intimate physical contact. FILED UNDER bollyfmblog, Old Stories, Ragini, Ragini MMS	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1718
__label__cc	0.609377	0.390623	Raymond Ibrahim: Christians Persecuted by Muslims Even in the West Last April, police in Sicily reported that Muslim migrants hurled as many as 53 Christians overboard during a crossing from Libya. The motive was that the victims “professed the Christian faith while the aggressors were Muslim.” Another report cited a boy seen praying to the Judeo-Christian God. Muslims commanded him to stop, saying “Here, we only pray to Allah.” Eventually the Muslims “went mad,” in the words of a witness, started screaming “Allahu Akbar!” and began hurling Christians into the sea. It gets worse. When Christian refugees finally do make it to Western shores, they continue to be attacked by Muslims, or fellow “refugees.” According to a September 30 report, in Germany, “Many Christian refugees from Syria, Iraq or Kurdistan are being intimidated and attacked by Muslim refugees. In several refugee centers set up by the local authorities, Sharia law is being imposed and Christians—which are a minority—are the victims of bullying.” Gottfried Martens, pastor of a south Berlin church, said that “very religious Muslims are spreading the following idea throughout the refugee centers: Sharia law rules wherever we are.” Martens expressed especial concern for Muslims who convert to Christianity—apostates who, according to Islamic law, can be killed: “There is a 100% chance that these people will be attacked.” Earlier, in July 2014, the weekly Die Zeit explained how “an atmosphere of intimidation and hostility towards Christians” reigns in the refugee centers. Referred to as “pigs,” Christians have limited access to communal kitchens. According to local authorities, “The police have reached their absolute breaking point. Our officials are increasingly being called to confrontations in refugee homes.” In Sweden, a July report told of how two small families of Christian asylum seekers were harassed and abused by approximately 80 Muslim asylum seekers from Syria. The Christians and Muslims—described by one Swedish newspaper as “fundamentalist Islamists”—resided in the same asylum house. As in Germany, the Muslims ordered the Christians not to use communal areas and not to wear their crosses around their necks. After extensive harassment and threats, the Christian refugees who thought they had escaped “ISIS” left the Swedish asylum house “fearing for their own safety.” Posted by CHURCH ARISE! at 12:08 AM No comments: Glimpses of Weapons for World War III With the frantic preparations for the long-awaited World War III among the superpowers, various shapes of never-before-seen weapons are emerging. In the opinion of many observers, WWIII has actually commenced on September 30 with the incursion of Russia planes and warships into Syria.. Others even suggest that Obama might be deliberately playing the fool (imagine the incredible Iran nuclear deal!) just to coax the Russia-Iranian coalition into war, while not yet fully prepared. While all those might be mere unfounded theories, what is certain is that the Bible clearly predicts a coming Gog-Magog war, spearheaded by the King of the North (can only be Russia). The battle to be determined at the plains of Armageddon will be the final battle on earth; and it will feature the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The outcome of the battle is described in the famous passage of Zechariah 14:12 “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the nations who besieged Jerusalem; his flesh will waste away while he still stands on his feet; his eyes will waste away in their sockets, and his tongue shall waste away in his mouth.” There has been keen interest on what kind of weaponry can produce this kind of results. Now the speculations are turning to reality with reports filtering in from both Russia and the USA. Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations is warning that “Future weapons will be based on energy, electromagnetic, radiological, geophysical and genetic principles. There will also be special information weapons to change people's perception, completely changing their mind” (Weapons That Could Change Geophysical Landscape, Human DNA to Appear Soon.) On the American side, we read of such developments as vehicles that can literally disappear on the warfield. Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, a 20th century Torah scholar who served as the head of the Jewish court in London has been widely quoted as saying, “We have a tradition from the Vilna Gaon that the war of Gog and Magog will last 12 minutes. A third of the world will die, a third will suffer from plague and a third will survive.” It is only now with the current developments of technology and weaponry that such incredible catastrophe, involving millions and lasting only minutes, can begin to make sense. Dear Reader, does all these sound like business-as-usual to you? Birth pangs of a coming New Order: Amidst all the largely man-made rumblings in the socio-economic order in our world, natural disasters also continue to wreck havocs at increasing intensity and frequency across different regions on the planet. Discerning people have sought to compare these to the birthpangs a woman experiences as her time of delivery draws near. Recent samples of Landslide, Rains, and Forest Fires from news Reports: Guatemala landslide deaths rise to 96, with hundreds missing BBC Report, October 4: The Guatemalan authorities say the number of people killed when a hillside collapsed on houses in the village of El Cambray, 15km outside the capital, has risen to 96. They said another 300 people were still believed to be missing under tonnes of rock and earth that slipped onto homes on Thursday night.” The report concludes on a somber note: “Mountainous Guatemala is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters in the world because of its heavy rainfall and hurricanes and intense poverty which forces people to live in unsuitable areas. “The latest disaster may be the worst in a decade. In 2005 hundreds of people were buried after torrential rain in Panabaj in the municipality of Santiago Atitlan. The authorities were forced to declare the area a cemetery because of the impossibility of recovering the bodies. “ France floods: 16 dead on Riviera after storms BBC Report Oct 4: “Violent storms and flooding have hit south-eastern France, killing at least 17 people with four more missing, officials say. Three elderly people drowned when their retirement home near the city of Antibes was flooded. Others died trapped in their cars in tunnels and underground car parks as the waters rose. French President Francois Hollande announced a state of "natural disaster" in the affected region.” Rains not seen for 200 YEARS: Two dead, 22 million on flood watch and New Jersey homes already consumed by high tides in bombardment of weekend storms A record-setting 'once-in-200-years rainfall event' left 22 million Americans on the East Coast on flood watch as rains have closed down roads, waterlogged crops and showed little sign of stopping. Meteorologist Ryan Maue of Weather Bell Analytics told NBC New York: 'It's going to be a slow-motion disaster'. Forest Fire in Indonesia – President Joko Widodo seeks for international help After initially refusing offers of outside help increasing rage of forest fire has forced Indonesia to swallow national pride and accepted all helps available from any quarter. President Joko Widodo not only accepted the offer of assistance by local rival Singapore, it also requesting help from Russia, Malaysia, Japan, and Australia. Unlike regular forest fires, the raging fires in Indonesia are over peat (a source of fuel, like coal) and are much more difficult to put out. The major concern is over long-term adverse health impact rather than immediate destructions of life and properties. More details and videos at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/indonesia-formally/2178362.html The World Today – Steve Olumuyiwa As is obvious from the events of our present world, everything is shifting, changing—sin is increasing, iniquity is abounding, the persecution of Christians is increasing, the signs of the end are here…wars, rumours of war, natural disasters, uncommon diseases, refugee problems, terror cells and anti-Messiah networks are connecting and waxing strong, etc. Our world today is set to face unusual problems of biblical proportions. Although these problems are multiplying very quickly, it’s an opportunity to bring the Good News of our Jesus Christ to the troubled world. This is the reason why the Lord is calling forth a strong UNIFIED GATE OF JOSEPH: He is calling forth the Josephs (Prophetic dreams Gen 37, Gen 42: 6-9, Watchman over the elements of heaven Ps 81: 1-7, Government/Apostle, Gen 41, ff). He is calling forth the Joshuas (tribe of Ephraim, I Chro 7:27, Government/ Watchman over the elements of heaven Book of Joshua, Joshua 10:12-14). He is calling forth the Gideons (tribe of Manasseh, Judge/Watchman Judges 6, 7).. He is calling the Deborahs (tribe of Ephraim, Prophetess/Judge/Watchman over the elements of heaven, Judges 4: 5, 5: 20 ff). He is calling the Samuels (tribe of Ephraim, Sam 1, 3: 4-14, Prophet/Judge/Priest, 2 Books of Samuel). He is calling the Esthers (tribe of Benjamin, Government/Intercessor, Book of Esther). He is calling the Mordechais (tribe of Benjamin, Government/Intercessor, Book of Esther). He is calling the Pauls (tribe of Benjamin-Romans 11, Apostle—Book of Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, etc.) This month, the Lord is especially calling the apostles, prophets, and watchmen who understand the laws of heaven; they are called to tackle the spiritual and physical problems in today’s world. Therefore, we urge you to yield to the LORD’s call to be part of a Unified Camp of Joseph—to sound the SHOFAR at the new moon (Ps 81:-3), and above all, to sound the shofar when the enemy comes to fight us in the land He has given us or when the enemy comes to fight to steal our harvest (Num 10:9). Let us watch and pray with confidence for Yeshua also intercedes for us continuously (Heb. 7:25). As a unified company of Joseph, we have access to multiple blessings: (Gen 48: 15-22; Gen 49: 22-26, Deut 33: 12-17; Gen 49: 27, Deut 33: 12) Please pray these blessings over your life. There is another reason to watch with great intensity this month. It is the time of Halloween, which marks (1) the beginning of witches new year called samhain, and (2) it is also satan's birthday. To witches, halloween or samhaim is the most important day of the year. It is the supreme night of demonic jubilation: satan is worshipped; spirits of the dead are invoked; there is divination to tap into satanic power to make predictions; satanic powers are invoked to cast spells, exchange destinies, kill, destroy, oppose Christian families, etc. The moon is central to all of these events. Here are the highlights of the events: a. witchcraft activities (a time to cast spells, time for destiny exchange, to oppose churches and families, perform sacrilegious acts, a time to kill, steal and destroy, etc.) b. necromancy (graveyard sorcery, feasting with the dead, etc) c. divination (peeping into the future by tarot card reading, crystal reading, or tea leaf reading) d. satanic worship (observe satanic rituals, offer blood sacrifices to Satan, etc) Although the major event takes place on Oct 31-Nov 1 every year, the "celebrations" begin during the new or full moon before the end of October. This year, halloween events will begin on Oct 13, the day of the new moon. The activities of witches and satanists will increase as we draw near the full moon, which is October 27. These events will continue till the beginning of the next lunar cycle on November 11. It’s time to watch and pray. With Yeshua, the Word of God, as our Captain, we shall surely prevail (Rev. 5:5, Rev. 19:11-20:4). Culled from Prayer Points for the month of October 2015, issued by Steve Olumuyiwa, West Africa Coordinator. Intercessors For Africa. http://intercessorsfornigeria.org) #JewishLivesMatter - (by Michael Freund) > In the past week alone, 13 Jewish kids became orphans, their lives forever altered by the cruelty and savagery of our foes. A nine-year old was forced to stand by the freshly dug graves of his parents and recite Kaddish, an experience that no Jewish child should ever have to endure. > This past Saturday night, Palestinian terrorist Mohannad Halabi attacked 22-year-old Aharon Banita and his wife and children as they walked through Jerusalem’s Old City during Succot. Halabi stabbed Banita to death and wounded his spouse and two-year-old child, before proceeding to murder Rabbi Nehemiah Lavi, who had heard the commotion and emerged from his apartment to try and stop the bloodshed. Palestinian shopkeepers saw what was happening and refused to intervene. Instead, according to Banita’s widow, they spat upon her as she cried for help. > It beggars belief that the world’s top diplomat, the man charged with the mandate of preserving international peace and security, would denounce the killing of murderers but not that of their victims. The past three weeks have seen an increasingly brutal series of Palestinian terrorist attacks against innocent Israeli Jews, but much of the international community either does not know or seem to care. Toddlers have been wounded, parents murdered in front of their children and Jewish holy sites desecrated, but the conscience of the world has not been pricked. Not one lousy bit. In the past week alone, 13 Jewish kids became orphans, their lives forever altered by the cruelty and savagery of our foes. A nine-year old was forced to stand by the freshly dug graves of his parents and recite Kaddish, an experience that no Jewish child should ever have to endure. Yet few outside Israel seem aware of what is happening, and fewer still are shedding tears. It is time for this to change, and for pro-Israel activists worldwide to spread a simple yet powerful message. In the parlance of Twitter, it is this: #JewishLivesMatter. We shouldn’t have to do this. We shouldn’t have to convince the media or anyone else of something so basic, a value so obvious and fundamental to being human that it staggers the mind that it needs to be articulated or verbalized. But consider the following example, and you will see exactly what I mean. This past Saturday night, Palestinian terrorist Mohannad Halabi attacked 22-year-old Aharon Banita and his wife and children as they walked through Jerusalem’s Old City during Succot. Halabi stabbed Banita to death and wounded his spouse and two-year-old child, before proceeding to murder Rabbi Nehemiah Lavi, who had heard the commotion and emerged from his apartment to try and stop the bloodshed. Palestinian shopkeepers saw what was happening and refused to intervene. Instead, according to Banita’s widow, they spat upon her as she cried for help. When police arrived on the scene, they shot and killed Halabi as he attacked them. The following day, in its World Digest section, The Washington Post headlined an Associated Press story about the incident as follows: “Palestinian is killed after fatal attack.” Yes, you read that correctly. Knowing full well that many readers only glance at the headlines without reading the story, the paper’s editors disgracefully decided to disregard the victims completely, instead providing a false and distorted view of what occurred. The implicit message behind the Washington Post’s callous choice of words is as unmistakable as it is offensive: Jewish lives don’t matter. When the lives of two Jews are cruelly snuffed out by a Palestinian terrorist, they simply don’t warrant wasting the extra ink needed to include them in a large-type headline. But it is not just the mainstream press that engages in this ugly and gruesome game. The problem goes much deeper and is far more troublesome than that. Indeed, the insensitivity toward the value of Jewish life was on full display on Tuesday, when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon went out of his way to condemn the killing of Palestinian terrorists while failing to mention or even acknowledge their Israeli victims. Ban said he was “profoundly alarmed by the growing number of deadly incidents in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.” He then referred to the death of four Palestinians, including three terrorists killed after perpetrating attacks against Israelis, and said the following: “The secretary general condemns the killings and looks to the government of Israel to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into the incidents, including whether the use of force was proportional.” Ban did not utter one word – not a single syllable – about the Jews who were killed. Incredibly, he came to the defense of the murderers, demanding an investigation into their deaths, while completely ignoring those whom they killed. Read the rest of this article at here (http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/50906/jewishlivesmatter-opinion/?utm_source=Breaking+Israel+News&utm_campaign=6c786941de-BIN+Op-ed+RSS&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6d3627f72-6c786941de-86739169#zjCPMEGiZEf8V0PJ.97) Posted by CHURCH ARISE! at 12:40 PM No comments: Raymond Ibrahim: Christians Persecuted by Muslims ...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1726
__label__wiki	0.584328	0.584328	KATHLEEN MARIE (DIXON) WALTERS... KATHLEEN MARIE (DIXON) WALTERS Passed away peacefully at the age of 84 in Pittsburgh on the early morning of June 15, 2019. Born on August 5, 1934, Kathleen was the sixth of eight children of Francis Joseph Dixon and Agnes Joyce Dixon and was proudly raised in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh on Monticello Street. Kathleen attended Holy Rosary Catholic Grade School in Homewood and then the former St. Rosalia High School in the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. She was supported in faith by her loving siblings, Edward (deceased), William (and Kay Gavigan of Pittsburgh), the Reverend Daniel B. Dixon (deceased), Francis (deceased), Mary (deceased), Henry (deceased) and Sister Sarah J. Dixon, C.S.J. (deceased). Kathleen graduated as a registered nurse from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh and loved working as an emergency room nurse for many years at Mercy Hospital. Later in life, Kathleen returned to Mercy Hospital and volunteered for well over a decade as a patient advocate. Through the fortuitous introduction of her brother Bill, Kathleen met Roy F. Walters, Jr. and they soon married at St. Raphael's Church in Morningside on May 9, 1959. They remained happily and faithfully together for over 58 years, first residing in Prospect Park in Baldwin and then eventually settling in Upper St. Clair. Kathleen is survived by four children, Roy (Kim) Walters of Bedford, Massachusetts; Shawn (Charlotte) Walters of Vero Beach, Florida; Moira (Ron) Aulbach of Mt. Lebanon; and Brian (Suzi) Walters of Mt. Lebanon, as well as ten beloved grandchildren, Michael, Luke, Nathan, Zachary, Tommy, Sarah, Tim, JP, Katherine and the late Jake, as well as many nieces and nephews, all of whom she greatly loved and was exceedingly proud of over the years. Kathleen was steadfastly devoted to her family and her Catholic faith, especially her long-time parish of St. Louise de Marillac. She generously served as one of the first Presidents of the St. Louise Women's Guild and later faithfully volunteered for many decades through the Ladies of Charity and the Altar Society. Always thoughtful, respectful and especially compassionate to those in need, Kathleen was ferociously loyal to her family and anyone close to her family. In times of crisis, trauma or unrest, Kathleen was at her best and always ready, willing and quite able to lend unequivocal support and tireless effort. Although it was her husband Roy who was an officer in the Marines, it was Kathleen who truly exercised military efficiency, and, on more than a few occasions, a fiery-spirit, in running the Walters household and organizing family outings, events and vacations. The children of Kathleen Walters would especially like to thank the staff, administration and skilled caregivers of Harbour Senior Living of South Hills, as well as the caregivers from Gateway Hospice, for so lovingly caring and supporting their parents in their later years. Funeral arrangements by BEINHAUER'S. Friends are welcome at 2828 Washington Road, McMurray, PA, 724-941-3211 on Friday from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Louise de Marillac Church on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that donations be made in loving memory of Kathleen Walters to Gateway Hospice, 9380 McKnight Road, Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Please add or view tributes at www.beinhauer.com. CHRISTINE C. (CUMME) THOMAS O... CHRISTINE C. (CUMME) THOMAS Of South Park, on Monday, June 17, 2019, age 72, beloved wife of Albert W. Thomas, Jr.; sister of Howard Cumme (Jennifer); also one nephew and two nieces. Chris was the owner and founder of Miss Chris Custom Drapes in the South Hills of Pittsburgh for over 40... More VERA M. VUJAKLIA Of O'Hara Twp... VERA M. VUJAKLIA Of O'Hara Twp., formerly of Sharpsburg, passed away on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital. Wife of the late Alexander Vujaklia; sister of Andrew (Mary Rose) Missenda of Harrisburg, PA and the late Mary Missenda, Ruth Missenda and Msgr. Edward S.... More	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1729
__label__wiki	0.846204	0.846204	Get the Poster With: Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey, Willard E. Pugh, Akosua Busia, Desreta Jackson, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Dana Ivey, Leonard Jackson, Bennet Guillory, John Patton Jr., Carl Anderson, Susan Beaubian, Laurence Fishburne Written by: Menno Meyjes, based on a novel by Alice Walker The Color Purple (1985) Mister's Deeds After a career of childlike adventures and popcorn movies, this was Steven Spielberg's first attempt at a grown-up film. Based on the novel by Alice Walker, and adapted by Menno Meyjes, it's very heavy material, and Spielberg began practicing the balancing of high and low moments, or giving audiences happy little rewards for enduring scenes of terrible anguish. He doesn't quite get the balance, and it feels over-stretched in the upbeat direction. (He fared better on his two subsequent dramas, Empire of the Sun and Schindler's List.) Yet very few filmmakers are as skilled as Spielberg in the storytelling department, and while you're watching it, it's hard not to be affected. The story begins in the early part of the 20th century. Whoopi Goldberg stars as Celie, the brave and shy woman who was impregnated by her father and has two children that were taken away from her. She's forced to endure marriage with the selfish Albert (Danny Glover), who instead wants Celie's sister Nettie, and when he can't have her, he turns his attentions to juke-joint singer Shug Avery (Margaret Avery). Shug comes to stay in their home, and unexpectedly befriends Celie, eventually helping bring some justice and self-respect to her life. Goldberg became a star with her heartbreaking performance, showing shyness with her eyes and hiding her huge smile. Glover, who was in Witness the same year, never did, and still never does, get any credit for his nervous, blocky performance, combining joy, frustration and violence. Oprah Winfrey, Adolph Caesar and Rae Dawn Chong also star. Quincy Jones provided the film's overwhelming score, and Allen Daviau's lush, airy cinematography gave the film a dimension of myth. The film was nominated for 11 Oscars but didn't win anything. The 2003 special edition DVD from Warner Home Video comes with several "making of" documentaries interviewing director Steven Spielberg and original Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker. The 2011 Blu-Ray also includes a featurette about the Broadway musical based on the book and this film.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1733
__label__wiki	0.611583	0.611583	Study: ACLU Police Reforms Responsible For 274 More Chicago Murders March 29, 2018 by Admin777 Holly Martkn Study: ACLU Police Reforms Responsible For 274 More Chicago Murders; A Newly-Released Study Showed That The Murder Rate In Chicago Went Up Dramatically With Aclu’s Changes In Place. Blue Lives Matter, March 29, 2018. Chicago, IL – A recently released sociological study conducted by two University of Utah researchers has identified a link between Chicago’s 2016 homicide spike and a sharp decline in the number of contacts police made in the wake of department-wide policy changes. The 98-page study, [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3145287 ] conducted by S.J. Quinney College of Law presidential professor Paul Cassell, who is also a former federal judge, and University of Utah economics professor Richard Fowles, was posted to the Social Science Research Network on Monday, according to the university website. “Our research helps to pinpoint the cause of one of the most striking increases in crime in a major American city in recent years,” Cassell said, according to the university website. “Sadly, the cause was a restriction on pro-active police policies forced by the ACLU.” Those policy changes were implemented as a settlement agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), after the group threatened to sue the Chicago Police Department (CPD) in 2015, for what they declared was unfair treatment of minorities, according to the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Police have used street contacts in cases where there was a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity taking place. The ACLU argued that those “stop-and-frisk” contacts had no connection with preventing crimes, and contended that police were using the method to target minority groups. In order to avoid a lawsuit, the CPD agreed to alter its policies before the end of 2015. The department implemented a more extensive documentation process, and required officers to complete the paperwork forms for each of their contacts on the street, the Chicago Tribune reported. CPD officers noted that the additional forms took more time to complete, and as a result, reduced the number of contacts officers could make on a shift. The forms also caused increased anxiety for officers, as they analyzed whether or not the legality of the stops would be second-guessed. Nearly immediately after implementation of the policy change, the number of stop-and-frisk contacts plummeted by 82 percent, the Chicago Tribune reported. “Through multiple regression analysis and other tools, we conclude that an ACLU consent decree trigged a sharp reduction in stop and frisks by the [CPD], which in turn caused homicides to spike,” Cassel wrote in an editorial on Monday. “What Chicago police officers dubbed the ‘ACLU effect’ was real – and more homicides and shootings were the consequence.” Chicago’s homicide rate jumped a staggering 58 percent in 2016 – an increase of 274 more victims than the year prior – to a total of 754 people killed during the calendar year, according to the study. “Because of fewer stop and frisks in 2016, it appears that [conservatively calculating] approximately 239 additional victims were killed and 1,129 additional shootings occurred in that year alone,” the study noted. “And these tremendous costs are not evenly distributed, but rather are concentrated among Chicago’s African-American and Hispanic communities.” Critics dismissed the study, and contended that more factors contributed to the sharp homicide increase than what the study concluded. “There’s no question that there’s a relationship between the extent of stop-and-frisk and crime,” Northwestern University professor Wesley Skogan told the Chicago Tribune. “[But] this study claims to find a humongous effect.” But the study analyzed approximately 20 variables, including sociological factors, weather data, homicides in other areas of the state, and arrest information, throughout the study. “I can’t tell you that we’ve shown [that if] you take two hydrogens and an oxygen, you’ve got water,” Cassell said. “But we think to a reasonable degree of social science certainty, we’ve shown that there is an effect between the stop-and-frisk declines and the homicides on the streets of Chicago that spiked up in 2016.” Cassell and Fowles urged CPD policymakers to take another look at the benefits of stop-and-frisk contacts, and said that minority communities need to be reassured that the tactic serves a purpose in keeping them safe, according to the university website. The researchers also advocated increased use of bodycams, as well as a simplification of the paperwork the officers are required to complete for street stops. “We think it’s vital that policymakers attempt to figure out what went on [in 2016],” Cassell told the Chicago Tribune. “If you just throw up your hands and say, ‘Social science is never going to tell us for sure,’ then people are going to continue dying on the streets.” The study, titled, “What Caused the 2016 Chicago Homicide Spike? An Empirical Examination of the ‘ACLU Effect’ and the Role of Stop-and-Frisks in Preventing Gun Violence,” will be formally presented on Apr. 4, according to the university website. https://www.themaven.net/bluelivesmatter/news/study-aclu-police-reforms-responsible-for-274-more-chicago-murders-YN3KywtFy02Zyuf50P03rQ/?full=1 Blue Lives Matter is very good and free. Posted in Black Lives Matter, Crime, United States EU’s Massive Refugee Welfare System in Turkey Greek Independence Day At the White House	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1736
__label__cc	0.696258	0.303742	When Minutes Matter Like His Father The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in consultation with the State Department recently enacted the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, which imposes travel restrictions to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). These restrictions will prevent travelers from specific countries from entering the United States without first applying for and receiving a visa through the standard immigration process at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The VWP was established in 1986, and currently allows citizens from 38 countries to visit the United States for business or pleasure for up to 90 days without a visa. Conversely, these 38 countries permit U.S. citizens and nationals to visit their countries for business or pleasure for a similar length of time, without a visa. Under this new program, nationals from VWP countries are required to present a valid passport, and must file an electronic form with biographic, citizenship, travel and other information to be eligible to enter the U.S. For example, since France is one of the 38 countries included in the VWP, a citizen or national of France with a valid French Passport can enter and stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days without having to apply for a formal visa with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate; France in turn, is required to grant reciprocal status to a visiting U.S. citizen or national with a valid U.S. Passport. For a complete list of these 38 countries, please go to: https://www.dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program-requirements These new restrictions apply to: (1) nationals of WVP affiliated countries, who have traveled to, or been present in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria after March 1, 2011; and (2) nationals of the VWP, who are also nationals of / have dual citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria. These travelers will no longer be eligible to enter and stay in the United States without first obtaining a visa through the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This new law does not ban travel to the U.S., nor will it affect the vast majority of people, who have been entering the U.S. under the VWP. These changes are intended to increase national security and border protection against terrorist threats, while at the same time maintaining the expected ability to travel freely, in the U.S. Setting the Record Straight Throughout this presidential election season there has been a flood of very harsh and misleading statements about the failure of this country’s visa process to adequately secure our borders. This rhetoric is flat out wrong. The U.S. has the most restrictive immigrations laws in the world. We are a country of immigrants, who built America into the greatest country in the world to live. In order to deal with the problem of illegal immigration we have created an very restrictive immigration process that makes it extremely difficult to obtain a visa. For people from countries that are not part of the VWP program, like Mexico and other countries in South America, it is very unlikely they will get a visa to come here to visit. The visa process is so restrictive that a large percentage of people from third world countries can never come here to see their parents, children, or grandchildren. I have seen many instances where families are separated forever. Before making judgments about the lack of screening in the U.S. visa application process based on the reckless, xenophobic, and uninformed bluster of those playing on people’s fears for political gain, I urge everyone to do their research, because the opposite is true. Many of the world’s best and brightest engineers, teachers, and scientists, who want to come to the U.S. to make it a better place for all of us, are not allowed entry because of the very restrictive regulations that exist. This is reason why the number of approved U.S. patents from people, who live in this country has declined so dramatically over the last several years. This will no doubt hurt our country. Because of these restrictive rules that prevent the best and brightest from living here we soon may no longer be at the vanguard of innovation. To say the least, U.S. Immigration Law is complex and ever changing, so please follow me at DavidAcalinLaw.com, contact me at davidacalin@davidacalinlaw.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn to stay current. My staff and I have years of experience and a great number of success stories, and I’m certain we can help you and your family.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1737
__label__wiki	0.610305	0.610305	US confidence in Pope Francis’ handling of abuse scandal drops Pope Francis touches his forehead during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Sept. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Jack Jenkins jackmjenkins (RNS) — Confidence in Pope Francis’ handling of the child sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church has dropped dramatically among American Catholics in recent months, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. The report, released Tuesday (Oct. 2), shows that only 3 in 10 Catholic adults (31 percent) say Francis is doing an “excellent” or a “good” job addressing the ongoing child sex abuse crisis. That number is down 24 points since Pew asked the question in 2015, and 14 points from January of this year. And while a solid majority of U.S. Catholics — 72 percent — expressed a favorable overall view of Francis in the survey, that number constitutes a 12 point drop from January, when 84 percent said the same. Meanwhile, 20 percent say they have an unfavorable view of the pontiff, up from just 9 percent earlier this year. “U.S. Catholics increasingly critical of the way Pope Francis has handled sex abuse scandal.” Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center Researchers noted that the dip is evident across multiple cross sections of the faithful. The share of Catholic men and women who believe Francis is doing an “excellent” or “good” job handing the sex abuse crisis has dropped almost equally: 24 and 23 points respectively. Older and younger churchgoers, and even Catholics who say they attend Mass weekly, were on the whole less approving of the pope. Of the latter group, only 34 percent give Francis an “excellent” or “good” rating. In 2015, that number was 67 percent. Taken together, Francis’ overall favorability ratings among U.S. Catholics now roughly match those of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Francis’ popularity has also declined among other U.S. Christians. In January, 52 percent of white evangelical Protestants had a favorable view of the pope, but that number fell to 32 percent in September. Mainline Protestants saw a similar drop: 67 percent had a favorable view in January, but only 48 percent do now. Views of Francis among the religiously unaffiliated, however, have changed little in 2018, dropping from 58 percent favorability in January to 53 percent today. The findings come in the wake of renewed activity in the United States surrounding allegations of child sex abuse in the church. In August, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro unveiled a more than 1,300-page grand jury report detailing allegations of sexual abuse by hundreds of Catholic priests in the state over 70 years that resulted in more than 1,000 alleged child victims, as well as accusing church leaders of a “systemic” cover-up. Since then, at least 11 other states have launched some sort of inquiry into local dioceses regarding sexual abuse. Meanwhile, Francis — along with Benedict — has faced accusations of mishandling alleged sexual misconduct by former Washington, D.C., Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Francis removed McCarrick from public ministry in June after reports he allegedly sexually abused a teenager more than 40 years ago. But an open letter written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in August claimed Francis lifted earlier sanctions placed on McCarrick by Benedict that were imposed, according to Viganò, in response to rumors that McCarrick sexually harassed adult seminarians. The claims by Viganò, who previously served as the papal ambassador (typically called a nuncio) to the United States, remain a matter of heated dispute. It is unclear what kind of sanctions Benedict placed on McCarrick, if any, and whether they were ever enforced. “Just three-in-ten U.S. Catholics now have ‘very favorable’ view of Pope Francis.” Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center Nevertheless, the controversy has haunted Francis’ papacy throughout 2018. In January, Francis faced sharp criticism for defending Chilean Bishop Juan Barros, who was facing allegations of covering up a child sex abuse scandal. The pope eventually shifted course and went on to accept the resignations of three Chilean bishops (including Barros). The Pew survey was conducted Sept. 18-24 among 1,754 adults, including 336 Catholics. Among the Catholic subgroup, the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 6.2 percentage points. Tagsapproval rating Carlo Maria Viganò clergy sex abuse scandal grand jury report homepage featured Pew Research poll Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Vatican Millennial Catholics go ‘biking for babies,’ raise funds for crisis pregnancy clinics Jack Jenkins Jack Jenkins is a national reporter for RNS based in Washington, covering U.S. Catholics and the intersection of religion and politics. Parker12 says: Shocking….. absolutely shocking.. Thin The Herd says: Francis joins all the popes before him, along with a very substantial set of the red hatters. Mglass says: How curious! The pope’s popularity has declined amongst Christians, but it only declined a little amongst the religiously unaffiliated. Perhaps the unaffiliated are just not as interested in what the Pope is doing and saying. No, the unaffiliated agree with the holy fathers move toward modernism. alwayspuzzled says: Where is Pius IX when we need him!!! He saw modernism for the EVIL that it is!!! Observer guy says: I am curious why they would care about what non-Roman Catholics think. They may or may not like an individual for the tone he sets and his influence in the greater world or movement on ecumenical matters. Christians outside of the Roman Church already disagree with the concept of a pope as defined by the Roman Church, why would they support a pope whose job is to protect and promote the Roman Church? ATF45 says: I did expect more from Francis in handling sex abuse. But he is making moves now. And he is delving into spaces that BXVI never dared to touch. I think he is especially seeing that he cannot leave bishops without oversight – and I hope he sees that oversight must come from an empowered body of the faithful and not from some all priest/bishop Vatican dicastery or from just national/regional bishops conferences. I would not trust the USCCB to do anything but play politics with any “oversight” that was led by the current crop of USCCB overlords. There really are no mechanisms in place for the kind of oversight that is needed on bishops today because it must be under the power of the laity. So, the Catholic Church needs to empower laity oversight of the priestly/ordained caste through real changes in Canon Law and the mandatory creation of structures that provide for it. More it really must end the idea that priests and bishops have some higher, special place in God’s scheme. It One more. The Church wants to impose a right to have bishops behave within various countries according to the culture of Rome/Vatican. They don’t want to cooperate with other countries in how the people of those countries design their own cultural ideals of law and order. This idea of the Church is the same “cultural colonization” Francis is so opposed to on other issues. And, it is exactly what happened as the Catholic Church followed the imperial conquerors of lands of the Americas, Australia, Philippines, India and parts of Asia and Africa – cultural colonization. What is it that our Lord asks of us – teaches us – outside of the cultural interpretations we make of His love and His words? But those that are interested, like commenters here, probably did not have a high opinion of him to begin with. Thus no drop-off. ThomasA says: It’s an abysmal record. And the coverup appears to be getting worse. The buggerists may not be buggering as much as they were, but the coverups are deepening. He’s finishing 5 years. He was given a report by Benedict….a whole investigation. It’s not like he was waiting for data to come in. You’re being far too easy on him because he’s a liberal. Bob Arnzen says: ”…. I hope he sees that oversight must come from an empowered body of the faithful and not from some all priest/bishop Vatican dicastery or from just national/regional bishops conferences.” So, you’re hoping he scraps Vatican I and II, particularly Lumen Gentium which describes the bishops as successors to the Apostles and the Church as hierarchical by divine institution, and turns it into something akin to the Episcopal Church? What do you think the odds of that are? No one really knows what was in the “report” from Benedict. Worse, it was an investigation under the aegis of Benedict – who has his own handups. Francis is dealing with what JPII and Benedict did not deal with. Benedict did get the ball rolling after the abysmal and horrific lack of action by JPII. But, Benedict did not recognize the huge hole in the entire vision – that the people harmed were more important that the priests. He allowed the secrecy to carry on. Benedict even extended that idea of “protect the highest ranked person” because he knew of the actions of McCarrick with seminarians and young priests and kept it all secret, took absolutely ineffective actions (if we are to believe the traitor Vigano) and then did nothing when they did fail. Yes. There is a whole new paradigm to deal with – an educated and informed laity who are not under the thumbs of “divine right” rulers, but are used to being a part of deciding their own governance, participating in making laws and being parts of communities where civil law is the primary means of maintaining order. Does Francis really understand most of this? No. But he understands better than his predecessors that change must continue, that the Catholic church is failing at inspiring and evangelizing the world, and that change must come, even change in long held “traditional” ways of thinking, teaching, worship. Much better Francis with his flaws than JPII, BXVI, or someone like Burke who is so full of anger and fear I wonder that he can even pray any more. Francis has his favorites…movements, trips to China of known degenerate Cardinals, promotions of other seminary trollers, etc. It’s all on Francis’s watch. Liberals love his loose speech, and they will make excuses for him, as you have done. It’s the intellectual integrity of these revisionists that is the real harm. Their agenda dominates them..and then it clouds their intellect, and now weakens their virtue. The agenda isn’t what is at stake..it’s their closeness to truth. And what we have on the watch of the sainted JPII is a growing, growing scandal of sex abuse that he totally ignored. We have a beginning of addressing the problem under Benedict but do you notice that it did not really deal with the scandal of past abuse and never held those responsible actually accountable – not just the priest abuser but the bishop who abetted the abuser. McCarrick was on JPII’s and BXVI’s watch – and what did they do? Very little to virtually nothing when it came to bishops who covered up or who actually committed sexual abuse. Francis is the first to take effective action against bishops and cardinals . While O’Brien of Scotland resigned while Benedict was Pope it was Francis who accepted O’Brien’s renunciation of all duties as cardinal, an event extremely rare in Church history, on 20 March 2015. It was Francis who assured McCarrick was removed of any active life in the hierarchy or in the priesthood. BXVI two important but incomplete steps in addressing sex abuse in the Church – he got Maciel out and exposed him as the sex abuser BXVI had long know he was but could not get JPII to act on. Second he got the ball rolling on addressing child safety – although it happened under JPII it was BXVI who put the program together. It has made a different in reducing abuse in some places but do you notice that the scandal is still a scandal in the U.S., Ireland, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Canada – just about everywhere because BXVI did not deal with the past, with caring for those who were abused, with exposing those who committed abuse, and really looking at how the actions of bishops made them complicit in the extent of sex abuse that occurred. There is much more I wish Francis would do to hold bishops accountable and to look at structures of the Church which made the sex abuse scandal so bad. How did this Church, founded by the first followers of Jesus, go so wrong that all they could think about was protecting their reputation rather than protect children? Power gone amuk; Tradition raised to idolatry. So how does the Church bring a measure of control? – by dispersing some of that power so that there are checks and balances. moresteps says: ignoring your bugaboo about the episcopal church, why should not the catholic church reach back into its history and pick and choose those practices that would be best for today’s situation . the church is not bound only to do what has been done for the last two or three hundred years ? the bishops remain as successors to the apostles no matter how appointed or elected . nor do best practices for the administration of dioceses interfere with their apostolic roles . JPII may have been naive about how bad some boy chasing priests and clerics are, but Francis has has the data for a while. And what did Francis do? Stop investigations. See the story of how Francis had Muller stop in the middle of the Mass (!!!!!) in order to go to the sacristy to receive instructions on stoping an abuse investigation. Francis fired 3 of Muller’s staff priests who were working on abuse investigations and then bristled at Muller when Muller asked why. “I am Pope I don’t need to give reasons”. Face it. Face it. Francis is not only doctrinally errant…he’s morally errant. Yes, Francis has had the data. But he has to work with over 5000 bishops and an institution that does not have the mechanisms to review itself, its culture and attitudes. Worst, I have to wonder if Francis does not realize that part of the problem is the concentration of power within a hierarchical organization and that the solution is to dilute the power of the bishops, increase the oversight by creating and empowering lay involvement and power sharing with the laity. One more, Francis has to work with existing Canon Law and with a Canon law that allowed bishops to coverup abuse because they were the “father” to their priest “sons”, because they were supposed to help them get treatment, because More, Francis has to work with the robotic and mindless “leaders” JPII and BXVI brought into power in the VAtican, like Burke, Muller, Sarah, and people promoted to positions of power like Chaput. It must be enormously frustrating to Francis to have back stabbers like them but these are the kinds of people that JPII and BXVI encouraged and allowed to come to power – those who can’t think, imagine, but have to live out a life style of separateness and power that has long since stopped being effective in providing real leadership in the world of today. Francis is also a product of his times and holds to some cultural attitudes that simply no longer fit the world. This is particularly true with regard to the role of women in the world, in the church, in society. I don’t know if he can come to a new vision of women in the world. But I would rather have Francis on the Chair of Peter than anyone else right now, because Francis knows the hierarchical culture must change, something JPII and BXVI never could come to grips with. pope francis is not a liberal . he was and is a rather conservative cleric . what he is is one who has little patience with the nonsense of the old guard clerics who think that the church is for their glory and the support of the secular world that gives them money . with them he has made enemies . you have no evidence that “[h]e was given a report by Benedict….a whole investigation.” you have only an unverified claim made by vigano . there is no good explanation why mccarrick would be able to continue his very public church life for 4 or 5 years under benedict xvi if benedict had required of him a life of “prayer and penance” . He’s a marxist Jesuit, from Latin America, ordained in 1968. ????? that doesn’t even make sense . it is not a possible ideology nor a historical reality . it does suggest that you may be quite confused about “liberation theology” . hint : it is a theology, and it is profoundly christian . Burke, as just one example of what you call ” robotic and mindless ‘leaders’ JPII and BXVI brought into power” is neither robotic nor mindless. Francis, btw, does not have to work with existing Canon Law. He is the sole author of Canon Law. I see you managed to reduce this to “cultural attitudes” and a “hierarchical culture” disregarding the Church’s constant teaching that its structure was provided by its founder. Its structure was not provided by its founder – if you are referring to Our Lord Jesus Christ. The structure was created over the first few centuries and became formalized under a Roman Emperor. The structure mimics how powerful structures were formed in those times. The form of the Church – patriarchal and hierarchical – reflects the culture of the times. I believe it was a reasonable decision, making possibly the evangelization that Our Lord said needed to be done. But remember this, too. Our Lord intended to reform Judaism and had much to say against the pettiness of priests, scribes, pharisees of His time, which is what the form of the Roman Catholic Church became. Our Lord asked that we share a meal and remember Him in sharing wine and bread. The Apostles were married; the “leaders” in the gatherings of those who came to accept Jesus message in those first few hundred years were men and women – not priests. And yet, our Lord was as present in their gatherings as we know he is present today. It is not the priest who brings Jesus to us – it is the gathering together of those who believe in Him which manifests His presence. When the form of the structure becomes an impediment to the mission Jesus gave to His followers, then it is time to change the form. We are seeing that the priesthood is failing, the hierarchy of bishops and popes are not functioning with honor, truth, integrity in the world of today. They think their mission is the Church itself, when their mission is the evangelization of people to love of God and love of neighbor. It is time for a change. Our Lord intended to found a Church, not reform Judaism. I have pointed out repeatedly that the position its structure was NOT provided by its founder Jesus Christ flies directly into the face of the Catholic Church’s constant teaching, most recently Lumen Gentium, a document of Vatican II. One can vehemently disagree with that entire position. Protestants do, most rejecting apostolic succession altogether. Or you can dispute some details and conclusions, as do the Orthodox, while accepting in the main a hierarchical church and apostolic succession. Of course some of its structure reflects time and place, all human endeavors do. But the patriarchal and hierarchical aspects are NOT culturally conditioned and if one takes that position, one parts with the Church itself, cannot claim to be a faithful Catholic, which means one is critiquing from the outside of the Church, not from inside as a Catholic. Let’s just go by the figures in the article above. Between February and September 2018, there was a drop of 23 or 24 per cent in the proportion of Catholic men and women who believed that the Pope was doing a good or excellent job in tackling the question of sex abuse in the church. However, overall, Catholics had a favourable impression of the Pope. His popularity, however, declined from 84% to 72%. Over the same period, Evangelical Christian opinion of the Pope declined from 52% to 32% while mainline Protestant opinion of the Pope dropped from 67% to 48%. Meanwhile, the opinion of the unaffiliated only dropped from 58% to 53%. Overall, the Pope was most popular among Catholics: 84% down to 72%. Protestant opinion fell more sharply: 67% to 48% for Mainline Protestants and 52% to 32% amongst Evangelicals. The unaffiliated opinion of the Pope went from 58% to 53%, less of a decline than among Catholics and much less of a decline than amongst Protestants. I would speculate that while Catholics remain supportive of the Pope, they are greatly affected by reports of sexual abuse. Meanwhile, while they remain quite positive about the Pope, the unaffiliated are just less interested in what he might do or say. Protestants are more interested than the unaffiliated in what the Pope might say or do but are also more critical, and are more swayed by media reports of sex abuse in the Catholic Church. However, as the unaffiliated are now less critical of the Pope than Protestants, it could be that they are more indifferent to his actions and teachings. Our Lord intended to spread the word, create a new way for people to understand God’s love and their own capacity to love their neighbors in return. While He may have envisioned a structure, He did not give any hint whatsoever of what form that structure would/should take. All this of “ontologically changed” priests, of leaders treated as princes, of the riches of gold thead vestments, of marble cathedrals – that is what man created. Man also shaped the hierarchical/patriarchal structure that was consistent with power structure of the times in which the formation took place. There is nothing sacred about the shape of the Catholic Church. What is sacred is the mission – to spread the word of God’s love. Don’t create an idol of the Church as some substitute for Our Lord, or of Popes, bishops, priests as substituting for Him. Our allegiance belongs to Our Lord. “Our Lord intended to spread the word, create a new way for people to understand God’s love and their own capacity to love their neighbors in return.” He came to die for our sins, open the gates of heaven, and found a church. That, for a Catholic, is de fide. “While He may have envisioned a structure, He did not give any hint whatsoever of what form that structure would/should take.” He gave Peter the power of the keys and the role of confirming the brethren. He established seven sacraments with seven unique signs of seven different graces. One of these sacraments was Orders. That, for a Catholic, is de fide. “All this of ‘ontologically changed’ priests, of leaders treated as princes, of the riches of gold thead vestments, of marble cathedrals – that is what man created.” The ontological change to a sacerdotal person is part of the sacrament of Orders. That, for a Catholic is de fide. The vestments and accouterments are man-made. “Man also shaped the hierarchical/patriarchal structure that was consistent with power structure of the times in which the formation took place.” The hierarchical structure of the Church is by divine institution. That, for a Catholic, is de fide. The “patriarchal” nature of Orders is part of the sacrament. That, for a Catholic, is de fide. The complementary nature of male and female, as God made them, which you also call “patriarchal” is part of the Creator’s design. That, for a Catholic, is de fide. “There is nothing sacred about the shape of the Catholic Church.” Except, of course, for its hierarchical structure, its seven sacraments, of which one is Orders and its divine teaching mission – Mater et Magister – all of which are divinely established. That, for a Catholic, is de fide. If you find yourself in disagreement with basic Catholic teachings, there is a message there for you. California’s Catholic bishops targeted in sex abuse lawsuit Survey: Summer camp may be key to fostering Reform Jewish values	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1738
__label__wiki	0.577098	0.577098	Average Collectivity “Average Collectivity” is a video documentation of an alternating digital mirror. This digital mirror is used in private, semi-private/semi-public and public spaces to simultaneously create images of dispersion and connectivity as a comment on memory and identity. Eleni Alexandri The digital mirror documents private and public spaces as extensions of the binary pair of Self and Other(s) and their dialectic, which concludes in collectivity; it shows how an image, a unit, consists of smaller individualities and concludes in ostensibly isolated points which are the result of another similarly developed circle. City, block apartments, corridors, rooms - community, groups, Self are containers or spaces where collectivity develops, thrives and changes/alternates. Additionally, “Average Collectivity” is a comment on the polarity of these concepts and physical spaces and their borders, whose vagueness is becoming increasingly more noticeable today, particularly when the private space turns into the publicity of cyberspace. Thus, “Average Collectivity” serves to compose and visualise these qualities in a non-linear narration of the above-mentioned containers/spaces. “Average Collectivity” consist of eight different and alternating scenes; the eighth scene can be seen in the second section of videos. The first one is a simple image from a web camera, which gradually starts to split, spread, and repeat in real time; on the other hand, the last scene (second section of videos) is a mirror of a combination of moments/images in time. Footage is received and divided into smaller pieces, a grid whose parts appear in the image with an individual delay/time. The result is an average image of parts which are the result of what I call the “average collectivity” of any type of place, person or condition, anything in front of the camera at the moment the footage is taken. Ideally, there would be more than one input device/source, so that different spaces could be included in the visual composition. Likewise, the video would have only one section which would combine the different space in one video frame. In this way, the work could function as an alternative surveillance camera, not for control but for building and presenting these small places of communication. Benjamin Grosser [1] uses online location footage to create a point where visitors to a website can connect via their IP; a temporal community which connects physical space with cyber space. The “Tracing you” website works as a connection between that which can be considered as personal behaviour on a network and serves as a comment on the blurred lines between the secrecy of personal, private choices and their public availability. Although Grosser sees his work as a computational surveillance system, the collective aspect of it cannot be ignored. The same artist has worked with software as a mirror in the “Flexible Pixels” project - particularly the self-portraits - , which aesthetically influenced the final scene of “Average Collectivity”. Moreover, my approach is related to a number of works by Jason Salavon [2], in which he uses the average of a number of images of the same theme to create an image which is actually moving in time and probably space. “Average Collectivity” is created with openframeworks (C++). The video documentation of the program is based on live-stream footage. [1] https://bengrosser.com [2] http://www.salavon.com	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1745
__label__wiki	0.906004	0.906004	Deddington Town FC was formed in 1888. It is one of the oldest Clubs in the County. Deddington Town Football Club was founded in 1888 - although there is archive evidence to suggest the Club was playing football before this. A match report appears in the Banbury Guardian on the 13th January 1887 …. Football Match – A scratch match between Stoke Lyne and Deddington was played in the Castle Grounds on Saturday, when Captain Godwins team were victors by two goals to one. The ground was covered by about a foot of snow, which much increased the fun. The competitors were afterwards entertained at tea by Mr W.L.Franklin, Hon Sec of the D.F.B.C., at the Kings Arms, and a very jovial evening ensued, enlivened by some capital songs and recitations. Whatever the true founding date, 1888 does appear to mark the rise of the Club and its affiliation to the F.A. From old match reports and archive documents it is clear that in its early years, at the beginning of the 1900’s, the game was carried on in a very gentlemanly manner. Included in this celebratory programme is a match report from the 1888 Final of the Lord Jersey Cup in which Deddington played Middleton Park. One quote in the report says - ‘for they all liked as Englishman to see a good game and they always praised winners whoever they might be, and even those who were defeated liked to praise victors. The Club has had many ups and downs throughout its history and the performance of its many teams can perhaps best be measured by its roll of honour in cup competitions- 2011-12 Banbury Charity Cup 2003-04 Mid-Oxon Junior Cup 1980-81 Coronation Cup 1906-07 Lord Jersey Cup The different eras in the dates above no doubt reflect the ebb and flow off success over the decades. For many years the Club played on ‘’one of the finest pitches in the County’ at the Castle Grounds. In recent years though the adult team has been based at The Windmill Playing fields as all sport sadly ceased at the Castle Grounds some twenty years ago. 125 years is a truly momentous achievement . What is perhaps even more surprising in recognising this achievement is that the Club has very limited facilities. It has no club house, although for many years the British Legion kindly acted as its base . It has only one adult pitch in the village, yet the Club is thriving. This season Deddington has two adult teams playing in the Banbury District and Lord Jersey Lord Jersey League, The first team, at time of printing, is top of the Premier League table, while the Reserves are fighting hard to stay in Division One having gained promotion last season. In its 125th year, the Club marked the year by formally merging with Deddington Town Colts, one football club providing football for all ages in the area. DEDDINGTON TOWN COLTS Deddington Town Colts was formed as a separate football club in 1995. A surge of interest locally by youngsters who wanted to play the beautiful game saw a group of parents formally set up the Colts and join the Witney and District League with one youth team. “From little acorns …. “ within a few years the Club was fielding teams in all the youth football age groups from minis aged 4 years through to Under 18’s in the Witney and District and Oxford Invitation leagues. With more than 150 young people as playing members the Club has always struggled with facilities. Like the adults there is the only one junior pitch available at Windmill – although for a number of years the Adult Club has kindly allowed the oldest age group to share the Adult pitch. It has not been unknown for the Club to be playing on pitches in seven different parishes through a season. In its short life the Club has achieved much. Based on the premise that it is not always about winning, but partaking, many teams have passed through the Colts with varying degrees of highs and lows. The Club attained Charter Standard Development status with the FA in 2006 raising the bar for its managers and coaches . It continues to challenge itself and, but for the lack of facilities, would before now have introduced football for girls as well as boys. Increasingly it became clear that the Colts and DTFC should work more closely together. The obvious drive for this is to provide a seamless route to adult football for the young Colts players and a steady supply of well trained young players challenging for a place in the adult teams. For several years talks were held between the two clubs about how best to “come together”. In recent years the oldest youth team has enjoyed training sessions with the adult teams and two years ago Colts abandoned its yellow and blue colours and adopted the Town black and white strip. This gradual journey culminated, in 2013, in an agreement that the two Clubs would formally merge The future is exciting. 2013 saw the formal coming together of the two Clubs. The Colts brought a vibrant and energetic youth section to Town and will help strengthen and secure the long term future of Deddington Town Football The Club has a ‘loose’ affiliation to the Deddington Under Sixties Team. DUST is a veteran’s team and is made up of parents past and present, managers and ex managers, supporters and friends of both Clubs. This link allows the Club to move forward offering football to all generations. Ladies football too is coming. The Club is hopeful to have its first Ladies team for the 2014/15 season. The Club wishes to thank everyone from both Clubs who over the years have dedicated time and effort to bring football to so many. The Club is a huge part of the communities of Deddington, Adderbury, Clifton and Hempton and the surrounding area and will hopefully continue to be so for many generations to come. Supporters to die for!!!!! Cliff Smith (Club President), Den Freeman and Paul Cox THREE MEN AND A BENCH Three of the most ardent supporters of the Club can be found most Saturdays sitting on the bench alongside the pitch at Windmill. Cliff Smith arrived in the village in late 1972. He commenced his playing career with the Club in 1994/95. He played regularly for the Reserve Team for many years until retirement. He then assumed the role of half-time tea maker until hot tea gave way to todays cold ‘energy’ drinks. He then became a full-time spectator (and self appointed ball-boy…with pole!) Cliff has served on the Club Committee for more than thirty years, a good many as Club Secretary. Cliff is proud of the fact that throughout his footballing career he was not once cautioned by a referee. Paul Cox played for DTFC from early 1960 in both Banbury and District and Lord Jersey Leagues. He retired from playing in 1982. Paul was a committee member for over 30 years which included a short spell as Club Secretary. He has been grounds man together with Pete Simons since early 1970’s. Paul provides a great insight into facilities (or lack of them ) locally during his playing career. Describing many as primitive, showers non existent and changing rooms little more than a large garden shed. Some clubs had no facilities at all. Condition of pitches was not too bad, although one was used as grazing for sheep between games and another was situated on an airfield directly in the flight path of gliders! Players who received cautions were required to attend disciplinary hearings in person. In the 1960’s these were held at the Dog and Gun in Banbury. Offender’s would be grilled by a panel of the OFA before being stung with the inevitable fine. Good for pub trade though! Dennis Freeman…. Den has never played for the Club but has always been a keen spectator. He is effectively part of the furniture on match days. If ever you are down at a match, wander over to the bench. You are guaranteed an up to the minute match report as slick as any punditry from TV or Radio. CELEBRATING 100 YEARS... 25 Years ago the Club was celebrating its centenary. There were several events throughout the Centenary year, one of which was a 16 team six-a-side competition involving local teams. This used to be an annual event that was held in and around the Windmill Centre. NB . Note the reference to the Club taking on the might of Oxford United at the end of the report. That game went ahead at the Castle Grounds. Although we are hoping for something similar to celebrate our 125th year, it will sadly not be at the Castle Grounds this time!!!!! CUP FINAL FEVER.....1888 style.... Now this is what you call a match report.....one of the first for Deddington Town, 124 years ago in fact!!! Deddington Towns very first Cup Final....... THE 1888 JERSEY CUP FINAL 14 April, 1888 at Middleton Park Middleton Stoney (1) 4 - Deddington (2) 2 Referee: C Shillingford Linesmen: W Smith W Godwin Middleton Stoney: Rev W H Draper (c) Lord Jersey A Varney R Renn T Emberlin H Pitts C Green F Tugwood J Green H Little C Clayton Middleton Stoney Scorers: C Clayton 3 C Green 1 Deddington: Rev S. R. Standage (c) W.L.Franklin W Hancock J Wilkins F Sturch J Ell W Bennett J. A. Holiday W Turner J Bennett J Walters Deddington Scorers: W Turner 1 J Walters 1 These teams met in the final in this competition on neutral ground in Middleton Park on Saturday last, April 14th, and such was the interest taken in the event, that the proceedings were watched by a large concourse of spectators whose occupation was rendered by no means unpleasant by the fine and more genial weather which prevailed. Winning the toss, Middleton chose the higher ground, and at thirteen minutes to four, Walters set the ball in motion. At the onset Deddington were compelled to act on the defensive, and at the end of five minute’s play, after a corner had fallen to Middleton, the Deddington colours were lowered by Claydon, who received the ball from Pitts. Upon restarting, the scene of operations was transferred to the home quarters, and Draper warded of a good shot by the use of hands. Determined of possible on equalising matters, Deddington made another invasion of the Middleton territory. Bennett, getting the ball up the right wing, centred to Walters, who shot it through amid cheers. After a little unimportant work on neutral ground, C. Green, getting well on the ball, made a good run, and eventually centred to Little, who made an excellent shot, which, however, was successfully met by Standage. Play continued to be carried on in the Deddington half, and C Green led a vigorous onslaught on their fortress, indeed hereabouts the visitors’ citadel was again and again placed in imminent danger; but Standage, showing rare form in goal, repelled all the attacks. Eventually the pressure was relieved and Bennett succeeded in getting the ball into the home half, and transferring it to Walters who in turn passed to Turner, the last named player placed the Second goal to the credit of Deddington. Soon after restarting “hands” were given in front of the Deddington goal; but the ball was cleverly headed out of danger and worked into the home half. A couple of corner kicks fell to Deddington; but they proved of no advantage, and half-time was called with the score Deddington two goals Middleton one. After change, Middleton re-doubled their exertions to make up the leeway, and the leather was alternately taken from one half to the other until a corner fell to Middleton, and Clayton took a shot, which however went over the crossbar. Getting the ball from a throw in, C Green forced Standage to use hands. The Deddington backs continued to be pressed, and in the end Clayton succeeded in lowering the visitors colours, a performance which elicited much cheering. Having thus equalised matters Middleton were nerved to greater efforts, and Renn was warmly applauded for a bit of good play, which for a time was confined to the visitors quarters. However by concerted action the Deddington forwards got away with the ball, and a series of attacks on the Middleton fortress compelled Draper to use hands. Little however relieved the pressure, and taking the ball down the left wing, centred to Clayton, who again got it through. three to two. The superior condition of the Middleton team began to make itself manifest, and Deddington continued to be much pressed. Little was again actively engaged on the left, and through his exertions, C Green was put in possession of the leather, which he succeeded in placing between the post. four to two. Middleton continued to have the best of the play, to the end, and would have scored more heavily but for the magnificent goal keeping of Standage, whose play was undoubtedly the feature of the game. No further advantage resulting, Middleton were left the victors and consequently the holders of the cup for the first year, by four goals to two. For Middleton Varney, Renn, Clayton, Little, and C Green, played best. For the visitors, Standage, as we have already pointed out, did a yeomans service, whilst Franklin put in some good defensive work, and W Bennett, Walters, and Turner did some useful service. The company immediately gathered round a marquee on the ground, to witness the presentation of the cup and medals. The former is of silver and of handsome design. It has two handles, and is surmounted by the figure of a football player, upon it appears the following inscription. “CHALLENGE CUP presented by the Earl of JERSEY 1888”. With it are a ebony stand and glass shade. Lord Jersey (who had been joined by her ladyship, and several members of the family) said in asking Lady Jersey to present this cup, under the victory of to-day, he could not say what he should have wished if some other club had won; but felt he must congratulate their side with pride upon the victory they had obtained, and they would no doubt be prouder of it when they thought of the good play which their opponents had shown in order to try and wrest it from them. (Hear, hear.) This pride would he thought be increased by the knowledge that their defeated friends had made so good a game from it and played in such splendid spirits. (Hear, hear,) He ought first of all to take that opportunity of thanking their excellent secretary, Mr Godwin, for the energy and time and trouble he had taken in making that cup competition so successful. They must be aware that the merit of the idea of these cup ties did not lie with him, but with Mr Godwin and other gentleman. He regretted that Mr Godwin’s unfortunate accident at the beginning of the season militated against the success of the club with which he stood connected, otherwise it might have been just possible that he should have had to have asked him to receive the cup instead of holding it for a few minutes. (Laughter) Eight clubs had competed for it and the idea was soon taken up in earnest. There were; Bicester, Stoke, Somerton, Stratton Audly, King’s Sutton, Brackley School, Middleton, and last though not least, their opponents to-day, who had played a very plucky game indeed. (Hear, hear,) This showed that there was a great love of football in the district, and the object they had in view in offering that cup was not solely that one side or the other might win it, they had a twofold object at the bottom of it. Whilst the shouts of victory were welcomed to the friends of the victor’s, they were only expressions of importance at the moment. They had another and further object- and he thought he should be expressing the opinion of all those who had helped to bring the matches to a successful issue- Mr Godwin, Mr Draper, Mr Standage, Mr Shillingford, and others whose names he could not for the moment recollect- he thought he was expressing their minds when he said they had a further object in view and that after to-day’s play a very useful result would remain both to competitor’s and spectators – for they all liked as Englishman to see a good game and they always praised winners whoever they might be, and even those who were defeated liked to praise victors. They had carried that competition on in a very honourable spirit indeed-in the best possible spirit, with the result that they had won. They had shown the contest of that kind could be carried on in a friendly way and he fully believed they tended to increase that friendship which should exist between individuals and places. (Hear, hear,) Morever, there was the satisfaction of knowing that the courage and concerted play the desire to work together in unison and the honourable feeling which had been shown, must have a beneficial effect upon everyone, competitor’s as well as spectators. (Cheers,) They were sometimes told that these were degenerated day’s of England; but he would venture to say that during the contest in this small nook of England they had proved themselves conspicuous for that determined character which had not been surpassed in the oldern time. They liked to keep up those old English and manly sports amongst them. (Hear, hear,) He might also add his own personal satisfaction and pleasure at the way in which these football matches had been carried on, and he would only add this, that it would be a great satisfaction for him to feel that he had rendered assistance in any way to their sports; and he hoped that as this cup took its turn round the district-which he hoped it would do – it would become to be looked upon not only as a sign of football spirit, but as an inspiration for every man to do his best at all times(Cheers,). He would ask Mr Renn to accept this cup on behalf of Middleton, and he would ask that eleven and everyone present to give three hearty cheers for Deddington, and wish them better luck whenever they played again. (Loud Cheers,) Lady Jersey then presented the cup to Mr Renn who said he begged to thank her ladyship, on behalf of the Middleton team, for the grand cup which he had just received. Bronze medals having been given to each member of the winning team. The Rev Standage said he should like to say before they departed a few words as captain of the defeated, though not disgraced team. (Hear, hear,) He should like to propose a vote of thanks to his lordship for the kindness and trouble he had taken in getting up these matches. He ventured to say that he had done great good amongst the eight clubs. He hoped more clubs would enter next year and that the interest in local football would not grow less but rather increase and extend more and more. The competition had excited a great deal of interest amongst the clubs, and had offered a great amount of enjoyment to those who had taken part in it. On behalf of the Deddington club he could say they were very sorry they had not carried of the cup; but they would try the next year and keep on trying till they did. (Hear, hear.) They had played an exciting, pleasant game and had worked hard. They hardly expected to win; but they came with the intention of fighting hard for it, and he thought they had fought hard for it. (Hear, hear.) He would ask them to pass a vote of thanks to Lord Jersey and give him three hearty cheers and hope that he might live many years and see the cup given year after year after as spirited a contest as they had seen to-day. (Loud cheers.) The Rev W.H.DRAPER said he should like to make a correction in Lord Jersey’s speech. Although he had very kindly said that the origin of the cup was not with him, he thought his lordship was the first one who dreamed of it. (Hear, hear and laughter.) Mr W.GODWIN explained that the origin of the cup arose this way. They thought of getting a scratch team for the County cup, when Lord Jersey kindly offered this cup, and they readily made way for it. He thanked his lordship for his kind gift, and having alluded to the misfortune that had befallen him (the speaker), he announced that he had received a message from Mr Wing, who suggested that the winners of this cup should go in for the county cup next year. (Hear, hear.) Lord Jersey thanked previous speakers for their kind remarks about him and observed that they had seen how difficult it was to write history, because they could not even get the origin of this cup. (Laughter.) However, there was, and it was certain that Mr Godwin, the secretary, had been instrumental in its having been contested for in an honourable manner. He hoped to see many of these games. His football days were over he had thought many years ago, but it was a great thing to know that there were plenty of others to take his place, and he should have to give in and be content to look on and give the cup to those who deserved it. It could be said for football that it was not an expensive game, and did not take up much time, and anything they could do to bring about a friendly feeling and knowledge of the people, who in their games and work, must be a good thing. (Hear, hear.) He hoped they should have many as nice days, and that the result would be equally as satisfactory as at any rate it would be to those who won. (Cheers.) Cheers having been given for Mr Godwin, and also on the proposition of that gentleman, for Lady Jersey, her lady ship said she thanked the company very much. The gathering then dispersed, and by the kindness of Lord Jersey, the competitors partook of a capital meat tea, provided by Mr Todd in the cricket pavilion in Middleton Park . And more recently a result from 12th February 1998... Happy Days!!! Those in the know will note the goals by John Coleman, sadly no longer with us, and Gareth Smith our Club Secretary for the adult section. (Still going strong and playing for the reserves today..See Reserves team profiles) And now we know why!!! OK, Some young history....in the pic below our current Chairman Andy Shepherd takes a bow in one of his earliest appearances for ther Club. Can you spot him? And another young man, who still plays for the Reserves today...Gareth Smith. The picture was taken in 1987 during the Clubs Centenary celebrations. GUESS WHO!!!! From 30/9/99 which two players from todays first and reserves can you see? (Clue - They are Large and Flash!!!) More history soon...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1748
__label__wiki	0.794013	0.794013	St. John Bosco (Redford Twp.) Cardinal Mooney established St. John Bosco Parish in June, 1956, in the southern part of Redford Township. Fr. Leo Sheltreau was appointed pastor. Not only was this Fr. Leo's first tenure as pastor, it was his first assignment to a parish. Prior to this assignment, Fr. Sheltrau spent spent 18 years with Catholic Youth Organization and chaplain to juvenile detention. The parish worshipped at Thurston High School until a church could be built. Msgr. Hardy, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn, led the groundbreaking ceremony on June 30, 1957. The first Mass at St. John Bosco Church was on Christmas Eve, 1957, though construction was not yet finished. Cardinal Mooney finally dedicated St. John Bosco Church on September 16, 1958, more than two years after the parish was established. A parish school opened four years later with classes starting on September 10, 1962. Two lay teachers and two Adrian Dominican Sisters taught grades one, two and three. The following year, another Dominican sister joined the faculty. Sr. Margaret Joseph was the first principal. St. John Bosco Parish celebrated it's 60th anniversary in 2016. Throughout the parish's 62-year history, there have been only three pastors: Fr. Leo Sheltreau (1956-1980), Fr. Michael Kundrat (1980-1984), and Fr. Richard Osebold (1984-present). However, the parish went through a series of a dozen associates and weekend associates. Both Fr. Sheltreau and Fr. Kundrat served at St. John Bosco until their respective retirements. It is likely that Fr. Osebold will also continue to minister at the parish until his retirement. Fr. Osebold was previously the Dean of Studies at Sacred Heart Seminary, where he also taught Latin and Greek for two decades. He also served as a weekend assistant at St. John Bosco before he was appointed pastor. The parish once had 700 registered families but, at last count, numbered about 250. St. John Bosco clustered with St. Hilary and St. Robert Bellarmine in 2012. St. Hilary closed on June 29, 2014, but the other two remain clustered even though each has it's own pastor and parish staff. A statue of St. Hilary, reclaimed from the now-closed St. Hilary Church, is suspended near the main entrance of St. John Bosco, next to a statue of the other namesake. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, holding the Lamb of God, stands next to the Infant of Prague and St. Thérèse. Madonna and Child as well as St. Joseph in the back, left side of the church. Most of the windows are common, clear glass. However, the windows above the main altar are stained-glasses. The Holy Trinity is depicted in the center window: the Hand of God the Father, the Agnus Dei, and Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. A chapel stands behind the main altar, where daily Mass is celebrated every weekday except Thursday. Monday Mass is at 9:00am while Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays bring Mass at 8:30am. Tuesday Mass is preceded by Mother of Perpetual Help devotions at 8:15am and followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 9:00am-7:00pm. Fr. Osebold is assisted by two permanent deacons: Rev. Mr. Robert Modes and Rev. Mr. Ziggy Kucharek. Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:00pm, preceded by Confessions at 3:00pm, while Sunday Masses are at 9:00am and 11:00am. More info: parish website + bulletin archive More photos: AOD Film Services More images of the stained-glass windows: Dawn's Art Posted by detroitchurchblog at 1/31/2018 06:24:00 AM No comments: Labels: history, mid-century, Northwest Wayne Vicariate, Redford Township, St. John Bosco Sacred Heart Chapel at Marygrove College Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) opened St. Mary Academy in 1846 in Monroe. The school grew to include college-level classes and St. Mary College was established in 1905. Five years later, the State of Michigan empowered the college to grant degrees, and in 1914, the State Department of Education authorized it to grant teaching certificates. Those original charters are still in effect at Marygrove today. Enrollment outgrew the confines in Monroe during the early 1920s. Bishop Gallagher and Mother Domitilla Donohue sought to move the college to Detroit. Mother Domitilla purchased an 80-acre wooded tract in a developing area of northwest Detroit in March, 1922, for $241,000. Indianapolis architects D.A. Bohlen & Son designed the Liberal Arts building (which houses the chapel) as well as the neighboring Madame Cadillac residence hall. The new site suggested a new name, and in 1925, with the laying of the cornerstone of the present Liberal Arts Building, St. Mary College became Marygrove College. The chapel features the traditional side altars to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, respectively. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is depicted atop the main altar. Fine woodworking details on the ends of the pews. An interesting detail that I've never seen in a pew before: hinges cover small storage compartments on the top of each pew. Large, white marble Stations of the Cross line the walls of the chapel. Stained-glass windows depict scenes in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the Annunciation (left) and the Visitation (right). The Presentation in the Temple (left) and the Wedding at Cana (right). A large Casavant organ is housed in the choir loft. Parishioners of St. Peter Claver noticed water and plaster damage to the church's ceiling a few months ago. Concerned for safety, they soon moved their regularly-scheduled Sunday Mass to the Sacred Heart Chapel at Marygrove College. On January 2, the roof of the church collapsed. While the damage is extensive, there were no injuries. The collapsed roof and leaning walls at St. Peter Claver - Source To make matters even worse for the parish, a longtime pastor, Fr. James O'Reilly, passed away a few days after the roof collapsed. St. Peter Claver will continue to hold its 10am Sunday Mass at Marygrove until they find a permanent home. Daily Mass is celebrated in the rectory next to the former Precious Blood Church. General info about Marygrove: Marygrove.edu Most photos of the stained glass: MarysRosaries.com On the damage to St. Peter Claver: The Michigan Catholic + Loyola High School About the plan to close the undergrad college: Crain's Detroit, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News Posted by detroitchurchblog at 1/24/2018 02:30:00 PM No comments: Labels: chapel, IHM, Marygrove College, northwest Detroit, St. Peter Claver, Trinity vicariate Ss. Cyril & Methodius Slovak Parish Slovakian emigrants established SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish in 1918. The first church was built at the intersection of Heintz and Foster Streets, near Mt. Elliott and Harper, on the east side of Detroit. The parish quickly outgrew the original church and sought to build a larger, new church. Fr. Joseph Zalibera, who would serve as pastor for 39 years, led the capital campaign and construction efforts. The cornerstone of the edifice was laid in 1925 and the first Mass was on All Saints' Day, 1926, in the basement of the new church. Three hundred students were enrolled in the parish school that academic year. Construction was not completed until Christmas Eve of 1929. A four-story school surrounded the church while a combination gymnasium/auditorium occupied the basement of the Byzantine-style church. A pipe organ was installed in 1936 and Centerline Street, in front of the church, was renamed Saint Cyril Street. A parish high school was eventually built in 1945. Both the elementary and high schools closed in 1971 and the parish petitioned the archdiocese to move to a new location. Permission was granted and the parish bought land at 18 Mile and Ryan Roads. Construction of the current edifice was completed in 1988 and the parish made the 13-mile move north to Sterling Heights. The former SS. Cyril & Methodius Church was sold a Baptist congregation and occupied until the late 1990s. By 2000, all of the former buildings of the parish were abandoned, vandalized, and in disrepair. The City of Detroit sought to clear the desolate neighborhood to make room for an industrial park so, in early 2003, the former SS. Cyril & Methodius Church was demolished. The former rectory, as it appeared in 2006, was later demolished - Source SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish celebrates its centennial this year. The parish will celebrate the anniversary with, among other things, a monthly Rosary in Slovakian and English. They are also in the process of gathering documents and artifacts from the parish history and will likely have some sort of exhibit later this year. Outdoor Stations of the Cross stand across the parking lot from the current church. An (Perpetual)Adoration Chapel is located near the main entrance, along with a set of four(five?) confessionals. The parish offers Reconciliation 30 minutes before each Mass and after the 9:00am Saturday Mass. The parish patrons stand in the vestibule and, nearby, St. Francis of Assisi consoles Our Crucified Lord. The Last Supper is depicted in the cryroom window. Stained-glass windows divide the nave and vestibule. Short, narrow windows line the walls near the altar. The Holy Family stands at the left side of the church, near the organ. The Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as St. Anne and Child Mary stand in corners of the nave. St. Rita and the Infant of Prague stand in a back corner of the church; an icon and relics of the parish patrons in the chapel. The parish follows the eastern European tradition of keeping Christmas decorations up until the Feast of the Presentation on February 2nd. A large crucifix outside the main entrance; Guardian Angel and child outside the social hall. St. Anthony of Padua stands in the hallway that connects the church and Fr. Mikus Hall. Our Lady of Fatima and the Angel of Portugal also stand in this hallway. The Pieta rests outside the Fr. Mikus Hall. A map of Slovakia hangs on the wall opposite the hall entrance. Fr. Libor Marek was appoiunted pastor last July. He replaced Fr. Ben Kosnac, pastor for 15 years, after Fr. Kosnac was sent back to Slovakia at the end of April. Fr. Marek is assisted by three permanent deacons, a priest-in-residence, and several weekend assistants. More info: parish website More about the early history of the parish: Forgotten Detroit + Facebook Photos of the demolition: Discuss Detroit forum Labels: Central Macomb Vicariate, SS. Cyril & Methodius Related Blogs/Websites Detroit Catholic School Heritage Project Detroit Church Blog Picasa Album AOD Parish List Eastern Rite Churches in the AOD St. Joseph's Blog Te Deum Laudamus Joy - Inklings of a Liturgical Music Director What Does the Prayer Really Say? by Fr. Z Pilgrimage photos: Spain, France and Portugal Christmas in Detroit All Saints Church closes, 1896-2017 detroitchurchblog Simple theme. Theme images by bopshops. Powered by Blogger.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1750
__label__cc	0.707537	0.292463	Dan Robelen Pastor’s Desk Christmas Production and Dinner Wild Beast Feast 2019 Fall 2018 Revival Service Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study & Prayer Meeting Bus & Van Ministry Our Supported Missionaries Dexter Gospel Church believes that we are responsible not just to be a soul-saving station in our own community, but also to take part in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. These are some of the people and ministries we support. Stephen & Ruth Schaefer Stephen Schaefer Stephen and Ruth Schaefer each teach two semesters a year at Bharat Bible College in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, South India. Stephen also preaches about 4 times each week at the college and in various ministries such as village churches, pastors’ conferences, and evangelistic ministries. Ruth teaches elementary school chapel in the Christian school connected to the college. They were married in 1981 and have six children. Stephen’s Salvation Testimony: Stephen was saved in 1976 at the start of his last year of high school. Some Baptist friends had witnessed to him for months and years. The Holy Spirit took the Word of God and convicted him of his sin and his need of Christ. Upon realizing it, he confessed both and received Him. His interests changed. His activities were now centered on Christ and through His church. In his first year of college, he cut all ties to his parents’ Lutheran church and some time later was baptized again, this time as a believer. During college, his activities were independent of the church he attended at the time except for the 3 months he worked at a church Bible camp. Mervin & Norma Fox Mervin Fox Presently the Foxes are working in Concord, NC seeking to establish another Spanish speaking ministry. The normal attendance at their new church is 12-15 on Sunday morning. The Foxes are presently working through some difficulties and would very much appreciate your prayers. Mervin and Norma Fox returned to the States in 2002 after serving 23 years in the Azore Islands (Portugal) Mervin and Norma Fox were both saved in September 1967 while living in Illinois. After serving for seven years in their home church, God called Pastor Fox to Bob Jones University to train for full-time ministry. So, in 1974, they sold their house, he quit his job and they moved to Greenville, SC with their three children. After finishing school and deputation, the Fox family flew to the Azore Islands (Portugal) on June 26, 1979 to begin their missionary ministry. Pastor & Mrs. Fox served the Lord in Portugal for 22½ years before returning to the States to pastor an American church in Chesapeake, VA. In early 2004 Pastor Walt Coles asked if Mervin would be willing to help GNBC establish a Spanish speaking church. That was the beginning of The Foxs’ transition from Portuguese to Spanish. After a little more than three years, Mervin left the growing Spanish ministry to the leadership of Kevin Brown. In 2007 the Foxes moved to Charlotte, NC where they worked with Pastor Ron Allen at Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Allen had prayed for a couple of years for someone to help his church begin a Spanish Speaking ministry – God sent the Foxes. While in Chesapeake, a pastor friend asked Pastor Fox to help him establish a ministry to reach the Hispanic community for Christ. Through Good News Baptist Church in Chesapeake, the Lord enabled the Foxes to establish a thriving Hispanic ministry, and after two years were able to leave that ministry in the hands of another pastor to head to Charlotte, NC, where the Lord called them to begin another ministry to reach the Hispanic community. Pastor Fox knew there was a great need in Charlotte to reach the 10,000 plus Hispanics that live in or near the city. He is now pastoring Iglesia Bautista Bíblica, the Hispanic ministry of Bible Baptist Church, which began March 2, 2008. After three and a half years the Foxes left that growing work to the leadership of a Mexican pastor. <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/1047282328637011/”><span style=”font-size:32pt;”><i class=”fa fa-facebook”></i></span><a/> Dale & Ethel Baker Ministry Facts: We worked in the Central African Republic for most of our 35 yrs. as missionaries. We are now retired but continue to attend missions conferences, help small churches, encourage other missionaries, help with VBS and CEF groups. Birth Dates: Dale 01/01; Edith 12/26 Anniversary: June 5 1102 124th Street East Length of Time on Field: 35 years Brian & Sherri Jenks Brian and Sherri serve our churches in south central Michigan. They have been missionaries since August of 1994. Dr. Gary and Nancy Newhart Gary and Nancy Newhart became the Executive Director of Independent Gospel Missions in February 2000, after the unexpected passing of the founder. Dr. Newhart, by the grace of God, was privileged to start two churches that became indigenous in the state of New York. Under his leadership, IGM has been restructured to provide a higher degree of accountability and integrity has become the watchword. IGM is growing in its mission and many are coming to know and hear the message of the true Gospel that is found in Jesus Christ alone! He makes it very clear that the Mission is not about us but all about bringing glory to our Heavenly Father (Proverbs 3:5-6). Jim Arnold Jim Arnold, Missionary International Gospel Missions exists to glorify God by enabling partnerships that strategically fulfill the Great Commission with integrity and Christian love. Jim and Denise Arnold joined IGM in 1990. Jim was born in Ivory Coast, West Africa, and the Arnolds were missionaries there when they joined IGM. The family was evacuated from Ivory Coast during the coup in 2002. After relocating to the US, Jim became the Missionary Field Coordinator for all of IGM’s national church planters in the West African region. Their family currently resides in Georgia. Greetings from the friendly Islands of the Bahamas! Don and Betty Cabbage Dr. Don Cabbage and his Deaf wife Betty founded World Mission Society in 1982 as a 501 C 3 Non-profit to provide community and social services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on a non-secular and secular level. They have traveled all over the world spreading the word of GOD and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ working tirelessly and in many cases as a leading voice of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Globally. Dr. Don teaches ASL (American Sign Language) and is fluent in a large number of sign languages in other languages. 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__label__cc	0.731151	0.268849	Home / Library / Analytics / Will my qualification be recognized abroad? E.V. Shevchenko What is it all about? Hundreds of Russian nationals go abroad to continue their studies, work on a temporary basis or leave for permanent residence. Even more Russians are trying to make up their minds about what kind of a higher institution they should enter - national or foreign. And all of them are concerned about the issue quoted in the caption above. Rest assured, your qualification will be recognized. However, no recognition is or has ever been an automatic procedure! Indeed, there is a great variety of education systems, degrees, methods of assessment of training intensity, credits and grades, etc. worldwide, which makes it hard to decide on whether the qualification obtained by an individual abroad is sufficient, or whether the said individual is capable of performing professional duties properly and in accordance with the obtained qualification. There are two equivalent aspects to the problem of qualification recognition in Russian and other countries: ( а ) recognition of Russian qualification abroad, and (b) recognition of foreign qualification in Russia. Correct and competent solution to the first problem allows to protect the interests of the students and graduates from the Russian higher institutions on the global market of education and labor, whereas solution of the latter shall ultimately protect the Russian market of labor against poor 'specialists' whose performance in Russia may be detrimental to the citizens of this country. What is the purpose of recognition of your qualification? There are only two types of recognition: academic and professional. Academic recognition allows the holder of a relevant document to complete or carry on the study on the next level at a higher institution, which would recognize his/her qualification. Such recognition, however, does not make the holder eligible for employment within the country, which has recognized foreign qualification of the said holder. Professional recognition allows the holder to apply for employment in accordance with qualification or degree obtained abroad. What should be rather recognized -period of study or qualification? First of all, let's make it clear that qualification means any document on the award of degree, diploma or any other certificate issued by the relevant authority to certify successful completion of any educational program (junior high or senior high school, college, lyceum, technical school, higher institution, postgraduate courses, residency training, doctorate, etc.). Qualification must give its holder the approved rights, such as: perform the relevant professional duties and/or, by all means (more often than not subject to certain conditions) continue the study on an advanced level. The term period of study usually implies that the student failed to complete a certain training program. For example, if a student upon successful completion of the third year wishes to continue the training abroad, it stands to reason here to speak of recognition of the 'period of study'. The period of study is usually certified by academic records or similar documents of inferior value than qualification. Procedures of recognition of qualifications and periods of study are fairly well established worldwide. However, qualification recognition procedure is much simpler than that of the period of study, since each educational institution is responsible for its qualifications. In the event of admission of a student to the program of another educational institution, to acquire a qualification the applicant will have to comply entirely with requirements of a new educational institution, most likely different from those of the prior one. In addition, the international academic community (based on the established international recommendations) would usually admit foreign students in the middle of the training program, if such student entered the prior educational institution in accordance with regulations of the relevant country and demonstrated his/her capacity by successful performance of at least one-year program. Equivalence, recognition or acceptance? Formerly, the international education specialists upon solving the abovementioned problems endeavored to establish equivalence of qualification, which implied virtually similar length of study and contents of academic knowledge. Eventually, it became apparent that equivalent qualification cannot be attained even within a single country. Since 1997, the academic community has been using the term recognition instead of 'equivalence'. Simply put, the specialists would argue as follows: "We realize that your qualification is not the same as in our country, but we do concede that you have sufficient qualification to perform the functions you have been studying for ( or - "Your qualification is sufficient to continue the training in our country on an advanced level")". Nowadays foreign scientific literature some specialists, loath to "recognize" foreign qualifications, insist on using the term acceptance . ("We do not recognize your qualification, but we do concede it is acceptable in our country"). However, for those who seek recognition of one's qualification, this scientific dispute is remarkably of no importance. Higher institutions eligible for recognition of qualifications Considering the great variety of educational institutions worldwide, the international academic community adopted a number of recognition principles by the type of educational institutions and programs taught therein. 1. Accreditation Principle . As far as recognition is concerned, status of the educational institution (state, non-state, affiliated, private) and the title thereof (international, European, international, all-Russian) are of no importance whatsoever. Also, it does not matter that upon the entering you were enticed by the title of the issued qualification - an international diploma or a European certificate (which are non-existent anyway). What really matters is that recognition applies only to qualifications obtained in educational institutions officially accredited by an established and reputable agency in accordance with procedures accepted by the country of location of the relevant institution. The range of accreditation agencies is rather extensive: from Ministry of Education (as in Russia ) to private organizations and associations (as in the U.S. ). No foreign country will recognize qualification obtained in an unaccredited institution, or, alternatively, accredited by an unknown agency or accredited in breach of regulations adopted by the country of location. For example, according to the Russian regulations, each branch of the higher institution is subject to individual state accreditation, otherwise your qualification may not recognized. 2. Similar-Level Principle. The laws of many countries (e.g. the U.S. ) regard qualification obtained after high school as higher education. In other words, according to the U.S. law, any graduate of the Russian vocational school (completed after the high school) is deemed to have higher education. That is why all higher education programs are subdivided into academic and practical training programs. Academic programs are characterized by a pronounced theoretical basis, primarily aiming to train research workers, instructors, innovative design engineers, etc., whereas the latter serve to train operators, executive workers, etc., which renders them more practically biased. Levels of education in terms of the graduates' rights are determined in accordance with International Standard Classification of Education approved by UNESCO. Therefore, your qualification obtained in a German Fachhochschule , Finnish Polytechnic or any other similar institution providing practical training programs, your qualification, no matter how titled, will be recognized in any other country, if only on the level similar to that of the Russian vocational school diploma. 3. Single Sector Principle. Both programs can be implemented either in several or in a single educational institution. The title of the educational institution (university, academy, institute, school) is absolutely of no importance. What really matters here is the sector of higher education it belongs to according to the laws of the country of its location. Academic training programs are mostly implemented in the university sector institutions, i.e. institutes licensed to perform fundamental scientific research and to train candidates to a Master's degree, post-graduate and doctoral students. Practical training programs are also taught at the non-university sector educational institutions, which normally can grant qualifications only under supervision of the state structures and have no Master', Ph.D. and doctoral training programs. This being the case, the recognition experts primarily check the higher education sector of your institution. However, there may be certain exceptions here as well, which only prove the rule anyway: for example, Spanish universities provide for both academic and practical training, therefore it would only matter what kind of program you have actually mastered. 4. Qualification Defense Principle. In many countries, especially those with rich traditions in the sphere of education, you may be required to take an exam under the main subject or a comprehensive test under your specialty pursuant to the program you have mastered, if you wish to obtain qualification at this particular institution. As we said before, this is happening because social responsibility of these educational institutions is higher than in Russia. What is the point in international agreements? Qualifications obtained in Russia are readily recognized by the majority of countries worldwide, because in 1964-1991 the former USSR signed agreements (conventions, protocols) on mutual recognition and equivalence of qualifications with 53 states of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, quite a few of them already expired and some became obsolete since Russia adopted the multiple level higher education system. Occasionally, this leads to fairly quaint situations: for example, according to the 1979 Protocol, Finland shall recognize Russian specialist diplomas a priori , whereas recognition of the Master's degree involves a rather complex procedure. The present staff of the Ministry of Education of Russia managed to the circumstances handle domestically and internationally and in the last three years arranged the execution of international agreements on recognition with dozens of states, primarily with the former USSR republics. Until recent, recognition of the Russian education has been going hard only in a handful of countries of Western Europe and North America, mostly due to the political reasons. However, in 1999 Russia joined five international conventions regulating recognition of education, thereby vastly improving the situation. Lisbon convention adopted in April 1997 and signed by over 30 countries is particularly important for Russia, as it effectively stipulates that there can be no equivalent education and calls for recognition essentially on the basis of submission of a greater bulk of information. For you and me it is important that despite the fact that the applicant is responsible for submission of all relevant information, the proof of inadmissibility of prior qualification is now responsibility of the authority considering the document for purposes of recognition. In addition, the Convention obliges each educational institution to provide comprehensive data on programs and other aspects of education at the first request of the graduate without references to, say, financial difficulties. "Guidelines for Recognition of Qualifications from other European Countries in the Russian Federation and Recognition of Russian Qualifications in other European Countries" developed by the Order of UNESCO and approved in June 1997 ( Helsinki ) proved to be a real breakthrough in the cause of recognition of the Russian qualifications. This document effectively stipulates that the countries with two-level university degrees system should recognize the Russian B.A. qualification as Level 1 qualification, whereas specialist diplomas, and Master's degree shall be treated as level 2 (Master's degree). This document also addresses the issue of recognition of Ph.D. and Doctor of Science degree. Please disregard newspapers and other sources claiming that your qualification will be recognized no higher than B.A. degree or that recognition applies only to qualifications obtained at the top universities of this country! Therefore, participation of Russia in international agreements and conventions is considerably promoting the recognition, although does not solve the problem of recognition entirely. Who is handling the recognition procedures? Recognition of a foreign qualification, i.e. final decision on each individual case, is the responsibility of competent authorities properly authorized by applicable laws. This being the case, this competent authority is not necessarily the national Ministry of Education. However, considering the increasing migration, extensive academic and professional mobility, diversity of education systems and other factors, virtually every country have established agencies specializing in appraisal of qualifications, which implies preliminary expert examination and drafting recommendations on recognition for the competent authorities. These agencies may be governmental, governmental-public and even private (in the U.S. there are over 60 such agencies), employing highly skilled experts and specializing in appraisal of qualifications with reference to specific countries, perfectly cognizant of all specific features pertinent to education systems, qualifications, etc. In addition, it is common knowledge, that Finland, Sweden, the United States, Israel and Netherlands, not to mention other countries, experts responsible for the appraisal of Russian paperwork have a good command of Russian, which is certainly helpful in proper assessment of a qualification and, on the other hand, enabling them to detect false documents. Is it possible to 'buy' a diploma? Forging of qualifications has become a major problem of Russia only in the last decade, whereas abroad forging has been going on for quite a while already. This prompted the appraisers to develop a whole package of methods enabling them to detect false documents. Firstly, as a rule they accept only the original documents legalized in accordance with established procedures (see below). Copies, even properly notarized, are not reviewed although accepted anyway, since the originals shall be returned to the owners upon completion of examination, whereupon the notarized copy is filed to the applicant's record. Secondly, foreign appraisers of qualifications are totally aware of the methods of protection (grid, special paper, printed messages visible on photocopies, special symbols, etc.) of the state-approved Russian qualifications to tell the authentic and false documents apart. Thirdly, they possess a remarkably expert knowledge (sometimes better than officers of our educational institutions) of instructions of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation regarding the qualifications completion procedures and all mandatory attributes of the documents. This is exactly the reason why so many reference books are printed all over the world providing the samples of documents and instructions on their completion, including the Russian qualifications. Fourthly, you may be required to submit documents on each prior stage of education. Comparison of the admission and completion dates with standard periods of study usually provides additional information affecting the qualification appraisal results. Fifthly, the applicant for recognition is usually interviewed to provide the data convincing the appraiser of authenticity of submitted documents. For example, the International Association of Universities on a biennial basis publishes a special guidebook detailing the names of departments and specialties of the Russian higher institutions, as well as their addresses, full names of their head officers and other important data, which the applicant is supposed to know. Sixthly, over the years, the appraisers have been collating their own files of qualification copies, including specimens of seals and signatures of head officers of all top educational institutions in this country (based on my personal experience, I would point out that these top institutions suffer the most from forgery). Seventhly, the agency accepting the documents upon the slightest shadow of a doubt shall confidentially request the issuing higher institution to confirm any particular qualification and/or certificate. In 1990s, the Technical University alone used to receive about a dozen such queries on a monthly basis. There is a large variety of methods to authenticate qualifications and it takes a really unsophisticated individual to think that qualification bought in the subway passage or by the subway station would pass just fine abroad. legalization or nostrification? Legalization , which is acknowledgement of legitimate issue of qualification, is one of the safeguards against forgeries. The first and the most common and universal method is legalization at the consular offices. For example, Department of Consular Service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian legalizes qualifications issued within the Russian Federation. Since this service is no longer free of charge, today legalization is performed only in Moscow. If you studied abroad, it would be most reasonable to have your qualification legalized both by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the relevant country and by the Russian Embassy to the said country as well. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is unable to legalize your qualification, as only overseas representative office of the Ministry may check it out, for example, by placing a cal to the educational institution you have graduated from. Another way to have your qualification legalized is to submit it for stamping by a special 'apostil'. This is also a pay service provided by the Qualification Validation Service with the Ministry of Education of Russia. Generally speaking, any legal department of any municipality may affix the apostil to the documents, but this authority does not extend to certificates of higher education. Due to the increasingly strong flow of forged qualifications brought out of this country in the 1990s, the Government of the Russian Federation issued a Decree in 1998 expressly authorizing the Ministry of Education of Russia to authenticate certificates of education by apostil, leaving the right to affix apostil on any other documents brought out of this country (certificate of birth, certificate of marriage, certificate of death, archive certificates, etc.) to legal departments of urban and district administrations, and to other competent authorities. And they are well aware of this regulation abroad. The appraisal service shall make sure that the documents are authentic by checking them against its seal and signature specimen database and by placing a call to the relevant higher institution. At the moment you do not have to rush to Moscow to have the apostil affixed to your documents. This Service has its representative office at the Institute of International Educational Programs (IIEP) with St.Petersburg State Technical University (SPSTU), which carries out preliminary expert examination, submits to and receives from the Ministry of Education properly formalized documents and issues them right here, in this city. However, legalization by apostil is only valid, if you are heading for the country, which has signed and ratified the 1961 Hague Convention. To date, there are about forty such countries, and over fifty per cent of them are particularly appealing to the Russians in terms of post-graduate studies and further employment: the United States, the U.K., Israel, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Finland, Germany, etc. There are very few countries, which require no legalization of the Russian qualifications. However, according to my experience, there is no harm in having your documents properly legalized. Please keep in mind that you will have to have legalized each document separately, i.e. the diploma and the annex thereto should be legalized as two separate documents. The terms legalization and nostrification are often confusing. The latter implies that the holder of qualification obtained in a foreign country should receive national qualification of the similar degree. For example, up to early 1990s a lot of Soviet specialists took post-graduate courses in Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, etc., upon completion and final thesis defense receiving relevant diplomas. Upon arrival and submission of the relevant documents to the Supreme certification Committee, they would receive a Soviet Ph.D. diploma, which, let's face it, was more suitable for negotiations with the employer. Today nostrification is almost extinct and is only reasonable, if you intend to immigrate to a specific country. What to expect from one's educational institution? Successful recognition of your qualification largely depends on the educational institution you graduated from. Herein we will not discuss merits of various educational institutions, focusing rather on formal aspects. Firstly, the educational institution shall formalize the qualification papers in strict compliance with the instruction of the Ministry of Education of Russia. Unfortunately, improper formalizations are not infrequent (misspelled name, discrepancies in the date of diploma and the annex thereto, the title of specialty is not in line with the state standard, the title of the institution in the document and on the seal are different, the diploma and the annex thereto are written by various officials, etc.). There were times, when documents were executed on obsolete or sub-standard forms (when a graduate instead of a special Diploma Magna Cum Laudae would receive a standard diploma with "With Honors" written by hand). Secondly, according to regulatory documents of the Ministry of Education of Russia, the higher institution should either provide you with a copy of the latest certification document, or at least advise you of the registration number and the date thereof, as well as on the official paper wherein the certification decision has been published. Thirdly, in accordance with the Lisbon convention, the educational institution shall make available academic information to any applicant upon the first request. Unfortunately, today almost all institutions disregard this provision and by default ignore all academic queries from abroad pleading deficient funds and specialists with good command of English, or demanding a fee for such services. One should report any such instance to the Ministry of Education of Russia, which is responsible for the compliance with the Lisbon Convention in this country. And certainly, your educational institution shall comply with the Russian laws on education, as well as similar regulations effective in other countries. If any Russian higher institution admits to its post-graduate program a German Fachhochschule or Finnish Polytechnic graduate, which is prohibited by the German and Finnish laws, the Russian graduates of these higher institutions will have big trouble having their qualifications recognized in Germany and/or Finland. It goes without saying everywhere that quality of the granted qualification and compliance of generally accepted rules is responsibility of each individual higher institution rather than the state. Therefore, graduates of higher institutions, which have made a single mistake, will be subject to thorough examination, while the applicants will be totally unaware of it. Recognition of your qualification would be much easier, if educational institutions issued to all (or at least those who actually apply) graduates in addition to the diploma, regardless of its level, the so-called UNESCO Annex providing all necessary and sufficient information about the obtained qualification. Any educational institution caring for its graduates' should have long decided upon the issue of such. However, this provision is still optional and, unfortunately, not awfully popular. How to submit your papers? It is common practice worldwide that academic certificates, recommendations, references and other additional document should be mailed to the relevant institution rather than personally delivered by the applicant. It is believed this would reduce the chances of qualification forging. However, our educational institutions almost never render this service to their former and current students, and everybody abroad knows it. However, if you wish to strike a few points in your favor right from the start, make sure to have your educational institution seal (not necessarily by coat-of-arms seal, the "For Reference" stamp will do just as well) all flaps of the envelope containing all documents mentioned hereinabove. Better yet, someone whose has signed the papers inside the envelope should put his/her signature across the sealed flaps. Should I have my qualification translated? The qualifications should be translated, which will be especially helpful during the first contact with individuals who are going to examine them and decide upon recognition. However, poor quality translation will be detrimental to prompt consideration. What is most important here? Firstly, the translation shall be done by a properly licensed agency, which to a certain extent is indicative of the translators' skills and quality of the translation. Better yet, if such agency has the right to notarize its translations. Alternatively, the translation and its copies can be notarized separately at a notary office. The graduate may do the translation personally and have it notarized at his/her higher institution. In doing so, it is very advisable that the seal and the signature of the notarizing person be the same as in your qualifications. Secondly, and most importantly, one shall make sure that all terms and definitions are translated correctly. Unfortunately, special terms and definitions are often so badly misinterpreted that the appraisers abroad simply fail to understand what subjects you have actually studies. With this in mind, it is advisable for the applicant to do the translation personally under supervision of the relevant experts (your former tutors and instructors) who know the terms well enough. Thirdly, and anyway, the translation shall be free of any additional data, comments; there shall be no omissions of lines and sentences from the original text. The latter can be easily checked by comparing the original and the translation line by line. Fourthly, incorrect translation of the dates and numerical data is a very common mistake. One shall check the numbers and dates by all means. Fifthly, your name and surname shall be spelled in the same way as in your other documents, e.g. travel passport. You will have trouble with recognition, if there is a single letter misspelled in your surname and names (abroad your patronymic is considered one of your names) quoted in your documents. This is a very important point - one shall not convert one's grades into the rating scale of another country. For one thing, the rating scales are different not only in various countries but in the higher institutions within the same country as well. For another thing, appraisers are expected to do it anyway. Also, there is no need to translate the title of qualification. It is internationally accepted practice to transliterate the title into Latin script as it is pronounced in the original language (e.g., inzhener-mekhanik ; economist, bakalavr, kandidat tekhnicheskih nauk ), which, however, does not prevent the translation thereof in brackets. What should one do prior to the departure abroad? So far, the subtotal appears to be as follows: prior to your departure abroad, (a) make sure that your documents are properly formalized, (b) translate (or have translated) your documents and reconcile the translations; (c) make as many photocopies of your documents and translations as possible and have them all notarized. The two latter can be done abroad, but it will be more expensive. It should be noted that each country has its own bureaucracy and there are individuals not awfully competent in issues of recognition. That is why make sure to have a stock of additional, not mandatory but thoroughly advisable papers, such as references of your tutors/instructors or your former employers, properly endorsed by the personnel department; copies of licenses and accreditations of your higher institution; and any other papers providing details on your higher institution or prior employer. This would be definitely no overkill. Of course, all these papers shall be made in one of the most common foreign languages or at least be properly translated. It goes without saying that references and translations thereof shall be sealed in an envelope, stamped and signed by the author of the reference across the flaps. And, naturally, you should have official addresses and names of managers of all agencies wherein the appraisers of your qualifications may send their queries. It wouldn't hurt any, if you had an English version of Helsinki Recommendations. Decades of experience show that recognition can be vastly promoted by certificates of the Incorvuz (est. 1989), an international non-governmental agency of a rather high standing in the UNESCO. These certificates, based on international conventions, recommend that your qualifications should be recognized on the level approved by the international community. Certification applies to school certificates, vocational secondary school and higher education diplomas, Ph.D. and Doctor of Science qualifications, additional training and even refresher course certificates. The certificates are subject to legalization by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and can be obtained at the Incorvuz St.Petersburg office. Prior to the departure, it wouldn't hurt to submit a query regarding the recognition of your qualification to the Ministry of Education of the country where you are going. The Ministry shall forward your query to one of the competent agencies. Better yet, submit your query directly to the National Information Center on Academic Recognition and Mobility (ENIC/NARIC) office available virtually in every developed country. Their addresses can be easily found in the Internet. How to obtain academic recognition? Academic recognition of qualifications and periods of study is performed in virtually all countries by educational institutions admitting the applicant for the continuation or completion of education, if applicable laws and regulations in these countries grant autonomy in academic issues to the said institutions. In some countries the academic recognition of qualification is sole prerogative of the state education authorities. Anyway, you are likely to be referred to a special agency handling the recognition of qualifications. As a rule, academic recognition of qualifications goes smoothly, unless there is something wrong with your papers. Recognition of the periods of education usually requires the ascertaining of the education level and type of the educational institution, including the term of your curriculum, as well as the contents of academic subjects and your grades. Private U.S.-based appraisal agencies can do it all, also offering to convert your grades into the U.S. system and even calculate the weighted average grade. Prior to joining the first-year program, you may be required to take 1-2 years of special classes, which is normally practiced in most countries even though you may have a very good command of the language of the training. According to the Lisbon Convention, rejection of admission to the higher education based on the claim that Russian school takes 11 years to finish is unlawful and you may fight for your rights engaging an arbiter, ENIC/NARIC О being the most competent in such issues. On the other hand, you should not expect any preferences on the basis of your qualification, if no such preferences are envisaged for such level of education in the country issuing the relevant qualification, even though national graduates of the same level are entitled to any such extra opportunities. Many universities make additional demands (not for purposes of recognition of your qualification but for the admission to further training) related, for example, to the knowledge of the language of training. By the way, Sweden grants admission to the Master's program only to individuals with bachelor degree and at least two years of experience in the profession. Qualification obtained upon completion of a non-university level program does not entitle the holder thereof to apply for Master's degree or a Ph.D. program. How to obtain professional recognition? Procedures of professional recognition are more complex and profoundly diverse, and require separate consideration. Within framework of this article we can only discuss general issues. Professional recognition is regulated by the applicable laws and regulations of each specific country, which are usually rather severe, aiming to protect the national labor market. When we talk about professional recognition, we usually imply official recognition required for the opportunity to be employed by a governmental institution. Private enterprises, companies, businesses and employers personally identify requirements to qualifications and expertise of the applicants with reference to each specific position; therefore the official recognition is mostly optional here. However, prior to consideration of the submitted papers, many big companies require competent agencies to appraise them. Generally speaking, availability of recommendations of the appraisal agency enable the applicant more reasonably to expect the employment. The official recognition may be de jure and de facto. Professional recognition de jure implies recognition of qualifications in the so-called 'regulated' (or 'protected') professions. Protected profession means occupation regulated by the national laws and regulations requiring permits, registration or conformity of professional skills with requirements of the accepting country. The number and the list of protected professions vary from country to country. The EU has adopted a number of so-called 'sectoral' directives regulating mutual recognition of such professions as architect, maternity nurse, pharmacist, physician, nurse, dentist and veterinarian. In 1989 and 1992 the EU adopted two common directives concerning recognition of other groups of professions. The first common directive applies when protected profession in the receiving country requires at least three years of training at a higher institution. In Sweden such professions are: lawyer, speech therapist, public school teacher, university instructor, ophthalmologist, organist, clergyman, physiologist, psychotherapist, accountant, rescue service manager, X-ray room nurses, physical therapist, marine engineer and master mariner. In Italy the list includes architect and air traffic control officer. The second common directive supplements the first one and applies when the protected profession in the receiving country requires: (a) at least three years training at a higher institution; (b) professional training and training on a level below the higher education (e.g., school after completion of a senior high school), and (c) vocational training on a lower level. Going back to Sweden, these provisions apply to such professions as: fireman, realtor, regent, virtually all marine positions, dental technician, dentist assistant nurse and even driving school instructor. However, these directives apply only to the EU states. From this point of view, attitude toward professional recognition of the U.S. and the Russian qualifications in these countries will be absolutely identical. In fact, the concept about biased attitude toward the Russian qualifications is totally incorrect. The laws of the Netherlands, for example, a priori do not recognize qualifications even obtained at Harvard or Oxford universities. In Latin America, graduates from foreign higher institutions (including the U.K., the U.S., Germany, France, Russia, etc.) are required to provide translations of all curricula and take one or two comprehensive exams on their specialty at the National university, and each national who has studied abroad is also required to take an exam on the national history. Based on the in-house regulations, the applicant in the EU and other countries may be required to provide proof of experience in the profession (several years), take additional training and exams, internship at workplace, testing or an extensive trial period. And this is no discrimination. It should be noted that virtually all countries are particularly exacting in professional recognition of schoolteachers (especially primary schools), and there are positions wherein no foreigners are admitted (police, penitentiary system, top positions in public authorities, etc.). As a rule, professional aptitude of the holder of foreign qualifications is evaluated by trade unions or associations. For instance, there are about 50 agencies in the U.K. authorized by the government to perform such evaluation. These include associations and unions of physicians, lawyers, builders, mining and power engineers, secretaries, librarians, metal-makers, etc. As a rule, the state authority shall make the final and official decision on this matter. Please keep in mind that the agency engaged in consideration of your papers shall provide data on the procedures of disputing its decision. De facto professional recognition implies recognition of professions unregulated (unprotected) this particular country. As far as these professions are concerned, it may be important that a competent authority has appraised the qualifications, which may help the applicant prove that his/her qualification is in line with conditions of the receiving country. Ultimately, your professional competence is the most important factor for de facto and de jure recognition of your qualification. Curiously enough, quite a lot of countries regulate the use of academic titles as well. For example, the laws of Morocco prohibit the use of the 'M.D.' or 'Professor' titles even on business cards, unless one has a relevant recognition certificate. How do they recognize foreign qualifications in Russia? Russia is still working on an lucid system of recognition of foreign qualifications and periods of training, especially for professional purposes. So far, recognition of foreign qualifications and periods of training is based on the single procedure. According to Federal laws, recognition de jure and establishment of equivalency of foreign qualifications and academic degrees shall be responsibility of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. De facto academic recognition of foreign qualifications and training periods of foreign nationals is performed by the higher institutions. Recognition of foreign qualifications obtained by the Russian nationals is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. As for the Russian nationals who have finished senior high schools abroad and, they will be required to present the Russian certificate (secondary education certificate) for the admission to the higher institution. This requirement is based on the provision that the Russian nationals entering the higher institution shall have finished senior high school in accordance with the Russian education standards envisaging over a dozen compulsory subjects, including the Russian language and Russian literature. At the moment, this problem is solved - a number of city schools organized exams on specific subjects for non-residents. Following the reconciliation of the subjects complying with the state standards, the non-resident shall receive the approved secondary education certificate. It should be noted, that qualifications obtained in the CIS and the Baltic states are also subject to recognition procedures, as these states are actively reforming their education systems, changing the period of training at secondary schools, introducing a variety of high school programs, not all of which make the students eligible for higher institutions. Also, these countries already have different terms of training for the Bachelor's, Specialist's and Master's degrees; adopted modern grading systems for the assessment of knowledge, skills and expertise of the students; almost all of these countries changed the title of qualifications, which reflect diversification of the training systems. The experience of the Academic Research Laboratory for the Appraisal of Certificates of Education at the International Education Management Department of the Institute of International Education Programs with St.Petersburg State Polytechnic University points out the necessity of new ways of qualification recognition. Today a lot of foreign companies have their business in Russia, and their executive officers (mostly not Russian nationals) tend to regard the Russian qualification of a 'Specialist' as not equivalent to the Master's degree, thereby gaining leverage for refusal to raise salaries of these specialists. All aspects of such a complex process as recognition certainly cannot be addressed in a single article. We did not even touch upon the academic recognition of the training periods with academic mobility, when students go abroad to study for a term of up to one year, whereupon they obtain qualification at their alma mater . We also provided a very brief description of the most complex issues of professional recognition. And it is only natural that it is impossible to consider the variety of specific situations in this article, that is why we suggest to create a special, permanent column in the new magazine to publish the experts' answers to the most frequent and interesting questions concerning the recognition of qualifications. Anyway, I do hope now you understand that all legal papers, be it qualifications or academic certificates, can be recognized in other countries. However, to streamline this process, one shall know and comply with a number of international and national statutory acts. Recognition of your education largely depends on the quality formalization of the papers you are submitting. Source: E.V. Sevchenko. Will My Qualification be Recognized Abroad? // Education and Career in St.Petersburg - 2001 - No. 5 [11]. - 59-63 pp. (Part. 1); Education and Career in St.Petersburg - 2002 - No. 1 [12]. - P. 59-63 (Part. 2). IIEP - Institute of International Educational Programs MFA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs ENIC - Education National Information Center VTS - Vocational Technical School SPSTU - St. Petersburg State Technical University (now - St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University) USSR - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics U.S. - the United States of America UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation Notes and reformatting by: Е.V. Shevchenko, Head of the International Education Management Department, Institute of International Educational Programmes, St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University AN ACTIVE HYPERLINK IS COMPULSORY for using any material from this webpage All material is copyright protected HTML code links: <a href="">Will my qualification be recognized abroad?</a>	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1758
__label__cc	0.710481	0.289519	International Education Fair Courts Regional Students On 16 February, Interuniversity Centre for International Educational Programmes hosted an international education fair at the Kazanskaya Yarmarka Exhibition Center. The 21st International Education Fair included a seminar on international education (10am - 12:30pm) and an exhibition (2pm - 6pm). The attendees were mostly graduates or students of Russian universities, though there were also some school-age visitors. As the ICIEP has noted, most Russian students prefer to get their basic higher education at Russian universities, only then pursuing Master's or Postgraduate courses abroad. The fair gathered exhibitors from all over the world-Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Malta, Switzerland, Turkey, the UAE, and the USA. The organizers put an emphasis on study opportunities in North America, particularly in Canada. Representatives of three Canadian universities, four colleges, a language school, and the Canadian Embassy took part in the fair. Enthusiastic exhibitors from Alberta University (Canada) were eager to explain the ease with which Russian students could enter their university-take a language test and pay tuition fees. The CampusFrance agency from Samara and the French Embassy formed the French sector of the exhibition. The agency informed visitors about the top French universities and colleges, French language programs, and ways of getting tuition-free education and scholarships. The Dutch partner, NUFFIC/NESO Russia, organized an exposition entitled "Education in the Netherlands," where they present a wide range of English-taught study programs at Dutch universities. They also spoke about various government scholarships for Russian students. ICIEP has been organizing fairs in Moscow for more than a decade, but Kazan has recently become a place of interest for its large number of students and increased interest shown in international education. Much of Kazan's youth view a foreign diploma as a strong beginning on a path to future success. After Kazan, the same education fair was held in Moscow today and will be held in St. Petersburg on 19 February http://kazanherald.com	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1759
__label__cc	0.652509	0.347491	› philosophy › My Hope Is to Revive True Chinese Spirit My Hope Is to Revive True Chinese Spirit An Interview With Anastasia Lin Canadian beauty queen and actress, Anastasia Lin, is known as a prominent human rights activist. She emigrated from China to Canada when she was 13 years old. In 2015, she was refused entrance to China as persona non-grata, when she was to participate in a Miss World pageant to be held in China. This incident was covered by the media around the world. She has been fighting for freedom against the communist regime in China in recent years. Anastasia Lin: Actress and human rights activist. Miss World Canada 2015, Leo Award for Best Actress 2016. Born in 1990 in Hunan, China and graduated the University of Toronto. Interviewer: Motohisa Fujii Director General of International Politics Division, Happy Science As a Prominent Human Rights Activist Fujii: First of all, what motivated your activities? Lin: It all started when my father was threatened by Chinese communists, which prompted me to do more to try to raise the issue of human rights of China. After a while I realized how important it actually is. Because more and more victims came to me and they told me their stories. They have never really had their stories heard before. If no one speaks up, it will just continue forever and it doesn’t get better. Things don’t just get better on their own. So, I felt that was the only choice I had. Fujii: Could you tell me about your experiences regarding your family in China? Lin: I felt that no matter where I am, as long as my family is in China, I can’t feel completely free. They continue to harass my grandparents and my father. The police go through their home routinely. I need to keep myself under the spotlight so that I’ll have a voice. If something happens to my family, I have the power to speak up for them. Otherwise I’ll just be blending into obscurity and then no one will hear me. My family would have no one to speak up for them. That is one of the reasons. Also, I realized how important freedom is to me and it should be preserved. I think people in the free world even now don’t realize how important freedom is. What I Learned in China Was not True Fujii: After you immigrated to Canada, what did you feel in another world? Lin: The difference really came when my mother introduced me to a lot of newspapers and talked about things that I couldn’t hear about in China. And I started to do more reading by browsing the internet. The more I did, I got more interested in and came to understand that what I learned in China was mostly not true. Like the dots are connected in line, I realized that there was the world that I could explore. From that point, I was very skeptical of the words written by any party or any government, and started to research on my own. I got out and talked to Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetans and Uyghur people. I joined their parades and saw how they practiced their activism, collected partisans and also had MPs speak up for them. That’s when I was first exposed to the western idea of democracy. Fujii: What made up your mind to be an actress? Lin: When I first started performing as an actress, I was 18 years old and a theater school student. One day a Chinese producer approached me and talked about a film. There were some very sensitive topics that the Chinese government wouldn’t like. A majority of the Chinese actresses didn’t want to participate in the production. Because when they would go back to China, they wouldn’t get a visa. And their families might be threatened – just like mine – so they could not find actresses for the film. I jumped on the opportunity. That’s how I started. Through this film making, I interviewed the victims and heard about all their stories. That’s what really prompted me to have human rights activities as the platform for the Miss World pageant. The Cultural Revolution Comes to North America Fujii: What are you worrying about freedom of speech now? Lin: Canada, Australia, the U.S. and other countries are having severe Chinese infiltration in their culture. Not only newspapers but movies are now been censored. Even in Hollywood, they have to change their scripts so that they can get into China. And in the universities’ campuses, you cannot even talk about Taiwan, Hong Kong and those kinds of sensitive issues. Because they have a lot of Chinese students who are funded by China. Recently a UK university has taken out Taiwan as an independent country on the map, because Chinese students backlashed. These are immediate threats to our freedom of speech here in the west. If the students don’t learn human rights issues in the university, they are not aware of them. They cannot even fight against it in the west and no one will speak up for the suppressed people in China. Fujii: On April 7, the Wall Street Journal posted your opinion article titled “The Cultural Revolution Comes to North America” Lin: At the beginning of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, people just continued to be silent and censor themselves. It doesn’t get better if people don’t speak up. It will only get worse. So that’s what compelled me to write the article. We have the freedom here for now. But it needs to be preserved instead of being taken for granted. Spiritual Vacuum in Chinese People’s Mind Fujii: What do you think of the recent situation in China? Lin: What I worry more about nowadays is the social credit system. Regular Chinese people are being suppressed. If they say something wrong, their social credit is so decreased, that they cannot even book airline tickets. They only know how to obey. That’s very dangerous for China’s future. Fujii: You are also known as a Falun Gong practitioner. Lin: Chinese authentic religions are Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Because of the Cultural Revolution, all the traditional beliefs were underground and the people had to abandon some traditional beliefs. So, there is the spiritual vacuum in Chinese people’s minds. For a lot of Chinese, when they saw Falun Gong, they saw the traditional beliefs that they once had. That’s why until 1999 there are 70 to 100 million people, one-tenth of Chinese population, who practice it. Tiananmen Massacre Broke Chinese People’s Heart Fujii: This year is the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident in 1989. Lin: The Tiananmen massacre was something that I had never heard of in China, because it was never taught. It was not even whispered. People don’t talk about it, so the young generations like me wouldn’t have ever known. I only learned about it by watching a video when I came to Canada and I thought at that time that the Chinese people were still very hopeful for reforms. But the killing of the Chinese students and the subsequent crackdown on a lot of the Chinese people really broke their heart and hope. After the Tiananmen massacre, I think the Chinese people became very materialistic. Their philosophy and spirit were broken, and the hopelessness was there. People started to money-worship, without any moral concerns for others. They lost their compassion. It’s really sad. In the Tiananmen massacre video, there are brave Chinese students who stood up to the Communist Party. I was moved by their spirits and felt very proud of them. They truly think about others. I hope to see that kind of spirit in China again. Let’s hope that things will get better and they’ll keep up the fight. Fujii: On March 3, Happy Science founder & CEO Ryuho Okawa spoke in Taipei that “a kind of ‘Free China Party’ should be established in China, because people in China need at least a two-party system”(Taiwan Must Spread Freedom, Democracy and Faith Into Mainland China) Lin: It should be Chinese people living there that decide their own future. And the idea of having opposition to the Communist party is a bit naive because a totalitarian state has been in existence there for the past 70 years. I think the most fundamental change for the Chinese people is to firstly separate communism from China. The Communist Party doesn’t represent China. Our culture has a history of five thousand years and greater roots than the atheist government does. Chinese people will be able to find their roots again and speak for themselves. That’s my hope. Treasure Your Freedom in the Free World Fujii: Would you give us your message to the Japanese people? Lin: I think people who are living in the free world don’t know how it is to feel under an authoritarian regime. Unfortunately, the Chinese people have lived under communism for many years. The Japanese are very lucky to have their culture preserved, unlike the Chinese people. Their culture was just destroyed. So, one of the things I want to say is, treasure your freedom as you have treasured your culture. It’s the jewel of the people in the world. When one wants to open one’s eyes and see what’s going on in your neighboring country, it’s frightening. But I should say stay true to who you are, as Japanese, your country and your values. Category: philosophy, Politics, World « “Tech Worship” Destroys Humanity Cutting off Tech Awakens the Sleeping Creativity Inside Us »	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1760
__label__wiki	0.881151	0.881151	Peaceful Liberation of Tibet 2013-07-10 10:51:19 tibet.cn Web Editor: Guo Jing A group of serf mothers and their children begging in the street of Lhasa. [Photo: Xinhua] A serf cripped by being beaten savagely.[Photo: CCTV] The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 after decisive victories in the Chinese People's War of Liberation. Peking, Hunan and the provinces bordering on Tibet--Yunnan, Xinjiang and Xikang--were all liberated peacefully from the rule of the former Kuomintang government. In light of the history and reality of Tibet, the central people's government decided to do the same for Tibet. In January 1950, the central government formally notified the local authorities of Tibet to "send delegates to Beijing to negotiate the peaceful liberation of Tibet." However, the then Tibetan Regent Dagzhag Ngawang Sungrab and others who were in control of the Tibetan local government, supported by some foreign forces and disregarding the interests of the country and the Tibetans, rejected the central government's call for negotiation on the peaceful liberation of Tibet. They deployed the main body of the Tibetan army in the Qamdo area in east Tibet for armed resistance. Under such circumstances, the central government was left with no choice and had to order the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to cross the Jinsha River in October 1950, and Qamdo was liberated. Following this event, the central government once again urged the Tibetan local government to send delegates to Beijing for negotiations. The central government's adherence to the policy of peaceful negotiations greatly supported and inspired the patriotic forces in Tibet. The upper-class patriotics, represented by Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, stood for peaceful negotiation, winning the endorsement and support of the majority. The 14th Dalai Lama who had assumed power ahead of time accepted the proposal. In his letter to the central people's government in January 1951, he said, "I have come to govern at the warm and earnest request of all Tibetans"; "I have decided to fulfill the people's desire through peaceful means"; and delegates would be sent "to seek a solution to the Tibetan issue with the central people's government." In February 1951, the Dalai Lama appointed Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme as his chief plenipotentiary and Kemai Soinam Wangdui, Tubdain Daindar, Tubdain Legmoin and Sampo Dainzin Toinzhub as delegates and sent them to Beijing to handle with full power the negotiations with the central people's government. On May 23, 1951, the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (i.e., the 17-Article Agreement) was signed after the delegates of the central people's government and the Tibetan local government had reached agreement on a series of questions concerning Tibet's peaceful liberation. It was stipulated in the agreement that the Tibetan people should unite and drive out imperialist aggressive forces from Tibet; the local government of Tibet should actively assist the PLA in entering Tibet and consolidating national defense; national regional autonomy would be instituted in Tibet; the central government would not alter the existing political system in Tibet or the established status, functions and powers of the Dalai Lama and the Bainqen Erdeni, and officials of various ranks would continue to hold office as usual; the policy of freedom of religious belief would be upheld and the religious beliefs, customs and habits of the Tibetan people would be respected; the spoken and written language and school education of the Tibetan nationality would be developed step by step, along with agriculture, livestock raising, industry and commerce in order to improve the people's livelihood; foreign affairs involving the Tibet region would be under the unified management of the central people's government. The agreement also explicitly stipulated that in matters relating to reforms in Tibet, there would be no coercion on the part of the central authorities, and reform would be carried out by the Tibetan local government of its own accord. The agreement for the peaceful liberation of Tibet enjoyed the approval and support of the people from every ethnic group in Tibet. A conference of all ecclesiastic and secular officials and representatives of the three most prominent monasteries was called by the Tibetan local government between September 26 and 29, 1951 to specifically discuss the agreement. A report to the Dalai Lama was approved at the end of the conference. It stated, "The 17-Article Agreement that has been signed is of great and unrivaled benefit to the grand cause of the Dalai and to Buddhism, politics, economy and other aspects of life in Tibet. Naturally it should be implemented." The Dalai Lama sent a telegram to Chairman Mao Zedong on October 24, 1951, in which he wrote, "On the basis of friendship, delegates of the two sides signed on May 23, 1951 the Agreement on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. The Tibetan local government as well as ecclesiastic and secular people unanimously support this agreement, and under the leadership of Chairman Mao and the central people's government, will actively assist the PLA troops entering Tibet in consolidating national defense, ousting imperialist influences from Tibet and safeguarding the unification of the territory and the sovereignty of the motherland." The Bainqen Lama and the Kampus Assembly also issued a statement, pointing out that the agreement "conforms fully to the interests of all ethnic nationalities of China, particularly those of the Tibetans." On October 26, with the support of the Tibetan people, the PLA entered Lhasa without a hitch. After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the central people's government and upper-class patriotic forces of Tibet did a great deal of work to implement the 17-Article Agreement. In 1954 the Dalai Lama and the Bainqen Erdeni came to Beijing to attend the First Session of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China. In his speech at the congress, the Dalai Lama fully confirmed the achievements in the implementation of the 17-Article Agreement over the preceding three years, and expressed his warm support for the principles and provisions concerning national regional autonomy in the draft of New China's first Constitution, which was under discussion at the congress. Talking about religious issues, the Dalai Lama said that the Tibetan people had deeply held religious beliefs, and they were formerly made anxious by fallacious rumors spread by some people that "the Communist Party and the people's government will extinguish religion." However, he added, "the rumors that aim to sow discord have all been exploded and the Tibetan people know from our own experience that we have freedom of religious belief." He expressed the desire to gradually build Tibet into a land of prosperity and happiness under the leadership of the central people's government and with the help of people of other ethnic groups. On September 20, the Dalai Lama, the Bainqen Erdeni and the other Tibetan deputies, along with the deputies from other ethnic groups, approved the Constitution of the People's Republic of China by casting their ballots. At the session, the Dalai Lama was elected a vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and Bainqen Erdeni a member of the NPC Standing Committee. In their capacity as state leaders, they exercised their rights of participating in the management of state affairs in accordance with the Constitution. On April 22, 1956, the Dalai Lama became chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Tibet Autonomous Region. In his speech at the inaugural meeting, the Dalai Lama said, "In 1951, I sent delegates to Beijing to negotiate with delegates of the central people's government. On the basis of fraternal unity, the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet was signed. Since then, the Tibetan people shook off forever the fetters of imperialist enslavement and trammels and rejoined the large national family. Like our sibling races throughout the country, the Tibetan people fully enjoy all rights of national equality, and are embarking on a bright road of freedom and happiness." Seven Sentenced to Death for Drug Smuggling A court in Shandong has sentenced seven people to death for drug smuggling; three others have been given death with a 2-year reprieve. Survey Shows Excessive Intake of Aluminum Residents of northern China and those under the age of 14 may be ingesting more aluminum than healthy. CHINATALKS CHINATALKS: The Entrepreneurial Eco-System C4: Bad Boys Join us for the latest episode of CRI's hilarious comedy news show. C4: World Cup Fever Premier Li Keqiang Visits Britain, Greece CICA Summit Rain Storms Hit South China	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1761
__label__wiki	0.834777	0.834777	Thomas Wanker Harald Kloser Co-Orchestrated and Conducted by: Marcus Trumpp Adam Langston Madison Gate Records Regular U.S. release, primarily distributed via download but also availabile through Amazon.com's "CDr on demand" service. 10,000 B.C. The Day After Tomorrow Buy it... if the prior film music of Harald Kloser and Thomas Wanker has somehow managed to appeal to you in its often respectfully understated forms, because the composers do offer their conservative techniques in a palatable package here. Avoid it... if you expect the orchestral, choral, and solo cello expressions of this score's several themes to ever congeal into a convincing narrative, the composers' tendency to aimlessly meander once again evident. Kloser Anonymous: (Thomas Wanker/Harald Kloser) Few in the mainstream know or care about the long-standing scholarly debate about Shakespearean authorship, one that has for more than a century argued about the possibility that William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon never actually wrote any of the famous plays attributed to his name. Among the most popular of these alternatives is the Oxfordian theory, one that postulates that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, was actually the true author behind the plays. The vast majority of historians remain loyal to the traditional authorial attribution of these works, all of whom citing overwhelming evidence in favor of Shakespeare's ownership of the plays, but the opposition to that notion has finally built enough momentum for director and producer Roland Emmerich to support its theory in the 2011 film Anonymous. Such a serious topic was a major departure for Emmerich, known primarily for ridiculous endeavors in the disaster genre, though his personal passion about Oxfordian theory kept him in development of Anonymous for most of a decade. His detractors have slammed the film for perpetuating the same kind of nonsensical historical inaccuracies that plagued 10,000 B.C., and those unfriendly to Oxfordian theory have jumped all over the movie's premise and smaller perceived mistakes in execution. From its $30 million budget for the picture, Sony hoped to use strong word of mouth out of the film festival circuit to expand Anonymous to a wider release, but after critics eventually overlooked its qualities due to a dismissal of the overall premise, the movie failed to recoup even half of that budget worldwide. The context of the postulation is one of political intrigue, showing Edward de Vere's interest in the ongoing battle between the Tudors and the Cecils in a unique way. He used his plays (through the name of Shakespeare, an actor) as political tools to sway Elizabethan audiences to favor the line of succession of his choice, with perilous results. Given that Anonymous could easily have resided on stage instead of screen, the role of the soundtrack is somewhat limited. Emmerich turned to his usual collaborator, Harald Kloser, for the score, despite the fact that the composer did not extend his duties on this project to writing and producing (as he had done before). Kloser, in turn, brought on board his writing partner, Thomas Wanker (still going by his more recent screen credit of Thomas Wander, for obvious reasons), who in some cases is shown as receiving primary compositional credit for Anonymous. The Kloser/Wanker pairing for Emmerich's films over the previous decade never produced stellar results, though 10,000 B.C. could be considered a dynamic powerhouse if not for its blindingly obvious plagiarism issues. Most of their scores are conversely quite boring, respectfully pretty in parts but never featuring clear narratives in their conservative original themes. In essence, they write background music of a non-offensive kind for their assignments, and that approach is once again the case for Anonymous. There are hints of period flavor in this score, a hurdy gurdy and light percussive rhythms in vintage waltz form offering occasional connections to common conceptions of the era's music. Choral interludes command some grace and stature, though in limited doses. A solo cello at times expresses the lament of the relational complications in the plot, and a solo voice is barely audible as mixed into one instance. Otherwise, Anonymous receives a fairly bland soundscape, strings carrying most of the load. Kloser and Wanker have a tendency to express meaningless motifs in their work, and much of this score meanders through a similar haze. In its favor, however, are a handful of themes that struggle to establish themselves as much as their character representations do on screen. Edward de Vere receives a solemn theme consisting of surprisingly tentative and cold two-note phrases, reminiscent of Tan Dun's similarly elusive structures. Summarized in "Edward's Theme," this idea permeates portions of "Edward's Breakdown" and "The Other One," among others. More interesting is the composers' idea for the Queen, heard romantically in "Soul of the Age" and "Bedding the Queen" and hinted more ominously in "She Had Your Child" and "You Stay in England." The plays and Shakespearean legend receive a prancing theme that culminates in "Will's Triumph." Several other motifs fail to develop to satisfactory levels, though, including those that inform the choral magnificence of "The Succession" and "God Save the Queen." These performances bleed over into "Arrest Them," the most impressive (and vaguely Craig Armstrong-like) merging of choir and action rhythms in the score. The tumultuous movement of the suspense technique extends into "Bursting In" and "It's a Trap" (cue the Mon Calamari admiral), the latter the only truly muscular passage in the score. Ultimately, the choral and solo cello cues in Anonymous are its only lasting highlights, "The Succession" and "Soul of the Age" providing five minutes of pleasantly engaging material. Outside of these fleeting moments, however, Kloser and Wanker once again fail to yield convincingly emotional appeal in their effectively functional but sadly underachieving tone. *** @Amazon.com: CD or Download Name issue? Harry P - July 28, 2013, at 11:34 a.m. 1 comment (538 views) 2. The Succession (0:31) MP3 (269K) WMA (211K) Real Audio (189K) 10. Arrest Them (0:32) MP3 (269K) WMA (213K) Real Audio (189K) 13. Bedding the Queen (0:27) MP3 (224K) WMA (179K) Real Audio (158K) 18. Will's Triumph (0:30) MP3 (254K) WMA (200K) Real Audio (179K) 1. She Had Your Child (2:09) 2. The Succession (2:15) 3. Edward's Breakdown (1:41) 4. Hamlet in the Rain (1:24) 5. Soul of the Age (3:10) 6. You Stay in England (1:08) 7. God Save the Queen (2:59) 8. Play After Play (2:35) 9. The Voices (1:22) 10. Arrest Them (1:54) 11. Edward's Theme (1:33) 12. Words Will Prevail (1:34) 13. Bedding the Queen (1:17) 14. Bursting In (1:23) 15. William Shake-Speare (2:56) 16. It's a Trap (2:37) 17. Day of the Play (5:22) 18. Will's Triumph (1:29) 19. The Other One (1:19) The insert includes no extra information about the score or film. As in many of Amazon.com's "CDr on demand" products, the packaging smells incredibly foul when new. This one is particularly pungent in its tremendously offensive dose of chemical stink. or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Anonymous are Copyright © 2011, Madison Gate Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 1/9/12 (and not updated significantly since).	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1764
__label__wiki	0.939154	0.939154	Mannix Composed, Conducted, and Produced by: Aleph Records Buy it... if you consider yourself an enthusiast of Lalo Schifrin's unorthodox styles of the 1960's and 70's, because this album is a fantastic tribute to one of his most notable triumphs. Avoid it... if you either demand the original recordings or have no tolerance whatsoever for the (arguably) badly aged crossover jazz of the period. Schifrin Mannix: (Lalo Schifrin) All subgenres, whether on film or television, get their start somewhere, and the days of the tough cop/investigator who bends the rules with iron fists are owed largely to Bruce Geller's "Mannix." The CBS show ran for eight seasons, starting in 1967, and spent many of those years in the top twenty most popular television shows in terms of ratings. It was nominated for 15 Emmy awards and only saw its demise due to studio infighting. The character of Joe Mannix was a romantic with a hard edge, typical of the many similar characters to follow in the 1970's. One of the show's lasting, successful elements was the music of composer Lalo Schifrin, who was naturally called upon by his friend Geller. The two had collaborated on "Mission: Impossible" two years earlier, a stunning musical success all around that endured for decades. It was Geller who had the idea of creating a sound for the show that didn't fit any of the normal boundaries that audiences had been accustomed to. After hearing the style he wanted for "Mannix" on a radio jazz station, he conveyed that desire to Schifrin, who in turn translated the idea into a distinctive combination of waltz rhythms and jazz instrumentation. The unique sound not only prevails in the catchy title theme for the show, but also in the rambling underscore cues that were general enough in their pacing and structure to apply to several scenes of similar emotional response. The attractive jazz, swinging in a fashion more appropriate for a lounge than a traditional big band, was often incongruent for the on screen imagery, especially when the downright elegant music accompanied scenes of the title character shown engaging in everyday or mundane situations. There are some aspects of big band performances in the music for "Mannix," but it is, for the most part, an intimate character portrait even in its more frenetic sequences. The instrumentation is very diverse for a project on the small screen, allowing for the Hammond organ and saxophone to be accompanied by guitar, harpsichord, and many solo elements pulled from a standard orchestral ensemble. Many of the sounds that Schifrin created for "Mannix" have understandably aged and are inextricably tied to their era (especially the song "Beyond the Shadow of Today"). Schifrin continues to command an audience that only overlaps at the periphery for many film score collectors. That never stopped the original LP release of music assembled from the show from becoming a collector's item, and demand from fans for a comprehensive CD release long existed. In 1999, those fans got what they desired (in a fashion) when Aleph Records, a label created by Schifrin's wife for the purpose of releasing his music, offered 45 minutes of material inspired by that original LP. This time, though, all of the music was faithfully re-recorded, taking away the problems inherent with archival sound and breathing new life into Schifrin's ideas for the show. Also included for the first time are several adaptations of material that didn't exist on the LP release, including a strong mix of both the hyperactive jazz and swaying romantic tones on strings (the "Warning: Live Blueberries" track in particular has been widely praised). The four additional arrangements aren't barn-burners, but they do help round out the listening experience. The same can't be said about the final track on the new compilation; the "Bonus Track: Mannix Mixdown" is an absolute disgrace to the style of Schifrin's music and, as a member of the rap genre, has absolutely nothing in common with the classy jazz that inspired it. Aside from that blemish, the album offers a nice, lengthier version of the title theme and strong performances. The absolutely crisp sound quality is truly the attraction here; some fans had lamented the fact that the label did not release the original recordings, but they will be converts after hearing the competent job of re-recording this music under the guidance of Schifrin himself. For those listeners who were never a fan of the show, there might not be enough merit to the new presentation to justify the album, but at the very least it serves as a listenable tribute (far more than many others) to the style that inspired so many knock-offs in the 1970's. For Schifrin enthusiasts, this album is an absolute must for your collections. **** @Amazon.com: CD or Download Peter Holm - September 7, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. 1 comment (1225 views) 1. Mannix (Short Version) (0:31) MP3 (248K) WMA (200K) Real Audio (154K) 6. Warning: Live Blueberries (0:30) MP3 (242K) WMA (197K) Real Audio (150K) 8. The Girl Who Came in With the Tide (0:30) MP3 (242K) WMA (197K) Real Audio (150K) 13. End Game (0:30) MP3 (242K) WMA (197K) Real Audio (150K) 1. Mannix (Title Track, Short Version) (1:31) 2. Hunt Down (3:28) 3. The Shadow (3:43) 4. Sao Paolo After Dark (3:53) 5. Turn Every Stone (3:46) 6. Warning: Live Blueberries (4:11) 7. Beyond the Shadow of Today (2:34) 8. The Girl Who Came in With the Tide (3:09) 9. The Edge of Night (2:58) 10. Curtains for a Murder (3:46) 11. The End of the Rainbow (2:35) 12. You Should Have Known (3:26) 13. End Game (2:25) 14. The Vienna Incident (3:35) 15. Fear (2:50) 16. Mannix (Long Version) (4:17) 17. Bonus Track: Mannix Mixdown (4:17) The insert includes extensive credits and information about the music and show. or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Mannix are Copyright © 1999, Aleph Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 12/21/99 and last updated 9/8/08.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1765
__label__wiki	0.931362	0.931362	Diane Keaton Voices Support for Woody Allen "Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him" By Sarah Murphy In the wake of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, a number of prominent actors have denounced their former work with Woody Allen — but the director's friend and frequent collaborator Diane Keaton has now taken to Twitter to voice her support for the accused sexual abuser. Yesterday (January 29), Keaton tweeted: "Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him." She accompanied the tweet with a 60 Minutes interview clip from 1992, in which Allen denies all of the allegations against him. Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him. It might be of interest to take a look at the 60 Minute interview from 1992 and see what you think. https://t.co/QVQIUxImB1 — Diane Keaton (@Diane_Keaton) January 29, 2018 The director was infamously accused of molesting his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven years old. She maintains that he led her into an attic and sexually assaulted her, and to this day continues to criticize Hollywood for letting Allen off the hook. She recently made her first television appearance to speak about the allegations on CBS. Farrow's claims have never been proven in court, though in the custody battle between Allen and his former wife Mia Farrow, the judge said there was "probable cause" to prosecute Allen, but dropped it because the alleged child victim was to "fragile" to undergo trial. Like Keaton, Alec Baldwin has also recently taken to publicly defending Allen. Other actors like Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig and possibly Kate Winslet, meanwhile, have been using their platforms to express regrets over working with the director. More Woody Allen Taika Waititi's Live-Action 'Akira' Just Got Pushed Back So He Can Shoot 'Thor 4' After numerous false starts, New Zealand director Taika Waititi finally got the green light on the long-awaited live-action Akira remake. No... 'Girls Trip' Director Malcolm D. Lee Will Helm 'Space Jam 2' Space Jam 2 is definitely happening with LeBron James, and now the film has a new director in Girls Trip helmer Malcolm D. Lee. Lee repl... Here's the Full List of 2019 Primetime Emmy Award Nominees The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards nominees are being announced this morning in Hollywood at a press conference hosted by Ken Jeong and D'Arcy C... Beyoncé Reveals 'The Lion King: The Gift' Tracklist Featuring Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Childish Gambino Beyoncé has unveiled the tracklisting for her upcoming The Lion King: The Gift companion album, and it features some big names. As if ne... Netflix Edits Suicide Scene Out of '13 Reasons Why' After much criticism, 13 Reasons Why is editing a scene out of the Season 1 finale that graphically depicts suicide. The scene in questi... More Film News	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1772
__label__cc	0.735728	0.264272	Prof Eva Jablonka Email: Eva Jablonka Eva Jablonka is a professor at the Cohn Institute for the History of Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University. Jablonka's research interests span heredity, epigenetics, evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, developmental biology, language and cultural evolution, history of genetics, and the philosophy of science. She was awarded a BSc in Biology in 1976 and an MSc in Microbiology in 1980, both from Ben-Gurion University, Israel, followed by a PhD in Genetics from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, in 1988. Tel Aviv University staff profile	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1773
__label__wiki	0.922716	0.922716	Charlie Wilson's War (2007) The Da Vinci Code (2006) The Polar Express (2004) The Terminal (2004) The Ladykillers (2004) Catch Me If You Can (2002) Road to Perdition (2002) Angels & Demons (2009) You've Got Mail (1998) Larry Crowne (2011) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) The War (2007) Cloud Atlas (2012) Philadelphia (1993) Captain Phillips (2013) Inferno (2016) The Post (2017) Must Love Dogs (2005) Weeds: Season Five (2009) The Great Debaters (2007) Runner Runner (2013) The Believers (1987) One of Hollywood's all-time most appealing magic realist fantasies. 104 min. 20th Century Fox. Cast: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, John Heard, Robert Loggia. They grow up so fast. That cliche could describe the plot and the central theme of Big, one of Hollywood's all-time most appealing magic realist fantasies. Wishing upon an unplugged "Zoltar Speaks" machine at a traveling carnival, 12-year-old Jerseyite Josh Baskin (David Moscow) says simply, "I want to be big." The next morning he awakes and trudges to the mirror to discover he's had one mother of a growth spurt: he's become a thirtysomething man (Tom Hanks). Understandably ejected by his terrified mother (Mercedes Ruehl), Josh must rely on his best friend Billy Kopecki (Jared Rushton, who winningly goes toe-to-toe with Hanks). Their plan to shack Josh up in a seedy hotel and seek employment for him while they track down the missing Zoltar machine succeeds beyond their wildest dreams. Josh lands a job at MacMillan Toys, and his childlike insight sends him on a stratospheric rise to the higher echelon of the corporation. While his face goes on milk cartons, he's becoming the vice president in charge of product development. In one of the film's most memorable and irresistable sequences, Josh wins over the company's benign CEO (Robert Loggia, brilliantly cast against type) by dancing a duet on a giant-size piano toy (echoing the film's unspoken watchwords, the song is "Heart and Soul"). Ross and Spielberg gently ply at universal nostalgia for childhood, our adult desire for more innocent and heartfelt times. The script effectively plays on the boy's excitement and sadness of growing up and losing innocence, as well as the nagging feeling that he shouldn't be in such a rush to abandon a childhood that's already almost gone (Josh telling turns 13 in the middle of his adventure). Perhaps the film's most well-considered choice is the acknowledgement that Josh's magical journey must of necessity be a sexual odyssey as well. Josh is too sweet and tentative to take the film into bawdy territory, but his awkward romance with MacMillan executive Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) hits mostly credible notes as Josh experiences his first girlfriend and enjoys the first blush of sexual exploration. One of the interesting stealth aspects of Big is how Marshall (a relatively new filmmaker whose only previous credit was finishing Jumping Jack Flash for another filmmaker) wisely hijacked key members of Woody Allen's team: producer Robert Greenhut, casting director Juliet Taylor, and production designer Santo Loquasto, who brilliantly captures the way a 13-year-old would decorate a New York loft. Also invaluable: crack cinematographer (and soon-to-be-director) Barry Sonnenfeld and supporting player John Heard as the film's overgrown bully (Jon Lovitz also pops up to nail a one-scene turn as Josh's cubicle neighbor). Marshall's sterling support does nothing to diminish her own sure instincts behind the camera, which show the same combination of comedy chops and warmth also associated with her brother Garry. When popular cinema gets its act together for a family-friendly film that's neither noxious nor obnoxious, but rather genuinely likeable, it's no wonder we all go a little googly-eyed. Big filled just such a bill in 1988, which by comparison is beginning to look like a charmed moment for this segment of filmmaking. As scripted by Capra disciple Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg's (Steven's sis), produced by master populist James L. Brooks (Broadcast News) and directed by America's erstwhile sitcom sweetheart Penny Marshall, Big's success with critics and the public might seem obvious in hindsight. But coming as the last in a year-long string of body-switching movies (Like Father, Like Son, Vice Versa, and 18 Again!), Big had the filmmakers and studio suits quaking in trepidation. They needn't have worried: not only did the film turn out to be a blockbuster, but it garnered Hanks his first Best Actor nomination from the American Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. So there, Judge Reinhold (okay, maybe we should have seen this coming...). Audio: DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio; Dolby Digital 2.0 Street date: 5/12/2009 Distributor: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Fox brings Big to Blu-ray in its both its Theatrical Version and—via seamless branching—an Extended Cut that's 26 minutes longer. It's a fine next-gen debut for the film: the A/V quality may not exactly rock your world, but it's certainly true to the source material, which never sported particularly vibrant colors or brilliantly sharp detail. The image and sound quality are what they are, and Fox can be commended for not trying to hide the original materials behind artificial sharpening and punching up. The results are natural, film-like, and superior to all previous issuings of the film. Surrounding the film are a suite of fine bonus features, hampered only by the lack of a Penny Marshall commentary or retrospective interviews with Hanks. First up are eight "Deleted Scenes" (15:03, SD), five with intros by director Penny Marshall. Unfortunately, these are all repeats of scenes in the Extended Cut, and Marshall's intros add little to no insight. "Big Beginnings" (16:29, SD) is much more interesting, thanks to engaging interviews with screenwriters Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg and producer James L. Brooks, who reveal how the project was nearly made with Robert De Niro in the lead. "Big: Chemistry of a Classic" (23:47, SD) digs further into the film's making, gathering comments from producer Robert Greenhut, Ross, Marshall, casting directors Juliet Taylor and Paula Herold, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, David Moscow, Jared Rushton, and Brooks. "The Work of Play" (9:54, SD) is a bland look at modern toy companies. "Hollywood Backstories: Big" (21:16, SD), an episode of the AMC documentary series, has the distinction of being the only feature with (vintage) Tom Hanks commenting on the film. We also hear more from Marshall, Ross, Spielberg, and Moscow. "Carnival Party Newswrap" (1:33, SD) is a promo about the Big premiere, and the disc rounds out with 2 Trailers and 2 TV Spots. Here's a highly recommended Blu-ray upgrade that's especially a no-brainer for first-time adopters.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1781
__label__cc	0.698316	0.301684	OCR Settles Diverse HIPAA Violations with Advocate Health Care Network for $5.55 Million August 5, 2016. On August 4, 2016, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) the HIPAA privacy, security, and HITECH Act breach enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) settled HIPAA multiple privacy and security violations with Advocate Health Care Network (“Advocate Health”) for $5.55 million—the largest OCR settlement with a single entity to date. Advocate health is a nonprofit organization in Illinois comprised of “250 treatment locations, including twelve acute-care hospitals and one of the region’s largest medical groups,” as reported by HHS. ePHI HIPAA Safeguard Policies and Procedures HITECH Act SAMPLE AND SUPPORT DOWNLOAD A FREE SAMPLE Register now for a free peek at HIPAA Integrity’s® compliance tools. CONTACT FOR SUPPORT COPYRIGHT © 2019 \| Terms & Use	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1786
__label__wiki	0.784727	0.784727	Virtual Hall of Fame » Inductees List » WR Sonaskada+// WR Sonaskada+// Photo courtesy of Ferrara Photography Inc. Owned by Cindy Kelly Photo courtesy of USEF Archive WR Sonoskada+// was a horse with a career to be proud of. With a show record spanning from 1991 to 2006, he won 19 national championships, 12 reserve national championships, 53 national Top Ten awards and 53 regional championships and reserve championships. In 2005, when WR Sonoskada+// was honored as a Horse of Honor by the United States Equestrian Federation, he led Arabians in the total number of national championships and reserve national championships awarded to a horse still actively showing. Sonaskada, known throughout the Arabian world simply as "Scotty", was purchased in 2001 by John and Cindy Kelly of Park Rapids, Minnesota, for their daughter, Morgan, to ride. He was previously shown by Jessica Vetter and her mother Peggy, and originally started by Susan Shea in Arizona. The stately gelding achieved awards in open Arabian hunter pleasure, Arabian English sidesaddle and Arabian amateur to ride and youth to ride divisions. He also carried youth riders to numerous national championships, Top Tens and regional awards in hunter seat equitation. "He was a beautiful horse and was laid-back to the point of not caring, but he knew when he was in the show ring," said Cindy Kelly, noting that he had a taste for peppermints. "He got them when he did well, and if he didn't get them he pouted," she laughed. "Another habit of his was to nip the toe of Morgan's boot to signal that everything was fine" Larry Hoffman, Scotty's trainer, agreed, "He could be in a ring with 20 horses and you'd be drawn to him. To maintain that level for over 10 years was phenomenal." Hoffman added, "Morgan was only nine years old when she started training with him. She was still showing walk/trot when they purchased Scotty, but they made it to Canadian Nationals when she was 11 and won the 13-and-under and the 17-and-under divisions. She's the kind of rider all of us love to have - a competitor with a lot of focus. Scotty and her parents were a big part of her success." Morgan reflected on Scotty's passing in 2012, "Scotty had a special place in everyone's hearts. He's earned the right to have a few quirks and idiosyncrasies. We were so happy to be able to let him live out his wonderful life He has given so much to so many people."	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1787
__label__wiki	0.788094	0.788094	Independent Game Forums => Half Meme Press => Topic started by: Bryant on August 31, 2003, 04:45:42 AM Title: Actual Play: The Emotions of Dance Post by: Bryant on August 31, 2003, 04:45:42 AM Our monthly experimental group tried out MLWM on Friday; I GMed, with Rob, Jess, Jere, and my old friend John playing. It was an interesting session; here's how it went. The Master was a mad Russian ballet choreographer known only as the Maestro. He'd been a daring experimenter in his earlier career, but when he had a horrendous accident and wound up crippled, he could no longer dance. He tried anyhow, and they laughed him off the stage. Now, he lurks in the swamps of Latvia, siphoning off the emotions of the Townspeople (his Need). When he puts on his grand dance, he will use a pipe organ of his own devising to release the emotions, inspiring both dancers and audience to new heights of passion. We decided he was a Beast and a Collector. Collector is obvious; Beast was interesting, because it played up the physical aspect of dance. Looking back on it, I didn't do a good job of running him as a Beast, though. Piotr, played by John, was an old ballet critic who followed the Maestro to Latvia, the only man confident that the Maestro could still create beautiful work. He could convince anyone of anything by writing them a letter, except if it had to do with ballet. He was also very frail, except when working with equipment. He was responsible for luring dancers to work with the Master. ("Latvia is very good for vacation this year...") Yorges, played by Rob, was a big brute in the Igor vein: incredibly clumsy, except when watched by someone who believed in his abilities, and incredibly strong, except when music was playing. Annika, played by Jess, was the lead dancer, lured by one of Piotr's letters some time ago. She was incredibly beautiful, but only while in pain, and she could not eat except from someone else's plate. Lovely rephrasing of a ballet dancer's drive to perform and drive towards thinness. Brezny, played by Jere, was a clockwork dancer -- very handsome, but utterly mechanical. I believe the Maestro built him. He couldn't communicate except while dancing, and he was capable of producing amazing clockwork gadgets except while dancing. We set Fear at 3 and Reason at 3 as well, somewhat randomly. The game would benefit from more discussion of appropriate Fear and Reason levels, I think -- we were very unsure of what the mechanical effects would be and we were pretty sure they'd make a difference for the game. We actually had some of the same problems with character stats -- it's clear that once you play enough you'll get a sense for the various knobs and dials, but it's kind of impenetrable at first. I thought setting and character generation would take up enough time so that we wouldn't have much time to play, and they did take a while, but play moves very quickly thanks to the framing techniques. We wound up getting to do a lot. By the time we knocked off for the night, Yorges had carted Brezny's Connection, Hector, back to the theater for the Maestro. A young French ballet critic had shown up looking for Annika, wanting her to leave with him (so he could get the reward). Brezny sabotaged the Master's emotion collecting slightly, broadcasting emotions of solidarity over the village. He'd also thrown a festival for the villagers, which he used as cover to steal the joy of a pair of lovers. Piotr developed a rivalry with a chess master for the friendship of the local Lord, Hans, and arranged to have the chess master turned into one of the Maestro's marionettes. Man, a lot did happen, and I'm leaving out a ton. That was cool. The mechanics really support the gothic horror spiral. Things only get worse for the Minions as time goes by. I am, I fear, a wuss when it comes to being mean -- but even so, I think we succeeded in avoiding a goofy tone. There were funny bits, but it wasn't a funny game. Jere felt strongly that the game deprived players of narrative power to an undue extent. The GM is encouraged to frame aggressively at both the beginning and the end of the scene, leaving the player limited opportunity to express himself in the middle. This is heightened by the single roll resolution and the short scene structure -- the player gets a bit of action, then moves on. I feel that I have a tendency towards being an overly autocratic GM, which perhaps exacerbated what Jere was feeling, but I also think the mechanics and GMing advice encouraged that tendency. It seems possible that the intent of the game is to place the players as well as the Minions in an ever-constricting straight-jacket to enhance the Endgame experience. Note that the Endgame is the only portion of the game in which the players are explicitly permitted to inject themselves in someone else's scene -- it's a degree of freedom, which is then followed by one of two moments at which the players have full narrative freedom. The liberation of the Endgame frees both Minions and players. The other moment of freedom, of course, is the Horror Revealed. It's interesting that the players are given these moments of narrative freedom, but only to narrate horrendous scenes. The sense of liberation is turned to rather dark ends. The game also seems designed to isolate the Minions. The quick-cut scene structure encourages this, as does the explicit advice to have the Master order Minions to go after each other's Connections. The effect is to create a very intense spotlight that only shines on one player at a time. Again, this seems intentional, to make the Endgame more cathartic. But it can also act to decrease player enjoyment. We talked a lot about whether or not the game could support immersive play. It always depends on the player, of course, but the moving spotlight and the lack of player narrative power could make it difficult. I am very certain that I was over-narrating Minion reactions, in the game's defense. We talked a fair bit about whether or not it's a gamist game. I'm not sure what Paul's intent was, but there are distinctly gamist elements. The need to gain Love is so powerful and so important to eventual success that the players are almost forced to make narrative choices with an eye towards the game mechanics. Further, there are strong competitive elements introduced by the Connection-hunting advice mentioned earlier. And there are certainly winners and losers at the end -- while players can set their own victory conditions, in that it's up to the players what sort of epilogue they want, there are very specific rules for what sort of epilogue they achieve. (Note that not all of our group finds the GNS model useful for talking about roleplaying, which should perhaps be taken into account in the above discussion. I think the question is still relevant, though. Rob says, in connection to this question and to the thoughts on setting parameters, "I think a group that had all read the rules and digested those numbers might use them much more transparently. If you had an instinctive feel for what a 3 self-loathing 2 weariness 4 love minion was like as opposed to a 1 self-loathing 4 weariness 1 love (or whatever), you might work the numbers without having to think about them so much, and you might feel less of that disconnect between Narrativist and Gamist priorities.") It might be possible to free the game up from some of the constraining feeling by dispensing with the GM, and having strict rules for who plays the Master at any given moment. This might have a negative effect on the final catharsis, but it might also provide a more enjoyable experience during the game. Depends on what you want, I suspect. But a really interesting experience for us; this game provoked more discussion afterwards than most of our others have, which in my eyes makes it a success. Post by: Paul Czege on September 02, 2003, 08:12:02 AM Hey Bryant, Sounds like a cool game. And you know what makes me happy about your post? That it tells me what you learned from playing. The game text suggests "aggressive scene framing." And now that you've played, I bet you interpret the phrase differently. It isn't aggressive in the "push the characters hard" sense, but in the way cleaning out a storage room is "aggressive." It's trashing all the extraneous crap, so what's left is the stuff really worth having. It isn't clear from your post, did you get to the death of the Master? If not, do you think your group will play again? Post by: Bryant on September 02, 2003, 08:25:45 AM Quote from: Paul Czege Welp, one of the big motivations behind this group is learning, so I'm glad that's coming across. We did not get to the death of the Master -- we really wanted to try the game as presented, rather than starting with some Love points and so on, which I think was the right decision. Rob and I would like to play again, but Jess and Jere are not so enthused, so we'll see. If we can find another player or two then Rob and I will pick it up, because we'd like to see the full monty. Do you have any advice on providing players with more narrative freedom? What's your vision of who narrates what after the dice are rolled? Oh yeah...I forgot about cutting. When you play again, try treating the dice roll as a springboard for roleplaying out a closure to the scene in conjunction with the player. It lets you both roleplay informed by a general knowledge of what the outcome should be. And the details can be negotiated. This way you're trusting the player's authorship of their character. Maybe, for instance, they'd rather be driven off from a failed overture than flee. And also consider your power to cut from the scene to be subject to player veto. If you get a "Wait..wait...let me get in one last line," for instance, you should be accomodating. Really, cutting "aggressively" is the same as scene framing aggressively. Your job is just to cut out the crap by ending the scene before it trickles off into tedious "characterizing."	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1788
__label__cc	0.528384	0.471616	The Robert Ingersoll Washington, D.C., Walking Tour photo 2 enlarge A View of the U.S. Capitol from Tour Stop #7 Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) was America’s foremost freethought orator. For seven years, from 1878 to 1885, he made his two Washington homes his base for his forays around the country delivering speeches on religion, politics and literature. During his Washington period, Ingersoll lectured mainly on “Some Mistakes of Moses,” “Hard Times and the Way Out” and “What We Must Do To Be Saved?” He also spoke on “Some Reasons Why,” “Skulls,” “Hell,” “Orthodoxy,” “Which Way,” “Liberty of Man, Woman, and Child,” “Robert Burns,” “Myths and Miracles,” and “The Great Infidels.” Enjoy the virtual tour or use the printable version to take a self-guided, two-mile tour through some of the oldest parts of Washington, D.C. For an abbreviated self-guided, 1-1/4-mile tour, begin at tour stop #7. Since the Ingersoll grave is in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, it is not part of the walking tour, but it can be visited separately. Guided group tours are available on a limited basis. (to take on the walk) Photo Appendix (to visit the grave) home \| walking tour \| resources \| acknowledgements \| contact us © 2011 WASH, Washington Area Secular Humanists. All rights reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1789
__label__wiki	0.791008	0.791008	Published on Jamaica Gleaner (http://jamaica-gleaner.com) Home > Uncovered: Where to catch a live band Published:Sunday \| July 22, 2018 \| 12:00 AMStephanie Lyew [1] With a street dance on nearly every corner almost every day of the week, one would be hard pressed to find a live band performing at one's favourite restaurant, lounge, or any such venue. While it might have been easier in the past to find live music of all kinds, these talents are having difficulties finding a space to 'jam'. According to Orrin 'Scotty' Stewart, manager at The Pallet restaurant, "That is one reason for our establishment dedicating Thursday nights to the Jam Band." The Jam Band has been performing at live music spots from the early 2000s when Jamaican alternate rock bands such as Black Zebra and Gas Money would hold audience in places such as Tony's Bar (a pool hall) that was a popular after-work spot on Chelsea Avenue. And, alas the other spot that featured many rising bands like the Jam Band the Red Bones Blues CafÈ has closed its doors. In years gone by, Red Hills Road was the hip strip in St Andrew for live bands with places like the Turntable Club and many others that had the backline equipment, which allowed a band to come in, plug in, and play. The road featured quite a few of the country's top reggae musicians because there was always a band playing in each bar on the strip. Veteran musician and one of the owners of Stones Throw Bar, Terrence 'Farenheit' Harold, conceded that Jamaica does not have as maby spaces as it did 20-30 years ago when it was the live music that held every corner in Kingston."It is just not feasible for a venue anymore. Now, it is dependent on a laptop and speaker because it is a cheaper option," he pointed out. He noted that having a house band means there must be finances to not only maintain the equipment, but a salary for the talent. "Back then, you could even find nightclubs like Mirage, which was located in Sovereign Centre that had a set-up so bands could go in and play. As a matter of fact, one of the places bands used to play at is the Student's Union at the UWI campus." Meanwhile, The Pallet's manager believes it can work for similar venues once there is an agreement between the band, house band or guest band and the venue. The Jam Band is the house band for a specific night, but each week it rotates with guest musicians. Last Thursday for example, harmonica player Gerd Beyens, and Khion De Las, a Trinidadian steel pan player were special acts added to the band's set." It is a community effort, so depending on who is around. Anything can happen that's the magic here. It is unscripted, very spur of the moment, a once in a lifetime performance that maybe caught on camera," multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Ashbourne of the Jam Band told The Sunday Gleaner. As a musician who has lived and travelled globally, Ashbourne believes that the country is lacking a space dedicated for bands "Every big city that has its weight in salt in the performing arts, has a central location, if not multiple centres that persons can exercise their talent," said Ashbourne. "I would like to see more venues going out on a limb and realising why it's an essential asset for their business," he said. "There is not a lack of talent, musicians or even spaces bands and live music is quite alive what's unfortunate is the growing, kind of lack of mentality of why it is important to support and hone culture of this nature." Along with The Pallet, other venues such as Jamnesia in Bull Bay; Skyline Levels in Kingston; Mongoose Jamaica Restaurant and Lounge in Ocho Rios; and yat the Hard Rock Cafe in Montego Bay are some of the venues that host one off events and have a house band. Source URL: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20180722/uncovered-where-catch-live-band [1] http://jamaica-gleaner.com/ana-marie-rodriquez/stephanie-lyew	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1791
__label__wiki	0.612822	0.612822	Will the real Irish people please stand up? Posted by Jason O on Jun 12, 2016 in Irish Politics, The Times Ireland Edition Previously published in The Times Ireland Edition on the 20th February 2016. Here’s a hypothetical for you to consider. How would Irish voters react if the government announced that National Lottery winnings were to be subject to income tax? I have a suspicion that people would be outraged. Never mind the fact that Irish voters constantly tell pollsters that “the rich” should pay higher taxes or that they’d happily pay higher taxes for better public services. If you won €500k on the Lotto and the government announced they were taking half of it, I suspect most Irish people would have their noses seriously put out of joint. Despite the fact that it is effectively free money and they’re getting to keep a quarter of a million. There’d be all sorts of excuses as to why Lotto winners should be exempt. That they had “invested” thousands already in unsuccessful tickets. That the multinationals don’t pay their fair share of taxes. The banks. Yeah, those two words are now an excuse for anything you don’t like. Or that isn’t it unfair that some poor creature finally gets a break and now the government is piling in on him. In short, the Irish don’t like tax more than they don’t like cuts in public services. Yet, through this, one of the most boring and curiously distant election campaigns in recent history, that real division in Irish society has barely been touched. With the possible exception of Lucinda Creighton, hardly anyone has stood up and openly defended a view held, quietly, by a huge section of the Irish people. Stuff your public services. You’ll only give my money to pay LUAS drivers more than I earn. I want to keep my own money. The real issue in this election is, as ever, about tax. Income tax, property tax, USC, water tax. With the exception of the Social Democrats, who are getting margin of error ratings for their troubles, hardly any candidates want to defend the concept of higher taxes paid by you for better services. The alphabet left and Fianna Fail point to those living breathing crocks o’ gold, the wealthy, as the perennial source of finance for all our public service goodies. But hardly anybody will knock on the door and tell you openly that they will tax you whatever it takes to bring people poorer than you up to your level. Put the people who just want to keep their own money, the people who say they can’t afford to pay any more tax, and the people who say that the government will just squander it and you probably have a majority of the Irish electorate. The next Dail will have a majority, regardless of who is in government, of deputies who will resist any attempt to openly (stealth taxes are different) increase taxes on the great majority of Irish people. Yet hardly anybody wants to debate the link between taxes and public services. Nobody ever challenges members of the public on TV debate shows or Joe Duffy about why they should get more of someone else’s earnings. It’s that wonderfully Irish ability to hold conflicting views at the same time, and never be challenged on it, and it’s not doing our society a service in ignoring it. This election campaign would have been better served if non-party people had openly debated the future of Irish society, acting as de facto proxies for our wobbling jelly politicians who won’t say boo to a goose because they reckon the goose might give them a 6th preference. A debate between, say, Fintan O’Toole and our own Cormac Lucey would be a far more engaging and honest discussion about where we would like to go as a country than what is passing for debate between the parties. The big invisible pachyderm at the heart of Irish politics is a pretence that there is some perfect political G spot where you can get all the public services you want for buttons in taxes. Every opposition claims it, every government fails to find it, rinse and repeat. It’s nonsense, and dishonest nonsense at that. But instead of admitting that politics is about choices, we have a parade of politicians listing out vast sums of other people’s money which always exceeds even the piddling extra taxes or savings they will admit to supporting. At the moment, our politicians would be doing less harm if they were actually handing out cash for votes rather than making promises that involve huge public sector expansion. Irish politics would be better served if they could offer us money on the doorsteps in return for the promise of a vote. At least then, come the day of the count, it would be the politicians who’d be storming around the count centre in a temper because they’d been lied to. “I was promised thousands of votes on the doorsteps! I gave away thousands of euro! I can’t believe the voters lied to me, I mean, what sort of lying, dishonest…” They’d stop spending money on posters and leaflets and instead every election campaign would involve the candidates and a van from Securicor going from door to door haggling like Tunisian carpet salesmen. You’d certainly make sure that you were in to meet them. Indeed, you’d probably make an appointment. In the Philippines some candidates for office are known for giving out a left shoe to voters, with the promise that the voter will get the right shoe if the candidate is elected. I could easily see a candidate working his way down a street in Ranelagh or Donnybrook with a selection of Jimmy Choos. Wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1792
__label__cc	0.657815	0.342185	Around the earth in… …just two weeks, I guess. Well, earth shattering news. What the gossip papers have written is totally true. I booked a vacation trip to Taiwan !!! Last time I stepped on an airplane was in the time when it had propellers and the most advanced type was categorised as Bi-Plane. And actually, since my working life started over a decade ago, I never took vacations (ah well, just one week off for some local relaxing, but that’s really it). So, let’s just skip the new pc (or two) for this year (never needed one anyway, since mine was running Counterstrike:Source just fine on 1600×1200), and hop on an Airbus (I hope). And now for the tought part, since I’m going to tech-heaven (mostly price-wise that is), Asus EEE901 or MSI Wind ? Oh oh oh, what to buy ? Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Ai ai ai. Where sequels dwindle down in quality after the second or third sequel (see Spider-Man 3 and X-Men 3), Indy had been doing quite well, every chapter as memorable as can be. Maybe it has something to do with the nostalgic eighties, but this last chapter, doesn’t quite seem to get the same feeling out of it. As a result, it feels like a big disappointment. Where the previous ones were a continuous laughing riot, or had some memorable relationships (be it the girl, the shorty or the father), this one serious lacks in that apartment. While I’m no fan of punch lines heavy scripts, it’s exactly this that made all the Indy flicks work so well. Anyone remember the “No ticket” scene ? Hilarious, and that’s with only two words. This movie also doesn’t have the same energy or speed or broad script and feels a little bit wooden (and that’s not only because of age). The excitement just isn’t there anymore (it was all the way up to the first minute of the movie though). Maybe not noticable to all, but from a technical standpoint, I’d say it’s quite embarrassing that this product is from the hands of Lucas/Spielberg. Unlike the superbly well done effects from The Minority Report or War of the Worlds, the effects here are extremely noticable. Not only seems integrating effects into the scene a rushed job, extensive use the virtual sets bothers me too (too obvious lighting artifacts makes it obvious they’re inside a filming studio). This I would expect from mid-range budgeted movies, but at $185 million, it’s pretty high priced. Then last but not least, the sci-fi ending doesn’t fit well at all. Maybe I wouldn’t have mentioned it if the other defect weren’t there, but this just tops the disappointment. Of course, that’s not to say it’s utterly boring, because it’s still a mildly entertaining action/adventure. It just doesn’t compete with the best out there, that’s all.7-. Review: What Happens in Vegas Your usual no-brainer, sit back and try to laugh kinda movie. But unfortunately, it’s still not that easy. Even with brain power set at a minimum, it’s hard to laugh. Save for an always funny Rob Corddry, the rest is as cliche as it can be, and tries to mix in a bit of seriousness towards the end (and doesn’t really succeed). With a luckily low running time, it’s hard to remember anything really funny. The only thing easy to remember is Ashton Kutcher’s same comedy acting style, for which he is probably type casted for (though his serious roles like The Butterfly Effect and The Guardian are actually pretty good).4. Review: Be Kind Rewind Nice tagline for the now dead VHS rental industry, but for the movie, it has to be changed Be Smart Avoid ! I went to see this mostly because of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry, but found nothing really appealing in this one. I guess it’s because that movie was written with a more experienced writer (Charley Kaufman), and this one he does it on his own. Sure, he shows he can be inventive with the camera with low budget, but this time around, it’s just plain cheesy. The lack of cohesion and solid story makes it almost unbearable. Sure, another nice twist is the actual deeper message, but it’s just not enough. So again, Be Smart Avoid.4+. Review: Taken Nice low budget action-thriller headlined by Liam Neeson doing an almost solo performance throughout the movie. It’s not one of the best script out there, and things are as expected, including plot outline and how the character reacts and responds. Still it’s nice to see him as a “normal” older guy kicking major raw ass (he did so in Star Wars and Batman Begins, but with added “special” powers). As that’s the main driving force, the choppy dialogue and contrived plot points are affecting only on a lesser degree. It’s at least one thumb up.7-. Review: Iron Man Thursday, May 1st, 2008 In the Marvel universe, disappointment still varies (the likes of Daredevil and Electra were particularly a dark spot, while latter sequels weren’t up to par either (X-Men 3 and Spidey 3)), and I was a bit wary when Jon Favreau was attached to direct. Previously filming childish movies like Elf and Zathura doesn’t bode well. That makes Iron Man the biggest summer suprise for me (for now, since summer didn’t technically start yet). That’s because another point got me scared, the casting of Robert Downey Jr.. Surprise surprise, the director and every single cast member deliver and deliver again. The depiction of the rich playboy genius is spot-on, and it’s nice to see a transformation to a hero without fate actually forcing them (unlike Spidey, Hulk, FF4 or the X-Men, getting their powers from accidents or birth). The story itself isn’t that broad, nor are characters that deep (basically a one man show), but hell, the adrenaline level never drops from the get-go and the coolness factor of seeing a brushed stainless steel looking design evolve into a kickass body fitting suit is utterly satisfying. While this may not be suitable for the female half of the audience (just like seeing expensive sports cars racing around isn’t either) it ranks as one of the higher entertaining flick coming from the Marvel can. Just start the pre-production of The Avengers or Iron Man II, I tell ya (also stay till the very end of the movie for one of the most bad ass cameo in the history of film).8. You are currently browsing the Kimputer's Weblog weblog archives for May, 2008.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1802
__label__wiki	0.548085	0.548085	Dept Arts and Culture Cleans House 6 February 2019 ipoadmin News 0 The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) has in residence, the heritage sites, museums and monuments of the country. It also has under its stewardship, various reporting entities. Its reporting entities include: The National Arts Council, National Library of South Africa, Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS), National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA); Market Theatre Foundation, and Robben Island Museum amongst other DAC agencies. While most of the reporting entities performed well in the execution of their mandate in this financial year, some have not. The DAC does not believe in the masking of difficulties, where administration and institutional governance – or the lack and absence thereof in either- occur. In this regard, Minister Nathi Mthethwa, Director General Vusumuzi Mkhize and the department’s senior officials have spent the past months addressing areas of grave concern including maladministration, corrupt activities and the disintegration of governance in entities. Gains have been made in this regard, in the form of forensic investigations instituted and completed, and corrective measures in the form of plans of action being implemented. NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FOUNDATION: Minister Nathi Mthethwa instituted a forensic investigation in the NFVF after the DAC received various complaints centred on mismanagement. Secondly, following the departure of the previous Chief Executive Officer, the entity has been in the process of filling the vacancy. The “Comperio” forensic report was tabled at a press conference on 21 November 2018 Interviews for the appointment of the CEO have since been concluded. With the effecting of remedial action, this entity is now in a state of stability. MARKET THEATRE FOUNDATION: Following allegations levelled against the Chairperson, the CEO, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) the following steps were taken: The DAC appointed forensic investigators to investigate the veracity of the allegations levelled against the Chairperson of Council, the CEO and CFO. The investigation has been finalised The report was presented to the Council in early December 2018 to implement the recommendations Council has submitted its implementation plan (in line with the investigation findings) to the DAC. The Chairperson of Council Mr Kwanele Gumbi has been relieved of his duties from the Council as Chairperson and Council member. Based on the recommendations, the CEO Ismail Mahomed and CFO Christine McDonald are currently facing a disciplinary process. Mr Gerald Dumas has been appointed as the new Chairperson of Council SA HERITAGE AGENCY (SAHRA): Following allegations levelled against the Chairperson, and the CEO regarding the irregularities in expenditure, non-compliance with Supply Chain Management policies by the SAHRA Management and a breach of oversight responsibility by the Chairperson of Council, the following steps have been taken: The investigation is complete and a final report released. . The SAHRA Council has handed over criminal charges to the Law enforcement Agencies to implement the findings of the report in relation to the former Chairperson and CEO. The Council will handle the internal disciplinary charges affecting the SAHRA employees. The CEO has been dismissed with immediate effect by the Council in January 2019. NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL (NAC): Following the receiving of complaints regarding the bonus paid to the Chief Executive Officer Rosemary Mangope and the funding of a project without following proper procedure: A forensic investigation was conducted by Morar Incorporated and finalised. The findings were handed over to the Council. The Council of the NAC gave assurance to the DAC to implement the recommendations. Disciplinary action is currently underway for the parties implicated in the forensic report. The CEO, the CFO and Arts Development Manager are facing disciplinary charges and have received their charge sheets. The CFO has subsequently handed in her resignation. The Acting CEO Dr Sibongiseni Mkhize has assumed as of January 2019. ROBBEN ISLAND MUSEUM (RIM): Late last year, the DAC received reports alleging maladministration and mismanagement at the RIM The DAC has appointed the service provider in the form of a forensic investigator to investigate the allegations Last week, at a meeting at DAC offices in Pretoria, the service provider to undertake the forensic investigation-Morar Incorporated- was introduced the Chairperson and CEO. The investigation will commence henceforth. Lastly, it is important to note that when whistle-blowers and individuals report worrisome matters to the DAC are taken seriously. This is apparent in how swiftly Minister Nathi Mthethwa and the DAC have acted in the past months, by relentlessly and with great commitment tackling all issues of concern and without hesitation instituting processes to rectify these. The DAC deems it of utmost importance to be transparent in keeping its stakeholders and members of the public informed on any activities related to not only the department but all agencies and entities under its administration. The Last Victims premiere at Pan African Film Festival SAFTAs 13 ‘In Memoriam’ call	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1804
__label__wiki	0.953725	0.953725	The University of Kerala- An Evolutionary Saga Prior to founding of University of Travancore, in 1937, by His Highness Sri Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, the then Maharaja of Travancore, 15 other universities existed in India. Earlier, roughly a century ago in 1857, the British Raj founded the universities of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. And until 1937, the colleges of princely state of Travancore were affiliated to Madras University. However, college education dawned in the state of Travancore in 1837 with the founding of C,M.S. College, Kottayam- perhaps the first college in the British India to offer instruction in English language. Perhaps, the movement for founding a university in Travancore state was born in 1913, when A.R. Raja Raja Varma, a Professor of Malayalam in the Maharaja’s College, Trivandrum, started writing and speaking for creating a university in the state. In fact, Prof Raja Raja Varma, prior to his death in 1918, headed a committee that drew up a report detailing the plan for founding a university. However, the sad demise of the then Maharaja of Travancore, His Highness Sri Moolam Thirunal in 1924, truly slowed down the momentum for founding the university infinitely. But with the coronation of young Sri Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, at the age of 19 y, as the Maharaja of Travancore, and appointment of Maharaja’s one time tutor, Sri. C.P. Ramasamy Iyer as Diwan of Travancore in 1936, made a sea change in respect of founding the University of Travancore. Sri. Iyer, the Diwan, in May 4, 1937, appointed Prof. C.V. Chandrasekharan, then Director of Public Instruction as a Special officer – the first step in creating a new university in the state. After consultations and discussions with the Mr. M.C. Leanen, the Registrar of Madras University, Prof. Chandrasekharan submitted a draft report to the government. The Sri Moolam Assembly and Sri Chitra State Council considered this draft report on Oct. 23, 1937, and authorized a committee to examine and carryout suitable amendments on the clauses of the report, as was deemed essential and resubmit the same to the government, which in fact was approved by the government. This report became the University act, on Maharaja Sri Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, affixing his signature and seal on his 25th birthday, i.e., on Nov.1, 1937 and thus marked the founding of the University of Travancore. The administration was determined to have a technology faculty in the newborn university. The government also envisioned in creation of other faculties that could fuel the growth and flourishing of agriculture and industry in the state. Moreover, the research laboratories of the state were brought under the fold of the new University for better focus and co-ordination; for example keeping the Department of Physics and Observatory as one unit. Also the motto of the university (appearing in its seal) “Karmani Vajyathe Prajna” or demonstrate knowledge through work or knowledge manifests in action. The Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma (and later as Rajapramukh, in the independent and young India), continued till 1956, as the Chancellor of the University and made the appointments of Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor. Thus the University of Travancore evolved into the University of Kerala, by the enactment of the Kerala University Act in 1957, by the state assembly, with Sri E.M.S. Namboothiripad as the Chief Minister of Kerala and Prof. Joseph Mundassery as the Minister of Education. Since then, the mother act of 1957 was amended a few times. With is the Maharaja’s connection with the University was severed. Founder of the University of Travancore, Maharaja Sri Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, continued as the Chancellor from 1937-56, while Queen Mother Sethu Parvathy Bai was the Pro-Chancellor (1937-49), Diwan Sir C.P. Ramaswamy iyer was Vice-Chancellor (1937-47) and Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhran was Pro-Vice Chancellor (1937-49) of the university. During 1947-49, University was led by Mr Harold Papworth, as the Vice Chacellor. Interestingly Mr Popworth also continued later as Pro-vice Chancellor while Prof. V.K. Nandan Menon, adorned the cloak of Vice Chancellor (1950-51). In the early days, Dr A. Gopala Menon, a Professor of Commerce, and subsequently Director of Public Instruction, acted as the Registrar of the University and was ably assisted by Prof. P.R. Parameswara Panicker, as Assistant Registrar. Prof. Panicker later (1951-56) went on to be the Registrar and finally the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Travancore. During the tenure of Prof. Samuel Mathai, the Vice Chancellor (1963-69), the university went through a remarkable phase of expansion in Post Graduate education and research leading to the degree of Ph.D. An important milestone is the creation of university campuses at Kariyavattom, northwest of Trivandrum, and Univerity’s centers at Kochi and Kozhikod – the latter later became the University of Cochin and University of Calicut. The Kariyavattom Campus built in the sixties is home to several PG departments of study and research, such as Dept. of Plant Breeding and Genetics (Founder: Prof A. Abraham); Dept. of Zoology (Founder: Dr. K.K. Nayar); Dept. of Geology (Founder: Prof.K.K.Menon); Dept. of Statistics (Founder: Prof. U.S. Nayar); Dept. of Psychology (Founder: Prof. E.I. George); Dept. of Malayalam (Founder: Prof. ); Dept. of Politics (Founder: Prof. V.K.Sukumaran Nair); Dept. of Linguistics (Prof. V.I.Subramoniam), Dept. of Economics (Founder: Prof. V.R.Pillay); Dept. of Sanskrit (Prof. Subramonia Iyer); Manuscripts Library (Prof. Raghavan Pillai), etc….. However, the departments of Applied Chemistry (Prof. Anantharaman), Biochemistry (Prof. Achutha Kurup), English (Prof. K.P.K. Menon) and German continued to function with in the Palayam administrative Campus of the University. Related Tweets Afternoon Voice 26 mins ago @iumlofficial(#IUML) workers held protest outside #Kerala Secretariat in #Thiruvananthapuram,today over the incident in which a student was stabbed at the University College, on Friday.Police used water canons & tear gas to disperse the protesters.\|ANI @RahulGandhi @ShashiTharoor Legal Rights Observatory- LRO 10 hours ago Activism Request- Kerala University Communist student wing SFI leader arrested with bundled of exam answersheets n official seals. Plz write emails to HRD ministry emails from this link mhrd.gov.in/whos-who-0 to seek suspension of University administration n exams n stern action Retweeted by Mrssparashar 🇮🇳 ANI 2 days ago #WATCH Thiruvananthapuram: ABVP & BJYM protest against the attack on SFI Activist Akhil at University College. Kerala police yesterday issued Lookout Notices against 8 SFI members in the case on charges of attempt to murder. #Kerala Kerala police today issued Lookout Notices against eight SFI members who are accused of attempting to murder SFI activist Akhil at the University College in Thiruvananthapuram. Akhil is undergoing treatment at a hospital. 3 persons were arrested today, one was arrested earlier. OpIndia.com 3 days ago Kerala: SFI leaders involved in stabbing of University College student absconding, former student narrates hooliganism of SFI members bit.ly/30vXk0D	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1807
__label__cc	0.727543	0.272457	Book ShoreTrips Weddings at Sea Cruiseline Check-In Cruise Everything Story See Our Current Groups Develop Your Own Group Contiki Holidays is the worldwide leader in vacations for 18-35 year-olds. For over 40 years, Contiki Holidays has been taking travelers around the world and offering them an unforgettable travel experience. Our tours have been individually created to include a mix of sightseeing, free time, culture, socializing and adventure. Regardless of your destination or traveling style, Contiki is committed to providing you with an amazing trip at an affordable price. In 1961, a young New Zealander named John Anderson arrived in London to embark on a journey to Europe. He didn't want to travel alone and he didn't have a lot of money, so he came up with a plan. He put a deposit on a minibus and gathered a group of people to travel with. They spent twelve weeks exploring Europe together and had a wonderful time. At the end of the trip, John tried to sell the minibus but no one wantedto buy it. So in the Spring of 1962 he decided to advertise his Europe trip again. This time, he was able to fit two trips into the Summer season, therefore doubling his business, and Contiki Holidays was “born”. The first tours were all booked by 19-29 year olds so right from the start Contiki was all about youth travel. With more than 100 itineraries to choose from, pick a destination and let Contiki deliver an experience! Asia / Far East Canada/New England Greece/Greek Isles Maui, Hawaii Oahu, Hawaii The Island of Hawaii © Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Cruise Everything. Florida Seller of Travel #14302 CLIA: 00397213	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1812
__label__wiki	0.858684	0.858684	Palestine\ Displaying items by tag: Bolivian Indigenous movements Palestinians could learn from Bolivia’s indigenous movement Published in Palestine By Nick Rodrigo Bolivia’s 35-plus indigenous nations make up over 60 per cent of the country’s population and have a long history of struggle with the state. This has linked material grievances to the ethnic segregationist system, which emerged after the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Palestinians, who are witnessing the plundering of their natural resources, particularly water, by a military occupation with overt commercial interests, could learn much from the Bolivian indigenous movement, which defeated a move to privatise water in 2000. Infrastructure of dissent The emerging feudal economy in postcolonial Bolivia centred on the mining industry and the seizure of indigenous lands by a rapacious hacienda creole class. In order to facilitate the incorporation of indigenous peasants into the emerging mining economy, rigid racial categories arose in which indigenous peoples were deemed eligible only as labourers, with no access to membership of the full citizenry. This contributed to the emergence of an indigenous class movement in Bolivia, which centred on a crystalizing infrastructure for dissent. This informal infrastructure was based upon the multi-faceted institutions of the tin-miners’ movement/indigenous agrarian class, and was informed cognitively by an Andean culture of insurrection, drawing on the memory of King Tupaj Aamuru’s gallant stand in the face of Spanish colonial forces. Radical ideologies began to blossom from this infrastructure, which drew on facets of Marxism and indigenous anarchism, fastening a renascent indigenous identity politics onto material realities. This indigenous dissent manifested itself at varying moments across the 20th century. The water wars By 1999, the neoliberal counter-revolution of the 1980s had consigned vast swathes of Bolivia’s indigenous peoples to abject penury, with 80 per cent of Quechua living in poverty. Financial accountability to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through structural adjustment loans meant the infiltration of a market logic into Bolivia’s domestic politics. In 1999 the multi-billion dollar international corporation Bechtel drew up the Aguas del Tunari, with local Cochabamba officials. Bechtel and its co-investors were granted control of Cochabamba City’s water company for forty years and guaranteed an average profit of 16 per cent for each of those years. The resultant 43 per cent increase in water rates for the poorest families pushed the unions and indigenous peasant class over the edge. In 2000 a series of pitched battles, strikes and walkouts by trade unions and other organisations was staged which came to be known as the Cochabamba water war. The central organising actor was the Coordinadora, a coalition of irrigators, coca growers and coca cutters. One of the central tactics used by the Coordinadora was roadblocks, one which had been part of the resistance repertoire of the miners’ unions during the 1970s. After months of coordination, demonstration and state retaliation, representatives from Bechtel fled the city and then the country, and President Banzer was forced to cancel the contract. Cochabamba reacted with jubilation, with Coordinadora leaders flying back from remote prisons in Bolivia’s interior to a heroes’ welcome. Grassroots mobilisation had faced down the government of a dictator, and overcome the power of one of the world’s largest corporations. It also brought the insurrectionary nature of indigenous politics into sharper focus, and more coordination. By 2002, Evo Morales, leader of the coca growers’ unions, ran for the national presidency as head of MAS (Movement towards Socialism). Linking neoliberalism to the regulation of access to resources for Bolivia’s poorest made him a standout candidate, and he was duly elected in 2005 Four years later, the long battle for equal access to natural resources secured a legislative victory with the passage of Bolivia’s “plurinational” constitution. This guaranteed the right to water on the “principles of solidarity, complementariness, reciprocity, equity, diversity and sustainability”, whilst also passing provisions relating to the equitable and sustainable use of Bolivia’s resources and the reacquisition of land for indigenous use. Water in the West Bank In the occupied and colonised West Bank, one manifestation of the apartheid reality for the 1.7 million Palestinians and 628,000 Israeli settler-colonists who live there is the unequal access to water. On average, a settler lives on 350 litres of water per day, whereas Palestinians live on an average of 73 litres; for the 113,000 Palestinians not hooked up to the water grid, it can be as low as 20 litres. Access to water is monitored tightly by the occupation regime, which has intertwined with the economics of occupation to limit Palestinian access. Under Article 40 of the Oslo Accords, Israel recognised Palestinian water rights in the West Bank, but it did not take into account the excessive allocation of water to the 179 West Bank settlements, with no cap on their water supply. Oslo allocated 80 per cent of the water pumped from one of three underground water reserves to Israelis, and only 20 per cent to the Palestinians. The deal also created the Joint Water Committee (JWC), an Israeli-Palestinian body in charge of every water project (Palestinian and Israeli) in the West Bank; it is subject to the power imbalances which characterise the PA’s relationship with Israel since the former’s inception. Israel has effective veto over any water project, a veto not accorded to the Palestinians. This has resulted in a high number of Palestinian water projects being delayed and rejected between 1995 and 2010; only one Israeli project was rejected during this time. Delays and rejections are carried out at the behest of an array of complex military orders, which have governed the West Bank since 1967. Military Order 92 transferred full authority over all water concerning issues in the West Bank from various local utilities to an Israeli official appointed by the military commander for “Judea and Samaria”. Military Order 158 introduced a permit system for all water projects; permits must be obtained when approaching the JWC. Finally, Military Order 291 declares all water resources to be the property of the State of Israel. Privatising water: a free drink for the occupation In 1982, Israel’s Mekorot water company took over responsibility for the water resources in the West Bank; by 2007, the company was state-owned. For Palestinians not linked to the water grid, mostly in Area C, water must be obtained from Mekorot filling stations. The most common form of dependency is through Mekorot-supplied Palestinian water institutions. The 80:20 water supply means that Palestinian water institutions have to purchase water from Mekorot in order to supply their customers; the water is often from aquafers in the West Bank. In short, Palestinians are buying their own water. “The lack of availability of Palestinian water resources has led to chronic shortages among Palestinian communities in Area C and a dependence on Mekorot” commented a UNHCR report. “Mekorot supplies almost half the water consumed by Palestinian communities.” Not surprisingly, Mekerot’s equity stands at $1.58 billion. Infrastructure of dissent and the possibility of a “water intifada” Since Oslo, the infrastructure for dissent which has characterised Palestinians’ relationship with Israel has become disaggregated, with the leadership class falling in line with the occupation through micromanagement of its most egregious consequences. The impending environmental security crisis which faces Palestinians over their access to water, is unprecedented; in the Gaza Strip, the situation is even worse. Power must be reclaimed at a grassroots level, through the resurrection of the ideals of “Sumud” (steadfastness), which drove the first intifada. Fastening these ideals onto the seizure of water by the Israeli occupation could galvanise a new movement, which brings other material realities into the forefront of contemporary Palestinian resistance. The indigenous movement in Bolivia ground the state to a halt by reacting to a new phase in their centuries-long oppression — the privatisation of their water. By resurrecting the ideals of insurrection, which has characterised contemporary Palestinian nationalism, a new phase in Palestinian resistance could emerge; one which links the occupation to the fundamentals of life in Palestine. * Nick Rodrigo is a research associate at the Afro-Middle East Centre in Johannesburg; his writing has appeared in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed * This article was first published in the Middle East Monitor Nick Rodrigo is a research associate at the Afro-Middle East Centre in Johannesburg; his writing has appeared in Al-Araby Al-Jadeed	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1814
__label__cc	0.62192	0.37808	Executive Order No. 25, s. 1942 OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 25 PRESCRIBING RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ALIENS Pursuant to the authority conferred upon me as Head of the Central Administrative Organization by Order No. 1 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines, and in accordance with the proclamation dated April 1, 1942, it is hereby ordered, upon the recommendation of the Executive Commission, that— 1. Every alien subject to the provisions of the Alien Registration Law shall, before the 31st of May of every calendar year, report in person to the Bureau of the Census and Statistics, if residing in the City of Greater Manila, or to the office of the respective city or municipal treasurer, if residing in another locality, unless prevented from so reporting in person by reason of internment or confinement in prison, hospital or other institutions, in which case he shall report within thirty days from the date of his release. The official in charge shall thereupon make a proper notation to that effect on the registration certificate, to which notation a one-peso documentay stamp furnished by the alien shall be affixed. The parent or legal guardian of an alien who is less than fourteen years of age, shall have the duty of reporting for such alien: Provided, That whenever any such alien attains his fourteenth birthday in the Philippines, he shall thereafter report in person and furnish the required one-peso documentary stamp once a year within the period and at the place above designated. 2. Aliens now residing in the Philippines, who have not yet registered in accordance with the provisions of the Alien Registration Law, shall apply for registration and fingerprinting within thirty days from the date this order takes effect, unless prevented from so registering by reason of internment or confinement in prison, hospital or other institutions, in which case they shall apply for registration within thirty days from the date of their release. The parent or legal guardian of an alien who is less than fourteen years of age, shall have the duty of registering such alien: Provided, That whenever any such alien attains his fourteenth birthday in the Philippines he shall, within thirty days thereafter, apply in person for registration and fingerprinting. 3. The term “alien” includes citizens or subjects of all countries other than the Empire of Japan and the Philippines. 4. The following are exempt from registration and fingerprinting: (a) A Filipino woman married to an alien whose name is not included or inscribed in the official registry of nationals or in the family record of the country of her husband. (b) A female alien married to a Filipino citizen, provided that she renounces her original citizenship. (c) A child born in the Philippines of an alien father and a Filipino mother, provided that he renounces the citizenship of his father after reaching the age of 14. The documents of renunciation mentioned in subsections (b) and (c) of this paragraph shall be made out under oath and registered in the Bureau of the Census and Statistics, if the person concerned resides in the City of Greater Manila, or in the office of the respective city or municipal treasurer, if in another locality. 5. Failure, without justifiable cause, to make the report required in paragraph 1 hereof shall cause the cancellation of the corresponding registration certificate. 6. Any alien required to apply for registration and to be fingerprinted who, without justifiable cause, fails or refuses to make such application or to be fingerprinted, and any parent or legal guardian required to apply for the registration of any alien who fails or refuses to file application for the registration of such alien, as required in paragraph 2 hereof, shall suffer the penalty provided for in existing law. 7. This Order shall take effect on April 16, 1942. Done in the City of Greater Manila, Philippines, this 1st day of April, 1942. (Sgd.) JORGE B. VARGAS Chairman of the Executive Commission Approved under authority of the following proclamation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces dated April 1, 1942: “The Imperial Japanese Forces hereby proclaims that all aliens shall duly register in accordance with rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Philippine Executive Commission, which shall perform the function relating thereto.”	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1815
__label__cc	0.704384	0.295616	(Biography/downloads) Bio (LU), Bio (DE), Bio (GB), Bio (FR) (Gallery/downloads) Marco1 Marco2 Marco3 Marco Pütz was born in Luxembourg on March 16th 1958. He studied music (saxophone, chamber music, harmony, counterpoint, composition and conducting) in Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg-City, Brussels and Liège (Belgium). Since 1987 he has composed more than 85 works, primarily for wind instruments and for Symphonic Wind Band, but also one musical for children, a string quartet, several compositions for chamber/symphony orchestra and a number of educational pieces. As of 2015 all his Symphony Orchestra works will be published by Edition Kunzelmann (CH). International recognation came in 1995 with the 1st prize at the International Clarinet Association Composition Contest for his work Quatuor pour Clarinettes. In 1996 Marco was awarded the 2d prize at the 2do Concorso Internationale Augusto Cagnan, Treviso (IT) for his Concertino for Horn & Wind Band. In 2012 he has been a twice finalist at the ITEA-Harvey Phillips Award for Excellence in Composition: Five open-ended pieces (tuba/euphonium octet) and Chapters of Life (Tuba Concerto). In June 2017 the ‘ Plaquette d’ Honneur ‘ of the UGDA (Union Grand-Duc Adolphe, Luxembourg) was awarded to him for his international achievements in wind band music. In October 2017, Marco received the prestigious ‘ BUMA International Brass Award ‘ (NL) as an acknowledgment for his compositions, especially for wind/fanfare orchestra. Marco Pütz is wellknown for his works for concert band, many of which have become standarts in the wind band repertoire throughout the world. Most of his works are published by: – Bronsheim Music (NL) http://www.bronsheim.nl – De Haske (NL) http://www.dehaske.com – Hal Leonard (USA) http://www.halleonard.com – Edition Kunzelmann (CH) http://www.kunzelmann.ch – Maecenas Music (GB) http://www.maecenasmusic.co.uk – Edition Tonger (DE) http://www.tonger.de – Editions H.Lemoine (M. Combre) (F) http://www.henry-lemoine.com – Sempre Più, Editions (F) http://www.semprepiu-editions.com Some 60 CDs including his compositions have been released since 1995: Antes/Bella Musica (DE), Bronsheim Music (NL), Amos (CH), Mirasound (NL), DeHaske (NL), Albany Records (USA), Mark Records (USA), GIA-Records (USA), Doyen Records (GB), SEL-Classics, etc….. The music of Marco Pütz has been performed in most European Countries as well as in Russia, USA, Canada, Australia and in Asia (China, Japan, South Corea, Taiwan and Singapore) by….. Luxembourg Military Band, Frysk Fanfare Orkest (NL), Banda Sinfonica da GNR (PT), The Calgary University Wind Ensemble, The Cincinnati College-Conservatory Wind Orchestra (USA), V. Ezhdik State Concert Wind Band (RUS), North Cheshire Wind Orchestra (GB), Militärmusik Kärnten (AT), DePaul University Wind Ensemble (USA), Sinfonisches Blasorchester Hessen (DE), The United States Army Field Band, Orchestre d’Harmonie des Guides de Bruxelles, Musique de l’Air de Paris, Nantes Philharmonie (F), North Texas Wind Symphony, Royal Australian Air Force Band, Les Solistes Européens Luxembourg (SEL), Orchestre de Chambre de Luxembourg (OCL) . . . . . . Quintette de Cuivres de Lorraine (FR), Tuba Consortium (LU), Chicago Clarinet Trio, Capriccio Clarinet Orchestra (BE), Ensemble SaXaS (LU), Quatuor Lucilin (LU), Quatuor Kreisler (LU), Quatuor Talich (CZ), Quatuor CoryFeye (BE), Quatuor Clari’Good (BE), pentaTon (CH) …….. Many compositions have also been performed at well known festivals, for example: WMC in Kerkrade (NL, 2001,2003,2005,2009,2013,2015,2017), Eidgenössisches Musikfest (CH, 2000), Alpine Music Festival (CH, 2000), International Clarinet Association (Atlanta, 2002), Mid Europe (AT, 2002/2004/2005), Musik im 20. Jahrhundert (DE, 1999/2000), Festival Radenci (SLO, 2002), WASBE-Conferences (Jönköping 2003, Singapore 2005, Killarney 2007, Cincinnati 2009, Chiayi-City, Taiwan 2011, Utrecht 2017), Midwest Clinic (Chicago, 2008), Triangle Festival (F, 2003), 1. Deutsches Bläserforum (Dortmund, 2004), BASBWE-Conference (Glasgow, 2007), XVIe Rencontre d’Ensembles de Violoncelles de Beauvais (F, 2008), Festival International d’Echternach (LU, 2008), Festival ” Les Quatuors à St.-Roch ” (Paris, 2009), 2012 ITEA-Competition (Linz, AT), CBDNA-Conference 2013, Greensboro (USA), EuropArt Festival (Brussels 2016, 2017, 2018), etc….. From July 2013 – July 2016 Marco has been a member of the WASBE-board. (WASBE=World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles). Visit WASBE: http://www.wasbe.org Since 1980, Marco Pütz has also taught saxophone, chamber music and instrumentation at the Conservatory of Luxembourg. He is a founding member of the Luxembourg Saxophone Quartet (1982-2006). From 1981-2006 he played the saxophone parts for the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1816
__label__wiki	0.999381	0.999381	Watch Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 15th February 2014 \| 15 Feb 2014 Online Episode by Unknown on 5:16 PM No comments Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 15th February 2014 Episode Online Watch, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Like Ok Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 15th February 2014 Episode Watch Online, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 15th February 2014 Episode, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 15th February 2014, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 15 February, Indian Yeh Hai Mohabbatein Serials, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein 02-15-2014 Hindi Serial Episode Watch Online Video Update HD 720p Link YouTube, Dailymotion. 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__label__wiki	0.988236	0.988236	Whitmer set to live in official governor's residence in Lansing The Michigan governor's mansion in Lansing. Beth LeBlanc \| The Detroit News Updated 3:09 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2018 Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer will live at the governor's official residence in Lansing, a home whose living quarters have sat empty since former Gov. Jennifer Granholm moved out at the end of 2010. At the beginning of his tenure in 2011, Gov. Rick Snyder chose instead to stay at his home in Superior Township while his youngest daughter, Kelsey, finished high school. He has commuted to Lansing throughout his eight years as governor. Whitmer, who currently lives in East Lansing, likely will finish moving into the residence after her inauguration in January, her spokesman Zack Pohl said. "The home already has security equipment in place," Pohl said in an email. "I'm not aware of any needed upgrades at this time." Snyder has used the official residences in Lansing and on Mackinac Island for official and ceremonial functions. The residences are owned by the state of Michigan but maintained through private donations. The 8,700-square-foot residence has five bedrooms and a private family room that includes a kitchenette and a fully commercial kitchen, among other amenities. The residence is a 1950s-style ranch home in an upscale Lansing neighborhood south of the Grand River. It was donated to the state by trucking magnate Howard Sober in 1969. Forty-five states own an officially designated governor’s residence, according to the Center on the American Governor at Rutgers University. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have never had such a home, according to the center, while Arizona, Idaho and Vermont had residences at one point but changed their purpose or sold them. Michigan's constitution requires the state to provide the governor with a residence and an allowance to maintain it. In 2010, a gubernatorial spokeswoman said it cost $50,000 a year to keep the residence lit, heated, cleaned and maintained even if no one lives there. The residence was given a $2.5 million privately funded facelift in 2004 to make it more family-friendly. The home on Mackinac Island, which the state has owned since 1944, includes 11 bedrooms, nine-and-a-half bathrooms and a full basement and that sits on a bluff overlooking the straits. The residence is open for weekly tours from June through August each year. eleblanc@detroitnews.com Originally Published 11:45 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2018 Updated 3:09 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2018	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1822
__label__wiki	0.922609	0.922609	Memorable Manitobans: John Sutherland (1837-1922) Farmer, MLA (1871-1874), MLA (1875-1878), municipal official. Born in a log cabin along the Red River at Kildonan, on 23 December 1837, son of Alexander Sutherland (1807-1883) and Chrisy McBeth, he attended school taught by John Pritchard. He farmed and, in 1855, freighted furs and commercial goods between St. Paul, Minnedosa and the Red River Settlement. He also hunted bison on the western prairies to the Rocky Mountains. Known as the “Scotchman,” in 1870 he represented the delegation sent to Upper Fort Garry to negotiate with Louis Riel the release of prisoners, which he successfully secured the following day. He was elected to the first legislative assembly of Manitoba for the Kildonan constituency in December 1870, receiving a majority of seven votes over his opponent, David Matheson. In the December 1874 general election, he was tied against John Fraser so a second writ was issued in April 1875, when he defeated John Henderson for the seat. He was appointed Minister of Public Works but refused the office owing to differences of opinion with other members of the cabinet. He was defeated in the 1878, 1879, and 1883 general elections by Alexander M. Sutherland and in the 1886 general election by John McBeth. He took an active interest in the church and community life of Kildonan. A founding member of the Kildonan Presbyterian Church, he was an elder for thirty years and the Sunday School Superintendent for a similar count of years. He served as a Councillor (1880-1881, 1888-1894) and Reeve (1898-1899) of the Rural Municipality of Kildonan. In 1892, he was elected Vice-President of the Northwest Fire Insurance Company. In 1862 he married Flora Polson (1844-1909) of Vancouver, British Columbia, daughter of Alexander Polson. They had five children: Christina A. Sutherland (1864-?, wife of Alex George Tait), John William Sutherland (1866-1924), Alexander Hugh Sutherland (1871-1952), Annie Jane Sutherland (1867-1924, wife of Thomas Whan Sibbald), and Janet Sutherland (1874-1951, wife of Duncan John Mason). He and his wife moved to the Pacific coast around August 1904, though by 1915 they had returned and were spending the winter with a son at his 482 Aikins Street residence in West Kildonan. He died on 31 May 1922 and was buried in the Kildonan Presbyterian Cemetery. 1881 and 1901 Canada censes, Library and Archives Canada. Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics. Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics. “City and Province [Mr. Alex Sutherland],” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 27 April 1883, page 8. “A parting of pioneers,” Manitoba Free Press, 22 June 1904, page 7. “Exceptionally mild winter,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 Feb 1915, page 16. “Looking backwards,” Manitoba Free Press, 11 February 1922, page 1. Death registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics. “Death calls member of first legislature,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 June 1922, page 15. “Descendant of early Manitoba pioneers dies,” newspaper clipping dated 1 June 1922. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B7, page 161] “Deaths and funerals [John William Sutherland],” Manitoba Free Press, 6 May 1924, page 7. “Death of Mrs T. W. Sibbald regretted in Old Kildonan,” Manitoba Free Press, 12 April 1924, page 43. “T.W. Sibbald dies after short illness,” Manitoba Free Press, 2 October 1928, page 6. This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough. Page revised: 2 December 2018	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1823
__label__cc	0.607903	0.392097	McGowan MDO MGU The Famous McGowan Service McGowan Program Administrators McGowan Excess & Casualty McGowan, Donnelly & Oberheu, LLC McGowan Governmental Underwriters McGowan Risk Specialists The McGowan Companies are now one of the largest, oldest, and most profitable enterprises of its type in the United States. Founded more than a half century ago by Thomas B. McGowan II, The McGowan Companies has grown from a small retail agency with one location into a group of five core insurance companies spread out across the country. Home » Who We Are » Our History The McGowan story began in 1954, when Thomas B. McGowan II moved to the Midwest from New York. Born in Brooklyn in 1911, Mr. McGowan II entered the insurance industry as a young man and rose through the ranks on the carrier side of the business. Realizing that his dream was to own and run his own business, and seeing an opportunity on the agency side, Mr. McGowan left New York behind took his family to Cleveland, and started McGowan & Company, Inc. Working out of a back-room in downtown Cleveland, Mr. McGowan II began to build and grow his dream. Soon he had expanded to the point that he needed more space, and moved the operations to a building in Fairview Park, Ohio. After working as an attorney for several years (including on several US Supreme Court cases) his son, Thomas B. McGowan III C.P.C.U., J.D., entered into the family retail agency in 1973. Mr. McGowan II and III worked together for nearly a decade doing both personal and commercial work. It was an interesting time to join an insurance agency because of the dynamics of the insurance market. Capacity was being pulled back. Carriers were wary of writing large commercial accounts without large premiums, which priced many consumers out of the market. Nonetheless, the two worked together dynamically, and by the time Mr. McGowan II retired, the one man firm had grown into to a thriving retail agency employing 25. A New Direction Congress began to take note of the difficult underwriting conditions and, besieged by requests for help from its constituents (most often commercial entities and municipalities), responded to the market by enacting amendments to the 1981 Product Liability Risk Retention Act. The new legislation, the Federal Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986 (the Act), created two vehicles to assist in the purchase of liability insurance: risk retention groups (RRGs) and purchasing groups (PGs). Recognizing the effects of the 1986 Liability Risk Retention Act, Thomas B. McGowan III set the organization on a new course; transforming the local retail agency into a National Purchasing Group and Program Manager. He imagined that the future of the company was not in selling individual policies to individual consumers, but rather in selling a class leading, innovative product and providing McGowan service to Agents across the US. Because of Mr. McGowan III’s foresight and innovation, McGowan & Company was the first company of its kind to enter the market. As one of the first groups in existence, McGowan & Company truly set the standard for what a purchasing group was and could be. The first account was written into the program in 1986. Since that first policy was written, Thomas B. McGowan III has retired, and Thomas B. McGowan IV J.D. M.B.A has taken over as President of The McGowan Companies. Thomas B. McGowan IV (or IV as many call him) has continued to lead the company with the innovation, dedication, and service that made McGowan & Company successful. During his tenure, Thomas B. McGowan IV has focused on delivering products to our brokers which allow them to distinguish themselves from their competition, while at the same time delivering extraordinary long-term profitability to our carriers. Recognizing that McGowan received a significant number of applications which would not fit into it “niche” program business, and in addition recognizing the need for a truly “one-stop” Managing General Underwriter, Thomas B. McGowan IV scoured the market for opportunities and, in 2005, set up Statehouse Casualty Managers in New Jersey. Headed by two industry Veterans, Statehouse Casualty was intended to be the “overflow” facility for submissions which would not fit into the programs. Approximately two years later, McGowan & Company purchased The Windward Group for the same reason. The Windward Group brought expertise into the company and expanded the retail network through which McGowan could distribute its products. Seeing that the Professional and Management Liability was a specialty market which needed a highly skilled group of underwriters, Mr. McGowan IV partnered with two industry veterans to form McGowan, Donnelly, and Oberheu LLC. In 2011, in order to avoid confusion in the Marketplace, McGowan and Company rebranded itself as “The McGowan Companies.” The McGowan Companies are composed of McGowan Program Administrators (The former McGowan & Company, Inc.), McGowan Excess & Casualty (a merger of Statehouse Casualty Managers and The Windward Group), and McGowan, Donnelly, & Oberheu (Professional Liability Risks). On May 1st, 2012 The McGowan Companies purchased the assets of Allied Insurance Brokers, Inc. (“Allied’) which is headquartered in Marriottsville, MD. Founded in 1996, Allied is a managing general underwriter specializing in writing package programs for commercial real estate, apartments, condominium associations, and religious organizations. By combining forces with Allied, we have created a “one-stop” shop for our brokers to obtain the finest insurance products for Commercial Real Estate, Apartments and Condominium Associations. On April 23rd, 2013 The McGowan Companies purchased assets of Governmental Underwriters of America, Inc (GUA). Founded in 2006, GUA was known throughout Ohio as the premier of Public Entity insurance (municipalities and school districts). GUA now operates under the newly formed “McGowan Governmental Underwriters” (MGU) brand. The formation of the “McGowan Governmental Underwriters” brand consolidates all of McGowan’s Public Entity operations into one facility. MGU’s Umbrella products are available in all 50 states, while MGU’s package products initially will be available in OH and PA (with more states coming soon). On July 1st, 2013 The McGowan Companies purchased the assets of Professional Risk Placements, LLC (“PRP”). Established in 1996, PRP headquartered in Eatontown, New Jersey was one of the pre-eminent writers of Professional & Management Liability on the East Coast. PRP now operates under the newly-formed “McGowan Risk Specialists” (“MRS”) brand. McGowan Risk Specialists is a wholesale brokerage that focuses on the placement of all Professional Liability, Management Liability, Media/Technology, Environmental, Medical, and other Miscellaneous classes. On March 1st, 2014 The McGowan Companies has purchased the assets of Breed’s Hill Insurance Agency (Breed’s Hill). Established in 1996, Breed’s Hill was one of the largest and most respected Managing General Agency’s in the New England habitational market. Breed’s Hill now operates under the McGowan Risk Specialists (MRS) brand. The MRS Boston office will be a facility dedicated to Real Estate that is placed in the Excess & Surplus Lines market. The initial product offerings include Property, General Liability and Equipment Breakdown for all classes of Real Estate. In March of 2016, The McGowan Companies purchased a specialty book of business from an undisclosed national home guaranty company. The acquisition added to McGowan’s existing Professional Liability E&O programs for real estate agents, property manager and appraisers. Also in 2016, The McGowan Companies purchased certain assets from an undisclosed regional retail insurance agency comprised of commercial P&C book of business and staff focused on the amusement space (carnivals, family entertainment centers, arcades, amusement parks, water parks and skating centers). Now known as McGowan Amusement Group – we have since become one of the leading writers of amusement and related risks in the U.S. In 2017 McGowan purchased the assets of North American Professional Liability Insurance Agency, LLC (“NAPLIA”) a leading Program Administrator providing E&O coverage for accountants, bookkeepers and CPA firms. NAPLIA has since been rebranded as McGowan Program Administrators (“MPA”) and has enjoyed exponential growth since becoming part of the McGowan family. Also in 2017, The McGowan Companies purchased certain assets from an undisclosed regional retail insurance agency comprised of personal and commercial lines insurance for professional athletes, entertainers, sports agencies, and other sports entities. Known as Professional Athletes & Entertainers (PAE) – it has become one of the leading writers of insurance in the sports and entertainment space. In 2018 McGowan purchased New Empire Group, Ltd.’s Property Managers E&O Program. Under this agreement, McGowan will become the program administrator for this program, effective 2/1/2018. McGowan is one of the leading underwriters of Professional Liability (“E&O”) for Property Managers in the U.S. Its program provides specialized coverage to thousands of real estate professionals. Also in 2018, The McGowan Companies purchased the assets of Edgewater Holdings, Inc. which specializes in working with insurance brokers to develop “private label” D&O, E&O, EPLI, Cyber, and Workers Compensation programs. Now rebranded as McGowan Program Administrators (“MPA”) – Franchise Programs & IT Based Distribution – we are a leading writer of D&O, E&O, EPLI, and WC programs for franchise systems, particularly in the Hospitality/Restaurant space. The McGowan Companies have remained stable, reliable, and versatile in a volatile and ever-changing marketplace. Our companies’ success was founded on providing the finest service in the industry. We still aspire to that level of service today. We hope that you are able to discover the benefits of working with McGowan, and become one of our long lasting relationships, so that when you think insurance, you Think McGowan.TM McGowan & New York City Hospitality Alliance Announce Sponsored Insurance Program McGowan Program Administrators (“McGowan”) and the New York City Hospitality Alliance (“The Alliance”) have signed an agreement for McGowan to become the Exclusive Program Administrator for a Property & Casualty insurance program designed for the 24,000+ eating and drinking establishments in New York City. The Alliance is a non-profit association whose members include restaurants, bars, […] It’s A New Age…With New Risks! Credit cards and debit cards have become ubiquitous. They are convenient. Everyone takes them. They truly are replacing cash in most consumer interactions. While many carnivals and concessionaires still live in an all cash world, more and more are moving toward accepting credit and debit cards. Recently, I did a very un-scientific study by checking […] ©2019 The McGowan Companies. All rights reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1828
__label__wiki	0.651435	0.651435	El-Sisi Honors ‘NTL’ Presidential Initiative Graduates Date published: 15 October 2017 President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi participated, today, in the graduation ceremony of the Next Technology Leaders (NTL) presidential initiative, launched as an interactive learning platform, aimed at qualifying young people and training them on the latest technology disciplines. The Ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, the Minister of Defense and Military Production Sedki Sobhy, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Yasser ElKady and a number of ministers, senior officials and public figures. Prior to the start of the ceremony, El-Sisi inspected an exhibition showcasing the projects of school students, trained within the NTL framework, where they talked about their innovations and inventions in the ICT fields. The ICT Minister gave a speech at the beginning of the ceremony, in which he ascertained that Egyptian youth possess several qualifications that contribute to achieving economic and technological growth and reaching the ranks of developed countries. ElKady pointed out that Egypt ranked first in AT Kearney's report, 2017 in the Middle East and Africa, and the 14th at the world’s level as a destination for the outsourcing industry. Egypt is also included in Gartner’s Report for 2016-2017 as one of the best destinations in the EMEA region. ElKady, also, added that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) supervises the NTL initiative to provide a comprehensive framework that includes several programs for the development of human capacity. He said that a number of 5,000 graduates received training and qualifying courses, obtained international certificates, in cooperation with leading companies and the largest universities in the world. El-Sisi viewed a video broadcast, via videoconference, from New Assiut Technology Park, where the opening of an innovation cluster in the Park was announced. He was also briefed, by a number of young people, on the role of the Park in qualifying and training them within the framework of the Initiative to implement their projects and provide them with job opportunities. The President expressed his admiration for the projects presented by the youth, congratulating them on their success. He also learnt about the trainees' proposals on how to increase the benefits of programs offered within the Initiative and how to increase their numbers. Through a live broadcast from Borg Al Arab Technology Park, El-Sisi viewed a presentation, given by a group of children trained in the Park, about their innovations and inventions through which they are competing in many international contests in the field of modern technology. The President also viewed a live broadcast from Smart Village, where a female participant in the "Entreprenelle" initiative, gave a presentation. “Entreprenelle" initiative aims to train girls in the IT entrepreneurship, empowering and helping them implement their projects in different fields. A documentary film about the NTL Initiative was presented, including a presentation on its objectives, and examples of a number of calibers trained through the NTL training programs, including a number of People with Disabilities (PwDs) who were qualified through the Initiative, aiming to assist and enable them to start their careers. Furthermore, a number of young people and PwDs, who benefited from the grants offered by MCIT and training programs offered by NTL Initiative, talked about their achievements, and how they realized local and international successes and won in various international competitions. A representative of Synopsys Inc.— one of the world's leading software companies— talked about his company's choice of Egypt as its partner in the region. He stated that the availability of creative minds in Egypt and the confidence of the company in Egypt’s market contributed to encouraging it to take this step. Synopsys considers establishing a Center of Excellence (CoE) which will contribute to opening new horizons for the software industry in Egypt, and transforming it from a country that only uses or applies software to a developed country and partner in creating the future. The President welcomed Synopsys’s activity in Egypt and expressed his wish for establishing a CoE, and his readiness to provide all means of support to achieve this step. El-Sisi also agreed to fulfill a request made by one of the young women with disabilities, who asked for expanding and multiplying the grants and training programs offered in the IT field. Moreover, the President honored these young people, being models of success, by giving them the shield of the Initiative. At the conclusion of the ceremony, El-Sisi gave a speech in which he congratulated MCIT and the Armed Forces on the implementation of this Initiative, which deserves all the State’s support. He stated that Egypt has a bundle of competencies, however a problem lies in the inability to identify them and benefit from them. The President underscored the need to provide selection mechanisms that help to select competencies and provide training and qualifying programs that could contribute to pushing efficient young people to hold leadership positions in the State. El-Sisi stated that there had been a reluctance to establish technology parks nationwide, fearing of lack of interest, especially in Upper Egypt. However, the unprecedented turnout in Upper Egypt encouraged the State to maintain establishing such parks. Four parks have been completed, and work is underway on the completion of three other parks that will be inaugurated soon. The President ascertained that the great opportunities provided by the programs adopted by MCIT and the Armed Forces are pushing for more funding for these programs. He agreed to double the funding to 400 million Egyptian pounds. At the end of the event, El-Sisi underlined the need to highlight the success stories that give hope and confidence and help overcome the challenges in Egypt. He referred to the significance of paying attention to the young people who have a strong will to create a better future, including young people with disabilities who are strong willed and challenge the circumstances. Furthermore, El-Sisi commissioned the Government to form a committee to consider the development of programs that aim to select the best qualified competent young people for providing them with training. The President highlighted the State’s support for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), which contribute to promoting industries and crafts nationwide. 13 June 2017 MCIT Provides Fully-Subsidized NTL Training Programs to Target Groups 28 December 2016 MCIT Implements NTL Initiative Related Webcasts A Documentary Film on Next Technology Leaders Initiative Time: 12:34 Size: 44:8 MB Date Published: 15 Oct 2017 ICT Minister Speech at ‘NTL’ Presidential Initiative Graduation Ceremony Time: 08:42 Size: 41:03 MB El-Sisi Speech at ‘NTL’ Presidential Initiative Graduation Ceremony Time: 07:40 Size: 132 MB Information Technology Institute \| ITI Information Technology Development Industry Agency \| ITIDA National Telecommunication Institute \| NTI Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center \| TIEC Next Technology Leaders \| NTL	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1829
__label__cc	0.664083	0.335917	Lessons from Cross-Cultural Disputes International Mediation, Learn Mediation What do mediators learn from cross-cultural disputes? So what do mediators learn cross-culturally? They learn that in some cultures what is said is not the end of the matter it is merely the words of the matter. That what that means is informed by who said it, where and what, sitting where, looking how, after what sort of time frame, and in what social setting? And if you don’t know that, you assume as we do in the English speaking world, that the words are everything. So the first cross-cultural principal is quite literally that the words are only part of the message. Now we’ve all been to communication workshops where they say non-verbal blah, blah, blah. Yes, that’s absolutely right, but beyond the non-verbal is the cultural. So if I believe you, Aled, but if the same thing was said by your ten your old son, I’d take it with a grain of salt, you know what I’m talking about. If you said, our family home is full of argument, I would think wow, it would be an exciting dinner table with dad and the boys and mum all going at it hammer and tongs. No I don’t. Yes, I agree with that. No, we don’t agree with that. That’s wonderful. But if you’re son said to me, my family dining table is full of conflict. I might call the authorities. Because he might be saying, I can’t bear it and it’s affecting how I work at school. So who does it? We know that stuff. We do this. We know that if a child says it, it’s different than if an adult says it. But if in some cultures people say one thing, they might mean another. Joanna has been working with groups as a mediator for over 20years in highly sensitive inter-racial and political settings all over the world. In 2001 she became chairman of LEADR, Australia’s largest non for profit dispute resolution organisation and in 2006 became a visiting fellow at LEADR. She was a member of the administrative appeals tribunal for 10 years and later a member of the National Native Title Tribunal where she mediated land cla... View Mediator Who is Joanna Kalowski? Tension in the Court Room Managing Disputing Party Anxiety Building Party Confidence Why Cross-Cultural Mediation? Native Title Experience with Native Title in Australia Cultural Obstacles in Conflict Cross-Cultural Mediation Skills Traps in Cross-Cultural Mediation Contact Joanna Kalowski	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1830
__label__wiki	0.591508	0.591508	Cheap Labor Required: Mexican Arms Helping the U.S. Grow after World War II Elizabeth Coonrod Martínez pp. i-2 View full resolution Alfredo Zalce, Braceros esperando la contratación para ir a los E.U. / (Braceros Waiting for a Contract to Go to the U.S.), 1972, linocut, N.N., 24 ¾″ × 34 ″ (paper size), National Museum of Mexican Art Permanent Collection, 1987.31, Gift of the artist to the Museum. [End Page i] With great pleasure we present this special issue on a pivotal moment of mid-20th century U.S. history, when an extensive population of Mexican laborers performed hard labor and helped fortify U.S. agricultural production. Known as the Bracero Program, this early arrangement between business and government (both U.S. and Mexican) sought to fill an urgent need for labor by seeking “guest workers.” Since such a categorization is currently being debated, it is a strategic moment to study the impact of the Bracero Program on previous guest workers. The English and History professors who teamed to create this focus, Drs. Bill Johnson González and Mireya Loza, together with the scholars whose work they recruited, are mostly junior scholars, bringing new research to discussion and dialogue. Their idea grew upon organizing a well-attended symposium at DePaul University in 2014, titled “Opening the Archives: Legacies of the Bracero Program.” Some of those presenters, and other scholars, now provide a fascinating interdisciplinary approach to understanding of the Bracero Program. The lead article here describes an undertaking by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to create a special exhibit, “Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942–1964,” which includes photographs and audio excerpts. After its opening in 2010, the exhibit traveled to museums in Arizona, California, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada and Texas, where local examples and artifacts were added to the interactive display. Other articles include the treatment of laborers as unhealthy bodies; the inner workings and ramifications of union organizing and strikes; considerations of citizenship and food production; transnational and U.S. categorizations; and Bracero popular culture in film and song. The term bracero in Spanish stands for “one who works using his arms,” i.e., a manual laborer. In the 1940s, Mexico was still recuperating from its nearly two decades-long struggle of the 1910 Revolution. Outlying rural communities had been ravaged by the war; no livestock and little food means remained. Many people were starving. Some migrated to Mexico City, finding only meager wages for menial jobs. Thus, the opportunity for work and wages in the U.S. as guest workers—in a deal brokered between the two nations—was of great appeal. However, the problems of bureaucracy caused extreme delays and further starvation. While many laborers did gain short-term opportunities, longstanding traumas are also evident in these studies and personal accounts. For the U.S. during the Second World War and afterward—when women worked in the factories and male labor was severely reduced—work by Mexican laborers, in the agricultural fields, cotton picking, seasonal canneries, etc., was crucial to the increased production of the mid-20th century (which favored the Baby Boom generation). As the contracting process became lengthier, U.S. farm owners began to encourage and receive workers without papers, so that they could bring in their harvests. This created a combination of avenues taken by Mexican laborers which made possible the consistent arrival of produce to U.S. markets. Some Mexican braceros and other laborers also worked short stints in factories or navy yards. The interviews in this issue are with former braceros, first-hand experiences which are important to the historical record. One excerpted interview—from the oral histories collection available on the Smithsonian website (www.braceroarchive.org)—describes some of the mandatory inspections (and DDT spraying) that were conducted by officials at the border. Since most oral histories that have been collected are in Spanish, we decided to provide an English translation of this account. The other two interviews were conducted by relatives of braceros: a DePaul student, and a young scholar on the West Coast, each of whom wanted to document the memories and experiences of these older gentlemen. Their interviews constitute...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1832
__label__cc	0.595052	0.404948	Views: 1,799... Since: 10/2018, Id#:586 My Pleroma-Universe Christian Rosenkreutz & The Twelve World Initiators fb - Rick Distasi Rudolf Steiner: “The development of the child's soul proceeded harmoniously under the influences pouring from the twelve wise men. And so the child grew up, under the unceasing care of the Twelve. Then, at a certain time, when the child had grown into a young man of about 20, he was able to give expression to something that was a kind of reflex of the twelve streams of wisdom — but in a form altogether new, new even to the twelve wise men. The metamorphosis was accompanied by violent organic changes. Even physically the child had been quite unlike other human beings; he was often very ill and his body became transparent, as though filled with light. Then there came a time when for some days the soul departed altogether from the body. The young man lay as if dead ... And when the soul returned it was as though the twelve streams of wisdom were born anew. He spoke of new experiences. There had come to him, from the Mystery of Golgotha, an experience similar to that of Paul before Damascus. Thereby it was possible for all the twelve world-conceptions, religious and scientific — and fundamentally there are only twelve — to be gathered together, synthesised in one. The twelve basic world-conceptions were gathered together into one whole which could do justice to them all.” (1)There are two points of interest in the above excerpt which need to be addressed. One point is Rudolf Steiner's reference to 12 streams of wisdom. Throughout the lecture he addresses these twelve streams. He speaks of the streams of wisdom carried over by Seven Holy Rishis of Atlantis and all of the wisdom which they brought to bear in the 13th century initiation of Christian Rosenkreutz. He also speaks of the streams of wisdom of the 5 Post-Atlantean cultural epochs. In addition to these 12 streams of wisdom which emanate from human souls are the twelve streams of cosmic forces which emanate from the Twelve World Initiators of the zodiacal constellations. Rudolf Steiner speaks of these Twelve World Initiators in lecture X of his cycle, Man in the Light of Occultism, Theosophy and Philosophy. These zodiacal cosmic forces permeated the souls of the twelve who were present at the time of the 13th century initiation of Christian Rosenkreutz. Each of the twelve individuals who were present functioned as a portal for one constellation apiece. It is these zodiacal forces of the Twelve World Initiators which give form to the human body; most specifically to the phantom body. They were the forces which brought about the “violent organic changes” of which Rudolf Steiner mentions. These cosmic forces induced the physical changes which made it possible for Christian Rosenkreutz's body to become, “transparent, as though filled with light.” In the same lecture, Rudolf Steiner made the following comment: “An Individuality of extraordinary spirituality was incarnated in this child. It was necessary, in this case, for a process to be enacted which will never be repeated in the same form.” For a time throughout this process, Christian Rosenkreutz's physical body was transitioning from a mineral body to exclusively a phantom body. The mineral aspects of his physical body had temporarily dissipated to which the phantom body became translucent. Rudolf Steiner made it clear that this particular procedure, “will never be repeated again in the same form.” What transpired in this process was a human mineral body had transitioned into a phantom body within an unprecedented brief amount of time in comparison to the remaining course of human physical evolution. This was done at the human level. Similarly, the mineral body of Christ Jesus became translucent within a brief amount of time after the crucifixion. This was when the mineral body had been reduced to ashes and was taken into the earth by means of a fissure within the floor of the tomb. In this initiation, Christian Rosenkreutz was in some ways simulating what Christ had achieved soon after the crucifixion. All of this was made possible by the Twelve World Initiators streaming their forces through the twelve individuals who were encircled around Christian Rosenkreutz. What poured through them flowed into Christian Rosenkreutz. During the process of Christian Rosenkreutz's 13th century initiation, the future advancements of human evolution were exponentially condensed into this acutely short time frame. What transpired for Christian Rosenkreutz during this process will take humanity many lifetimes to ultimately achieve. Rudolf Steiner also spoke of the following: “Then there came a time when for some days the soul departed altogether from the body. The young man lay as if dead ... And when the soul returned it was as though the twelve streams of wisdom were born anew.” The absence of his soul repeated his length of death as Lazarus; 3½ days. Prior to this Lazarus was in a coma for four days. In some ways, his 13th century initiation reenacted his initiation at the time of Christ. In the 13th century initiation, however, Christian Rosenkreutz was assuming the phantom body which was previously present on Easter morning and was seen as the young man in the tomb. This same archetypal human phantom body was the entelechy which was assumed on Easter morning by the merging of John the Baptist and the Lukan Jesus; Jesus of Nazareth. This was the phantom body that had previously been in gestation for nine months prior to Easter morning. The Easter phantom body began its conception on the summer solstice of June 21, 32 C.E with the beginning stages of the initiation of Lazarus; the rich young ruler of whom we read in the gospels. Lazarus was resurrected from the dead on July 8, 32 C.E. However, this human archetypal phantom body was born on April 5. 33 C.E.; nine months after the summer solstice of 32 C.E. (Please see my article: Lazarus: The Rich, Young Ruler). Over this nine month period, the Easter phantom body had passed through the planetary and celestial influences afforded to it during that time. It was a phantom body which Christ, John the Baptist, Lazarus and the Twelve World Initiators had formulated during this nine month period. It was this phantom body which John the Baptist and the Lukan Jesus, together as One, had assumed on Easter morning to which Mary Magdalene and the other women witnessed. This was the identical translucent body of light which Christian Rosenkreutz had assumed for a time during his initiation in the 13th century. The three events consisting of the initiation and raising of Lazarus, the young man in the tomb on Easter morning and the initiation of Christian Rosenkreutz in the 13th century are all linked together by means of this phantom body. The twelve primary cosmic forces which continue to flow into this archetypal phantom body originate from the Twelve World Initiators. According to Rudolf Steiner they are also known as the World-Word. ' Reposted with permission from; fb - Rick Distasi. ' 'Giving permission to repost; does not necessarily imply endorsement of this website author(s) personal beliefs.' fb - Rick Distasi-twelve-world-initiators	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1833
__label__cc	0.683685	0.316315	Blockade Billy by Stephen King Stephen King is a baseball fan. I am a baseball fan. What’s notable about this? Aside from the superficial connection of two Americans enjoying America’s favorite pastime, not much… Then Stephen King wrote Blockade Billy, a novella about the dark past of a briefly prominent baseball player. How does this change the aforementioned connection? It doesn’t It just means that this baseball fan had the opportunity to enjoy that baseball fan’s ode to old school baseball. From Goodreads: Even the most die-hard baseball fans don’t know the true story of William “Blockade Billy” Blakely. He may have been the greatest player the game has ever seen, but today no one remembers his name. He was the first–and only–player to have his existence completely removed from the record books. Even his team is long forgotten, barely a footnote in the game’s history. Every effort was made to erase any evidence that William Blakely played professional baseball, and with good reason. Blockade Billy had a secret darker than any pill or injection that might cause a scandal in sports today. His secret was much, much worse… and only Stephen King, the most gifted storyteller of our age, can reveal the truth to the world, once and for all. 2007 was a tough sports year for me. I am from Boston, but live in Colorado. 2007 was the year that the Boston Red Sox played the Colorado Rockies in the World Series (which I went to, cross that off my life list). They are my two favorite teams and they played against each other. The good news: Boston won another World Series. The bad news: Colorado epically lost the World Series. As bad as that loss was for Colorado, it wasn’t nearly as devastating as what the Newark Titans face in Stephen King’s novella Blockade Billy. The story is narrated by George “Granny” Grantham, reluctant retiree and current zombie hotel resident. Granny’s narration is a pleasant mix of profanity and a deep love for the game as it was played in the 1950’s – by hard hitting, steroid free, nearly anonymous men earning only a pittance. Blockade Billy is a light, yet dark read about a player you’d love to see in action, but fear any other time . It’s no secret that King is a die-hard BoSox fan (just read a few of his novels, references abound) and thus it’s satisfying to read a story where the author’s love for the subject shines through. Is it essential King? No. Is it essential for fans of King? Probably. Despite the fact that it’s a low-grade horror novella about a lost 1950’s baseball season, it’s lovely to read about an era in baseball where the game was more important than stardom or salary. So don’t get me started on the current affairs of the New York Yankees. There is a saying among New Englanders: My two favorite teams are the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees. Indeed. So what’s better than a mysteriously erased baseball season, a talented, but simple orphan, and a seemingly abandoned farm? I’ll tell you. It’s a semi-fictitious creature that starts out as an undeveloped embryo embedded in the brain, ends up a vicious killer, but only desires to be a pulp fiction writer. However, I like both scenarios. Whether writing about a lost baseball season or a violent pulp fiction writer, King is worth reading. So, baseball. There is very little I would eat at a baseball stadium, not the burgers, not the nachos, and most definitely not the hot dogs. I might eat a pretzel and if there’s a choice, this is the one I’d pick. Book ReviewNovellaThe Stephen King ProjectVegetarian Recipe February 2, 2013 by Rory Not Your Average Travelogue: A Top Ten List Beach Reading 2014: A Top Ten List	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1834
__label__cc	0.517665	0.482335	White Gum Creek I know it's been an age since I updated the blog -sorry and I hope that you'll all forgive me. Life certainly got in the way of things. :( However even though last year wasn't particularly stellar but I did manage to write one book and it's just been released. White Gum Creek is about a man who believes that he's lost everything and deserves nothing For years he's kept to himself in a self imposed captivity and that's the way he likes it. But all things change and maybe... just maybe, Nick has been given a second chance at life. Nick Langtree first made an appearance in my last novel, Country Roads. At the time, I thought he was a good foil for one of my main characters. But the more I thought about him, the more I decided that Nick deserved his own story. So I hope that you'll come along with me to White Gum Creek and help rescue my favourite recluse. Nicholas Langtree has been hiding out on his farm, Winters Hill ever since the death of his wife. He keeps to himself and that’s the way he likes it. The town’s folk over the years have tried to help him but he’s pushed them all away. Nick has seen a lot of heartache, so much that it's almost broken him but can he get past it to finally start living again? Natasha (Tash) Duroz, the owner of the Gumnut Bakery tries to engage him into conversation each time he comes into town. There’s something about him that draws Tash in but what she has to discover is what she feels pity or something more? Nick has been the target of minor vandalism over the years but as he begins to connect with the outside world it escalates. Is someone out to hurt him or have the years of solitude distorted his mind? White Gum Creek is available in both print and e-format. As always, thanks for stopping by! Nicole xx	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1840
__label__wiki	0.629407	0.629407	Home » History » During Invasion » Invasion Royal Commission 'The condition of the natives' Perth WA 1905 More evidence, more recommendations and more mistreatment, dis-empowerment and dispossession. How many Royal Commissions do you need to treat First Nations people with dignity and allow us to be who we are, and be free from all the disasters and gross abuse of decolonisation. The righteous and paternalistic non-Indigenous people on this continent haven't changed one little bit in 227 years. Click image to enlarge/expand Dispossessed and homeless. Native Camp, Strelley Street, Busselton, in 1901, near Henry Prinsep’s home, Little Holland House, on the Vasse River. These people are possibly Karajarri traditional owners, camped in the vicinity of 'LaGrange bay' rations station after being forcibly dispossessed from their tribal lands. 'Natives' at a Pilbara station, Corunna Downs, 1905. Some of the children were fathered by white men, who were often set away to work as domestics or farm labourers in other location. Image 1 of 2: 'Girls living under the stone age system' Source: Gov't Human Rights website Image 2 of 2: ‘Native girls living under civilised conditions’ Source: Gov't Human Rights website 1896: Aboriginal prisoners in chains are photographed outside Roebourne Gaol. The ‘half-castes’ of Ellensbrook in 1902, from left to right: Ivy, Miss Griffiths, Tommy, Emil-Penny, Mary, Frank, Dora and Jennie (Jean Jane) Councillor Report of the Royal Commission on the conditions of the natives, Perth 2005 pdf An excerpt - Full report in pdf file above (1.) THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ABORIGINES DEPARTMENT. The Chief Protector of Aborigines has no legal status [207]*, while his authority as head of the Department controlling the welfare and protection of the natives is a divided one [206], and may be even ignored; indeed, so far as the labour conditions of aborigines are concerned, honorary justices are invested with greater powers. With the exception of his Clerk-Accountant he has no subordinate officers from whom, as a matter of right, he can command obedience in the execution of his instructions, though it is true that other Government officers are assisting him, but only as a matter of courtesy [210-13, 843]. There are believed to be only one or two Protectors of Aborigines gazetted: one Resident Magistrate believes and acts as one from an ex officio point of view [1902]. The Chief Protector daily meets with difficulties in regard to not possessing necessary powers for even enforcing the provisions of the present imperfect Acts and, until quite recently, in his efforts to obtain redress for the representations made on behalf of the natives admittedly under his care, has not met with that encouragement which he had a right to expect [216-8]. All the Resident Magistrates examined approve of decentralisation in the working of the Department [324, 898-9, 1629,1921], an approval recommended by the Chief Protector himself [208], in the sense that there should be one person responsible for each district and that one responsible to Head Office. One man cannot thoroughly understand the whole State, the work being much [1629]: what the whole thing really requires is constant, active, report personal supervision, there being so many chances for abuses [1921] It should not be in the power of any justice to interfere [643] with this local, as distinguished from the Chief, Protector. In the opinion of another witness, in the West Kimberley District, honorary justices ought to have nothing whatever to do with aboriginal matters. Sometimes such an individual, on account of his treatment to natives, is not even fit to be a justice, nor is his proposed appointment to such a position necessarily referred to the Resident Magistrate [1975-7]. Your Commissioner recommends legislation on the lines of Sections 3 to 10 of the Aborigines Bill as laid before Parliament this last session: "A Bill for an Act to make provision for the better protection and care of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of Western Australia." Amongst the duties of the Chief Protector, additional to those defined in this Bill would be the regular inspection of all aboriginal institutions subsidised by the Government. The Clerk-Accountant should be relieved of his accountant's work [220-2], which could be transferred to the Treasury, where vouchers would be paid only on the Chief Protector's certificate. As clerk he would thus have more time to devote to his specially departmental duties, and train himself for the position of Acting Chief Protector when that gentleman is away on his annual inspection work. With regard to the local Protectors, each should act as the assistant and deputy of the Chief Protector, and should report to him, and communicate direct with him in all matters or aboriginal interest: Each should forward to him a monthly return or all convictions, prosecutions, and relief issued in his district as well as an annual report. As these local Protectors will have extra duties and heavy responsibilities, great care should be exercised in their appointment - a matter in which the Chief Protector should necessarily have a say: where possible, use should be made or the Resident Magistrates or senior police officers. Honoraria varying from £50 to £25 per annum should be given for these extra, services. (2.) THE EMPLOYMENT OF ABORIGINAL NATIVES UNDER CONTRACTS OF SERVICE AND INDENTURES OF APPRENTICESHIP. Aborigines are employed with or without contracts, and under indentures of apprenticeship. A. With Contracts (50 Vic., No. 25, Part II). - Intended for service on land only and for aborigines of 14 years of age and upwards, the particular form of contract and attesting certificate is permissive, even the one at present in force not being strictly in accordance with that laid down in the schedule to the Act. In order to protect the interests of the native as to age, absence of coercion, etc., the attesting certificate has to be signed by a Justice of the Peace, a Protector of Aborigines, or some proper person specially appointed by the Resident Magistrate. The interests of the native are certainly not protected against the fitness or unfitness of his or her future employer, there being nothing [17] to prevent the greatest scoundrel unhung, European or Asiatic, putting under contract any blacks he pleases. It must be admitted that it is permissible for the Minister (61 Vic., No.5, Sec. 11) to cancel, owing to the employer's unfitness, a contract when once made, but as at the same time there is nothing to prevent working a native without contract, such a prohibition is valueless. Furthermore, the contract may be entered into without the sanction or knowledge of the Chief [15] or other Protector, and without the opinion of the local chiefs of police being consulted [334, 616, l080] indeed, there are at present employers of aboriginal labour to whom, were it in their power, the police would raise objections [330, 1081]. The Protector, the person most concerned for the native's welfare, has thus no means of satisfying himself whether the contract is a just one or not. One justice may attest a contract which another has refused [828]. Owing to the police not being consulted or advised, difficulties often arise; for instance, if a native deserts a warrant is issued, but until such issue, the patrolling police do not know whether any native they may come across is absconding from his lawful employment or not [342]. The period of service must not exceed 12 months, and the contract has to be signed by the employer or his agent: this latter stipulation is objectionable in that the native does not realise his proper master [7] and may have objections when he discovers what kind of an employer he is bound to. Besides rations, clothing, and blankets, the employer has to supply medicine and medical attendance where practicable and necessary, unless the illness of the aboriginal be caused by the latter's own improper act or default. One witness [18] points out that venereal disease is not included altogether in the latter category, because the infection may have been imparted to the woman by a white man, and the aboriginal may have contracted it in all innocence; another [l928] is still more emphatic when he states that while the native is under contract this class of disease is considered to be the result of his own fault, which he strongly urges it seldom, if ever, is. It is permissible for any Justice of the Peace, on hearing of a complaint, to cancel the contract, irrespective of any other decision; order, or judgment in the case: a Protector of Aborigines specially charged with the aboriginal's well-being has no such power. Again, any justice, but not a protector (unless he is himself a J.P.) may cancel a contract certain grounds. The cancellation of a contract can thus be effected without even the knowledge of a protector. Wages are not stipulated for in the contract, and it is only in about one case out of seven that they are alleged to be paid. A total of 369 contracts (258 men, 111women) is known to the Chief Protector [19], while the number in receipt of wages [22] according to their contract is 53; on the other hand, he has no means of satisfying himself whether the wages are actually being paid [26]. It is compulsory on no one to keep either a register or copies of the contracts, though the clerk accountant of the Aborigines Department keeps a book [221] of natives under contract, based on such particulars as may be forwarded to the office by courtesy. Breaches of contract are provided for, but the Act (55 Vict., No. 25) brings into prominence an unjust inequality of punishment for the two contracting parties: the native may receive up to three months' imprisonment, with or without hard labour, while the employer can only be mulcted by fine. What might have been expected as the outcome of a system of contract, wherein all the advantage is on the side of the employer, has come to light; the Chief Protector [30-33] knows of no conviction of an employer for breach of contract, but during the past three years has received information of 20 cases against natives. Similar experiences are reported by the Broome[619, 620] and Roebourne [1087-8] police. Though the magistrate has no power to do so under the Act just cited, the absconding aboriginal is sometimes ordered back to his or her employment. Warrants are issued for native women absconding from service [1089]. In the Roebourne Gaol your Commissioner saw an aboriginal female, "Sally", who had been sentenced by the acting Resident Magistrate on the 29th October, 1904, to two weeks' imprisonment for this offence: the sub-inspector informed him that no previous summons had been served on the defendant, who had been arrested on warrant. Employers have benefited themselves pecuniarily by hiring the services of their aboriginal employees to others: the Aborigines Department has had to issue a circular pointing out this illegality in the case of aborigines under contract [213]. Apparently, the employer of a native under contract to someone else cannot be punished, although the aboriginal is subject to penalties for absconding. B. Without contracts.-No action can be taken against an employer for working blacks without contract, the commonest form of service. The proportion of natives under contract (already stated to be 369) to natives actually employed is one in twelve [20], as compared with the census taken three years ago by the police. Amongst the employers of the 4,000 natives thus estimated in service, there are many to whom the police [330, 970, 1688] would be prepared to object, but at present they are powerless to act. According to the evidence brought before your Commissioner, none of these natives throughout the North-West receive wages. There is a sort of code of honour (sic) amongst the pastoralists [1685, 1880-1] to the effect that one station owner, etc., does not interfere with his neighbour's blacks, the outcome of which is apparently to prevent them absconding. Being anxious to learn, if possible, what action was actually taken in order to bring such runaways back, inquiry was made from a pastoralist who, while denying that he either flogged or whipped them [1879], admitted that he used no force further than the command that he had over them as being their "master" [1878]; yet this same gentleman had only a minute before stated [1876] that his reason for not putting his blacks under contract was that if they would not work of their own free will he always considered they were not worth having. Even without contracts the blacks are not free to come and go as they please. The assistance or the police is also invoked to bring such runaways back, an official acquiescence which is of course quite illegal: the native is practically forced to work for his so-called master. While under such circumstances the absence of a contract does not prevent the employer securing and enforcing the services or the aboriginal, it relieves him of all responsibilities in the way or rations, clothing, and maintenance during sickness. C. Indentures of Apprenticeship (50 Vict., No. 25, Part IV).-Acting under instructions from the Aborigines Department, a Resident Magistrate "may bind by indenture any half-caste or aboriginal child having attained a suitable age as an apprentice, until he shall attain the age or 21 years, to any master or mistress willing to receive such child in any suitable trade, business, or employment whatsoever." That children are being indentured without permission from the department [755, 843] and certainly without its knowledge, is evident from the fact that while the Chief Protector has received information of about 50 cases [48], the commission has obtained evidence of at least 85 [745, 838, 1094]. There is no compulsory notification to head office, and it is apparently no one's business to keep copies or a register or these indentureships; no regulations are in force to protect the interests of the children so bound to service. The form of indenture used Appendix A) is in accordance with the schedule or the Act. On the other hand, the form issued under the Industrial Schools Act (38 Vict., No. 11) is different [38]; the manager of such institution, e.g., Swan Native and Half-caste Mission may issue it independently or instructions from the Aborigines Department. Indentures of apprenticeship are clearly applicable to children only of tender years; cases of boys [750] and girls [755], 17 and 16 years or age, being indentured are clearly evasions of the provisions or the contract system, which, as already mentioned, is intended to cover the service or aborigines or 14 years and upwards (50 Vict., No. 25, Sec. 19). With regard to the most suitable age at which a child can be indentured as laid down by law, the Chief Protector considers this to be about six years [36]. It being only permissive for a justice or protector to visit apprenticed children, your Commissioner is not surprised to learn that, with one exception [838], no one knows or its ever being done [51, 746]. No education and no wages are stipulated for in the indenture. The very spirit and principles of the Pearl Shell Fishery Regulation Act or 1873, which absolutely forbids a term of aboriginal service on the boats longer than twelve months, have been stultified by recourse to the system of apprenticeship: at Broome quite one-half of the children, ranging from 10 years and upwards [750], are indentured to the pearling industry [747] and taken out on to the boats [748,751]. The Chief Protector draws special attention to the fact that he cannot prevent male children being employed on the boats [62]. One witness approves of the indenture system if under proper supervision, but objects to the clause in the Act referring to the assignment of apprentices on the death of the master [842]: another considers it fairly useful if under proper restrictions [1098]: several express the opinion that the term of service up to 21 years of age is too long, the limits of age suggested varying from 14 to 18 [756, 841, 1139]. Others object to the system altogether. One Resident Magistrate [1909] very ably expresses the present state of affairs as follows :-The child is bound and can be reached by law and punished, but the person to whom the child is bound is apparently responsible to nobody. Even the Chief Protector is obliged to admit the injustice of a system where, taking a concrete case, a child of tender years may be indentured to a mistress as domestic up to 21 years of age, and receives neither education nor payment in return for the services rendered [55]. D. The question of wages.-Witnesses are almost unanimous that services rendered by the native should be paid for, differences of opinion arising only out of the question whether the moneys should be paid direct [339, 618, 1919-20] or into a fund to recoup the Government for the expense of granting aboriginal indigent relief [320, 368, 834, 985-8, 1085-6]. The two notable exceptions to the unanimity [24, 320] express views which have evidently been influenced by possible retaliatory action on the part of the pastoralists, though one of them certainly upholds the principle when he admits it to be a reasonable stipulation [108] to make each contract conditional on one destitute aboriginal being rationed for every native lawfully employed. It is true that in the more settled districts on nearly all stations the policy is to fence and erect windmills to enable the owners to be independent of black labour [904]; and rumours are certainly current [865] that if too many restrictions are put upon the service of the natives they will be dispensed with. As the law stands, the pastoralists cannot rid themselves of black employees from off their runs (62 Vict., No. 37, Sect. 92, Schedule 24) provided they want to hunt there. On the other hand, the natives may be offered no encouragement to remain; by depasturing the stock on all the watered portions of the [25]; by destroying the kangaroos; by dropping baits for the aborigines' hunting dogs; by limiting, in the way of fences, the areas throughout which native game can be obtained; by taking proceedings against blacks for setting fire to the grass, etc. At the same time, the evidence tends to show that in many cases the squatters act with humane consideration [24], and that people who have always had natives as servants will not part with them [904]. Should, however, any retaliatory measures be put into practical effect there is nothing to prevent the Executive resuming the whole or portion of the runs so complained of, and proclaiming them reserves for the sole use of the natives [903]. Your Commissioner recommends the legislation covered by Sections 19 to 21, and Sections 24 to 31, in the proposed Aborigines Bill. The sooner the indentures of apprenticeship are cancelled the better. In order to prevent the present abuse of maintaining the native only during a few months at a time and then turning him adrift to shift for himself, when if under contract he is prevented working for anyone else, provision should be made in Section 31 that if his leave of absence is extended beyond the limits mentioned therein the contract will lapse. If children of school age are in employment and a school is available, the employers should be compelled to fulfil their duties in this respect as the legal guardians under the Education Act. The police should be instructed not to lend any assistance whatever in the way of bringing back runaway natives, except of course when armed with proper warrants. With a view to recouping the Government for the expense not only of granting aboriginal indigent relief, but also of benefiting the natives generally and the half-caste waifs and strays in particular, your Commissioner further recommends a minimum wage of five shillings per month on land and ten shillings per month on boats (Q. 1902, No.1, Sect. 12), exclusive of food, accommodation, and other necessaries; the period of leave of absence to be also paid for. By Sect. 60 of the proposed Bill, both aborigines and half-castes may, under certain circumstances, be exempted from the provisions of the Act, including the labour conditions. (3) EMPLOYMENT OF ABORIGINAL NATIVES IN THE PEARL-SHELL FISHERY AND OTHERWISE ON BOATS. Separate written agreements with indorsement [37 Vict., No. 11, etc.] have to be entered into between natives engaged for employment in the Pearl-shell Fishery, "or any other industry which shall necessitate the conveyance of such aboriginal by sea to the scene of such industry." The indorsement, which can be signed by an Inspector of Pearl Fisheries, a Resident Magistrate, a Protector of Aborigines, or a Justice of the Peace, is with a view to safeguarding the interests of the native so far as freewill, length of service, etc., is concerned. The person who indorses has to take and keep a copy of the agreement. Aborigines can thus be employed on the boats contrary to the wishes, and even without the knowledge, of the chief or other protector; nor are the particulars of such employment bound to be communicated to him [59, 60]. On the local boats at Broome [757] there are about 25 natives signed on and about 20 whose agreements are not witnessed (indorsed), although there is no doubt that these 45 are working on the boats. These natives are employed at cleaning shell or as boatmen (not as divers), and are sometimes retained to keep a watch on the rest of the crew, so as to prevent pearls being stolen [807-8]; they are all on a twelve months' agreement [759], and receive no wages [760, 730]. The practice at Broome appears to be for Western Australian natives not to be signed on the ship's articles, evidently [720, 723] on the excuse of the special agreement with indorsement, which is not necessarily even properly filled in; the Port Darwin natives here have to sign articles. Male children, as already mentioned, are taken to sea under articles of apprenticeship, i.e., by evasion of the spirit and intention of the Pearl Fishery Act. Native women are taken on the boats [1312-1317, 1833] in strict defiance of the Act. There are unseaworthy boats engaged in the industry [783-4, 793-8], that one witness thinks it is to the pearlers' interests to keep in use [800], and that carry aborigines [785]. Of the 400 odd pearling boats engaged in the North-West fisheries, the Shipping Master at Port Hedland [961] and acting Sub-Collector (acting as Shipping Master) at Broome [715] do not know which or how many are registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, a rather important item of information considering that, provided the vessel be not registered, she cannot be prevented going to sea if unseaworthy [714, 962]. Furthermore, both these officers are doubtful [7-26, 963] whether they can stop a vessel carrying more men than her articles show. Apparently there is no compulsion for the luggers to carry lifebuoys. Owing to their being no aborigines engaged in deep-sea diving, it hardly came within the scope of the present commission to inquire into any results directly attributable to the extraordinary absence of any compulsory Governmental inspection of the diving gear. Vessels are not boarded by a Shipping Master on his own initiative [966] even if at all [716, 725]. The Act gives any justice, etc., power to board a vessel with a view to examining the stores, there is nothing to show that this has been exercised within recent years; one witnesses' boats have not been boarded and examined since 1886 [801]. There is no limit to the amount of liquor, opium, etc., which a boat may take to sea; of the former, your Commissioner is informed that this is sold to the crew as "goods supplied" for slop-chest purposes at the rate of ten shillings per bottle for whisky and from twelve to fifteen shillings for gin. The administration of the Pearling Acts at Broome, the centre of the pearling trade, is admitted by the acting Resident Magistrate to be very mixed [761]. Along the whole coast-line extending from a few miles South of La Grange Bay to the Eastern shores of King Sound [71], drunkenness and prostitution, the former being the prelude to the latter [66], with consequent loathsome disease [1278-1281], is rife amongst the aborigines. This condition of affairs is mainly due to Asiatic aliens [1217] allowed into the State [738] as pearling-boats' crews by special permission of the Commonwealth Minister for External Affairs and allowed to land from their boats under conditions expressed in I. Ed. VII., No. 17, Section 3, Subsection K. The boats call in at certain creeks, ostensibly for wood and water, and the natives flock to these creeks, the men being perfectly willing to barter their women for gin, tobacco, flour, or rice [675]; the coloured crews to whom they are bartered are mostly Malays, Manillamen, and Japanese [810]; they frequently take the women off to the luggers [70]. Direct evidence of this state of affairs comes from La Grange Bay [127 5-1 292], from Beagle Bay, where your Commissioner saw native women at daybreak returning to shore from the boats with presents of rice, etc., and from Cygnet Bay [1833-4], where the disgraceful state of affairs and effects of disease on the aborigina1 population are more fully detailed [1968]. One magistrate considers that the whites are just as much to blame as the coloured crews for the prostitution going on where the boats land for getting wood and water [769-770]. As the result of their intercourse with aboriginal women, the boats' crews suffer a good deal from venereal disease, and the loss of their labour is severely felt by the pearlers [812-3]. During about three months in the year the fleets lay up at Cunningham Point, Cygnet Bay, Beagle Bay, and Broome, as well as at other places: except perhaps at Broome, this laying-up season is taken advantage of by the more unscrupulous of the pearlers to swell the profits of the slop-chest by getting rid of their supplies of opium and of liquor, no small portion of the latter ultimately finding its way to the natives as payment for prostitution. A still greater evil, and one which may have disastrous results in the future, is that both the Malays and the natives, with whom they are at present, allowed to consort, possess in common a certain vice peculiar to the Mahometan. It is highly probable that this habit, practically unknown amongst the autochthonous population of other parts of Australia, has been introduced along this North-West coast-line by Malay visitors during past generations; the fact remains that these aliens are being admitted into the Commonwealth. Further beyond King Sound, along isolated patches of the coast-line, pearling vessels certainly do land, and their crews bring fire-arms ashore [1968]. A witness states that Asiatic crews may camp on shore while the boats are being overhauled, and also during sickness [775]; according to the form of surety now issued by the Sub-Collector of Customs, Form No. 15, they can be engaged in any duties ordinarily connected with the vessels. With a view to minimising the sexual intercourse between the Asiatics and aborigines at present existing and its resultant evils, the following recommendations have been suggested : Power to be given to the police to order the men back to their boats [675] ; reserves to be proclaimed where boats only should be allowed to land, but no aborigines to enter, and vice versa [74, 814-818, 1304-5, 1311], and the chartering of a patrol boat [68, 1308]. One witness suggests that under proper supervision the male natives could earn their own living by cutting wood and getting water for the boats [1305]. Your Commissioner recommends the passing of Sections 22, 23, 32, 42, and 43 of the proposed Aborigines Bill, and the proclamation of certain areas in addition to the registered ports where only the pearling crews shall be allowed to land for wood and water and the vessels to lay-up during the off season. In the N.W. District these areas are recommended to be at Ballangarra Creek, La Grange Bay, and Beagle Bay; the suggested limits and conditions applicable are to be found in the evidence given by Mr. Rodriguez [817-8], whose views, it is understood, are acceptable to many of the other pearlers. Cygnet Bay has also been proposed, but is objected to by Mr. Hadley, of the Sunday Island Mission [1839-1845], who states that it would be no hardship for the boats to lay-up instead at Beagle Bay. With such areas and an officer of police in charge, assisted by a small patrol-boat up and down the coast-line, the present evils would be greatly minimised, because the pearling boats would then have to obtain wood and water by means of their own Malay crews independently of the assistance of the natives. No sacrifice should be considered too great to ensure these races being kept apart. The maintenance of a constable at La Grange Bay should be charged to the Police, and not to the Aborigines Department [72-4]. Your Commissioner further recommends an additional clause limiting the quantity of liquor allowed to be carried on anyone boat to two gallons, as in the Queensland statutes. (4.) THE NATIVE POLICE SYSTEM:. Strictly speaking, there are no native police, and but little system in the departmental supervision of the trackers. A few trackers have been handed over to the Commissioner of Police as prisoners [283], under 50 Vic., 25, Sec. 33, but he is not aware whether they are ever visited by justices [284] as is provided for by Sec.35 of the same Act. Otherwise they are got "the best way we can," generally from stations in the neighbourhood [281], and being engaged in their native country seldom leave it [294]. Trackers can come and go as they please, and are permanently employed if they like to stay [1480-1, 1593]: when the police want one they pick out what they consider is a good boy and put him on the list, but there is no signing on [1681]. During the course of his inquiry in the Northern and North-Western districts your Commissioner has only heard of one case where a tracker has been placed under contract [953]; this omission to enter into agreement is apparently unknown to the the Police Department [287, 289,. 290]. Trackers are paid nothing, though two shillings a day and in some cases three shillings are paid to the officer or constable of the station who provides the necessaries of life: the balance, if any, is handed over to the native [288]. So far, no evidence has been adduced to show that they ever do get any balance, while all the police witnesses exa mined on the matter have been found to be paid on the lower scale. Out of this, the officer in charge has to supply not only necessaries of life, but also clothes, and sometimes, where the "double-gee" plant flourishes, boots. There is no trackers' camp at the police stations, the tracker, if single, being supplied with accommodation in the stable or on the premises [296-8]. In the absence of any contract or other authority of office it seems almost questionable whether the tracker ought to assist in arresting, or be left in charge of, black prisoners, even while others are being arrested. The very fact of leaving black prisoners of trackers has on at least two occasions led to shooting, with fatal results ; one of these was in connection with the murdered gin referred to by the Resident Magistrate, Derby [1970]; the other led to correspondence (re death of Jumbi Jumbi) between the same gentleman and the Commissioner of Police wherein the former (3rd August, 1904) considered it undesirable that trackers should be armed. In the North-West they are still armed with Winchester rifles, That they are presumably used to firearms in these districts is reasonably deduced from the admission made by one of the police witnesses, that if the tracker is given a shot-gun he can find his own food [1583]. Your Commissioner recommends that these trackers be put under agreement with, a minimum wage, that their duties be strictly limited to trackers and horse-boys, and that on no pretext whatever should they be allowed to use firearms. It is not the business of a tracker to either arrest or be put in charge of any prisoner, white or black. A suitable uniform should be provided by the Police Department, in lieu of the garments at present supplied by the officers in charge. (5). THE TREATMENT OF ABORIGINAL PRISONERS. A. By the Police. Cattle-killing is the chief offence for which natives are sentenced in the Northern parts of the State; indeed, the proportion it bears to other crimes committed by them is about 90 per cent. [224, 225]. It is attributable to settlement in a new part of the country where the aboriginal race is rather numerous -- in the Kimberley districts, for instance [226]. Objections to European settlement from the natives' point of view - one which must not be lost sight of - are discussed when dealing with the question of Reserves, pp. 27/28. In connection with the arrest of aborigines accused of this crime, your Commissioner has received evidence which demonstrates a most brutal and outrageous condition of affairs. Not the least important of the links in this chain of evidence has been supplied by two native prisoners [1766, 1767] who, by a strange concatenation of events, proved to be the very men arrested by constables [1323-1465, 1466-1593] who had already been called before him as witnesses. The arrest of natives, and their subsequent treatment on charges of cattle-killing may be detailed as follows:- When starting out on such an expedition, the constable takes a variable amount of provisions, private and Government horses, and a certain number of chains. Both he and his black trackers, as many as five of them [1479], are armed with Winchester rifles. A warrant is taken out in the first place if information is laid against certain aborigines, but when the police go out on patrol, and the offence is reported, the offenders are tracked and arrested without warrant [304.] Very often there is no proper information laid, in that it is verbal [1328-30]: when already out on patrol, there may be no information at all [1471]. Blacks may be arrested without instructions, authority, or information [1856-60] received from the pastoralist whose cattle are alleged to have been killed; the pastoralist may even object to such measures having been taken [1861]. Not knowing beforehand how many blacks he is going to arrest, the policeman only takes chains sufficient for about 15 natives [1336] ; if a large number are reported guilty, he will take chains to hold from about 25 to 30 [1485]. Chains in the Northern, not in the Southern, portion of this State [312] are fixed to the necks instead of to the wrists of native prisoners. Authority for this is to be found in No. 647 of the Police Regulations [308]; which states that "the practice of chaining them by the neck must not be resorted to except in cases where the prisoners are of a desperate character, or have been arrested at a considerable distance in the bush; or when travelling by sea, they are near the land to which they belong, and it is necessary to adopt special measures to secure them. Even then the practice must not be adopted if it can be avoided." Children of from 14 to 16 years of age are neck-chained. There are no regulations as to the size, weight [309], mode of attachment, or length of chain connecting the necks of any two prisoners. When the prisoner is alone, the chain is attached to his neck and hands, and wound round his body; the weight prevents him running away so easily [941-2]. According to the evidence of the Commissioner of Police [310], when there is more than one aboriginal concerned, the attachment of the chain would be to the saddle of the mounted police officer, but only when absolutely necessary; such an accident as a native neck-chained to a bolting horse has not yet happened, to his knowledge [311]. The mode of attachment of the chain round the neck is effected with hand-cuffs [1338] and split-links [1486, 1747]; the latter bought privately, i.e., at the expense of the arresting constable, from a firm in Perth [1487-8], and doubtfully [1489] with the knowledge or the Police Commissioner. The grave dangers attendant on the use or these iron split-links, and the difficulty of opening them in cases or urgency or accident, are pointed out [1067-1074, 1748]. The fact of the connecting chain being too short is also dangerous, because if a prisoner fell he would be bound to drag down the prisoner on either side of him ; yet the Wyndham gaoler has noticed the length or the chain joining two natives' necks to be twenty-four inches, the cruelty or which he remarked upon to the escorting police [1749]. As far as one witness can find out from police and natives, the chains are never taken off when crossing rivers and creeks [1759]. In addition to the neckchains, the prisoner may be still further secured with cuffs on his wrists (as your Commissioner has seen in photographs of constables escorting the chain-gangs), or on his ankles [1751]. Apparently unknown to the Commissioner of Police [306], chains are used for female natives [1159] not only at night, but sometimes during the day [1398-1400, 1409] ; these women are the unwilling witnesses arrested illegally for the Crown [1396-7]. The actual arrest usually takes place at daylight in the morning [1364, 1505] when the camp is surrounded, and occasionally the (armed) tracker is sent in by himself first [1353-4]. Accompanying the police may be the manager, or stockmen [1360], who have volunteered to come [1358], but as the manager does not prosecute [1641, 1942] and the stockmen are not called as witnesses, this voluntary action on the part of the station-employees may admit of another construction. For instance, of the two constables examined, one takes no precautions at night to prevent the assisting stockmen and trackers having sexual connection with the chained-up female witnesses and yet supposes such intercourse to go on [1405-7]: the other never watches his trackers, who might carry on in this way, and never takes any notice of these things - it would have caused trouble if he did [1547]. It is noteworthy that these same two constables, together with two others, are charged by natives [1766-7] with intimacy with the women: the females brought in as witnesses are usually young ones [1248, 1653-5, 1955]. About six or seven is the largest number of guns in the arresting party [1363], perhaps such a quantity is accounted for by remembering that as many as 33 prisoners have been secured on the one occasion [1352, 1496]. The larger the number of prisoners and witnesses, the better, pecuniarily, for the police, who receive from one and sixpence halfpenny [1674] to two shillings and fivepence [1442, 1675] daily per head, or as it is called in the North-Western vernacular "per knob." This expenditure is spread over four departments [1895] as follows :- - The Crown Law pays for the witnesses brought to and from the court, - the gaols for sentenced prisoners in the police lock-ups, - the police for prisoners from the time they are arrested until such time as they are convicted, and - the aborigines for prisoners returning to their own country on expiry of their sentence [1890-4]. One constable admits making a profit [1458], a corporal considers that this allowance acts as a temptation to bring in a larger number of prisoners and witnesses than otherwise [1677], a civilian does not think so many cases would be brought before the courts if these allowances were not sanctioned [1249-1269], a Resident Magistrate has always been struck with the idea that this was the reason for so many natives being brought in at a time [1640], etc. Your Commissioner is satisfied that the amount of purchased food, given to natives while on the road, usually constitutes but a fraction of the native food supplied, e.g., lizard, kangaroo, [1252, 1418, 1349, 1583, 1667a, 1766, 1767] : notwithstanding the challenged statement of the police [1495, 1983-6] meat is not usually sold but given to the police on these North-Western stations. The daily amounts allowed per head are charged for under the heading of Aboriginal Prisoners' Rations Account, and the Treasury Paymasters, etc., at Wyndham, Derby, and Hall's Creek [1594, 1670, 1889, 1987] have been called upon to supply items. In less than three years up to date the amount so expended in the North-West districts of the State, North of Broome alone, has been £3,529 16s. 2d., and even this is incomplete, your Commissioner having reason to believe that certain of the claims are paid into private banking accounts, and so need not appear on the local Paymaster's list. Examples of the total amounts which certain of these constables, etc., have individually received are as follows :- - J. A. Caldow, £259 6s. 9d. since January, 1904; - Wilson [1323-1465], £462 2s. 7d. between March, 1902, and October, 1903, and £192 14s. 7d. since July, 1904, it not having transpired how much he received between October, 1903, and July, 1904; - J. Inglis [1466-1593], £29 17s. 1d. in October, 1902, and £165 16s. between April, 1903, and May, 1904; - F. W. Richardson, £121 7s. 8d. between October and December, 1903; - J. C. Thomson, £300 19s. ld. between March, 1901, and May, 1904, with £33 9s. 5d. since then; - W. Goodridge [1670-1705], £138 l0s. 8d. since April, 1903; - J. O'Brien, £138 5s. 9d. between November, 1901, and August, 1902; - A. H. Buckland, £215 12s. 6d., since March, 1903; - M. Mulkerin, £335 6s. since November, 1901 ; - J. P. Sullivan, £230 11s. up to September, 1904. One of these recipients alleges that such moneys are paid into the mess fund at the station, so that the profits are indirectly shared by other police officers [1459]. The number of aborigines brought in being the great desideratum, each having a money value to the escorting officer, it is not surprising to find that little boys of immature age have been brought in to give evidence [1248], that children varying in age between 10 and 16 are charged with killing cattle [1752, 1034], that blacks do not realise what they are sentenced for [513, 1039], that an old and feeble native arrives at the end of his journey in a state of collapse and dies 18 days after admission into gaol [1754]. (It is only fair to state that with regard to the cattle-killing children just referred to, some of whom were found neck-chained in the Roebourne Gaol, that, as soon as the attention of the Executive was drawn to them by your Commissioner, they were released.) Besides being half-starved [250-2], blacks are "hammered" on the way down [1766]. Any detentions on the journey in with the prisoners, or out with the witnesses, are also encouraged by this system of capitation fees. The Resident Magistrate at Wyndham complains of the constable's delay [1667c] in bringing down six alleged cattle-killers and the four witnesses; of the corporal and lock-up keeper detaining discharged prisoners, etc., unnecessarily [1067b]. Because rations are charged for to take the witnesses home again, it does not follow that they are escorted back; in some cases [1444-5, 1758] they are certainly not; in others, they may hardly have time to get to their destination before they are "rushed in" again by the police with another mob [1660, 1727]. It is no secret that the police say, if the ration allowance was cut down or taken away they would not arrest so many natives. By their own assertions, every native caught means more money in their pocket; reliable witnesses have heard such assertions made [1269, 1755]. At present there is nothing to prevent the constable arresting as many blacks as he chooses [1898], while there is no limit to the number of witnesses he is allowed to bring in with him [1899]. With a view to avowedly justifying their action in bringing these large batches of prisoners into court - as many as ten [1940] or fourteen [1637] at a time - the police necessarily take care to make absolutely sure of a conviction, and, unfortunately, the Criminal Code Amendment Act of 1902 is the means of putting a suitable weapon into their hands. By 2 Edw. VII., No. 29, Sec. 5, "If an aboriginal native charged before justices with any offence not punishable with death pleads guilty, the justices may deal with the charge summarily. But no sentence of imprisonment imposed on summary conviction shall exceed three years." To secure a conviction- the accused are accordingly made to plead guilty at the muzzle of the rifle, if need be [1766-7]. At this your Commissioner is not at all surprised, considering his firm conviction in the truth of a statement made him by a native lately released from gaol, where he had served a sentence for cattle-killing, to the effect, that one of the batch of prisoners originally arrested with him was shot by the escorting constable in the forehead, the victim in question being very sick at the time. Owing to the informant's lack of proper pronunciation, your Commissioner unfortunately cannot absolutely identify the murderer's name, though he has reported the matter to the proper authorities. With regard to the young women witnesses, their prostitution by the escorting police, the trackers, and stockmen, etc., who have aided in hunting them down, has already been referred to; partly for this reason and partly to gain their acquiescence in the subsequent court proceedings, their treatment on the way down, as compared with the men, is tempered with perhaps a little more mercy in the way of food and comparative freedom. Though these women are allegedly as guilty as the men [1432, 1519, 1546], one constable states that he is acting under instructions in not arresting them [1519-1521]; on the other hand, they are chained [1398, 1159] or otherwise prevented getting away [1555-8] ; they are practically asked to turn informers [1433, 1568] ; they are never cautioned in the proper sense of the term [1377, 1428, 1514-1517] when giving evidence against their husbands, and thus do not in the slightest degree realise the harm they may be doing [1570]. The excuse made for bringing in these women at all is that the constable can get no other native evidence [1430], or that "the grown-up men are those that kill the bullock; there are no young boys in the tribes; the squatters have them all" [1566]. The accused male prisoners still less understand their position: On their arrest, which may even be before any evidence detrimental to them had been received [1374], they are asked (apparently without being cautioned) whether they have killed a beast [1378, 1530-1], but not necessarily informed with what they are charged [1379, 1532] ; they do not at the time thoroughly understand what the charge is, but might a few hours later [1390], evidently after the gins' evidence had been suborned. The police tracker is the medium of communication, occasionally has to converse through a second interpreter [1388], and camps with the prisoners and witnesses before the case is brought into court [1272]. No witnesses are ever brought in for the defence [1424, 1564]. Furthermore, the pastoralist or station manager does not prosecute: he is generally very busy [1563] ; it is a matter of domestic economy, he would be only too pleased to prosecute if he could do so with a minimum of personal inconvenience [1607]. It is quite intelligible that such an individual's personal convenience should be thus respected; the liability of the accused to a sentence of three years' hard labour, possibly in neckchains throughout the whole of that period, is hardly worth consideration - it is only a "nigger." The Resident Magistrate, Wyndham, states, "I think, and. have seen it, that a man will plead guilty now for killing a beast some time ago: the native cannot separate two charges on two beasts, and will still have the same offence in his mind: if he kills a bullock once he will plead guilty to every subsequent charge of killing a bullock, no matter how often he will be charged with it [1651]." Thus, all to the advantage of the prosecution, when once the native has been induced to plead guilty, there is no necessity under this Criminal Code Amendment Act of 1902 for any awkward questions being asked concerning proof of identity or ownership of the beast, the actual killing, eating, or alleged removal of the carcase. One witness who has brought about, or perhaps over, 100 natives into Court does not remember any who have been found "not guilty" [1446-7]; under the circumstances already detailed, this is no matter for surprise. In two cases drawn attention to before the Commission where the accused pleaded not guilty [I938] they were of course remanded to Quarter Sessions; the charges were thereupon withdrawn on the application of the corporal of police on account of the expense of maintaining the witnesses. Your Commissioner recommends the abolition of neck-chains and their substitution by wrist-cuffs, one prisoner's right hand being connected by chain to his neighbour's left. All the officers in charge of the three north-western gaols admit that by this method the transport of prisoners could be effected in safety. There should also be an alteration in the present system of allowing the police to draw so much "bloodmoney" for each native prisoner. If rations are purchased at stations or stores en route they should be charged for on vouchers. B. By the Bench.- The Resident Magistrate, Derby, objects to the procedure already mentioned in the Criminal Code Amendment Act, in that he thinks it has resulted in depriving the aboriginal of one of his chances of assistance [1936]. His evidence on this and kindred questions is well worthy of perusal [1933-1966]. He is now altering the usual procedure, and has told the police that in future he would expect the aggrieved party himself-the pastoralist, etc., whose cattle have been killed - to prosecute in person; and that where such cases are of the nature that the Criminal Code is amended to cover, he will endeavour, on the ground of expense, to hold special sessions for them [1938]. He has also objected to the question being put to the native to show cause why he should not be committed for the particular offence; for by the time it is explained, he usually regards it as an opportunity to admit the crime. The Act of Parliament, however, directs that the question be put whether he has killed or not killed; and if a black commits the offence he will plead guilty, i.e., admit the offence. For this reason this witness does not think the question should be put, but he is forced to do so when dealing with the case under the Criminal Code Amendment Act [1952]. Of course, the same evidence which convicts an aboriginal with a plea of guilty would convict a European under a similar plea [1665, 1961]; but the latter is intelligent enough not to risk any unnecessary chances. Blacks are charged conjointly in these cattle-killing cases [1439, 1571, 1637, 1939], as many as 14 at a time. The Resident Magistrate, Wyndham, has felt all along that the natives, first of all, do not thoroughly understand the charge against them, and that they do not understand the nature of the crime of killing a beast [1667a]. His fellow magistrate at Derby thinks that the blacks kill the cattle for the mere sport of it, although they may do so for want of food when the kangaroos (destroyed by the pastoralist on account of sheep and cattle) become scarce [1932]. Beyond what the Bench can do in the way of justice and fair-play to the aboriginal - and both at Wyndham and. Derby your Commissioner is satisfied that the present occupants have done their best under the circumstances - the accused usually has no one specially appointed to act in his defence, be it on a charge of cattle-killing or of murder. On the other hand, small amounts for this purpose have been expended by the Aborigines' Department [121-3]. In a case of murder, the depositions are signed and sent to the Attorney General, Perth, who decides whether the indictment is to be filed against the accused, when, where, and by whom. A Supreme Court commission is then issued for the trial, the Attorney General filing the indictment. It has happened that the magistrate holding the preliminary inquiry has been put in the unenviable position of acting under this commission as a Judge of the Supreme Court. If a human being is being tried for his life, the least the State can do is to give the accused the fullest justice in its power, with a view to directing the jury to the best of its ability: the medical men placed in this responsible position, while conscientiously doing what is right, have, however, received no special training in the law. Two Resident Magistrates are dissatisfied with the present system of trying savages for tribal murders: one believes in them managing their own tribal affairs [1668], the other considers there should be special laws and procedure for them [1962, 1974]. By the same section of the Criminal Code Amendment Act, and by the Justices Act of 1902, Section 32, which permits a Justice of the Peace to adjudicate by himself in the absence of another honorary magistrate within a radius of 10 miles, the terrible power is given to any of these justices of sentencing a native to three years, in addition to a flogging (Section 655 of the Criminal Code): fortunately, the whipping ordered under such circumstances cannot be carried out without the sanction of the Governor in Council. Not a single witness consulted approves of such a power being given to a justice [190, 906, 1140, 1633, 1933, etc.]. On looking over the warrants at the various gaols, your Commissioner finds that natives have been sentenced under such circumstances: e.g., four of these warrants were dated 8th May, 1903, and signed by D. W. Green, J.P., the Postmaster at Turkey Creek [1180-1189]. There is nothing to prevent a Justice sitting on a neighbouring Justice's grievance, and although he may not be an interested person within the meaning of the Act, he is actually interested in the principles involved [1974]. It is thankful to learn from the Broome gaoler that sentences for cattle-killing are not quite so long as they have been in former years [517]. On the other hand, the Chief Protector suggests justification for severe sentences (three years) for this charge, on the grounds that other and more unlawful means might be taken against the native [I 88-9]: surely the Executive would not hesitate to arraign the pastoralist for murder? At Wyndham, when boys aged from 14 to 16 have been charged with cattle-killing, the Resident Magistrate has cautioned, convicted, and released them without imprisonment [1657-8]: at Derby, when a young boy comes into court the Resident Magistrate prefers to give a small sentence and to find him an employer [1953]. At Hall's Creek the whole brutality of the present system is brought into prominence when the acting Resident Magistrate sentences a child of 10 years of age to six months' hard labour for "that he did, on or about 10th September, 1904, near Cartridge Springs, unlawfully kill and carry away one head of cattle, the property of S. Muggleton, contrary to statute then and there provided" [1752]. The same magistrate has sentenced another infant of 15 to nine months for killing a goat [ 1753], and at least eight other children, between 14 and 16 years of age, to two years' hard labour for alleged cattle-killing. As already mentioned, four of the latter met with by your Commissioner in the Roebourne gaol have since been released. Your Commissioner recommends a modification of Section 5 of the Criminal Code Amendment Act, and invites the Crown Law officers to consider the advisability of allowing the acting Resident Magistrate at Hall's Creek to continue in office. So far as tribal homicides are concerned, no action should be taken in the courts or otherwise, unless the killer has become such a terror or "bully" that his clansmen are afraid to deal with him ; owing to length of contact with civilisation, he ought to have known better ; or the killing has taken place in the neighbourhood of close European settlement. Even then, unless very particular circumstances demand it - and this would be for the Chief Protector to decide - the culprit should be deported and detained in another district, in employment if necessary, under the provisions of Section 15 of the proposed Bill. C. In the Gaols.-Your Commissioner visited the gaols at Carnarvon, Broome, Roebourne, and Wyndham, and is able to place on record his high appreciation of the humane supervision and considerate treatment exercised by the gaolers over their aboriginal prisoners. Approximately, there are about 300 native prisoners in the gaols throughout the State [223]. Two very degrading and yet remediable features of the prison system are the neck-chains, and their continuous use - morning, noon, and night - usually throughout the entire period of sentence. Though the Comptroller General of Prisons has no legal authority for using neck-chains at all [241], and there are no regulations as to weight, size [244], and mode of fixation (Yale locks, split-links, or cuffs, etc. [423]), he has nevertheless given instructions for their employment in the case of natives [495-499]. His predecessor gave similar instructions [411]. Except in times of sickness, etc., the prisoner is neck-chained from the day he comes into gaol until the day he leaves it, sometimes from two to three years [525] and upwards, according to sentence. There appears to be differences of opinion as to whether neck-chains should be leather-covered or remain bare [246, 421, 489, 521, 1007, 1712-3] so as to minimise chafing, etc. At night in the Roebourne gaol the chains are fastened to rings in the wall [1021], etc.: at Wyndham one out of every group of three (neckchained together) is chained by the ankle to a ring-bolt in the floor [1719]; at Carnarvon, the chains connecting one prisoner's neck-chain with another's serve to fix them around the central post supporting the roof [425]. Still neck-chained, the native prisoners work outside on the roads, etc.: they thus work about eight hours' daily at Broome [526], seven and a-half hours at Carnarvon [442], under six hours at Roebourne [1047], and somewhat longer at Wyndham [1730]. Though the number of hours is fixed by the Gaols Regulations No. 263, slight alterations have to be made here and there in the summer-time [444, 1049, 1731]; at Carnarvon there is the medical officer's standing order that all prisoners are to be brought into gaol when the thermometer stands at or over 98 deg. in the shade [443]. On the other hand, at Broome there is no distinction made between winter and summer months; in the gaoler's opinion the hours here are too long in the latter season, and in some cases the prisoner's health has been affected in the way of sunstroke [527-8]. All the gaolers in the North-West are in agreement that the present system of neck-chains could be abolished, and suitably replaced by wrist-cuffs, one prisoner's right hand being connected by chains to his neighbour's left [545, 1061, 1736]; that a shorter connecting chain could be used [546, 1062, 1737] : that more freedom of movement would be allowed [546, 1062] : that the present employment outside the prison walls would not be interfered with [549, 1063, 1739]; and that, when necessary, the transport of prisoners, thus chained, could be effected in safety [549, 1063, 1738]. This method of chaining natives does not appear to have been known to the Comptroller General of Prisons who, in correspondence with the Aborigines Protection Board, expressed the wish to see his way to abolishing chains, but stated that he knew of no method of retaining the aboriginal except within walls [255]. Your Commissioner was certainly surprised to find that such walls, except at Roebourne, had not yet been built. Chains could be abolished in the case of aboriginals working inside the prison, and at night, if the gaols were properly built [505]; as temporary measures, - all that would be required is a cheap iron fence at Broome and Wyndham, and a chevaux-de-frise at Roebourne. By 50 Vic., No. 25, Section 33, the Governor in Council may place an aboriginal prisoner "under custody of any officer or servant of the Government" who is thus responsible, and the prisoner is deemed to be in legal custody, wherever he may be employed or detained. Though this has been done within the last twelve months the Comptroller General does not consider the system a good one [264-273]. So far the rules and regulations provided for by the Act, for the employment and safe custody of such prisoners, are conspicuous by their absence [275]. An aboriginal prisoner is being lent out to a Resident Magistrate on doubtful legal authority [402-7]. Others, on the instructions of such an official [484, 1709, 1710], are labouring outside the prison wa1ls on public and municipal works [261] and for local roads boards [1709]. In return for the work done for the Carnarvon Municipal Council they get a little tobacco, which, it is believed, is paid for out of the Mayor's private pocket [429]. Although they may be improving the value of local and municipal property, no payment is received by the Government towards reducing the expense of their keep, or return-home journey when liberated, or even of covering the cost of their clothes which, on expiry of their sentence, the Aborigines Department has to provide [84]. Furthermore, the Gaols Department Regulations Nos. 264, 266 preclude any gratuity being given, on release, to an aboriginal - another colour distinction - although he may be as civilised and appreciate the value of money as well as his European fellow-captive. With regard to long sentences passed upon native prisoners, they are not considered beneficial. The blacks are far better in their uncivilised than semi-civilised state, and are a great deal of trouble after they come out of gaol [1863]. It does not do them the least bit of good, and does not stop them from killing cattle, the same blacks being brought before the Court again and again [1604, 1168]. Your Commissioner has also been informed that, according to the prison dietary, their taste for beef is still further cultivated. When blacks have been away from their native homes so long, they seem forgotten when they return; their tribes will have very little to do with them, and they often commit further crimes because in the meantime their women have been taken [1041, 428]. It is doubtful whether the aboriginal prisoner understands his position [519], or knows that he is committing an offence when he tries to break gaol [533]. One gaoler is of opinion that amongst the twenty blacks in his charge sentenced for cattle-killing, not one really understands what he is there for [513]. Another, with seventy-two prisoners, thinks that about one-third of them know [1039]. Another states that when he took charge a great number of the prisoners were "myalls", and their idea was that they were there for road-making, but that as they became educated and get to gaol so often they now realise that it is for cattle-killing [1726]. In the Kimberley District due care does not seem to have been always taken as to the identity of prisoners when first brought to gaol. Carelessness almost amounting to criminality is responsible for longer sentences having been exchanged for shorter ones, and for one case where a prisoner having two native names has really received two sentences on the same charge, while a fellow prisoner's name was on no warrant at all [1765]. When once in gaol, however, due precautions are taken in the way, of attaching numbered metal tags to the chains [433, etc.]. The transfer of prisoners from one gaol to another is carried out under the escort of the police, and not of the warders, who know their prisoners and understand their temperaments better [541-3, 1064-5, 1744-5]. Alone at Wyndham there would appear to be a valid reason - delay in the return of the warder - why this work should not be always undertaken by officers of the Gaols' Department [1746]. Certainly on two occasions, owing to running short of handcuffs [1740-1], two batches of prisoners, twenty in each batch, were received at Roebourne bearing neck-chains fixed with split links; evidence was taken on the difficulty in unloosening such fastenings, and the terrible risks run on board the steamer conveying them [1067-1075]. In spite of Police Regulation No. 647, it would appear that during transport on the steamer the neck-chains are not removed. Flogging of natives is not approved by the gaolers at Broome [583] and at Roebourne [1057-9]; at Wyndham the officer in charge approves of it in certain cases, say for assault on a warder, although such has never occurred [1733-4]. The Resident Magistrate at Marble Bar does not think whipping as cruel as imprisonment, than which it has a more deterrent effect; he would have ordered it oftener only for public opinion being so much against it [906]. The flogging of a native is referred to the Comptroller General of Prisons for approval before being carried out; a merciful provision. Your Commissioner recommends the abolition of chains of all description within the precincts of the gaols, the insecure condition of which should be remedied without delay. In English prisons, e.g., Portland, chains are used only in punishment for the most serious offences - assaults on officers attempts at escape, and persistent insubordination or refusal to work: the irons consist of rings for the ankles and two chains which are linked together and fastened to a belt; their weight varies from six to ten pounds, and when a prisoner is put into them he wears them constantly day and night for the period of his punishment, for which the maximum is six months. In the North-Western gaols of West Australia chains are used on natives only because of the inadequate or faulty construction of the buildings: the irons consist of a chain round each prisoner's neck connected with other chains by cuff, etc., to his neighbours' necks: the weight of the neck-chain, cuff, and connecting chain is as much as 5± pounds [246], but as the centre man has to carry the weight of the chains connecting the individuals at his side, he of course bears most of the strain, and double that carried by the others: he wears it constantly, often as long as three years, and sometimes more, according to the length of sentence with a chevaux-de-frise [sim. to barbed-wire entanglement] around the central courtyard at Roebourne, and with a properly constructed galvanised iron fence around the boundaries of the prison grounds at Broome and Wyndham, the use of chains could be safely prohibited. The fence recommended by the gaolers would be from 12 to 14 feet high, of corrugated iron, with supporting battens on the outside, and nothing in the way of barbed wire on top [536-7, 1742-3]. When called upon to work outside the prison walls your Commissioner recommends the abolition of neck-chains, and their substitution by :-(1) wrist-cuffs and connecting chains, as approved of by all three officers in charge of the North-Western gaols, who state that the present employment of natives outside the prison walls would not be interfered with [5-19, 1063, 1739]; (2) waist-belts and connecting chains; or (3) anklets joined by chain when the prisoners are required to work singly. In the last-mentioned proposal, the ankles of each prisoner are connected by a light chain up to 20 or 22 inches long, an arrangement which allows him to walk but not to run, and at the same time gives full scope to the free movement of his arms and trunk. When working for municipal or local bodies, these corporations should be made to pay for the prisoner's rations, etc., while so employed, and also for the clothes supplied to them when liberated, the latter charge at present falling upon the Aborigines Department. The hours of outside labour in these tropical climates should certainly be limited to six, as at Roebourne, and even then curtailed when the temperature is greater than 98 degrees in the shade, as is already insisted upon according to the medical officer's orders at Carnarvon. Wherever practicable, prisoners, when transferred, should be escorted by 'warders and not by constables. Furthermore, gaolers should not be allowed, as at present, to receive instructions from the Resident Magistrates, but only from the Sheriff and Comptroller General of Prisons. (6.) THE DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF. A. Food.-- The cost to the Aborigines Department of providing with rations those natives who are aged, crippled, blind, etc., as well as those women and children who are destitute has, during the past three years, been respectively £6,621 14s., £7,238 4s: 10d., and £8,289 16s. 4d. [87-89]. During the same periods the number of aborigines thus alleged to be benefited was 816, 833, and 984, and this is expected to show an increase in the future [97, 98]. The Department also supplies food relief to discharged aboriginal prisoners [112-3] who, until now, have been charged for at higher rates than the other class of native [114]. The Resident Magistrate at Wyndham, recognising the abuse to which this has led, starts each of the liberated prisoners on his journey home with two pounds of bread, independently of a police escort [1667 (b)]. In the settled districts the scale per (adult) native per week is 101bs. flour, 1½ lbs. sugar, 1/2 lb. tea, and 5¼ lbs. meat; in the unsettled districts there is no particular scale, but a bargain is made with the distributor as to the food given for the amount allowed [95]. Throughout the former areas the amount is 6d. per head per day: in outlying districts as much as 1s., and here and there 1d. or 2d. more [91]. The certification of the vouchers would not everywhere seem to be too satisfactory, one magistrate admitting that, by request, he signs them as a matter of form [317]. There is apparently no one person solely responsible for the issue of food relief in a particular district: it can be granted without the knowledge or approval of the Resident Magistrate [851, 854]: without the local police being consulted [919]: while communications may pass from the Aborigines Department direct to the local distributing constable without his superior officer being any the wiser [1697]. The distributor is a member of the police force, of the Post and Telegraph Department, some employee of the pastoralist, the owner himself, or other private individual, e.g., a working miner [913,915, 922], a publican [357]. So far as they constitute the responsible channels through, which rations are issued, certain of the people are objected to; the pastoralist leading a life of profligacy is a case in point [628-630]. Allegations of a serious character are made concerning prostitution condoned by State and Commonwealth officials at two relieving centres [1770-1778, 1180-1200]. In most townships the relief is distributed through an order on the storekeeper. Rations, separately paid for by the Department, are also issued at two of the Mission Stations, i.e., Sunday Island [818] and Beagle Bay [588]: one witness objects to this expenditure at the latter institution [635-6]. At Broome, for 10 years past, Father Nicholas [644-5, 696-8] has issued relief to the sick, the indigent, and the destitute at his own expense; having nothing more to give, and being now for the first time in debt, he has lately appealed through your Commissioner to the Aborigines Department for assistance, with successful results. The same people who distribute rations, charged to the Government, for the relief of indigent and other aborigines, benefit themselves by buying at wholesale and charging at retail current prices [1114], issuing about half the allowance [867], distributing the food cooked instead of raw [1295-1299], or as in the case of aboriginal prisoners, giving them native food, e.g., lizards [12.52, 1418] at the cost of nothing, or kangaroo [1349, 1767] at the price of a Winchester bullet [1667a]. With regard to any checks on the aboriginal actually receiving the relief authorised, there is the certification already referred to, and [105] occasional police patrols of inspection. One witness, who in some cases is of opinion that the natives do not get the relief authorised, explained how the constable may come round and certify in perfect good faith, but as soon as the latter's back is turned points out that there is nothing to prevent the distributor hunting the natives into the bush and using the rations to his own advantage [316]. Or, when the constable comes round to inquire into the number of blacks relieved, they may be away "in the bush." In another case, the witness believes that the natives do not get the relief as it is intended to be given: that instead of the full quantity of flour they get vegetable produce, e.g., pumpkins, which they have helped to grow [1926]. There must be many cases where blacks who have been working on stations for years are now being supplied with rations by the Department; some pastoralists recognise their moral obligations in pensioning off such natives, but the larger number of them do not [101-3]. One Member of Parliament expresses the opinion that the practice of the Government allowing relief and blankets to old natives on all the North-West stations is really wrong [855]. Furthermore, on a station are to be found healthy and able-bodied blacks working without wages who could supply their destitute relatives (rationed on the same station at Government expense) with native food, were it not that their time is occupied in their employers' service [106-7, 365-7, 632-3, 1300-1]; any expenditure out of the public funds under such conditions appears to be a premium on pauperisation [99-100], and is a farce [1303]. The remedy suggested is to make each contract conditional on one destitute aboriginal being rationed for every native lawfully employed [108], or to insist on the payment of wages with a view to the Government recouping itself for the rations disbursed [368, 834, 985-8, 1085-6]. That district officers of police should be alone responsible for the distribution of relief, -etc., is recommended by the Resident Magistrate, Carnarvon [318]; this principle of making one man responsible is more or less approved by other witnesses [361-2, 638-42]; the method of calling for tenders in the supply of stores to be distributed is also advocated [856], as well as the distribution of relief in certain localities where the recipients might be collected to receive it [706]. Your Commissioner is satisfied, both from official and confidential sources, as to the existence of grave irregularities in the distribution of rations, and realises the difficulties in checking them. He feels assured, however, that from one-half to two-thirds of the present expenditure could be saved if relief were issued only on the following lines :- (a.) While Government rations are primarily intended for the aged, infirm, and sick, for destitute women and children, there should be no attempt at relieving the able-bodied blacks of their responsibilities towards their aged and crippled relatives, an abuse of charity in pauper relief generally. After many years' experience among the natives of North Queensland, where the conditions of life are very similar, your Commissioner is confident that, as a general rule, it is not in the nature of the aboriginal to neglect his older or younger relatives [1300], much less so in fact than is the case with the lower-caste European. (b.) No encouragement should be given to the establishment of distributing centres in the unsettled districts or in such other areas, e.g., La Grange Bay [1295-9] where, if the blacks were forced to hunt for their native food, they would be able to do so [1292]. Rations are at present being paid for 14 blacks at Argyle Police Station, for 12 at Turkey Creek Telegraph Station, for 20 at Fitzroy, and for 41 at La Grange Bay. (c.) In the more settled parts of the State the indigent blacks should, as far as practicable, be collected on to a reserve - one or two according to the size of the Magisterial District. At Broome, Father Nicholas is renting a few acres in the neighbourhood as a private reserve, and supporting therein between 20 and 30 aborigines, while within a comparatively small circuit the Department is paying for 8 blacks at the local butcher's, only four miles out, for 7 at Thangoo, and 10 at Yurdagurra. It will probably be urged by those of the distributors at present benefiting themselves thereby that the aged and infirm aborigines will not care to leave the stations and permanently reside in those localities where the Executive is prepared to supply their wants. In reply to such protestations your Commissioner would recommend that in all cases of alleged refusal the relief be cancelled. (d.) On the stations no pastoralist should certainly be allowed rations for indigent blacks when at the same time he is employing able-bodied ones. Indeed, in such cases it would be the duty of the proposed local protector to see that the permit-to-employ issued to the pastoralist was conditional on one destitute aboriginal being supported for every native lawfully employed [108], the amount of wages to be paid being, of course, proportionately decreased, or wholly remitted, as may be considered proper. (e.) As far as possible, the distributors of relief should be responsible persons, preferably Government officials, against whom, in case of irregularities, departmental action could be promptly and drastically taken. A working miner, however estimable he may be personally, should not be allowed to issue rations to 18 natives at Mosquito Creek when there is a constable stationed about 30 miles distant at Nullagine [912-6]. A publican should most certainly not be tolerated as distributor [357]. (f.) The relief granted to the blacks being Government property, distributors making any pecuniary profit whatever through its issue come perilously near committing themselves under 50 Vict, No. 25, Section 41, now incorporated in section 48 of the proposed Aboriginal Bill. Furthermore, your Commissioner recommends that this Section 48 be so modified as to include penalties for such a practice. (g.) Unless local requirements absolutely prevent such an arrangement, all relief should be paid for by voucher on the storekeeper, etc., for the goods supplied (preferably by contract) and not to the distributor at so much per head. (h.) There should be one person solely responsible for the relief issued in each magisterial district. At present there are so many different people supplying relief to the natives that no one knows how they are really supplied [362]. B. Blankets and Clothes. During the past three years the cost of blankets and clothes the Department has been £698 2s., £984 3s. 8d., and £1,157 13s, 8d. respectively [77]. Blankets are distributed to the aged, crippled, and blind, and to destitute women and children. At first a difference was made in the supplies sent to the far North, but owing to the numerous appeals made by people who stated that there [can be] really cold weather there, very little distinction is now made [81]. With a view to checking their proper distribution, lists which show the claim of each native are asked for [83]. At two distributing centres allegations have been made that these articles are not applied to the purpose intended [1177-9, 1202-5]. Recently, blankets have been sent up for the use of discharged native prisoners during travel only [84]. Clothes are also supplied for such people, but as they are bought from the local storekeeper [415, 1054] at ordinary retail prices, a saving might profitably be effected: a stock could be supplied to the gaoler in the same manner as gaol clothes are, and when issued they could be credited to that Department [415]. Your Commissioner recommends that the blankets should be purchased on proper business lines, to the best advantage. He finds that up to two years ago they were contracted for through the Agent-General's office, which meant a saving of about eighteenpence on each as compared with the prices ruling under the present arrangement of buying them in the State. More than 2,000 blankets are ordered each year. C. Medical Fees, etc.- Payment by the Department for the past three years has varied from £92 to £94 annually on account of maternity cases, epidemics, injuries, and long-standing ailments [115-7]. Government Medical Officers are bound to attend a pauper aboriginal if asked to do so by the police [118], though the only authority appears to be a circular, dated May, 1898, and issued by the Premier, wherein it is to be considered part of the duty of Resident Magistrates, Resident Medical Officers, and Police Officers, to assist . . . in providing relief to the aged, infirm, and sick . . . [843], This circular does not appear to be known to every District Medical Officer [1666]. Owing to the general practice of employers neglecting to enter into contracts with natives working in their service, a certain expense must necessarily be incurred by the Department in attending to the medical relief of cases which, according to the contract, it would be the duty of the employers to provide. (7.) GENERAL TREATMENT OF THE ABORIGINAL AND HALF-CASTE INHABITANTS OF THE STATE. A. Women and Children.-The Chief Protector has no power to enforce the protection, care, safety, and education of unprotected aboriginal women and children, nor to send the latter to mission stations, orphanages, or reformatories [170-1]. The registration of the births of either half-castes or full-bloods is a matter of difficulty even in the settled districts. Of the many hundred half-caste children-over 500 were enumerated in last year's census [172] - if these are left to their own devices under the present state of the law, their future will be one of vagabondism and harlotry [173]. In speaking of the numerous aboriginal and half-caste children around Carnarvon, the Resident Magistrate says they will spend most of their lives in gaol or as prostitutes if something is not done with them. He would suggest their being sent to some reformatory or mission whether their parents wish it or not; but at present he has no power to deal with such cases [32:3]. With regard to the 25 or 30 half-caste children around Broome, the officer in charge of police considers they should be taken right away; as long as they are left in their own district it is impossible for anything to be done with them [673]. At Roebourne the Sub-Inspector of Police is of opinion that such children should be removed from the blacks' camps altogether: a shame that they should be allowed to run wild [1139]. At Marble Bar the Resident Magistrate suggests that the same means should be adopted with native waifs and strays as with white children: if they are bright and intelligent they should be sent at a suitable age to reformatories or schools, and in other cases be apprenticed to suitable employers to learn - girls domestic duties, boys, in that part of the country, stockmen's work [901]. At Derby, the Resident Magistrate considers these are the people that should be got at. There is a large number of absolutely worthless blacks and half-castes about who grow up to lives of prostitution and idleness; they are a perfect nuisance; if they were taken away young from their surroundings of temptation much good might be done with them. He approves of sending them to properly organised and properly supervised schools, etc. [1922-3]. The evils antecedent to the presence of half-castes in the neighbourhood of townships, which can be more or less controlled by the police, are increased in the northern and north-western stations where the patrols are necessarily less frequent: one station in the Fitzroy River District is credited with from 12 to 15 half-castes, varying from infancy to 21 and 22 years of age. Only occasionally does one hear of a pastoralist providing education to these waifs and strays. Unfortunately it is not compulsory for the reputed father to support his half-caste children. In the North-Western Districts the pastoralists have taken most of the native boys from the tribes; the blacks come in from the bush and get tobacco and food from the boys working' on the stations; this leads to a lot of immorality with the women [1584-5]. There is no power to stop squatters, drovers [1586], and teamsters taking these women and boys away. Women are to be seen on the roads dressed up as men. "Kombo"-ism is rife [1590]. The Resident Magistrate at Derby records how the daughter of the gin employed by his wife was taken away by a white man to the great indignation of his blacks, who told him that a native would have been speared under similar circumstances: at present the aboriginal husband has no redress [1971]. Certain police are alleged to be guilty of intercourse with the native women [1766-7], while others, as well as Commonwealth officials, are charged with abetting or condoning it [1773-8, 1184-7]; in some cases, the police may take no steps to prevent defilement of the gins by the stockmen, trackers, etc., who lent assistance in hunting them down [1405-7, 1547]. In the Beagle Bay, Broome, and La Grange Bay Districts, prostitution is due to the presence mainly of the alien pearling crews. There is nothing to prevent Europeans or Asiatics living with native women [466, 658-661], or legally marrying them. In one case the magistrate refused to marry a Malay, but had no objection to him living with the gin, provided she was agreeable [463-5]. The only circumstances where the police can interfere is when a man is found loitering in a natives' camp; action can then be taken under Section 65 of the Police Act, 55 Vic., No. 27. To remedy the above appalling state of affairs, your Commissioner recommends the legislation embodied in sections 11, 35, 36, 38, 39, 44, 45, and 50 of the proposed Bill. Section 11 proposes that the Chief Protector shall be the legal guardian of every aboriginal and half-caste child until such child attains the age of 18 years. Even at the present time the certified managers of certain schools [2004, 2012, 2058] are the legal guardians of natives up to 21 years of age. There can be no doubt that of the 500 half-caste children [172] many will, when the necessary protective legislation is provided, become a charge upon the Executive, and the question will then arise as to whether a special Government institution or one or other of the mission stations will receive them. For the Central and Southern Districts there are only the Swan and New Norcia Missions, and the Salvation Army Collie Home, the first and third being prohibitive as against any large number being sent there. Even there, however, the charge of one shilling per day is equal to, and in some cases less than the cost of only feeding many an aboriginal indigent in other parts of the State, and from an economic point of view it would be wiser to make the pecuniary sacrifice - if the sacrifice is indeed imperative - rather in the interests of the half-caste infant than in those of the adult full-blood. As has already been shown, large savings can undoubtedly be made in the present distribution of food-relief, and these, supplemented by moneys received on account of natives under employment, could be utilised for the benefit of the waifs and strays. B. The Supply of Liquor .- The frequency with which liquor is being supplied to natives varies from its alleged absence at Onslow [458] to the terrible drunkenness reported on the Cooglegong tinfields, than which one witness thinks there is not a worse place for drink in Australia [934]. The consensus of opinion appears to be that it is given for purposes of immorality and prostitution [375, 929, 1121, 1910]. According to the Act 44 Vict., No.9, section 56, the prohibition of selling, supplying, or giving liquor does not extend to the giving or supplying of fermented liquor by unlicensed persons to aboriginal natives in their service. As the service is not specified as being with or without contract, etc., there is nothing to prevent an individual employing a native, say, for five minutes at wood-chopping, holding his horse, etc., and giving him liquor with impunity. With regard to the law as to blacks being employed or being on the premises of a publican, one magistrate shows that as section 57 of the Police Act and its Amendment (2 Edw. VII., No. 44, Section 6) stand at present, they are awkward, because most people who travel in this country have a native boy with them to look after the horses, etc.; if they stay at an hotel this boy must attend to his work, and thus be about the premises ; but if the Act were read strictly these travellers would not be allowed to have the services of the native boys [878]. Another magistrate points out that by the same amendment just referred to, no provision is made for any license holder, other than a publican's general license holder, employing an aboriginal; this means that no provision is made to allow for the holder of a wayside-house license to employ a black, even if considered worthy of it [1623]. As a matter of practice, however, the consent, in writing, of the Chief Protector of Aborigines is first obtained on behalf of the publican, as required by the same Amending Act. Opinions vary greatly as to whether such employers should be allowed permits; amongst objectors the reasons given are that it is the means of blacks getting liquor that they otherwise would not be able to obtain [1130], or that the native employed acts as a decoy for others [378]. The local police are apparently not always consulted about allowing a native on the premises of a publican [378]. The penalty for supplying liquor is a £20 fine or three months' imprisonment [167], but as the fine can be reduced for a first offence, under the Justices Act of 1902, section 166, it is but little wonder that the punishment then inflicted does not cope with the evil. At Broome, for instance, for some time past the fine has been reduced, and latterly it has been only £1 and costs, and £1 including costs, but very seldom over £5 [653]. Not only do witnesses consider that the present penalties are insufficient [375, 974], but recommend that even the possession of liquor by a native should be made a punishable offence [322, 400d]. Twenty-three convictions against aborigines for drunkenness last year were reported to the Chief Protector [164]. Your Commissioner recommends section 47 of the Bill, enforcing minimum penalties, with an additional proviso making it penal for any aboriginal or half-caste to have liquor or opium in his possession. Owing to the advent of the Malay crews along the coast-line and the ubiquitous presence of the Chinaman, it is highly probable, judging from North Queensland experiences, that opium will sooner or later come into use amongst the natives. It should be a regulation under the Act that no permit should be granted by a local Protector for the employment of an aboriginal or half-caste at any hotel, licensed victualler's premises, or store where liquor is sold, without reference to the Chief Protector; the reference to set out such special circumstances as, in the opinion of the local Protector, warrant the issue of such permit. To cope with the present evil of supplying liquor on the tinfields, etc., is worse than useless with constables who are but recruits and inexperienced bushmen [874-6, 934-5]. C. Reserves.- A grave responsibility rests upon the Executive in pursuing a policy of allowing large areas of country to be taken up and occupied without the slightest provision being made for the natives, who are thus dispossessed of their hunting grounds. The pastoralist gets a grant of land to raise sheep and cattle, and accordingly the kangaroo, the native food of the aboriginal, has to be got rid of. When these animals get scarce the blacks must kill the cattle or sheep [1932]. Another witness states that the natural herbage is eaten by stock put on the country for pastoral purposes, and the game is not so plentiful; the kangaroo hunters also destroy the natives' principal food [863]. In the Sturt's Creek district, where a large number of cattle appear to be annually speared, the blacks can only get water where the cattle are watered; once they are driven from these places, they have nothing to live on; they could get food if they were allowed to stop where the cattle are, but blacks and cattle will not agree, and the blacks are driven away; they must live somehow, so they spear cattle [1588]. In another case, the natives are not allowed about the central paddocks, and the very fact of the stock being depastured on all the watered portions of the runs, quite deprives them of the chance of finding any of their natural animal food [25]. In the North, the stock is gradually obliterating the natural native game [110]. Under these conditions, the right reserved to the aboriginal by the Government to hunt for native food over the land when taken up by Europeans is of practically little worth; it has already been pointed out (when dealing with the question of wages) what obstacles may be put in his way when attempting to exercise this right, although possibly no actively hostile action to his presence need necessarily be taken by the station owner. The climax of refined hardship and abuse has so far been reached in the recent Dog Act of 1904, Section 29, where the black is not allowed to have more than one male dog unregistered, the ultimate and ill-concealed effect of such legislation being to prevent aborigines using dogs for hunting purposes, and so limiting still further the supplies of native food otherwise available. There is no reserve for natives in Western Australia that is devoted exclusively to their use and benefit. Several witnesses approve of a system of such reserves in each district, due regard being given to their location [902]; one suggests their establishment in districts where the majority of the blacks already are if the proposed Act causes the station-owners to throw the natives off [903]; another, that the reserves would have to be pretty extensive, etc. [1930]. In the same way that reserves are required for the exclusive use of the natives, so are others, e.g., township sites, required for the use of the Europeans; blacks should not be allowed to enter the latter except under lawful employment [1133]. Your Commissioner recommends the legislation dealing with reserves as expressed in sections 13 to 18 of the proposed Bill, and the proclamation of various townships, etc., in which aborigines, except in lawful employment, are not allowed to remain, as provided for in section 41. In the far northern unsettled districts the whole question of reserves resolves itself into one of either sacrificing many human lives or losing a few pounds derived from rents. So long as the land can be taken up at a few shillings per thousand acres, and no provision made for the dependent blacks who can and are being hunted off it, there certainly will be trouble. The stockowner naturally does his best for his cattle - one cannot for a moment blame him - while the protector exerts his utmost on behalf of his aborigines. In your Commissioner's opinion large northern reserves for hunting purposes are imperative not only on humanitarian grounds, but also on grounds of practical policy. The policy is not new, but already adopted in Queensland, and for many years past, on a much larger scale, of course, in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere. If the natives continue to be dispossessed of the country upon which they are dependent for their food and water supplies, by their lands being rented for grazing rights at a nominal figure-lands from which the lessees naturally desire to drive them - bloodshed and retribution will be certain to ensue, and the Executive in its efforts to restore law and order, and in the cost of rations to make up deficiencies in the natural food supplies, will be ultimately put to an expenditure considerably in excess of the total rents received. Carrying the present practice of Might against Right to a logical conclusion, it would simply mean that, were all the land in the northern areas of the State to be thus leased, all the blacks would be hunted into the sea. The poor wretches must be allowed the wherewithal to live - their main hunting grounds and water supplies. They dare not voluntarily migrate elsewhere, as such action, according to tribal law, would constitute a trespass, punishable by death. Your Commissioner pleads again that large areas be resumed in the northern unsettled districts for the sole benefit of the natives, the location and extent of such reserves being dependent on local conditions, i.e., islands, large promontories, mountain areas, districts where the marches of several tribes meet, etc. [1930]; indeed, where the natives already are. In the settled districts of the State, of course, much smaller areas of country would only be necessary, because here the reserves, instead of being utilised as hunting grounds would constitute sanctuaries and asylums for the indigent, the infirm, the children, and others on whose behalf it behoves the State to make special provision. As already mentioned; one of the main objects of section 15 of the proposed Bill is to give the Minister power to remove an aboriginal whose presence it is undesirable to continue in one particular district on account of his incorrigibility or proneness to crime, the evidence of which would not be sufficient to secure conviction in the law courts. In cases of tribal murder and cattle-killing such a power would be both economic to the State and merciful to the individual or individuals concerned. D. Mission Stations and Aboriginal Institutions.- Your Commissioner visited the missions carried on at Beagle Bay [554-611], Broome [677-712], the Swan [1988-2020], and New Norcia [2021-2093], and had the opportunity of examining the superintendent of the Sunday Island Mission, as a witness [1791-1853]. "The small home at Ellensbrook (Bunbury District) for waifs and strays, who for various reasons cannot be received into the other institutions, is carried on in a practical manner, partly as a nursery for the little ones, and as a temporary refuge against evil influences for the bigger ones." During the past three years the extent to which these institutions have been subsidised by the Department is detailed by the Chief Protector [139-141]. Although the executive head, this gentleman does not appear to be always consulted as to the grants allowed to the missions [146], one of which (Swan Native Mission) is paid on a capitation basis. (a) Beagle Bay (Roman Catholic, Pallottine).-Annual subsidy, £250; 31 children attending school [566] and 20 to 80 camp-blacks [586]; approximately, 100 inmates, at a cost to the Department of £2 l0s. each per annum. Your Commissioner, after a full review of all the circumstances, cannot recommend any increase at present in the amount of the annual subsidy. There has been a decrease in the number of inmates of almost 50 per cent. within the past four or five years [688-9]; perhaps the quality and quantity of food supplied to the natives, several of whom made separate complaints to your Commissioner, may be one of the prime factors. There are at present no Sisters in connection with the mission, but it is understood that arrangements are being made to remedy this defect. An ex-civil servant is being paid a small salary (by the Order) to act as school-teacher [558-560]. Thirteen blacks are receiving Government relief at a cost of sixpence each per day: this expenditure should be cancelled, the care of the indigent being certainly one of those acts of charity which the public has the right to expect the mission to meet out of its own resources. With regard to the tenure of the land at Beagle Bay, 600,000 acres were originally reserved for the use of the aborigines here; subsequently 100,000 acres adjoining the reserve were added to the reservation, the Government at the time agreeing that should the Trappists expend the sum of £5,000 on improvements on the total reservation, 10,000 acres would be granted in fee simple. On inquiry from Father Walter, the present official head of the Mission, the improvements on which this sum of money has been expended are in the main on Dampier Location No.6: at any rate, certainly not on the total reservation as required by the conditions. This location is one of the four (Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8) which the Mission is anxious to obtain in fee simple, and practically the only four on the whole reserve where there would appear to be permanent water. Furthermore, when the Trappists first arrived in the State in 1895 they brought a little money out with them, and with this they purchased about 150 head of cattle. When the Order took its departure in 1901 and was replaced by the Pallottines, Father Nicholas, under power of attorney from his superior, only sold Bishop Gibney the cattle, which had by that time increased to 800 ; the price to be paid was £2,640 [690-3]. Father Nicholas did not feel justified in selling the buildings, fences, improvements, etc., because he considered them to be part and parcel of the trust: they had been built with the labour and assistance of the blacks, and they had been erected for the use and benefit of the natives [694-5]. Your Commissioner recommends that the Lands Department, when issuing the title to the lands in question, will protect the interests of the aborigines, and take care that the property held in trust for them is not handed over to the Mission. (b) Broome (Roman Catholic, Trappist).- Your Commissioner cannot do more than beg your Excellency's perusal of the minutes of evidence obtained from Father Nicholas [677-712], who for ten years past has devoted himself entirely to the benefit of the natives--a more unselfish man it would be rare to meet. Being as anxious as ever to give up the remainder of his life to working amongst the aborigines, the Department would do well to afford him an opportunity of increasing his sphere of influence. He certainly should not be allowed to pay rent for a reserve out of his private purse. At present he is responsible for the distribution of indigent relief to the extent of a few shillings daily, an amount far from commensurate with what is absolutely required. (c) Sunday Island (Independent).- Annual subsidy £100; 23 children attending school and about 90 permanent residents [1829]; in other words, 113 inmates at a cost to the Department of a little over 17s. 8d. per head per annum. Your Commissioner strongly recommends the application of Mr. Hadley, another fine example of a man who is sacrificing self on behalf of others, for an increase of subsidy to £200, in order to pay the services of a school teacher and assistant generally [1849]. This would enable the Mission to probably obtain a married couple, the help and presence of a European women being very desirable. It is also highly necessary, as soon as the proposed Bill comes into force, that the whole of Sunday Island and portion of the Western Mainland coast line at Swan Point and Cygnet Bay (provided the pearlers are not allowed there, as already suggested) be proclaimed a Reserve [1835-1845]. As all deficiencies in the financial condition of the Mission, which is free from debt, are already made up out of Mr. Hadley's private purse, it would hardly be fair to withdraw the Government relief issued to the indigent natives, though probably exertions might be successfully made to considerably reduce it. (d) Swan Native and Half-caste Mission (Anglican).- Annual subsidy, £721 8s., with an attendance of from 30 to 33 children at the school and eight at the Orphanage. The subsidy varies, being made on a capitation basis of one shilling per head per day. Though this amount of over £18 per annum per child is excessive as compared with the grants in aid to other institutions, it must be remembered that the inmates here [1988-2020] are brought up on identical lines as the Orphanage (white) children, receiving concurrently with them the same food, clothing, education, and training. It is quite evident that on this capitation basis the Aborigines Department cannot afford to pay for many more waifs and strays at the institution, unless some provision be made whereby, when they are finally sent out into service or under apprenticeship, and until they are 21-the age at which the guardianship of the school manager ceases-some fair proportion of their earnings is repaid to the Executive in return for the heavy outlay that has been expended on their behalf. It is apparent that, greatly to the credit of themselves and the management, the coloured children profit by the opportunities given them of reaching that stage of civilisation and advancement which ultimately helps them to hold their own in the struggle for existence. Should some such an arrangement be come to, your Commissioner would recommend that the manager be granted a railway pass [1993] to regularly visit and keep in touch with the inmates after they have left the institution to go into service [2015]. This inspection is undoubtedly a most important branch of the work, and as both white and coloured young people are visited, it would be but fair that one-half the cost of the pass be paid by the Charities and the other by the Aborigines Department. (e.) New Norcia (Roman Catholic, Benedictine).- Annual subsidy £450: over 50 children are attending school, with a total of about 200 aboriginals and half-castes under the charge of the Mission; average cost to the Department of £2 5s. per head per annum. This, the oldest aboriginal institution in the State, is in a most flourishing condition, continues to carry on very excellent work, and is well worthy of the support extended to it by the Department. The minutes of evidence [2021-2094] obtained at this mission will also well repay your Excellency's perusal. Taking the Mission and Aboriginal Institutions generally, your Commissioner recommends that :- ( 1.) they be regularly inspected by the Chief Protector or other officer authorised by him; (2.) the standard of the Government Provisional School system should be at least maintained; (3.) that uniform returns be forwarded to the Department. E. Firearms.- The possession of, firearms by natives is considered a grave danger [934], as very wrong and likely to lead to trouble [1136], and should not be allowed [892]. There is no doubt that there should be legislation to prevent it [1972]. One objector urges that exception should be made in the case of an aboriginal when working for a master to obtain game [892]. Your Commissioner recommends an additional clause in the proposed Bill to make the possession of firearms by aborigines; as well as their sale to them, illegal. F. Removals.- There is nothing to prevent [332, 372, 1118, etc.] blacks being taken away from one district to another, without any provision being made that they shall be returned. A native has been induced to leave his woman and all, and been left stranded hundreds of miles away [332]; another instance is that of a European taking a native woman away by force [333]; others are cases of teamsters and drovers removing aborigines to other districts and not necessarily returning them [869]. Your Commissioner notes that these abuses are provided for under section 12 of the proposed Bill. G. Deaths, Burials.- It would not appear to be anyone's business to notify the death of an aboriginal, whether under contract or not. At Derby, the Resident Magistrate has given instructions that in the event of a native dying without medical attendance within the limits of the townsite, a magisterial inquiry or inquest is to be held [1929]. Matters will be rectified by section 33 of the proposed Bill, which makes it incumbent upon the employer to give the necessary notice. By 61 Vict., No. 3, section 6, bodies must be buried in a public cemetery where one has been proclaimed, it being unlawful for a burial to take place elsewhere within a radius of 10 miles. In certain districts this has resulted in the contractors insisting upon burying natives. As the charges for burial are in some cases as much as £9 [125-132] this would seem a useless expenditure, all the more so when prayers are put in as part or the contract at an additional cost of 10 shillings. The aborigines would appear to be always prepared to bury their own dead, and as they do not as a general rule die from any specially infectious disease, there can be no strictly valid reason for interment in a cemetery. Your Commissioner recommends that the provisions of section 9 or the same Act be availed of, and permission obtained from the Governor in Council to bury blacks in a more economic manner. H. Conclusion. In the settled areas or those portions of the State along which his investigations have led him, your Commissioner is satisfied that the natives, generally speaking, are not subject to any actual physical cruelty. On the other hand, the wrongs and injustices taking place in these areas, and the cruelties and abuses met with in the unsettled districts cannot be longer hidden or tolerated. Fortunately they are of such a nature that they can be largely remedied by proper legislation, combined with firm departmental supervision. My earnest prayer, on the eve of my departure from Western Australia, is that the next Parliamentary Session will see that the proposed Aborigines Bill of 1904, as originally introduced, supplemented with the recommendations contained in this Report, will become the Aborigines Act or 1905. Attached hereto are the minutes or evidence taken (Appendix C). I have the honour to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, WALTER E. ROTH, Commissioner. Perth, W.A., 29th December, 1904.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1844
__label__cc	0.544676	0.455324	Tag: resistance Prison strikers building a movement for justice and decarceration, with Janos Marton The nationwide prison strike that began August 21 is ongoing, and it comes at a moment when Americans are perhaps primed to hear demands from prisoners and consider them in a new way. Protests and uprisings in recent years have called attention to the rampant inequality perpetuated by prisons, jails, arrests, and prosecutions, and as prisoners coordinate with each other to resist their conditions on the inside, Janos Marton of the ACLU’s Smart Justice program joins me to talk about what people on the outside can do to support the strike and the demands of the prisoners. People have been asking me what they can tangibly do. The organizers made clear in the lead-up to this strike that they weren’t expecting people on the outside to be able to do a whole lot to actually support the strike as it is happening because it is something that is facility specific and driven by and organized on the inside. But they made a few exceptions. One is to the extent that there are protests being held outside of facilities, they said that it not only gives them energy and hope when they see people protesting in solidarity outside of their own facilities, but it also generally causes Corrections to think twice before retaliating, which is a major concern we had as an organization in the lead-up to the strike–that the organizers of the strike are going to be retaliated against either during or after the strike is over. The people can participate in local actions, that makes a big difference. There is a Twitter account @IWW_IWOC which has been posting updates from the strike and occasional calls to action, usually around this issue saying something like, “Call such and such facility to make it clear to them not to retaliate against people participating in the prison strike.” Just continuing to amplify these messages. I think the idea that there is a prison strike and what the demands of the prison strike are are still not well understood to the broader public. So, the more people who are aware of these issues can do to amplify the ten demands and the fact that the strike is happening, then that is helpful, too. On a final note, when people read through the ten demands they may be surprised to see how many of them they already knew about and agreed with. Even though this is a radical act to strike in a prison setting and that is why we have to show such solidarity to these brave men and women, at the end of the day what they are asking for is very much in line with what people have been demanding for a very long time outside of prison walls, as well: an end to racist policing, investing in rehabilitation in the system rather than punishment, reducing the length of sentences, and ultimately this right to vote, this right to participate in democracy for all people. Up at Truthout Up at The Progressive Interviews for Resistance is a syndicated series of interviews with organizers, agitators and troublemakers, available twice weekly as text and podcast. You can now subscribe on iTunes! Previous interviews here Interviews for Resistance inequality, interviews, labor, police, prison, racism, resistance Leave a Comment on Prison strikers building a movement for justice and decarceration, with Janos Marton A new agenda for labor law, with Celine McNicholas Labor law in the US has been broken down over the past several decades until it’s nearly nonexistent. And yet a new wave of worker resistance and political interest in labor makes it a good time to push for a reimagining and rebuilding of the laws that govern the workplace. The Economic Policy Institute has just published a new agenda for doing just that–rebuilding the right to a union, giving unions real power again, and protecting workers who don’t have unions for what the institute calls “First Day Fairness.” Celine McNicholas, one of the authors of the report, joins me to talk about the movement that will be necessary to rewrite the rules to give workers an equal chance. I think it is really encouraging that so many of these reforms already live in existing, already-introduced legislation in Congress. None of them get a great deal of attention, but in particular the Workers’ Freedom to Negotiate Act which was introduced this Congress which goes to the heart of many of the reforms aimed at ensuring that folks can unionize. That is the piece of legislation that includes some of the re-imagined right to strike reforms, as well. In terms of how likely it is that any of this passes, I think that is really on all of us. We have a responsibility as advocates to get in there and make sure that people are, number one, aware of these bills, and also that there is a grassroots movement. I think mentioning that you are in Wisconsin, there is a great demonstration in what workers can demand from elected officials. We absolutely have to greet this new Congress with the clear understanding, if it is Democratic controlled, that these issues are top-tier issues, that we demand that they be considered in the first hundred days. The fact that we haven’t had a minimum wage increase in so long at this point, we are looking at over a decade of failure to pass legislation, that is shared by both parties. I think in terms of the likelihood of all of these measures, any of these measures, passing is really incumbent upon all of us to speak up and demand that our elected officials don’t just treat these things as campaign slogans, but that we really demand action on these critical reforms that, quite frankly, affect all of us regardless of party affiliation, regardless of many of the other issues that may divide us. I think a fair economy and how we are all treated at work, how we are all paid, and economic justice, to me, is such a unifying issue that I really hold out hope that it will be a top-tier issue in a Democratic controlled Congress. Let Trump veto a minimum wage increase. Let Trump veto a bill that would actually give people in this country a meaningful path to have a union in their workplace. I remain optimistic that Democrats will recognize that these issues simply cannot be ignored going forward. That said, we have to demand it. It is not enough to just be against the status quo. We really need meaningful reform in this area. Interviews for Resistance, Necessary Trouble interviews, labor, resistance Leave a Comment on A new agenda for labor law, with Celine McNicholas Continuing the teachers’ fight in West Virginia, with Rebecca Diamond The teachers in West Virginia kicked off a multi-state strike wave last winter when they shuttered every school in the state over their consistently low wages, lousy working conditions, and most importantly, their broken Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA), the system that insures every public employee in the state. They won a raise, but the biggest fight, says Rebecca Diamond, a West Virginia teacher and member of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, is still ongoing–the fight to fix and fully fund PEIA. I spoke with Diamond recently at Netroots Nation. They have had task force meetings and they have gone to all the communities and they have basically gathered from the communities what their main concerns are with PEIA and how it is going to affect them. These panel members are supposed to take it back to the committee and then, they are all supposed to meet and they are supposed to have a decision made before the election – Surprise! – and come up with what they feel like is going to be a solution. The only solution that I feel like is going to suffice for teachers is if there is a funding source for it. If there is not a funding source for it…which, they have known for the last five years that there was not a funding source for PEIA. They basically just continued to put it on the backburner, because we have not done anything about it. And it is not just teachers, it is every state employee in the State of West Virginia. It is not like they were just hit by a truck and realized that, “How are we going to pay for that PEIA? What are we going to do for it?” We have given them options. People have given them options to fund PEIA, but nobody wants to take the initiative to make that a funding source for PEIA. Interviews for Resistance education, interviews, labor, resistance Leave a Comment on Continuing the teachers’ fight in West Virginia, with Rebecca Diamond Contesting the Right’s Designs on Public Space, with Prof. Jalane Schmidt Posted on August 9, 2018 August 24, 2018 August 11 will be the first anniversary of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Heather Heyer was killed and several other people injured when white nationalists and white supremacists from around the country rallied–and brought weapons. In preparation for the anniversary, Charlottesville activists are planning vigils and teach-ins and keeping an eye on the far right’s activities, from Portland, OR to Washington, D.C. Prof. Jalane Schmidt is an organizer with Black Lives Matter Charlottesville, and she joins me to discuss the recent far-right violence in Portland, the planned rally in D.C., and what Charlottesville activists are planning for the anniversary and beyond. They are trying to push decent citizens out of the public square, anyone who opposes white supremacy, out of the public square, and also, to normalize their movement. Part of what they are doing is they really like to go to places with iconic vistas; whether it is the Lee statue or to Mount Vernon, Washington’s estate up in Northern Virginia–that is where Identity Evropa went a few months ago–or other places. They like to have clean, unobstructed sight lines between themselves and whatever iconic place where they are: university auditoriums, for instance, the Oval Office, because that is very good for their recruitment. This makes for very good propaganda videos. For instance, here, May 13th, 2017 was the first alt-right torch rally here in Charlottesville. Some 150 white supremacists gathered uncontested. They caught us flat-footed, by surprise. Then, of course, August 11th, around the Jefferson statue at the University of Virginia. Again, largely uncontested. Then, October 7th, 2017 they had a third torch rally here in Charlottesville, also catching us by surprise. That is what they like for their propaganda videos. That is what they like to circulate online. And Richard Spencer even said that last August 11th on the steps of the rotunda at the University of Virginia, “Look! We just took over!” So, they want spaces cleared of the rest of us, especially those of us who are people of color. But, they are also trying to grow their movement. It is a strategy. That is why it is important to, yes, show up in greater numbers – there is safety in numbers – to say, “No, we won’t allow you to scare us away and we won’t allow you to take over public spaces and to normalize with your appearances there, your movement.” Interviews for Resistance interviews, police, racism, resistance, the south Leave a Comment on Contesting the Right’s Designs on Public Space, with Prof. Jalane Schmidt Keeping the pressure on Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, with Liat Olenick of Indivisible Nation BK Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer has been hearing from his constituents a lot lately, and they’re demanding he stand up and fight. That’s the message brought by Indivisible Nation BK, which has held rallies outside of Schumer’s Brooklyn home, his Manhattan office, and elsewhere demanding that Schumer unify the Democrats in standing up to Trumpism and Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. I spoke to Liat Olenick of Indivisible Nation BK about the group’s mission, and how it came together around the idea that someone should hold elected officials accountable. Indivisible is all about holding your own elected officials accountable. As a Brooklyn group, we meet in Prospect Heights, Boerum Hill, Park Slope area, we’re literally in his backyard, we’re right near his house. We do have members from all over Brooklyn but because we’re so close to him we kind of feel a special responsibility to continue to hold him accountable and put pressure on him to be the leader that we need right now. All elected officials are there for one reason, because they were elected by people going out and voting for them. When we signal to our representatives what we want them to do or that we are thankful for something or that we are disappointed in actions that they have taken, they pay attention because they want to, ultimately, get reelected and stay in office. The whole Indivisible model is based on that. We, especially with Chuck Schumer, take that really seriously because we are in his backyard and also because he is the most powerful Democrat in the country right now and more than anybody else, we need really strong consistent clear leadership coming from him and his office. Up at The Progressive. Up at In These Times. Interviews for Resistance, Necessary Trouble Democrats, elections, interviews, resistance, supreme court Leave a Comment on Keeping the pressure on Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, with Liat Olenick of Indivisible Nation BK Occupy and abolish ICE, with George Ciccariello-Maher Around the country, as the demand to abolish ICE spreads, occupations of its offices are springing up. In many of the cities where such occupations exist, they have heightened contradictions between the proclamations of “sanctuary” by elected officials wanting to look progressive, and those officials’ actual policies of repressing protest. George Ciccariello-Maher, an activist and academic, has taken part in the Occupy ICE encampment in Philadelphia and joins me to discuss the evolution of the tactic and demand, the relationship of movements to self-proclaimed progressive mayors, and more. I think we are used to abolitionist language seeming really extreme or long-term or pie in the sky, and yet, we have seen this claim take root and spread. Partly because of the real brutality of what ICE is doing and the transparency of what is going on. I think it is also really important to remember that one of the first things I think we should do as analysts, but also as movement organizers is to historicize, to think about the fact that ICE is not that old. ICE is a new institution. ICE has not been around very long. Abolishing it really should not be that difficult. That points both towards the potential and the possibility of this claim to actually come about. I think that is why you see many Democrats, or some Democrats at least, talking about the abolition of ICE, but it also points toward the dangers because we are in a strange situation where you are talking about abolishing something, but it is really just an intermediate demand because the last thing we want is to see ICE simply replaced by INS, by Border Patrol doing the same exact work or going back to an old status quo which is not good enough for us. I think we need to be very careful to tether the demand to abolish ICE to the demand to not replace it. This is actually what a lot of Democrats have been insisting on, “We will find a better replacement.” No. We don’t want any replacement for this. We want to roll back the powers that have been granted even to Border Patrol in recent decades and the dramatic expansion of that agency and the dramatic expansion of its budget and expansion of its ground force on the border. We want a radical transformation, ultimately, that points toward border abolition by the end. Interviews for Resistance immigration, interviews, occupy, police, resistance Leave a Comment on Occupy and abolish ICE, with George Ciccariello-Maher The Supreme Court and the corporate class, with Saqib Bhatti The Supreme Court last week handed down decisions in Trump’s Muslim ban case, in the public sector labor union case Janus v. AFSCME, and more, decisions that will harm working people, particularly people of color. But most of the time these decisions are talked about separately from one another, and from other Trumpist attacks on immigrants and working people. Saqib Bhatti of the Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE) joins me to talk about them all together, contextualizing the slant of the Supreme Court these days and the shape of the struggle to fight back. Looking at these issues, what is really important to understand is the connections between “Who are the corporate actors that are actually bad across all of these issues?” One of the things that we are seeing is with a lot of these things, the thing that people love to do with the Muslim ban is really beat up on Trump or say, “This is a terrible decision by the Supreme Court,” but the reality is we can raise those concerns all we want and it doesn’t actually hurt Trump for us to be saying, “He is anti-Muslim, he is racist.” In fact, it actually helps him with his base. With a lot of the politicians we are seeing that the reason why they are actually appealing to white supremacists is because they realize that it actually helps them. The way for us to take them on, while it is important to call out those politicians for what they are and what they are doing, we can’t stop there because at the end of the day that is not going to be an effective way to move them. Especially now if we are seeing the Supreme Court that in the coming years is likely to be stacked by far right ideologues, it seems like the avenue to fight on these fights only in the discourse of public sector and government is going to be going away. That is why it is truly important to look at, “Who are the corporations that these politicians are beholden to? Who are the corporations whose agenda the Supreme Court is carrying out?” and really show some of these connections. What we have found in our research is that a lot of the same companies that are really profiting off the mass incarceration system, that are really profiting from our immigrant policies, that are supporting politicians that are anti-Muslim and support policies like the Muslim ban, these are actually a lot of the same corporations, and by the way, those are also the same corporations that are responsible for defunding the public sector because they don’t pay their fair share in taxes. Interviews for Resistance, Necessary Trouble economy, immigration, interviews, labor, resistance Leave a Comment on The Supreme Court and the corporate class, with Saqib Bhatti Our immigration policy has always separated families, with Jess Morales Rocketto When it comes to family separation, no one knows better than migrant domestic workers the myriad ways that US immigration policy has always kept people away from their loved ones. Domestic workers have for decades been coming to the US to care for other people’s children, often while leaving their own far away, and their leadership is key in a moment when Americans are rising up in protest at Trump’s policies around immigration and the family. I spoke with Jess Morales Rocketto, political director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, about the Trump administration’s latest moves, the growing movement to abolish ICE, and much more. Our immigration campaign at National Domestic Workers Alliance is called We Belong Together and it is focused on family separation because this was something that we knew was a problem in our immigration system and was something that we understood was being totally mismanaged and the consequences were happening in our members and our families. Folks who came here and were not connected with their children for 20 years at a time because they were back in their home countries. Or, trying to sponsor their family members and having to be waiting 15-20 years for their family members to be able to come over. I think that part of why we felt like it was really critical to sound the alarm is that in the same way that people don’t value domestic work because it is women’s labor, because it is women of color’s labor, because it is mostly immigrant women’s labor, they also weren’t valuing what they were saying about the immigration system and about the desire that ultimately wins is because the reason that people come here is because they are seeking a better life, often for their family. That could be their chosen family, it could be their children, it could be their extended family. Interviews for Resistance, Necessary Trouble feminism, immigration, interviews, resistance Leave a Comment on Our immigration policy has always separated families, with Jess Morales Rocketto Charlottesville is a place, not an event, with Molly Nearly a year after the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally drew national headlines, Charlottesville, VA activists are still dealing with the fallout. The death of Heather Heyer at the vehicle of James Alex Fields, Jr. wasn’t the only incident of violence last summer, and activists are still preparing for trials of both white supremacists and local Black Lives Matter activists, struggling to institute proactive reforms, and bracing for the potential of another white supremacist rally in their town. I spoke with Molly, one of those local activists, on what’s happened and why the eyes of the nation should still be on Charlottesville. On Friday, after Corey was convicted the judge sentenced him to 360 days active confinement with 340 suspended. That is a 20 day sentence that you actually have to serve. Typically, around here, you serve half of a misdemeanor sentence. You serve 10 days. He has the option of serving it on weekends. So, he could serve five consecutive weekends. Again, the prosecutor requested during sentencing that there be no active incarceration and the judge chose to sentence him to that anyways. Typically, if both the prosecutor and the defense agree on what the sentence should be, the judge just goes with that. He was choosing to send a message here. We have heard a lot of that “both sides” narrative from both of the judges we hear from mostly are general district judge, Judge Downer, and our circuit court judge, Judge Moore. They both do a little bit of moralizing and sermonizing during sentencing and he said, you know, “bad behavior on both sides.” Like I said, I didn’t take a lot of detailed verbatim notes. It is the same speech every time. I have it written down maybe twenty times across six notebooks. “The whole day was very chaotic, very unfortunate. It cost the city its reputation. We went from a world class city to the city where this happened. This behavior is very serious. We have limited resources for keeping people incarcerated.” And yet, you still chose to sentence Corey to active incarceration. And the fact that he chose that moment to say that, “What really was damaged here was our city’s reputation.” Not that this young man’s life was in danger. Not that someone died. Three people died. At least people in the upper thirties were treated in hospitals. But, “This city’s reputation was damaged and it is important to send a message.” This young man who defended himself against a known imperial wizard in the Ku Klux Klan was sentenced to serve jail time and 100 hours of community service and two years of good behavior and up to one year of active supervision by offender aid and restoration. He already served this community. He serviced this community by protecting himself and protecting us on August 12th. So, Friday night, we gathered in Justice Park, that is the park with the Jackson statue by the Albemarle Courthouse, and we marched down the downtown mall chanting and just… It is surreal living in this town because there is such a disconnect. There are so many people for whom this is so real and so present and this is our whole life now. Then, there are people who, when we’re outside the courthouse chanting and holding signs. They come up and they say, “What is this about? What is happening?” We were marching down the downtown mall on Friday night and there was I think a wedding after-party at one of the fancier bars and there is a women in a wedding dress drinking champagne and forty of us marching down the mall chanting for Corey. As we came back around on the other side of the mall on East Market Street by Emancipation Park, the place where the disorderly conduct allegedly occurred, we took the street. We were marching in the street and I have heard from activists around town that the police used to let us do that. They used to let us take the street because it was easier to just let us quickly move through the street like we were going to do and everyone can move on with their lives than it would be to arrest eight people, like they did on Friday. All eight people were served…they were getting summonses for traffic violations. They are not criminal charges. It is pretty unusual to take people to jail for a traffic violation. Interviews for Resistance, Necessary Trouble interviews, police, racism, resistance, the south, violence Leave a Comment on Charlottesville is a place, not an event, with Molly A New Social Contract, with Cathy Albisa It can be so easy to get bogged down in the unending horrors coming from the news every day. But while we get stuck watching the bad news, organizers across the country have been engaged in creating solutions that democratize the economy, broaden participation, and fundamentally change our society for the better. A new report from the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative looks at these efforts and pulls them together to lay a blueprint for “A New Social Contract,” and NESRI’s executive director Cathy Albisa took the time to explain what the report entails and why it matters to look forward to a fundamentally different world. The first thing we wanted to do was make sure we were looking at things that were truly structural, that would address the various intersections of injustice that people were experiencing today. Structural solutions will deal with economic, racial, gender, climate justice, all at once because they are looking at the root cause and these root causes are integrated. Once we looked at those structural solutions, we did see certain things that they had in common. The first one should be no surprise to anyone, which is that they are driven by values. Too much in our economic and social policy is driven by profit, driven by hate, driven by things that we would consider completely anathema to our values. These solutions that are driven by core social justice and human rights values. The second thing we noticed about them is what I mentioned earlier. They really are better for everyone. They center people that are most marginalized, but they are systemic solutions that if we really scaled up would really lead to universal systems that addressed people’s basic needs and offer opportunities for neighborhoods not to just survive, but thrive all over the country. The third is that almost all of them had a really central component that involved reenvisioning local democracy. It is no secret that our democracy is in peril right now. We have been downgraded by The Economist from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy.” Even before this election a report was coming out of Princeton, hardly a radical institution, they deemed that we were no longer a democracy, but really more of an oligarchy. It is clear that communities are feeling this and that they are coming up with new forms of local democracy, community control, worker ownership to rebuild that sense of collectivity from the ground up. Interviews for Resistance, Necessary Trouble inequality, interviews, labor, resistance, socialism, taxes, wall street Leave a Comment on A New Social Contract, with Cathy Albisa	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1847
__label__cc	0.502522	0.497478	Released: Windows Phone 7 RTM September 3, 2010 All, General, Microsoft, Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 1 comment On 1st September 2010 Microsoft has announced the Windows Phone 7 RTM(Released-To-Manufacture), the most awaited Mobile OS from Microsoft. Just like Windows 7 it has already won the hearts of millions. Hope to win more.. You can read the official Windows Phone 7 team blog Windows Phone 7 – Released To Manufacturing. Quoting from Paul’s blog at WinSuperSite Windows Phone 7 RTM Well, the day has finally arrived. I was told very early on that Windows Phone would most likely be released to manufacturing (RTM) in August, and they missed that mark by just a day, which isn’t so horrible for a completely new platform. Anyway, the Windows Phone 7 OS has been finalized and sent to Microsoft’s hardware and carrier partners so that they can integrate their own software and services solutions and ship new devices to customers later in the year. No word yet on the launch, but I don’t believe the October/November plans have changed. There are, however, some changes to the RTM version of the Windows Phone 7 OS, which are fortunately not too bad considering I pretty much finished the Windows Phone 7 Secrets book recently: Facebook contacts filtering in the People hub, which isn’t actually what people have been asking for (i.e. the ability to decide which Facebook contacts appear and which do not). Instead, it’s that those Facebook contacts who don’t have phone information will be automatically filtered out of the list for you. Facebook “Like” capability from the People hub. You can now “Like” a Facebook post from within the People hub’s What’s New list and post messages directly to someone’s Facebook wall. Various user interface updates, including a new Search button in the contacts list. Note that those with Tech Preview prototype phones will not be getting upgraded to the RTM build. Windows 7 had 8 million testers October 23, 2009 All, General, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7 No comments Windows 7 Windows 7 had 8 million testers, biggest beta ever Microsoft has revealed a bunch of numbers surrounding the development of Windows 7, and boy do they carry a lot of weight. In addition to helping us understand how the Windows 7 product development and planning team used feedback to shape the final release of Vista’s successor, Microsoft also followed up to give us some more detailed numbers. The company threw a lot of data points at us, but the one that stuck out like a sore thumb was this number: more than eight million people took part in the Windows 7 beta program. Redmond made a point to say that this number was more than any Microsoft beta ever. A lot of factors contributed to this number, but much of the credit goes to Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows division as of July 2009, for the changes he implemented to make the beta program the start of hype around the product. First, he made sure that there would only be one beta (build 7000) and one RC (7100), even though many thought it wouldn’t be enough. Second, he made sure that both were only exclusively available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, as well as Microsoft Connect testers, for just a few days. After that, the builds went public and anyone could try them out. Third, the beta and RC builds were very stable. They were polished to the point that they felt more like RTM candidates, for the lack of a better term, than unfinished prerelease versions. All three of these made sure that the beta could be tried by many more tech enthusiasts in the general public. Dedicated testers still played an important role, but what they couldn’t help Microsoft with, due to their lack of strength in numbers, didn’t matter this time around. Public beta testers and Microsoft’s determination to find out more from different types of users made sure of that. The software giant said it used over a billion user sessions to help figure out how to build Windows 7. Even though the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 beta program closed in July 2009, Microsoft Connect testers were eventually promised a free copy while the rest of testers were allowed to continue using the product for a few more months. In fact, the Windows 7 RC won’t start bi-hourly shutdowns till March 1, 2010 and won’t expire until June 1, 2010. What's New in Windows Server 2008 R2? August 14, 2009 All, General, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 2008 R2 No comments Windows Server 2008 R2 Reaches the RTM Milestone and What’s new about it?? This is a small information lended from Windows Server blogs The acronym stands for Release to Manufacturing, and it means this latest release of Windows Server 2008 R2 is now blessed by engineering as ready for the manufacturing process. We’re talking final code. Sun shining, birds singing, children dancing in the streets. With evaluation software available for download in the first half of August and the full product available to customers with Software Assurance in the second half of August, RTM is more than just an engineering milestone. Occurring in lock-step with the release of the Windows 7 RTM, these two platforms are now ready for our partners to start testing and installing on their hardware. And that lock-step isn’t a coincidence, it’s a design goal. Customers using Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 in their enterprises has been Microsoft’s intent from the first day programmers touched fingers to keyboards. Let’s look at the highlights: HAPPY ADMINISTRATORS It’s Christmas for server and desktop administrators with Windows Server 2008 R2’s updated management tools, including: Hyper-V and Live Migration – still the big stars. R2’s Hyper-V enables a complete server virtualization solution available out-of-the-box. Live Migration allows server administrators to migrate VMs between physical machines with no perceived downtime for current server connections and work streams. That means a more dynamic datacenter and more agility in meeting new business needs For more information on Hyper-V in R2, check out today’s in-depth post on the Virtualization Team blog. File Classification Infrastructure – FCI lets you manage your data based on its characteristics, including things like file type, user credentials and even content. Based on this kind of criteria, FCI can assign data different access restrictions, store it in different locations or simply push it into an entirely customized lifecycle scheme – all done automatically via policy. For me, this is one of the most exciting new features in R2. Active Directory and Pervasive PowerShell – 240 new PowerShell cmdlets and several management consoles (including a new Active Directory interface) have been built on top of PowerShell. Active Directory has also been enhanced with the Active Directory Recycle Bin as well as AD Group Policy objects that give desktop administrators deeper capabilities when it comes to managing Windows 7 clients. IIS 7.5 – The latest edition of Internet Information Server also sports updated management tools as well as application serving capabilities that now including support for PHP and .NET on Server Core installations. Server Scalability – Not only is R2 Microsoft’s first 64-bit-only operating system, it also supports up to 256 logical processors in a single server as well as all the latest CPU technologies. And, R2 has support for advanced storage technologies, including SAN management and solid state hardware. I’ll leave it to the Windows 7 team to evangelize the many advantages that Windows 7 has as a standalone operating system (click here for the Windows 7 RTM announcement). But we server guys love it because combined with Windows Server 2008 R2 we can provide features I’ve never seen before in another client-server platform. DirectAccess, for example, provides secure, always-on access to corporate networks no matter from what network a client might be connecting. Better yet, it provides a two-way relationship allowing desktop admins to manage clients the same way whether they’re local or remote. BranchCache allows users in remote offices to cache corpnet data locally, providing a better work experience for remote workers while simultaneously lowering expensive WAN bandwidth costs. Remote Desktop and Applications – Windows Server 2008’s Terminal Services has now evolved into R2’s Remote Desktop Services, and it integrates so tightly with Windows 7 that administrators will be able to roll out virtualized applications and even entire desktop environments without users being able to tell that these tools aren’t running locally. It’s fast and can even be managed via policy. Very cool stuff. LOWER BUDGETS Power efficiency and power management were priorities for R2. The power efficiency improvements help you save power automatically – without additional steps or configuration. An improved processor power management engine, storage power management improvements, tick skipping, core parking, and timer coalescing all contribute to improved power efficiency. While licensing topics are a bit arcane, those of you already running Windows Server 2008 should know that you don’t need new Client Access Licenses (CALs) when updating to Windows Server 2008 R2, which helps make for a cost-effective upgrade. I’m out of space and have only scratched the surface of what you’ll find in R2. You can follow the buzz about R2 and Windows 7 on Twitter via the #Windows hashtag. For those evaluating the software for near-term deployment, make sure to visit the Windows Server 2008 R2 Resource Center, our TechNet Resource Center as well and also our Application Compatibility page. And as always, send us your feedback when you’re testing the software. Happy testing, –Oliver Rist Windows Server Marketing Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM – Release to MSDN today!!!! I got this information regarding the availablility for Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM to public. So today i can get it from TECHNET Downloads. I’m waiting for it, to download… For Partners & OEMs: ISV (Independent software vendor) and IHV (Independent hardware vendor) partners will be able to download Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM from MSDN starting on August 14th. MSDN will post in English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish on August 14th and will roll out the remaining languages starting August 21st. Microsoft Partner Program Gold/Certified Members will be able to download Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM through the Microsoft Partner Program (MPP) Portal on August 19th. Microsoft Action Pack Subscribers will be able to download Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM starting August 23rd. OEMs will receive Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM in English and all Language Packs on July 29th. The remaining languages will be available around August 11th. For Volume Licensing Customers: If you are a Volume License (VL) customer with an existing Software Assurance (SA) license, you will be able to download Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM on August 19th via the Volume License Service Center (VLSC). Volume License customers without a SA license will be able to purchase Windows Server 2008 R2 through Volume Licensing on September 1st. IT Professionals: IT Professionals with TechNet Subscriptions will be able to download Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM in English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish on August 14th and all remaining languages beginning August 21st. Developers with MSDN Subscriptions will be able to download Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM in English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish on August 14th and all remaining languages starting August 21st. For Technical Enthusiasts: Starting on August 20, you can download the 180 day evaluation version of Windows Server 2008 R2 from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/try-it.aspx Additionally, Windows Server 2008 R2 will be available in the retail channel on September 14th. Crissy House Product Manager – Windows Server Marketing Windows 7 King of All Windows August 14, 2009 All, General, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7 No comments At first i doubted Windows 7 will have same problems as the Windows Vista had. But I have been using it since Pre-Beta to RC to RTM. I found that things getting better with windows 7. I never seen such a stable OS in my life. There was a Time people loved Windows 98, ME then came the Windows XP, he took over the world of windows and Windows Vista was the most awaited release, but it did not go well in stealing the hearts of millions of windows lovers. Windows Vista ran in to problems it was a HUGE RESOURCE EATING MONSTER, lots of stability issues. I did personally tried from Pre-Beta to RC to RTM , SP1 and Sp2 of VISTA.. I some times felt what’s this all about. SP2 of Windows Vista changes lots of things in VISTA. It brought up a STABLE OS. Windows Vista with SP2 is stable than it’s predecessors. I felt that millions guarantee that. But still Windows 7 from Pre-Beta onwards has a lots of FAN Following. the main reason is that, it doesn’t behave like Windows Vista first release, more over NOT MUCH of stability issues with Windows 7, i could say i have ran the windows 7 from last FEB 2009 onwards from RC, just 1 week back only i reinstalled it. Because i thought since RTM(Release to Manufacture) version is out, it would be better to Format and make a fresh install. I’m part of MSDN TechNet Subscriber and i got the download of Windows 7 from Technet on 6th August 2009 and it was a long awaiting. By the way TechNet is microsoft subscription group for IT Professionals, who can try any microsoft product for Evaluation purposes, unlimited times. This is not free, there will be an annual subscription. I’m glad that i’m part of it. Trying out any microsoft release first before, that comes in to market is a great opportunity. There is lot of things to say. i’m stopping things for now.. Will continue in next blog…. Microsoft: Windows 7 is done, on its way to manufacturers July 23, 2009 All, General, Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7 No comments has announced that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 have hit the Release to Manufacturing milestone. OEMs can get their hands on it this Friday, while MSDN and TechNet subscribers will be able to get it on August 6. Consumers will have to wait until October 22. Microsoft today announced that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 have hit the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) milestone. The software giant still has a lot of work to do, but the bigger responsibility now falls to OEMs that must get PCs ready, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) that are testing their new apps, and Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) that are preparing their new hardware. The RTM build is 7600, but it is not the same one that leaked less than two weeks ago (7600.16384). We speculated that Microsoft may end up recompiling build 7600 until it is satisfied, but it only took the company one more shot to get it right: 7600.16385 is the final build number. Microsoft refused to share the full build string, but if you trust leaks from a few days ago, it’s “6.1.7600.16385.090713-1255,” which indicates that the final build was compiled over a week ago: July 13, 2009, at 12:55pm. This would be in line with the rumored RTM date but it is also the day Microsoft stated that Windows 7 had not yet hit RTM. Although the final build had been compiled, Microsoft still had to put it through testing before christening it as RTM. Who gets it when? OEMs will be the first to get their mitts on the final Windows 7 code, with the English-language version being sent out on July 24 and remaining languages on July 28. They’re first in line as they need to prepare Windows 7 for new PCs. Next up are ISVs and IHVs, who can grab the RTM build from Microsoft Connect and MSDN on August 6, as can MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Volume License customers with Software Assurance are next, with the English-language version available to them on August 7 and other languages shortly thereafter. Partner Program Gold/Certified members gain access on August 16 and Action Pack subscribers on August 23 with access to the other languages to come by October 1. Last up are consumers, who can purchase Windows 7 on October 22. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 testers will not be getting a free copy of the new operating system, as Windows Vista testers received the Ultimate edition for sending in at least one bug. The company suggested that this might happen back when invites to test the operating system were sent in December 2008. Therefore, unless they fall into one of the other categories above, beta testers will have to wait like all other consumers until October 22. Family Pack for Windows 7 On the Windows 7 Team Blog Microsoft confirmed rumors from earlier last month about a three-computer “Family Pack” deal for Windows 7 Home Premium: “I’m happy to confirm that we will indeed be offering a family pack of Windows 7 Home Premium (in select markets) which will allow installation on up to three PCs.” Microsoft refused, however, to disclose when the pack would become available or how much it would go for, though many are expecting the price tag to be $150. Microsoft started work on Windows 7 with partners much earlier than it did with Windows Vista, and beta testers are reporting that the decision has paid off thus far. Whether that is true or not will become evident in the coming months. Today’s major announcement follows pricing details made in June 2009 and edition details made in February 2009.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1852
__label__wiki	0.88591	0.88591	« New Mexico Is Divided Over The ‘Perfect Site’ To Store… How a radioactive waste fees amendment was tied to a domestic violence bill » Federal nuclear board nixes request for hearing on New Mexico waste facility By Rebecca Moss, rmoss@sfnewmexican.com Santa Fe New Mexican The Holtec project proposes that carbon steel vessels full of spent nuclear fuel rods be buried in a waste field in southeastern New Mexico’s Lea County. Rendering courtesy Holtec International A federal board that oversees commercial nuclear materials and licenses said Tuesday it has rejected a request by a group of opponents over a proposed nuclear waste storage site in Southern New Mexico. Holtec International, a New Jersey-based company specializing in nuclear reactor technology, is waiting on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve its license for an expansive facility that could be used to hold all of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel — radioactive uranium left over from power production. Holtec is partnering with the Eddy Lea Energy Alliance, a coalition of local government officials in Southern New Mexico. During a three-day hearing earlier this year in Albuquerque, an unlikely alliance of critics, including environmental and anti-nuclear groups as well as a nuclear fuel technology company and an oil and gas producer, raised concerns about the project. The Sierra Club, Beyond Nuclear Inc., Texas-based Fasken Land and Minerals Ltd. and Georgia-based NAC International Inc. were among those who petitioned the commission to hold a hearing. The facility is poised to violate federal law and could pose significant public health and safety danger from a radioactive accident, the groups argued. They also were concerned that an accident in Southern New Mexico would threaten the local economy, particularly for ranchers and mineral extraction operations in the region. An evidentiary hearing would have allowed the groups to challenge Holtec’s licence. But the commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board said in a 142-page decision that the nearly 50 issues raised by the critics did not meet legal requirements necessary to trigger a hearing. For instance, the three-member board said, an environmental analysis of the project is required under federal law, but the board does not have to "analyze every conceivable aspect of the project." Particularly, the board said in its decision, it is not required to assess worst-case scenario events or those that are "remote and highly speculative." John Buchser, with the Sierra Club’s Rio Grande Chapter, said the organization intends to appeal the board’s decision to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The proposed facility has been under consideration for several years and was supported by former Gov. Susana Martinez as well as many officials in the region, which also is home to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. So far, WIPP, an underground storage site, is the only place to permanently deposit lower-level nuclear waste created by the Department of Energy’s weapons production efforts. Holtec filed an application in 2017 to design a facility that would place removable canisters in a "dry-cask" storage system 25 feet below ground — where, the company argues, they would be more secure than if they remain at various nuclear power plants around the county. The casks could be transferred to a permanent storage location in the future — though no such facility exists, and plans to open a site in Nevada were stalled by political and social pushback in that state in recent years. A temporary storage site also has been proposed in West Texas, just across the border. Groups critical of the plan said the license Holtec has requested — initially for 40 years, with the potential to operate for more than a century — contradicts federal law. The Department of Energy cannot legally take ownership of waste from private nuclear power stations unless a permanent repository is in operation. There are also questions about whether federal law allows storage of any high-level nuclear waste at a temporary facility when the nation has no designated site for permanent storage. "Until the law changes on those two points, they can’t transport the waste," Buchser said, adding New Mexicans statewide should be concerned about the project. Critics also question whether private companies will be willing to take on the high cost and liability of shipping spent fuel to New Mexico. Among other concerns raised by the petitioners: the safety of transportation by railroad on aging lines, the possibility of leaking canisters, the risk of water and environmental contamination, and the threat to oil and gas development in the booming Permian Basin. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board said, however, it assumes Holtec and the Department of Energy "would not be complicit in any such unlawful contracts." Holtec and the board also said Congress could amend the Nuclear Waste Act to allow the Department of Energy to take ownership of the spent fuel, even without a permanent storage facility on the horizon. The ruling put the project on track to be licensed by 2020, the company said. Buchser, with the Sierra Club, said the onus now lies with New Mexico’s congressional delegation, governor and attorney general to decide if they support the project and the implications of an expanded nuclear waste footprint in New Mexico. "The whole concept of consent for our politicians here in New Mexico becomes extremely important," he said. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. SEED Coalition is making this article available in our efforts to advance understanding of ecological sustainability, human rights, economic democracy and social justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a "fair use" of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use", you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1854
__label__wiki	0.683659	0.683659	Camila Piñeiro Harnecker: Cooperatives and Socialism in Cuba September 26, 2011 — First posted at Cuba’s Socialist Renewal, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with permission — Cooperatives and Socialism: A Cuban Perspective is a new Cuban book, published in Spanish earlier this year. This important and timely compilation is edited by Camila Piñeiro Harnecker (pictured above). Avid readers of Cuba’s Socialist Renewal will recall that I translated and posted a commentary by Camila, titled "Cuba Needs Changes" [also available at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal], back in January. Camila lives in Cuba and has a degree in sustainable development from the University of Berkeley, California. She is a professor at the Centre for Studies on the Cuban Economy at Havana University, and her works have been published both in Cuba and outside the island. Camila hopes her book may be published in English soon. In the meantime, she has kindly agreed to allow me to translate and publish this extract from her preface to Cooperatives and Socialism with permission from a prospective publisher. I hope that sharing this extract with readers will make you want to read the whole book. If it does become available in English I’ll post the details here. If you read Spanish you can download the 420-page book as a PDF here or here. At the end of the text you’ll find the footnotes and table of contents, translated from the Spanish — Marce Cameron, editor Cuba’s Socialist Renewal Preface to Cooperatives and Socialism: A Cuban perspective (extract) By Camila Piñeiro Harnecker, translated by Marce Cameron This book arises from the urgent need for us to make a modest contribution to the healthy “birth” of the new Cuban cooperativism and its subsequent spread. Given that cooperatives are foreshadowed as one of the organisational forms of labour in the non-state sector in the Draft Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of the Sixth Cuban Communist Party Congress, the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Centre approached me to compile this book. The Centre has made an outstanding contribution to popular education aimed at nurturing and strengthening the emancipatory ethical values, critical thinking, political skills and organisational abilities indispensable for the conscious and effective participation of social subjects. The Centre considers it timely and necessary to support efforts to raise awareness about a type of self-managed economic entity whose principles, basic characteristics and potentialities are unknown in Cuba. There is every indication that such self-managed entities could play a significant role in our new economic model. For this to happen we must grapple with the question at the heart of this compilation: Is the production cooperative an appropriate form of the organisation of labour for a society committed to building socialism? There is no doubt that this question cannot be answered in a simplistic or absolute fashion. Our aim here is to take only a first step towards answering this question from a Cuban perspective in these times of change and rethinking, guided by the anxieties and hopes that many Cubans have about our future. When it is proposed that the production cooperative be one – though not the only – form of enterprise in Cuba, three concerns above all are frequently encountered: some consider it too “utopian” and therefore inefficient; others, on the basis of the cooperatives that have existed in Cuba, suspect that they will not have sufficient autonomy[1] or that they will be “too much like state enterprises”; while others still, accustomed to the control over enterprise activities exercised by a state that intervenes directly and excessively in enterprise management, reject cooperativism as too autonomous and therefore a “seed of capitalism”. This book tries to take account of all these concerns, though there is no doubt that more space would be required to address them adequately. The first concern is addressed to some extent with the data provided in the first part of the book regarding the existence and economic activity of cooperatives worldwide today. This shows that the cooperative is not an unachievable fantasy that disregards the objective and subjective requirements of viable economic activity. Thus, the experiences of cooperatives in the Basque Country, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela that are summarised in the third part of the book demonstrate that cooperatives can be more efficient than capitalist enterprises, even on the basis of the hegemonic capitalist conception of efficiency that ignores externalities, i.e. the impact of any enterprise activity on third parties. The efficiency of cooperatives is greater still if we take into consideration all of the positive outcomes inherent in their management model, which can be summarised as the full human development[2] of its members and, potentially, of local communities. The democratic abilities and attitudes that cooperative members develop through their participation in its management can be utilised in other social spaces and organisations. Moreover, genuine cooperatives free us from some of the worst of the negative externalities (dismissals, environmental contamination, loss of ethical values) generated by enterprises oriented towards profit maximisation rather than the satisfaction of the needs of their workers. Category : Cooperatives \| Cuba \| Marxism \| Socialism \| Blog Michael Lebowitz: A Path to Socialism Using Coops and Other Ownership Forms to Build Upon the Foundations Began by Hugo Chavez [Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal urges its readers to consider taking out a subscription to Monthly Review, where this article first appeared.] By Michael Lebowitz March 2014 — Monthly Review — It is now one year since the unfortunate death of Hugo Chávez on March 5, 2013. Shortly after, the editors of Monthly Review quoted a letter from István Mészáros to John Bellamy Foster which described Chávez as “one of the greatest historical figures of our time” and “a deeply insightful revolutionary intellect” (“Notes from the Editors” in the May 2013 Monthly Review). Whether Chávez will be remembered over time this way, however, depends significantly on whether we build upon the foundations he began. As important as his vision and his deep understanding of the necessary path (so clearly demonstrated by his focus upon communal councils as the basis of a new socialist state—“the most vital revolutionary achievement in these years,” as the editors indicated) was Chávez’s ability to communicate both vision and theory in a clear and simple way to the masses. As demonstrated by Chávez’s articulation of the concept of “the elementary triangle of socialism,” that is what revolutionaries must learn to do. Following Marta Harnecker’s long interview with Chávez (later published as Understanding the Venezuelan Revolution by Monthly Review Press), he asked her to come to Venezuela in 2003 to serve as his advisor and explained that he wanted someone around him who would not hesitate to criticize him. And that’s how we ended up in Venezuela. At the beginning of 2004, I became an adviser to the Minister of the Social Economy and, during that year, Marta and I became convinced that it would be important to create a center which could bring together foreign advisors who supported the Bolivarian Revolution. Accordingly, she proposed to Chávez that an institute be established for this purpose; he agreed, and, after we assembled people and found a home for the Institute (ultimately in the Ministry of Higher Education), the Centro Internacional Miranda (CIM) was formed in early 2006. Since it was clear that Chávez would be re-elected in December and would be thinking seriously about directions for the new mandate, those of us involved in CIM decided to prepare a series of papers proposing initiatives which we felt could advance the process of building socialism in Venezuela. Although several of us engaged in these discussions, ultimately only three of the CIM directors (Marta Harnecker, Haiman El Troudi, and I) completed papers for transmission to Chávez in early December. In what follows, I include an excerpt from one paper I prepared plus a second paper subsequently developed in response to Chávez’s reaction to the first.1 Building new productive relations now Everyone understands that it is impossible to achieve the vision of socialism for the twenty-first century in one giant leap forward. It is not simply a matter of changing property ownership. This is the easiest part of building the new world. Far more difficult is changing productive relations, social relations in general, and attitudes and ideas. Category : Cooperatives \| Marxism \| Socialism \| Venezuela \| Blog Transitional Steps to a Socialist Future: Cuba and Vietnam Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (right) with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro. PART 1, THE VIETNAM CASE By Harry Targ Diary of a Heartland Radical The weight of history bears down on humankind such that, paraphrasing Marx, people make history but not precisely as to their own choosing. The rise of capitalism out of feudalism in Northern Europe spread over the centuries to Africa, Asia, and Latin America ripping asunder traditional patterns of economic, social, and cultural relations. A new political economy dynamic, now called “neoliberal globalization,” spread across the face of the earth extracting natural resources, enslaving and exploiting human labor power, and expanding production and distribution such that by the twentieth century the whole world was touched. The impact of capitalist globalization included enormous scientific and technological advances, significant increases in the capacity to sustain life, coupled with the capacity to exploit, destroy, kill, uproot traditional cultures and communities, and defile the human landscape. Capitalism created a global empire. It also created global resistance. The drive to construct empires and to build economic, political, and cultural hegemony stimulated revolution, non-violent resistance, and desperate efforts to create new forms of social and economic being. During the period since World War 11, socialist regimes and radical nationalist movements have challenged the hegemony of U.S., European and Japanese capitalism. The twentieth century socialist project disintegrated for a variety of reasons but its loss spurred new and diverse forms of resistance that complicated the rule of “victorious” empires. The economic, political, and military crises of the early 21st century, coupled with renewed resistance raised the specter of new “21st century socialist” visions. These visions became concrete programs, again paraphrasing Marx, that were not precisely of peoples’ choosing but necessary transitional steps to socialism nonetheless. Vietnamese History Southeast Asia, a diverse space geographically, culturally, politically, and economically, has experienced many kinds of imperial rule and resistance. Vietnamese national identity emerged about 100 BC as a result of Chinese expansion and resistance to it among indigenous kingdoms. But China established its hegemony over Vietnam from 200-900 AD. After that time Vietnam consolidated its independence. During the 1850s Vietnam came under the domination of the French. Occupied by France, Indochina (now Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) became a classic colony. The Japanese military conquered Indochina during World War II. The Japanese had collaborated with the old French colonial administrators and land owners to control the Vietnamese people. After the Japanese were defeated, the Vietnamese people rose up to challenge the French effort to reestablish their old colony. From 1946 to 1954, revolutionary forces led by Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh fought and won a victory against the French. At the Geneva Conference, 1954, the war was settled. The United States, however, in violation of the main agreements reached, established a puppet regime in South Vietnam that became the basis for continuing war on the Vietnamese people. The Vietnam War, with the U.S. replacing the French, continued until 1975, when the Saigon military collapsed. Finally, after short and brutal battles with hostile forces in neighboring Cambodia and a short war initiated by China in 1979, violence ended. Now the Vietnamese had to rebuild their country and begin constructing the socialist society they had struggled for since the end of World War II. Post-war reconstruction was initiated after “the U.S. military and their allies dropped four times the tonnage of bombs used in World War II in Vietnam, which is equivalent to 725 nuclear bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More than 3 million Vietnamese were killed and 4 million were wounded. At the same time, the U.S. military used up to 80 million liters of chemicals to ‘clear’ the land.” (Tran Dac Loi). Agent Orange sprayed liberally over the entirety of Vietnam from 1961 and 1971 affected millions of Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers and poisoned the land. Unexploded ordinance and descendants of Vietnamese exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin remain part of the Vietnamese experience today. The devastation of land and people was reinforced by a U.S. initiated economic blockade of Vietnam that lasted from 1975 until 1994. From a Socialist Command Economy to Doi Moi (a socialist-oriented market economy) Tran Dac Loi, Vice-President of the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation, wrote about post-war economic policies in Vietnam in an essay in Vietnam: From National Liberation to Socialism (Changemaker, Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, forthcoming). Loi explained that after the war against the United States ended the newly united Vietnamese nation adopted a centrally-planned socialist economy. Category : Capitalism \| Cooperatives \| Cuba \| Socialism \| Vietnam \| Blog	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1858
__label__wiki	0.55227	0.55227	Home » Opinion » Xinjiang, A Land of Wonders Xinjiang, A Land of Wonders October 29, 2018 \| Liu Jinsong China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is a very familiar place for Afghan friends. It shares border with Afghanistan, and it takes only three hours for Afghan friends fly from Kabul to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. The ancient Silk Road linked Chinese Xinjiang with Afghanistan closely. Xinjiang is my hometown. I spent seventeen years there in my childhood, nurtured by both water from Mount Tianshan (the heavenly mountain) and care from teachers and elders of different ethnic groups. Naan and pilaf are my favorite food. I still remember that kids of different ethnic groups went to school and played together like members of a family. We visited each other frequently and all rushed to celebrate festivals of different ethnic origins for the abundant snacks and fruits on those occasions. Xinjiang is a land of treasure. There is a song depicting the beautiful and richly endowed autonomous region. “Our Xinjiang is a land of wonders. Beautiful pastures extend to the North and South of Mount Tianshan. Grasses bow in the breeze, revealing flocks and herds. We have grapes and melons sweet and fragrant, mineral deposits abundant.” In the 1970s when I grew up in Xinjiang, life was hard for my family and our neighbors. The four people in my family lived in a bungalow of only a dozen square metres with a leaking roof. I had to help my parents by joining various queues to buy everyday necessities with all kinds of ration coupons. With reform and opening up, Xinjiang has also achieved leapfrog economic growth and higher living standards like elsewhere in China, with people moving into bigger houses and enjoying an increasingly rich array of goods. Ration coupons have long become collectibles. Today in Xinjiang, most urban households have a private car. Per capita income reached nearly 8000 US dollars in 2017, a 128-fold increase over 40 years ago. In Xinjiang, over 23 million people live on the land of 16 million square kilometres. Many of them are either Uygur, Han, Kazakh or Hui. Some other minority groups are also familiar for Afghans, such as the Tajiks, Uzbeks and Kirghiz (called the Khalkhas in China). People of different ethnic groups live together in harmony. We treat each other as equals, help each other in times of need, and jointly defend and develop the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities. Under this basic political system, people of all ethnic groups manage local affairs autonomously while safeguarding the principle of national unity. Chief administrative officers of all autonomous regions, prefectures and counties are all from the relevant ethnic groups. Now nearly 100,000 civil servants in Xinjiang are ethnic minorities. Many of my friends in Xinjiang are devout Muslims. My home was actually very close to a mosque and I heard the calls to prayer every day. Compatriots of different ethnic groups respect each others’ customs and religious beliefs. Both the Corban (Eid Al-Adha) and the Spring Festival are grand festivals and holidays celebrated by all locals. There is a large proportion of Muslim population and a high per capita share of religious facilities. The government respects and protects the freedom of religious belief and administers religious affairs according to law. Religious services facilities and normal religious activities are protected. The government even provides charter flight for pilgrims to perform the Hajj to Mecca every year. On July 5th, 2009, the severe violent terrorist attacks in Urumqi shocked the whole China. Nearly 200 people died and more than 1700 were injured in the event. Violent terrorists slaughtered the innocent people in the Nanmen Square, where used to be a place for all people to rest and entertain themselves. For some time around the date, a series of crimes were committed by violent terrorists, who demonstrated extreme cruelty, showed no mercy even to women or children and violated the teachings of the religion that they had claimed ownership. The inhuman criminals trampled upon lives and challenged the rule of law, leaving the people in Xinjiang extremely upset and streets desolate for quite some time. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang hate the violent terrorists bitterly. With the public opinion in mind, the government has taken resolute measures to crack down on the “three evil forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism and restore long-term social stability, peace and order. In the past two years, with great significance attached to both crackdown and prevention, the government has on the one hand continued to strike hard on the few serious violent terrorist crimes and on the other taken measures to develop vocational and technical education and training to de-extremize the population concerned. Efforts are made to win over, help, educate and rectify people with minor offences and to influence and save those young people who were affected by messages in any form of violence or terrorism or by illegal preaching. Vocational and technical education and training are provided according to law and designed to suit and serve the target groups. They have taken some people away from the slippery slope towards committing crimes and becoming victims of the “three evil forces” by enabling them to distinguish between truth and falsehood, raising their law awareness and citizen consciousness and empowering them with the standard national language ability and income-generating skills so as to support themselves in modern society. The Chinese government respects and protects the basic human rights of all citizens. This is written in the Chinese Constitution. In Xinjiang, to contain extremism and crack down on violent terrorists represents the utmost need to protect the basic human rights of local citizens. The people support the comprehensive policies of the government whole-heartedly. As there has been no violent terrorist event in the past two years, people feel safe and relaxed and they may now sleep with a peaceful mind. Restaurants and cinemas may now open till late night. Last year, per capita income of Xinjiang residents increased by over 8%. In the first three quarters of this year, more than 130 million domestic and foreign tourists visited Xinjiang. Quite some Afghan friends recently went to the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi and the Kashgar Old Town. They visited the bustling night market and spoke well of the prosperity and peace. Such a situation has not come by easily. Afghanistan and China’s Xinjiang are joined by common mountains and rivers. Standing both along the Silk Road Economic Belt and at the forefront of international antiterror war, we are a community of shared future. When Afghanistan fares well, it is good for Xinjiang; and vice versa. Badakhshan Province and Xinjiang Autonomous Region have signed an agreement of intent to develop a friendly province/region relationship. Xinjiang provided much needed assistance to victims of drought in Badakhshan. In the past year, two Afghan leaders attended the China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, many groups of Afghan professionals accepted training in Xinjiang, a hundred Afghan children with congenital heart diseases had operations in Urumqi and were cured, and over 4000 Afghan friends visited Xinjiang. For ordinary Afghans, the autonomous region promised to be the roofs of your friends, neighbors and relatives and a reliable interchange station to Chinese inland, a reassuring school and a trustworthy place for business. Last year His Excellency Second Vice President Sarwar Danish published an article titled “Lessons from the World’s Second Economy” after visiting Xinjiang. He described the unity of different ethnic groups there as pomegranate seeds holding tightly to one another. In his opinion, the successful experience of Xinjiang shows that the people must work together with the government and seize the opportunity to open up and achieve development, that the private sector should also be patriotic while pursuing economic gains and that the soil for radical or violent organizations must be eliminated from the society. He encouraged people from all walks of life in Afghanistan to learn more from the Chinese culture, language and experience and in this regard quoted Prophet Mohammed: “Seek knowledge, even it’s as far away as in China”. Liu Jinsong is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Afghanistan	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1859
__label__wiki	0.753846	0.753846	January 29, 2018 PF1admin Christopher Cipoletti, Managing Director. Christopher Cipoletti, Managing Director. Christopher Cipoletti started his career with the regional law firm of Hall & Evans, LLC where he became a partner after 6 years. He moved to Holme Roberts & Owen (now Bryan Cave) where he was a partner working with businesses and sports organizations. Mr. Cipoletti founded the firm of James & Cipoletti, LLP in 1997 where he was engaged in the representation of businesses and nonprofits with an emphasis on healthcare, education, technology, and sports organizations. In 2003, Mr. Cipoletti became the CEO of a national nonprofit, the American Numismatic Association, where he oversaw a $6 million operating budget, a $24 million investment portfolio, and over $100 million in tangible assets. During his almost 5 year tenure, he grew the organization’s assets by 28% and its membership (customer) base by 17%. After leaving the Association, Mr. Cipoletti has been a successful business consultant, assisting clients with growth strategies, organizational structure and capital raising. He has also served in several interim CEO and COO roles for clients. An active participant in the Colorado Springs community, Mr. Cipoletti is the Board Chair of Pikes Peak Market (Colorado Springs’ public market) and Vice Chair of Colorado Springs Leadership Institute. He was a founding Board Member and founding Co-Chair of Atlas Preparatory Charter School, Board Chair of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Board Chair of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, a member of the Colorado State Quarter Commission, and a Trustee of the Pikes Peak Library District, among numerous other community boards. Mr. Cipoletti was recognized by the Colorado Springs Business Journal in the inaugural class of “40 Under 40” business leaders (now CSBJ Rising Young Professionals). Mr. Cipoletti has worked around the United States with businesses in a variety of sectors from direct mail marketing, logistics, software & app development, medical practices and medical devices, and sports and entertainment. He has helped drive successful plans for businesses ranging in size from $10 million to $75 million in annual revenue. Some of Mr. Cipoletti’s accomplishments include: a business analysis and multi-state growth plan for a $15 million medical device manufacturer and sales operation. As a part of the growth plan, Mr. Cipoletti raised $8 million in private equity capital for the business. an organizational assessment for a direct mail marketing business that was losing $750,000 annually. In eight months, Mr. Cipoletti helped restructure the operation, realign resources, implement a new product line, eliminate the deficit, and show a $500,000 profit. After two years, the business showed a $2 million profit. work with a regional logistics company that had stagnated for almost 4 years. Mr. Cipoletti assessed the operations, provided the owners and leadership with executive coaching, developed a growth plan and helped implement new software for operational efficiencies. The company saw growth of 20% including profitability year over year. Christopher Franz, Managing Director. Chris Franz has over 20 years of experience building and scaling high tech, high growth companies. Mr. Franz has founded more than 10 startups focusing on emerging technology, data analytics, SaaS software and data center systems. He has built companies funded by venture capital, angel capital and bootstrapping, running technology organizations with budgets as large as $3.5 billion. Mr Franz has managed investment funds with Atrium Capital Management Group and First Capital Ventures. Mr. Franz has managed and deployed over $100 million in fund assets and over $75 million in lending facilities. Mr. Franz has served in leadership roles with businesses including Northrup Grumman, TRW and Health Allies (acquired by UnitedHealth Group). Mr. Franz is a respected mentor, board member and leader of the entrepreneurial startup movement in Colorado. He had been appointed to the Colorado Economic Development Commission, where the commissioners approve grants and incentives to recruit and grow great companies in Colorado. In 2016, he was selected as a Colorado Governor’s Fellow, a program that brings private and nonprofit sector leaders together to contribute to pubic leadership with dynamism, innovation, and experience complimentary to traditional government leaders. Mr. Franz is a facilitator for the TechStars Startup Weekend program and has served on numerous start-up and non-profit boards to drive the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including the boards of Startup Colorado and Peak Startup. He was named the 2007 Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Colorado Springs Business Journal. Mr. Franz holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Colorado Springs Business News Copyright 2018, The Colorado Springs Pioneer Community Investment Fund. 415 N Tejon St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1861
__label__wiki	0.981696	0.981696	Godhra carnage: crucial evidence destroyed www.tribuneindia.com Ahmedabad, January 19 The cross-examination of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officials at the Nanavati-Shah Commission today revealed that the canvas used in the vestibule between the S-6 and S-7 coaches of the Sabarmati Express, through which the miscreants had allegedly entered the train and set it afire, had been destroyed. The FSL experts, who filed crucial reports about the burnt coaches of the train, were also found not to have any expertise or formal training on examining cases related to fire or patterns caused by them. During the cross-examination of Mr M N Joshi, the scientific officer of FSL, Gandhinagar said, he had inspected the S-7 coach on July 2002 at Ahmedabad and he saw a khaki-coloured canvas in place of the original black-coloured one on the coach. According to version of the Special Investigating Team (SIT), formed to investigate the Godhra train carnage, the canvas of S-7 coach was cut open and the miscreants entered the train, poured petrol and torched it. During the inspection, Mr Joshi said he noticed that it was “new” and the top metal-portion of the vestibule still contained burn marks. Surprisingly, Mr Joshi admitted that these details were not mentioned in the original report filed by him. “The original canvas of S-7 was burnt on February 27 itself”, he said. “I did not feel the need to ask the railway authorities why the canvas was changed,” he told the Commission. According to one of the annexures submitted before the commission, the S-7 coach was declared ‘sick’ when it initially reached Ahmedabad on February 27, 2002. Later it was made ‘fit’ on March 5 and was allowed in service from March 7 to July 12, 2002 on train No 9165/9166 after repairing the damages. The coach was withdrawn later on July 12 the same year and stationed at Ahmedabad railway station. Mr S G Khandelwal, the Assistant Director of FSL, who also deposed today before the commission, said he did not have any formal training or expertise about fire and fire patterns nor had he ever dealt with such cases. “I was called in to examine only one of the sliding doors on the S-6 coach at Godhra,” Mr Khandelwal said. He admitted before the commission that he had not conducted any chemical tests of the scratch mark on the sliding door of the coach, which according to him was made while the miscreants tried to forcibly open the door to enter the coach on February 27, 2002. — UNI Nanavati panel summons BJP, VHP leaders Ahmedabad, January 19 The Nanavati-Shah Commission probing the Godhra train carnage and its aftermath issued summons today to the BJP general secretary Nalin Bhatt and VHP general secretary Kaushik Mehta to appear before it for cross-examination on February 2. The commission also directed Vithal Pandya, father of slain BJP leader Haren Pandya, to appear before it on February 3. Meanwhile, the main eyewitness of the high-profile Best Bakery case Zahira Sheikh and member of Forensic Science Laboratory J.K. Dave are slated to be cross-examined by the panel on February 4. — UNI ........................000000000 [_private/ftarc.htm]	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1863
__label__wiki	0.818071	0.818071	Morton Mumma, Mr. Bryson, and Me Hap Rocketto \| April 30, 2017 \| 1 comment by Hap Rocketto While researching an article on the Herrick Trophy I ran across an old photo taken at the National Matches featuring ‘Kernel Mumm’s Amateurs.’ LTC Morton C. Mumma, the National Match Executive Officer, had organized a pick-up team of some of the most prominent shooters of the day, the likes of Frank Kahrs, Grosvenor Watkyns, and, mostly through nepotism rather than skill, Midshipman Morton C. Mumma, Jr. The Mumma family has a long history of competitive shooting starting with Morton Claire Mumma, West Point class of 1900, who was the first of the line of Distinguished Mumma marksmen. The first Mumma went Distinguished in 1904 with the rifle and with the pistol in 1909. During the Great War the colonel was commandant of the Small Arms Firing School at Camp Perry and, later, Executive Officer of many National Matches. Morton C. Mumma, Junior, United States Naval Academy Class of 1925, earned Distinguished with the rifle in 1927. At the outbreak of World War II he was commanding a submarine of the Asiatic Fleet which he took out on its first war patrol and was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions. He eventually retired as a rear admiral before becoming the President of the National Rifle Association. Like his grandfather before him Morton C. Mumma III graduated from West Point but elected to serve in fledgling United States Air Force in 1948. He legged out in 1957. I noted that Morton, Junior and I had a lot of similarities. We were both NRA members, Naval officers-although I had far fewer gold rings on my Service Dress Blue’s cuffs than he, Distinguished with the rifle, and our fathers were shooters. Mumma was also a submariner and I grew up in New London, Connecticut, home of the US Navy’s Submarine School. Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy postulated in 1929 that it is possible to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps: the famous “Six Degrees of Separation.” The most direct steps connecting me to Mumma had nothing to do with our mutual shooting accomplishments or naval service, it was submarines. Growing up in a Navy town many of my friend’s fathers wore the twin dolphins of the submariner. Chief among them was my running mate Gordon’s father, Allan Carl Bryson. Mr. Bryson was tight with The Old Man and also a teammate on Quaker Hill Rod and Gun Club’s Nutmeg Pistol Team. Mr. Bryson has enlisted in the Navy in the dark days of the Great Depression and had risen, by dint of natural intelligence and hard work, to the rank of Commissioned Warrant Officer, a rare feat in the1950s. After completing boot camp Mr. Bryson spent an abortive few months as a Pharmacist’s Mate striker before he found his true calling as a Machinist Mate. When I knew him his mechanical skills were much in demand upgrading and repairing the many High Standard pistols popular at the time with most of the New London County Pistol League shooters. After being rated a Machinist’s Mate he went on to complete the demanding curriculum at the Sub School. Ordered to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for new construction he became a plank owner of USS Squalus (SS-192). On the morning of May 23,1939, fresh from a yard overhaul, the 310 foot submarine slipped its mooring at the mouth of the Piscataqua River and shaped course for the Isles of Sholes to perform a series of test dives. Serving as a compartment telephone talker, Bryson’s duty station was in Squalus’ forward battery room. Headphones clamped over his ears muffled the ah-OOG-ah” “ah-OOG-ah” of the klaxon sounding the diving alarm. In response, the sub quickly slid beneath the surface of the frigid Atlantic at 0840. As the boat submerged the 36-inch diameter main induction valve, which provided air to the diesel engine, failed to close. Sea water gushed in quickly flooding the aft torpedo room, both engine rooms, and the crew’s quarters, drowning 26 men, as Squalus plummeted 243 feet to the seabed. With the Grim Reaper as an unwelcome shipmate, the trapped men endured penetrating cold, damp, darkness, and toxic air while awaiting help. Squalus lay lost and helpless for nearly five hours until her sister ship, USS Sculpin (SS-191), discovered her rescue buoy As quickly as they could steam, fly, or drive all the Navy’s rescue resources converged over the stricken sub. In a scene of organized frenzy the rescuers evaluated the situation, prepared a plan of action, put divers over the side and, under dangerous conditions, affixed a rescue chamber’s down haul cable to Squalus to begin extracting the survivors. Lifted to the surface in the last trip of the chamber Mr. Bryson was safely deposited on the deck of the rescue vessel USS Falcon (ASR-2), ending both the sailors’ Gethsemane and the greatest undersea rescue on record. It was just 39 hours between the start of Squalus’ ill-fated dive and the moment the last survivor sucked the Atlantic’s revitalizing cold fresh air into his battered lungs, but it must have seemed like a lifetime to rescued and rescuers alike. With war clouds on the horizon the Navy salvaged Squalus and recommissioned her as USS Sailfish (SS 192). The name, it is said, was suggested by President Franklin Roosevelt. An avid deep water fisherman, FDR said that when Squalus popped bow first from the deep, amid a boiling froth of air bubbles during salvage operations, he was reminded of sitting in a fighting chair and watching a hooked sailfish leap from the water. I didn’t need six steps to make the connection, just two. Mr. Bryson’s old Squalus was the newly commissioned Sailfish, whose first skipper was one Lieutenant Commander Morton C. Mumma, Jr., USN. Category: Hap's Corner About the Author: Hap Rocketto is a Distinguished Rifleman with service and smallbore rifle, member of The Presidents Hundred, and the National Guard’s Chief’s 50. He is a National Smallbore Record holder, a member of the 1600 Club and the Connecticut Shooters’ Hall Of Fame. He was the 2002 Intermediate Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion, the 2012 Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion a member of the 2007 and 2012 National Four Position Indoor Championship team, coach and captain of the US Drew Cup Team, and adjutant of the United States 2009 Roberts and 2013 Pershing Teams. Rocketto is very active in coaching juniors. He is, along with his brother Steve, a cofounder of the Corporal Digby Hand Schützenverein. A historian of the shooting sports, his work appears in Shooting Sports USA, the late Precision Shooting Magazine, The Outdoor Message, the American Rifleman, the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s website, and most recently, the apogee of his literary career, pronematch.com. Morton C. Mumma III, Colonel, USAF (ret) says: Rockett is wrong, saying the presence of M.C. Mumma Jr. on that pick-up K. M. A. Team at Camp Perry was due to nepotism——check the scores fired!	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1865
__label__wiki	0.595522	0.595522	Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (PS2) M for Mature: Blood, Violence Fatal Frame III: The Tormented Interview GameSpy: I want to ask Kikuchi-san the same question I did the other day [then in regards to Trapt, this time about Fatal Frame III]. Why is it always a cute female character starring in the game? Kikuchi: If I answer your question, I'm going to just give you the same answer again, so I'm going to ask Shibata to answer that question. Shibata: It's quite simple. This is a game that is not violent. You can't muscle your way through. To portray that concept, obviously a female main character is better. We all know that females are a bit more spiritual than men. So it was a very obvious choice to pick a female character to play this role. GameSpy: There are several playable characters in the new game. I was wondering if you could tell me a little about them, and how you came up with them? Kikuchi: There are three objectives we had in implementing multiple characters to become playable. For one, we wanted not only to show a strong woman as the main character, but to show how a weaker character could become a playable character in the story. Number two is to show the variation on the playability aspect of different characters. It's always nice to have more variety of playability, and to do that we had to have multiple playable characters. Thirdly, I wanted to portray the characteristics of different playable characters. Some are small characters so they can hide better than others, or they're a little more nimble than the bigger character, or whatever. It was all about letting the players experience more variety of characters. GameSpy: I'd like to finish with a question that's a bit more general. There's some debate with whether with Xbox 360 coming out this year if Microsoft is pushing the next generation too fast, or whether Sony's approach of holding it out longer is better. I was wondering if you were excited about making next-gen games, or you'd rather continue to make current-gen games longer? Kikuchi: From a developer's point of view, I always feel the pressure from the big bosses that we need to come up with something that will utilize the new, next-generation system which will appeal to the consumer. It's moving rather rapidly, and sometimes I wish we wouldn't have to be pressured in that way. Of course, as a developer I'm challenged and intrigued with the new generation platforms, and always looking forward to see what we can do with them. From a business standpoint, it would be better if all three console makers would work in unity so that we can provide more ... so that we're not always chasing after something that is new. Preview: Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (May 20, 2005) Screenshots: Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (Aug 19, 2005) Preview: Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (Aug 19, 2005) Dev Diary: Fatal Frame III Dev Diary #1 (Oct 14, 2005) Dev Diary #4 (Nov 04, 2005) Review: Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (Nov 16, 2005) Yuke's and THQ on Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 (Apr 9, 2008) High Impact Games on Upsizing Size Matters (Jan 25, 2008) Final Fantasy XI Team Interview (Jan 3, 2008) Rock Band: A Whole Lotta Rock (Dec 14, 2007) On Location With Rock Band (Oct 9, 2007) :: More Interviews... Follow GameSpy on Twitter Get the Latest in Gaming News Fatal Frame III: The T... at IGN Fatal Frame III: The T... Cheats at IGN Fatal Frame III: The T... at GameSpy Fatal Frame III: The T... at GameStats	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1866
__label__wiki	0.833373	0.833373	Tea, family and time travel – An unforgettable trip to China By Karen Jungblut (October 9, 2014) I recently returned to China to record audio-visual testimonies from survivors of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. Impact in Profile By Robin Migdol (September 23, 2014) I recently emailed a teacher to ask if he was willing to be featured in a profile story on the USC Shoah Foundation website about his experiences using IWitness in his classroom. I had never been introduced to him and he had not been expecting to hear from me. Steh Auf! - Merkel Makes Her Stand By Stephen Smith (September 18, 2014) A sea of faces dotted with “Nie Wieder!” banners wraps around the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Germany's capital. Anti-Semitism: Know It. Name It. Shame It. There is talk of a “new anti-Semitism” sweeping the globe, but all I see is the same irrational hatred aimed at the same perplexed victims, who are once again left wondering what has energized such bile. Ukraine is United By Anna Lenchovska (August 27, 2014) This September a new school year will begin in Ukraine and the first lesson students be taught is “Ukraine is united" and the lesson will be devoted to state integrity of Ukraine. A tough issue for the country engrossed into an ongoing military conflict and terrorist attacks. Globalization of Hatred By Stephen Smith (August 25, 2014) The fast pace of globalization with all of its benefits is also accelerating the viral spread of hatred. Me, My Grandparents and Holland By Ulrika Citron (August 12, 2014) My “mormor” (literally mother's mother) Greta exuded love and her heart burst for my sister and me. Along with my “morfar” (mother's father) Ingvar, they ensured us an innocent and idyllic childhood in a small town in Sweden. The Visual Connection to My Students By Ingrid Alexovics (August 4, 2014) For years now I have noticed that my students are especially interested in the information from non- traditional educational channels; visual and auditory information are often more welcome than academic texts from their books. Holy War and the Threat of Genocide By Stephen Smith (August 2, 2014) A group of men is placed in several trucks. They are driven through the streets and out of town into an open area surrounded by trees. They are beaten around the head with rifle butts, made to run in a group towards an open mass grave. My Parents’ Nightmares Relived – The Rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe By Joel Citron (July 30, 2014) USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education was founded to capture the voices, emotions and faces of those who suffered, yet miraculously survived the most heinous crime ever committed against humanity by humanity. Resiliency, Rebirth and New Life By Krystal Szabo (July 25, 2014) In just a few short months I will be holding a new born baby in my arms. The depth and complexity of emotion that I feel as this time approaches is multiplied by the experiences I have had working at USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education. Time for a Palestinian Uprising from Within By Stephen Smith (July 21, 2014) The statistics are rolling in: Thousands of rockets fired, thousands of homes destroyed, 65,000 reservists deployed, hundreds of Palestinian and tens of Israeli dead, miles of print, hours of commentary, two ceasefires. But for all our statistics, are we not missing one fundamental point? The Place of the Vél d’Hiv Roundup in French Collective Memory By Leticia Villasenor (July 18, 2014) On July 16 -17, 1942, over 13,000 Jews from Paris and its suburbs were rounded up by French police in the early morning hours and forcefully taken from their homes to both the Vélodrome d’Hiver, a winter cycling stadium in Paris, and to the Drancy internment camp. Documenting Life Histories By Deanna Hendrick (July 15, 2014) The 53,000 testimonies in the Visual History Archive from the USC Shoah Foundation tell a complete personal history of life before, during and after the interviewee’s firsthand experience with genocide. Hard to Picture By Jonathan Stoller-Schoff (June 30, 2014) As an intern at the USC Shoah Foundation and a student on the Problems Without Passports trip to Rwanda this summer, I’m more than familiar with the phrases “Never Forget” and “Never Again.” Sometimes the two seem lik The Good and the True By Daniel Hrbek (June 23, 2014) I was born and brought up in a university town in the Czech Republic called Olomouc. It had a small Jewish community. My father is a writer and academic. Five years ago he interviewed Milos Dobry who was a prominent member of the Olomouc Jewish community and a long-term Holocaust survivor. By Emina Vukić (June 20, 2014) June 20 is World Refugee Day, dedicated to raising awareness about refugees throughout the world, a day on which I inevitably always look back on the formative years of my life. Expanding the Bookshelves of History By Deanna Hendrick (June 17, 2014) USC Shoah Foundation hands off books on the Armenian Genocide to USC Doheny Library’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies collection. Connecting to Testimony By Larry Ginsburg (June 9, 2014) The Yom HaShoah Vigil is an annual event at the University at Albany, coordinated by the University at Albany Hillel. As this year’s Jewish Life Chair, the event is under my direction. Testimony through the Graves of Guatemala By Stephen Smith (June 4, 2014) March of the Living Unites Friends By Josh Grossberg (May 21, 2014) I look at the picture and realize this is why I’m working at the USC Shoah Foundation. This is what it’s all about. The photo shows two women standing in a field of green grass dotted with dandelions. The younger of the two has her arm wrapped around the other. Reflections of an Internship By Nicole Farage (May 20, 2014) The Holocaust has always been a topic close to my heart. Not only because I am Jewish and Israeli, but also because I’ve been learning about the Holocaust since my childhood. Why I Remember Testimonies By Roza Petrosyan (May 2, 2014) When I was a child, my grandfather often told me about the Second World War. While he sat next to me, coloring or teaching me letters of the alphabet, he would sneak in a story about his days in the Soviet army. Armenian Genocide – Filling in the Bookshelves of History By Syuzanna Petrosyan (April 29, 2014) A few weeks ago I went shopping at one of my favorite bookstores in Los Angeles. However, I wasn’t picking out a few books that would sit on my metro-read shelf. By Stephen Smith (April 22, 2014) Historical memory is dangerous. In times of crisis, its demons emerge, ugly, toxic, and potentially lethal. We saw it in Donetsk last week. Reflections on a Mission By Ulrika Citron (April 21, 2014) In April 1994, the genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis officially began, even though the persecution and killing campaign had gone on for decades. In 100 days, close to 1 million women, children and men were slaughtered and tortured to death with machetes, metal sticks and knives. When the Past and Future Intersect By Orli Robin (April 3, 2014) As a writer fascinated by literary and political theory on history and memory, I watched students from Camino Nuevo High School interview Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter while I sat in awe witnessing the past and future intersect before my eyes. You CAN Go Home Again, Part 2 By Douglas Greenberg (March 31, 2014) In the spring of 2000, I agreed to become the president and chief executive officer of Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, the predecessor of USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education. Oral History Turns Holographic By Stephen Smith (March 28, 2014) Pinchas Gutter sits in a red chair surrounded by bright green fabric under the glare of several thousand LED lights, 53 cameras capturing his every move. This is the world's first ever full-life history captured in true 3-D. My Experience as a Teacher with the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive By Ivana Hajičová (March 24, 2014) On the day the Visual History Archive access site in Prague - the Malach Center for Visual History - was inaugurated I decided that my school, Archbishop High School in Prague, could not ignore it.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1879
__label__cc	0.689565	0.310435	Journal of economics, business and law > VOLUME 1 > Title: <NOTE>A Note On The Policy For Health & Community Acceptance Of A LULU : Locally Undesirable Land Use Authors: Watanabe, Shigeru Publisher: College of Economics, Osaka Prefecture University Citation: Journal of economics, business and law. 1999, 1, p.71-78 Abstract: In this note the model of P. A. Groothuis, G. V. Houtven and J.C. Whitehead (1998) which analyzed the siting of LULU has been generalized. In the model it is assumed that the level of income does not depend on the health status, and medical expenditure in the case of poor health is implicitly neglected in the model. It is also assumed in the model that the siting of the hazardous waste facility effects only on the perceived probability of the poor health. However, it is plausible to suppose that not only the probability of the poor health but also the degree of required medical expenditure in the case of poor health will be affected by the siting of the hazardous waste facility. In this note labor income which depends on the health status is taken into account. Medical expenditure in the case of poor health is also taken into consideration in generalized model of this note. In addition, the effect of siting the hazardous waste facility on the degree of required medical expenditure is also considered. Appears in Collections: VOLUME 1 KJ00000046012.pdf 337.33 kB Adobe PDF View/Open	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1881
__label__cc	0.564876	0.435124	CHAMPOLLION STREET 13 Apr 2006 18 PM Today was not a very good day, says Talgy, the photographer who works from a studio tucked into the hallway of a residential building close to my studio. It was not a good day because his mobile phone was stolen. "A man came into my studio," says Talgy, "to have his picture taken. Afterwards he asked if he could use my mobile for a moment. No problem, I said. Some other people walked into the store and the man who was using my telephone went outside and disappeared. I have his picture though'" and he holds up the portrait of the telephone thief. The man in the picture doesn't look like a thief at all. His father was also a photographer, and he points to the black-and-white portrait hanging on the wall. It's a picture of an elegantly dressed man with dark-rimmed spectacles and shiny black wavy hair. I ask him about his daily routine and he says he opens up at 10 and closes at 9:30 at night. His favorite time of day would be early in the morning, when he arrives in his photo studio and has his first cigarette with a cup of hot coffee. But why don't you ask me what my favourite color is?	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1884
__label__wiki	0.77625	0.77625	5 Texas Window Cleaners Injured In Scaffold Collapse Police tape surrounds a scaffold that three men were on Wednesday afternoon while cleaning windows of the Webb County Courthouse. Five fall several feet at Webb County Justice Center (LAREDO, TEXAS) - One person is still in a Laredo hospital after a scaffolding accident at the justice center that injured five people. It happened at about four in the afternoon on Wednesday. We're told four workers were cleaning windows on the third floor, when they fell and hit the pavement injuring a fifth person on the ground. They were all taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from a dislocated shoulder to a broken wrist. Webb County investigators are trying to find out exactly what happened. "We're trying to get eyewitnesses to see exactly what happened. As you know, when something like this happens there's different stories so we're just trying to find out exactly what happened", said Sanchez. The Webb County judge's office county judge issued a statement this evening saying of the victims "Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families." Men injured in scaffolding incident at courthouse released from hospitals: The five men who were injured Wednesday in a scaffolding incident at the Webb County Courthouse have been discharged from local hospitals. At least one had broken ribs and another a dislocated shoulder. At about 4 p.m. Wednesday, two men fell from a scaffold while cleaning windows on the third floor of the courthouse while another who was on the scaffold clung to the edge of a window. Two men on the ground tried to catch the man who clung to the window, but all ended up getting injured. Webb County's risk management department is conducting an investigation into the incident. Tano Tijerina, Webb County judge, issued the following statement Thursday: "Yesterday was a defining day for us as a Webb County family. I am truly grateful that all of the men injured are going to fully recover. What could have been cause for chaos was actually an instrumental moment. "Our Webb County family came together as one; the Constables Office, Sheriff's Office, our Webb County employees and Laredo Police Department rallied together to help our injured employees. Most importantly, there was compassion, and the sense that others came first. This is what our Webb County family is about. "Thank you to the courthouse staff for their heartfelt response during this unfortunate accident. Thank you to the Laredo Fire and EMS, the Sheriff's Office, Constables Office, Webb County employees, the Laredo Police Department, and those who called in expressing their concerns and well wishes for the injured. "What a great example of working in tandem. I am proud to work for you and with you. We are a family. Our prayers during this time of healing continue to be with our employees." Posted by Karl Robinson at Friday, January 30, 2015 No comments: Labels: collapse, five texas window cleaners, injury, justice center, Laredo, scaffold accident, Webb County, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing Meth' Clean Up Despite this accreditation, the process of cleaning up a meth site is not all that complicated, chemically speaking. The solution Jennifer and her crew use is a mix of carpet cleaner, degreaser, and dish soap. The Hard, Grim Work of Cleaning Up Meth Labs in West Virginia: Usually, when Jennifer McQuerrey Rhyne's truck pulls up to a property, it's the first time neighbors have seen any activity there in weeks. Even though the decals on her hulking Tacoma read "www.wvmethcleanup.com"—literally spelling out why she is there—she becomes a magnet for anyone looking for information about the former proprietors of the meth cook sites she cleans for a living. Along with a bevy of shady characters, the business offers a window into the changing drug habits of rural, white America. A guy in a sweatpants and a hoodie tattered by cigarette burns approaches, mentioning the apartment's former tenant, a woman I'll call Rachel. "She was into some bad stuff," he says. "She was advertising as an escort on a site called BackPages.com and was going all across the county." Jennifer, 43 years old and about five feet tall with crimson-colored hair and a stud poking out of the upper right side of her lip, quietly absorbs the story. She's used to this. They come to her hoping to gather gossip, ease their worries, or collect debts. "Over her time here, I loaned her over $1,000," the man says. "I heard she was at a rooming house in Bridgeport, but I was wondering if you knew anything." "No, I don't know anything," Jennifer replies with a polite smile as she checks her phone. "Well, I'd like to at least like to get my air mattress back," he says. "I'm sorry but all this stuff has to go to the dump," Jennifer explains. "There's been a meth contamination here." "Well, that figures," the guy says, wandering off. It's because of encounters like this that Jennifer keeps a Ruger 380 in her truck. The gun usually stays there. Only once, in a run-down "apartment building full of tweakers" in Elkins, did she conceal it beneath her Hazmat-style suit as she cleaned. It's not an uncommon scene in the Mountain State. Like rural populations all over the US, West Virginians are smoking a shit-ton of meth. Two years ago, 533 meth cook sites were uncovered in the state, though as of the end of November, 2014's numbers were down 40 percent, with just 290 reported busts compared to 500 at the same time a year earlier. Still, the drug is entrenched in this land of arch bridges and rolling hills, where the population density rarely reaches 500 people per square mile. Increasingly, West Virginia meth comes not from the makeshift labs of yore but a crude "shake and bake" process of packing cold medicine, anhydrous ammonia, water, and a reactive metal into a bottle to make a sludgy but effective product. It doesn't take Walter White to do this, and it makes it possible for a meth operation to be cloistered into a closet, a car trunk, or even a backpack. No matter how large or small, once a cook site is busted, state law dictates it be " remediated." No matter how large or small, once a cook site is busted, state law dictates it be " remediated" by a licensed company after police determine there is no immediate threat of an explosion. This has meant steady income for Jennifer's company, Affordable Clean Up, LLC, the only one in West Virginia dedicated solely to cleaning meth cook sites. (There are also general industrial cleaning companies that can be contracted for the job.) Since starting in 2012, they've cleaned about 20 sites a year. The average job rakes in $10,000, usually paid by a landlord or mortgage-holding bank. This apartment in Clarksburg is netting Jennifer only a shade under four grand. She tested surfaces in each room with a kit and only three of them had enough meth residue to meet West Virginia's standard for contamination, 0.1 micrograms per 100 square centimeters. Then she filed paperwork with the state Department of Health and Human Resources and awaited an OK to clean, a process that can take weeks, much to the annoyance of landlords. These owners "did the right thing," Jennifer says. "Most landlords would have just tossed everything and never said a word." Jennifer is a landlord herself who's been flipping houses for nearly 20 years and has dozens of rental units across the state. It was in that capacity that she got the idea for this side business. She attended a seminar lead by an official from the state Department of Health and Human Service's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Program. He explained how to spot the signs of a lab and what the landlord is obligated to do when one emerges. It was one offhand comment in particular that stuck with her. "He said, 'When I retire from the state, I'm going into [the decontamination] business,'" Jennifer recalls. "'I'll make a killing!'" Jennifer had a business administration degree and was always looking for flexible forms of work as her daughter moved through adolescence. So why not clean up old meth labs? She began researching the qualifications needed to tidy up after tweakers and recruited her father, a retired elementary school principal, and Heath, a maintenance man for her rentals. They moved through the trainings and certifications: a $350 class on handling hazardous materials, an $800 multi-day program on the risks of meth sites specifically, an annual $300 methamphetamine remediation license for the company and $50 yearly meth remediation technician certificates for each person on her crew. In West Virginia, you need all this to even walk through the door of a site after a meth bust. Despite this accreditation, the process of cleaning up a meth site is not all that complicated, chemically speaking. The solution Jennifer and her crew use is a mix of carpet cleaner, degreaser, and dish soap. Like the ingredients for meth itself, all that can be bought at Lowe's. They spray it onto every surface. "Then, we scrub the shit out of it," Jennifer says. It usually takes three sprays and scrubs before the residue is below the state standard. That standard might be overly cautious. In 2009, the federal Environmental Protection Agency concluded that 1.5 µg/100 cm²—15 times the amount of meth residue allowed by West Virginia—was the threshold for health hazard and set that as its own recommended standard. But that's only a suggestion, and the laws of meth contamination are a patchwork from state to state. Minnesota, Kansas, Virginia, California, and other states use the EPA's recommendation. Some—like Nebraska, Washington, Alaska, and West Virginia—go by the harsh 0.1 µg/100 cm² standard, and several set it somewhere between. Just like the cleaning, the disposal of meth-contaminated stuff is surprisingly simple, albeit hampered by bureaucracy. Jennifer deposits everything she takes from a site at a municipal landfill, where it is buried, but first she has to photograph each item and file an accompanying form, all of which goes to the state. All of these measurements are lighter than the weight of a single grain of rice, but between them is a difference of tens of thousands of dollars if a cook site is found on any given property. Take for instance, an elderly woman whose home Jennifer cleaned. She lived with an adult grandson who cooked and smoked meth. By West Virginia's 0.1 µg/100 cm² standard, the whole house was contaminated. In addition to the hefty cost of the cleaning, everything she owned had to go to the dump. "She lost everything, all her belongings she collected her entire life," Jennifer remembers. "I would petition the state to raise the level. I don't even care if I lose business. I've seen too many people pointlessly lose everything." Anthony Turner is director of the West Virginia Department of Health's Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Program. He's sympathetic to property owners, but tells me, "I'd rather err on the side of caution when it comes to public health. These are residential units where children might live." Just like the cleaning, the disposal of meth-contaminated stuff is surprisingly simple, albeit hampered by bureaucracy. Jennifer deposits everything she takes from a site at a municipal landfill, where it is buried, but first she has to photograph each item and file an accompanying form, all of which goes to the state. After conferring with a few sanitation workers sitting in a trailer, she drives the truck to a set of metal dumpsters full of tires, stoves, bedframes, and five-gallon buckets. The place smells like gasoline and burned plastic. Jennifer puts on gloves, photographs each item, and tosses it into a dumpster. Posted by Karl Robinson at Thursday, January 29, 2015 No comments: Labels: affordable clean up, chemicals, degreaser, dish soap, health, Jennifer McQuerrey, meth clean up, west virginia, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing Fact: People Respect Window Cleaners More Than Politicians In a letter which accompanies the posters, the party asks their “dearly beloved Anarchist friends” to take in to consideration their window cleaner Kevin, who is not a Ukip member. Click to enlarge. Ukip Really Want You To Chuck Eggs At This Nigel Farage Poster: Ukip officials have hatched a plan to put any yolkers off chucking eggs at their offices in Cardiff South and Penarth, by scrambling to put up a cracking poster of their leader Nigel Farage for them to shell instead. Farage has a starring role on the Ukip poster, alongside local candidate John Rees-Evans, who both have targets on their faces, with would-be egg-chuckers jokingly given points for a direct hit. The posters have been so successful that no more egg attacks have happened, leaving Ukip officials feeling sunny side up. In an attached note, the party asks their “dearly beloved Anarchist friends” to remember that any eggs thrown will mean more work for their window cleaner Kevin, who is not a Ukip member. The letter reads: “To our dearly beloved Anarchist friends, With respect to the interests and livelihood of our non-member window cleaner, Kevin, we kindly ask that you please consider confining your egg-throwing to one of the targets supplied. Our volunteers will then undertake to clean the physical expressions of your opposition to our presence and our views, ourselves. With sincere thanks, Team Ukip Cardiff South and Penarth" Ukip’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Caerphilly, Sam Gould, told the Guardian: “You’ve got to take the fun out of it. The only way we can show we’re different is to show we’re down to earth and can laugh at ourselves.” Posted by Karl Robinson at Wednesday, January 28, 2015 No comments: Labels: anarchists, cardiff, nigel farage, politicians, poster, respect, throwing eggs, UKip, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing Save Your Skin: Dermatitis An Itchy Fact Of Life The second type, contact dermatitis, results from exposure to a skin irritant like detergent. Save your skin: Dermatitis an itchy fact of life in Southern Colorado - Red, swollen and itchy is unpleasant skin to be in. Inflammation of the skin, or dermatitis, can have many causes and occur in many forms. It can make life miserable but isn’t contagious and usually isn’t life-threatening. It’s a scourge that plagues dry-skinned people — which is just about everybody at this time of year in arid Southern Colorado. Dermatitis occurs in two basic types, says Dr. Sharon Kessler, a Pueblo dermatologist. There’s atopic, from the Greek for “hypersensitivity,” and there’s contact. “Atopic dermatitis is also called eczema; it’s exactly the same disease,” Kessler says. “It tends to be genetic, tends to cluster in families. There are three genes for it, all closely linked on the same chromosome.” People with atopic dermatitis often have asthma or hay fever as well. While there’s a genetic predisposition, exposure to environmental factors such as dryness, dust and pets, especially cats, can trigger atopic dermatitis. The second type, contact dermatitis, results from exposure to a skin irritant like detergent or an allergen like poison ivy. Again, it’s not totally clear-cut, Kessler says, as some people may be genetically predetermined to be sensitive to nickel, for example, and break out in a rash if they wear nickel-containing jewellery. Harsh climate a factor Dr. Michael Babcock, a dermatologist who practices both in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, says he sees more people with atopic and dry skin dermatitis than contact dermatitis. “A lot of people who relocate here from elsewhere, from the South or the coasts, come in with a weird rash that’s a form of eczema. They’ve been susceptible to it all along but it didn’t appear until they were here” in Colorado’s harsh climate. For people with mild eczema, some education and over-the-counter products often are the answer, he says. More severe cases may require medication. Babcock says he likes to joke with patients that he has a cure for their dermatitis: a first-class trip to Hawaii once a month. Skin is a good barrier. If intact, it keeps out toxic agents, but if it’s broken, “all sorts of things can be a problem.” Skin as barrier Kessler says the three main offenders in contact dermatitis are grease-cutting dish detergent, furniture polish with lemon oil and window cleaner with ammonia. “I see a lot of hand dermatitis, usually in women and particularly in winter before Christmas when they’ve been cleaning house like crazy,” Kessler says. “I always ask them if they’re using (brand name) detergent or any lemon-scented products or ones with ammonia. These change the environment so much it allows the skin to crack.” Skin is a good barrier. If intact, it keeps out toxic agents, but if it’s broken, “all sorts of things can be a problem,” she says. So what’s a person to do? Keep the skin from getting excessively dry. Kessler advises drinking lots of water; taking cooler showers — even though hot water may feel soothing to irritated skin; minimizing the use of soap — “Water is the universal solvent”; and applying a good-quality moisturizer right after bath or shower while the skin is still well-hydrated. She recommends using a thick cream rather than a thin lotion and choosing a product that contains alpha hydroxy acids. Preservatives a problem Babcock says people have become more aware that chemicals in products can cause skin problems, but they always think it’s the fragrance or because they changed products. “The most common cause of contact dermatitis is preservatives — parabens and formaldehyde derivatives,” he says. “Fragrance is the next most common.” Antibiotic ointments also can cause problems. “One of the things everyone says is, ‘I’ve used X, Y or Z product forever.’ What you have to remember is a company can change its product ingredients at any time, and a person can develop sensitivity over time. You have to have exposure in order to have sensitivity.” Dermatitis data Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a chronic skin disease that’s most common in babies and children but can occur at any age. This red, itchy rash occurs on the face, scalp, hands and feet in infants, and where the skin flexes inside the elbows or behind the knees in older people. Skin changes can include blisters that ooze and crust, dry skin all over, raw skin from scratching, and leathery areas that occur after long-term irritation and scratching. Atopic dermatitis can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. It can get worse, improve and then flare up again. Contact dermatitis is caused by exposure to an irritant or an allergen and it causes red, sore or inflamed skin. Itching — sometimes severe — is common and a rash can occur; the rash may have bumps that become blisters. It often shows up on the hands, although hair products, cosmetics and perfumes can lead to reactions on the face, head and neck. Skin may become inflamed with long-term exposure to an irritant. Also see: Dry, Cracked & Chapped Window Cleaners Hands, Fingers & Skin Posted by Karl Robinson at Tuesday, January 27, 2015 No comments: Labels: allergen, atopic, cold, cracked, Dermatitis, dry skin, fingertips, hands, inflammation, itchy, protection, Save your skin, window clean, window cleaner, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing Cleaners wiping the window of a building in Kuala Lumpur. Despite an increase in the tax for foreign workers was good for the country, employers are still cautious over Putrajaya’s move to review the tax. The Malaysian Employers Federation today reacted cautiously to Putrajaya's move to review the levy on foreign workers as they waited further details to the sketchy announcement. MEF executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said higher levies on foreign workers would mean an increase in government revenue. "If Putrajaya increases the levy on foreign workers, it would mean more revenue and less money being remitted by foreign workers." But, Shamsuddin said if the levy for foreign workers had to be paid by their employers, then it would lead to higher overheads. Foreign workers were responsible for paying the levy, not their employers, he added. "Remittances by foreign workers back to their source country is currently about RM50 billion annually," he said. Bank Negara previously estimated that foreign workers remitted about RM30 billion annually. But, Shamsuddin said foreign workers also had other methods of sending money back home without resorting to banks and financial institutions. Terry Dugdale, who is concerned over the matter of exploding double-glazed windows in his housing block Exploding window problem: A Poole pensioner has prompted an investigation after discovering six windows in his warden assisted block shattered spontaneously. Terry Dugdale, 65, of Simmonds Close in Oakdale, was shocked to find the inner pane of glass of his bathroom window smashed – while the outer one was intact. He was advised by Poole Housing Partnership, which manages the block, to claim on his insurance. But baffled as to how it had happened, he investigated further. The retired sales rep, who has lived in the flats for three years, discovered that five of his neighbours had also had the exact same “exploding window” problem – including one elderly resident who was in the bathroom at the time it happened. After researching on the internet he discovered that it was a known phenomenon, which can occur in colder weather as a result of changes in pressure – most frequently in late December and January. After presenting his evidence to PHP they have now agreed to pay for repairs – and are looking into the issue. Mr Dugdale told the Echo: “You’ve got six windows here – do they think six people are suddenly going around and smashing their windows? “The thing I can’t understand is why they didn’t investigate what was happening in the first place. “I think they should seriously think about replacing all the double glazing in these units which are over 20 years old. “One of my neighbours was actually in the bathroom when it happened and it scared her to death. “She could have been caught by the glass.” Matt Wilkin, communications officer at PHP Ltd said: “We were alerted to several cases of cracked windows at Simmonds Close over the Christmas period. “As these windows were at the end of their life, we’ve arranged for new argon-filled units to be fitted which should last for a further 25 years. “Investigations are now underway to identify the cause of the cracked windows and we are working with residents to minimise the inconvenience while the repairs are ongoing.” Mark's Cleaning Service Inc. celebrates 30 years in business. Mark's Cleaning Service Inc. - It's Your Business: Mark & Bonnie Skoda. Number of employees: 110 Tell us what your business does: Carpet cleaning, oriental area rug cleaning, ceramic tile and grout cleaning, upholstery, air duct cleaning, window cleaning, maid service and pet urine and feces removal and odor control. Where did you get the idea for your business? I was working for a local carpet and janitorial company when the owner offered to sell me a van and carpet cleaning machine. What makes your business unique? Mark's Cleaning is a leader in the cleaning industry. We work hard to keep up with the newest cleaning equipment and solutions. By using the best products and newest equipment, we do the job right the first time. We promise to treat our customers as we would want to be treated. How do you see current economic conditions affecting your business? Business is great! I believe so much in "a positive state of mind brings positive results." We work hard as a team to take care of our clients and our staff. Everyday brings challenges. Being in business is problem solving -- that's what we do. What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome thus far? Over the last 30 years we've seen many obstacles. I suppose two of the biggest would have to be 9/11 and the 2008 economic crises. For both we kept a positive mindset. Actually one of our best years turned out to be 2008! We have great clients and great staff! What are your plans for near-future growth (hiring, building expansion, etc.)? Our plans are to continue growing and expanding in Summit and Cuyahoga counties. We've purchase a 5,000 square foot facility and adjoining property, and are currently putting finishing touches on our in-house oriental rug cleaning plant. We also plan to continue growing in water damage restoration, window cleaning, maid service, carpet cleaning, duct cleaning, janitorial and hard surface floor care. Window Cleaner who borrowed €1.4m given three months to save home: A Dublin couple have been given three months by a judge to save their family home. Anthony and Miriam Freeman, of Villa Park Gardens, Navan Road, Dublin, are fighting in the Circuit Civil Court to prevent Ulster Bank Ireland repossessing their family home on a disputed arrears debt of €169,000. Last May, the High Court dismissed claims by the couple, who who borrowed some €1.4m to refinance property investments, that their lender did not validly appoint a receiver over their assets when they went into arrears. They are appealing the case to the Supreme Court. Judge Jacqueline Linnane told the Freemans on Friday that the family home situation will be decided on April 23rd next and she directed that all necessary papers be exchanged between the parties by mid-March. Ms Freeman, who represented herself and her husband in court, said her health had deteriorated and she had been unable to complete an application for legal aid. She said they disputed the claimed debt of €169,000 on the December 2003 mortgage of €460,000 on their home. She claimed the bank had mismanaged the couple’s mortgage account and had overcharged them on interest. Counsel for the bank said she was repeating issues made in a High Court commercial investment case and all of which had been rejected by Mr Justice Brian McGovern last May. On Friday, Ms Freeman said she accepted there was a debt to be paid to Ulster Bank Ireland but did not accept the amount claimed. There was a lot more detail to be gone into and the Supreme Court appeal against Judge McGovern’s decision was being strenuously pursued in relation to their six investment properties. Mr Justice McGovern stated in his judgment that the couple between 1996 and 2006 had bought six houses in Dublin at Huntstown Drive, Huntsdown Wood and Willowood, Blanchardstown, and at Ventry Drive and Drumcliffe Drive, Cabra West and Dunsink Green, Finglas. He said this had been financed by First Active Building Society and later re-mortgaged with Bank of Scotland for €1,406,000. When the First Active debt had been paid the couple had been left with a surplus in excess of €546,000 which they had spent on themselves over a period of 16 months. Mr Justice McGovern said the evidence clearly showed that the plaintiffs went on a spending spree with the surplus, both buying expensive motor vehicles and had gone on at least one holiday to the United States, drawing down just under $60,000 while there. He said Miriam Freeman had been unable to explain why so many substantial cash withdrawals were made and why they were not applied towards the investment property business. The judge said both Freemans had furnished misleading information to Bank of Scotland at the time they applied for the loans, grossly inflating the net profit of Mr Freeman’s window cleaning business which gave them only a modest income. Mr Justice McGovern, who threw out all of the issues raised by the Freemans in their High Court action against the bank and its receiver, said the couple had sought to invalidate the appointment of the receiver over the sale of their properties. He said that at a time when they owed Bank of Scotland over €1.4 million they had taken no steps to reduce the principal sum due and owing to the bank from the excess of €546,000 but had spent it on themselves. Popular window cleaner John 'Sneck' Duncan. Big turnout for funeral of popular window cleaner: There was a big turnout at Kirkcaldy crematorium for the funeral of popular Cupar window clearer John (Sneck) Duncan. Born, raised and educated in Cupar, where he spent his entire 81 years, Sneck worked in a butcher’s shop in the town after leaving Bell Baxter High School. Before starting out on his own as a window cleaner 35 years ago, he was a steel erector and crane driver with local engineers Houston’s, as well as a labourer with building companies. He was still working until last year, keeping all his clients in the Cupar area up to date with the latest local news and gossip. An all-round handyman, Sneck would readily offer his services to anyone in need. During his time at Adamson Hospice – where he passed away – he kept fellow patients and staff entertained with his wise-cracking and constant stream of jokes. A keen walker in the glens with his wife, Annie, Sneck is survived by his family, grandchildren and great-grandson. A 72-year-old man from Brinsley has successfully completed an epic 98-mile walk which took him from Glasgow to Fort William in just six days. Bill Pykett of Kings Drive, Brinsley, has completed many cycling and walking expeditions for charity in his time and embarked on this trek known as The West Highland Way in aid of The Dogs Trst. The retired carpet and window cleaner was joined by his partner Heather Collinge who drove their motorhome as a support vehicle, and his four-year-old rescue German Shepherd, Abi, who walked with him all the way. Bill explained that he had previously completed Lands End to John O’Groats and Coast to Coast by bike, but as the West Highland Way is the biggest official walk in Scotland, it was another challenge he was keen to do. He said: “I like walking for start and I had seen something on the TV about the expedition which made me want to do it. “There was some stunning scenery along the way - Rannoch Moor was really special because of how bleak and wild it was. “After Glasgow which was busy with local walkers I hardly saw a sole, which I liked.” The grandfather-of-three told the Advertiser that the highlight of the whole expedition was the night before Rannoch Moor as the stags were roaring around their motorhome all night. However, it was his dog Abi that got him through the hardest part of the journey - Devils Staircase - as she pulled him up the hill. Bill added: “She loved the whole walk - I think she would happily do it over and over and she never tired.” This year Bill will be taking on The Great Glenway from Fort William to Inverness, and he and Heather are also determined to travel to the Artic Circle in the summer. Donations go to The Dogs Trust. The middle class that President Obama identified in his State of the Union speech last week as the foundation of the American economy has been shrinking for almost half a century. In the late 1960s, more than half of the households in the United States were squarely in the middle, earning, in today’s dollars, $35,000 to $100,000 a year. Few people noticed or cared as the size of that group began to fall, because the shift was primarily caused by more Americans climbing the economic ladder into upper-income brackets. But since 2000, the middle-class share of households has continued to narrow, the main reason being that more people have fallen to the bottom. At the same time, fewer of those in this group fit the traditional image of a married couple with children at home, a gap increasingly filled by the elderly. “In the Great Recession, we lost a lot of middle-income jobs and we gained a lot of low-paying jobs,” said Michael R. Strain, resident scholar at the right-of-center American Enterprise Institute. “That’s a slower-burning thing, but it increased in ferocity during the recession, and people are feeling it.” For more than two decades, John D’Amanda, 54, earned about $30,000 a year running a window-washing service in Oakland, Calif. He had a car and an apartment. Then, in 2009, the calls stopped coming in. His customers no longer had the luxury of paying for someone to wash their windows. Mr. D’Amanda got a job at a McDonald’s, where he has worked ever since, now earning 25 cents above the state’s new minimum wage of $9. He pays $350 a month in rent to share a small bedroom with a roommate. “I’m barely able to afford that,” he said. 'Robust' parking enforcement in Barnstaple is a concern for councillors: Speaking at a meeting of North Devon Council’s overview and scrutiny committee last week, Mr Tucker said: “It concerns me the robust way in which Devon County Council is going about its business. “It is very sad when we have operated the system for a number of years and got on with traders and now they are giving tickets because they are unloading for five minutes. “When you see good businesses getting four or five tickets something is wrong somewhere.” The Journal has also been contacted by a man who claims the situation has been getting worse recently and that he has received four parking fines while stopped in Barnstaple High Street. Will James, of H2O Cleaning Services, said there was a group of around 50 workers who were gearing up to sign a petition on the issue. Will said the 10-minute window given by traffic wardens for commercial vehicles stopping in the High Street was not enough. “I am self-employed and have been working in the High Street for 14 years,” he said. “Only now is it beginning to become a problem. Any time before 10am you can park there. But you have only got 10 minutes.” Will said a common problem was people stopping off in the High Street just to go and get a coffee. “You never see them getting tickets,” he said. “We are here trying to earn an honest living, but the people coming in doing their coffee rounds aren’t penalised at all.” LOHS grad to appear on 'Shark Tank' A summer business called “Happy Windows” was the first adventure into entrepreneurship for Morgan Hill native Wesley LaPorte, who employed his cousin as they went door-to-door to solicit their window washing services to local homeowners. “Growing up, I worked for myself washing windows, so I have been entrepreneurial since I was young,” said the 2004 Live Oak High School alumnus who went on to earn a Pre-Med degree in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University. But upon graduation in 2012, LaPorte put his medical school plans on hold because of a business venture he conjured up with that same cousin, Dan Barnes, who used to wash windows back in the day. The business partners are no longer window-washing though, and the two BYU graduates will appear on the Jan. 30 episode of the ABC show Shark Tank, where they will pitch their PhoneSoap product to the panel of the millionaire investors, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Fubu founder Daymond John. “I decided that this was an opportunity now,” said LaPorte, the 29-year-old Chief Executive Officer and founder of his Provo, Utah-based company that manufactures a cell phone cleaning device. “If I want to go to medical school in the future, I still can. But for now, this is what I’m doing full time.” The idea for PhoneSoap came in 2012 when the two cousins were bouncing ideas off one another for an annual business plan competition held at BYU. LaPorte said he was doing cancer research at the university and was using large ultraviolet (UV) lights to sanitize surfaces where they would perform experiments. “I knew it was effective in killing bacteria,” said Barnes, who didn’t realize a different and marketable use for the same UV light until Barnes read an article that the average person’s cell phone is dirtier than the handle on a public toilet. The light bulb went off and they immediately began doing more research on the bacteria that builds up on cell phones. Window Cleaners shut those gates! A Burton family are appealing for help in finding their missing border terrier puppy. The 15-month-old female, called Ginny, went missing at approximately 4.30pm on Friday. Her owner Hannah Denton says that she believes she was taken by somebody after she managed to escape from the garden of the family home. She said: "At about 4.15pm I let Ginny out the back door into our enclosed garden to do her business. "I then went upstairs and came back down 10 minutes later to let her back in but she wasn’t there. The window cleaner had been and left the gate open without us knowing. "We live on Bridgewater Road and I ran to the park where she goes for her walks to see if she was there but we couldn’t find her anywhere. "One of the people that live near us contacted us through Facebook, he was in his car at 4.30pm and saw Ginny run across the road and turned round in the car to get her but an old red Ford Fiesta had got to her first, at the flats next to Shobnall Street, and somebody put her in the car. "We are desperate to get her home safe and are offering a reward." Ginny has been spayed and has a red grizzle with a dark face. Anyone with information is asked to call Hannah on 07581 624934 or 07916 338521. An animal rescue worker in south Norfolk caring for a “suffering” cat thrown from a car in Diss earlier this month is calling for help to track down those responsible. The one-year-old cat was reportedly seen being tossed out of a car somewhere in Diss on the morning of Thursday, January 8 and was later found with a broken front leg. The feline, a fluffy ginger female which has been named Loreli, was taken to Cherry Tree Vets in Roydon Road. An appeal was then launched on social media to ask for help for the ongoing care of the injured cat. Bungay-based centre Blossoms Rescue responded by taking Loreli into its care and meeting the £999 veterinary bill for the operation to repair the cat’s leg with the insertion of metal pins, which was carried out last week at Chapelfield Vets in Long Stratton. She urged any witnesses of the incident or anybody who could identify the cat to come forward and share whatever information they may have. In particular, she was keen to hear from the woman who initially reported what had happened - only referred to as the wife of a local window cleaner - to obtain a more detailed account of the time and place and a description of the car. An Arbroath window cleaner who racially abused an unhappy customer has been fined £200. John Connor, 48, of Campbell Crescent, appeared before Sheriff Pino Di Emidio at Forfar. He admitted that on December 20 at Arbroath High Street he acted in a racially aggravated manner towards a man and shouted racist remarks. Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said Connor was a window cleaner and an arrangement was made to take on a contract at a shop in the High Street. An agreement was reached that Connor would be paid £25 every time the windows were cleaned. After they were cleaned for the first time, the owner said he was not happy with the standard of work and only paid £15. Several discussions took place between both men over the following days. At 10am on the day of the incident, Connor was cleaning windows nearby when the shop owner parked his vehicle on the High Street. Connor said: “No wonder you drive a nice car.” The owner was annoyed at the remark. He told Connor if he had done his job properly he would have been paid in full. Connor told him to go back to his country and uttered a racist remark. The man replied: “You’ll not get away with being racist,” and called police. Beware of conman window-cleaner warn Plymstock police: Beware of conman window-cleaner warn Plymstock police (Plymouth): PCSO Elaine Wilson of Plymstock police neighbourhood team said the suspect had been knocking on doors, requesting payment for windows cleaned. She said: “People have handed over money, only to be contacted by their real window-cleaners asking for their dues. “He appears to just be chancing houses, so we are requesting residents please be mindful of this and only hand over money to the person they know to be doing work for them.” The man is described as white, unshaven, possibly wearing a quilted jacket and blue knitted hat. He does not appear to have a vehicle. Anyone with information about the man, or anyone who has spotted him in their area, contact police on 101 quoting crime reference number CR/003199/15. A window cleaner committed benefit fraud because he didn’t want to dip into his savings: Stephen Crabtree committed benefit fraud even though he had than £100,000 savingsStephen Crabtree, of Fairview Avenue in Batley, admitted dishonestly failing to disclose to the Department for Work and Pensions full details of his capital. Prosecutor Andy Wills said that the 50-year-old’s application was fraudulent from the outset. He told Kirklees magistrates: “He made an application to receive income- based Jobseeker’s Allowance and received this for 16 months. “The application said that he was unemployed and had no capital or savings.” The court heard that the department then became aware that Crabtree had savings of over £118,000. Mr Wills added: “This was well over the limit of savings than can be held by any party when trying to make a claim for benefit. “Had this been known by the department his application would have been refused.” Crabtree, a window cleaner for 29 years before falling off his ladder and breaking his collarbone, said that his savings were meant for his retirement. Mr Wills said: “He said he wanted the benefit to live with so that he didn’t have to dip into his savings.” Crabtree was overpaid almost £5,000 which he said has now been repaid. He said that friends had urged him to sign on and other people do what he did. Magistrates sentenced him to a six-week curfew between 7pm and 7am. Crabtree must also pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge. State time for man who accidentally shot and wounded 8-year-old boy (WEST CHESTER): The North Coventry man who fired a gunshot that wounded an 8-year-old boy who was riding his bicycle in the man’s neighborhood was sentenced to a state prison term Thursday for his behavior, which the judge in the case said amounted to unwarranted recklessness. Wayne Snowden, who fired the shot from the porch of his home on West Main Street, just south of Pottstown, during an angry tirade against another man, was given back-to-back terms of nine to 18 months in prison on charges of recklessly endangering another person and simple assault. Snowden, 56, the owner of a window washing business who had no history of violent crime, shook his head in disbelief as sheriff deputies put handcuffs on him and led him from the courtroom. Family members who attended the 90-minute sentencing hearing cursed as they left Wheatcraft’s courtroom. The defendant had apologized for the shooting, telling Wheatcraft he had no thought of ever harming he young boy and that he sympathized with the family over all they had gone through in the wake of the shooting. “I thank God it was not a worse situation,” he said. “I pray one day A.J. will be able to enjoy himself again.” A window cleaner was almost five times over the drink drive limit when he was stopped by police. Stephen Tordoff, 41, was driving along Dickson Road, Blackpool, at 1.30pm when an officer halted his van. Blackpool Magistrates heard that Tordoff had left home at about 10.30am that day. He had drunk the contents of a bottle of vodka the night before. Tordoff, of Waterhead Crescent, Norbreck, pleaded guilty to drink driving. Police had been tipped off that he was at the wheel of his van while over the limit and when he was breathalysed he had 160 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – 35 is the limit. Alison Quanbrough, prosecuting, said: “The police had received intelligence that Tordoff was a drink driver. “This is a very high reading indeed.” Martin Hillson, defending, said: “There were no aggravating factors involved such as speeding or an accident and my client co-operated fully with the police when stopped. “Mr Tordoff has worked all his life and has set up a window cleaning business with 350 clients.” Magistrates gave Tordoff a 17 week jail sentence, suspended for two years. He was also banned from the road for three years and ordered to undergo two years supervision. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs. “The problem was that they tried to fix it in half an hour and it should have taken them days.” Tutankhamun's beard glued back on, say Egyptian museum conservators: Beard on burial mask of pharaoh was stuck on with epoxy after it was knocked during cleaning, say staff at Cairo museum: Was he murdered? Was he the product of incest? Ever since his tomb was discovered in 1922, Tutankhamun has always been a man of mystery. But now the pharaoh is the subject of yet another whodunnit – and this time the mystery is a very modern one. Did bungling curators snap off Tut’s beard last year, and if so, was it stuck back on with the wrong kind of glue? These are the allegations levelled this week at the Egyptian Museum, the gloomy, underfunded palace in central Cairo where Tutankhamun’s bling is housed, along with thousands of other ancient treasures. Employees claim the beard was dislodged in late 2014, during routine maintenance of the showcase in which Tut’s mask is kept. “What happened is that one night they wanted to fix the lighting in the showcase, and when they did that they held the mask in the wrong way and broke the beard,” alleges one museum official, who asked not to be named for fear of being fired. “But they tried to fix it overnight with the wrong material, but it wasn’t fixed in the right way so the next day, very early, they tried to fix it again. “The problem was that they tried to fix it in half an hour and it should have taken them days.” A man who allegedly made a habit of stealing women’s underwear from washing lines has been on the receiving end of some ironic mob justice. Underwear thief forced to walk around the block wearing the bras he stole: A man who allegedly made a habit of stealing women’s underwear from washing lines has been on the receiving end of some ironic mob justice. After Chan Chun Chee was caught red handed by the women whose underwear had gone missing, they forced him to wear one of the pilfered bras and made him walk around the block in a classic example of public shaming. Residents of the block of flats in Singapore first became aware of the kinky thief when items of clothing being left out to dry started going missing, sometimes even from inside their apartments. Local man Teo Goh, 56, said: ‘We realised he was targeting windows where he knew women lived and knew were open, so we decided to teach him a lesson and publicly humiliate him.’ They sprung a trap by getting one of the women in the block to leave some underwear in plain sight near an open window. The group then waited for the thief to make his move, before pouncing on him. After ‘frog marching’ the culprit around the block in his new outfit and forcing him to promise never to steal from them again, the vigilante group called the police to have him arrested. A police spokesman said: ‘We don’t condone vigilante activity but in this case it seems to have turned out OK.’ Chee now faces three years jail for breaking and entry and theft (plus these embarrassing photos will probably haunt him forever). Posted by Karl Robinson at Monday, January 26, 2015 No comments: Labels: animals, exploding windows, malaysia, Marks, news, racism, sneck, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing Making Reverse Osmosis Membranes Su Lv shows off a reverse osmosis membrane cartridge. Making ultra-thin materials with holes the size of water molecules: While visiting GE's China Technology Center, we got to take a look at reverse osmosis membranes. Reverse osmosis is the most energy-efficient means of removing dissolved substances from water. It's what's used commercially for desalination, the process of producing drinking water from seawater. The term "membrane" is typically used to mean a thin sheet of some material (in fact, the word "sheet" appears in the definition of the term). But for some of the things GE is using it for, the membranes were thin yet robust tubes, each one capable of supporting the weight of a bowling ball. Despite that toughness, features on the tubes are so fine that they can allow water molecules to pass through but reject many things that are roughly the same size, such as the salt ions found in seawater. This all raises an obvious question: how do you actually produce anything like that? We decided to look into the process of making reverse osmosis membranes. It quickly became clear that the toughness of the membranes is a key feature. Water purification systems need to survive repeated cleaning cycles and go right back to use. We talked to Sijing Wang in Shanghai, who said that some membranes in the systems GE makes can be used for up to eight years. That toughness, however, is provided by polymers that are microporous, in that they have features a thousand times larger than what is needed for reverse osmosis. These would do little to help remove salts from water, but they provide structural support for membranes that can. The large pores also ensure that water can easily flow through the system once it has passed through the membrane that acts as a filter. A test setup that allows Sijing Wang to see how membranes (held in the rectangular cases, lower right) respond to different types of waste material. The interactions between that membrane and the water it's purifying help dictate the efficiency of the system. Since the membrane doesn't interact well with water, more water will flow through it when it's thinner. For reverse osmosis membranes, this layer is kept to a micrometer or less in thickness. The pores within it have to be kept small so that the ions of the salts in the water can't pass through a pore without interacting with the membrane, which will repel them. (Technically, the pores aren't small enough to physically block the ions from passing through, but the interactions between ions and the membrane keep them from getting too close to the pore opening.) So you need to both layer a thin membrane across your support membrane and control the size of the pores that form within it, typically limiting them to less than 10 nanometers. There are two methods of creating thin membranes. One involves forming a polymer but keeping it dissolved in a solvent that also mixes with water (often an alcohol of some sort). As you increase the fraction of water present, the polymer will eventually precipitate out. There are several ways of doing this. The simplest is to just heat the solution so that the solvent evaporates, which increases the fraction of water until the polymer precipitates. Alternatively, you can place the solution in a humid environment until the fraction of water goes up. The most common method, however, is to create a viscous, 20 percent polymer solution and dunk it directly in water. The solution is so viscous that it won't mix into the water; instead, water infiltrates it and causes the polymer to drop out of solution. This process is often done on a continuous roll of material that's sent through a vat of water. In all these instances, the action takes place at the interface between the polymer surface and the environment. As a result, the membrane primarily forms at this interface, creating the very thin barrier needed for reverse osmosis. Polymer deeper in the solution tends to form a larger, more open structure, which allows water to flow freely away from the membrane. An alternative approach that functions in a similar manner is to use a building block for the polymer that dissolves in some solvents and a chemical activator that dissolves in an immiscible one. The two solvents will form two different layers (much like oil and water), and the building block and activator will only meet each other at the interface. As a result, polymerisation only takes place at this interface, resulting in a very thin layer. How do you put holes in it? To a certain extent, the process takes care of that itself. As water begins to enter a solvent it's not fully compatible with, it will form tiny droplets that are held together by surface tension. The polymer will form around those droplets, leaving small holes behind. The size of these holes is determined by the speed of the process; the quicker it takes place, the smaller the water droplets will be and the smaller the resulting pores. By varying the solutions being used and the speed of the process, it's possible to have fine control over the pore formation process. There are also additional layers of control possible. It's possible to include molecules that act as "pore generators" in the solutions, which are then removed when the membrane is rinsed later. Wang said most of the polymers GE uses are made of aromatic polyamine—which means a carbon ring that nitrogens are attached to. These chemicals do allow a certain degree of flexibility, in that they can be different sizes (one or more rings) and have slightly different chemical properties. (They're also carcinogenic before they're polymerised, but they're inert afterward. While water purification systems can be said to "contain a carcinogen," they pose absolutely no threat to human health.) By adjusting the chemistry of the polymer, as well as the process by which it's formed, it's possible to have very fine control over the membrane that ultimately forms. This allows manufacturers to customise membranes for different tasks and to provide the durability that's needed for multiple years of use. Sidney Loeb (left) with first RO membrane. First Demonstration Of Reverse Osmosis: In the late 1940s, researchers began examining ways in which pure water could be extracted from salty water. During the Kennedy administration, saline water conversion was a high priority technology goal-"go to the moon and make the desert bloom" was the slogan. Supported by federal and state funding, a number of researchers quickly advanced the science and technology of sea water conversion, but UCLA made a significant breakthrough in 1959 and became the first to demonstrate a practical process known as reverse osmosis (RO). At that time, Samuel Yuster and two of his students, Sidney Loeb and Srinivasa Sourirajan, produced a functional synthetic RO membrane from cellulose acetate polymer. The new membrane was capable of rejecting salt and passing fresh water at reasonable flow rates and realistic pressures. The membrane was also durable, and could be cast in a variety of geometric configurations. The impact of this discovery has been felt worldwide, ranging from applications in home demineralizers to "rivers of fresh water" in the Middle East and North Africa, where desalination facilities produce trillions of gallons of pure water every day. About 60 percent of the world's desalination capacity is located on the Arabian peninsula. The process of osmosis through semipermeable membranes was first observed in 1748 by Jean-Antoine Nollet (pictured). For the following 200 years, osmosis was only a phenomenon observed in the laboratory. In 1949, the University of California at Los Angeles first investigated desalination of seawater using semipermeable membranes. Researchers from both University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Florida successfully produced fresh water from seawater in the mid-1950s, but the flux was too low to be commercially viable until the discovery at University of California at Los Angeles by Sidney Loeb and Srinivasa Sourirajan at the National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, of techniques for making asymmetric membranes characterised by an effectively thin "skin" layer supported atop a highly porous and much thicker substrate region of the membrane. John Cadotte, of FilmTec Corporation, discovered that membranes with particularly high flux and low salt passage could be made by interfacial polymerisation of m-phenylene diamine and trimesoyl chloride. Cadotte's patent on this process[4] was the subject of litigation and has since expired. Almost all commercial reverse osmosis membrane are now made by this method. By the end of 2001, about 15,200 desalination plants were in operation or in the planning stages worldwide. Labels: chemistry, china, desalination, GE, making, membranes, polymers, purify, reverse osmosis, RO, technology, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing Beckenham Window Cleaner Van Stolen As He Works The van looked like this, with the registration LC57 WCP. Click to enlarge. Beckenham window cleaner has van stolen as he works: A window cleaner had his van swiped whilst working on a house in Beckenham yesterday. His blue Nissan Primastar, registration number LC57 WCP, was stolen from Worsley Bridge Road in Beckenham, opposite Kent County Cricket Club, at around 11.30 am. The van belongs to window cleaning company Nandor's and has 'Nandor's - Window Cleaning' written on the side. Owner of the company Nandor Parazos, 36, told News Shopper that one of his employees was cleaning the windows at the back of a property when his hose stopped running. When the window cleaner went round to check, the van had been stolen and hose disconnected. He said that his employee noticed a man wandering near the van before he went around the back of the property and believes that he could be the thief. If anyone has any information, call police on 101. Lucky Escape For Window Cleaner As Van Is Stolen Stolen Van Driven Off With Window Cleaner Inside Couple injured while trying to stop van thieves Contains Brodex System. Labels: Beckenham, Blue Nissan Primastar, Kent Cricket Club, Nandors, van stolen, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing, working, Worsley Bridge Road Window Cleaning With Custom 3D Printed Tools “Making our own bespoke cleaning equipment has been the only way to achieve the standards we want.” UK Company is Cleaning Windows Eight Stories High with Custom 3D Printed Tools: It’s an architectural showpiece, and 25 Churchill Place will be one of the most energy efficient office buildings in London’s Canary Wharf. The towering glass enclosure features elevators capable of storing and reusing their energy elsewhere in the building, and it was designed by architects at Kohn Pederson Fox Associates. It’s big, and it’s got a whole lot of windows, and those windows need regular cleaning to keep the tenant’s views of the London cityscape pristine. Spectrum Window Cleaning is helping out. They claim to be the first commercial window cleaners to invest in their own 3D printer for the purpose of creating new tools for the cleaning process. Spectrum managing director Lucian Ivan says the investment was a necessary progression. “The crew here love a challenge, and after the recent success on the final cleaning of 25 Churchill Place at Canary Wharf, we’ve been attracting consistently bigger, bolder and more demanding proposals,” Ivan said. So why a 3D printer? Ivan says it comes down to keeping up with changes in the high-flying industry. “The team are constantly devising solutions to increasingly difficult access issues; the problem it seems is that the current cleaning industry is often quite literally unequipped to deal with the flow of ideas,” Ivan says. “Making our own bespoke cleaning equipment has been the only way to achieve the standards we want.” Spectrum says that as a result of the initiative, several of the company’s London clients are seeing results which once required the use of scaffolding or ‘cherry pickers’ to access. Ivan said existing commercial cleaning equipment just won’t cope with the angles and glass design features which were included in many new building sites in the capital. That’s where Spectrum brought their own bespoke tools to bear, and the tools were engineered from conception to completion in-house. The tools have been so effective, in fact, that Spectrum says they’ll soon market their own line of 3D printed commercial cleaning equipment. “Some of our designs were so effective we were fielding inquiries from the off,” Ivan adds. “The need is out there, so production seems a natural step. We are looking at a completely new method for cleaning windows. It’s uncharted territory, but the power 3D printing gives us is the possibility to achieve it.” Although the company says they’re currently in discussion with manufacturers for the “reach pole system” they’ve developed, the details of the product design is still “top secret.” These “reach and wash systems” can access windows up to 92 feet high, and Spectrum says they have approved contractor status for the process. The method requires 100% purified water which undergoes a filtration process known as reverse osmosis. Purified water is pumped through carbon fiber, telescopic poles. Companies are re-thinking the way they do business to keep up with changing markets, and part of that process often involves using 3D printing to prototype and build new tools. Labels: 3d printed tools, 3d printer, bespoke, custom, london, Lucian Ivan, reach pole system, spectrum, UK, waterfed pole, window cleaner, window cleaners, window cleaning, window washer, window washers, window washing 5 Texas Window Cleaners Injured In Scaffold Collap... Fact: People Respect Window Cleaners More Than Pol... A New Twist To A Dangerous Line Of Work Window Washer Gets $8M Settlement Clean Windows + Low Winter Sun + Glass Refocus = F... Capital Window Washers Shake Off The Cold Window Cleaners Extracted Inside Out 100 Feet High... After Window Wars - Episode 3 Glass News Opening Our Hearts & Wallets Selling Aftermarket Glass Treatments Vote Now For Unger Limited Edition Greatest Global Explorer Was Window Cleaner UK Window Cleaners Second Most Trusted Tradesmen	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1885
__label__cc	0.601129	0.398871	David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps known primarily for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr. Show as well as his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox sitcom Arrested Development. Additionally Cross created, wrote, executive produced, and starred in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, had a prominent role in the Comedy Central animated sitcom Freak Show, and has a recurring role in the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Cross was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Susi and a father who immigrated from Leeds, England. Six months after his birth, Cross's family moved to Florida. After additional moves to New York and Connecticut, the family settled back in Roswell, Georgia, where Cross remained for nearly a decade. His family was poor and his father left the family when Cross was ten years old, and Cross and his father have not spoken since he was 19, though they both primarily resided in New York City until Cross sold his home there in 2011. Cross and his family were evicted from their home while living in Georgia. He spent some time living in motels and at friends' homes while growing up. He has two sisters, and once bailed his youngest sibling out of jail.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1887
__label__wiki	0.863077	0.863077	Brooklyn 28 36 23 36 123 Philadelphia 34 31 51 29 145 5:00 PM PT6:00 PM MT7:00 PM CT8:00 PM ET0:00 GMT8:00 5:00 PM MST7:00 PM EST4:00 UAE (+1)02:0020:00 ET7:00 PM CT23:00 , April 15, 2019 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 20,591 Sixers want to be more physical vs. Nets in Game 2 According to STATS Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers The Nets beat the Sixers in Game 1 of this series on Saturday in Philadelphia, 111-102. Philadelphia finished the game 3-for-25 (.120) from three-point range, its worst percentage in a postseason game since going 1-for-14 (.071) on May 4, 2012 in a win over Chicago (minimum 10 attempts). D'Angelo Russell scored 26 points in the win, the second-most points in franchise history by a player making his postseason debut behind John Williamson's 38 on April 11, 1979 against Philadelphia. Russell went 0-for-6 from the field in the first quarter then went 10-for-19 for the rest of the game. Jimmy Butler scored a postseason career-high 36 points in the Game 1 loss. It was the most points by a 76er in a playoff game since Allen Iverson scored 36 in a loss to the Pistons on May 1, 2005. Since last season, Philadelphia has gone 64-24 (.727) at home in the regular season and postseason, second best in the Eastern Conference in that span (Toronto -- 69-19, .784). The Sixers have gone 4-23 (.148) all-time in seven-game series when losing Game 1, with their last series victory in this scenario coming in 2011-12 versus the Bulls. Philadelphia's opponents shot 34.2 percent from three during the regular season, the fourth-lowest mark in the NBA. Brooklyn went 11-of-26 (.423) from beyond the arc in Game 1, and has shot 41.9 percent from three across three games at the Wells Fargo Center in 2018-19. Brooklyn's bench outscored Philadelphia's bench, 59-26, in Game 1. Brooklyn's bench has outscored Philadelphia's on average, 65.7-30.7, across three games at the Wells Fargo Center in 2018-19. 76ers extend Simmons for $170M, 5 years Simmons backs out of World Cup Warriors GM Myers moves on from Durant Cavs waive G Smith after eventful tenure Ingram 'close' to normal after surgery Suns re-sign Oubre Jr. to multiyear deal Bucks sign Giannis' brother Thanasis Lawyer gets 5 years for scamming Barkley Thunder set to embark on long rebuild Knicks finalize Morris, Bullock deals (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) Back in the postseason for the first time since 2015, the Brooklyn Nets defended well, produced plenty of offense and flustered the Philadelphia 76ers at times in Game 1. On Monday night in Philadelphia, the sixth-seeded Nets look to follow up a strong performance while the third-seeded Sixers hope to bounce back and level the Eastern Conference first-round series. A Nets win would mark the first time they went up 2-0 in a series since sweeping the New York Knicks in the opening round of the 2004 postseason. The 76ers are trying to avoid falling behind 2-0 in a first-round series when they are the higher seed for the second time in team history. Both teams are in this position after what unfolded in Brooklyn's 111-102 win on Saturday afternoon. D'Angelo Russell started slowly by missing 12 of his first 15 shots but led the Nets with 26 points. Caris LeVert helped the Nets outscore Philadelphia's reserves by a 59-26 margin by adding 23 points. "We weren't rattled," said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. "You're afraid with this crowd, and the team they have, that they're going to knock you out of the box quick. I thought that we kind of took a couple of punches from them, took a couple of runs and still kept our composure. That's big progress for us. Like I said before, earlier in the season, we just wouldn't have the composure to close a game like that out." While Philadelphia got 36 points from Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid scored a quiet 22 by missing 10 of 15 shots. Not helping matters for Philadelphia was its other three starters -- Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and JJ Redick -- were non-factors, combining for 18 points on 8 of 23 shooting. Embiid's health is a key storyline for the Sixers. Because of the lingering left knee tendinitis that kept Embiid out of 14 of the final 24 regular-season games, it was unknown if he would play before the opening tip-off. Then when the Nets used Jared Dudley at center, Embiid became frustrated at the physicality and picked up a technical foul in the first quarter. "We've got to -- I think, we've got to be extremely physical," Embiid said. "Hopefully, I'll feel better and gain a couple more of my athletic abilities so I can be down on the block, but that's got to start just be physical starting with me. Jimmy did a great job today attacking. We couldn't back him up so Monday we've got to do a better job." Depth turned out to be a significant difference in Game 1. Four Brooklyn reserves played at least 20 minutes, which helped when starting center Jarrett Allen picked up two early fouls and was limited to 9 1/2 minutes. The 76ers played one reserve for more than 20 minutes. "We're trying to find participants outside of Joel, who we really weren't sure was going to play. It didn't happen tonight," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. "We have to get better and find a way to change some things to win."	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1888
__label__wiki	0.731051	0.731051	Stubblefield Family Genealogy Website Home \| Early Stubblefields in America \| Robert Stubblefield Family b.1803 \| William K. Stubblefield Family b.1825 \| William K. Obituary 1909 \| Thomas Jefferson Stubblefield Family b.1835 \| James Jasper Stubblefield Family b.1837 \| Stubblefield Family Reunion \| Researching Your Own Family History \| More Stubblefield Information! William K. Obituary 1909 The following was taken from the Enterprise, Oregon newspaper of March 24, 1909: William K. Stubblefield, pioneer resident of Wallowa County (NE Oregon) and the oldest stagedriver in the United States, passed away Monday morning at the home of his son Ira in Dallas, Oregon, where he had been visiting for some time. The cause of his death was heart disease, with which he had been troubled in late years. "Uncle Billy", as he was called, was one of the best known men in this county. He had reached the great age of 83 years and nearly fivemonths, having been born October 30, 1825 in Granger County, Tennessee. He had been a resident of this county since 1884, and was hale and of a strong constitution, aside from the heart trouble. Mr. Stubblefield was married five times and was the father of 15 sons and nine daughters, 13 of whom survive. His life history is like a romance, and a more extended account of it will be given later in this paper. The remains were shipped from Dallas Tuesday evening and are expected to reach this city Wednesday evening. If they do, the funeral will be held Thursday afternoon a 2 o'clock from the Christian church. Mickel Stubblefield went to La Grande (OR) Tuesday to meet the remains. Afew days ofter the funeral, the following article was in the same paper: Almost the entire life of William K. Stubblefield was spent on the frontier. Born in Tennessee when that now old state was "West," he moved successively to Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, and come to Oregon in 1884. He built the first log cabin in the Palo Pinto river county of Texas 55 years ago, and built a stockade of posts 21 feet high around the cabin as protection against the Indians. For four years their nearest neighbor was 45 miles distant. When the Civil war broke out he tried to get north to join the Union army, but was stopped at Red River, and turned back. He went to Cook county, where the Union sentiment was overwhelmingly strong and narrowly escaped the massacre of Union men in Cook county by secessionists of the surrounding counties. After that he and his family lived nine years on the Texas western frontier, then moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and engaged in the fruit business. When he came to this county he settled on the lower Imnaha (river) where he made a ranch, planted an orchard and sold hay to stockmen. In 1899 he sold out and came to Enterprise, which was his home until his death. For a number of years he held the contracts for the mail stage routes from this city to Chico and also the one to Zumwalt and until a year ago drove the Chico route himself. He was the oldest man in the United States driving a stage regularly, yet in an official letter to the Chico postmaster, the Postmaster General said Mr. Stubblefield had the best record of all stage route contractors in the state of Oregon. "Uncle Billy" was an honest and upright as he was strong, and his strength was that of three men. He was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him. He was a lifelong member of the Christian church. He was the father of 15 sons and nine daughters, 13 of whom are living, as follows: Thomas of Muscogee,Okla.; Jasper of Cole county, MO; William of this county; Mrs. Sarah Clenkenhead of Arkansas; Mrs. Christena Blyeu of Oklahoma; Ira of Dallas, Ore,; Mrs. Eliza Newell of Harney county (OR); Mickel and Sonehaven of Enterprise; Mrs. Lydia Rowley of Malheur county (OR); Newell of Cottonwood, Ida.; Fancho and Brennen of this city. Ira, Newell, William, Brennen, Stonhaven, Fancho, Michel and Mrs. Rowley were present at the funeral. The funeral was held Thusday afternoon from the Christian church, which was crowded with relatives and friends. Rev. W.S. Crockett officiated and the choir was compsed of Mrs. Corkins, Mrs. Welgerodt, Mr. Gaily, Mr. Wortman. The pallbearers, pioneers and old friends of the deceased, were, Captain A.C. Smith, J.C. Reavis, W.W. White, E.J. Forythe, A.M. Wagner and G.W. Hyatt. Burial was in the Enterprise (OR) cemetery beside his wife who died 20 years ago.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1889
__label__wiki	0.755258	0.755258	US Supreme Court Center > Volume 121 > BRAGG V. FITCH, 121 U. S. 478 (1887) > Full Text BRAGG V. FITCH, 121 U. S. 478 (1887) Bragg v. Fitch, 121 U.S. 478 (1887) Bragg v. Fitch Argued January 11-12, 1887 Decided May 2, 1887 APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT In view of the previous state of the art, the claims in the patent granted to Charles B. Bristol, May 16, 1865, for an improvement in harness hooks or snaps must be restricted to the precise form and arrangement of parts described in the specification and to the purpose therein indicated. Bill in equity to restrain alleged infringements of letters patent. Decree for complainants. Respondents appealed. The case is stated in the opinion of the Court. The following are the figures referred to in the opinion. image:a image:b MR. JUSTICE BRADLEY delivered the opinion of the Court. This is a suit on a patent granted to Charles B. Bristol, May 16, 1865, for an improvement in harness hooks or snaps, the complainants being assignees of the patent. These hooks are usually attached to the end of a strap or chain for the purpose of fastening it to a ring or staple, as in the case of a tie-strap for fastening a horse to a post. The small hook by which a watch chain is fastened to the ring or stem of the watch is an example. It has a movable part called the tongue, which is connected to the shank of the hook by a pivot, and is kept in place against the end of the hook by the pressure of a spring acting between the shank and the tongue. The tongue may be pressed inward, so as to admit the ring or staple, and is thrust back to its place by the action of the spring. In some form or other, the implement has long been in use. The patent in question relates to the mode of arranging the spring in the tongue and of attaching both to the shank of the hook. The complainants' expert says: "The invention shown and described in the patent of Bristol is an improvement in that class of snap hooks in which the tongue is pivoted in a recess between two cheeks in the shank. In this recess, a coil spring is arranged around the pivot so that the two ends of the spring bear one upon the tongue and the other upon the body of the hook, tending to press the tongue up against the end of the hook, but yet permit the tongue to be depressed to open the hook. In this class of hooks prior to Bristol, the tongue was cast with a recess upon its under side to form two cheeks corresponding to the cheeks in the shank of the hook. The cheeks on the tongue were drilled corresponding to the hole through the cheeks in the shank, so that a rivet could be inserted through the sides of the shank and both sides of the tongue to form the pivot on which the tongue would turn. The coil of the spring was arranged around the pivot, the two ends bearing one upon the shank and one upon the hook, as before described." The principle of this arrangement was exhibited in many different forms. Sometimes the spring merely passed around the pivot without any coil; sometimes a straight spring was so secured to the one part, and made to press against the other, as to effect the same object. One would hardly suppose that a patentable invention could have been made in relation to this little device. But many patents have been and probably more will be granted. The Bristol patent now sued on is one of the latest in the series which has been brought to our attention. The particular contrivance which is claimed as an invention in this patent may be described as follows: instead of having a separate pivot or pin, to pass through the cheeks or ears of the hook and tongue for the purpose of connecting them together and holding the coil of the spring, a small projection or fulcrum, to answer the purpose of a pivot, is cast as a part of one of the cheeks of the hook, on its inner side, and the cheeks (being made of malleable cast-iron) are spread further apart, and the recess between them is thus wider than they are intended to be when the article is finished. The coil of the spring is placed on the projecting fulcrum. The tongue is made with a recess as usual, but one side of this recess is left open, the other side having the ordinary cheek perforated with a hole to admit the fulcrum pivot. The tongue, thus constructed, is placed in the recess of the hook and slipped over the spring and pivot, and then, by means of a vice or press, the outside cheeks of the hook are squeezed together until the fulcrum pivot passes through the hole in the cheek of the tongue, and comes in contact with the opposite cheek of the hook. The patentee, after having described the construction of the several parts, explains the mode of putting them together as follows: "Having made the parts as before described, I place the spiral spring, Fig. 4, on the projection or pin n, Fig. 2, and slip the tongue, Fig. 3, onto the projection or fulcrum pin n so that the spring, Fig. 4, will rest in and be enclosed by the recess r with the two tangential parts h and i pointing towards the hook a. I then place the article in a proper vice or press, and close up the cavity between c and d until the pin n comes in contact with the side or ear c, Fig. 2, when the whole will appear as represented in Fig. 1 (except the strap A), and will be ready for use or sale." The claim of the patent is as follows, namely: "What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters patent is --" "1. The combination of the tongue g with the spiral spring, Fig. 4, when the spring works on the torsion principle, and rests in a recess (as r) in the rear end of the tongue, substantially as herein described." "2. The combination of the fulcrum pin n with the tongue g when the pin g is cast in one of the ears, and the recess or cavity is fitted to be closed, substantially as herein described." Only the first claim is relied on in the present suit, as the defendants do not use the fulcrum pivot, cast with the cheek of the hook, but the ordinary pivot, inserted in holes in both cheeks. The defense is threefold, namely: 1st. That the supposed invention was described in previous patents. 2d. That in view of the state of the art, the device claimed as new was not a patentable invention. 3d. That upon a proper construction of the patent, the defendants do not infringe it. Several prior patents were given in evidence which show, if not an entire anticipation of, at least a very near approach to, the invention claimed. In 1852, a patent was issued to Palmer & Simmons for an approved hook for whiffletrees, embodying the same principle as the snap hook, in which the recess of the tongue, enclosing the spiral spring, having precisely the same object as the recess of the tongue and spring in Bristol's and other snap hooks, had but one cheek, the other side of the recess being open until it was applied to the end of the whiffletree supporting the hook, by which it was closed up when the parts were brought together. The connection of the two was made by a pivot passing entirely through the cheek of the tongue and the coil spring enclosed therein, and into the end of the whiffletree. This pivot had a broad head, which compressed the tongue and kept it in place in the same manner as is done by the cheek of the hook in Bristol's snap hook. In 1859 one Daniel H. Hull patented a trace fastener which contained a similar device so far as the arrangement of the tongue and spring are concerned. The tongue, called in the patent the latch, had a recess containing the spring, which was open on the inside, opposite to a slight recess in the slotted fastener, which corresponded to the hook in the snap hook. The pivot on which the tongue moved, and which passed through the spiral spring, was of the usual kind, and not cast as part of the fastener or of the latch. In January, 1864, a patent was granted to one C. S. Abeel for an improvement in safety hooks in which he dispensed with both the ears of the tongue by the use of one or two straight springs, one end of which was inserted in a slight groove in the recess or chamber of the hook and the other resting against the tongue either in a groove or against a projection or shoulder. In December of the same year, a patent was granted to Oliver S. Judd for an improvement in snap hooks in which the spring was arranged in the recess of the tongue, and operated exactly like the spring in Bristol's hook, the only difference between the two being that in Judd's hook the pivot passed through both the hook and the tongue, and the latter had two cheeks, one on each side of its recess. The arrangement of the spiral spring, with both tangential ends projecting forward toward the hook, was precisely like Bristol's. These prior patents exhibit every feature of the Bristol snap hook, described in the patent sued on, except the single one of the fulcrum pivot cast as part of the cheek of the hook, and not passing through holes in both ears. This fulcrum is the only novelty shown in the patent, and this is not used by the defendants. The snap hook made by them has the same pivot which is used in Judd's hook, inserted in the same way, and passing through both cheeks of the hook. The only particular in which it differs from Judd's is that the tongue has but one cheek, and only one end of the coiled spring projects forward, toward the hook, resting against the tongue, while the other end projects backward, and presses against the side of the recess in the tongue, which is curved around and prolonged sufficiently for this purpose. It differs in two respects from the Bristol snap hook, to-wit, in not using the fixed fulcrum cast as part of the cheek and in not having both tangential ends of the spring projecting forward toward the hooks, but having one of the ends projecting backwards, and pressing not against the tongue itself, but against the opposite side of its recess, prolonged sufficiently for the purpose. It is obvious from the foregoing review of prior patents that the invention of Bristol, if his snap hook contains a patentable invention, is but one in a series of improvements all having the same general object and purpose, and that in construing the claims of his patent, they must be restricted to the precise form and arrangement of parts described in his specification, and to the purpose indicated therein. As we have seen, with one exception (the solid pivot), all the parts are old, and have been used in combination in other things of the same general character. The use of a recess in the tongue with one of its ears or cheeks removed was to adapt it to the new element referred to, namely, the solid pivot, and although the first claim of the patent is for the tongue thus constructed, in combination with the spiral spring, as arranged in connection with it, yet this claim must be construed in reference to the purpose for which the tongue and spring thus arranged were intended -- namely for adjustment upon the solid pivot. Without this relative purpose, the combination of the tongue and spring, by itself, would be anticipated by the patent of Palmer and Simmons and that of Hull. If it has any novelty, it consists in its new application to the snap hook as devised by Bristol, and this was a snap hook provided with the peculiar solid pivot or fulcrum pin, which is the subject of his second claim, and to which, as we have seen, the form and arrangement of the tongue and spring were specially adapted, and requisite to its beneficial use. This necessary restriction of the first claim renders it clear that it is not infringed by the defendants, for, as before stated, they do not use the solid pivot, but the old and long used pin, passing through both ears or cheeks of the tongue and the hook. The defendants also use a different device from that described by Bristol, in the arrangement of the spiral spring, the two ends of which, instead of pointing toward the hook, point in different directions -- one toward the hook, and pressing against the body of it, and the other in the opposite direction, and pressing against the side of the recess in the tongue, which is prolonged and curved around for that purpose. On the whole view of the case, we are satisfied that the defendants do not infringe the patent sued on, when construed as it must be to give it any validity. The decision of the circuit court must therefore be reversed, and the case remanded, with instructions to dismiss the bill. Powered by Justia US Supreme Court Center: BRAGG V. FITCH, 121 U. S. 478 (1887)	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1891
__label__wiki	0.823873	0.823873	US Supreme Court Center > Volume 260 > HEITLER V. UNITED STATES, 260 U. S. 438 (1923) > Full Text HEITLER V. UNITED STATES, 260 U. S. 438 (1923) Heitler v. United States, 260 U.S. 438 (1923) Heitler v. United States Nos. 185-189 Motion to transfer to circuit court of appeals ERROR TO THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS 1. Under the Act of September 14, 1922, c. 305, 42 Stat. 837, a case brought here from the district court upon the mistaken assumption that it presents a substantial constitutional question, but which involves other questions within the jurisdiction of the circuit court of appeals, should be transferred to that court. P. 260 U. S. 439. 2. This statute should be construed liberally. P. 260 U. S. 440. Cases transferred. Applications to transfer these cases, heretofore dismissed for want of jurisdiction (post, 703), to the circuit court of appeals. For the opinion of the district court, see 274 F. 401. MR. CHIEF JUSTICE TAFT delivered the opinion of the Court. These were writs of error issued directly to the district court under § 238 of the Judicial Code to review sentences of fine and imprisonment on the ground that they were cases in which the constitutionality of the National Prohibition Act, under which the convictions were had, was drawn in question. In addition to the constitutionality of the Prohibition Act , the assignments of error raised many questions as to the admissions of evidence and the charge of the court. We held that, in view of our previous decision affirming the validity of the National Prohibition Act (National Prohibition Cases, 253 U. S. 350), the plaintiffs in error were precluded from raising the question again and basing thereon a claim of jurisdiction for a writ of error under § 238, that the question made was therefore not substantial, but frivolous, and that the writ should be dismissed for want of jurisdiction on the authority of Sugarman v. United States, 249 U. S. 182, 249 U. S. 184, and cases cited. Heitler v. United States, 260 U.S. 703. This conclusion made it impossible for us to consider the other errors assigned. The plaintiffs in error now invite our attention to an act of Congress approved September 14, 1922, which provides that ". . . if an appeal or writ of error has been or shall be taken to, or issued out of, the Supreme Court in a case wherein such appeal or writ of error should have been taken to, or issued out of, a circuit court of appeals, such appeal or writ of error shall not for such reason be dismissed, but shall be transferred to the proper court, which shall thereupon be possessed of the same and shall proceed to the determination thereof, with the same force and effect as if such appeal or writ of error had been duly taken to, or issued out of, the court to which it is so transferred." This is a remedial statute, and should be construed liberally to carry out the evident purpose of Congress. The fact that the opportunity therein given to litigants in the circuit courts of appeals, where they have mistakenly sought a review in this Court, may at times be abused, and unduly prolong the litigation and delay the successful party below, is no reason why when the case comes clearly within the language of the statute the transfer should not be made. The successful party below may avoid undue delay by a prompt motion to dismiss in this Court in such cases. The cases before us are clearly within the remedy of the statute. Based on the assumption of the presence of a real constitutional question in the case, plaintiffs in error sought review here not only of that question, but of the numerous other errors assigned in the record. Williamson v. United States, 207 U. S. 425, 207 U. S. 432-434; Goldman v. United States, 245 U. S. 474, 245 U. S. 476. We find that there is no constitutional question of sufficient substance to give us jurisdiction to consider these other errors. In other words, we find that, to have such alleged errors considered and reviewed, the writ of error herein should have issued out of the circuit court of appeals of the proper circuit. Accordingly, we hold that these several cases should be transferred to the Circuit Court of Appeals of the Seventh Circuit at the costs of the respective plaintiffs in error, that that court be thereupon possessed of the jurisdiction of the same and proceed to the determination of said writs of error as if such writs had issued out of such court. And it is so ordered. Powered by Justia US Supreme Court Center: HEITLER V. UNITED STATES, 260 U. S. 438 (1923)	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1892
__label__wiki	0.827172	0.827172	US Supreme Court Center > Volume 306 > TITUS V. WALLICK, 306 U. S. 282 (1939) > Full Text TITUS V. WALLICK, 306 U. S. 282 (1939) Titus v. Wallick, 306 U.S. 282 (1939) Titus v. Wallick Argued January 30, 1939 Decided February 27, 1939 CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 1. The right to enforce in a state court a judgment recovered in a court of another State is one arising under Article IV, § 1, of the Constitution and under a statute of the United States, R.S. § 905; 28 U.S.C. § 687. Since the existence of this right depends upon the legal effect of the proceedings, and the validity of the judgment, in the State in which it was rendered, the rulings upon those matters by the court in which the judgment is sued upon are reviewable by this Court. P. 306 U. S. 287. 2. By the law of New York, an assignment of a chose in action for the purpose of suit only and obligating the assignee to account for the proceeds to another enables the assignee to sue in his own name. P. 306 U. S. 288. 3. This effect of an assignment in New York is not altered by adding to the assignment a power of attorney to bring the suit. P. 306 U. S. 289. 4. After recovering a judgment as lawful assignee of the original cause of action, the judgment creditor resisted a claim upon contract for a share of the judgment, made in another suit, by representing that his interest had been assigned to others before the contract and by concealing the fact that the cause of action had been reassigned to him for purposes of suit before the action resulting in the judgment had been begun. Held not matter of defense in a suit to collect the judgment in another State, because these circumstances did not impair the previous assignment of the cause of action or deprive the judgment creditor of the authority to maintain the suit, already conferred upon him by the reassignment. P. 306 U. S. 290. 5. When a state court refuses credit to the judgment of a sister State because of its opinion of the nature of the cause of action or the judgment in which it is merged, an asserted federal right is denied, and the sufficiency of the grounds of denial are for this Court to decide. P. 306 U. S. 291. 6. The Constitution, Article IV, § 1, requires that credit be given money judgment recovered by the judgment creditor, as assignee of a civil cause of action, in another State, even though the forum might have declined to concede his right to sue as real party in interest if the suit had been brought there upon the original assigned claim. P. 306 U. S. 291. 133 Ohio St. 612; 15 N.E.2d 140, reversed. Certiorari, 305 U.S. 585, to review a judgment of the court below, which dismissed, as involving no debatable constitutional question, an appeal from an intermediate appellate court of Ohio, which had affirmed a judgment against the present petitioner in his suit on a New York judgment. MR. JUSTICE STONE delivered the opinion of the Court. The question for decision is whether the Supreme Court of Ohio, by denying recovery upon a judgment procured by petitioner against respondent in the courts of New York, has failed to accord to the New York judgment the full faith and credit which Article 4, § 1 of the Constitution commands. Petitioner brought the present suit against respondent in the Ohio Court of Common Pleas upon a judgment recovered by petitioner against respondent in the Supreme Court of New York on May 1, 1934. Transcript of the New York judgment for $389,103, duly authenticated in conformity to the Act of Congress, R.S. § 905, 28 U.S.C. § 687, was filed with the petition in the Ohio court. Defenses interposed by respondent, so far as now material, were that petitioner was not the real party in interest in the Ohio suit and that the judgment had been procured in New York by fraud on the court and on respondent, in that petitioner was not the real party in interest entitled to assert the claim litigated in that suit, as required by § 210c of the New York Civil Practice Act, and that petitioner, in procuring the judgment, suppressed and withheld that fact from respondent and the New York courts. The Court of Common Pleas, after a trial without a jury, sustained these defenses and gave judgment for respondent, which the Ohio Court of Appeals for Franklin County affirmed, with an opinion in which it ruled that the judgment sustaining the defenses did not deny the New York judgment the full faith and credit required by the Constitution. Appeal to the Supreme Court of Ohio assigning as error the denial of full faith and credit to the New York judgment was dismissed on the ground that the case involved "no debatable constitutional question." 133 Ohio St. 612, 15 N.E.2d 140. We granted certiorari October 10, 1938, 305 U.S. 585, the constitutional question presented by the petition being of public importance and the federal right asserted having been ruled upon and denied by the highest court of the state. Matthews v. Huwe, 269 U. S. 262; Tumey v. Ohio, 273 U. S. 510, 273 U. S. 515. Petitioner brought the New York suit in December, 1925, alleging that he was the owner of a quarter interest in two hundred and fifty shares of the stock of an Ohio corporation which respondent here, the defendant there, had fraudulently appropriated to his own use. The relief sought was that respondent be directed to deliver to petitioner certificates of stock representing his interest in the corporation and to account for the dividends and earnings on the stock received by respondent. Respondent appeared personally and defended the suit. It was twice tried in the Supreme Court of New York, and was five times before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, 222 App.Div. 17, 225 N.Y.S. 263; 277 App.Div. 789, 237 N.Y.S. 908; 235 App.Div. 662, 255 N.Y.S. 905; 240 App.Div. 818, 266 N.Y.S. 969; 244 App.Div. 789, 280 N.Y.S. 969, and once before the New York Court of Appeals, 260 N.Y. 519, 184 N.E. 75, which affirmed a judgment establishing the liability of respondent. An accounting at the end of nine years of litigation resulted in the final judgment sued upon, which was affirmed by the Appellate Division. 244 App.Div. 789, 280 N.Y.S. 969. The present record discloses that, after entry of this judgment, London Wallick, a brother of respondent, brought suit in the Supreme Court of New York to recover from petitioner a share of the judgment pursuant to a contract alleged to have been entered into by him with London Wallick on or about November 23, 1925. In resisting a motion made in that suit for an injunction restraining petitioner from disposing of the judgment or its proceeds, petitioner prepared and filed an affidavit reciting that, on or before November 23, 1925, he had informed London Wallick that he had already assigned his interest in the claim against respondent to his wife and to Walter Titus, his brother, and asserting that "it does not lie within the jurisdiction of this Court to enjoin what has already been accomplished." The assignment by petitioner and a later reassignment of the claim to him were introduced in evidence in the present suit. The assignment, dated March 31, 1924, purported to "sell, assign, transfer and set over unto" Walter Titus "any and all claims" which petitioner then had against respondent. The reassignment, described, by its terms, as an "Agreement," bears date December 1, 1925, prior to the suit brought by petitioner against respondent in New York. It recites that the earlier assignment was made upon an oral agreement that Walter Titus was to "use any funds that might be derived" from the claim to the two hundred and fifty shares of stock to pay certain indebtedness of petitioner, and that petitioner "wishes to institute an action against" respondent "to recover said stock." It states that Walter Titus "does hereby sell, assign, transfer and set over" to petitioner "all his right, title and interest" in the claim, and appoints petitioner his attorney to collect the claim. It further recites an agreement between the assignor and petitioner that the latter will turn over the proceeds of the claim to the assignor, who agrees, after paying the expenses of collection, to pay over one-half of the net recovery to petitioner's wife, to discharge certain indebtedness of petitioner, and to pay the balance to him. The Ohio Court of Appeals disagreed with the conclusion of the trial court that petitioner's affidavit in the London Wallick suit conclusively established that petitioner had no interest in the claim prosecuted against respondent in New York. It held that his interest was to be ascertained by examination of the reassignment from Walter Titus to petitioner. But, interpreting that document in the light of the New York law, it concluded that the reassignment was no more than a power of attorney authorizing petitioner to collect the claim in behalf of Walter Titus, and did not operate as an assignment to vest any right or interest in petitioner upon which he could maintain suit in the New York Courts. Upon examination of petitioner's affidavit indicating, as the court thought, that petitioner had construed the reassignment correctly as not transferring to him any right or interest in the claim against respondent, it accepted the affidavit as evidence that petitioner had fraudulently prosecuted the New York suit against respondent with knowledge that he was not entitled to maintain it. The court accordingly affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying recovery on the ground that the New York judgment, impeachable there for the fraud, was to the same extent impeachable in Ohio. By R.S. § 905, 28 U.S.C. § 687, enacted under authority of the full faith and credit clause, Article 4, § 1 of the Constitution, the duly attested records of the judgments of a state are entitled to "such faith and credit . . . in every court within the United States as they have by law or usage in the courts of the State from which they are taken." The jurisdiction of the New York court over the subject matter and the person of respondent, established prima facie by the present record and the duly authenticated record of the judgment, is not questioned. But respondent argues, as the state court held, that, under the Constitution and Act of Congress, the judgment is entitled to no more credit in Ohio than is accorded to it in New York, and that, in New York, the judgment is impeachable for petitioner's fraud in prosecuting the suit knowing that he had no interest in the cause of action sufficient to enable him to maintain it. The right asserted by petitioner to have the New York judgment enforced in the courts of Ohio is one arising under the Constitution and a statute of the United States. And since the existence of the federal right turns upon the legal effect of the proceedings in New York and the validity of the judgment there, the rulings on those points by the Ohio court are reviewable here. Adam v. Saenger, 303 U. S. 59, 303 U. S. 64. While they involve questions of local law and are of a character such that this Court ordinarily reexamines them with deference after they have been passed upon by a state court, its determination cannot be accepted here as decisive if the constitutional command is to be observed, especially as the decision of the state court rests not on the law of its own state or matters peculiarly within its cognizance, but upon the law of another state which is as readily determinable here as in the courts of Ohio. We do not stop to consider the question, much discussed in brief and argument, how far the full faith and credit clause precludes the defense that the judgment sued upon in one state was procured by fraud in another, for we think it plain that the present judgment is subject to no such infirmity. It is evident that no fraud was perpetrated on respondent or on the New York courts if the assignment of the claim to petitioner before he brought the suit in New York operated to vest him with such ownership or interest in the claim as would enable him to maintain the suit upon it there. If the assignment had that effect, the facts that it was given for the purpose of enabling petitioner to bring the suit, and that he was bound to account to a stranger to the suit for its proceeds, are immaterial, since neither the court nor respondent was prejudiced by petitioner's failure to disclose them. Choses in action, with exceptions not now material, are made freely assignable by the New York statute. § 41, Personal Property Law (Consol.Laws, c. 41). Section 210 of the New York Civil Practice Act provides: "Every action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest, except that . . . a trustee of an express trust . . . may sue without joining with him the person for whose benefit the action is prosecuted." By repeated decisions of the highest court of the New York, it has long been settled that, under these sections, any form of assignment which purports to assign or transfer a chose in action confers upon the transferee such title or ownership as will enable him to sue upon it. This is true even though the assignment is for the purpose of suit only, and the transferee is obligated to account for the proceeds of suit to his assignor. Allen v. Brown, 44 N.Y. 228; Meeker v. Claghorn, 44 N.Y. 349; Sheridan v. Mayor, 68 N.Y. 30; McCauley v. Georgia Railroad Bank, 239 N.Y. 514, 147 N.E. 175; Meyers v. Credit Lyonnais, 259 N.Y. 399, 182 N.E. 61; Banca Commerciale Italiana Trust Co. v. Clarkson, 274 N.Y. 69, 74, 8 N.E.2d 281; Brown v. Powers, 53 App.Div. 251, 65 N.Y.S. 733; Birdsall v. Read, 188 App.Div. 46, 176 N.Y.S. 369. Here, the assignment, which in plain terms purported "to sell, assign, transfer and set over" the chose in action to petitioner, was sufficient under the New York statutes and authorities to give petitioner dominion over the claim for purposes of suit. In that respect, its legal effect was not curtailed by the recital that the assignment was for purposes of suit and that its proceeds were to be turned over or accounted for to another. The Ohio court, placing emphasis on the presence of the power of attorney in the assignment, disregarded the words of assignment and gave to the instrument the more restricted effect of a power of attorney. While a power of attorney to sue, standing alone, does not, under the New York law, operate as an assignment to vest the attorney with such title or interest as will enable him to maintain the suit in his own name, Spencer v. Standard Chemicals & Metals Corp., 237 N.Y. 479, 143 N.E. 651, the addition of the power to petitioner's assignment did not deprive it of its force and character as an assignment. The use of the power of attorney, once for historical reasons the indispensable adjunct of every assignment of a chose in action, Ames, Lectures on Legal History, 210 et seq., Williston on Contracts, Rev.Ed. §§ 405, 408, did not render the assignment ineffective merely because, by virtue of the statute, its presence is no longer necessary. Even though petitioner was disingenuous in omitting to reveal the reassignment of the claim in his affidavit in the London Wallick suit, and even though there was fraudulent purpose in his failure to disclose that he still had some interest in the proceeds of the judgment to which London Wallick was asserting a claim, those circumstances did not impair the previous assignment of the claim to him or deprive him of the authority, already conferred by the reassignment, to maintain the suit. Whether petitioner's transactions with London Wallick gave the latter any equitable claim to the judgment or its proceeds does not appear, but, in any case, the existence of such collateral claims does not subject the judgment to impeachment by the judgment debtor. Matter of Holden, 271 N.Y. 212, 217, 2 N.E.2d 631. Respondent also urges that the Court of Appeals rested its affirmance of the judgment of the trial court on the ground that petitioner was not the real party in interest entitled to maintain the suit in Ohio, and that this is a nonfederal ground adequate to support the judgment, and is not reviewable here. While the court intimated that petitioner was not the real party in interest in Ohio, it evidently rested this conclusion upon its opinion that petitioner was not the real party in interest in the suit in New York. Its opinion states that, if the assignment "transferred any such legal or equitable interest or both in his claim to the plaintiff [petitioner] as would entitle him to maintain an action in his own name in New York, then he was a proper party in interest there, and a property party in interest here. " When a state court refuses credit to the judgment of a sister state because of its opinion of the nature of the cause of action or the judgment in which it is merged, an asserted federal right is denied and the sufficiency of the grounds of denial are for this Court to decide. Huntington v. Attrill, 146 U. S. 657, 146 U. S. 684; Kansas City Southern R. Co. v. Albers Commission Co., 223 U. S. 573, 223 U. S. 593; Kenney v. Supreme Lodge, 252 U. S. 411, 252 U. S. 415. So far as the court rested its decision on its view that the New York assignment conferred no right on petitioner to maintain the suit there, it is enough, as we have pointed out, that the petitioner was the real party in interest entitled to maintain the suit in New York. So far as Ohio might apply a different rule if the original cause of action were prosecuted in its courts, that fact is irrelevant to any issue now presented. The suit in Ohio was not upon the assigned cause of action, but upon the judgment of which petitioner is the record owner. The suit upon it is upon a different cause of action from that merged in the judgment. Milwaukee County v. White Co., 296 U. S. 268, 296 U. S. 275. It is the judgment, and not the cause of action which gave rise to it, for which credit is claimed, and the constitutional mandate requires credit to be given to a money judgment rendered on a civil cause of action in another state, even though the forum would have been under no duty to entertain the suit on which the judgment was founded. Christmas v. Russell, 5 Wall. 290; Fauntleroy v. Lum, 210 U. S. 230; Roche v. McDonald, 275 U. S. 449; Milwaukee County v. White Co., supra, 296 U. S. 277. Even though the Ohio court might have declined to recognize petitioner as the proper party to sue upon the assigned claim, a suit upon a judgment of another state, by virtue of the Constitution, stands upon a different footing. The Ohio court is not free to withhold from petitioner, the record owner of a judgment valid and enforceable by him in New York, the full benefit of the constitutional command that the judgment shall receive in the courts of Ohio such faith and credit as it is entitled to receive in New York. A state which may not constitutionally refuse to open its courts to a suit on a judgment of another state because of the nature of the cause of action merged in the judgment, Kenney v. Supreme Lodge, supra, 252 U. S. 415, obviously cannot, by the adoption of a particular rule of liability or of procedure, exclude from its courts a suit on the judgment. Powered by Justia US Supreme Court Center: TITUS V. WALLICK, 306 U. S. 282 (1939)	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1893
__label__wiki	0.610254	0.610254	NASA Cassini Saturn Image: Map of Dione - May 2008 Status Report From: Jet Propulsion Laboratory Posted: Saturday, June 28, 2008 Full-Res: PIA08413 This global map of Saturn's moon Dione was created using images taken during Cassini spacecraft flybys, with Voyager images filling in the gaps in Cassini's coverage. An extensive system of bright ice cliffs created by tectonic fractures adorns the moon's trailing hemisphere. The map is a simple cylindrical (equidistant) projection and has a scale of 614 meters (2,014 feet) per pixel at the equator. The mean radius of Dione used for projection of this map is 562 kilometers (349 miles). This updated map has been shifted west by 0.6 degrees of longitude, compared to the previously released Cassini product (Map of Dione - December 2006), in order to conform to the International Astronomical Union longitude system convention for Dione. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute More status reports and news releases or top stories.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1896
__label__cc	0.573904	0.426096	Home \| Webinars \| Why is fetching water considered as a women’s (or children’s) job? Why is fetching water considered as a women’s job? In a tribal village in Zambia, fetching water has always been women’s (and children’s) job. This assignment of the role has its roots to the cultural norms of the place. These cultural norms affect the access to water. Access to water is understood as the ability to derive benefits from water for a given condition and in a particular situation. However, the benefits (or lack thereof) are reaped differently by men, women and children. The gendered norms thereby play a critical role in division of labour. Therefore, the objective of this research was to examine the role of gender to access water for domestic consumption, specifically within the existing institutional arrangements of Kapau, Western Province in Zambia. The research dissects these very institutions which affects meaningful participation of individuals in regards to access to water. In this webinar Ms. Neha Mungekar presents the outcomes and methods of her research very visual. Ms. Neha Mungekar recently graduated from IHE Delft from Water Management and Governance programme. Prior coming to the Netherlands, Neha worked as an urban designer with World Resources Institute (WRI) India, and before that, as an architect in various private organizations. As an urban designer, she was responsible for coordinating sustainable urban-planning projects while liaising with local municipalities, donors and project partners. Neha is also actively engaged in environmental photo-journalism and is a published documentary photographer where she aims to sensitize the readers on environment-related issues. Presentation of the webinar Article: Why fetching water is considered a women's job Neha's Facebook Page: N-Route Neha's Instagram Account: N-Route	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1900
__label__wiki	0.812157	0.812157	Rock steady and rising Royal Museum for Central Africa: Can curatorial re-alignment make good on decades of colonial propaganda? “I try to not reproduce what I’ve already done in the past, even if that’s easier said than done.” Cabasa on his versatile production technique Home-field advantage “My music was synchronised with Pamela Anderson’s boobs and that’s something not many people can say!” Jean-Marc Lederman’s long-winded adventures through the music business’ tricky and treacherous waters Written by Hettie Judah published on April 2, 2010 in Art For those of you who missed out on it, here’s a piece we ran in our Skin Issue about Trojan Records, one of the most eponymous record labels out there. Commanding incredible loyalty from its hords of dread-locked fans (you know, Trojan tatoos, Trojan-named kids, and even Trojan-branded black eyed peas), the label has somewhat been living in the backwaters over the last decade or so, getting by on re-issues and impeccably-curated boxsets. The label’s name was derived from the seven-ton Leyland ‘Trojan trucks that Portland-born and based producer Duke Reid used to transport his enormous sound system throughout Jamaica. This led to his self proclaimed title “Duke Reid, the Trojan King of Sounds,” and the birth of the term Trojan Sound used to define the character of his music. Writer Nick Amies, additional online research Timothy Palma. Back in the late 1960s, British dancehalls were filled with young, working class white skins and their West Indian neighbours decked out in immaculate clothes and hot-stepping to the sounds of reggae, ska and rocksteady brought to their ears by a small subsidiary of Island Records called Trojan. Formed in 1967, Trojan Records came into its own a year later when businessman Lee Gopthal took the helm. Gopthal recruited a number of iconic Jamaican producers such as Lee Perry, Bunny Lee and Clancy Eccles, as well as fostering a host of new talent from Britain’s burgeoning reggae scene. A year later, Trojan started releasing its own material, tasting mainstream success with the Upsetters’ Top 5 smash Return of Django in 1969. Hit singles followed from Jimmy Cliff and the Harry J All Stars, and a British number one, Double Barrel by Dave Barker & Ansel Collins, in the spring of 1971. The Upsetters – Return of Django Dave Barker & Ansel Collins – Double barrel Jimmy Cliff – The Good Good Old Days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbVVm3vduTI Trojan’s rapid rise had much to do with the embracing of the direct, unpretentious approach of Reggae by the skinheads. Perversely, while the skins helped Trojan to scale the heights, the label’s mainstream success and increasingly sophisticated sound ultimately alienated its skinhead fanbase. As well as racking up hit singles, the label continued to showcase virtual unknowns from Jamaica including Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, and a certain Kingston-based vocal trio called Bob Marley & the Wailers. While its commercial power began to tail off in the mid-70s, Trojan continued to showcase emerging talents from the Caribbean. By the turn of the century, Trojan had found its new niche in the market as a purveyor of classic, vintage Jamaican sounds. We page-perfected the label in our Skin Issue, giving it the exposure and merit it deserves. Here, we select some of our favourite tracks coming out of the label’s jukebox Harry J All Stars – Down Side Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2uZMW5s_s0 John Holt – You Baby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyXbOktwvjc Ken Boothe – Everything I Own http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXb9fTy5Q1Q Toots & the Maytals – Johnny Cool Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrntbL2Q41I Inner Circle – We ‘A’ Rockers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBJ8QYCucAs Take a look at some of the “virtual unknowns” showcased by Trojan. Perhaps you recognize a name or two? Dennis Brown – How could I let you get away Gregory Isaacs – Reasoning With The Almighty images courtesy of Trojan Records	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1902
__label__cc	0.595256	0.404744	Almanac August 6 :: Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. One of the most popular and influential stars in the United States during her lifetime, with one of Hollywood's longest careers, especially on television, Ball began acting in the 1930s, becoming both a radio actress and B-movie star in the 1940s, and then a television star during the 1950s. She was still making films in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu, which produced many successful and popular television series. Ball was nominated for an Emmy Award thirteen times, and won four times. In 1977 Ball was among the first recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award. She was the recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986 and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989. 1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean. 1506 – The Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated the Crimean Khanate in the Battle of Kletsk 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. 1661 – The Treaty of The Hague is signed by Portugal and the Dutch Republic. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: The bloody Battle of Oriskany prevents American relief of the Siege of Fort Stanwix. 1787 – Sixty proof sheets of the Constitution of the United States are delivered to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1806 – Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor, abdicates ending the Holy Roman Empire. 1819 – Norwich University is founded in Vermont as the first private military school in the United States. 1825 – Bolivia gains independence from Spain. 1845 – The Russian Geographical Society is founded in Saint Petersburg, Russia. 1861 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos, Nigeria. 1862 – American Civil War: the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas is scuttled on the Mississippi River after suffering damage in a battle with USS Essex near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: the Battle of Wörth results in a decisive Prussian victory. 1890 – At Auburn Prison in New York, murderer William Kemmler becomes the first person to be executed by electric chair. 1901 – Kiowa land in Oklahoma is opened for white settlement, effectively dissolving the contiguous reservation. 1912 – The Bull Moose Party meets at the Chicago Coliseum. 1914 – World War I: First Battle of the Atlantic – two days after the United Kingdom had declared war on Germany over the German invasion of Belgium, ten German U-boats leave their base in Heligoland to attack Royal Navy warships in the North Sea. 1914 – World War I: Serbia declares war on Germany; Austria declares war on Russia. 1915 – World War I: Battle of Sari Bair – the Allies mount a diversionary attack timed to coincide with a major Allied landing of reinforcements at Suvla Bay. 1917 – World War I: Battle of Marasesti between the Romanian and German armies begins. 1926 – Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim across the English Channel. 1926 – In New York, New York, the Warner Brothers' Vitaphone system premieres with the movie Don Juan starring John Barrymore. 1926 – Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping. 1930 – Judge Joseph Force Crater steps into a taxi in New York and disappears never to be seen again. 1940 – Estonia was illegally annexed by the Soviet Union. 1942 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands becomes the first reigning queen to address a joint session of the United States Congress. 1945 – World War II: Hiroshima, Japan is devastated when the atomic bomb "Little Boy" is dropped by the United States B-29 Enola Gay. Around 70,000 people are killed instantly, and some tens of thousands die in subsequent years from burns and radiation poisoning. 1953 – Pope Pius XII establishes the Dioceses of Norwich and Bridgeport and makes the Diocese of Hartford an archdiocese. 1956 – After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network makes its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena in New York in the Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena series. 1960 – Cuban Revolution: Cuba nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation. 1962 – Jamaica becomes independent from the United Kingdom. 1964 – Prometheus, a bristlecone pine and the world's oldest tree, is cut down. 1965 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. 1965 – The largest swimming pool in Europe was opened in Fürstenfeld, Austria. 1966 – Braniff Airlines Flight 250 crashes in Falls City, Nebraska killing all 42 on board. 1976 – Zulfikar Ali Bhutto lays the foundation stone of Port Qasim, Karachi. 1986 – A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 1988 – The Tompkins Square Park Riot in New York City spurs a reform of the NYPD, held responsible for the event. 1990 – Gulf War: the United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. 1991 – Tim Berners-Lee releases files describing his idea for the World Wide Web. WWW debuts as a publicly available service on the Internet. 1991 – Takako Doi, chair of the Social Democratic Party, becomes Japan's first female speaker of the House of Representatives. 1993 – Heavy rains and debris kill 72 in the Kagoshima and Aira areas of Kyushu, Japan. 1996 – NASA announces that the ALH 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms. 1997 – Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747-300, crashes into the jungle on Guam on approach to airport, killing 228. 2001 – Erwadi fire incident, 28 mentally ill persons tied to chain were burnt to death at a faith based institution at Erwadi, Tamil Nadu. 2008 – A military junta led by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz stages a coup d'état in Mauritania, overthrowing president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. 2011 – A helicopter containing members of Navy SEAL 6 is shot down in Afghanistan killing 38. 2011 – A peaceful march in protest of the death of Mark Duggan in Tottenham, London ends in a riot, sparking off a wave of rioting throughout the country over the following four nights. 2012 – Nasa's Curiosity rover lands on Mars. 1180 – Emperor Go-Toba of Japan (d. 1239) 1504 – Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1575) 1609 – Richard Bennett, British Colonial Governor of Virginia (d. 1675) 1619 – Barbara Strozzi (baptized), Italian singer and composer (d. 1677) 1638 – Nicolas Malebranche, French philosopher (d. 1715) 1644 – Louise de La Vallière, French mistress of Louis XIV of France (d. 1710) 1656 – Claude de Forbin, French naval commander (d. 1733) 1666 – Maria Sofia of Neuburg, German-born consort of Peter II of Portugal (d. 1699) 1697 – Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1745) 1715 – Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French writer (d. 1747) 1765 – Petros Mavromichalis, Greek leader in the Greek War of Independence and Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1848) 1766 – William Hyde Wollaston, English chemist (d. 1828) 1768 – Jean-Baptiste Bessières, French marshal (d. 1813) 1775 – Daniel O'Connell, Irish politician (d. 1847) 1809 – Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, English poet (d. 1892) 1826 – Thomas Alexander Browne, Australian writer (d. 1915) 1844 – Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (d. 1900) 1844 – James Henry Greathead, British engineer (d. 1896) 1861 – Edith Roosevelt, American First Lady of the United States (d. 1948) 1866 – Matthew Henson, American Arctic explorer (d. 1955) 1868 – Paul Claudel, French poet (d. 1955) 1874 – Charles Fort, American writer and researcher (d. 1932) 1877 – Wallace H. White, Jr., American politician (d. 1952) 1880 – Hans Moser, Austrian actor (d. 1964) 1881 – Leo Carrillo, American actor (d. 1961) 1881 – Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish scientist, Nobel laureate (d. 1955) 1881 – Louella Parsons, American gossip columnist (d. 1972) 1882 – Ernst Eklund, Swedish actor (d. 1971) 1883 – Scott Nearing, American writer and educator (d. 1983) 1886 – Edward Ballantine, American composer (d. 1971) 1887 – Dudley Benjafield, British racing driver (d. 1957) 1888 – Heinrich Schlusnus, German baritone (d. 1952) 1889 – George Kenney, American Air Force General (d. 1977) 1889 – John Middleton Murry, English poet (d. 1957) 1891 – William Slim, British general (d. 1970) 1892 – Hoot Gibson, American actor (d. 1962) 1893 – Wright Patman, American politician (d. 1976) 1895 – Ernesto Lecuona, Cuban pianist and composer (d. 1963) 1900 – Cecil H. Green, American geophysicist (d. 2003) 1902 – Dutch Schultz, American organized crime figure (d. 1935) 1904 – Jean Dessès, Greek-Egyptian fashion designer (d. 1970) 1904 – Henry Iba, American basketball coach (d. 1993) 1906 – Vic Dickenson, American trombonist (d. 1984) 1907 – László Heller, Hungarian engineer (d. 1980) 1908 – Helen Jacobs, American tennis player (d. 1997) 1908 – Will Lee, American actor (d. 1982) 1908 – Lajos Vajda, Hungarian painter (d. 1941) 1910 – Charles Crichton, British film director (d. 1999) 1911 – Lucille Ball, American actress (d. 1989) 1911 – Norman Gordon, South African cricketer 1911 – Constance Fecher Heaven, British romance writer (d. 1995) 1912 – Richard C. Miller, American photographer (d. 2010) 1916 – Richard Hofstadter, American historian (d. 1970) 1916 – Dom Mintoff, Maltese politician 1917 – Robert Mitchum, American actor (d. 1997) 1918 – Norman Granz, American record producer (d. 2001) 1920 – Ella Raines, American actress (d. 1988) 1922 – Sir Freddie Laker, English entrepreneur (d. 2006) 1923 – Jess Collins, American artist (d. 2004) 1924 – Samuel Bowers, American murder and Ku Klux Klan leader (d. 2006) 1925 – Barbara Bates, American actress (d. 1969) 1926 – Elisabeth Beresford, British author and creator of The Wombles (d. 2010) 1926 – Frank Finlay, British actor 1926 – Clem Labine, American baseball player (d. 2007) 1926 – János Rózsás, Hungarian writer 1926 – Norman Wexler, American screenwriter (d. 1999) 1928 – Herb Moford, American baseball player (d. 2005) 1928 – Andy Warhol, American artist (d. 1987) 1929 – Roch La Salle, Canadian politician (d. 2007) 1929 – Mike Elliott (saxophonist), Jamaican born ska, pop, jazz musician 1930 – Abbey Lincoln, American jazz singer (d. 2010) 1931 – Chalmers Johnson, American political scholar and author (d. 2010) 1932 – Howard Hodgkin, British painter 1933 – A. G. Kripal Singh, Indian cricketer (d. 1987) 1934 – Piers Anthony, English writer 1934 – Chris Bonington, British mountaineer 1934 – Billy Boston, Welsh rugby league footballer 1935 – Fortunato Baldelli, Cardinal, Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary 1937 – Baden Powell de Aquino, Brazilian guitarist (d. 2000) 1937 – Barbara Windsor, English actress 1938 – Paul Bartel, American actor (d. 2000) 1938 – Peter Bonerz, American actor 1940 – Mukhu Aliyev, Russian politician 1940 – Louise Sorel, American actress 1941 – Lyle Berman, American poker player 1941 – Ray Culp, American baseball player 1942 – George Jung, American convicted drug trafficker 1943 – Jon Postel, American computer scientist (d. 1998) 1944 – Inday Badiday, Filipina journalist and television personality (d. 2003) 1945 – Ron Jones, British TV director (d. 1993) 1945 – Andy Messersmith, American baseball player 1946 – Allan Holdsworth, British guitarist and composer 1946 – Masaaki Sakai, Japanese comedian 1947 – Tony Dell, Australian cricketer 1949 – Dino Bravo, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 1993) 1949 – Alan Campbell, Northern Irish clergyman 1949 – Clarence Richard Silva, American Catholic Bishop of Honolulu 1950 – Dorian Harewood, American actor 1951 – Catherine Hicks, American actress 1951 – Daryl Somers, Australian television personality 1952 – Vinnie Vincent, American musician (Kiss) 1952 – Ton Scherpenzeel, Dutch keyboard player 1952 – Pat MacDonald (musician), American musician and songwriter 1953 – Iqbal Qasim, Pakistani cricketer 1954 – Paul Steigerwald, American sports announcer 1955 – Gregory Bryant-Bey, American convicted murderer (d. 2008) 1955 – Rusty Magee, American composer (d. 2003) 1956 – Stepfanie Kramer, American actress 1957 – Bob Horner, American baseball player 1957 – Jim McGreevey, American politician 1958 – Randy DeBarge, American bass guitarist and singer 1959 – Rajendra Singh Indian water conservationist, Ramon Magsaysay Award (2001) 1960 – Dale Ellis, American basketball player 1962 – Marc Lavoine, French singer and actor 1962 – Michelle Yeoh, Malaysian-born Hong Kong actress 1963 – Charles Ingram, British game show contestant 1963 – Kevin Mitnick, American computer hacker 1964 – Moosie Drier, American actor and director 1964 – Gary Valenciano, Filipino singer 1965 – Yuki Kajiura, Japanese composer 1965 – Juliane Köhler, German actress 1965 – David Robinson, American basketball player 1965 – Mark Speight, British television presenter (d. 2008) 1965 – Vincent Wells, England cricketer 1967 – Archbishop Alexy Bondarenko, Ukrainian-born American theologian 1967 – Mike Greenberg, American sportscaster 1967 – Julie Snyder, Quebec talk show host and producer 1968 – Jack de Gier, Dutch footballer 1969 – Simon Doull, New Zealand cricketer 1969 – Elliott Smith, American musician (d. 2003) 1970 – M. Night Shyamalan, Indian-born American film director 1970 – Erwin Thijs, Belgian cyclist 1971 – Merrin Dungey, American actress 1971 – Scott Minto, English footballer 1971 – Piyal Wijetunge, Sri Lankan cricketer 1972 – Geri Halliwell, British singer (Spice Girls) 1972 – Ray Lucas, American Football player 1973 – Vera Farmiga, American actress 1973 – Max Kellerman, American sportscaster 1973 – Monica Goodling, American George W. Bush Administration appointee 1973 – Stuart O'Grady, Australian cyclist 1973 – Karenna Gore Schiff, American author and political figure 1974 – Ever Carradine, American actress 1974 – Bobby Petta, Dutch footballer 1974 – DaVe.VeDa, American author 1974 – Luis Vizcaíno, Dominican baseball player 1974 – Alvin Williams, American basketball player 1975 – Renate Götschl, Austrian alpine skier 1975 – Víctor Zambrano, Venezuelan baseball player 1976 – Soleil Moon Frye, American actress 1976 – Melissa George, Australian actress 1977 – Leandro Amaral, Brazilian footballer 1977 – Jennifer Lyons, American actress 1977 – Jimmy Nielsen, Danish footballer 1977 – Luciano Zavagno, Argentine footballer 1978 – Brian Maillard, Swiss guitarist (Dominici) 1978 – Marisa Miller, American model 1979 – Francesco Bellotti, Italian cyclist 1980 – Danny Collins, Welsh footballer 1980 – András Horváth, Hungarian footballer 1980 – Wilber Pan, American-born Taiwanese singer and actor 1980 – Seneca Wallace, American football player 1981 – Diána Póth, Hungarian figure skater 1982 – Adrianne Curry, American model and reality television personality 1982 – Kevin van der Perren, Belgian figure skater 1982 – Romola Garai, British actress and model 1983 – C.J. Mosley, American football player 1983 – Neil Harvey, Barbadian footballer 1983 – Robin van Persie, Dutch footballer 1984 – Vedad Ibiševic, Bosnian footballer 1985 – Mickaël Delage, French cyclist 1985 – Bafétimbi Gomis, French footballer 1985 – Garrett Weber-Gale, American swimmer 1986 – Raphael Pyrasch, German rugby player 1986 – Reby Sky, American glamour model, radio & television personality, dancer and professional wrestler 1987 – Joran van der Sloot, Dutch figure in the Natalee Holloway case 1988 – Jared Murillo, American dancer 1990 – JonBenét Ramsey, American beauty pageant contestant and murder victim (d. 1996) 1991 – Jiao Liuyang, Chinese swimmer 1991 – Gria, Venezuelan - Canadian Artist 1997 – Jenny Lucas, Mexican American Amazing Person 2001 – Ty Simpkins, American actor 258 – Pope Sixtus II (birth date unknown) 523 – Pope Hormisdas (b. c. 450) 1162 – Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona (b. c. 1113) 1195 – Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria (b. 1129) 1221 – Saint Dominic, Spanish founder of the Dominican Order (b. 1170) 1272 – King Stephen V of Hungary (b. 1239) 1414 – King Ladislaus of Naples (b. 1377) 1458 – Pope Callixtus III (b. 1378) 1623 – Anne Hathaway, English wife of William Shakespeare (b. 1555 or 1556) 1628 – Johannes Junius, German Mayor of Bamberg, condemned to death at the Bamberg witch trials (b. 1573) 1637 – Ben Jonson, English writer (b. 1572) 1645 – Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex, English merchant (b. 1575) 1657 – Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ukrainian-born Polish-Lithuanian noble 1660 – Diego Velázquez, Spanish painter (b. 1599) 1679 – John Snell, English royalist (b. 1629) 1694 – Antoine Arnauld, French philosopher and mathematician (b. 1612) 1695 – François de Harlay de Champvallon, French Catholic archbishop (b. 1625) 1753 – Georg Wilhelm Richmann, Russian physicist (struck by lightning) (b. 1711) 1757 – Ádám Mányoki, Hungarian painter (b. 1673) 1759 – Eugene Aram, English philologist (b. 1704) 1794 – Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst, British politician (b. 1714) 1815 – James Bayard, American Senator from Delaware (b. 1767) 1828 – Konstantin von Benckendorff, Russian general and statesman (b. 1785) 1850 – Edward Walsh, Irish poet (b. 1805) 1866 – John Mason Neale, English divine, scholar and hymnwriter (b. 1818) 1881 – James Springer White, American co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (b. 1821) 1884 – Robert Spear Hudson, English businessman (b. 1812) 1890 – William Kemmler, American axe murderer (b. 1860) 1893 – Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1811) 1904 – Eduard Hanslick, Austrian music critic (b. 1825) 1914 – Ellen Louise Wilson, first wife of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (b. 1860) 1920 – Stefan Bastyr, Polish aviator, author of the first military flight in independent Poland (b. 1890) 1925 – Sir Surendranath Banerjee, Indian leader of the Indian National Congress (b. 1848) 1931 – Bix Beiderbecke, American jazz cornetist and pianist (b. 1903) 1945 – Richard Bong, American ace fighter pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1920) 1945 – Hiram Johnson, American politician (b. 1866) 1945 – Wu, Prince of Korea (b. 1912) 1946 – Tony Lazzeri, American baseball player (b. 1903) 1959 – Preston Sturges, American playwright, screenwriter, and director (b. 1898) 1964 – Sir Cedric Hardwicke, English actor (b. 1893) 1966 – Cordwainer Smith, American writer (b. 1913) 1969 – Theodor Adorno, German sociologist and philosopher (b. 1903) 1970 – Nikos Tsiforos, Greek screenwriter and film director (b. 1912) 1973 – Fulgencio Batista, Cuban president and de facto leader (b. 1901) 1973 – Memphis Minnie, American blues singer (b. 1897) 1974 – Gene Ammons, American jazz saxophonist (b. 1925) 1976 – Gregor Piatigorsky, Russian cellist (b. 1903) 1978 – Pope Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (b. 1897) 1978 – Edward Durell Stone, American architect (b. 1902) 1979 – Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist, Nobel Laureate (b. 1911) 1983 – Klaus Nomi, German singer (b. 1944) 1985 – Forbes Burnham, Guyanese visionary, 3rd President and 1st Prime Minister of Guyana (b. 1923) 1986 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, screenwriter and film director (b. 1904) 1987 – Ira C. Eaker, American Air Force leader (b. 1896) 1990 – Jacques Soustelle, French anthropologist (b. 1912) 1991 – Shapour Bakhtiar, Iranian prime minister (assassinated) (b. 1915) 1991 – Roland Michener, Canadian politician and governor general (b. 1900) 1991 – Harry Reasoner, American television reporter (b. 1923) 1992 – Leszek Blazynski, Polish boxer (b. 1949) 1993 – Tex Hughson, American baseball player (b. 1916) 1994 – Domenico Modugno, Italian singer and songwriter (b. 1928) 1998 – André Weil, French mathematician (b. 1906) 1999 – Rita Sakellariou, Greek singer (b. 1934) 2001 – Jorge Amado, Brazilian writer (b. 1912) 2001 – Wilhelm Mohnke, one of the original 120 members of the Nazi SS-Staff Guard (b. 1911) 2001 – Dorothy Tutin, English actress (b. 1930) 2002 – Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist (b. 1930) 2004 – Rick James, American R&B singer and multi-instrumentalist (b. 1948) 2005 – Keter Betts, American jazz bassist (b. 1928) 2005 – Robin Cook, British politician (b. 1946) 2005 – Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban singer (Buena Vista Social Club) (b. 1927) 2007 – Heinz Barth, German SS officer (b. 1920) 2007 – Zsolt Daczi, Hungarian rock guitarist (b. 1969) 2008 – Angelos Kitsos, Greek lawyer and script writer (b. 1934) 2009 – Riccardo Cassin, Italian mountaineer (b. 1909) 2009 – Willy DeVille, American singer and songwriter (b. 1950) 2009 – John Hughes, American film director (b. 1950) 2009 – W. S. Rendra, Indonesian poet and playwright (b. 1935) 2011 – Fe del Mundo, Filipino pediatrician and National Scientist (b. 1911) Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ Justus and Pastor August 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's Accession Day. (United Arab Emirates) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (Hiroshima, Japan) Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Bolivia from Spain in 1825. Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Jamaica from the United Kingdom in 1962. The beginning of Tanabata festival. (Sendai, Japan) Labels: august	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1905
__label__wiki	0.529096	0.529096	22 September: Sierra Leone's military leader, Captain Valentine Strasser, is due to leave Saturday for a week-long visit to China to seek substantial aid for Sierra Leone. Aides said Strasser would ask China's help in harbour construction, reviving the country's railway which was dismantled after heavy losses in 1971, and to supply ammunition to the country's Chinese-armed military. China is already renovating Freetown's dilapidated Fourah Bay University campus and aiding with health, agriculture, power, and sports projects. The country's only functioning sugar plantation and refinery is Chinese-run and Freetown's 2,000-strong Chinese community plays a key role in commerce. China is the Sierra Leone's main arms supplier, and has stepped up shipments since RUF rebels launched an uprising from Liberia in 1991. A group of northerners Friday became the first Sierra Leonean troops to complete a new training programme run by Nigerian military advisors. Chief of Staff Colonel Kelly Conteh said at the time of their recruitment earlier this year that he wanted troops who knew the terrain available for service in the north, where the Temne ethnic group is dominant.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1909
__label__wiki	0.515783	0.515783	TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ BİRLEŞMİŞ MİLLETLER DAİMİ TEMSİLCİLİĞİ Önceki Daimi Temsilcilerimiz Statement by Mr. Fazlı Çorman, Deputy Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations, at the Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Question of the Equitable Representation and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council Fazlı Çorman 19.01.2009 I would like to begin by thanking you for convening the Open-Ended Working Group on Security Council Reform. This is a very timely opportunity to address the modalities and negotiables of the intergovernmental negotiations that will commence soon, as provided in Decision 62/557 of the General Assembly. During the previous meetings of the Open-Ended Working Group, our Delegation emphasized the significance of this body to prepare and facilitate the intergovernmental negotiations. As we move closer to these negotiations, we remain steadfast in our opinion that an open, inclusive and transparent process, guided by clear rules and procedures, is essential for the success of the reform process. In this context, we have found the most recent meetings of the Group particularly useful in preparing the ground for these negotiations. The Working Group, at its previous meeting, addressed the framework of the intergovernmental negotiations. At that meeting, our Delegation extended its support to the non-paper presented by Argentina and Spain on the procedures and principles that could form the basis of these negotiations. The non-paper included very useful elements regarding the objectives, guiding principles and terms of negotiations. We are particularly pleased that the Delegations of Canada and Malta have incorporated these terms and principles into the paper entitled "Security Council Reform Negotiations: Elements for a Decision by the General Assembly on Framework and Modalities". We believe that the principles and procedures contained in the paper are indispensable for the successful conclusion of the reform process. Although many of these principles speak for themselves, let me briefly elaborare on some of them: Respect for the sovereign equality of Member States, simple as it may sound, is crucial to ensure a democratic process and a level playing field whereby all Member States, large or small, developed or least-developed, will be represented on an equal footing. It means that the positions of the smallest, least-developed and under-represented Members will carry as much weight as that of the others. The principle of equitable geographical representation is a corollary of the diversity and pluralism of the contemporary international community. It means that the enlarged Security Council will have to observe a geographical balance and that no particular region or group will be discriminated against. Ensuring full ownership of the reform through full accommodation of the interests of all Member States and regions will increase the prospects of representation of historically-marginalized and under-represented members at the Council. Achieving a negotiated solution that can garner the widest political acceptance by Member States, well above the required two-third majority, will lead the enlarged Security Council to further its legitimacy and credibility, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the Council. The conduct of negotiations on an agreed agenda and the the principle of "single undertaking", that is, "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed", will instill predictability, fairness and confidence into what could otherwise be a very complicated process. Our delegation therefore lends its full support to all the principles and procedures enshrined in the document presented today by Canada and Malta. We encourage all Delegations to favourably consider and support these elements. We also hope that these principles and procedures could be duly reflected in the results of the consultations that will be presented to the General Assembly by the end of this month. We are confident that under your able guidance and competent chairmanship, this prolonged process of reform has now a greater propensity for success than ever before in the past fifteen years. Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu Büyükelçi	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1913
__label__wiki	0.873622	0.873622	Yogi Ferrell discusses his camp, being a free agent, and what he expects in Sacramento Written on July 22, 2018 by Scott Agness After his annual basketball camp concluded, campers ranging from 8 to 16 years old lined up in the cafeteria hallway for one last moment of one-on-one time with Yogi Ferrell. Each camper went through the line, wrapping up with one familiar kid offering a special gift for Yogi: several Sacramento Kings hats, the first Kings gear of any kind for the NBA guard who reached agreement with the team on a two-year, $6.2 million deal Friday afternoon. “I will always remember that kid,” Ferrell, sporting a big smile, said a short while later. “He’s a special kid. For him to give me my first Sacramento hat, as you can see, I put it on immediately because I don’t have any Sac gear right now. It was special. It just touched my heart that he was able to give me, and even my family members, a couple of my hats.” Camper Eli gave Yogi his first Sacramento Kings hat. Ferrell returned to Park Tudor, where he won a Class 2A State championship both his junior and senior seasons, to give back to kids in the community. He hosted his annual basketball camp Sunday afternoon where they focused on skills, shooting, and enjoying the game he loves. “This is something special,” Ferrell said of his camp. “I remember when I was younger going to a lot of older guys’ camps that I looked up to so I just want to make sure it’s all full circle because it’s all about empowering the next generation and just try to make basketball as beautiful of a sports as it can be.” It also included a special visit from several current members of the IU basketball team: 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball Romeo Langford, Robert Phinisee, Jake Forrester, Damezi Anderson, Juwan Morgan, and grad transfer Evan Fitzner. Ferrell only played with Morgan, who is entering his senior season, during the 2015-16 season. “(The campers) were asking me before they even came, ‘Where are the IU guys at? Where are the IU guys?’ At my camp! [laughs] That just shows how excited they were to see them,” he said. “That just shows how strong the IU connection is. I’m definitely going to try to make it down to a game.” Spending the afternoon helping with @YogiFerrell11’s Skills Camp!#IUBB pic.twitter.com/P9S586RO8B — Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) July 22, 2018 Of course watching the Hoosiers and attending a game will now be even more difficult living in California, three time zones away. (It also has state income tax, unlike Texas.) This last week had to be challenging for the Indy product. Uncertain, stressful, frustrating. Perhaps a whirlwind after Dallas originally tendered a qualifying offer worth $2.9 million for the 2018-19 season, almost double what he earned in his first two NBA seasons combined ($1.75 million). The Mavericks later withdrew the offer, just as they did for Doug McDermott, who later signed a three-year deal with the Pacers. At the end of last week, Ferrell then agreed to return on a $5.3 million deal over two years … but it was not fully guaranteed and paid him less in his first year than the original qualifying offer. Sacramento entered the picture and one day later, Yogi used his freedom as an unrestricted free agent to find the best deal for him. “What was intriguing about it was their youth,” Ferrell said of the Kings. “I felt like I could add some value to them and just being another smart guard who can shoot it, is quick, scrappy on the court. And I just add another weapon to the team.” Yogi signs a photo for each camper. The Kings went 27-55 last season and feature a young core. They used the second overall pick in June to draft forward Marvin Bagley III, joining guards De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Frank Mason III. “They are team that doesn’t really have an identity yet, so I want to go in and try to mold that identity. Whatever it’s going to be. I haven’t played a game with them yet so I don’t know what it could be, but I’m really excited. It’s just another opportunity for me to go in, prove myself in this league, prove that I belong, and just to have fun with it.” This was Yogi’s first taste of free agency and he certainly learned how basketball is a business, and so business decisions must be made — from both sides. “I learned about all the ins and outs and how everything works,” he said. “I went through my first free agency and it was stressful. I also embraced it at the same time. It was beautiful. I was blessed to be in the position I am to even be a free agent and have different teams calling about me and talking to different teams. I’m starting to now learn about how all this works.” Ferrell plans to continue to be No. 11 in Sacramento. Playing almost 28 minutes off the bench for a 24-58 Dallas team last season, Yogi averaged 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 42.6 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. While at Park Tudor (2008-12), Ferrell was a two-time First Team All-State, two-time All Marion County Team, and finished with 1,853 career points. Trevon Bluiett signs two-way deal with New Orleans Pelicans Undrafted rookie forward Trevon Bluiett signed his first NBA contract on Tuesday. The Indy native, a graduate of Park Tudor School, landed a two-way deal after a strong performance during the Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month. Bluiett, who was not invited to the NBA Draft Combine, scored 50 points combined in his first… Knicks waive Troy Williams Troy Williams was waived Monday by the New York Knicks, the team announced. The 23-year-old Indiana University product was on a non-guaranteed deal and the Knicks needed to make one move to trim their roster to 15, the league maximum, by the start of the season. They added Kevin Knox (ninth) and Mitchell Robinson (36th)… Victor Oladipo hosting basketball camp in Indy Aug. 4-5 It was a breakout season for Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, and he wants to give back to the city that has given him so much already. The 2013 IU grad will be holding his inaugural basketball camp, for kids in grades 1-12, on August 4th and 5th at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis. Grades 1-6… Kris Wilkes focusing on becoming a two-way player: ‘I see myself as a first-round talent’ CHICAGO, Ill. — From ages 11 to 18, Kris Wilkes kept close watch of Paul George, who spent his first seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers — Wilkes’ hometown team. Seven years may not be a long time, but it is for a kid like Wilkes, who is just 19 years old. George is 6-foot-9,…	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1916
__label__wiki	0.928809	0.928809	Bárðarbunga volcano getting ready to erupt? 1000 earthquakes as magma moves into ice covered caldera From the Icelandic Meteorological Office: A summary of seismic activity, written Tuesday evening 19th August 2014 at 20:00 Around 1.000 small earthquakes were detected in the Bárðarbunga region from midnight (18/19) until Tuesday evening 19th August at 20:00. All of them were smaller than magnitude 3 and most were located in the cluster east of Bárðarbunga. While the northern cluster close to Kistufell has calmed down significantly following the M4.5 earthquake on early Monday morning, event rates in the eastern cluster are still high. Similar to recent days, two pulses of comparably strong seismic activity have been measured between 04:00 and 08:00 this morning, as well as 16:00 and 18:30 in the afternoon. The cluster east of Bárðarbunga continued to slowly migrate northeastwards today. Events are still located at around 5-12 km depths, no signs of upwards migration has been seen so far. Below is a summary map of all manually revised earthquakes since the onset of the swarm, which illustrates the migration of earthquake activity during the last days. Earthquakes in the map are colour coded by time, dark blue dots show the onset of the swarm on Saturday, orange dots Tuesday's events until 19:00, light blue and yellow are the days in between. The time scale is days since the onset of the swarm. Staged provocations ahead possible US-Syrian War With the alleged brutal murder of American journalist James Wright Foley, a wave of anger and aggression across Western audiences has been generated. Upon that wave rides two objectives. One is to create plausible deniability for the West which created the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS), the other is to create a further pretext to justify a resurgence of direct US military intervention across the region. While the focus has been on ISIS in Iraq, there is still another war -linked directly to Iraq's current conflict - being waged across the border in Syria. Syrian forces have continued making gains across the country, routing NATO-backed terrorist forces and restoring order in cities and towns that have been ravaged by war for years. ISIS strongholds in the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa, have until now long escaped the focus of Syrian forces occupied by more urgent campaigns around Hama, Homs, Damascus, Daraa, Idlib, and Aleppo. Now, the Syrian Army is shifting forces east. Video of deadly St Louis police shooting raises questions: Kajieme Powell was mentally ill The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has released mobile phone footage that seems to be at odds with parts of its story surrounding the officer-involved shooting of Kajieme Powell in the weeks after Michael Brown's death. According to St. Louis Public Radio, the police released the video Wednesday evening as part of an effort to be more transparent when it comes to violent incidents involving law enforcement. In addition to the cell phone footage, the department also released security camera footage of the alleged robbery, as well as the two 911 calls made to police. Police were first called to the scene - less than four miles away from the spot Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, was killed - when a local store owner reported the 25-year-old Powell for stealing drinks and snacks. A separate woman, meanwhile, also reported Powell for allegedly having a knife in his pocket and acting strangely. Series of five tornadoes sweep through northern Italy A series of five tornadoes swept through northern Italy on Tuesday, prompting flights to be diverted and causing millions of euros worth of damage. The tornadoes hit around the port city of Genoa, with some eyewitnesses stating they came close to hitting the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. Flights to the city's airport were diverted and those leaving delayed, while trains were also interrupted and roads closed, La Repubblica reported. Damage is said to amount to millions of euros, with roofs ripped off buildings in the Prà neighbourhood and the seafront strewn with sun loungers hit by the stormy weather. U.S. journalist: Police militarization aggravated tensions in Ferguson The increased militarization of local US police forces is an alarming trend in America that contributed to rising tensions in Ferguson, Missouri, according to Cheryl Chumley, author and news writer for The Washington Times. "Police are supposed to be tasked with serving and protecting the American public - not treating the streets of America as if they're military war zones," Chumley told RIA Novosti on Monday. Chumley, author of Police State USA: How Orwell's Nightmare is Becoming Our Reality, noted that "the trend in America is alarming." Chumley said, "Police in Ferguson came out with a level 10 response, when a level four, maybe five would have sufficed. By that I mean police rolled out the full-body armor, militarized gear and armored vehicles - equipped with what appeared to be a 50 cal[iber gun] mounted on top - prematurely, and in so doing, ratcheted tensions and quite possibly turmoil in the streets of Ferguson." Protests have continued in Ferguson for a week following the shooting of an unarmed African-American teenager by police on August 9. When protests erupted, Ferguson police responded by deploying heavily into the neighborhoods where they were centered. A state of emergency was declared on Saturday by Governor Jay Nixon and included a curfew imposed on the city from midnight until 5 am. When protesters refused to disperse and obey the curfew over the weekend, police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and other crowd control measures. On Monday morning, Governor Nixon announced the deployment of the National Guard to Ferguson. Traces of marine plankton discovered attached to ISS outer hull Russian scientists say they made a "unique" discovery while analyzing samples from the exterior of the International Space Station - traces of tiny sea creatures on the station's windows and walls. It remains unclear how marine plankton ended up in space.The results of the recent experiments prove that that some organisms are capable of living on the outer surface of the International Space Station (ISS), Vladimir Solovyev, head of the Russian segment of the ISS, has revealed. Some studies suggest that these organisms may even develop in the hostile conditions of spaceflight, which include vacuum, low temperatures, radiation and others, he added. Illuminatus! Soviet-era Tesla Tower restarted with spectacular lightning bolts A massive Soviet-built generator - once used for testing the resistance of aircraft to lightning, but now largely mothballed due to prohibitive costs - has staged a striking demonstration test at the behest of RT. The 6-Megavolt device, one of the most powerful in the world, is capable of generating 200 meter-long lightning bolts, and was constructed in the 1970s at a closed facility outside Moscow, but fell into disuse after the collapse of the USSR. The futuristic complex of entangled metal coils hidden in a secured virgin forest made it a cult object for urban explorers. Teams of camera-equipped youths navigated their way and documented the rusting coils and huge locks on their blogs. Discredited global warming still kicking: Why global warming is taking a break? © Trace Project / NASA The number of sunspots (white area here) varies in multi-year cycles. As a result, solar irradiance, which influences the Earth's climate, also fluctuates. The photo shows a UV image of the sun. (Image: Trace Project / NASA) The number of sunspots (white area here) varies in multi-year cycles. As a result, solar irradiance, which influences the Earth's climate, also fluctuates. The photo shows a UV image of the sun. The average temperature on Earth has barely risen over the past 16 years. ETH researchers have now found out why. And they believe that global warming is likely to continue again soon. Comment: If the average temperatures has barely risen for last 16 years, does the entire scare show of "Himalayas melting", Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change( IPCC) meetings, Noble prize distributions, carbon tax proposals are another Ponzi Scheme?. Global warming is currently taking a break: whereas global temperatures rose drastically into the late 1990s, the global has risen only slightly since 1998 - surprising, considering scientific predicted considerable warming due to rising greenhouse gas emissions. Climate sceptics used this apparent contradiction to question climate change per se - or at least the harm potential caused by greenhouse gases - as well as the validity of the climate models. Meanwhile, the majority of climate researchers continued to emphasise that the short-term 'warming hiatus' could largely be explained on the basis of current scientific understanding and did not contradict longer term warming. Researchers have been looking into the possible causes of the warming hiatus over the past few years. For the first time, Reto Knutti, Professor of Climate Physics at ETH Zurich, has systematically examined all current hypotheses together with a colleague. In a study published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Geoscience , the researchers conclude that two important factors are equally responsible for the hiatus. El Niño warmed the Earth One of the important reasons is natural climate fluctuations, of which the weather phenomena El Niño and La Niña in the Pacific are the most important and well known. "1998 was a strong El Niño year, which is why it was so warm that year," says Knutti. In contrast, the counter-phenomenon La Niña has made the past few years cooler than they would otherwise have been. Although climate models generally take such fluctuations into account, it is impossible to predict the year in which these phenomena will emerge, says the climate physicist. To clarify, he uses the stock market as an analogy: "When pension funds invest the pension capital in shares, they expect to generate a profit in the long term." At the same time, they are aware that their investments are exposed to price fluctuations and that performance can also be negative in the short term. However, what finance specialists and climate scientists and their models are not able to predict is when exactly a short-term economic downturn or a La Niña year will occur. Comment: It is unfortunate to see climate science which supposed to save human life on this planet became a 'gamble' like stock market. Longer solar cycles According to the study, the second important reason for the warming hiatus is that solar irradiance has been weaker than predicted in the past few years. This is because the identified fluctuations in the intensity of solar irradiance are unusual at present: whereas the so-called sunspot cycles each lasted eleven years in the past, for unknown reasons the last period of weak solar irradiance lasted 13 years. Furthermore, several volcanic eruptions, such as Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland in 2010, have increased the concentration of floating particles (aerosol) in the atmosphere, which has further weakened the solar irradiance arriving at the Earth's surface. The scientists drew their conclusions from corrective calculations of climate models. In all climate simulations, they looked for periods in which the El Niño/La Niña patterns corresponded to the measured data from the years 1997 to 2012. With a combination of over 20 periods found, they were able to arrive at a realistic estimate of the influence of El Niño and La Niña. They also retroactively applied in the model calculations the actual measured values for solar activity and aerosol concentration in the Earth's atmosphere. Model calculations corrected in this way match the measured temperature data much more closely. Incomplete measured data The discrepancy between the climate models and measured data over the past 16 years cannot solely be attributed to the fact that these models predict too much warming, says Knutti. The interpretation of the official measured data should also be critically scrutinised. According to Knutti, measured data is likely to be too low, since the global average temperature is only estimated using values obtained from weather stations on the ground, and these do not exist everywhere on Earth. From satellite data, for example, scientists know that the Arctic region in particular has become warmer over the past years, but because there are no weather stations in that area, there are measurements that show strong upward fluctuations. As a result, the specified average temperature is too low. Last year, British and Canadian researchers proposed an alternative temperature curve with higher values, in which they incorporated estimated temperatures from satellite data for regions with no weather stations. If the model data is corrected downwards, as suggested by the ETH researchers, and the measurement data is corrected upwards, as suggested by the British and Canadian researchers, then the model and actual observations are very similar. Warming to recommence Despite the warming hiatus, Knutti is convinced there is no reason to doubt either the existing calculations for the climate activity of greenhouse gases or the latest climate models. "Short-term climate fluctuations can easily be explained. They do not alter the fact that the will become considerably warmer in the long term as a result of ," says Knutti. He believes that will recommence as soon as solar activity, aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere and weather phenomena such as El Niño naturally start returning to the values of previous decades. Fighting the genocide: Lugansk self-defense fighters shoot down another Su-25 jet sent by Kiev © MOD of Ukraine DPR self-defense forces have downed a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Independence supporters have downed a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot attack plane over the Luhansk region late on Wednesday, a spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said. Earlier a number of media reports suggested that a war plane had been shot down in the region. "Today a Su-25 attack aircraft has been shot down while on a combat mission . The fate of the pilot is unknown yet but hope remains that he will be alright," Andriy Lysenko told Ukrainian news channel 112.ua. In early August, independence supporters in the self-proclaimed confirmed they had downed a Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft. Late last month, the militia shot down two Su-25 planes. Both pilots ejected. Electrical sparking may alter evolution of lunar soil © Credit: Image not to scale. Courtesy of Andrew Jordan. This illustration shows a permanently shadowed region of the moon undergoing subsurface sparking (the "lightning bolts"), which ejects vaporized material (the "clouds") from the surface. Subsurface sparking occurs at a depth of about one millimeter. The moon appears to be a tranquil place, but modeling done by University of New Hampshire and NASA scientists suggests that, over the eons, periodic storms of solar energetic particles may have significantly altered the properties of the soil in the moon's coldest craters through the process of sparking -- a finding that could change our understanding of the evolution of planetary surfaces in the solar system. The study, published recently in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Planets proposes that high-energy particles from uncommon, large solar storms penetrate the moon's frigid, polar regions and electrically charge the soil. The charging may create sparking, or electrostatic breakdown , and this "breakdown weathering" process has possibly changed the very nature of the moon's polar soil, suggesting that permanently shadowed regions, which hold clues to our solar system's past, may be more active than previously thought. "Decoding the history recorded within these cold, dark craters requires understanding what processes affect their soil," says Andrew Jordan of the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, lead author of the paper. "To that end, we built a computer model to estimate how high-energy particles detected by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument on board NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) can create significant electric fields in the top layer of lunar soil." The scientists also used data from the Electron, Proton, and Alpha Monitor (EPAM) on the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE). CRaTER, which is led by scientists from UNH, and EPAM both detect high-energy particles, including solar energetic particles (SEPs). SEPs, after being created by solar storms, stream through space and bombard the moon. These particles can build up electric charges faster than the soil can dissipate them and may cause sparking, particularly in the polar cold of permanently shadowed regions -- unique lunar sites as cold as minus 240 degrees Celsius and known to contain water ice. Says Jordan, " Sparking is a process in which electrons, released from the soil grains by strong electric fields, race through the material so quickly that they vaporize little channels ." Repeated sparking with each large solar storm could gradually grow these channels large enough to fragment the grains, disintegrating the soil into smaller particles of distinct minerals, Jordan and colleagues hypothesize. The next phase of this research will involve investigating whether other instruments aboard LRO could detect evidence for sparking in lunar soil, as well as improving the model to better understand the process and its consequences. "If breakdown weathering occurs on the moon, then it has important implications for our understanding of the evolution of planetary surfaces in the solar system, especially in extremely cold regions that are exposed to harsh radiation from space," says coauthor Timothy Stubbs of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The above story is based on materials provided by University of New Hampshire. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length Sponsor of state terrorism: Hollande publicly says France recently armed Syria Takfiris which are the same as ISIL French president Hollande publicly admits sponsoring state terrorism. France President Francois Hollande says his country has recently supplied weapons to the foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants operating against the Syrian government. The French leader said on Thursday that Paris delivered weapons to the Takfiri terrorists in Syria "a few months ago," stressing, "We should not stop" supporting the anti-Damascus militants. Hollande also called on the United States and European Union countries to join the campaign and said Paris cannot "go it alone." In an interview with France's daily published on Wednesday, the French president said the international community shoulders a "heavy responsibility" with regards to the turmoil in Syria, which has also spilled over into neighboring Iraq. He also said the ISIL Takfiri militants would never have come into existence if the Syria crisis had been properly handled, adding that other armed militants operating in the country "deserve all our support." France has been among the major supporters of the Takfiri extremists operating to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since March 2011. In January, Hollande said some 700 French nationals had taken part in the fight against the Damascus government, adding that Paris needs to warn young people against joining the ranks of extremist groups in the Arab country. According to some sources, more than 170,000 people have so far been killed and millions of others displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants in Syria. Cop threatens to kill peaceful protestors with assault rifle in Ferguson “I will fing kill you — get back!” says the officer (armed with an assault rifle), in the direction of a camera capturing the entire death threat. Asked for his name, the officer responds, “Go f### yourself.” An officer who pointed a semi-automatic assault rifle at a Ferguson, Missouri, protester and threatened to kill him -- a tense episode caught on video and posted online -- is off the job, at least for now. The St. Louis County Police Department announced Wednesday that a police officer from St. Ann, Missouri, "has been relieved of duty and suspended indefinitely" over the incident. Police threatening to kill a citizen takes on special significance given what protesters are loudly, passionately demanding: charges against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for the August 9 fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teen. The county police department laid out its version of the more recent incident, which happened shortly before midnight Tuesday. This account jibed with video later posted to YouTube. In the video, an officer can be seen walking around with his assault rifle raised, then pointing it in the direction of protesters. "I'm going to f--king kill you," he says. "Get back. Get back." The St. Louis County Police described the protester involved in what it deemed "a verbal exchange" to be "peaceful." Another man in the crowd then says out loud, "Did you threaten to kill him?" The officer is asked for his name, to which he responds: "Go f--k yourself." Protesters proceed to mock the officer before he's led away by another member of law enforcement. A CNN crew also saw the officer point his weapon at those around him as he cursed, shouted and threatened people by saying he'd kill them unless they stayed away. The St. Louis County Police said that one of its sergeants "walked over and immediately took action, forcing the officer to lower the weapon and escorting him away from the area." "The unified command strongly feel these actions are inappropriate, and not indicative of the officers who have worked daily to keep the peace," the police department said. The county police referred media to the St. Ann Police Department for updates on the unnamed suspended officer's status. Members of the law enforcement force charged with maintaining security have come from many communities, including St. Ann, which is just west of Ferguson. This is not the first time unarmed protesters in Ferguson have accused police of pointing guns at them . CNN staffers have seen some such incidents first-hand that weren't caught on tape. Antonio French, a St. Louis city alderman who has been a fixture at the demonstrations, said he is not surprised by the video given what he's seen the past two weeks. What is different -- in a good way, from his perspective -- is that authorities responded promptly in disciplining one of their own. "In this case, we did see something happen to that officer immediately," French told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "And that sends a strong message that at least the folks at the top are getting it." Neil Bruntrager -- general counsel for the St. Louis Police Officers Association, though he doesn't represent this specific accused officer -- conceded in an appearance on CNN that these kinds of things are probably happening in Ferguson, though he characterized them as "isolated incidents." He defended the officers on the front lines of the protests, saying they have shown "admirable restraint" -- a view that's not shared by some activists -- despite being persistently egged on. "You're asking them to stand there and stare into the faces of people who are spitting on them, who are yelling at them, who are screaming at them, ... who are touching them," Bruntrager told CNN's Erin Burnett. "You're saying: Just take it. And ... by and large, they do." Sometimes -- as in this particular cases, the lawyer conceded -- a police officer may act improperly. If they do, Bruntrager claimed that it is "a fatigue issue," not "a training issue," related to the psychological wear on being on the streets of Ferguson day after day. "What happens in a situation like this is that a person is human, they respond, and that's what you saw (on the video)," Bruntrager said. "It's unfortunate, it's unpleasant, but it's a human response." The man in charge of maintaining security in Ferguson, Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, considers this officer's actions an affront to all those who have doing things the right way. Talking to CNN's Don Lemon about the video, Johnson said, "I was disturbed by it, I was bothered by it, and I was disrespected by it." Water crisis can't get any worse? Wait until the aquifers are drained! © Peter Essick, National Geographic In ten years, the Colorado River Basin has lost the equivalent of two Lake Meads, the largest reservoir in the U.S., pictured here at dusk with Las Vegas in the background. We're pumping irreplaceable groundwater to counter the drought. When it's gone, the real crisis begins. Aquifers provide us freshwater that makes up for surface water lost from drought-depleted lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. We are drawing down these hidden, mostly nonrenewable groundwater supplies at unsustainable rates in the western United States and in several dry regions globally, threatening our future. We are at our best when we can see a threat or challenge ahead. If flood waters are rising, an enemy is rushing at us, or a highway exit appears just ahead of a traffic jam, we see the looming crisis and respond. We are not as adept when threats - or threatened resources - are invisible. Some of us have trouble realizing why invisible carbon emissions are changing the chemistry of the atmosphere and warming the planet. Because the surface of the sea is all we see, it's difficult to understand that we already have taken most of the large fish from the ocean , diminishing a major source of food. Neither of these crises are visible - they are largely out of sight, out of mind - so it's difficult to get excited and respond. Disappearing groundwater is another out-of-sight crisis . Groundwater comes from aquifers - spongelike gravel and sand-filled underground reservoirs - and we see this water only when it flows from springs and wells. In the United States we rely on this hidden - and shrinking - water supply to meet half our needs , and as drought shrinks surface water in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, we rely on groundwater from aquifers even more. Some shallow aquifers recharge from surface water, but deeper aquifers contain ancient water locked in the earth by changes in geology thousands or millions of years ago. These aquifers typically cannot recharge , and once this "fossil" water is gone, it is gone forever - potentially changing how and where we can live and grow food, among other things. California's Central Valley has seen a dramatic rise in well-drilling this year to compensate for surface water lost from the drought. A severe drought in California - now approaching four years long - has depleted snowpacks, rivers, and lakes, and groundwater use has soared to make up the shortfall. A new report from Stanford University says that nearly 60 percent of the state's water needs are now met by groundwater, up from in years when normal amounts of rain and snow fall. Relying on groundwater to make up for shrinking surface water supplies comes at a rising price, and this hidden water found in California's Central Valley aquifers is the focus of what amounts to a new gold rush. Well-drillers are working overtime, and as Brian Clark Howard reported here last week , farmers and homeowners short of water now must wait in line more than a year for their new wells. In most years, aquifers recharge as rainfall and streamflow seep into unpaved ground. But during drought the water table - the depth at which water is found below the surface - drops as water is pumped from the ground faster than it can recharge. As Howard reported, Central Valley wells that used to strike water at 500 feet deep must now be drilled down 1,000 feet or more , at a cost of more than $300,000 for a single well. And as aquifers are depleted, the land also begins to subside, or sink. Unlike those in other western states, Californians know little about their groundwater supply because well-drilling records are kept secret from public view , and there is no statewide policy limiting groundwater use. State legislators are contemplating a measure that would regulate and limit groundwater use, but even if it passes, compliance plans wouldn't be required until 2020, and full restrictions wouldn't kick in until 2040. California property owners now can pump as much water as they want from under the ground they own. California's Central Valley isn't the only place in the U.S. where groundwater supplies are declining. Aquifers in the Colorado River Basin and the southern Great Plains also suffer severe depletion. Studies show that about half the groundwater depletion nationwide is from irrigation. Agriculture is the leading use of water in the U.S. and around the world , and globally irrigated farming takes more than 60 percent of the available freshwater. Basin, which supplies water to 40 million people in seven states, is losing water at dramatic rates, and most of the losses are groundwater. A new satellite study from the University of California, Irvine and NASA indicates that the Colorado River Basin lost 65 cubic kilometers (15.6 cubic miles) of water from 2004 to 2013 . That is twice the amount stored in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. , which can hold two years' worth of Colorado River runoff. As Jay Famiglietti, a NASA scientist and study co-author wrote here groundwater made up 75 percent of the water lost in the basin Farther east, the Ogallala Aquifer under the High Plains is also shrinking because of too much demand. overtook the Great Plains in the 1930s, the Ogallala had been discovered only recently, and for the most part it wasn't tapped then to help ease the drought. But large-scale center-pivot irrigation transformed crop production on the plains after World War II, allowing water-thirsty crops like corn and alfalfa for feeding livestock. severe drought threatens the southern plains again, and water is being unsustainably drawn from the southern Ogallala Aquifer. The northern Ogallala, found near the surface in Nebraska, is replenished by surface runoff from rivers originating in the Rockies. But farther south in Texas and New Mexico, water lies hundreds of feet below the surface, and does not recharge. Sandra Postel wrote here last month that the Ogallala Aquifer water level in the Texas Panhandle has dropped by up to 15 feet in the past decade, with more than three-quarters of that loss having come during the drought of the past five years. A recent Kansas State University study said that if farmers in Kansas keep irrigating at present rates, 69 percent of the Ogallala Aquifer will be gone in 50 years. © George Steinmetz, National Geographic Creative The Ogallala Aquifer supplies the water for center-pivot irrigation on farms in western Kansas. This coincides with a nationwide trend of groundwater declines. A 2013 study of 40 aquifers across the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey reports that the rate of groundwater depletion has increased dramatically since 2000 , with almost 25 cubic kilometers (six cubic miles) of water per year being pumped from the ground. This compares to about 9.2 cubic kilometers (1.48 cubic miles) average withdrawal per year from 1900 to 2008. Scarce groundwater supplies also are being used for energy. A recent study from CERES, an organization that advocates sustainable business practices, indicated that competition for water by hydraulic fracturing - a water-intensive drilling process for oil and gas known as "fracking" - already occurs in dry regions of the United States. The February report said that more than half of all fracking wells in the U.S. are being drilled in regions experiencing drought, and that more than one-third of the wells are in regions suffering groundwater depletion. Satellites have allowed us to more accurately understand groundwater supplies and depletion rates. Until these satellites, called (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment), were launched by NASA, we couldn't see or measure this developing invisible crisis. GRACE has given us an improved picture of groundwater worldwide, revealing how supplies are shrinking in several regions vulnerable to drought , the North China Plain, among them. As drought worsens groundwater depletion, water supplies for people and farming shrink , and this scarcity can set the table for social unrest. Saudi Arabia, which a few decades ago began pumping deep underground aquifers to grow wheat in the desert, has since abandoned the plan, in order to conserve what groundwater supplies remain, relying instead on imported wheat to feed the people of this arid land. Managing and conserving groundwater supplies becomes an urgent challenge as drought depletes our surface supplies . Because groundwater is a common resource - available to anyone with well - drilling equipment-cooperation and collaboration will be crucial as we try to protect this shrinking line of defense against a future of water scarcity. Kiev's meeting with Putin will leave Ukraine with some tough choices © Agence France-Presse/Getty Images People stand inside a makeshift bomb shelter in Makiyivka Tuesday. Pro-Russia rebels said seven civilians died when the eastern Ukrainian town was shelled by Kiev forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart will meet next week for the first time in two months, officials in both countries said, intensifying a diplomatic push that could force Kiev to choose between continuing its military campaign against pro-Russia separatists or making concessions to Moscow to stop the Calls for a cease-fire from both Russia and Europe are growing louder amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine But Ukrainian politicians and voters are skeptical of agreeing to a truce now, since doing so could give the rebels the chance to consolidate control over some territory and give Russia long-term influence over their country. Officials in Kiev said the meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 26 could lead toward a peace plan to end the four-month insurgency in eastern Ukraine. In the latest sign of Western support, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would visit Kiev on Saturday, the day before Ukrainian Independence Day. The Minsk gathering, which will also involve senior European Union officials, will be the first time Mr. Putin has met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko since a brief encounter in June before the latter took office. Western and Ukrainian officials sounded hopeful about the new round of diplomacy despite the sizable differences to be bridged. Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said the meeting was "a good thing, because there needs to be a peaceful end to this." She repeated accusations that Russia is supplying weapons and fighters, calling on Moscow to de-escalate. That view was echoed in Kiev. "I can cautiously say that it's a chance to start a real negotiating process, which won't finish in one day and will need further steps," said Valeriy Chaliy, an aide to the Ukrainian president. © AFP/Getty Images Ukrainian soldiers walk in a trench as they guard their position in the Luhansk region on Monday. The government in Kiev wants Russia to stop reinforcing the separatists, saying they should lay down their weapons before any talks. The rebels say they are ready to talk but won't put down their weapons, and they want Kiev to recognize their independence from Ukraine. The Kremlin announced Mr. Putin's intention to attend the meeting in a brief statement, without saying what he hoped to achieve in Minsk. Russian officials have said Kiev should stop its military assault and negotiate with the insurgents. Moscow says it has little influence on the separatists and, contrary to Western allegations, isn't supplying them with arms and fighters. Mr. Putin has shown little sign of backing down from his main aim of keeping Ukraine in Russia's orbit. While he hasn't ordered a full-scale invasion by Russian troops massed on the border, he has shored up the rebels with large deliveries of arms and men, according to Western and Ukrainian officials. At the same time, the Kremlin has tried to shift the public focus to the humanitarian crisis, calling for a halt in the fighting to let in a Russian aid convoy - just as advancing Kiev forces are pressing on the two main rebel strongholds. Analysts and diplomats say permitting pro-Russia rebels to retain some territory in exchange for a cease-fire could create a frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine that would allow Mr. Putin to undermine attempts by Kiev to integrate with the West. If Russia doesn't intervene in the fighting directly, "Moscow's strategy will focus on helping the rebels to fight Kiev's forces to a standstill - and negotiating a cease-fire making the rebels a party to an agreement," Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote in a commentary. The separatists have also shown some signs of being ready to talk as they have lost significant territory. In recent weeks, the two main rebel leaders - both Russian citizens - stepped down and were succeeded by Ukrainians in an apparent attempt to give the leadership more local legitimacy. In Kiev, there is pressure not to make a deal. Mr. Poroshenko faces a parliamentary election in October and a public that wants to see the separatists defeated. Time, however, could affect public sentiment. War fatigue could creep in as the death toll, which has already surpassed 2,000, mounts. Battling domestic political headwinds will only get tougher as parliamentary elections in October approach. And as winter draws closer, Russia's central role in providing Ukraine's gas supply will make a thaw in relations more pressing. On Tuesday, the Ukrainian army released videos showing what it said were survivors of a rebel attack on a refugee convoy on Monday. Elderly men describe how they and others were evacuated in two army trucks with white flags attached to indicate civilians were inside. One of the trucks was hit by a mortar and destroyed, sending shrapnel flying into the second truck, killing two and injuring four, one of them says. Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said that 17 bodies had been recovered on Monday, but that fighting at the site meant the search for others had to be stopped. The rebels denied the attack ever took place. The army accused the rebels of trying to destroy evidence by blocking the area and of shooting at military experts and journalists to prevent them from getting a closer look at the scene. They said Tuesday seven civilians had been killed during shelling of the town of Makiyivka near the rebel's main center of Donetsk. Western officials hope that amid the increasingly dire humanitarian situation, both Ukraine and Russia will look for an exit from the crisis. "I have the feeling both are at the moment seeking ways to find a path to a cease-fire," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said as he made the case on German television Tuesday for his efforts to mediate the crisis. "The paths that such talks take are sometimes not easily discernible or explicable." European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the EU's foreign-policy chief, Catherine Ashton, will attend the Minsk meeting, along with the bloc's trade and energy commissioners. The presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan, which are part of a Russia-led Customs Union, are also expected to attend the meeting. 9 die in Panama after Chiriquí Viejo River flood The flooding of the Chiriquí Viejo in the province of Chiriquí, western Panama, on Monday 18 August has left 9 people dead and several injured, according to local media reports. Many of the victims were children. Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (SINAPROC) in Panama say that the flooding has destroyed 27 houses leaving 116 people homeless. The homesless are curently being housed in temporary accomodation, inclidung a local gym and hotel. Around 40 other homes have been damaged. The flooding left the village of Cerro Punta completely cut-off after bridges were damaged and roads blocked by flood and landslide debris. SINAPROC have been carrying out rescues in the area since Monday 18 August 2014. A state of emergency was declared for the flood hit areas in order to facilitate the rapid reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. Missouri governor calls for "vigorous prosecution" of Darren Wilson Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon Not content with a regular prosecution or a vigorous investigation, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said he hopes that Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson will receive a "vigorous prosecution" in the shooting death of Michael Brown on Aug. 9. "A vigorous prosecution must now be pursued," Nixon said in a five minute video address posted to his website Tuesday. "The democratically elected St. Louis county prosecutor and the attorney general of the United States each have a job to do," said Nixon, a Democrat. "Their obligation to achieve justice in the shooting death of Michael Brown must be carried out thoroughly, promptly, and correctly," said Nixon of investigators. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder plans to visit Ferguson on Wednesday to meet with federal law enforcement officials and community leaders. Forty FBI investigators traveled to Ferguson over the weekend to interview witnesses. Nixon has not directly justified his call for a strong prosecution. He has not indicated that he has any information on the shooting that has not been made public. Wilson, a six-year police veteran with a clean disciplinary record, has not even been arrested or charged with a crime. A grand jury is set to convene on Wednesday to determine if he will be charged. Wilson, who is on paid leave during the investigation, has reportedly claimed that he shot Brown after the man hit him in the face and struggled to gain control of his service weapon. Several eye-witnesses who gave media interviews shortly after the shooting have said that Brown was surrendering with his hands up as Wilson shot him. Wilson is reportedly claiming the Brown ran towards him before the fatal shots were fired. The interviewed witnesses have claimed that they did not see Brown running at Wilson. An unnamed witness unwittingly captured on video talking about what he saw unfold said that he saw Brown move towards Wilson. A private autopsy commission by the Brown family determined that he was hit with at least six bullets, two in the head and four on the right arm. An inconsistent release of information and a heavy-handed police response to demonstrations in Ferguson has led to heavy criticism for police, as well as Nixon. He was perceived as failing to address the shooting soon enough. "We have a responsibility to come together to do everything we can for this family, peace for this community, and have the courage to address the problems that have divided us for too long," Nixon said, citing the problems "of poverty, education, and race." Nixon, who said he recently met and prayed with Brown's mother, called Ferguson "a test." "So I ask that we continue to stand together as we work to achieve justice for Michael Brown, restore hope and peace to the streets of Ferguson, and march together toward a future of greater opportunity for all of us." "This is hard," said Nixon. "Nothing about this is simple." Ebola death toll hits 1350; CDC says there have been 68 scares in US in past three weeks The World Health Organization says the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is now at least 1,350 people. The latest figures Wednesday show that the deaths are mounting fastest in Liberia, which now accounts for at least 576 of the deaths. The U.N. health agency also warned in its announcement that "countries are beginning to experience supply shortages, including fuel, food, and basic supplies." This comes after a number of airlines and shipping services have halted transport to the worst affected capitals of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. In a desperate bid to halt the disease's spread, authorities in Liberia have quarantined off a huge slum that is home to 50,000 people. Protests erupted in West Point on Wednesday, where residents threw rocks at police. At least four people were injured in clashes with Liberian soldiers and police after the government laid barbed wire barricades around a densely populated slum in an attempt to contain the spread of Ebola. Young men surged towards the barricades and hurled stones at troops, who responded by firing live rounds of ammunition, the reports. Agence France-Presse reports that at least four people were injured in the skirmish. - Amid the news that two patients - one in New Mexico and one in California - are currently being tested for Ebola in hospitals due to matching symptoms, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that there have been "at least 68 such scares in the past three weeks." Nigeria reports 5 new suspected cases: Doctors in Lagos were assessing five new suspected cases of the Ebola virus, a top medical official said, a day after the health minister expressed confidence the outbreak in the country may soon end. The five people were admitted to a hospital in Nigeria's coastal commercial hub on Aug. 19 and are being monitored in isolation wards, the state's Commissioner for Health Jide Idris told reporters yesterday. Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said that Africa's biggest economy may be Ebola-free within a week as the number of people being treated for the virus had dropped to two. "They are not exposed to the public and the public is in no danger from the two," Chukwu said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's Trish Regan and Shannon Pettypiece. - Former Ebola expert alarmed by scale of outbreak: Imagine Tomislav Prvulovic's quandry. He has spent a lifetime fighting Ebola and other infectious diseases, and what he sees out of Africa has him frustrated. "He cannot sleep at night," said his wife, Zivka. When her husband, an infectious-disease expert who fought the virus in Central Africa in the late 1980s, watches the news about this latest outbreak, he gets so upset he nearly cries, she said. He has specific suggestions on ways the authorities can help contain the deadly virus. But so far the only person who has paid attention has been his 12-year-old neighbor, a budding newscaster who posted an interview with him on YouTube: Hundreds gather outside CNN building in Atlanta to protest coverage of Michael Brown shooting © A still from a video by YouTube user / Dekalb Kids Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the CNN center in Atlanta on Monday to march in memory of unarmed Missouri teenager Michael Brown who was gunned down by a police officer, many in protest of CNN's controversial coverage of the incident. Demonstrators who had been urged to attend dressed in their "Sunday's best" marched under the slogan: "How good must we look to be considered innocent?" and used the #ItsBiggerThanYou hashtag. The protest was staged in response to CNN's Ferguson protests coverage, which had a strong emphasis on past actions by Brown which may have incriminated him. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as many as 1,000 protesters marched. Participants and observers also took to Twitter to denounce CNN's lack of coverage of a protest directly outside its offices. the people united will never be divided #ITSBIGGERTHANYOU #NotOneMore #ATLstandswithFerguson #Ferguson http://ift.tt/1rUFq05 - QuakerArmy (@QuakerArmy) August 18, 2014 "@Cnn nothing about the protest in front of your Building in Atlanta" one tweeter observed. "Hey @CNN when were you guys going to report on the Ferguson protest at your Atlanta headquarters yesterday?" another user wrote. Brown's shooting instigated a series of protests in Missouri which have been suppressed using tear gas and other deemed excessive by critics. Those have led to accusations over the militarization of the police force and comparisons of the scenes of protests to a "war zone". In one photograph used by CNN, forces were clearly seen leveling their guns. The killing of the likely unarmed Ferguson teenager, who was shot by white police officer Darren Wilson, has attracted thousands of protesters to the streets of Ferguson for days, despite an initial curfew and heavy tactical police and National Guard presence. On Sunday evening, a confrontation between a police officer and a member of the media was caught on tape where the officer allegedly pointed a gun at the reporter, telling him to " Get the fk out of here California highway patrol officer under investigation for beating mentally ill woman © David Diaz, File/AP Photo In this July 1, 2014 file image made from video provided by motorist David Diaz, a California Highway Patrol officer punches Marlene Pinnock, 51, on the shoulder of a Los Angeles freeway. The CHP announced Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014, that it has forwarded its investigation into the beating of Pinnock to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, and the probe outlines "potentially serious charges'' against the officer. A California Highway Patrol officer who was videotaped repeatedly striking a woman on the side of a Los Angeles freeway could face serious charges, the agency said Wednesday after forwarding its investigation to the district attorney. Officer Daniel Andrew, who was put on a desk assignment after the incident, has been removed from duty and put on paid administrative leave, the CHP said. The agency didn't reveal if it made a recommendation to prosecutors but said in a news release that its report outlined potentially serious charges he could face. It didn't specify possible charges. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office confirmed the case is under review. A separate, internal CHP investigation is ongoing. The July 1 incident sparked outrage as video showed Andrew hitting Marlene Pinnock, 51, several times alongside Interstate 10. Pinnock's attorney Caree Harper said District Attorney Jackie Lacey should file battery and attempted murder charges against the officer. "I can't foresee any reason why she would not press felony charges against him," Harper said. "Our hope is that she acts swiftly." Andrew's attorney James McGarry declined to comment on the case. Andrew said in his report that Pinnock was a danger to herself and had tried to walk into traffic lanes. Drivers had called emergency dispatchers to report that a barefoot woman who appeared drunk or high was on the freeway shoulder. Pinnock has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had been off her medication for two to three months before the altercation with Andrew, Harper said. In a previous interview with The Associated Press, Pinnock said she believed the officer was trying to kill her. "He grabbed me, he threw me down, he started beating me," she said. "I felt like he was trying to kill me, beat me to death." Pinnock filed a lawsuit against CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow and Andrew in federal court alleging civil rights violations. The lawsuit claims excessive force, assault, battery and a violation of due-process rights. Andrew joined the highway patrol as a cadet in April 2012 and became an officer six months later. U.S. puppet regime Saudi Arabia executes four men for smuggling hashish © Reuters / Andrew Biraj Saudi Arabia has executed two sets of brothers for hashish-smuggling, bringing the number of those suffering capital punishment to 17 in a fortnight. The crackdown has provoked protest from human rights organizations. "The recent increase in executions in Saudi Arabia is a deeply disturbing deterioration. The authorities must act immediately to halt this cruel practice," said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme. "The death penalty is always wrong, and it is against international law to use it in cases involving non-lethal crimes and where evidence used to convict the person is based on 'confessions' extracted as a result of torture." The four men, two sets of brothers - Hadi bin Saleh Abdullah al-Mutlaq and Awad bin Saleh Abdullah al-Mutlaq, and Mufrih bin Jaber Zayd al-Yami and Ali bin Jaber Zayd al-Yami - were first detained back in 2007. Their relatives contacted human rights groups, claiming that the accused were tortured, deprived of sleep and threatened when police failed to present concrete evidence against them. Within Saudi Arabia's Sharia legal system, which relies on religious texts and has no set code of laws, the confession obtained during incarceration was considered sufficient to sentence them to death. The brothers' claims of torture - previously voiced by other inmates in Saudi jails - were roundly rejected by the authorities. Amnesty says that the families of the condemned attempted to get in touch once more in days prior to the execution - carried out in the southwestern city of Najran - only to be warned off by the security forces. "This apparent intimidation and surveillance of victims of human rights violations and activists adds another sinister layer to Saudi Arabia's use of the death penalty. It is clear evidence that the authorities are willing to go to extreme lengths to prevent reports of gross human rights violations in the country from reaching the outside world," said Boumedouha. "The family in this case deserves full disclosure as to why their loved ones' allegations of torture were not investigated." Saudi Arabia executed 79 people last year, more than any other country apart from China, Iran and strife-ravaged Iraq. This year 17 people were executed in the months up to July. But the end of Ramadan - a month-long ritual of strict religious observance - has brought on an unannounced wave of executions. College friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev agrees to plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges © AP/Bill Sikes Kadyrbayev's Días's father (left) Murat Kadyrbayev and lawyer Robert Stahl (File) A 20-year-old Kazakh citizen and a college of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Dias Kadyrbayev, accused by the US authorities of hindering the investigation into the 2013 bombing, has agreed to plead guilty to a number of charges, The Boston Globe reported. According to Kadyrbayev's lawyer Robert Stahl, the young man is expected to issue a statement in US District Court in Boston later on Thursday. The attorney also confirmed that Kadyrbayev had agreed to plead guilty, but refused, however, to provide further details on the issue before the hearing. The move might allow for a more lenient sentence for the defendant. Kadyrbayev is charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice for allegedly removing Tsarnaev's laptop computer and a backpack, filled with fireworks from his college dorm room and trying to dispose of them after learning that Tsarnaev was a suspect in the bombing. Kadyrbayev is scheduled to go on trial on September 8. He faces up to 25 years in prison and possible deportation if found guilty. Three people were killed and over 260 wounded after two bombs went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 last year. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20, and his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev , ethnic Chechens, were identified as suspects in the blasts. Tamerlan was killed during the shootout and Dzhokhar was arrested as part of a special operation on April 19. Dzhokhar faces 30 charges, half of which are punishable by death. On his first public court appearance on July 10, 2013, the suspect pleaded not guilty to all 30 counts. Kadyrbayev is among three college friends of Tsarnaev charged with interfering with the investigation. Kadyrbayev's roommate, Azamat Tazhayakov, has been found guilty of obstructing the investigation last month and faces up to 25 years in federal prison as he is due to be sentenced on October 16. Robel Phillipos, 19, was charged with two counts of lying to police and faces up to 16 years in prison. His trial is slated for September 29. Man mauled by bear in Italian wood © Hemis /Alamy Brown bears are thriving in Northern Italy due to a successful reintroduction scheme known as Life Ursus. Environmentalists angered by plan to capture bear who mauled a man foraging for mushrooms while it was nursing its cubs Environmentalists in Italy have urged authorities in the northern province of Trentino not to capture or kill a brown bear that attacked a man on Friday. Daniele Maturi, 38, was reportedly foraging for mushrooms in the woods near Pinzolo in the heart of the Dolomite mountains when he was set upon by Daniza, a female bear nursing her cubs. Maturi was bitten and scratched, and suffered injuries to his wrist, leg, knee and back during the attack. "She seemed crazy," he told local television station TNN after being released from hospital. "She chased me. She took me with one paw on my back; she made a hole in my back. I was on the ground and then she jumped on top of me." The vice-president of the autonomous province of Trentino, Alessandro Olivi, has signed an order for Daniza to be captured, a step the authorities believe is necessary to guarantee public safety. She is already reported to be under surveillance. Olivi said the bear's life would only be at risk should she pose "an imminent, serious and not avoidable danger for the operators [of the capture] and third parties". But as well as prompting a social media backlash, the proposal - accompanied by the hashtag #iostocondaniza (#I'mwithDaniza) - sparked anger and concern among many environmentalists. Caterina Rosa Marino of the League for the Abolition of Hunting (Lac) disputed the need for the capture, arguing that Maturi had stumbled across Daniza in "the only [situation] which is really dangerous: encountering a mother with her cubs". Massimiliano Rocco of WWF Italia, meanwhile, was quoted as telling Il Messaggero: "Capturing Daniza now, preventing her from raising her cubs, would be an historic defeat." Daniza is part of a reintroduction scheme known as Life Ursus, which is viewed as one of the most successful conservation efforts in Europe. Between 1999 and 2001 10 brown bears were brought from the Slovenian wilds to the Dolomites in northern Italy, where they have since thrived. But the effort is far from being beloved by all. Among local farmers, in particular, it is loathed: livestock including sheep, goats and lambs have been killed by the roaming bears. The right-wing Northern League has repeatedly called for the scheme to be ended. As he displayed his bandaged limbs, slashed trousers and damaged boots for the cameras, Maturi, from Pinzolo, said he thought the scheme was dangerous. "It only needs to happen once," he said. "With me it went OK. If it had been a woman or someone else ... I don't know if it would have been OK because it's really brutal." Bank of America agrees to record $17bn settlement over mortgage fraud - amounting to a slap on the wrist © AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm America's second largest lender has reached a $16.65 billion settlement with US federal authorities for selling toxic mortgages misleading investors, the Justice Department said Thursday. "This historic resolution - the largest such settlement on record - goes far beyond 'the cost of doing business,'" Attorney General Eric Holder said in a posted on the US Justice Department website on Thursday. The bank will pay out $9.65 billion in cash and $7 billion for consumer relief - such as modified home loans and refinanced mortgages. "Under the terms of this settlement, the bank has agreed to pay $7 billion in relief to struggling homeowners, borrowers, and communities affected by the bank's conduct. This is appropriate given the size and scope of the wrongdoing at issue," the statement says. The bank has agreed to pay a $5 billion 'civil penalty' to settle claims under the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery Enforcement Act (FIRREA), a federal law introduced after the loan crisis in the 1980s. To date, President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force and its Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) Working Group, have collected $36.65 billion from banks to redistribute to consumers and investors misled by the country's leading financial institutions. The fine is the largest single compensation settlement, beating out JPMorgan Chase & Co's penalty paid in November 2013. Citigroup, another major US bank, had to pay $7 billion in July. In March, the bank was ordered to pay $9.5 billion to the Federal Housing Finance Agency to resolve similar misconduct allegations. Since the financial crisis, the bank has been ordered to pay over $60 billion in fines, claims, and buying out mortgage bonds. The bank admitted it misled investors about the quality of mortgage loan sale prior to the housing crash, when banks lent out too much money to homeowners who eventually could not pay off their loans. This eventually resulted in the collapse of the housing bubble and the beginning of the recession in late 2007. The banks defrauded investors about the condition of the loans, which led to billions in losses while millions of Americans lost their homes to foreclosure. Three quarters of the loans in question came from Countrywide Financial, which Bank of America acquired in 2009, along with Merrill Lynch. In total, between 2004 and 2008, the groups sold more than $965 billion in bad loans. "In the run-up to the financial crisis, Merrill Lynch bought more and more mortgage loans, packaged them together, and sold them off in securities - even when the bank knew a substantial number of those loans were defective," US Attorney Paul J. Fishman explained. Who will stand up for Miriam Carey, executed by Capitol Hill police? Not Eric Holder © WND.com Justice ignores unarmed woman's slaying by police Attorney General Eric Holder is in Ferguson, Missouri, ostensibly to investigate the shooting of an unarmed African-American by a white police officer. What he is not investigating is the shooting of an unarmed African-American woman by his own federal officers, in his own jurisdiction, the District of Columbia. And that has the family of the late Miriam Carey so outraged, they announced Wednesday they plan to double the amount of money in their lawsuit against the federal government to $150 million. While the attorney general looks for the possibility of bad intentions and a wrongful death by an officer in the Midwest, Carey family attorney Eric Sanders believes he need look no further than under his nose in Washington, D.C., where an innocent, unarmed, suburban mother was gunned down in a barrage of bullets by Holder's officers, all because, he said, one off-duty U.S. Secret Service officer "wanted to make that b - -h pay." © U.S. Attorney’s Office Officer tries to block Miriam Carey from leaving White House entrance. Officer tries to block Miriam Carey from leaving White House entrance. Photo provided by U.S. Attorney's Office. Those were the exact words used in a claim filed Wednesday morning by the Carey family, which serves as a prerequisite before filing a mammoth civil lawsuit against the United States, the U.S Secret Service and the U.S. Capitol Police. WND reported how the Carey family was outraged when, on July 10, after a more than nine-month investigation, Holder's Department of Justice, or DOJ, declined to file any criminal charges against the federal officers who shot and killed Carey in the shadow of the nation's Capitol on Oct. 3, 2013. That outrage was expressed Wednesday morning when the Carey family representative told WND they are now seeking $150 million for Miriam's estate, her mother and her infant child, who was in the car when police repeatedly shot her. The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation into the high-speed chase and deadly shooting of Carey by U.S. Secret Service uniformed agents and U.S. Capitol Police officers. The report was then reviewed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for Washington, D.C., which is part of the Justice Department. Not only did Holder's DOJ decide not to file criminal charges against any of the shooters, it has not responded to Sander's request to conduct its own investigation. And, in a highly unusual move, the DOJ never released that final investigative report reviewed by its U.S. Attorney. Sanders believes that's because the facts would show the officers wrongfully killed Carey. Authorities also did not release video of the incident at the White House gate, only still photos. Sanders believes that video would show both the negligence of the officers on duty and that the confrontation with Carey was provoked by the off-duty officer. Greatly disappointed in the decision not to prosecute Carey's killers, Sanders told WND he is also deeply disturbed by new facts in the case he has uncovered. He has learned that, following her autopsy, Carey's clothes disappeared. That means they can't be tested for gunpowder residue, an issue shown to be of such great importance in the Mike Brown shooting in Ferguson. Sanders appeared highly distressed by what could be the destruction of critical evidence in the Carey case. He claims her wrongful death was caused by "the unidentified aggressive Caucasian male police officers, supervisors and managers assigned to the U.S. Secret Service Uniform Division and the U.S. Capitol Police" and that "their collective actions caused Carey's "'avoidable' wrongful death." Sanders singled out the actions of one agent who was not in uniform, suggesting his bravado turned an innocent mistake into a deadly encounter. The claim filed Wednesday stated Carey, unfamiliar with the area, mistakenly drove past a White House guard post near 15th and E Streets, with her infant in the backseat in a child safety seat. It said she managed to get through the gate entrance only because it was "negligently maintained, covered and supervised by police officers." Miriam Carey drives past two uniformed Secret Service agents while departing White House entrance. Miriam Carey drives past two uniformed Secret Service agents while departing White House entrance. Photo provided by U.S. Attorney's Office. The claim maintained Carey did not violate any Washington, D.C., or federal law because she "never intentionally entered the White House Complex" and never refused to leave. She did, in fact, try to leave but was stopped by officers. That meant, Sanders emphasized to WND, there was no probable cause to detain her, and there would have been no grounds to convict her of any crime. "After realizing her innocent mistake," the claim reads, "Carey made a U-turn to leave the area" but "for some inexplicable reason, instead of simply allowing" her to leave, "an unidentified aggressive Caucasian Male in dark clothed civilian attire, without provocation of legal justification, intentionally, negligently and recklessly grabbed a metal police barrier and threw himself in front of her vehicle." The claim identified the man as an off-duty Secret Service officer. It further stated, Carey then panicked because the officer startled her and endangered her safety, so she tried to go around him, but, because of the tight space, "he made contact with her vehicle." The family's bottom line: "Carey had committed no crime, thus the police had no legal basis to stop her or use any amount of physical force against her." But, making a damning accusation, the claim said the off-duty officer became so "completely agitated," he wanted to "make that b - h pay." That combination of machismo and bruised ego is why, the family believes, the off-duty-officer and a parade of on-duty officers, supervisors and managers then began to pursue Carey "at high speeds, endangering their lives and the public." Sanders, a former New York City Police Department officer himself, said in the claim the pursuers, "inconsistent with their police training, failed to terminate" their high-speed pursuit of the mother and child, "causing risk to them, the officers and the public" that "outweighed the benefit of investigating a harmless mistaken entrance through the White House Complex gate." Once the pursuit stalled at the Garfield traffic circle, just below the Capitol, the off-duty officer approached the left side of Carey's car, got a clear view inside, but after police vehicles inexplicably failed to box-in her car, the officer, along with the on-duty officers, fired at her as she attempted to get out of danger, striking her in the left side of the head, the back of the head and the left arm. That shooting by federal officers, the claim stated, was done "without establishing firearms control or legal justification" and was "inconsistent with their police training." Sanders previously told WND that supervisors claimed the officers fired because Carey was driving toward people on the sidewalk, but he blasted that as either unbelievable or insane, because it would mean officers were shooting in the direction of those very people they were supposedly attempting to protect. According to the attorney, what authorities did reveal leaves more questions than answers. And he's apparently not the only one who feels that way. Three days after authorities announced there would be no criminal charges filed, a Washington Post editorial , "Questions remain in the shooting death of Miriam Carey," stated the decision left a critical question unanswered: "Was there a better, nonlethal means of dealing with the situation?" © WND Miriam Carey In other words, did officers make the wrong call? The answer may have to come from the now $150-million civil suit the Carey family plans to file, which could force the final investigative report on the shooting to be released as evidence. The defendants may try to settle the case, but Miriam's sister, Valarie, a former NYPD sergeant, has told WND that getting to the truth is more important to the family than money Sanders said the refusal by the DOJ to release the official investigation, and an exhaustive review of all publicly available data, has convinced the Carey family the shooting was not justified. The suit maintains Carey was still alive after she was shot numerous times by officers then taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Also, according to the suit, despite being mortally wounded by gunfire during the chase, she continued driving out of panic, until she finally came to a stop and was taken from her car, a few blocks away from the initial shooting and a block from the Capitol. Our 'enemies' in Ukraine speak: People from the Donbass describe the atrocities there WARNING: The following video and screenshots (visible at the original source) contain extremely violent images of the carnage resulting from Kiev's so-called anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine. America's 'news' media do not let the victims of Ukraine's civil war - the people who are dying and being driven out from the southeastern regions of that country by the new Ukrainian Government - speak, and tell their story. Scenes will therefore be posted below from an admittedly overlong amateur video from southeastern Ukraine, in which they have been allowed to tell their story. This is being done here since U.S. 'news' media apparently don't consider it something that you would want to know, and since you should be allowed to judge for yourself whether it is or not, and to judge why it's not being reported on the 'news' sources that our 'democracy' offers to 'inform' America's public about public affairs. It is also being done because these still photos from the documentary summarize this over-long documentary's important narrative. You are welcomed to click onto the link above to see the entire 82-minute documentary. First, there will here be an introductory paragraph summary of the relevant background (not discussed in the documentary), if you want to know that: In February 2014, our State Department and CIA used 'false flag,' or engineered-so-as-to-be-misinterpreted, violence by our country's paid Ukrainian agents, in order to exploit the 'Maidan' demonstrations in Kiev, the desire of Ukrainians for a less-corrupt government than existed in Ukraine, and than has existed in Ukraine ever since the fall of communism there. Our Government, the Obama Administration, paid masked gunmen there to dress as if they were from the State Security Force of the corrupt Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and to shoot at and murder not just policemen but anti-Yanukovych or 'democracy' demonstrators. (However, Yanukovych had, in fact, himself been democratically elected in 2010, and still was the democratically elected President.) (NOTE: The complete key phone-transcript whose audio is briefly heard excerpted there is printed here.) And our gunmen also threatened some members of the Ukrainian Parliament at gunpoint, and engineered their approval of an emergency replacement of Yanukovych's government by one that was appointed by Obama's agent, Victoria Nuland, and that was headed by Nuland's friend "Yats," Arseniy Yatsenyuk. This new government was filled with people who stated their desire to exterminate the people in Ukraine's southeast, the people who had voted overwhelmingly for Yanukovych - to just get rid of them. Doing that would make Obama's regime in Ukraine become permanent. Then, Ukraine held a 'democratic' election in which voters everywhere but in the southeast voted, and essentially the same coup-installed people remained in power. The billionaire oligarch Petro Poroshenko was elected as the President of 'Ukraine'; and Victoria Nuland's chosen leader, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, continued on as the new country's Prime Minister. Yatsenyuk fired the previous Defense Minister and replaced him with Mikhail Koval, who on June 11th announced a program of ethnic cleansing in the southeast. This was actually a direct extension from the program that had already started with the extermination on May 2nd of hundreds of supporters of the previous government, who were trapped inside the Trade Unions Building in Odessa and burned alive there. This massacre was masterminded by people who were installed by the Obama Administration. That massacre started Ukraine's civil war, by demonstrating to people throughout the southeast, that the newly Obama-installed Ukrainian Government wanted to kill them. It was now official policy throughout the southeastern portion of Ukraine, to kill the Obama-installed regime's opponents. All of the residents there were being officially labelled by the Obama government as 'terrorists,' and their elimination was declared to be a patriotic necessity for Ukraine. However, this amateur documentary from Ukraine's southeast - the video from which the scenes below are taken - presents the resulting civil war not from the Obama Government's side, but from their regime's victims' side, which is hardly heard at all in the West. Government-run internet battle heats up at FCC A Republican aide claims the federal agency can't overturn state restrictions. If Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler wants to stop states from blocking city-run broadband, he'll likely have to override Republican opposition to do it. Wednesday, a top Republican FCC aide argued that the agency lacks the authority to overturn state laws on the issue. More than 20 states, at the behest of cable and telecom industry lobbyists, have restricted the ability of cities to build their own broadband networks. Matthew Berry, the chief of staff to Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, argued that cities and towns are just "appendages" of state governments. States are free to restrict local policy-making as they see fit, Berry argued. He acknowledged that the federal government can preempt state laws, but only through a "clear statement" from Congress. Without that congressional authorization, the FCC can't take action, Berry said. The Republican aide implied that Wheeler is only contemplating action on the issue as a way to tamp down liberal outrage over his proposal for weaker net-neutrality regulations. "We do not have the bandwidth to waste on a symbolic, feel-good effort that appears designed to appease a political constituency that is unhappy with where the FCC is headed on other issues," Berry said at a conference of state legislators in Minneapolis. He warned that the FCC will only lose in court if it tries to act against state laws. In letters to members of Congress, Wheeler has said federal preemption is "not a step to be taken lightly" and that the agency would examine each state law individually. But he has insisted that he has the authority to overturn the laws, which he argues restrict competition and leave consumers with slower Internet service. Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 gives the FCC the authority to "promote the deployment" of high-speed Internet. State restrictions on local Internet projects may be in violation of that provision, according to Wheeler. The legal question is whether the provision gives the agency "clear" authority to strike down state laws. The agency is considering petitions from Chattanooga, Tenn., and Wilson, N.C., to overturn state restrictions so they can expand their municipal projects. Internet providers and many state lawmakers argue that the city-run projects can waste taxpayer money. But Wheeler and congressional Democrats argue the projects can boost economic development by providing high-speed Internet access to local businesses. The projects are often built in areas without high-speed Internet service from commercial providers. Cover-up? Plane crash that killed Brazilian presidential socialist candidate had black box that 'recorded data of different flight' The black box recovered from the wreckage of the plane crash that killed Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos did not record his flight, Brazilian Air Force (FAB) says. It said the audio recording FAB experts had analysed was not related to the flight that crashed on Wednesday. A spokesman said they were trying to determine what the recording was. Mr Campos and six others died when his private jet crashed in bad weather in the port city of Santos near Sao Paulo. Experts from the Centre of Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, have been trying to reconstruct the audio files from the black box in search for more clues as to what happened in the lead up to the accident. "The two hours of audio, the maximum recording capacity of the equipment, which were received and validated by certified technicians, were not of the flight of 13 August," air force spokesman Pedro Luis Farcic said in a statement (in Portuguese). "It is not yet possible to determine the date of the dialogue recorded in the CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder), given that this equipment does not record this information," he continued, adding that an investigation would determine what may have happened. Whales turn up in unusually high numbers in the seas around Ireland The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) reports upwards of 30 fin whales along a 50km stretch of the West Cork coastline in southern Ireland, between the Old Head of Kinsale and the Kedge area, which is unusual for this time of year. Colin Barnes from Cork Whale Watch, who has spent several weeks observing the build-up of this activity confirms there are huge 'fish clouds' comprising small sprat or larval herring in the area and these are likely to be what is attracting the fin whales in such numbers. Combined estimates from land and boat based sightings suggest there could also be 20 or more fin whales in the waters between Seven Heads and Galley Head, County Cork. Minke whale washes ashore on Truro beach, Cape Cod A minke whale spotted bleeding off the coast of Cape Cod on Sunday died and washed ashore at a Truro beach on Monday morning, The Cape Cod Times reported. According to the report, the whale, estimated to be between 20 and 25 feet long and weigh between three and five tons, was found when volunteers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare Marine Mammal Rescue and Research program went looking for it early on Monday. Researchers are planning to conduct a necropsy, but have not yet decided whether it will be performed at the scene or whether the whale will be moved to a separate site first. The report indicated that this is the third minke whale death this season. One died last week near Barnstable Harbor and another died in June near Provincetown. Source: The Cape Cod Times Bárðarbunga volcano getting ready to erupt? 1000 e... Video of deadly St Louis police shooting raises qu... Series of five tornadoes sweep through northern It... U.S. journalist: Police militarization aggravated ... Traces of marine plankton discovered attached to I... Illuminatus! Soviet-era Tesla Tower restarted with... Discredited global warming still kicking: Why glob... Fighting the genocide: Lugansk self-defense fighte... Electrical sparking may alter evolution of lunar s... Sponsor of state terrorism: Hollande publicly says... Cop threatens to kill peaceful protestors with ass... Water crisis can't get any worse? Wait until the a... Kiev's meeting with Putin will leave Ukraine with ... Missouri governor calls for "vigorous prosecution"... Ebola death toll hits 1350; CDC says there have be... Hundreds gather outside CNN building in Atlanta to... California highway patrol officer under investigat... U.S. puppet regime Saudi Arabia executes four men ... College friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev agrees to plea... Bank of America agrees to record $17bn settlement ... Who will stand up for Miriam Carey, executed by Ca... Our 'enemies' in Ukraine speak: People from the Do... Cover-up? Plane crash that killed Brazilian presid... Whales turn up in unusually high numbers in the se... Minke whale washes ashore on Truro beach, Cape Cod...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1921
__label__wiki	0.869916	0.869916	FBI Had 12-Page File On George Carlin Because He Made Jokes About Government By John Vibes Comedian George Carlin is known as one of the most controversial and outspoken entertainers of his time and, as far as the government is concerned, he could have possibly been a terrorist. He went into great detail about corruption in government and business. During the 1978 Supreme Court case, FCC v Pacifica Foundation, the government cited Carlin’s work as an example of profanity. They used his “Seven Dirty Words” segment to show the type of language that was being used in records and broadcasts. However, the government’s interest in his work did not stop there. Just after his 1969 appearance on the Jackie Gleason show, Carlin caught the attention of the FBI because he made jokes about then-FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover. According to the government, Carlin had “referred to the Bureau and the Director in a satirical vein.” They added that his act was “considered to be in very poor taste” and “it was obvious that he was using the prestige of the Bureau and Mr. Hoover to enhance his performance.” After Carlin’s appearance on the show, the staff of Jackie Gleason received a number of anonymous letters — allegedly from fans but possibly from the FBI — condemning Carlin for speaking about the government in the critical way that he did. It has been proven that the FBI has indeed sent threatening letters to public figures in the past, pretending to be concerned colleagues or a member of the public, including to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A letter claiming to be from a viewer of the Jackie Gleason show, criticizing Carlin’s statements. Anyone who speaks out against the injustices of the world, whether they are a dangerous terrorist or a harmless comedian, will receive unwanted attention from government. Below is a video showing Carlin’s deep political analysis in action: Read the 12 pages of FBI documents on Carlin here. "Mystery" Cyanide Foam Covers Streets In China After Tianjin Storms As "Massive Fish Die-Off" Photographed On Wednesday evening we noted that China, in what looks like an attempt to discourage investigative reports into Communist Party culpability for the explosion at Tianjin which killed more than a hundred people and injured more than 700 last week, revealed the previously unnamed majority shareholders of Tianjin International Ruihai Logistics. The two men - a Mr. Yu and a Mr. Dong - have Party ties and admitted to using their political connections to skirt restrictions on the storage and handling of hazardous chemicals like sodium cyanide. That admission isn’t likely to satisfy the Chinese public, which is looking for the head (figuratively speaking we hope) of someone higher up in the party, as scapegoating a few locals with tenuous Party ties doesn’t seem to constitute the type of wholesale, rigorous investigation that would indicate Beijing is serious about getting to the bottom of how 700 tonnes of toxic chemicals ended up being stored at a facility that was only licensed to warehouse a fraction of that total. In any event, the "cyanide thunderstorms" we warned were rolling into the area have now blanketed Tianjin in a "mysterious" white foam. The images are below. And as The South China Morning Post reports, some claimed the rain had burned their skin and lips, which would be consistent with a text message purported to have emanated from the American Embassy (which immediately denied its authenticity) advising workers to "avoid ALL contact" between their skin and any rain: Some residents and journalists near the blast site in Tianjin experienced skin burns as rain hit the Binhai New Area on Tuesday. Amid fears the rain could spark toxic reactions with chemicals at the site - in particular with hundreds of tonnes of sodium cyanide - an official urged the public to "stay far away". As the rain progressed, an unusual white foam emerged on roads near the blast site. A journalist for Caixin reported feeling burns on the lips and arms after being exposed to the rain. As for the official explanation for why the streets in Tianjin are now running white with what might very well be an extremely toxic, cyanide-laced foam, Tianjin's environmental monitoring center says it's "a normal phenomenon when rain falls, and similar things have occurred before." And in case that wasn't enough of a punchline for you, here's a look at what happened after no chemicals were detected in the seawater around the blast site: No #cyanide detected in sample water where massive fish die-off occurred, says #Tianjin’s environmental watchdog http://pic.twitter.com/hkeykoc8RK — CCTVNEWS (@cctvnews) August 20, 2015 How Jeb Bush Funneled Pension Money to Lehman Before Getting a $1.3 Million a Year Consulting Job at the Firm At this point, it almost feels like kicking someone while he’s down. Jeb Bush can’t even stand up to Donald Trump, let alone his own growing series of scandals. In the latest revelation from David Sirota and team at International Business Daily, we learn that: For Florida taxpayers, the move by the administration of then-Gov. Jeb Bush to forge a relationship with Lehman Brothers would ultimately prove disastrous. Transactions in 2005 and 2006 put the Wall Street investment bank in charge of some $250 million worth of pension funds for Florida cops, teachers and firefighters. Lehman would capture more than $5 million in fees on these deals, while gaining additional contracts to manage another $1.2 billion of Florida’s money. Then, in the fall of 2008, Lehman collapsed into bankruptcy, leaving Florida facing up to $1 billion in losses. But for Jeb Bush personally, his enduring relationship with Lehman would prove lucrative. In 2007, just as he left office, Bush secured a job as a Lehman consultant for $1.3 million a year, Bloomberg reported. Next time, please just ride off into the sunset and paint landscapes with your brother. Weeks after Bush took the Lehman job, the Florida State Board of Administration (SBA) — a three-member body that makes investment decisions about state pension funds and whose ranks had recently included one Jeb Bush — gave Lehman additional business: SBA purchased $842 million worth of separate investments in Lehman’s mortgage-backed securities. Over the course of one year from June 2007 to June 2008, the SBA would shift an additional $420 million of pension money into the same fund in which the state had begun investing under Bush. In short, during Bush’s first year working for Lehman, his former colleagues in Tallahassee, the state capital, moved vast sums of Florida pension money into the doomed Wall Street investment bank, even as warnings about its financial troubles began to emerge. “This is a breathtaking conflict of interest going on here,” said Craig Holman, governmental ethics lobbyist with Public Citizen, a good-government group. “This cost Florida very dearly, and it enriched Jeb Bush.” Jeff Connaughton, author of the book “The Payoff: Why Wall Street Always Wins,” said the transactions illustrate a larger culture that dominates the politics of finance. Florida originally began investing money in Lehman in 2005, while Bush was the highest profile member of the SBA, which oversees the $150 billion pension fund. The Bush-led SBA that year committed $176 million to Lehman; in 2006, as Florida moved another $87 million into the Lehman investment, the firm hired Jeb Bush’s cousin, George Herbert Walker, to run the firm’s investment management division. The next year, Lehman offered the outgoing Florida governor the consulting job. Bush had worked briefly at a Texas-based bank after college, but he lacked significant Wall Street experience. Fortunately for Jeb, being a crony doesn’t take any real skill. Most of the investment losses that hit Florida starting in July 2007 were tied to the Lehman mortgage-backed securities bought the year Bush began his employment at the firm. FBI Had 12-Page File On George Carlin Because He M... "Mystery" Cyanide Foam Covers Streets In China Aft... How Jeb Bush Funneled Pension Money to Lehman Befo...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1922
__label__wiki	0.722085	0.722085	Tube Notes \| The Honolulu Advertiser \| Hawaii's Newspaper Tube Notes By Mike Hughes Gannett News Service Tonight's Must-See "AFP: American Fighter Pilot," 7 p.m., CBS. Back in 1986, director Tony Scott offered a fresh view of military pilots. His "Top Gun" set at the Navy's pilot school in California was a dazzling look at modern cowboys strapped into killing machines. Now he's producing this show with his brother, Ridley Scott, director of "Black Hawk Down." In some ways this is far from "Top Gun" turf. It's a different branch (Air Force), different coast (in Florida), and a different era. It's also a reality show, not fiction. Still, Tony Scott has edited the film with some "Top Gun" concepts in mind. "AFP" wants to capture the differing personalities of men in a life-and-death world. Of Note "THE RIGHT STUFF," (1983), PG, 6 p.m., FLIX. Director Philip Kaufman ("Quills") gathered an ace cast for this Oscar-winning modern-day epic detailing the early days of the U.S. space program. The film follows the first dangerous attempts by crazy-brave Air Force pilots like Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard) to break the sound barrier, to the Mercury program space flights of John Glenn (Ed Harris) and Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn) that would eventually lead to the Apollo program and the moon. It also offers standout performances from Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward and Barbara Hershey. "Providence," 7 p.m., NBC. Now that Syd has lost her medical license, she's working in her sister's doggie bakery. "First Monday," 8 p.m., CBS. The Supreme Court must decide whether a basketball player can be required to finish high school before going pro. "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," 9 p.m., NBC. Judith Light ("Who's the Boss?") joins the show as the new leader of this unit. She arrives during a tough case involving a man suspected of molestation.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1923
__label__wiki	0.885175	0.885175	The Karate Dojo > O’Sensei Virgil Kimmey A Great Man It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. 4 BC – 65 AD Written By: Meg “Cricket” Hazel in 2002 (Revised and updated in 2019 by Sensei Brian Pena and Maria Kimmey) He has been called a great man, a wise man, a proud man, but no single definition seems to sum up the characteristics of O’Sensei Virgil D’Arcy Kimmey, Ph.D., and Judan (10th Degree Blackbelt). For the past 20-30 years, his livelihood was teaching martial arts. Before this, he served in the army, worked as a security guard, a jewelry salesman, a body guard, a stenographer, and other varied professions. His personality was as unique as his job history, but for a man who was quite difficult to “figure out”, he will be missed by thousands of students all over the world. Mr. Kimmey was born in Maryland in 1920. He grew up during the depression era helping to support his mother and siblings after finishing fifth grade. His father wasn’t around, so he did many odd jobs such as catching snapping turtles and selling them for turtle soup. Times were so tough that he had to stuff newspapers under his clothing to keep warm. He worked briefly at a Chinese laundromat, which ended up being his martial arts introduction. The Chinese workers would practice their art, and a young Mr. Kimmey would sneak to watch them. They ran him off over and over again, however they eventually gave in and let him watch. He also sold fruits and vegetables, and at one point had to resort to stealing food. The shopkeeper was merciful and let him work it off, but he remembered the experience for the rest of his life. He lied about his age to get into the army early, was stationed in Germany, and ended up with a Purple Heart after getting shot in the leg during World War II. He recalled his war experiences by describing the horror of seeing people shot and reeling from concussion grenades. After the war, at a local YMCA, Mr. Kimmey began studying Shorin-ryu. While Mr. Kimmey was a blue belt, the instructor at the YMCA left. Mr. Kimmey took over instruction of the class, but realized he needed more instruction himself. He ending up meeting with Kim Soo Jen during the 1960’s. In return for bringing Mr. Jen over from South Korea, providing him a home and setting up his citizenship, Mr. Kimmey received instruction in Tae Kwon Do. Mr. Jen was a strict instructor and a demanding person. He destroyed some of Mr. Kimmey’s books on martial arts, telling him that he was not to learn from books but from him. He also tended to simply take what he wanted and expected his students to honor his requests. Mr. Kimmey and Mr. Jen eventually parted ways, but Mr. Jen came back to see Mr. Kimmey after he had married Maria. As Mr. Jen was leaving the home, he eyed a chair that Maria had recently purchased and expressed his interest in taking it with him. Mr. Jen soon realized that Maria was not going to put up with his demands. He left without the chair and with a new fear: Maria Kimmey. Mr. Kimmey had only his gi and a pair of sandals to his name when he visited a restaurant in Augusta. There, he met Maria. She was from Germany and had still not perfected her English. She worked at the restaurant as a manager. Mr. Kimmey courted her for about 3 months before she finally agreed to go out with him. He had told her that she was a martial artist, and he brought her to see where he trained. Maria must have been confused, because she wanted to know where the canvases and paints were kept. Despite her confusion, she ended up falling in love and marrying him in 1970. In 1977, Mr. Kimmey taught at “Camp Karate”, where he impressed many people with his abilities: Jeff Smith, Bill Wallace, Joe Corley, Sam Chapman, and Bobby Tucker. It was during this time that he became involved with Zen Shotokai Karate under Joseph Ruiz. Mr. Kimmey, however, was no stranger to tough instruction and testing. He told his students that he wouldn’t teach them they way he had been taught. However, some students insisted that they wanted the experience. Mr. Kimmey took these five students (who paid extra for the experience), and told them they if any one of them quit the “special instruction”, that the special class would be over for all five. On the first day of class, he gave them a small dose of what he went through, which included being hit in the stomach over 50 times and receiving the same blows the very next day. With his own students he was much kinder, yet not one of them wanted to continue the “special instruction”. Mr. Kimmey earned his Judan (10th Degree Blackbelt) and was inducted into the Yudansha Hall of Fame on May 25, 1988. This is also when he received his Ph.D. in Martial Sciences. Both of these are the highest honors that can be received, yet Mr. Kimmey remained a man who was satisfied with simple pleasures in life. He considered getting his GED, but eventually decided against it. In fact, Mr. Kimmey was extremely well-read. He was curious by nature, and kept clippings of articles that interested him. He kept up with trends such as gas prices, researched religion and the Bible, and liked to find the “hidden facts” in history. He was fond of the American Indian and had some as friends. He also dabbled in coin collecting in the last years of his life. He was opinionated and liked to argue. However, he didn’t like to talk about his health, mentioning it only when necessary and then only in passing. Mr. Kimmey was a proud man who found it difficult when his body began to tire. In 1998, Mr. Kimmey retired from teaching at his North Augusta Dojo. With his students, Mr. Kimmey was a true perfectionist. He demanded respect and expected his students to do as they are told. While he realized that problems would arise in getting too close to students, he still became involved with many of his students’ personal lives. The reason he did so is because he believed that his students were a reflection of himself, and he had a clear idea of how they should conduct themselves. Of course, this caused some tension, as Mr. Kimmey was difficult to please. He could be angry and mean at times, and some just couldn’t deal with it. Mr. Kimmey was not one to mince words: he told you exactly how he felt whether it was nice or hurtful. His purpose, however, was to benefit the student. He tried to make them better in what he thought was the proper way. He would also test them to see when they would break. Being rough on them was his way of making them prepared. O’Sensei Kimmey has affected countless lives and he will continue to do so through his many students. While he was truly a great man, he was also human. Even those close to him had difficulty in trying to “figure him out”. Mr. Kimmey was not one to forgive easily, he would hold a grudge against those he felt had wronged him. However, there is no doubt that he was well-respected and honored. He will be remembered and missed by many. I wish I had had the chance to meet him before his passing. I feel very lucky to be able to meet him through his students.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1928
__label__cc	0.722404	0.277596	THE word "evolution" is the best word from a theosophical standpoint to use in treating of the genesis of men and things, as the process which it designates is that which has been always stated in the ancient books from whose perusal the tenets of the wisdom religion can be gathered. In the Bhagavad Gita we find Krishna saying that "at the beginning of the day of Brahma all things come forth from the non-developed principle, and at the coming on of Brahma's night they are resolved into it again," and that this process goes on from age to age. This exactly states evolution as it is defined in our dictionaries, where it is said to be a process of coming forth or a development. The "days and nights of Brahma" are immense periods of time during which evolution proceeds, the manifestation of things being the "day" and their periodical resolution into the Absolute the "night." If, then, everything is evolved, the word creation can only be properly applied to any combination of things already in existence, since the primordial matter or basis cannot be created. The basis of the theosophical system is evolution, for in theosophy it is held that all things are already in esse, being brought forth or evolved from time to time in conformity to the inherent law of the Absolute. The very next question to be asked is, What is this inherent law of the Absolute? as nearly as can be stated. Although we do not and cannot know the Absolute, we have enough data from which to draw the conclusion that its inherent law is to periodically come forth from subjectivity into objectivity and to return again to the former, and so on without any cessation. In the objective world we have a figure or illustration of this in the rising and setting of the sun, which of all natural objects best shows the influence of the law. It rises, as H. P. Blavatsky says, from the (to us) subjective, and at night returns to the subjective again, remaining in the objective world during the day. If we substitute, as we must when attempting to draw correspondences between the worlds, the word "state" for locality or place, and instead of the sun we call that object "the Absolute," we have a perfect figure, for then we will have the Absolute rising above the horizon of consciousness from the subjective state, and its setting again for that consciousness when the time of night arrives that is, the night of Brahma. This law of periodicity is the same as that of the cycles, which can be seen governing in every department of nature. But let us assume a point of departure so as to get a rapid survey of evolution theosophically considered. And let it be at the time when this period of manifestation began. What was projected into the objective world at that time must have been life itself, which under the action of the law of differentiation split itself up into a vast number of lives, which we may call individual, the quantity of which it is not possible for us of finite mind to count. In the Hindu system these are called Jivas and Jivatman. Within these lives there is contained the entire plan to be pursued during the whole period of manifestation, since each life is a small copy of the great All from which it came. Here a difficulty arises for studious minds, calling for some attention, for they may ask "What then do you do with that which we call "matter", and by and through which the lives manifest themselves?" The reply is that the so-called matter is an illusion and is not real matter, but that the latter--sometime known in Europe as primordial matter--cannot be seen by us. The real matter is itself only another form of the life first thrown out, but in a less perfect state of differentiation, and it is on a screen of this real matter that its inner energies project pictures which we call matter, mistaking them for the real. It may then be further asked, "Have we not been led to suppose that that which we supposed was matter but which you now say is an illusion is something absolutely necessary to the soul for acquiring experience of nature?" To this I reply that such is not the case, but that the matter needed for the soul to acquire experience through is the real unseen matter. It is that matter of which psychic bodies are composed, and those other "material" things all the way up to spirit. It is to this that the Bhagavad Gita refers where it says that spirit (purusha) and matter (prakriti) are coeternal and not divisible from each other. That which we and science are accustomed to designate matter is nothing more than our limited and partial cognition of the phenomena of the real or primordial matter. This position is not overturned by pointing to the fact that all men in general have the same cognitions of the same objects, that square objects are always square and that shadows fall in the same line for all normal people, for even in our own experience we see that there is such a thing as a collective change of cognition, and that thus it is quite possible that all normal people are merely on the single plane of consciousness where they are not yet able to cognize anything else. In the case of hypnotizing everything appears to the subject to be different at the will of the operator, which would not be possible if objects had any inherent actuality of their own apart from our consciousness. In order to justify a discussion of the Theosophical system of evolution, it is necessary to see if there be any radical difference between it and that which is accepted in the world, either in scientific circles or among Theologians. That there is such a distinction can be seen at once, and we will take first that between it and Theology. Here, of course, this is in respect to the genesis of the inner man more especially, although Theology makes some claim to know about race descent. The Church either says that the soul of each man is a special creation in each case or remains silent on the subject, leaving us, as it was once so much the fashion to say, "In the hands of a merciful Providence," who after all says nothing on the matter. But when the question of the race is raised, then the priest points to the Bible, saying that we all come from one pair, Adam and Eve. On this point Theology is more sure than science, as the latter has no data yet and does not really know whether we owe our origin to one pair, male and female, or to many. Theosophy, on the other hand, differs from the Church, asserting that Paramatma alone is self-existing, single, eternal, immutable, and common to all creatures, high and low alike; hence it never was and never will be created; that the soul of man evolves, is consciousness itself, and is not specially created for each man born on the earth, but assumes through countless incarnations different bodies at different times. Underlying this must be the proposition that, for each Manvantara or period of manifestation, there is a definite number of souls or egos who project themselves into the current of evolution which is to prevail for that period or manvantara. Of course this subject is limitless, and the consideration of the vast number of systems and worlds where the same process is going on with a definite number of egos in each, staggers the minds of most of those who take the subject up. And of course I do not mean to be understood as saying that there is a definite number of egos in the whole collection of systems in which we may imagine evolution as proceeding, for there could be no such definiteness considered in the mass, as that would be the same as taking the measure of the Absolute. But in viewing any part of the manifestation of the Absolute, it is allowable for us to say that there are to be found such a definite number of egos in that particular system under consideration; this is one of the necessities of our finite consciousness. Following out the line of our own argument we reach the conclusion that, included within the great wave of evolution which relates to the system of which this earth is a part, there are just so many egos either fully developed or in a latent state. These have gone round and round the wheel of rebirth, and will continue to do so until the wave shall meet and be transformed into another. Therefore there could be no such thing as a special creation of souls for the different human beings born on this earth, and for the additional reason that, if there were, then spirit would be made subservient to illusion, to mere human bodies. So that in respect to theology we deny the propositions, first, that there is any special creation of souls, second, that there is, or was, or could be by any possibility any creation of this world or of any other, and third, that the human race descended from one pair. In taking up the difference existing between our theory and that of science we find the task easy. Upon the question of progress, and how progress or civilization may be attained by man, and whether any progress could be possible if the theories of science be true, our position is that there could be no progress if the law of evolution as taught in the schools is true, even in a material sense. In this particular we are diametrically opposed to science. Its assumption is that the present race on the earth may be supposed to belong to a common stock which in its infancy was rude and barbarous, knowing little more than the animal, living like the animal, and learning all it now knows simply by experience gained in its contest with nature through its development. Hence they give us the paleolithic age, the neolithic age, and so on. In this scheme we find no explanation of how man comes to have innate ideas. Some, however, seeing the necessity for an explanation of this phenomenon, attempt it in various ways; and it is a phenomenon of the greatest importance. It is explained by theosophy in a way peculiar to itself, and of which more will be said as we go on. W.Q.J. Path, August, 1890	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1931
__label__wiki	0.823364	0.823364	VOODOO BAYOU Live Performance, Music Festivals, Special Events Facebook Twitter Googleplus YouTube Tumblr Stumbleupon Kyle Domangue KYLE DOMANGUE – Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter Kyle is from Houma, LA and has been playing, writing and recording music since the early age of 12. His numerous summer performances at Noah’s Ark in Panama City Beach, FL paved the way for the start of his solo acoustic guitar career. Kyle started his acoustic entertainment business in 1991 in the southlands of Lousiana and built a very strong following performing in many popular bars, clubs, coffee shops and restaurants around Louisiana State University campus. Kyle was performing regularly in Phoenix, AZ venues with an extremely talented Roots Rock band called The Preserve. The Preserve have released it’s debut album “The Setup” and their work can be found online at CD Baby, iTunes and DigStation. Their second CD “Golden Opportunity” has been completed and is now also available online. Kyle performed with The Preserve at the Fiesta Bowl Block Party in Tempe, AZ in January 2010 having opened up for the Doobie Brothers and also in March 2011 for the Stop, Rock & Roll Music Festival in Phoenix opening for the Gin Blossoms. Kyle has also been privileged to open or share the stage with a number of other established artists such as: Justin Moore, Dizzy Reed (Guns & Roses), Thaddeus Richard (McCartney/Wings), Alex Grossi (Quiet Riot, Skid Row), Chad McDonald (Gene Loves Jezebel), Michael Brahm (Flock of Seagulls), “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler” Waylon Thibodeaux and Randy Jackson (Zebra). Jody Naquin JODY NAQUIN – Bass, Guitar, Vocals Jody is from Houma, LA and has 35+ years playing guitar having played many genres over the years including Classic Rock, Oldies, Country, Swamp Pop and Big Band. He has now decided to play BASS guitar, something he’s always wanted to do, but never an opportunity until now. Jody has performed with several bands during this time including Aerie, Marauder, “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler” Waylon Thibodeaux, Seabrook, Louisiana Soul Survivors, Take Five, Moss Point, Billy Stark and Friends, Kerizma, The Joe Show and has also done some freelance work with ADORE Ministries and Victory Christian Center music groups. Jody began learning to play the guitar around the age of 7, having taught himself how to play chords and learning songs heard on the radio. Later, he started performing with friends (all acoustic) from a local group from Annunziata Church in Houma. This same group of friends evolved into his first band ever named Aerie (1974-81). Following Aerie, Jody performed with several local groups around the area until doing a 7-year stint playing lead guitar with Seabrook during the early to late 80’s, having performed for many festivals, weddings, dances, local bars and clubs. He later formed Take Five along with his wife Lauren, a 5-piece group playing classic rock, pop and country dance music during the mid to late 90’s. Jody’s music career has allowed him to have performed at many festivals and concerts such as the Uplifting the Coast Festival in Baton Rouge and Grand Isle, LA, Downtown Live After Five Concert and Voice of the Wetlands Festival in Houma, Chicken & Egg Festival in Moulton, AL and the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, AL. He has also opened for, or shared the stage with such artists as Justin Moore, Trace Adkins, Louisiana’s LeRoux, Zebra, Thaddeus Richard (McCartney/Wings), Louise Mandrell, R.C. Bannon, John Conlee. Mark Duet MARK DUET – Keyboards, Vocals Mark is from Chackbay, LA and has been a Keyboardist for 37 years, playing many genres such as Country, Rock, Pop, Blues, Zydeco, Swamp Pop and Cajun Music. Mark has performed over the years with local acts such as Blackwater, Southern Pride (who was 1 of 6 national finalists in the 1986 Wrangler Country Showdown), Miller Point, No Boundaries, Josh Garrett, Souled Out, Don Rich, Rockin’ Doopsie, Jr. and Vin Bruce (Country Music Hall of Fame), and Uncle Pott Folse, L.J. Foret, Johnny Fonseca (Louisiana Music Hall of Fame). Mark has played such notable stages and TV programs as the New Orleans House of Blues main stage, Mid-City Lanes Rock’N’Bowl, Howlin’ Wolf, Grand Ole Opry, Opryland, Nashville Now with Ralph Emery and the Crook & Chase Country Countown. He has performed with national artists such as Johnny Paycheck, David Allan Coe, Keith Whitley, The Kentucky Headhunters and Ronnie McDowell. He has also more recently performed with “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler” Waylon Thibodeaux, Blake Shelton, Thaddeus Richard (McCartney/Wings), Rodney Atkins, Ellis Marsalis, Dr. John, Jo-El Sonnier; Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), 5 time Hall of Famer Tommy Allsup, Amanda Shaw, Louisiana Blues artist Tab Benoit and the Voice of The Wetlands All Star Band. Mark has recorded on many CD’s, including Waylon Thibodeaux’s “Who’s Yo Cher’ BeBe” CD which was a top 20 Grammy nomination for 2008 and currently has the European hit “Sweet Colinda”. Michael Klaus MICHAEL KLAUS – Guitar, Bass, Vocals Michael is from Thibodaux, LA and was brought up in a musical family. He began taking piano lessons at the early age of 4 for about 9 years, when he decided that the piano wasn’t really for him anymore. In search of a different musical outlet, he began playing guitar in 1999. He and others from his church decided it would be fun to start a band a few months later. Since the band already had three guitar players, Michael began to learn how to play electric bass in addition to the guitar. During the summer of 2002, Michael began working and playing music nightly at Noah’s Ark in Panama City Beach, FL at the age of 15. He continued to be a part of the band and staff at Noah’s Ark every summer through 2007. During those summers, Michael played electric bass, acoustic guitar, lead guitar and was a lead vocalist. He was privileged to have shared the stage and studied with several prestigious musicians who made a great impact on his life and his musicianship: Paul David Longstreth, a well-known jazz pianist and Mitchell Player, professional double bass player, who were both from New Orleans; Jimmy Ward, a well-known guitarist from the panhandle of Florida who toured with David Clayton Thomas and Blood, Sweat and Tears; Luke Pinegar, well known jazz musician from the Panama City, FL area, along with other outstanding young staff musicians at Noah’s Ark. Since joining Voodoo Bayou, Michael has been privileged to have opened for, or shared the stage with, several established artists such as: Justin Moore, Thaddeus Richard (McCartney/Wings), Louisiana’s LeRoux (Louisiana Music Hall of Fame), Randy Jackson (Zebra) and “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler” Waylon Thibodeaux. In May 2010, Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Music from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA where he studied under his father, Dr. Kenneth S. Klaus. While attending NSU, Michael sang in multiple choral ensembles and played double and electric bass in the NSU Blue Bayou Big Band. Michael currently works as a local church music director and school music teacher. In his spare time he enjoys fishing and watching college football. Sam LeCompte SAM LECOMPTE – Drums, Percussion Sam is a native and resident of Schriever, LA and has been performing for 20+ years, having played a wide variety of genres including Country, Rock, Pop, Blues, Oldies, R&B and Funk. Sam began playing drums at the early age of 4. He is a percussion instructor for the Lafourche Parish Schools in south Louisiana. Being an extremely talented drummer, Sam is in very high demand having performed with many local bands and artists JOSH GARRETT, MIKE ZITO, DREAM JUNKIES, LESS DEADLIES, LOCAL OPTION 2 (LO2), SOULED OUT, CRUSH, TERRI & THE FELLAS and others. You will more than likely find Sam performing somewhere with another band on any night off from VOODOO BAYOU. Sam’s hobbies include cooking, music and wine tasting. VOODOO BAYOU is excited and honored to have Sam performing with us. Copyright © 2019 VOODOO BAYOU. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1939
__label__wiki	0.810929	0.810929	Home» Blasters » This Song Comes From 1982 This Song Comes From 1982 Posted by Lance Davis - March 26, 2013 - Blasters, Carl Perkins, Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin, Willie Dixon The Blasters with Carl Perkins and Willie Dixon Recorded at Stages Music Hall, Chicago for PBS’ Soundstage TV series Tracklist and highlights below This video of The Blasters playing with Carl Perkins and Willie Dixon has been making the social media rounds of late. As a historical document, it can’t be topped. It’s the seven-piece version of the band in which the core Blasters — Phil Alvin (vocals, rhythm guitar), Dave Alvin (lead guitar), John Bazz (bass), and Bill Bateman (drums) — were augmented by Gene Taylor (piano), Lee Allen (tenor sax), and Steve Berlin (baritone sax). Adding Taylor’s boogie-woogie piano and the punchy, swinging Allen/Berlin horn section transformed The Blasters from badass roots music jukebox into motherfucking force of nature. They were revivalists in the best sense of the word, keeping alive dozens of obscure songs that were either first wave rock ‘n’ roll or the music that became rock ‘n’ roll. “We got the Louisiana boogie and the delta blues We got country, swing, and rockabilly, too We got jazz, country, western, and Chicago blues It’s the greatest music that you ever knew.” –“American Music” (Dave Alvin) The Blasters emerged in the cauldron of LA’s early punk scene and were aesthetically compatible with other roots-minded Angelenos, like X, Gun Club, Flesh Eaters, The Cramps, and Los Lobos. However, Blasters songs seemed to evoke a pre-Beatles America, an alternate history where “So Long Baby Goodbye” co-existed with the original versions of “Roll ‘Em Pete” (Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson), “Justine” (Don & Dewey) and “Never No More Blues” (Jimmie Rodgers via Bob Wills). Blasters L-R: Dave Alvin, Steve Berlin, Lee Allen, Bill Bateman, Gene Taylor, Phil Alvin, John Bazz Photo: Dave Alvin.com “We felt that if we played the old blues, R&B, and rockabilly songs with the same energy as the originals, that there was nothing ‘dated’ about them, they could stand up next to any punk song. With our background in blues and R&B, we knew we couldn’t honestly be a true punk rock band. But, we could take what we learned from Lee (Allen) and Big Joe (Turner) and Marcus (Johnson, former bandleader for Jimmy Reed) and mix it with what we learned from the English punk 45s and the punk rock shows we’d seen at The Masque and various venues around LA and Long Beach.” –Dave Alvin, Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings liner notes, pp.19-20 Of course, The Blasters weren’t just an adept cover band. Dave wrote stunningly original songs that split the difference between Johns Fogerty and Doe, reconciling AM radio and punk rock, working class and drinking class. I have little doubt that one hundred years from now, our great-grandchildren will be teaching “Marie, Marie” and “Border Radio” to our great-great-grandchildren. Add the soaring, soulful voice of Phil Alvin and the crack Bazz/Bateman rhythm section and you have one of the ten best bands in the history of Los Angeles. The only downside to this Soundstage video is muffled, mediocre sound. Oh well. A flawed video is better than no video. Maybe someday PBS will restore and reissue the entire performance, which could theoretically include another Dixon song, and 30-45 more minutes of the Perkins/Blasters combo package. At least according to Dave Alvin: “Soundstage was like the Chicago version of Austin City Limits. They said it would be an hour-long show filmed over two nights. We could pick two guests and they would get ’em. We talked about Big Joe Turner, but chose Willie Dixon and Carl Perkins. We thought that was the two sides of The Blasters.” –Dave Alvin, American Music: The Blasters/Dave Alvin newsletter, Nov-Dec 2001 TRACKLIST & HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 – Intro “A young California band that’s recreating 1950s rock ‘n’ roll with a new commitment and passion.” Blasters @ The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, 1982-83 Photo: DaveAlvin.com 0:48 – Crazy Baby “A nice alternative from William F. Buckley.” First sighting of the Phil Face, brilliantly captured on the cover of The Blasters’ self-titled Slash debut (1981). Solid guitar work from Dave and gotta love Bateman kicking it up a notch on the last verse, all Earl Palmer up in the ride. 3:23 – This Is It It’s the second song and Phil Alvin is already sweating more than Patrick Ewing in a playoff game. 5:36 – Border Radio Phil Alvin: “This goes out to the radio stations that come up from Mexico.” Maybe the greatest Blasters song and Dave Alvin song. It’s also both a product of Los Angeles music and a narrative that quintessentially embodies the southern California experience, in a way that could relate to white kids and Hispanic kids, no small feat. 8:17 – I’m Shakin’ Phil Alvin: “Right now I’d like to introduce the king of rock ‘n’ roll saxophone. One of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll saxophone players, bar none. (He played on) all the Little Richard stuff that you know and all the Fats Domino stuff. Everybody, New Orleans, Chicago, it doesn’t matter. Lee Allen.” I think it’s Dave adding, “And on baritone sax, Steve Berlin.” “I’m Shakin'” was written by Rudy Toombs (“One Mint Julep”), popularized by Little Willie John, repopularized by The Blasters, re-repopularized by Jack White. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Phil Alvin could sing his Downey ass off. L-R: Lee Allen, Carl Perkins, Dave Alvin, Phil Alvin 10:57 – Carl Perkins interview “Back in 1955, I started at Sun Records, and I started working with Elvis Presley. Elvis and I used to talk about the people that we loved in the music business. Fats Domino, he and Chuck Berry, I would say that those two individuals influenced the artists at Sun Records probably more than any two cats I know of. You mix their sound and way of making music and add a little Bill Monroe in there and you got rockabilly music.” 11:37 – Tag Along Gene Taylor is a much better piano player than singer, but on a night when we get Phil Alvin AND Carl Perkins on vocals, I have to cut him some slack. Actually, I think over the years Gene developed into a pretty good singer because he found his voice within his specific range. Nothing wrong with that, in fact, Dave went through the same thing. Not everyone is born singing like Phil fucking Alvin. 14:10 – Stop The Clock A Bob Ehret obscurity, which describes the entirety of the Ehret discography. 16:07 – Dave Alvin interview Dave: “I remember being 3 years old and having Carl Perkins records, Elvis Presley records, Coasters records, and Fats Domino records and all that.” Phil: “Big Joe Turner records.” Dave: “We grew up with that music. As times changed we changed a little bit, but still somewhere down in my body, by the heart, when I hear that music I go, ‘Yeah, that’s it. That’s what it’s all about.'” 16:30 – Go, Go, Go! Fun fact I: “Go! Go! Go!” was the B-side to Roy Orbison‘s first single on Sun, “Ooby Dooby” (1956), and two years later repurposed as “Down The Line,” the B-side to Jerry Lee Lewis‘ last top 10 single, “Breathless.” Fun fact II: Jerry Lee Lewis’ follow-up single was “High School Confidential,” which was climbing the charts when news of the Killer’s marriage to second cousin, Myra Gale Brown, was made public, and a song that was later released on The Blasters’ 1982 EP, Over There: Live At The Venue, London. Life on the plantation. 20:01 – Blue Suede Shoes In case you didn’t realize, Carl Perkins was a guitar playing badass (20:40-21:05, 21:29-21:58, 22:43-23:12), and some of his mannerisms remind me of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. 24:27 – Honey Don’t Hard to believe that more time has passed since this show was recorded (31 years, 2013-1982) than the time between this show and the original release of “Blue Suede Shoes” (26 years, 1982-1956). 28:52 – Rockabilly Fever “We took a little country music Put some pop in and dressed it up in soul That’s all we did And they called us rockabillies Long before they called it rock ‘n’ roll” L-R: Dave Alvin, Bill Bateman, Phil Alvin @ Whisky a Go Go, 1982 Photo: Gary Leonard via DaveAlvin.com “American music, whether it’s jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, or whatever it is, especially (the music) underlying rock ‘n’ roll, gave more to the world than anything else. More than American writers, more than American painters. This music from people like Lee (Allen) and Carl Perkins, that affected people in Australia, to people in Russia, to people in China. (Rock ‘n’ roll) affected them more than anything else this country ever did. You may not like the United States and everybody tells you not to like it, but one thing you have to admit. Where we come from there’s a culture, there’s a history, and we got Lightnin’ Hopkins and Carl Perkins, what do you got???” 34:14 – American Music “It’s a howl from the desert, a scream from the slums The Mississippi rollin’ to the beat of the drums They wanna hear some American music, American music They wanna hear that sound right from the USA” 36:21 – Hollywood Bed 39:26 – Phil Alvin interview “Structurally, Bach is a very important musical thing. Structurally, Beethoven is a very important musical thing. Carl Perkins is a very important musical thing. Lee Allen is. The kind of music that came about in the United States during this evolution that got sped up because of records, because this is a big country, and it had been slowly going on ever since they brought the first slaves over here, and white people from England sitting in the hills playing, and they all came together and … started playing this blended music.” “It’s just the honesty. It doesn’t matter what type of music you’re playing. Whether you’re playing Bulgarian music or American or whatever, it’s the honesty.” Dave Alvin (L) and Willie Dixon WILLIE DIXON & THE BLASTERS “The first afternoon we rehearsed with Willie and the second day with Carl. In rehearsal with Willie Dixon we did ‘I’m Ready’ and ‘Built For Comfort’ and a new song of Willie’s called ‘If You Don’t Have Peace.’ We wanted to do the songs like the Muddy Waters band and Willie wanted them done like he did them. We sort of got our way. The ‘Peace’ song was really cool because it was so different, but it didn’t make it into the show.” 40:18 – Built For Comfort Phil Alvin: “Right now, one of the greatest songwriters in American music and one of the greatest musicians in American music, Willie Dixon.” 43:37 – I’m Ready In case you didn’t notice, on both Willie Dixon songs, Phil Alvin plays harmonica and Willie’s son, Freddie, plays bass. “You got a mixture of black, white, spiritual, and sinner all gelled together. It’s like you boil tea to make it hot, put ice in it to cool it down, put sugar in it to make it sweet, and put lemon in there to sour that mother!” 47:18 – Marie, Marie 49:12 – So Long Baby Goodbye This 1-2 punch encapsulated not only what made The Blasters great, but encapsulated the timelessness of post-WWII American roots music. Not that the band existed in a vacuum. The Blasters shared ideological space not only with other LA roots bands, but with the other first-rate revivalists from the era, most notably Rockpile and Danny Gatton. Carl Perkins looking cool as hell Carl: “It’s so great to be around you guys. I mean, I listen to y’all. Somebody sent me a Blasters album and I said, ‘Wait a minute. Here’s something that was cut at Sun Records that didn’t get released!'” Dave [laughing]: “That’s right. We’re all in our late 60s.” Carl: “I’m telling you, that thing really sounds like Sun Records. It’s cut better, you all play better, you sound better.” Dave: “Oh, come on.” Carl: “No really. I’m serious with you.” Dave: “Are you gonna tell me I play better than Roland Janes?” Carl: “Well…” [everyone laughs] Carl: “All right, let me put it this way. I haven’t heard you play with a fifth of whiskey sitting on the floor. That’s the way we cut them records back at Sun.” Dave [to someone off-camera]: “Mark that down for the next album. Fifth of whiskey on the floor.” Phil: “There was a fifth of whiskey on the floor at the last one. [laughs] It was mine.” CARL PERKINS & THE BLASTERS 52:47 – Boppin’ The Blues “(The Blasters and Carl Perkins) did 8 or 9 songs (together), but only ‘Boppin’ The Blues’ made the show. We did ‘Honey Don’t,’ ‘Matchbox,’ ‘Gone Gone Gone,’ and a few of Carl’s biggest hits. When we got to the end and went off the stage, the audience wanted an encore. We were standing in the wings and Carl said, ‘Hell, let’s do ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.’ The producer, Ken Ehrlich, chose all the songs. I was disappointed that only one song with Carl Perkins was used.” 55:50 – Outro, applause, end credits Carl Perkins: “I’d just like to say this. I’ve been in the business now for a little over 30 years, but I don’t know of a greater night that I’ve had in my life, really and truly, than I’ve spent right here on this stage tonight.” 3 comments on “This Song Comes From 1982” Maria Mejia says: Awesome! I love the Blasters. Used to see them in Torrance at the Barn. Alpine village and all over LA. The music is still great. Gene Taylor will be playing in LB at Roxane’s this weekend. Pants Elderly says: I believe American Music came before the self-titled in 1980, also on Slash. Can’t remember how we got to them with no radio or shows except to follow the labels. Slash had FEAR, X and The Gun Club so we’d buy anything they or SST put out. Thanks, as always, Lance, Dave quickly became my favorite guitarist and still is to this day. 82-83 would have been about the time I first heard them and this video shows why they replaced the Mats (heh) as my favorite band at the time. keep on rockin my friend, Lance Davis says: Thanks Chris! American Music definitely came before the self-titled. In fact, I wrote about that one here: The Vinyl File: The Blasters – American Music OPNGpEp 1 Glossary Sam Cooke Neil Young Beastie Boys Maria McKee Superchunk Sabrina Ellis The Band Byrds Soul Asylum Blasters X Uncle Tupelo Bob Forrest Gram Parsons Thelonious Monster Grand Champeen Dexateens Beatles I love you Leilani Doug Sahm Bob Dylan Clarence White Jay Farrar Jimi Hendrix Levon Helm Replacements Los Angeles Kinks Merle Haggard Minutemen David Bowie Rolling Stones Alabama Dave Alvin The Vinyl File: The Blasters - American Music August 30, 2013 Dave & Phil Alvin - Common Ground June 29, 2014 The Vinyl File: Phil Alvin - Un "Sung Stories" July 8, 2013 Daddy Rollin' Stone July 30, 2013 I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) August 19, 2014 When They All Had Souls "Looky here Little Caney, honey don't you cry You know we're all going to die someday And the hand...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1944
__label__cc	0.70758	0.29242	Walt Disney World News and Rumors 12/8/14 - 12/15/14 The Haunted Mansion has reopened early from its refurbishment. Tusker House will introduce a character meal dinner beginning March 8. New details have emerged about DVC accommodations at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. There will be 20 bungalows on the water which sleep up to 8. These will have plunge pools and fantastic views of the fireworks. There will also be 360 Deluxe Studios which will sleep up to five and will have a bathroom separated into two areas, one with a shower and sink and the other with a sink and tub/shower. They also will have kitchenettes and enhanced storage space. General Walt Disney World News The Star Wars expansion will be focused on the new movies. Guests can now purchase tickets via the My Disney Experience app. Tickets can be purchased for anywhere from 1 to 10 days, as well as adding the ability to add park hopping. Tickets will be automatically linked and assigned to Family and Friends in your My Disney Experience network. Also, tickets are automatically linked, which means that FastPass+ privileges are automatically assigned at the time of purchase. Beginning Star Wars work will likely begin next year. A new version of Illuminations could be on tap for 2015. Please purchase a subscription through this link and help support this blog. Labels: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Magic Kingdom, My Disney Experience App, News, Rumors, Star Wars, The Haunted Mansion, Tusker House, Walt Disney World Year in Review: The Good and The Bad of Walt Disn... Walt Disney World News and Rumors 12/22/14 - 12/28... A Complete Guide To the Holidays at Disney's Holly... Walt Disney World News and Rumors 12/8/14 - 12/15/... A Complete Guide to Holidays at Epcot Walt Disney World News and Rumors 12/1/14 - 12/7/1... A Complete Guide to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas ...	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1945
__label__cc	0.548303	0.451697	Volume 26, Issue 1, Spring 2008 The Bat Grid A unique approach to reliable data By Pat Ormsbee “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone,” singer Joni Mitchell famously insisted in 1970. Now we’re trying to ensure that we do know what we have – at least with regard to bats in the Pacific Northwest – so we can do a better job of conserving them. For six years, a myriad of partners and I have been conducting a systematic inventory of bats in Oregon and Washington with carefully standardized data on species identification, location and other factors. The result is the Bat Grid. To know what we’ve got requires collecting basic, conclusive and repeatable species data at a landscape scale so that the information can be applied to analyses of long-term trends of species distribution. Baseline data on the identification, presence and distribution of bat species are essential for developing conservation plans. My primary partners in this effort are Professors Joe Szewczak of Humboldt State University, Jan Zinck of Portland State University and Aimee Hart of the U.S. Forest Service. Of course, we can’t do it all ourselves, so we engage professional and citizen scientists to collect the data. An emphasis on consistency in collection methods ensures the data can be confidently combined and analyzed with all other Bat Grid results. The comprehensive inventory and monitoring program, known officially as the “The Bat Grid,” has grown dramatically since its inception in 2002. Surveys are conducted using a grid-based sampling frame of square sample units – each 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) on a side – that covers the Northwest. Our survey efforts are guided by the random selection of sample units. We developed the Bat Grid sampling design and protocol with substantial help from statisticians and biometricians. Initially developed only for the state of Oregon, the Grid was eventually enlarged to cover adjoining states. The Forest Service, meanwhile, has expanded the sampling grid to cover all of North America and to address other species of wildlife. This continental grid is available for downloading at ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/rsac/wildlife. A standardized protocol includes three methods for identifying bats: morphology, acoustics and genetics. Bat Grid surveyors (“Gridders”) take direct measurements of the key physical characteristics of captured bats, but recent research has shown that morphology alone cannot reliably discriminate some very similar species from one another. Therefore, we also sample genetic and acoustic characteristics. Szewczak, a biologist and acoustics specialist, has developed SonoBat software that Gridders use to analyze and catalog the full-spectrum acoustic characteristics of bat calls, both from captured bats and from unknown bats in flight. The software includes a library of calls for each species to aid in identification. He notes that recognizing bats by their calls is much more difficult than identifying bird species by their songs. “In addition to needing bat detectors just to listen in on the chatter,” he said, “the way that bats use sound renders the calls of one species much more like those of another than is true of birds. “Birds sing to proclaim where they are and who they are, and they have undergone selective pressure to be different from one another.” Bats, on the other hand, use echolocation calls to obtain information about their environment and, “to the bane of bat biologists, this information-acquisition function of bat calls provided no selective pressure to be different from any other species. As a result, discerning many bats by their calls entails teasing out subtle acoustic characteristics.” Szewczak and his lab at Humboldt State and collaborator Stuart Parsons of the University of Auckland (New Zealand) continue to evolve the SonoBat hardware and software. “Right now,” he said, “we can correctly classify 70 to above 90 percent of high-quality recordings of the species in an area. We are working to improve our classification rate and automate recording and classification.” In fact, he said, “we envision a future of noninvasive bat surveying using ‘digital mist nets.’” Genetics is the Bat Grid’s third method of identification, thanks to Zinck, the team’s geneticist. She has developed genetic markers to identify species using either wing biopsies or guano. Genetic analysis is particularly important when assessing roost sites where nobody’s home, since identification can be obtained from guano piles left behind. That is the beauty and promise of Zinck’s work, as it will help permit “non-invasive, range-wide surveys – the next step in furthering our understanding of [bats].” She notes that the biggest impact of the Bat Grid is that it is “collaboratively building a huge archive of data that, because it was collected in a systematic way, allows researchers to investigate questions across longer periods of time and greater geographic areas than ever before.” Collaboration is key to implementing the Grid, and the list of partners includes state and federal agencies, universities, non-government organizations and individuals. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, Department of Defense, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International’s North American Bat Conservation Fund have been primary funders of the project. And in-kind contributions from Portland State University, Humboldt State University and volunteer surveyors exceed $100,000 a year. The Bat Grid’s abiding success is due largely to the enthusiasm and continuing participation of both professional and citizen scientists. We selectively provide equipment and free training that covers capture techniques and species identification, acoustic recording and analysis, and collection and storage of genetic samples. Experienced participants are paired with novice workers to provide guidance and support beyond the training sessions, an essential part of ensuring credible data collection. An important result of this blend of field training and mentoring is a growing cadre of competent bat biologists who are dedicated to informed bat conservation in the Northwest. The Bat Grid provides annual training and refresher sessions in key locations around the region. And all Gridders are provided with standardized data sheets, survey protocols and data standards. The importance of unwavering standardization is the program’s basic mantra. So far, we have trained more than 100 surveyors in Oregon and Washington, and another 40 in Idaho, Montana and South Dakota. This kind of careful, consistent data collection year after year may not be terribly exciting for some, but the results are critical. If I spend the rest of my career – year after year – collecting good baseline data on bats, I feel I will have made a valuable contribution to bat conservation. There’s no other program anywhere in the world that is collecting this type of comprehensive information on bats over such a large area. Besides, says Aimee Hart, my longtime assistant, “There is something special about people who love bats. The camaraderie and the sense of adventure captivate everyone. It is really special to spend time in the outdoors at night, especially when you are contributing to something so important.” PAT ORMSBEE, based in Eugene, Oregon, is a Bat Specialist for the USDA Forest Service Region 6 in the Pacific Northwest. This article was written with the assistance of Judith McHugh, Public Affairs Officer for the Willamette National Forest. Bats on the Wing in the Canadian Winter Teaching Colombian Children Meeting the Challenge in the Philippines Mysterious Bat Die-off Triggers Alarm	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1953
__label__wiki	0.636008	0.636008	Building control and environment Sign up for events emails Belfast Zoo events Date: 17 Sep 2018 Time: 10am - 2pm Venue: Details of the city centre venue will be provided following registration. The living library allows you to borrow a person instead of reading a book, you sit with a person / living book for a one-to-one 20 minute conversation. Check below for a full list and description of all the books available Select the human book / books you are interested in borrowing (you can borrow more than one book) Contact our good relations unit who will offer you a 20 minute timeslot between 10am and 2pm for you to borrow of the book. Call 028 9027 0663 or email goodrelations@belfastcity.gov.uk Sign up to our Good Relations emails to keep up to date with news, events and important information about Diversecity. Choose from the 12 books below. The Orange Order - Local Lodges, Global Liberties, Worldwide Celebrations From pyramids to a parading Belfast, a Muslim women’s journey to the unknown and still keeping the faith The odd one out Just Getting Comfortable No More Smoked Salmon Still in limbo land, the long journey from Mogadishu to Belfast and the detentions along the way From an Edinburgh Cloister to Belfast If I can sign up to this anyone can Adventures of a Global Citizen If you die I’ll bury you, if you go to prison I won’t visit you My 2 year journey from Somalia to the UK Descriptions for each of these books are available below. Description of books Since the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, the Orange tradition in Ireland annually remembers King William III’s victory in music song as well as colourful banners during the month of July at traditional ‘Twelfth’ of July celebrations. However, the Orange Order does much more than parade on the ‘Twelfth’; it’s a proud Protestant fraternity, which raises thousands of pounds annually for local charities and has members throughout the world. Orange Lodges are in places like Scotland, England, the United States of America, West Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Choose this book to find out more. From pyramids to a parading Belfast, a Muslim woman’s journey to the unknown and still keeping the faith My journey from Egypt to Saudi Arabia and finally to Belfast. The story and life experience of a Muslim woman, living in Belfast for over 10 years, raising teenagers in a completely different environment, adapting to a new culture and keeping the faith. What it was like to be the first elected representative from a minority ethnic background in Northern Ireland. Anna Lo was elected in 2007 as a MLA for South Belfast and retired from politics in 2016. She tells in her 'book' her experience of being the first ever minority ethnic MLA in the NI Assembly. A story of how a young woman came to realise who she was, despite everything that school had taught about people like her. Mistakenly labelled a boy at birth, she had lived 19 years of confusion and shame before being able to express herself. Learn about how young transgender people are thriving and celebrating their identities, pushing through discrimination and bigotry to be comfortable and happy. I was once seated for dinner amongst the great. Smoked Salmon on a bed of Horseradish and Caper sauce was on the menu but when the waitress got to my place, I simply excused himself and asked for a plate of chips and a sausage, a request to which the waitress, along with a nod and wink, duly obliged. One of the guests asked me if I had ever considered writing a book. I pondered this idea, before responding ‘yes’. When the guest enquired as to the title, I replied ‘No More Smoked Salmon’. I served my time as a pig butcher on the Shankill Road in Belfast. I was married to Sharon and had one little girl ‘Zoe’. Sharon was working with her father in the family fish shop when the IRA came into the shop, planted a bomb and killed them both along with 8 others, including one of the bombers. ‘No More Smoked Salmon’ is my story of growing up in a very sectarian Belfast, of losing Sharon and hounding Gerry Adams for answers. It also tells of my very personal journey as a peace builder, the ordinary people I met along the way. These are not the sort of people used to fine dining, the majority of them were never recognised with peace prizes or Queens honours. Still in limbo land, the long journey from Mogadishu to Belfast and the detentions along the way. This is the story of how I have spent the past 14 years seeking sanctuary, escaping from the militia in Somalia, crossing borders, coming to Belfast, being detained and past from pillar to post. It is also a story that tells about the kindness of strangers and the hurdles of navigating a heartless system as my search for home continues. A nun’s journey from an enclosed convent to life in Belfast working with kids aged 16 years in the care system and in an inner city parish. ‘In the 80s I would have thought that anyone choosing to move to and live in Belfast was mad! Little did I know that it would be me...’ If I can sign up to this, anyone can The story of an ex loyalist prisoner and former combatant, who did time, avoided death on several occasions, but saw the benefits of the Good Friday Agreement and working with old enemies for a better future. This story tells the journey from conflict to peace and my involvement in many initiatives to build better relationships in the community. Linda Ervine has the unlikely responsibility of being the first Irish Language Officer based in a loyalist area. She was introduced to the language through a cross community taster session in East Belfast Mission, a Methodist Church on the Newtownards Road. When she began learning Irish in 2011, no one would have conceived of the idea of an Irish language centre in the heart of east Belfast. Today Linda oversees 14 Irish language classes, dance, music and Welsh classes, which bring together people from all parts of Belfast. She has attracted criticism from people within her own community because of her support for an Irish Language Act. What made the 18 year old girl leave home and what answers has she found through her journey? She is now sharing her experience as an Eastern European migrant, living and working in Northern Ireland for more than 10 years." Borrow this book to get a flavour of what life has been so far to a global resident in transit, caught between two worlds.... ‘If you die I’ll bury you, if you go to prison I won’t visit you’ These are the words spoken by the distraught father of a former INLA Prisoner, highlighting his opposition to his son’s involvement in the conflict. This former republican prisoner has now been working for over 15 years, building relationships with former loyalist and republican prisoners. He has also been working with victims & survivor groups for 10 years. Read more about his journey from prison to peace. I thought that being granted asylum status in the UK would signal a new life and new beginning, but little did I know that as my two year journey from Somalia to the UK ended another journey began with more trials and tribulations, fears and uncertainties. Hear more about my journey, leaving Somalia at the age of 15 and the sacrifices my family made to buy my safety. Suitable for everyone	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1955
__label__wiki	0.605636	0.605636	Interview with Sara Eliza Johnson Author of Bone Map Interview by Kallie Falandays Your book Bone Map was published by Milkweed. What was the writing and submission process like for you? Was it smooth and easy, or was it full of long hours? What was it like when you got the notice that your book was going to be published? It took me about five years to finish the version of Bone Map that was published. The process was slow and incremental, in that over the years I gradually excised poems from my MFA thesis until it was unrecognizable. Bone Map was written by essentially ruining my first attempt at a book. I’m the kind of writer who wants to constantly demolish her own work, who is always dissatisfied with some element of the poem or book. I realized that the book would never feel quite “done”—that I needed to just let it go and see—so I submitted it to three or four book contests, the last of which was The National Poetry Series. When the coordinator called to say Martha Collins had chosen my book for Milkweed, I was obviously thrilled, but also so surprised—surprised that it had been taken so quickly, in its first round of submissions, but also surprised that it had been accepted at all given the flaws I still perceived. I eventually did end up re-adding some MFA-era poems that I’d cut from the book, despite the naiveté I saw in them. It took me a while to understand that my perfectionism endangered the animism of the book, and that some anomalies can be generative, either because they provide space to breathe or create friction. How has publishing Bone Map changed either you or your life? Are there any changes? It hasn’t been very long yet since the book launched, so I can’t quite say it’s changed my life, but it has been transformative psychologically, in that feels as if some weight has been lifted, that I am somehow free of the project and so free to experiment with a new language and within a new space of mind. Of course, the publication of one’s first book came with its own anxieties. What was the first poem that you wrote for Bone Map and did that spur the collection? How did you know when your collection was complete? The manuscript itself never quite felt “finished.” I knew I was finished with the book when I found myself excited to start experimenting with new work. The world of the book inhabits a unique and coherent place in my brain and I knew the book was “finished” when I felt ready to leave that place. But it is also difficult to determine when and where the book began. I suppose the earliest poem written in Bone Map is “View From the Fence, on Which I Sit and Dangle My Legs.” I wrote that poem in graduate school around 2008, and it was one I had originally cut from the collection. In that sense it was actually one of the last poems I wrote for the book, because it was re-added during the publication process. But the first poems I truly wrote with the manuscript in mind—which was originally envisioned as a seafaring narrative—were the Letters from the Ice Field, composed during a cold winter in Provincetown, Cape Cod. Eventually I realized that the book needed a broader scope, that it needed more tension and a more complicated arc. And moving away from the ocean helped me to stop writing obsessively about the ocean. And then I watched this gorgeously brutal Czech film called Marketa Lazarová (made in 1967). The film plays out against a savage and bleak medieval dreamscape of relentless snow, dotted with wolves and reindeer and human corpses. The imagery is dense, the suffering intense. Bone Map likely began in the dreamscape of that film. What advice do you have for poets who are submitting their first books or chapbooks? Be patient with your work and honest with yourself during the process of revising and submitting. Any rejection of my work always makes me self-doubt and reassess, and feel tempted to revise, and while it is important to be vigilant and reflective, it is possible to revise the life out of a poem or a project. Revising can become unhealthily obsessive. It can also become a defense mechanism to rejection. Aside from that, I would say: only submit to contests and presses that excite you. Don’t be too picky, but don’t blindly submit to every single call for submissions out of impatience to be published. Do some research first. Does the press make books that you love? The book’s presence as a physical object, the support your press provides its authors, a healthy relationship with your press—those things will likely matter to you in the end. My favorite poem in your collection is "Deer Rub," which I first read in an issue of Crab Orchard Review. How many revisions did this poem go through and can you talk a bit about that process? “Deer Rub” is a poem that underwent more revisions than is typical for me, so it’s heartening to hear you say it’s a favorite! The first version of the poem was very different than the final: first-person, domestic, overwritten. It suffered an especially rigorous workshop, after which I overhauled the poem, divested it of its excesses and focused on developing that animal moment. In that sense I suppose the writing and revision process imitated that of the deer rub; I gradually stripped away the layers, and what remained was stark, bare—the essence or pith of the poem, which had been buried. Can you talk a bit about some of your influences? What were you reading, watching, and thinking about when you compiled this collection? The materials that particularly influenced Bone Map—aside from Marketa Lazarová—were not poetry books but historical texts. For the seafaring sequences I read the Voyage of Saint Brendan—he was a 6th century Irish saint who embarked on sea-voyage to find a mythical island of Paradise—as well as journals and logbooks from seafaring explorers, such as the journal of Antonio Pigafetta, who sailed with Magellan and who recorded some spectacular observations (like how “the holy body appeared through the pitchy darkness”). I was also reading Grimms’ Fairy Tales, the Psalms, the Exeter Book, and looking at photographs of the Arctic ice fields—anything that would give me access to the kind of lonely, dark regions that would help me cultivate the landscape of the book, and to continue to live in it for the years necessary to complete it. But the particular poets to whom I am indebted for the book are Lorca and Celan, who I think influenced the book tonally, helping to imbue it with both the brutal and the miraculous, as well as some of its strangeness and surreality. What was it like working with Milkweed on this book? I feel very lucky to have worked with Milkweed on Bone Map. They make beautiful books and mine was no exception. The designer they hired for the book, poet Mary Austin Speaker, is extremely talented and developed a striking, elegant cover that not only attracts eyes but reflects—or converses with—the book’s insides. The solution she found for my blank section breaks—to fill the white space with different iterations of the Stubbs horse featured on the cover—was also smart, and overall I am thrilled with the way the physical book turned out. I am also so grateful that they allowed me some input in the design; I know not all presses invite author participation in that process. If you could only write about one animal for the rest of your life, what animal would you choose and why? Bone Map featured mostly pastoral and forest animals—horses, deer, and wolves—because I was channeling that medieval dreamscape I mentioned earlier. But if I were allowed to only write about one animal for the rest of my life, I think I would choose an animal with some attendant mysterious to explore: an extinct animal, or a deep-sea creature that is rarely seen, or a cryptid such as the chupacabra, or an animal that challenges its own taxonomy (for example, the tufted deer, native to the forests of Burma and China, has long canines that make it look vampiric and carnivorous!). The rainbow-emitting comb jelly—which is the oldest known animal species on earth (around for 700 million years)—is another one that fascinates me. But an animal I have always loved, and yet about which I have never written a poem, is the thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian Tiger), last seen in 1936 and deemed officially extinct in 1986. The thylacine was a strange manifestation of evolution: a marsupial that looked like a canine and was striped like a tiger. It is not so much the animal itself that interests me, but the last footage shot of the last known specimen—the last moments, presumably, of the entire species—which I happened across one day on YouTube. The thylacine paces back and forth along the bars. The thylacine pulls flesh from an animal carcass. The thylacine scratches the back of its ear. The thylacine is anxious. Not long after the footage is shot, the specimen dies and the thylacine disappears from the earth forever. Did it know? Could it sense it? What a lonely end. Okay, I lied. My favorite poem might be "As the Sickle Moon Guts a Cloud”—if not for the title, then for the line "a sickness grows inside the moonlight." What is your favorite poem in this collection? That’s hard! My favorite poem is probably “Fable,” which is in part why I opened the book with it, but “Letter from the Ice Field, December” was the most challenging to write—mostly because it deals with a private, personal pain—and for that reason also the most satisfying to complete and release. What are you currently working on? Though the next manuscript is still inchoate, these days I am most often working on poems preoccupied with our apocalyptic moment. As Roy Scranton wrote in his piece for The New York Times, “Learning How to Die in the Anthropocene,” the “biggest problem we face is a philosophical one: understanding that this civilization is already dead.” These days I often find myself writing poems that entertain this notion, that consider ways in which humans as a species may be considered not only violent but a force of violence upon the earth and ecosystems, as well as a series of poems that occupy realms devoid of humanity: the primordial, the extraterrestrial, the post-apocalyptic world, deep space.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1957
__label__wiki	0.894635	0.894635	Devin Townsend Releases Retinal Circus Preview Video . (Prog) Devin Townsend has released a clip from his upcoming live DVD The Retinal Circus. The clip features the performance of Grace, featuring Anneke Van Giersbergen. The show took place in London's Roundhouse in October last year, and sold out a year in advance. It included 25 songs plus sketch scenes, an art exhibition and performance art, and Townsend called it "the most definitive Devin show to date – a culmination of my entire career with a star lineup and full supporting cast." Now, after nearly eight months of work, the recorded version is nearly ready to be launched in double-DVD, Blu-ray and double-CD formats, with a five-disc special edition and a "Diehard Deluxe" fan box set. The release date will be confirmed in due course. Towsend comments: "It's been a huge amount of work for everyone, but we're almost there – and when watched in its entirety, it's really a heck of an experience. When the final products have been produced, we'll let you know. Fun – whew!" Check out the video here. Prog Magazine is an official news provider for antiMusic.com. Copyright Prog Magazine - Excerpted here with permission. Devin Townsend CDs, DVDs and MP3s Devin Townsend T-shirts and Posters	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1961
__label__wiki	0.507413	0.507413	Neil Young In The Studio For Harvest 45th Anniversary Neil Young is the featured guest on a new online episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio with Redbeard: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands. Young was on the show to celebrate the 45th anniversary of his "Harvest" album. The program sent over these details: Known even then for his prolific musical prowess, Neil Young delivered his most popular and perhaps most influential album in the Winter of 1972 to a huge mainstream audience who embraced this countryfied masterpiece, pushing it to # 1 seller on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually the top seller for the year because of "Heart of Gold', "Old Man", "The Needle and the Damage Done" and "Alabama". Rolling Stone magazine writers rank Harvest at #78 greatest album of all-time. But Neil, speaking to In The Studio host Redbeard, is the first to question the need for any artist to feel the need of fleeting accolades. Young says, "I'm not in the competition to be # 1 or to be hip or whatever. I think I've transcended that whole problem just by being able to continue for so long that no one can really say that I wasn't 'happening'. 'Cause I must be happening or I would be happening, here I am." (laughs). Stream the episode here. Neil Young Music, DVDs, Books and more Neil Young T-shirts and Posters More Neil Young News Neil Young Performs Rare 1974 Track For First Time In 16 Years Neil Young and John Mellencamp Lead Farm Aid 2019 Neil Young To Release Archival 1973 Live Album Tuscaloosa Neil Young Making New Album With Crazy Horse Neil Young's Ragged Glory Expanded For Reissue Neil Young Announces Big M Theater Tour Neil Young Streams Track From Upcoming 'Songs For Judy' Release Neil Young To Release Archival 1976 Acoustic Live Album Songs For Judy Neil Young Reportedly Marries Daryl Hannah Neil Young Streams Detroit Concert Webcast	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1962
__label__wiki	0.873198	0.873198	Tolerance is the recipe for Mahathir-Siti Hasmah fairy tale relationship By Vinoothene Chandrasekaran PUTRAJAYA, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, the oldest elected leader in the world has spilled the beans on his secret to being happily married to his soulmate Tun Dr Siti Hasmah for the past 62 years. The premier said tolerance, as well as the need to consider the feeling and future of children, was the most important factor and key to their beautiful and sweet relationship that has been admired by most Malaysians. During an exclusive interview with The Third Age Media Association and Bernama News Channel (BNC) recently at Perdana Leadership Foundation here, Dr Mahathir said that no one would be able to change their partner, hence the need of tolerance as the way to have a healthy and balance relationship. With a small blush and a smile on his face, he reiterated his younger years being with Dr Siti Hasmah, the backbone to his success. “Well, my wife always says that behind every successful man, there is a wife, not just a woman. She objects to that,” said the 93-year-old premier. “At first of course, when we were young, we have differences, tensions and all that. But as you grow older you realise that you cannot change your partner very much and she cannot change me very much and we learn to accept that this is what the person is like,” he said. He said that as he spent most of his time in politics, Dr Siti Hasmah had accompanied in most occasions even though she was not involved in politics. “And if I have to leave her because I have some work, she tolerates that. On the other hand I will tolerate her...I think there is a need to be tolerant,” he said. Dr Mahathir also stressed that there was a need to consider the feelings of children as it would be a disaster for the family when parents break up and re-marry. “The children will never have a good life. So you need to show concern for your children,” he added. The couple met at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore (now part of National University of Singapore) in 1947 and got married in 1956. Dr Mahathir's first tenure as prime minister was from 1981 to 2003, becoming Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister, before making a comeback after the 14th general election in May this year. The full interview with Dr Mahathir, held in conjunction with the Ageing, Learning and Technology: Enriching Lives Connecting Communities Conference 2018 on October 9, 2018, was aired over BNC yesterday and will be repeated at 11.30pm on Sunday, 5pm (Monday), 12 noon and 5pm (Sept 22), 5pm (Sept 23), 9am (Sept 29) and 5pm (Sept 30). BNC airs over Astro 502, Unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 and can be viewed around the world on the website, www.bernama.com, Facebook and on YouTube.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1965
__label__wiki	0.76665	0.76665	Sarawak to host 25th BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Summit KUCHING, June 24 (Bernama) – Sarawak will host the 25th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Ministerial Summit here from Nov 20-24. Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the opportunity to host the event showed the confidence of the ASEAN neighbours in Sarawak, which was moving towards an integrated and digital economy. “I was in Bangkok to attend the 34th ASEAN Summit at the invitation of the Prime Minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad),” he said when launching PwC Malaysia’s Kuching office here today. He said the 10-nation regional grouping, including the BIMP-EAGA, was cooperating in many areas such as transforming the economy, which would see Sarawak taking advantage of its resources to be developed as potential commodities. The BIMP-EAGA was launched in March 1994 as a cooperation initiative to increase trade, investment and tourism in the region comprising Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan in Malaysia, Brunei,Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Irian Jaya in Indonesia, besides Palawan and Mindanao in the Philippines. On the opening of PwC Malaysia’s office here, the 7th in the country, Abang Johari said it was an indication of Sarawak’s fast growing reputation as an attractive hub for business, as well as the confidence shown by the private sector. Via a joint venture between China’s Huawei and the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (Centex), he said the state government planned to leapfrog to 5G technology to upgrade Sarawak’s digital infrastructure. He said there was a need to explore the implementation of the 5G network from 3G at present, while the digital economy only contributed 2.3 per cent to the state economy as of last November. Earlier PwC Malaysia managing partner Sriharan Nair said there was a growing demand for professional services in Sarawak and the multi-disciplinary firm could offer a wide range, from implementing effective tax strategies to reshaping workplace culture in response to current trends. --BERNAMA	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1966
__label__cc	0.725145	0.274855	Best Utility Programs Best Download : Utility Programs : Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Download Now 2007 Microsoft Office suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) gives customers the latest updates for the 2007 Office suite. This service pack includes two main categories of fixes: Previously unreleased fixes that were made specifically for this service pack. In addition to general product fixes, these fixes include improvements in stability, in performance, and in security. All the public updates, security updates, cumulative updates, and hotfixes that were released through February 2009. Platform : Windows 2003/XP/Vista Author : http://www.microsoft.com Size : 290 MB Downloads : 10236 times Last Updated : April 28th, 2009 Microsoft Internet Explorer v11.0.9600.16428 (Windows 7) Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (32-bit) Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 Microsoft Internet Explorer v11.0.9600.16428 (Windows 7 64-bit) Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2) 64-bit Microsoft ActiveSync v4.5 Microsoft Malicious Software Removal v4.2 (x86)	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1967
__label__wiki	0.553945	0.553945	Correlation between demographic factors and warfarin stable dosage in population of Western China Yongfeng Fan1,2, Li Dong1*, Daguo Zhang2, Daokang Xiang2 and Yetao Li2 1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China 2Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, PR China Li Dong West China Hospital, Sichuan University PR China Accepted date: September 7, 2017 Objective: To investigate the correlation between warfarin stable dosage and demographic factors in patients undergoing valve replacement in Western China and then guide individualized anticoagulant therapy. Methods: From MCCT database of low intensity anticoagulation therapy for Chinese population with heart valve replacement, a total of 236 patients who underwent valve replacement in the Han population were selected as the objects, the demographic factors including age, height, weight, body surface area, body mass index and clinical factors were observed and the correlation was compared between above indexes and warfarin stable dosage followed by obtainment of individual anticoagulation equation. Results: There was no difference in warfarin stable dosage and INR value between the male and the female (p>0.05), atrial fibrillation, pulmonary embolism and heart function were the main influencing factors of warfarin stable dose variation, and there was correlation between the factor of age, height, weight as well as body surface area and stable warfarin stable dose (P<0.05), multivariate linear regression analysis showed that demographic factors could explain 7.1% of warfarin stable dose variation. Conclusion: There is correlation between warfarin stable dosage and demographic factors in patients undergoing valve replacement in Western China and the effects of demographic factors on warfarin should be taken into consideration in the case of warfarin therapy. Western China, Warfarin, Demography, Multivariate linear regression analysis Valvular heart disease is a disease of the heart that is caused by one or several valves in the heart valve, or (or) closed. The main causes are rheumatic, degenerative, congenital, traumatic, and so on. In general, surgical treatment should be performed as early as possible in patients with severe heart valve disease. At present, valve replacement is the most important method for the treatment of valvular heart disease. Patients with mechanical valve replacement need to take warfarin anticoagulation therapy, while patients with biological valve replacement usually need 3-6 months of anticoagulant therapy, such as biological valve replacement in patients with giant left atrium, postoperative atrial fibrillation and other risk factors for thrombosis also need lifelong anticoagulation therapy. With the improvement of valve replacement technique and perioperative management, surgical complications and mortality have decreased significantly. However, the complications caused by inappropriate anticoagulation therapy have become more prominent. As reported, hemorrhage and thrombus after valve replacement makes up 75% of the total complications. Among them, hemorrhage is the most common and serious complication of anticoagulant therapy in China, and the annual cost of treatment of anticoagulant complications are up to 100 million Yuan. Therefore, it is important to optimize the current anticoagulant therapy to reduce the complications, improve the survival rate, and reduce the economic burden of the country and the family. Current universal International Normalized Ratio (INR) can only reflect the activity of coagulation factors II, VI, K, X, but cannot reflect the total coagulation activity. Therefore, the use of INR to monitor the initial anticoagulation and low intensity anticoagulation is not accurate enough. It was reported that the dose of Warfarin was closely related to demographic factors. But at present, there are still relatively few reports about the correlation between the demographic factors and the dosage of warfarin. Chinese Han population has a wide distribution, mainly living in the Northeast Plain and the eastern coastal areas. Among them, the incidence of rheumatic heart disease in eastern coastal areas is higher, and the number of patients is very large. In this study, the subjects of the Han nationality in East China were studied. With great individual difference, warfarin is one of the commonly used oral anticoagulants after cardiac valve replacement. National multi center database was combined to study the relationship between the stable dose of warfarin and the demographic factors of Han population in eastern coastal areas. All operations were performed under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, in which 96 cases were performed mitral valve replacement, 108 cases were performed double valve replacement and 2 cases were performed with mitral valve replacement with aortic valve replacement. The preset value of INR is set as 1.5-2.5 and multicenter follow-up data was used. At the same time, in this study, the subjects were followed up for 6-12 months. PT-INR values were reviewed weekly in the first month after surgery, and it was reexamined two weeks after surgery. Since the third month, the PT-INR value was reviewed every month, and the dosage was about 1/8-1/4 tablet. The INR value was measured once a week after adjusting warfarin dose. Three months after operation, when the INR value reached the anticoagulant standard (1.5-2.5) after two consecutive reviews, no dose adjustment was needed. It was seemed to achieve a stable state of anticoagulation; the stable warfarin dose was recorded. The International Sensitivity Index (ISI) values of the reagents used in the multi center monitoring INR value was corrected with the international certified INR standard, which is consistent with the valency of warfarin with no statistical difference. Main observation index: Atrial fibrillation, embolism, cardiac function (NYHA grading), hypertension, diabetes and other preoperative clinical indicators; Age, sex, height, weight, Body Surface Area (BSA), Body Mass Index (BMI) and other demographic factors and daily warfarin dose after valve replacement (Warfarin stable dose), PT-INR and anticoagulant related hemorrhage, embolism and other complications was also monitored. The comparison of the demographic factors between groups was performed by F test, and the comparison of the demographic factors among the groups was analysed by one-way ANOVA. Comparison between groups using F test, Spearman linear correlation analysis was used to analyse the correlation between two variables. Multivariate regression analysis of the relationship between demographic factors and warfarin stabilizer, p<0.05 was statistically significant, and SPSS 13 software was used for statistical analysis. General information of the research object There were 86 males and 150 females with an average age of 43.99 ± 12.27 y old, an average height of 161.02 ± 8.42 cm, and an average body weight of 55.94 ± 11 09 kg (Table 1). n=236 Male 86 (36.4%) Female 150 (63.6%) Age (y) 43.99 ± 12.27 Height (cm) 160.02 ± 8.42 Weight (kg) 55.94 ± 11.09 Mitral diseases Mitral regurgitation 66 (28.0%) Mitral stenosis 50 (21.2%) Mitral stenosis with regurgitation 96 (40.7%) Aortic regurgitation 138 (58.5%) Aortic valve stenosis 4 (1.7%) Aortic valve stenosis with regurgitation 40 (16.9%) Cardiac function (I and II) 96 (40.7%) Cardiac function (III and IV) 140 (59.3%) Ejection fraction (%) 55.55 ± 9.28 Left atrial diameter (mm) 51.70 ± 13.68 Left ventricular internal diastolic (mm) 53.50 ± 12.63 Atrial fibrillation 130 (55.1%) Embolization 14 (5.9%) History of hypertension 4 (1.7%) History of diabetes mellitus 2 (0.8%) Table 1: General information. Correlation between preoperative clinical factors and anticoagulation indexes As shown in Tables 2-4, in the preoperative patients with atrial fibrillation, the stable dose of Warfarin was lower than that in patients without atrial fibrillation (p<0.01). The value of INR was higher than that of the patients with the history of preoperative embolization and the stable dose of warfarin was lower than that of the patients without history of embolization. Warfarin levels were higher in patients with preoperative cardiac function (I and II) than that in patients with cardiac function (III and IV). Clinical factors Atrial fibrillation (Yes) n=130 Atrial fibrillation (No) n=106 Stable dose (mg/d) 2.60 ± 1.24 2.93 ± 0.91 0.007 INR 1.88 ± 0.35 1.79 ± 0.32 0.046 Table 2: Preoperative clinical factors and anticoagulation indexes. Embolism (Yes) n=14 Embolism (No) n=222 Cardiac function (I-II) n=96 Cardiac function (III-IV) n=140 Stable dose (mg/d) 3.04 ± 1.17 2.55 ± 0.98 0.02 INR 1.78 ± 0.34 1.87 ± 0.30 0.03 Note: cardiac function grading refers to NYHA standard Correlation between sex and anticoagulation index Table 5 shows that there was no significant difference in the stable dose of warfarin and the INR level between different genders. Male n=86 Female n=150 Stable dose (mg/d) 1.8 ± 0.93 2.67 ± 0.86 0.328 Table 5: Comparison of anticoagulant indexes in different gender groups. Correlation between age and anticoagulation index Table 6 shows that there is a statistically significant difference in the stable dose of warfarin and INR between the three age groups (p<0.05). 16-40 (y) n=90 41-60 (y) n=128 Stable dose (mg/d) 2.86 ± 0.90 2.75 ± 1.23 2.31 ± 0.67 0.015 INR 1.85 ± 0.35 1.83 ± 0.32 1.88 ± 0.36 0.011 Table 6: Correlation between age and anticoagulation index. Study on the individual medication equation of warfarin stable dose and demographic factors (1) Multiple linear regression analysis: Taking Indose as the dependent variable, age, height, weight, BSA, BMI was taken as independent variables. Finally, the multiple linear regression analysis models were established. 4 variables were included in the equation. Equation of linear regression: Y (mg/d)=log (0.092-0.005 × Age+0.008 × Height+0.001 × Weight-0.008 × BMI), F=4.430, P=0.002, R2=0.071. That is, demographic factors may account for 7.1% of warfarin dose differences. (Note: the absolute value of the standard deviation of the equation is <3). (2) Stepwise regression analysis: Taking “Indose” as the dependent variable, the average age was 43.99 ± 12.27 y old, the height was 161.02 ± 8.42 cm, the weight was 55.94 ± 11.09 kg, and the BSA was 1.67 ± 0.18 m. The multivariate stepwise regression analysis model is obtained. Finally, 2 equations are obtained. Regression equation 1: Y (mg/d)=antilog (-0.573+0.009 × Height), r=0.198, r=0.039, F=9.534, P=0.002. That is, demographic factors may account for 3.9% of warfarin dose differences. Regression equation 2: Y (mg/d)=antilog (-0.391+0.01 × Height-0.005 × Age), r=0.258, r=0.067, F=8.324, P=0.000. That is, demographic factors may account for 6.7% of warfarin dose differences. (Note: the absolute value of the standard deviation of the two equation is <3). Compared with the control group, the warfarin stable dose and INR value were higher in the male group than in the female group, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups, which indicated that gender may not be an important factor in warfarin dose differences. It was reported that [1] because estrogen and estrogen can activate nuclear receptors, which will regulate the transcriptional expression of drug metabolizing enzymes and further effects the expression of genes related to drug metabolism in liver. This will lead to differences in drug metabolism. The stable does of Warfarin was significantly higher than that of male patients. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the influence of gender difference on drug metabolism in the clinical application of warfarin. Comparison of anticoagulant indexes in different age groups revealed that in 16-40 y old group, 41-60 y old group and older than 60 y old group, the warfarin stable dose was 2.86 ± 0.90 mg/d, 2.75 ± 1.23 mg/d, 2.31 ± 0.67 mg/d, respectively. The stable does of warfarin decreased with age increased. Because the data do not conform to the normal distribution, the nonparametric Friedman test has statistical difference (P<0.05). In the preoperative patients with atrial fibrillation, the stable dose of Warfarin was lower than that in patients without atrial fibrillation (p<0.01). The value of INR was higher than that of the patients with the history of preoperative embolization and the stable dose of warfarin was lower than that of the patients without history of embolization. Warfarin levels were higher in patients with preoperative cardiac function (I and II) than that in patients with cardiac function (III and IV). What's more, we also found that there was no significant difference in the stable dose of warfarin and the INR level between different genders and there is a statistically significant difference in the stable dose of warfarin and INR between the three age groups (p<0.05). At present, elderly patients with anticoagulant regimens are not uniform [2-5], as reported that the main risk of anticoagulant therapy for Chinese people is bleeding rather than blocking. It is suggested that the standard of anticoagulation should be 1.5-2.0, which can reduce the risk of bleeding [6]. While some studies believe that to ensure safe and effective anticoagulant therapy, stable and reasonable low intensity anticoagulation that INR value is generally controlled at 1.65-2.5, and it did not increase the incidence of bleeding and thromboembolism in elderly patients. At present, for elderly patients, the effect of anticoagulation is more stable in the narrow range of INR. By measuring the INR value and adjusting the dosage of warfarin, we can get a better anticoagulant effect. In our study, multiple linear regression analysis: Taking Indose as the dependent variable, age, height, weight, BSA, BMI were taken as independent variables. Finally, the multiple linear regression analysis models were established. 4 variables were included in the equation. Equation of linear regression: Y (mg/ d)=antilog (-0.092-0.005 × Age+0.008 × Height+0.001 × Weight-0.008 × BMI), F=4.430, P=0.002, R2=0.071, i.e. demographic factors may account for 7.1% of warfarin dose differences. (Note: the absolute value of the standard deviation of the equation is <3). Moreover, stepwise regression analysis: Taking “Indose” as the dependent variable, the average age was 43.99 ± 12.27 y old, the height was 161.02 ± 8.42 cm, the weight was 55.94 ± 11.09 kg, and the BSA was 1.67 ± 0.18 m. The multivariate stepwise regression analysis model is obtained. Finally, 2 equations are obtained. Regression equation 1: Y (mg/d)=antilog (-0.573+0.009 × height), r=0.198, r=0.039, F=9.534, P=0.002. That is, demographic factors may account for 3.9% of warfarin dose differences. Regression equation 2: Y (mg/d)=antilog (-0.391+0.01 × Height-0.005 × Age), r=0.258, r=0.067, F=8.324, P=0.000. That is, demographic factors may account for 6.7% of warfarin dose differences. (Note: the absolute value of the standard deviation of the two equation is <3). The age, sex, BMI and target INR (2 and 3) were used to study the drug delivery model by Martina et al. [7]. They found that 12.6% of warfarin individual differences can be explained. Xu et al. [8] found in 852 patients in the Guangdong area that age and body surface area were the only factors explaining the difference of warfarin dose between 6.3% and 11.4%, while the combined age and body surface area of the factor of two can explain the difference of warfarin dose of about 17.9%.The results of this study indicate that demographic factors had little effect on warfarin stable dose, and this may be due to differences in the quality of the population of the Han population in the eastern coastal areas of China. In addition, different geographical populations, such as eating habits, environmental factors may also lead to such differences. At present, demographic factors had little effect on warfarin stable dose, because a large proportion of dose differences are caused by other factors. Although there was a correlation between the demographic factors and the dose of warfarin, but it could not fully explain the individual difference of warfarin dose. Some genetic factors may be an important reason for the difference of individual dose and the difference among individuals. Therefore, we will conduct an in-depth study of some important genetic factors to combine genetic and non-genetic factors to obtain the equation of individual medication model of warfarin, to guide the clinical medication accurately and effectively. To sum up, we believe that there is a correlation between the demographic factors and the stable dose of warfarin in the east coast of the Han population in the patients undergoing valve replacement. Warfarin is one of the most commonly used oral anticoagulant drugs after valve replacement, but the treatment window is narrow, the difference is very large, and the dosage is difficult to grasp. Hemorrhage and blood coagulation are the main complications after operation. Current studies have shown that warfarin dose is associated with demographic factors [9-12]. The results of this study show that in patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation, the stable dose of warfarin was 2.60 ± 1.24 mg/d and the INR was 1.88 ± 0.35. In patients without preoperative atrial fibrillation, the stable does of warfarin was 2.93 ± 0.91 mg/d and the INR was 1.79 ± 0.32; a comparison between two groups shows that the stable dose of warfarin in patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation was lower than that without atrial fibrillation. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The stable does of warfarin in patients with preoperative embolization was 2.34 ± 1.17 mg/d and the INR value was 1.92 ± 0.33. In patients without preoperative embolization, the stable dose of Warfarin was 3.07 ± 0.41 mg/d and the INR value was 1.63 ± 0.21, the stable dose of warfarin was lower than that in patients without embolization. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). INR value: the embolization group was higher than that without embolization group. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In patients with atrial fibrillation or embolism mitral stenosis was commonly seen, and mitral valve replacement surgery was needed. The upper limit of the control range of INR after operation was 2.0-2.5. While in patients without history of atrial fibrillation, the lower limit of INR control range was 1.5-2.0. The INR value of the former is higher than that of the latter. Atrial fibrillation and embolization in patients with valvular heart disease were more likely to be associated with impaired cardiac function. Cardiac dysfunction can lead to liver congestion and liver dysfunction [12]. Such patients will reduce the demand for warfarin. In addition, some patients with atrial fibrillation and embolization were treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation. What's more, the amiodarone was used in combination with warfarin, by which the Warfarin dose and INR may also be affected. It is also possible that the stable dose of warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and embolization was lower than that in the patients without complications, but the INR value was higher than that in the non-atrial fibrillation group. In the following study, we will discuss the effect of amiodarone on warfarin dose. The heart function (I and II) of patients with better postoperative warfarin stable does was 3.04 ± 1.17 mg/d, which significantly higher than that of the patients with heart function (III and IV) (2.55 ± 0.98 mg/d), the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), which indicated that the difference of cardiac function before operation was correlated with the dose of warfarin. Congestive heart failure and congestive heart failure may be associated with abnormal liver function and liver function (including cardiogenic liver damage), which will lead to reduced synthesis of coagulation factors and strengthened efficiency of warfarin. So, the dose of warfarin was lower than that of patients with better cardiac function. This work was supported by the: 1. Guizhou Provincial Technology Cooperation Program: Qiankehe Document No. LH (2015) 7162; 2. Guiyang Municipal Technology Program: Zhukehe Document No. (20151001) 70. Zhang SB, Zhou HN. Gender differences in drug metabolism and its relationship with nuclear receptors. Chin Pharm Bull 2007; 3: 292-294. Duran CM, Pomar J, Colman T. Is tricuspid valve repair necessary? Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1980; 80: 849-860. Stassano P, Di Tommaso L, Monaco M,. Aortic valve replacement: a prospective randomized evaluation of mechanical versus biological valves in patients ages 55 to 70 years. Am Coll Cardiol 2009; 54: 1862-1868. Brown ML, SchafF HV, Lahr BD. Aortic valve replacement in patients aged 50 to 70 years: improved outcome with mechanical versus biologic prostheses. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008; 135: 878-884. Landefeld CS, Goldman L. Major bleeding in outpatients treated with warfarin: incidence and prediction by factors known at the start of outpatient therapy. Am J Med 1989; 87: 144-152. Dong L, Shi YK, Tian ZP. Intracranial hemorrhage after anticoagulation therapy in patients with mechanical heart valve replacement. Chin J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003; 19: 206-208. Martina T, Mark E, Fernando R. A genome-wide association study of acenocoumarol maintenance dosage. Human Mol Gene 2009; 18: 3758-3768. Xu D, Liu ZZS, Yang M, Lin S, Yu X, Lao H. J Pract Med 2010; 26: 750-753. Wadelius M, Pirmohamed M. Pharmacogenetics of warfarin current status and future challenges. Pharmacogenomics 2007; 7: 99-111. Gage BF, Eby C, Milligan PE. Use of pharmacogenetics and clinical factors to predict the maintenance dose of warfarin. Thromb Haemost 2004; 91: 87-94. Rieder MJ, Riener AP, Gage BF. Effect of VKORCl haplotypes on transcriptional regulation and warfarin dose. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 2285-2293. Liu MM, Wu SM, Zhang XM. Analysis and clinical significance of early anticoagulant dose in patients after cardiac valve replacement. J Prac Med 2005; 21: 273-274.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1969
__label__wiki	0.944541	0.944541	Home The Arts Theater “We Can’t Die, Ladies and Gentlemen!”: Kiki and Herb Are Back “We Can’t Die, Ladies and Gentlemen!”: Kiki and Herb Are Back Checking in with legendary cabaret duo Kiki and Herb, on the occasion of their long-awaited reunion Tyler Coates On May 17, 2007, the legendary lounge act comprised of Kiki DuRane and her pianist, known only as Herb, gathered at the now-defunct Knitting Factory in Tribeca to celebrate two victories. That week, the duo had earned a Tony nomination for their Broadway debut, Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway. “And if that wasn’t a sweet enough delight of a treat,” Kiki said into the microphone, looking out onto a packed house, “the cherry—the icing on my day—was the death of Jerry Falwell.” The crowd erupted in cheers in response to both pieces of news. And then the typical onstage mania associated with a Kiki and Herb show. While Herb banged frantically on the piano keys, Kiki performed boozy, punk-fueled renditions of songs originally performed by artists as varied as Emmylou Harris and Kate Bush to Suicidal Tendencies and Butt Trumpet—culminating in their tumultuous cover of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” In between songs, Kiki erupted into her famous monologues that delved into the pair’s history together, revealing that they were not, in fact, mere septuagenarian cabaret superstars who were as well-versed in the oeuvre of Neutral Milk Hotel and Lou Reed as they were the classic American songbook. Kiki admitted that instead of what their official, if sprawling, biography claimed, their true origin story places them in Nazareth. After drinking milk from a cow present at the birth of Jesus Christ (a cow that, coincidentally, ate the afterbirth), Kiki and Herb became immortal—and thus wandered through time like two rambling, belting, booze-swigging Leonard Zeligs, finding themselves at Jesus’ crucifixion, the fall of Rome, and the rise of Adolf Hitler. “We can’t die, ladies and gentlemen,” Kiki cried. “God knows we would love to!” Alas, underneath the sequins and the painted-on age lines streaked across their faces, Kiki and Herb were mere mortals: Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman, the real-life geniuses behind these over-the-top personas. Less than a year after the Knitting Factory show (which was preserved on DVD), Bond and Mellman ended their collaboration and went separate ways. Kiki and Herb, it seemed, could—and would—die after all. By the time they played their last show together at Perez Hilton’s thirtieth birthday party in 2008, Bond and Mellman had been working together for nearly twenty years. The pair met in San Francisco in 1988; Bond, an actor and performer, had expressed interest in doing a nightclub act, and a friend had introduced V to Mellman. (Bond, who is transgender, eschews gender-specific pronouns and prefers V over “he” or “she.”) Their first performance was on New Year’s Eve, and it allowed Bond and Mellman to “make the mistakes that everybody makes during their first show,” Bond says, referring to singing classics like “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “The Man That Got Away.” “It was fun, but not that interesting,” Bond admits. “We got a standing ovation. I thought, I never have to look good or sound nice again!” The time and place were a perfect breeding ground for Bond and Mellman to find their musical voice. Their aesthetic was formed by two musical poles. “We came out of a punk rock aesthetic and very into the idea of cabaret being relevant,” Bond explains. “I collected Dinah Washington records, and V was into Julie London,” Mellman continues. “We were going to punk clubs where they were handing out acid at the door. That smooshed together.” Soon Bond and Mellman found the thing that would make them interesting: contextualizing contemporary songs in a cabaret format. With Mellman’s fierce, loud piano playing and Bond’s otherworldly voice, the pair put a spin on the antiquated, genteel notion of cabaret by bringing it to dingy and divey San Francisco punk clubs. And then there was Kiki DuRane. Bond had started performing as Kiki in the late 80s, finding inspiration from a friend’s mother. “She was a showgirl in the 50s and got pregnant and had a kid,” Bond says. “She terrified me, but she was so amazing. Her physicality and the way she walked, the way she carried herself, her radical politics. She was the spirit of the character.” Kiki and Herb met almost accidentally after the gay pride parade. After marching and performing that afternoon, Bond realized it’d be hard to repeat the performance at a gig that night with Mellman. Kiki, then, came to the rescue. “I said, I can’t sing,” Bond says, “so we’re going to do our material as Kiki — and you’re Herb.” Bond and Mellman showed up before their gig in costume (and in character) and sat—and drank—in the back of the bar, casually interacting with the wait staff and some of the patrons. Then they hit the stage, and Bond interspersed their set with improvised anecdotes about Kiki’s life. “We got a standing ovation,” Bond says. “I thought, I never have to look good or sound nice again!” Bond moved to New York in 1994, with Mellman following a year later, and they began performing as Kiki and Herb at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in the West Village. By the mid-90s, the political climate had changed, and the New York crowds were certainly different from those in San Francisco. They were similarly motivated and artistic, and they shared the collective trauma from the Reagan years. But the New York community embraced Kiki and Herb in a different way. For example, they came out in droves, and eventually Bond and Mellman moved to bigger venues like Flamingo East and Fez in the East Village—and started charging for shows. As their star power grew, so did their opportunities. The early aughts saw Kiki and Herb in a scripted setting at the Cherry Lane Theatre off-Broadway. Then they played a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall (the performance was recorded and released as a live album titled Kiki and Herb Will Die For You). In 2007, they made it to Broadway. The trajectory was impressive—but it brought mixed emotions. On the one hand, Bond admits, it legitimized their aspirations as queer performers who were on the fringes of mainstream theater. “If you’re a couple of faggots playing in a downtown club, and one of them is in quote-unquote ‘drag,’ it’s easy for people to dismiss you,” Bond says. “I think to a certain extent that really pissed us off and was a driving factor.” But it was also a massive shift to perform for such a large house. “If Kiki and Herb had been able to be at the Fez for the rest of our lives, and we could be creatively fulfilled and happy, that would have been the greatest possible scenario,” Mellman says. “It needs that sense of community that comes from a room that holds less than 200 people. You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth—you don’t turn down Broadway. But it became a job, and it was a job where we were emotionally wrecking ourselves every night.” The characters took a toll on Bond and Mellman. They were totally committed to the roles they were playing—so much so that when a girlfriend of Bond’s asked Kiki for a tampon, Kiki dug into her purse and retrieved one. “She was like, ‘Wait a minute…’” Bond laughs. “I said, ‘It’s from when I still menstruated. Just go take care of yourself, sweetheart.’” Kiki’s meandering biography—which insisted she palled around with the likes of Jesus, Grace Kelly, and even Hitler—felt honest and true to both of them. (“If you can believe in Jesus, why can’t you believe Kiki and Herb were there when he was born?” Bond asks.) But many people interpreted those characters to be versions of Bond and Mellman themselves. “I definitely spent a lot of time feeling like a disappointment to people because I’m not that character,” Bond says. “By the end, I was checking out, doing a lot of drinking and a lot of drugs.” When the pair retired Kiki and Herb in 2008, one would think it left a massive hole in the downtown performance scene. But the fact is that Bond and Mellman essentially created a new genre within performance art and cabaret—an amalgamation that is replicated by a slew of artists currently working in the space that Bond and Mellman ushered in over a decade ago. They didn’t stop working, either; Bond regularly performs at Joe’s Pub, and Mellman co-created the long-running show Our Hit Parade there that provided a launching pad for downtown cabaret’s contemporary stars. (Mellman is also a member of the Kathleen Hanna-fronted band, The Julie Ruin.) They reunited somewhat unexpectedly in 2013, and Mellman joined Bond onstage at Bond’s “tranniversary” show at Le Poisson Rouge in 2014 to celebrate V’s twenty years in New York. The pair essentially performed Kiki and Herb out of costume, but it still brought forth an incredible emotional response from the audience—proving that the power behind Kiki and Herb is not the costumes or the notion that Bond was performing in drag, but the actual actors themselves. While their talents as performers are outstanding, one can’t ignore their musical prowess. Their covers reflect a wide range of influences, from laughingly niche (the Singing Nun) to Top 40 (Britney Spears). The outstanding “Revolution Medley” from their live album is a gut-punching mash-up of Gil Scott Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” Method Man’s “Release Yo’ Delf,” Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” and Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime.” But there are also beautiful, bittersweet ballads that aren’t overshadowed by the duo’s performative nature. Bond’s voice, which emits growls and clucks that match Kiki’s anger and unpredictability, also reveals considerable training. Kiki (as well as Bond) exhibits moments of sweet tenderness, while Herb/Mellman’s piano playing can be both thunderous and delicate within the confines of a single tune. “It became a job, and it was a job where we were emotionally wrecking ourselves every night.” With our current political climate reaching heights of insanity, Bond and Mellman’s resurrection of Kiki and Herb feels like a timely dose of artistic therapy. Their new show, Kiki and Herb: Seeking Asylum!, plays twenty performances at Joe’s Pub in April and May, and the press notes pepper new details into their biographies. (“Kiki and Herb decided to take a break from the grind of live performance and touring in order to explore more mainstream opportunities in film, television, and journalism which ultimately culminated in a brief stint as Middle East correspondents for Al Jazeera.”) The community of Kiki and Herb fans are grateful (the shows sold out instantly), and there’s a sense that we need Kiki and Herb more than ever—not just to legitimize and acknowledge our anger and frustrations, but also to continue carrying the torch of queer sensibility. “Kiki loves you, Kiki needs you,” Bond sings at the closing of their cover of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” “Kiki would die for you.” Let’s hope that Kiki and Herb stick around a little longer before fulfilling that promise. Photos by Nicole Fara Silver Joe's Pub Justin Vivian Bond Kenny Mellman Kiki and Herb Kiki DuRane Previous articleTyler Perry’s Madea’s John Carpenter’s Godzilla v. Mothra v. Batman v. Superman v. Alien v. Predator: The Quickening: Electric Boogaloo Next articleShhh: This Williamsburg Chinese Restaurant Is So Good We Want to Keep It a Secret Channelling Bowie: Fusing Theater, Music and Film with Little Cinema King Lear at BAM Jamie Hector: Portrait of an Artist	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1970
__label__cc	0.532104	0.467896	New Bern, Havelock, and Maysville Locations- Serving the communities of Vanceboro, Pamlico County, Newport, Morehead City, Pollocksville, Trenton, Jacksonville, Swansboro and Richlands. Providers and Staff PCMH New Bern, Havelock, Maysville, including the communities of Bayboro, Newport, Morehead City, Jacksonville, Swansboro and Richlands Welcome to Coastal Children’s Clinic where we have been providing excellence in pediatric care for over 60 years. As you entrust us with the care of those who are most precious to you, we strive to honor that trust at every opportunity. Coastal Children's Clinic provides both sick and well care for children from birth to age 21. We offer same-day sick appointments and always welcome new patients. We treat a variety of illnesses and conditions, as well as minor injuries, lacerations and burns. Health issues and events don't always happen during office hours so we pride ourselves on being the most available practice in the area. We have office hours 7 days a week in our New Bern office and five days a week in our Havelock and Maysville offices. Additionally, someone is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, 365 days-a-year to take your call and offer guidance. We are committed to being a part of your children's lives, 24/7 Our entire staff has been trained to be sensitive to the special needs of children, and our offices are designed to be child and parent friendly. We are privileged to serve as a resource to parents, helping them become more comfortable and confident in dealing with the vast array of issues (and adventures!) presented daily in caring for children. We stongely believe in the importance of prevention, continuity of care and evidence-based medicine. View the KidsDoc Symptom Checker from HealthyChildren.org Coastal Children's Clinic was established in 1953 by Dr. Graham A. Barden, Jr., as one of the few pediatric practices in eastern North Carolina, and the only one east of Kinston. In 1963, he was joined by Dr. Hovey E. Aiken, Jr., with whom he built a reputation for providing the highest quality pediatric medical care to the children in eastern North Carolina. Through the years, Coastal Children's Clinic has grown, touching the lives of several generations of families with comprehensive pediatric medical care. In 1982, Coastal Children’s Clinic expanded its reach by opening an additional office in Havelock, NC. Three years later, Dr. Barden’s son, Dr. Graham Barden, III joined the practice. In July of 1990, Dr. Calvin G. Warren, Jr. joined Coastal Children’s Clinic. Four years later, Dr. Greg G. Gunsten joined the practice. Due to expanded demand, on October 1, 2000 Coastal Children’s Clinic opened the Maysville Clinic. Since 2000 Coastal Children’s Clinic added Dr. Lee Ann Skladan in 2002, Dr. C. Marston Crawford in July of 2003, Dr. Lisa Kafer in December of 2003, Dr. Benjamin J. Copeland in 2004 and Dr. David Tayloe, III in September of 2010. Coastal Children’s Clinic is proud to have three Nurse Practitioners: Stanton W. Ezzell, joined in 2003, Melissa Hollifield, joined in September of 2012 and Christeanna Richardson, joined in 2015. New Bern - (252) 633-2900 Havelock - (252) 447-8100 Maysville - (910) 743-2022 Urgent Calls After Hours: Appointments New Patients Our Services Patient Forms Patient Portal Immunizations Patient Privacy - HIPAA Statement Office Hours - New Bern Office Walk-In Sick Clinic NB Only Office Hours Havelock and Maysville are M-F 8:00 to 5:00 Pediatrician - New Bern, Havelock, Maysville, including the communities of Bayboro, Newport, Morehead City, Jacksonville, Swansboro and Richlands 703 Newman Road New Bern, NC 28562 Phone: (252) 633-2900 218 Stonebridge Sq. Havelock, NC 28532 Phone: (252) 447-8100 1004 Jenkins Ave Maysville, NC 28555 Phone: (910) 743-2022	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1975
__label__wiki	0.500017	0.500017	Category Archives: 2010 Governor A look back: Henry’s 2010 interview with the pro-flag guys Remember the squirm-inducing video of Nikki Haley being interviewed by some pro-Confederate flag guys back in 2010? Remember how she meekly gave them the reassurances they sought, while looking like a hostage forced to say these things? Something caused me to look back at that (I think it was a comment on this blog, but it may have been on an old post, because I’m not finding it now), and to note that Henry McMaster, too, was interviewed by the same guys at the time. “These guys,” by the way, were a group that redundantly called themselves “South Carolina Palmetto Patriots,” and said this about their agenda on their now-defunct website: The Federal government has stolen our liberties and rights and nullified our ability to self govern as a state. It is the obligation of all people of our great state to restore unto ourselves and our children these inalienable rights as set forth in The Constitution of the United States of America. As I noted at the time, that was their 2010 agenda and not their 1860 agenda, but I can see how you might have been confused. I’d show you more, but the URL they were using then takes you to a page that shows a picture of a hat rack and the words, “This site has stepped out for a bit.” Yeah, no kidding. Back to the McMaster videos: There are six clips of about 10 minutes each, and there are commonalities with the Haley clips. For one thing, Henry sometimes looked very wary of these guys and their questions, as I think you can see in the still above. Or maybe that’s just me; I share the image so you can decide yourself. He doesn’t seem to be having a rollicking good time. Still, he gives them the answers they seek, promptly and perfunctorily, as they tick off their list of traits that make an acceptable person in their book. In the first clip, he starts out with a recitation of the 10th Amendment’s limitations on the federal government, which seemed welcome to these (as we learn later) latter-day nullificationists. At times, it takes on the cadences of the Catholic baptismal rite — if you’re a Protestant, you’ve heard it in “The Godfather:” Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty promises? Only on this video, it’s: Have you read the constitution of the state of South Carolina? Do you believe we should be governed by this document? On that second “yes,” Henry seems a bit impatient. Of course, it is an idiotic and insulting question to ask an officer of the court, but you get that sort of thing from the kinds of extremists who believe that they are the only ones who understand what the constitution in question truly means. Do you think it is better to have the government spending money to improve the economy or have tax cuts to improve the economy? Tax cuts. I don’t think there’s any question about that. Do you think we should amend our state constitution to include the right of petition and recall by the people…? Are you a Christian? What is your current church membership? Yes. First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina; I’ve been there my whole life. After that last, there is a pause, and the questioner explains, “Some of these questions are designed for other candidates…,” because, as he notes twice, he had known Henry was a Christian. Which candidates might those be?, one wonders… Eventually, after Henry makes it clear that he adamantly disapproves of illegal immigration, they get down to the nitty-gritty, at 8:10 in the clip: Do you support keeping the Confederate Battle Flag in its current location…? At that point, the questioner turns things over to “Bob,” who possesses an accent that gives Henry’s a good run for its money. The grilling on this subject continues to the end of the first clip, and all the way to 5:16 on the second one — after which “Bob” moves on to nullification. When I listened to all this this morning, I typed up Henry’s answers in some detail — and my PC crashed before I could save it. Suffice to say, he further assured them that the flag flying on the State House grounds was a settled matter. Everyone had had their say during the debate before the “compromise,” and that was that. Of course, he now says that the removal of the flag is a settled matter (if I read it correctly), so let’s give him credit for that. I confess I didn’t spend an hour listening to all six clips. Do so, if you’re so inclined, and share with us what you find. I just found it interesting to revisit, however briefly. I’ll leave you with this: As marginal as these guys might have seemed in 2010, the video seems almost quaint today — after Charlottesville. And at the same time chilling, after Mother Emanuel… This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Confederate flag, Henry McMaster, Republicans, South Carolina, Southern Discomfort on November 28, 2017 by Brad Warthen. Sheheen named as one of 12 to watch nationally Vincent Sheheen in 2010 with his dad, Fred, and the last Democratic candidate for governor to do better than he did. I was shocked, shocked, to see that Governing magazine named Sen. Vincent Sheheen one of its 12 legislators to watch in 2012: Sen. Vincent Sheheen exceeded all expectations in his 2010 race for governor. Running in a strongly Republican state in a strongly Republican year, he lost to Nikki Haley — who attracted considerable national media attention — by just four percentage points. An effective legislator, he had sponsored 18 bills that became state law prior to his gubernatorial campaign. Sheheen, whose father was a state education commissioner, served as a city prosecutor and a state representative before winning election to the Senate in 2004. “Sheheen represents the pragmatic tradition of South Carolina found in dynamic leaders such as former U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings and former U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley,” says Andy Brack, publisher and columnist of StatehouseReport.com. He is widely expected to run again for higher office. “Sheheen remains a public critic of Gov. Haley, which may help explain her rather extensive out-of-state fundraising during her first year in office,” says Jack Bass, a College of Charleston political scientist. Why was I shocked? Because I thought it was some sort of physical law of the universe that national media were incapable of acknowledging Vincent’s existence. Over and over, we heard (and still hear) about the terribly exciting miracle of the Indian-American woman who won the GOP nomination in our state, and then went on to be elected by the skin of her teeth, garnering a small percentage of the vote than any other statewide Republican in a huge year for Republicans. Not once did I see even a hint of that sort of interest in the first Lebanese-American Catholic nominee in state history — who did better than any Democrat since Jim Hodges won, by hitching his star to a state lottery, in 1998. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Democrats, Media, South Carolina, Vincent Sheheen on January 9, 2012 by Brad Warthen. The alternative reality governor On an alternative Earth, with an alternative history, this is what we would be hearing from our governor as school started back. I got this from Vincent Sheheen earlier today: This month Joseph, Austin, and Anthony went back to Camden High and Camden Elementary for the 2011-12 school year. We can’t believe we have two 15 year olds with their driving permits! We are so blessed for our sons to attend the same schools as their father, grandfather and great-grandfather. South Carolina’s public schools have helped give our family the opportunity to succeed! We are proud of our schools and thankful for the great teachers who care so much about our children. And we are proud to stand up to the extremist agenda that wants to take public dollars out of our schools and send them to private schools. Like Thomas Jefferson, we believe that a democratic nation cannot exist without a public commitment to education. Thank you to all the teachers who have blessed our lives and the lives of our children- especially Rose Sheheen (Now better known as Mommia!) So, join us in thanking a teacher- your child’s or grandchild’s or a teacher you know. Let them know how thankful you are for what they give. All the best, Amy and Vincent Sheheen Alternative reality — that’s the ticket! Where’s Harry Turtledove when we need him? Outside of his kind of world, there’s little hope for South Carolina in the foreseeable future. No, he couldn’t actually change reality, but we could pretend for a while… This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Education, Nikki Haley, Priorities, South Carolina, Vincent Sheheen on August 29, 2011 by Brad Warthen. God bless U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs I say that because her ruling kept me, and the other sensible folk who refuse to surrender their ability to think to a party, from being disenfranchised by the SC Republican Party: A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit by Republicans Wednesday who wanted South Carolina to begin requiring voters to register with a party before voting in a primary. If Republicans don’t want outsiders to help choose their nominees, they have other options, like picking candidates at a party convention or filling out petitions to get them on the ballot, U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs ruled. The decision reverberates nationally. South Carolina’s first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary, which has been won by the party’s eventual nominee in each election since 1980, is open to any registered voter in the state, forcing candidates to moderate their message to a wider audience. The Democratic contest is also open. “It’s a great day for independents. It’s a great day for all voters in South Carolina,” said lawyer Harry Kresky, who argued the case for IndependentVoting.org. “The primary confirms a great deal of legitimacy on a candidate.” IndependentVoting.org. joined with the state, Tea Party members and black lawmakers in fighting the lawsuit… Not that all is right with the world. We’re still forced to choose one primary or the other. There is no way I, who live in the most Republican county in South Carolina, where the GOP primary IS the election for most offices, should have been disenfranchised — prevented from having ANY say in local or legislative races — because I chose a Democratic ballot to vote for Vincent Sheheen last June. But moving to the Louisiana system, as wonderful as that would be, is another battle for another day. For now, I’ll take satisfaction from the fact that the judge prevented the SC Republican Party from further eroding my right to vote for whomever I like. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, 2012 Presidential, Elections, Parties, Republicans, Rule of Law, South Carolina, UnParty on March 31, 2011 by Brad Warthen. Nikki Haley dumps Darla Moore: A plain case of old-fashioned naked patronage It’s really hard to keep up with all the petty outrages (both “petty” and “outrageous” — yes, that seems about right) that our new young governor keeps pumping out. I’m a busy guy — working, blogging, trying to grab a little sleep at night — and sometimes find myself momentarily out of the loop. Particularly when there are so many far more important things going on in the world. Let’s see, the Japan earthquake, Qaddafi (I’ve gotten to where I just spell his name with the first combination of letters that my fingers hit, so I hope that suits) moving to crush the rebellion while the world is distracted with Japan, Saudis intervening in Bahrain and people getting killed… And sometimes you have to put even that aside, and do other stuff… So when I finish my Virtual Front Page and close the laptop, I sometimes don’t see any new developments until 7ish the next morning. Which is why I was taken aback at the very first Tweet I saw this morning: @nettie_bNettie Britts Explain Darla Moore to me. I replied, “Well, she’s this rich lady from South Carolina who tries to give back to her home state. That’s the Twitter version, I guess…” And I went on to breakfast. There, the grill room at the Capital City Club was buzzing with what I didn’t know about, since I hadn’t sat down to read the paper yet (don’t ask me why it wasn’t on thestate.com when I was doing the Virtual Front Page yesterday; maybe it was and I just missed it). The state and community leaders weren’t going, “Did you hear about Darla?” It was more like, “What do you think of the news?” Period. Yep, this stuff happens to me, too. Not often, but sometimes. So I sat down, and I read the paper. And I Tweeted this out: @BradWarthen Brad Warthen Nikki Haley dumping Darla Moore is classic case of naked, arbitrary exercise of patronage power….http://tinyurl.com/4nu4of8 You can congratulate me later for having gotten a link, an editorial point, “Nikki Haley,” “Darla Moore,” and “naked” into the Twitter format (with 14 characters of room left!). Let’s move on to the substance. And the substance is… well, what I just said. It just doesn’t get any more blatant, plain, slap-in-the-face, I-don’t-care-what-you’ve-done-for-our-state-or-this-institution-I’ve-got-my-own-guy than this. Just bald, plain, take-it-for-what-it-is. Although I do have to hand it to Haley staffer Rob Godfrey for managing to twist the knife a bit with this bit of sarcastic insouciance: Asked why the appointment was not announced, he said: “Given that there are over 1,000 appointments to boards and commissions the governor can make, we never intended to have a press conference for each one.” Because, you know, Darla Moore isn’t any more important than that. At the Cap City Club this morning, one of the regular movers and shakers made a rather naive and innocent remark (sometimes movers and shakers can surprise you that way), honestly asking, “How do you just brush aside someone who’s given $100 million to South Carolina?” (Yeah, I know she’s only pledged $70 million to USC and $10 million to Clemson, according to the story, but I guess he was rounding.) I replied, patiently, here’s what Nikki Haley would say to that (were she brutally honest, of course): “She didn’t give ME a hundred million dollars. Tommy over here gave me $3,500. I don’t understand the question.” That’s Tommy Cofield, by the way, a Lexington attorney. People who are not movers and shakers (and who in fact have a sort of visceral aversion to movers and shakers) can say some naive things, too. Over in a previous comment, our own Doug said “Are we assuming that Sheheen wouldn’t have replaced anyone he didn’t like?” To that, I responded once again with the painfully obvious: “No, Vincent would not have replaced Darla Moore with an unknown, minor campaign contributor in such a prestigious post. If that’s what you’re asking.” Of course, I should have added, “without a reason.” By that, I would mean a valid reason, one that takes South Carolina’s and USC’s legitimate interests into account, one that is not just arbitrary. Oh she GAVE what I suppose some folks (probably including Doug, believing as he does that there is nothing so deleterious to society as experience and commitment to the public weal) will regard as a reason: “As is the case with many of our appointees, the governor looked for a fresh set of eyes to put in a critical leadership position…” And if you are one of the people who takes Nikki Haley at face value, as her supporters tend to do, and you don’t know or care about Darla Moore or the University of South Carolina — you just like to cheer on your Nikki — that will suffice. In with the new, out with the old. She will feel in no way obligated to explain what was wrong with Darla Moore’s service on the board, or to cite any of the exciting new ideas that her appointee brings to the table that were previously missing. No one will expect that of her; it probably wouldn’t even occur to her to think about it. The governor will skate on this with these people — this is something that is core to her whole approach to politics ever since she transformed herself into the darling of the Tea Party in preparation for her run for this office for which she was so unprepared. This WORKS for her. She skates on this, just as — with the voters she cares about — she will skate on apparently having told a prospective employer in 2007 that she was making $125,000 a year when she was telling the IRS that she made $22,000. This will matter not. People are just picking at her. The nasty, powerful, status quo people — those people who hang out at the Capital City Club! — are picking at Nikki because they’re mean, you see. (By the way, on the “petty” vs. “outrageous” spectrum, the thing on the job application is more the typical “petty” violation of her alleged principles that we have come to expect; the Darla Moore thing, dealing as it does with the leadership of such an important state institution, is more of an “outrage.” If you’re keeping score.) She will not only skate, but her supporters — or at least, this is what the governor banks on — will continue, in spite of all evidence, to see her as a champion of transparency, a reformer, a nemesis of “politics as usual” and patron saint of Good Government. Which just, you know, boggles the mind if you’re the sensible sort who thinks about things. That’s the plan, anyway. And that’s why she did this, and really doesn’t care if you, or the university, or the business community, or Darla Moore don’t like it. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Blogosphere, Business, Character, Confessional, EcoDevo, Higher education, Leadership, Nikki Haley, Priorities, Republicans, South Carolina, Transparency, Vincent Sheheen on March 16, 2011 by Brad Warthen. But really, what DO you say? Trav Robertson, as we saw him during the 2010 campaign. Still sort of reeling from this discombobulation called Daylight Savings, and having had three glasses of sweet tea with my lunch at Seawell’s — to no noticeably helpful effect — I decided to do a wide swing through Five Points to get some REAL caffeine at Starbucks on my way back to the office. So I got my tall Pike, and once again impressed the baristas with my fancy gift card from across the sea (thanks, Mr. Darcy!), and on my way out ran into Trav Robertson, whom I hadn’t seen since the election. Trav, if you’ll recall, managed Vincent Sheheen’s almost, but not quite, campaign for governor last year. We chatted for a moment, mainly about the state of news media today and how it relates to politics (he said one of the toughest things he found to adjust to in the campaign was this newfangled notion that the story changes at least four times in the course of what we once so quaintly called a “news cycle”), and we parted, and as I walked back toward my truck, who was coming up the steps from Saluda but Larry Marchant. He smiled and we shook hands, and turning back to see Trav standing at the coffee shop door, I said, “Well, here’s you, and here’s Trav Robertson — we’ve just got everybody here, Democrats and Republicans…” as I moved on toward my vehicle. Which is a pretty stupid and meaningless thing to say, but what DOES one say in such a social situation? I mean, I’m not gonna say, “Well, lookee here, we’ve got Trav, whose candidate lost a close election to a woman you claimed to the world to have slept with, and I last saw you being made fun of by Jon Stewart….” And really, I suppose it’s not all that cool to say it here on the blog, either, but… it seems to me there’s a social commentary in here somewhere, having to do with Moynihan’s concept of Defining Deviance Down or whatever. And when I say “deviance,” I’m not picking on Larry or anybody else, but talking about us, the people who are the consumers of such “news.” I mean, how does one conduct himself in polite society — or any society — in which such things are discussed, disclosed, dissected and displayed publicly? Actually, “publicly” isn’t quite the word, is it? Doesn’t quite state the case. Way more intense than that. If you’re Jon Stewart, life is simple. You make a tasteless joke or two, get your audience to laugh, and move on to the next gag. But what do you say if you’re just a regular person out here in the real world, and you run into the real people about whom these jokes are made? Whatever the right thing is, I haven’t figured it out, so today I just fell back on the time-honored stratagem of ignoring any weirdness inherent in the situation, and saying something insipid. Which, in this polite state of ours, still works. As for Trav and Larry — did they speak after I left? Do they even know each other? If they spoke, what did they speak about? I have no idea. I retreated to the office with my coffee. Larry Marchant, as we saw him during the 2010 campaign. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Blogosphere, Civility, Coffee, In Our Time, Media, Nikki Haley, South Carolina, Television, The Nation, Vincent Sheheen, Words on March 14, 2011 by Brad Warthen. Just to say something you don’t hear all that often The quixotic demonstration at the State House yesterday by citizens sick of seeing our state’s infrastructure rapidly eroding under the stewardship of shortsighted politicians was of course an exercise in futility. But I’m no stranger to that. A few minutes ago, looking for a link for a previous post that needed one, I went back to the last week of posts on my old blog I had at the paper, and ran across this forgotten item — which, as it happens, was day after the post in which I announced that I had been laid off: Good job rejecting the tuition caps This might sound strange coming from a guy who was already counting pennies (or quarters, anyway — I miscounted how many I had this morning in my truck, and ended up with a parking ticket because I didn’t have enough for the meter), with my two youngest daughters still in college. And now I’m about to be unemployed. But I’m glad the House rejected tuition caps at S.C. colleges and universities. I have an anecdote to share about that. Remember the recent day when college students wandered the State House lobbying lawmakers on behalf of their institutions. They wanted the state to invest in higher education the way North Carolina and Georgia have. Either that day, or the day after, I had lunch with Clemson President James Barker, and he told me an anecdote he had witnessed: He said the students were pressing a lawmaker NOT to support the tuition caps, because they were worried about their institutions being even more underfunded — they hardly get anything from the state — some are down below 20 percent funding by the state, and the rest has to come from such sources as tuition, federal research grants and private gifts. Eliminate the ability to raise tuition, and the institution’s ability to provide an excellent education is significantly curtailed. If we want lower tuitions, the state should go back to funding higher percentages of the schools’ budgets, the way our neighboring states with better higher ed systems do. The lawmaker listened to the kids, and then said with great condescension, maybe you kids don’t care if tuition goes up, but I’ll bet your parents would like a cap. He thought he had them there, but the kids set him straight: None of their parents were paying the bills. These kids were working their way through schools and paying for it all themselves. And they didn’t want to see the quality of what they were working so hard to pay for be degraded by an artificial cap on tuition. The lawmaker had not counted on getting that answer. I wish I had been there to see it, because I’ve been in a similar place before. Back in 95 or 96, Speaker Wilkins had brought his committee chairs to see us, and I started challenging the wisdom of their massive rollback of property taxes paid for school.One of them allowed as how he bet I was glad to get that couple of hundred dollars I didn’t have to pay. And I answered him that I was ashamed that I was paying so little through my property tax to support schools that I knew needed more resources. He said smugly that he was sure I wouldn’t want to give it back. I told him I didn’t see as how there was any channel for doing that, but if he could point me to the right person who would take my money and see it gets to the right place, I would pay the difference. He didn’t have a good answer for that. It would be great if our lawmakers would stop assuming that all of us in South Carolina are so greedily shortsighted that we can’t see past our personal desire to pay less money, and that we are corruptible by a scheme to starve colleges of reasonable support. Reading that now, with all that’s happened since — the rise of the Tea Party, the eagerness of Republicans, demoralized after their 2008 defeat, to embrace destructive extremism (and of course, what happens to the Republican Party as happens to South Carolina, which it dominates), the election of Nikki Haley over more experienced, less extreme candidates of both parties — it reads like thoughts from another century. And, of course, another place. Imagine, even dreaming of our state caring enough about education to invest in it the way our neighboring states have, much less suggesting that we do so. How anachronistic can one get? All that’s happened since then is that South Carolina has run, faster every day, in the opposite direction — with out elected leaders firmly convinced that that is not only the right direction in which to run, but the only one. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Blogosphere, Higher education, Leadership, Legislature, Money, New Normal, Nikki Haley, Personal, Priorities, Republicans, South Carolina, Spending, Taxes, The State, Unemployment on March 13, 2011 by Brad Warthen. “Again, get excited” (if you can): the Haley senior staff announcement I missed the announcement of Nikki Haley’s new senior staff yesterday, but I went looking for it after a friend (NOT a professional political observer, but a communications pro) at lunch today mentioned how… lackluster the announcement was. My friend said it really looked like Nikki was saying, “Well, since I went and won the election, I guess we have to do these things…” This struck me because it sounded so much like my impression of Nikki’s low-energy victory speech on election night. Like it’s all sort of a letdown to her, compared to the frisson of campaigning. I’m finding it a bit hard to reconcile campaigning Nikki and soon-to-be-governor Nikki, in terms of enthusiasm. But maybe I’m just being a sexist pig who expects women to be bubbly all the time, right? Yeah, that’s probably it. Anyway, enough about style over substance. My concern is not whether Nikki is enjoying the job so far, but what happens after she takes office. Let’s take a quick look at the staff she announced (all of whom seemed about as excited as she did, by the way — not particularly enjoying each other’s company, like they’re afraid they might accidentally touch each other or something…. no, I wasn’t going to talk style anymore…). Let’s break it down this way: Here’s Nikki’s press release, and here’s some minimal commentary from me: Tim Pearson, Chief of Staff. Well, Nikki really damned him with faint praise: “He not only comes from The Hill…” say WHAT!?!? That’s supposed to be a recommendation? “… but also has presidential campaign and gubernatorial experience and he’s getting ready to do great things for our state…” a state which, far as we know, he knows nothing about. Look, I’ve done no more than exchange an e-mail or two with Pearson, and shake hands when I ran into him with Nikki at a restaurant, and he seemed OK. But with such an inexperienced governor, the idea of a guy who’s not from here and has limited knowledge of our state, its politics or its government being her chief of staff is not reassuring. What she needs is what Mark Sanford had the wisdom to hire at the start of his administration — Fred Carter. Fred didn’t last long, but he was exactly what Sanford needed. And what Nikki needs, too. Worst way to paint this? The way an ex-colleague did in an e-mail today: Kevin Geddings. Yeah, the guy who who led the governor’s winning campaign, but had little else to recommend him. Here’s hoping Tim Pearson will be WAY better than that. Katherine Haltiwanger, Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations). Can’t say I know her. Know some very nice people named Haltiwanger. Maybe she’s related. Ted Pitts, Deputy Chief of Staff (Policy and Cabinet Affairs). Great choice! And I’m glad to know Ted’s back OK from Afghanistan. If you’ll recall, Ted is MY representative. I briefly thought about making a run at the seat on the UnParty ticket when I heard he wasn’t running again. But I let Rick Quinn have it instead. Trey Walker, Deputy Chief of Staff (Legislative Affairs and Communications). Another good choice — in fact, I’ll go so far as to say that if merit guided the gov-elect, Trey would be the guy in the top job. But I guess that since Trey — who ran Attorney General Henry McMaster’s office — didn’t join her until after the primary, Pearson was just in line way in front of him. Aside from actually knowing South Carolina, Trey also has the kind of experience Nikki seems to value most — helping run a national presidential campaign (McCain’s). Swati Patel, Chief Legal Counsel. Don’t really know her, but she’s got relevant experience. Rob Godfrey, Press Secretary. Another veteran like Trey, although I have to say that Rob’s been a bit — testy — this past year, as evidenced by this and this. Maybe he’ll settle down. Or maybe we’ll have a Ron Ziegler situation on our hands. We’ll see. Taylor Hall, Cabinet Liaison. Don’t know him. I’m impressed that “Hall also worked at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, where he dealt with Transatlantic and European security issues,” although I’m not sure how it’s relevant. Maybe Nikki plans on raiding the EU for her Cabinet. Watch out, Brussels! Rebecca Schimsa, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. I know a lot of very young people, but I don’t know Rebecca. (Or do I? If so, I apologize.) Oh, and note that a few years ago I was grumbling about Ted Pitts seeming too young, so consider the source. Jamie Shuster, Director of Budget and Policy. Don’t really know her, but I know the South Carolina Policy Council. That reminds me. I was supposed to set up lunch with Ashley Landess. Y’all don’t let me forget that… Katherine Veldran, Legislative Liaison. This is the one, I suppose, that that same ex-colleague mentioned above referred to thusly: “the chick who’s going to be working with the Legislature whose experience is working for a Hilton Head hotel. Huh?” I don’t know what that’s about, either. Perhaps she’ll lecture lawmakers on the inherent superiority of the private sector. We’ll see. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Leadership, Nikki Haley, Republicans, South Carolina, Video on December 15, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Karen had a slightly different reaction What was your reaction to this headline when it led the paper the other day — “Haley confronts Obama on health care”? Yeah, me too. Cringe City. Like, Please don’t tell me she identified herself as being from South Carolina. I mean, think about it: The closest thing to a qualification that Nikki possesses on this issue is a stint as fund-raiser for a hospital, which didn’t work out so well. But now the Leader of the Free World is expected to sit still and be lectured by her on the subject. OK, so the president invited her to. That doesn’t make me feel much better about her wasting the opportunity by going to bat for a national GOP priority. Yeah, I know she was elected chiefly by pushing these national-issue hot buttons, and not for anything central to being governor. And that’s my problem with this. That’s what produces the cringe factor. The last thing we needed was another governor who was more interested in playing to a national audience than governing South Carolina, and look what we got. But hey, that’s what we’ve got, so I wasn’t going to say anything. Y’all have heard all that before. At least, I wasn’t until I got this e-mail from Karen Floyd over the weekend: Dear Subscriber Recently, Governor-elect Nikki made a trip up to Washington DC to speak with President Obama about the highly contentious health care legislation. We are so proud to have our next governor aggressively represent the views of so many Americans. Below is an article about the event that appeared in the Rock Hill Herald [the same McClatchy piece that was in The State, linked above]. Please take the time to read it and let us know what you think by visiting our Facebook page! Karen Floyd SCGOP Chairman So proud, huh? I’m beginning to suspect that Karen and I look at things somewhat differently… Oh, and by the way — I realize that this is just business to people like Nikki and Karen, this constant sniping at the president’s attempt (however flawed) to deal with the health care crisis in this country. They just use it to yank the chains of susceptible people, and get them to vote the way they want them to. But if this foolishness actually leads to the federal government letting South Carolina opt out of health care reform, as Obama reportedly indicated to Nikki, well then I am going to take this personally. It may be just partisan politics business, but I’m going to take it very personally. OK, now I’m going to switch directions on you… I hope this doesn’t give you whiplash… Nikki did something else at that meeting that I’m very proud she did: Confront the president on Yucca Mountain. That actually is a very important issue to South Carolina, and one that the president has taken an indefensible position on, thanks to Harry Reid. Anything Nikki does to get the president’s attention on that short of slapping him upside the head is OK with me. You go, girl. And to change my tune still further… I was just about to post this when I had a phone conversation with a thoughtful friend who said, you’ve got to read The Greenville News version of the Haley/Obama interaction. The tone was a bit different. In fact, it had this bit: Haley insisted that she is more interested in a “conversation” with the White House over areas of disagreement than “confrontation.” That’s nice, but not quite enough to make me do an Emily Litella. I still don’t want my governor posturing on national controversies, and Karen Floyd does. Therein lies the difference. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Barack Obama, Health, Marketplace of ideas, Nikki Haley, South Carolina, Southern Discomfort, The Nation on December 6, 2010 by Brad Warthen. My lame routine at Rotary today On Friday, I got the call asking me to fill in at today’s Rotary meeting with Health & Happiness — which as you may recall means coming up with jokes. I stressed about it all weekend, because with me, the members expect topical, original material — and I just hadn’t seen much to laugh about recently. But I had to come up with something, so here’s what I came up with: As y’all know, I generally try, in my own poor way, to offer y’all a little humorous commentary on the passing parade of current events. I prefer doing that to falling back on the tried and true method of googling “clean jokes” on the Internet. Since I AM a writer, that just always feels like sort of a copout. But folks, we are suffering a severe shortage of current events humor, particularly in the political arena. You may not have noticed, because it struck quite suddenly. We were enjoying a huge political comedy bubble in this state, but recently the bubble burst. So it is that after the recent election, from my point of view, there’s not much to laugh about in the news. There was a lot of stuff that was ALMOST funny, but it generally fell short of the mark. For instance: There was good news and bad news in the U.S. House elections. The good news is that the hapless Democrats are no longer in charge. The bad news is that the Republicans ARE going be in charge. We, the people, just can’t win, and it’s not a bit funny. Being a guy who gets his news via the written word, I thought for a brief time that there was some comic possibility in the name of the man who would be our new speaker of the House. Imagine my bitter disappointment when I heard on the radio that B-o-e-h-n-e-r is pronounced “BAY-ner.” What a loss to comedy! (Pause.) I’m going to give you a moment to think about that one… Moving on, Alvin Greene also disappointed us. He gave it a good run, but fell just a BIT short of winning his election, so now we don’t have Alvin Greene to kick around anymore. Of course, now he says he’s going to run for president. I mean, he’s doing his best for us, and I appreciate that, but he’s completely lost the strategic advantage of surprise, and I’m concerned that he might not be able to cinch the nomination this time. Then there’s Christine O’Donnell, the former teenage witch. We had a lot of fun with her during the election, and she promised to be a hoot and a half once she got to the Senate. And that was looking good, since she had that can’t-miss Tea Party kingmaker, Jim DeMint, backing her. Apparently, neither his magic nor hers was working. Maybe she SHOULD have joined that coven, after all. Here’s how bad it’s gotten on the political humor front: I heard the other day that Gov. Sanford was seen actually hiking the Appalachian Trail – or thereabouts, anyway. No detour to, say, Patagonia. I mean, when you can’t rely on Mark Sanford, what are you gonna do? Now, I don’t want to leave y’all feeling hopeless. There are some promising developments on the horizon: First, South Carolina still has the first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary, and it’s only 14 months away. So there’s all sorts of potential for tomfoolery in the days to come. Next, Nancy Pelosi isn’t fading away, but seems poised to come back as the new minority leader. This will at least please South Carolina Republicans. You may have noticed in the recent election how they LOVE saying her name, over and over, whether it’s relevant to the subject at hand or not. Say “good morning” to a Republican running for Congress, and he’ll say “Nancy Pelosi.” Oh, and how about the way she resolved the fight between our own Jim Clyburn and Steny Hoyer over the meaningless post of minority whip? She made up an even MORE meaningless position for Mr. Clyburn as a consolation prize. THAT has potential. I launched a contest today on my blog to come up with a fitting title for that post. I’m leaning toward “Once and Future Whip,” or maybe “Whip Wannabe.” Finally, I see that our new governor-elect has named her transition team, saying she chose its members based on their success in their chosen fields. Then I saw she had named her husband to the team. Now, that fact in and of itself doesn’t quite rise to the level of “funny,” but it has promise. And I promise YOU that I will keep an eye on that situation and report back if anything develops. Anyway, bottom line, I told y’all this wouldn’t be funny. So let me close with this little story I pulled off the Internet: A politician, a clergyman, and a Boy Scout were passengers in a small plane that developed engine trouble. The pilot announced, “We’ll have to bail out. Unfortunately, there are only three parachutes. I have a wife and seven small children. My family needs me. I’m taking one of the parachutes and jumping out!” And he jumped. Then the politician said, “I am the smartest politician in the world. The country needs me. I’m taking one of the parachutes.” And he jumped. The clergyman said to the Boy Scout, “I’ve had a good life and yours is still ahead of you. You take the last parachute.” The scout shrugged and said, “Don’t need to. There are two parachutes left. The smartest politician in the world just jumped with my knapsack!” How did it go? Well, let’s put it this way — I got a big laugh on the joke I pulled from the Internet. But I wasn’t disappointed. The small laughs I got in response to the rest was the most I was hoping for. It definitely wasn’t like the times that I KILLED. But I didn’t totally die, either… This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Community, Confessional, Elections, Midlands, Speechifying on November 15, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Nikki Haley’s transition team Here’s Nikki Haley’s transition team, as she announced it today: Ambassador David Wilkins, Chairman. Ambassador David H. Wilkins is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and chairs the Public Policy and International Law practice group. Wilkins was nominated by President George W. Bush to become the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, serving from June 2005 to January 2009. A former speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives for 11 years and 25 years total as an elected representative, Wilkins now serves as Chairman of the Clemson University Board of Trustees. Chad Walldorf, Vice-Chairman Chad Walldorf is the co-founder of Sticky Fingers and was named a 2004 Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the Carolinas. He and his partners sold the company in 2006 after growing it to include restaurants in five states and a national line of barbecue sauces. Walldorf served in the Reagan White House’s Office of Political Affairs and for two years as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Mark Sanford. He chaired the 2007 Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Commission which resulted in detailed recommendations for the Budget and Control Board with half a billion dollars in estimated savings. Derick Close. Derick Close is CEO of Springs Creative Products Group in Rock Hill. A member of Clover-based Huffman Machine Tool’s Board of Directors, Close is past president of the South Carolina Manufacturing Alliance and serves on its executive committee. Dave Ellison. Dave Ellison joined Northwestern Mutual in 1981 after a five year banking career. He has served or is currently serving on several community boards including the Furman University Board of Trustees, the United Way of Greenville County Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. Ellison’s leadership positions include serving as past chair of the Furman Board of Trustees, past president of the Furman Alumni Association and past chair of the United Way’s Palmetto Society. Michael Haley. Michael Haley currently works in the human resource office as the State Equal Employment Manager for the South Carolina National Guard. He is also an officer with the Medical Command in the Army National Guard. Jermaine Husser. Jermaine Husser is currently the Executive Director (CEO) of the Lowcountry Food Bank. Husser oversees the operations, program and services at the Lowcountry Food Bank’s main distribution center in Charleston and Regional Food Centers in Myrtle Beach and Beaufort. Jennie M. Johnson. Jennie Johnson is the Executive Director of Liberty Fellowship. She was previously president of Liberty Insurance Services and executive vice president of RBC Liberty Insurance. Her prior experience includes serving as president of Pierce National Life and strategic planning for Ashland Oil. Johnson is Vice-Chair of the Area Commission for Greenville Technical College, and she formerly chaired the South Carolina Research Authority. Pamela P. Lackey. As President of AT&T South Carolina, Pamela Lackey is responsible for the company’s public policy, economic development and community affairs activities in the state. She works closely with state and community leaders to help bring new technology and jobs to the state and improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians. Prior to joining AT&T in 1997, she was a professional educator, most recently serving on the staff of the State Superintendent of Education. She is the Chair of the S.C. Research Centers of Economic Excellence Review Board and serves on numerous other boards, including the Central S.C. Alliance, the South Carolina State Chamber of Commerce, Governor’s School for the Arts, Palmetto Business Forum and the University of South Carolina Business Partnership Foundation. Don Leonard. President of Leonard, Call & Associates, Inc., Don Leonard is Chairman of the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank and serves on the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of the National Bank of South Carolina, the Board of Trustees of the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center and the Board of Trustees of Brookgreen Gardens. Leighton Lord. Leighton Lord is former chairman of Nexsen Pruet, LLC. He focuses his law practice on economic development and was Boeing’s legal team leader in the deal that brought the company to South Carolina. Lord serves on several boards, including Santee Cooper. Pat McKinney. A long-time Charleston resident, Pat McKinney has spent his entire business career involved in the development of upscale communities along coastal South Carolina. Since 1988, he has been a partner in Kiawah Development Partners, the master developer of Kiawah Island. A past appointee to the State Board of Education (1987-1990), he is currently serving on the Board of Trustees of Furman University where he is chair of the Financial Management Committee. Henry McMaster. President Ronald Reagan chose Henry McMaster to be his first U.S. Attorney. Then, when the people of South Carolina needed a strong Attorney General, they twice elected Henry McMaster. As chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, McMaster’s leadership was instrumental in electing Republican majorities to the state House and state Senate for the first time since Reconstruction. McMaster has served as chairman and a member of the board of directors of the South Carolina Policy Council and was appointed by Governor Carroll Campbell to serve on the state Commission on Higher Education. Dr. Henry N. Tisdale. A native of Kingstree and magna cum laude graduate of Claflin University, Dr. Henry Tisdale returned to his alma mater as its eighth president in 1994. Dr. Tisdale has presided over a period of unprecedented growth and development at Claflin. During his tenure, Claflin has achieved national recognition for academic excellence, increased enrollment, and enhancement of both its physical infrastructure and research capacity. Dr. Tisdale earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Claflin in 1965 and became the first African-American to receive a doctorate in mathematics from Dartmouth. George Wolfe. A partner in the Columbia office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, George Wolfe serves as Chair of the firm’s Economic Development Practice Group. He has worked over the last 20 years to develop policies and laws in support of economic development in South Carolina. Mr. Wolfe has worked closely with companies establishing and expanding new operations in South Carolina, including some of the largest investments in the history of the state. At this point on a Friday afternoon I don’t have much to say about the list, beyond: David Wilkins is there to reassure us more mainstream folk that Nikki really DOES want to play well with others. And so far, it’s working. Sanford Überpal Chad Walldorf is there to tell the Tea Party faithful to ignore that David Wilkins appointment, she’s not going Establishment. Henry McMaster is there because, well, who else among party leaders actually actively supported her campaign after he and other mainstream Republicans were pushed aside in the primary. Husband Michael Haley is there because… well, I’m having trouble coming up with a justification for that one. I mean, Jenny Sanford was always involved in her ex-husband’s administration because she was the brains behind the Sanford mob. But Michael Haley, from what I’ve seen, has been in the background. Of course, he and Henry were the only adults who stood up on the stage with her when she gave her victory address, so that’s something… George Wolfe and Leighton Lord are also, like David Wilkins, sort of reassuring ties to the actual conservative part of the Republican Party, rather than the newfangled neo-revolutionary wing. They’re both smart guys who I hope will have an impact. Additional thoughts, anyone? This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Elections, Leadership, Mark Sanford, Nikki Haley, Republicans, South Carolina, Talk amongst yourselves on November 12, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Wearing your allegiance on your sleeve — or on your Facebook page, anyway Right after the election, I noticed a Nikki Haley bumper sticker, and it struck me that I hadn’t seen a whole lot of those during the election, which caused me to Tweet: Ever notice how you see more bumper stickers for a candidate AFTER he/she wins than you did before Election Day? I do… It may be purely a perception flaw on my part, but after a number of elections I have strongly suspected a belated “bandwagon” effect accounting for the number of fresh, unfrayed, clean bumper stickers that I see for the new officeholder even a year or more after the election. It’s probably a little of both. But that means the bandwagon effect is to some extent at play. And that, to me, is one of the oddest things about human nature. I just don’t understand the bandwagon effect in politics. Either you like a candidate or you don’t. Either you believe in a cause or you don’t. What sort of weak-willed person adjusts his judgments according to what’s more popular? But we all know it happens. It’s one reason why campaigns stress polls that show their side winning; it tends to contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy. I can sort of see it working with sports. After all, I ignored the Braves for years until their worst-to-first performance in 1991, after which I couldn’t get enough of them for several years. But that’s about the fact that it’s more enjoyable to watch someone play baseball WELL than to watch them play badly. And I’m very much a September/October kind of baseball fan, because that’s when you see the best, most exciting play. But choosing whom you’ll support on the basis of who you think will win, or even worse, someone who has already won? That’s either contemptible, or just plain weird. But anyway, I didn’t think any more about the bumper stickers until I saw this Tweet today from Nettie Britts: If you still have a Sheheen avatar you really need to change that. Really, I thought… how come? And why Sheheen specifically? I asked that, and Logan Stewart jumped in with: lbstewart Logan Stewart @BradWarthen @nettie_b the day after he lost election, I made my FB profile pic one of @vincentsheheen & me b/c I’m proud of his work in SC I guess she was talking about this. Nettie responded: @BradWarthen @lbstewart I think it looks silly to still have campaign stuff up. You don’t need to communicate message anymore. This seemed sensible enough. It’s sort of what I think when I see those bumper stickers. Nevertheless, I was inspired to go put up a picture with Sheheen in it on the blog — I put it on the page you get when you use the search function. Because Lord knows, we’re going to see a lot of pictures of Nikki Haley — the choice of just 51 percent of SC voters — over the next few years. Bumper stickers, too. Just watch. So what’s the harm in having something up for the rest of us? This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Elections, Nikki Haley, Public opinion, Social media, South Carolina, Vincent Sheheen on November 11, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Haley takes big step toward GOP respectability David Wilkins in January 2009./photo by Brad Warthen The state Democratic Party is giving Nikki Haley a hard time for choosing David Wilkins to head her transition: Columbia, SC – South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler released the following statement today in response to Gov.-elect Nikki Haley’s announcement that GOP insider David Wilkins will head her transition team. Wilkins is a former long-time SC legislator, House Speaker, and ambassador. “We were hoping Nikki Haley had gotten the hypocrisy out of her system during her campaign, but apparently she didn’t. David Wilkins’ appointment shows South Carolinians that the Haley Administration isn’t going to be the “movement” they were promised. The governor-elect has given the highest position on her team to one of the very same good ol’ boys she campaigned against. She can’t move this state forward by continuing to reach backward,” said Fowler. But I see it as a positive development — Nikki the Tea Party insurgent reaching out to the respectable center of her party. In other words, reaching out to the conservative center of the state GOP. And that can only be a good thing. If I were one of her typical supporters, I might wonder. But since I’m not, I don’t. For me, this is sort of like when I found myself reassured by Obama’s national security pragmatism after the 08 election. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Barack Obama, Democrats, Elections, Leadership, Legislature, Nikki Haley, Republicans, South Carolina on November 8, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Yo no sé que el quiere decir I read the 2nd reading at Mass yesterday, in Spanish, and doing so reminded me of something I read on another blog last week… Just for those of you who still care — perhaps out of morbid fascination — what Will Folks has to say about Nikki Haley, I share this. It was Will’s entire statement with regard to her victory last week: “Porque ¿qué aprovechará al hombre, si ganare todo el mundo, y pierde su alma.” – Marcos 8:36 (Sagradas Escrituras – 1569) And no, I don’t know what he meant to say by that, or why he used a Spanish translation. It just struck me as mildly interesting that he chose to respond with a verse from Scripture, and that he chose that particular verse. I can think of a couple of ways to read that, and they are very different, so I’m not going to guess. Unusually cryptic, coming from such a tell-all guy. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Blogosphere, Elections, Media, Nikki Haley, Words on November 8, 2010 by Brad Warthen. By the way, sisters: “Women” didn’t go for Haley Y’all know how fed up I was during the campaign with all the breathless Identity Politics hoopla, especially in the national media, over Nikki Haley being an Indian-American (gasp!) woman (oh, joy! oh, rapture!). I don’t like all that IP stuff in the best of times, but to watch the way it boosted Nikki over the first Lebanese-American Catholic (to use language they would understand) ever to receive a major-party nomination for governor in this state was pretty maddening. But if I thought that was bad, that was nothing compared to what we’ve been subjected to since last Tuesday. The next “journalist” who says “historic” in reference to what happened last week is going to get slapped upside the head, if I’m within arm’s reach. I got my fill of it in the WIS studio on election night, as everyone but me went on and on about it. Of course, on live TV, one reaches for whatever one has at hand to have something to say, I suppose. But ever since then, Tom Wolfe’s Victorian Gent has been in full rant, loudly expressing the Appropriate Sentiment — or as Wolfe termed it, “the proper emotion, the seemly sentiment, the fitting moral tone” –over the allegedly monumental event. OK, so basically, this was a big victory for women, huh? Well, before the sisters get too overjoyed about this, it would be good to note that “women” didn’t elect Nikki Haley. So much for the solidarity of sisterhood. Mind you, I put “women” in quotation marks for ironic purpose. I’m using it the way Republicans say “America voted Republican,” or “South Carolina preferred Nikki Haley.” The thing is, a SLIGHT majority of women preferred Vincent Sheheen, according to exit polls. And when I say slight, I mean slight: 50 percent to 49 percent. But hey, it would have been enough for him to win if all the men had stayed home. (But I will say that, even though the exit poll didn’t measure this, I’m thinking Nikki won the SC Indian-American vote. I’m just going by the number that was there dancing at her victory party, so my assumption is unscientific.) To analyze the exit polls further… If I were the sort who cared about Identity Politics — if I thought being of a certain gender or race or whatever mattered — I would start to wonder about myself. Vincent lost in pretty much every demographic group to which I belong. Except two: Ideology (Vincent won among “moderates,” with 63 percent of us) and non-evangelicals. Which, I suppose, is why I hate talk of Identity Politics. It doesn’t affect the way I vote, and I don’t think it should affect anybody’s. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Elections, Media, Nikki Haley, Public opinion, South Carolina, Women on November 8, 2010 by Brad Warthen. How Haley Won (the short version) On Sunday I had too much going on to read the paper, but I didn’t feel like I was missing much, because the lede headline was, “How Haley beat Sheheen.” That would have to be shortest analysis story yet, since the entire explanation can be expressed thusly: “She ran as a Republican in 2010.” It’s so obvious from the outcome that, since Vincent Sheheen garnered a larger percentage of the vote than any other Democrat running in South Carolina, Nikki Haley didn’t do anything else to contribute to her success. In fact, the numbers indicate that everything else that happened in the fall campaign must have worked against her. So, a very short story. (And yet my colleague John O’Connor squeezed 2,000 words out of it. My hat is off to him. Editors don’t give reporters that kind of room often, so when they do, any writer worth his salt makes the most of it.) Now, if you want to talk about how she won the nomination — her transition into the darling of the Tea Party — that might take some verbiage. But there’s not much to say about her victory in the general. She hit her crescendo in June, but the air gradually leaked out of her campaign until she barely squeaked by on Election Day. But being a Republican guaranteed that she could afford to blow a big lead, and still win. So she did. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Elections, Nikki Haley, Republicans, South Carolina, The State on November 8, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Another stand-alone governor? Let’s hope not Photo by Gerry Melendez/The State In the newspaper biz, a “stand-alone” is a picture that has no story with it. I’m still looking back at Tuesday night, and pondering a photo that embodies another sense of “stand-alone”… As we were waiting… and waiting, and waiting… for Nikki Haley’s victory speech that night, someone in the WIS studio wondered aloud why Henry McMaster was the one killing time at the podium (actually, he was introducing her, but we didn’t realize that at first). Well, who else would it have been? said I. He was the only member of the GOP establishment to have embraced her — her only primary opponent to play a positive, prominent role in her campaign. That’s Henry; he’s Old School. If it’s his party’s nominee, he’s behind her, 100 percent. So who else would introduce her? And then I thought no more about it. My mind turned to how low-energy and off-key her subsequent speech was. (Something Cindi Scoppe apparently disagrees with, since she wrote, “She made a good start with her victory speech.“) It was only when I looked at the photos later (and these photos are from The State, where you can find both a Nikki victory gallery and a Sheheen concession gallery) that I thought about the extreme contrast. There was Vincent, with a broad array of people loyally, warmly supporter him in his hour of defeat — while aside from Henry, Nikki stood alone (I’m not counting family; both candidates had that). First the delay. Then she comes out alone, without political allies, then she delivers that less-than-enthusiastic speech. What was going on? I don’t know, but I hope it doesn’t stay like this. We’ve had 8 years of a stand-alone governor, and a governor standing alone can’t accomplish anything in this state, for good or for ill. We’d all be better off if more people were willing to stand with our governor. Of course, it would help if she acted like she wanted them to. And that’s the thing, isn’t it? The sort of person with whom more people are willing to stand, and who is willing to stand with more people, is the sort of person that, well, more people want to stand with. That made me dizzy. Let me read it again — yep, that’s what I meant to say… Photo by C. Aluka Berry/The State This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, 2010 Governor, Character, Civility, Elections, Leadership, Media, Nikki Haley, South Carolina, The State on November 4, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Woulda Coulda Shoulda: Could Sheheen have won with a better campaign? Last night, when it was all over, I was struck by two things: How much better Vincent Sheheen’s concession speech was than any speech I heard during the campaign, and how much worse Nikki’s was. As I said on the air last night, that “victory” speech was so… low… energy. The people in the studio laughed, saying, “It’s after midnight!” So what? I wasn’t tired (I didn’t hit the sack until about 3, and then only after a couple of beers). She shouldn’t have been, either. She should have been PUMPED! The crowd that had had the patience to wait for her (the folks in the WIS studio were puzzled she made the world wait for her so long; I told them to get used to it, because Nikki will have no more use for the people of SC going forward, as she continues to court national media) ALSO should have been pumped. But they sounded like an average group of supporters listening to an average, mid-campaign speech. Maybe she was saving her energy to be on the Today show today. (Here we go again, folks. More of the same of what we got with Mark Sanford, Mr. FoxNews.) As I urged people on TV last night — go to that clip I posted on the blog of her speech the day Sarah Palin endorsed her. Where was THAT enthusiasm? It’s like she had this finite supply, and it was just… enough… to carry her BARELY over the finish line in a remarkably close victory for a Republican in 2010. As for Vincent, when he said that line about how he and his supporters “wished with all your might to take this state in a new direction,” it resonated so that I thought, “Where was THAT during the election?” Sure, he talked about not wanting more of what had under Sanford and such; he made the point — but he never said it in a way that rang out. He didn’t say it with that kind of passion. It’s so OBVIOUS that that should have been his theme. Instead, we had the complete and utter absurdity of Nikki Haley running as a change agent. It’s so very clear that in electing Nikki Haley, the voters chose the course most likely to lead to more of the malaise that we’ve experience in recent years. But hey, woulda coulda shoulda. I just raise the point now to kick off a discussion: Is there something Vincent Sheheen could have done that he didn’t that would have put him over the top? Or did he come so close to winning, in the worst possible year to run as a Republican, because he ran the perfect campaign? I mean, he came SO close. It was so evident that Nikki was the voters’ least favorite statewide Republican (yes, Mick Zais got a smaller percentage, but there were several “third party” candidates; Frank Holleman still got fewer votes than Vincent). I look at it this way: Mark Hammond sort of stands as the generic Republican. Nobody knows who he is or what he does, so he serves as a sort of laboratory specimen of what a Republican should have expected to get on Nov. 2, 2010, given the prevailing political winds. He got 62 percent of the vote. Even Rich Eckstrom — and this is truly remarkable given his baggage, and the witheringly negative campaign that Robert Barber ran against him — got 58 percent. So Nikki’s measly 51.4 percent, in the one race with the highest profile, is indicative to me of the degree to which voters either liked Vincent, or didn’t like her. So the question remains: Could Vincent have won with a better campaign, or did he do as well as he did — ALMOST pulling off what would have been a miracle in this election year — because his campaign was so good? This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Blogosphere, Character, Democrats, Elections, Marketplace of ideas, Nikki Haley, Republicans, Seeking answers, South Carolina, Talk amongst yourselves, Video, Vincent Sheheen on November 3, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Comment on election results HERE… … and I will do my best to keep up with them and approve them in something close to real time. Remember, I’ll be on WIS from 7 to 8 tonight, and then again from 11 to midnight, if my voice holds out (I seem to have come down with an untimely cold). So watch me, watch the returns, comment here, and I’ll try to keep up. I’m not sure what the accommodation will be at WIS for my laptop, but I’ll try to figure out something… This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Elections, Feedback, Marketplace of ideas, Media, Personal, South Carolina, Talk amongst yourselves, Television on November 2, 2010 by Brad Warthen. Now, see, THIS is a partisan smear… There are thousands of people at the polls right now voting for Nikki Haley in spite of all the powerful, objective reasons not to, because they think all those bad things they’ve heard are just some unfair, partisan attempt to smear her. Listen to them; that’s what they think. That’s because they are either not paying close attention, or they truly lack the intellectual capacity to tell the difference between indisputable facts about Nikki, and a true smear campaign. It’s a bit late, I suppose, but just for future reference, folks, here’s what it looks like when a bunch of stuff is thrown unfairly at a candidate in the hope something will stick. I got it from Phil Noble at SC New Democrats: Two Ard arrests on Election Day We’re just getting word that there’s trouble on Republican candidate for lt. governor Ken Ard’s campaign today. And it couldn’t have come at a more critical time. After weeks of investigation, six arrest warrants have been issued for Ken Ard’s campaign manager, a Republican operative named Robert Cahaly. Cahaly will surrender himself to SLED agents Wednesday morning on charges of making illegal robocalls against several targeted Democratic state house representatives. These sleazy Republican tactics are exactly what voters hate about politics. This comes just hours after Ken Ard’s 20-year old son, James Ard was arrested at 6 A.M. this morning for DUI. And as of this afternoon, Ken Ard was still on the campaign trail, asking for you to elect him to be our state’s lieutenant governor — #2 in charge. We think the charges speak for themselves, but the WIS write-up is below. This is what we’re up against. But there’s still time. The polls don’t close until 7PM, so there’s stil time for you to stand against this kind of trash politics. Just yesterday, Ashley Cooper (Ken Ard’s Democratic opponent) talked about putting South Carolina back in the news for all the right reasons, and now this. It’s time for a change. Get out there and vote before 7PM today and have your voice heard! Now, I think Phil is a fine and, well, Noble fellow, and I know he’s sincere. And I have no reason to doubt his facts (even though that link he gives goes to a page that says “The page you requested is currently unavailable.” The actual link is here.) But it’s unfair to raise those things at this time, and to say, “This is what we’re up against,” because there is no indication here that Mr. Ard himself has done anything wrong, or even that anything wrong has been done in his behalf. And he has no time to distance himself from this guilt by association. Surely Phil would not want to suggest that no one should vote for Vincent Sheheen because one of his campaign workers was charged with DUI (months ago, giving Vincent time to fire her and let everyone see him firing her, and for the thing to be largely forgotten). Phil would consider such an assertion to be outrageously unfair. Which, until I hear something that implicates Mr. Ard in any way, is what this is. By contrast, almost every time we’ve looked at anything that bears on the claims that Nikki Haley makes about herself — about what a wonderful accountant she is, or how passionately she believes in transparency — what we find refutes her claims, and raises fresh alarms about her suitability. That’s the kind of thing that is not only fair and relevant, but things that anyone MUST know and understand before voting. There’s a huge difference. This entry was posted in 2010 Governor, Character, Crime and Punishment, Democrats, Elections, Marketplace of ideas, South Carolina, This just in... on November 2, 2010 by Brad Warthen.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1983
__label__cc	0.570927	0.429073	Program Blog Burt Wolf's Table: St. Thomas and St. John - #212 March 08, 2014 / Loraine Couturier BURT WOLF: St. Thomas and St. John. St. Thomas is a port with the biggest duty-free shopping allowance ever allowed by the U.S. We'll find out why. We'll discover why we were told not to swim after we eat. We'll take a tour through St. John and see one of the most beautiful spots in the Caribbean and we'll cook along with some great chefs. So join me on the islands of St. Thomas and St. John at Burt Wolf's Table. BURT WOLF: The islands of the Caribbean form a chain that starts just off the southern tip of Florida and continues down to the northern coast of South America. About midway through the group are the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are actually about fifty islands. But the most important are St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. And each has its own unique quality. When Christopher Columbus first bumped in the islands of the Caribbean, he claimed them on behalf of the king and queen of Spain. Nice try, but no cigar. As soon as the other kings and queens of Europe found out what was going on, they began to challenge his claim throughout the area. France, England, Holland and Denmark sent their ships across the Atlantic and battled for a piece of the pie. For 300 years, European monarchs fought over the islands of the Caribbean. The only reason for all the action was money. European powers realized that the islands of the Caribbean were ideal locations for trade and profit. For Denmark, the prize possessions were three parcels of land known as the Virgin Islands. Two of them, St. John and St. Croix, became agricultural centers covered with plantations. The third, St. Thomas, became a duty-free trading port. The U.S. government purchased the islands in 1917. It was the First World War and Washington was concerned that the Germans might use the area as a submarine base. When the Danish finally made the sale, they insisted that the area be kept as a duty-free port. And today it offers U.S. residents the dutiest-free port in the world. Most of the action takes place here in the central shopping district of the town of Charlotte Amalie. The old stone buildings that once housed cargos of rum and molasses bound for European and North American traders now hold jewelry, perfumes, watches, china, and cameras which are still bound for Europe and North America, but these days they go right into the hands of the vacationing customers. Attention shoppers! U.S. residents may bring back up to $1,200 worth of duty-free goods. That's twice the amount for other Caribbean islands and three times the amount for most other foreign nations. And while you are here, each day you can send back up to $100 worth of gifts, duty-free also. And you should do it. It's your duty. Paintings of the St. Thomas port of Charlotte Amalie from the 1700 and 1800s clearly show the development of the town as a commercial center. Buildings of merchants who were buying things from other parts of the world and selling them in the Caribbean. A perfect example of that tradition today is a group of shops called Little Switzerland. Their specialty, as you might expect from their name, is the Swiss watch. But they also carry jewelry and pearls and precious stones. But that's not what brought me here. Little Switzerland is a major retailer of fine tableware. And I find that interesting. More and more of our food is coming to us in plastic bags and paper boxes and styrofoam cups. So who's buying crystal stemware and porcelain plates -- and why? The answer to “who” seems to be people who are going through a change of life. Getting married and starting a new home. Or they've come to a better economic environment. Why they are buying these objects is also quite interesting. Porcelain is harder than most other ceramics so it chips less and lasts longer. The top-quality flatware has better balance and feels better in your hand. When it comes to the stemware, it's because crystal sends more light into the glass and there's no distortion. Everything looks better in crystal. In the Western World we take the table fork for granted. It can operate on its own, in combination with the spoon, and teamed with the knife, its potential is awesome. The fork is the most recent of our common table tools to arrive on the scene. It was first mentioned during the 11th century and it wasn't a very nice mention at that. The Bishop of Venice had seen a woman using a fork at a dinner party and he threw an absolute fit. He was thoroughly convinced that the fork had been invented by the devil and it actually took about 800 years before the fork came into common use in the west. During those early days food would come to the table in a big bowl. Everybody would reach in and take their portion and put it onto a piece of bread that sat in front of them like a plate. If you use a fork on a hunk of bread, there's a good chance you'll make a hole in the bread and let the moisture drip out onto the table, then onto your lap. Not good form. Eventually, a hard wooden or pewter plate was introduced under the bread and that gave the fork a chance to get into fashion. It was a three-pronged design and a four-pronged design and at one point, they introduced a five-pronged model based on the success of the five-fingered hand. But in the end, it was the four-pronged fork that went out and became the most popular. The fork has clearly become a fashionable part of western ritual. But you never know what's going to happen. Most of the people on our planet eat with their hands. The next largest group eat with chopsticks. The knife, fork and spoon gang is actually only a tiny minority. And as people migrate from one part of the planet to another, it's impossible to know which fashions will take hold and which will disappear. Here in the U.S. Virgin Islands, there is a blending together of many different cultures. The beautiful enclaves of the U.S. Virgin Islands were first inhabited by native tribes that came here from South America, followed by the Spanish, English, French, Dutch, Africans and North Americans. Each group has made some culinary contribution to the islands' kitchen. Very often when you come to a place that's famous as a vacation spot, it's almost impossible to get a taste of the real local cooking unless somebody brings you home for dinner. Fortunately, that is not a problem on St. Thomas. There are a number of restaurants here that are famous for reproducing the classic local dishes of the area. One of my favorites is Eunice’s Terrace on the Eastern end of the Island. EUNICE: The key to West Indian food is the seasoning. We use thyme, chervil, onions, garlic, celery. And we use the mortar and pestle and pound it with salt. BURT WOLF: So tell me what's cooking on St. Thomas. EUNICE: We have callalou, which is okra, spinach, conch, fish. All like in a gumbo. It's excellent. This is our local boiled fish. You haven't tasted anything like our local fish. We have a fish called the Old Wife Fish. BURT WOLF: I had that the other day. Why is it called Old Wife? EUNICE: It's a story. Listen to the story. It's a fish with a skin. Alright? And when they skin the fish, they take the skin off and put it in the sun to dry and the women used to use it as brillo. So they ... it got the name Old Wife. The correct name is Trigger Fish. BURT WOLF: I don't think that's fair. If we're going to have an Old Wives’ Fish. We ought to have something like an Old Husbands’ Shrimp, you know? EUNICE: I agree with you on that. BURT WOLF: We have to really correct these things. What else is here? We have our fungi, which is excellent. It's yellow corn meal, we use okra and boiling water. Whip it together, add a little margarine, no cholesterol, super dish. BURT WOLF: Eunice also makes a traditional West Indian drink called Roots. Eunice, what is in there? EUNICE: This is pure cane rum, catania roots, sea-grapes, cashew nuts and peanuts. BURT WOLF: And the rum soaks in all of that stuff? EUNICE: Soaks for two weeks. BURT WOLF: Two weeks! EUNICE: Yeah. BURT WOLF: Okay. (PAUSE) Mmmmm. (COUGHS) Not only is it an alcoholic beverage, but I now know where all my cavities are. Whoa! BURT WOLF: The classic island specialty called Fungi makes an excellent side dish and it's very easy to prepare. Here's how it's made by Chef Velda Brown at St. Thomas' Grand Palazzo Hotel. Okra slices are cooked in water. Margarine is added. Corn meal is mixed in. And it's pressed against the sides to prevent lumps. A margarine-coated bowl is used to flip individual portions into their traditional shape. It's pretty simple. Okra was believed to have special properties in connection with childbirth and was brought to the Caribbean by African slaves. The African word for okra is “gumbo.” And eventually, we began to use that word for any stew that we thickened with okra. The techniques used in making the fungi are so ancient that they could have come here from anywhere in the world, including the original tribes that came up to this area from South America. But the okra is clearly African. BURT WOLF: During the 1930s Sir Edward Cunard of the famous Cunard Steamship Company built himself a magnificent beach house here in the Caribbean. He modeled it on his family's Renaissance palace in Venice. And it was that piece of architecture that became the inspiration for St. Thomas' Grand Palazzo Hotel. Stucco walls, gridiron balconies, classic Italian red-tile roofs. That's what the great villas of the coast of Italy look like. But those magnificent homes never look out on anything as beautiful as the Caribbean. Both the public and private rooms of the Grand Palazzo offer views that consistently remind you that the greatest architect of all is really Mother Nature. Their informal restaurant is called the Cafe Vecchio Terrace and it was a 180 degree view of the beaches and the island of St. John in the background. The more formal restaurant is the Palm Terrace and it really is an excellent example of good restaurant design. One of the great challenges to a restaurant architect is to design a space that gets in as many chairs as possible, but doesn't give you the feeling that the people at the next table have joined you without your personal invitation. You may also be discussing something of a highly private nature that you don't want anyone else to hear. Like what you really think about the people your children are dating. Well, the folks who designed this space did a fabulous job. Because try as I might, I cannot hear what the people at the next table are saying and they ... look so interesting. Great views to dine by have always been considered a valuable asset to a restaurant. And certainly the vista from the Grand Palazzo is radiant. For me, however, the most important view in any restaurant has always been the one directly down to the plate in front of me. I've always believed that it's really the cooking that counts. And fortunately, the cooking here is in good hands. Patrick Pinon is a classic French chef who gave up bistros for beaches. But he has never given up his grandmother's recipe for a traditional homestyle beef casserole. A little oil and butter are heated together in a pot and two dozen baby onions are browned and removed. Five pounds of beef chuck cut into small pieces are seasoned, lightly floured and browned on all sides. A few tablespoons of tomato paste go in. Wine, beef stock, the baby onions return, and everything goes into a 450 degree oven for an hour. At which point some additional herbs and the zest of an orange are added. A few carrots, and an hour of additional cooking and it's ready to serve. Patrick has worked in many places around the world and he brings his recipes from place to place. For a number of years, he was the chef to the Crown Prince of Oman, and this recipe travels from there. It's a date-stuffed chicken breast. The stuffing is made by sauteeing together some shallots, chopped California dates, pinenuts, and pistachio nuts. That's flavored with cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and cayenne. And it goes into a chicken breast which has been cut almost in half. The chicken is browned on both sides and then braized in a 400 degree oven for twenty minutes. A mold of couscous goes onto the serving plate, a saffron sauce, the chicken, and a few toasted nuts. The date may be the world's oldest cultivated fruit. Seven-thousand-year-old sculptures clearly show the date palm. The date's been a basic part of Middle Eastern agriculture for centuries. The Arabs brought the date to Spain and Spanish missionaries brought them to California. As a matter of fact, the first date planted in California, was planted in a town called Mecca. These days, California produces just about all of the dates grown in North America. A date palm has been described as living with its feet in the water and its head in the sun. Perfect for the dessert oasis and the Cochella Valley of California. Dry air above, irrigation below. Date palms come in male and female forms, but that doesn't work too well for farmers because it means that much of their land would be giving over to male trees that don't bear fruit. So date growers do their pollinating by hand. Dates are often called Nature's Candy because of their sweet taste and caramel flavor. It also contains some valuable nutrients. Dates are a very good source of potassium, which may turn out to be a valuable tool in controlling high blood pressure. The best way to store a date is in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container. They'll last there for about eight months. The actual date harvest takes place in the fall, but they're in the supermarket all year round. When I was a kid and lucky enough to spend a day at the beach, lunch always seemed to be an unnecessary interruption. And the worst part was that after lunch, my mother wouldn't let me go back into the water. It was always this lecture about the dangers of swimming after eating. As I got older, I found it harder and harder to believe that the weight of a bacon-lettuce-and- tomato sandwich was going to sink me. But my mother had given me some pretty good advice and so I hung on. Eventually I discovered that there was considerable scientific evidence for her recommendations. When you eat, your system supplies an enormous amount of blood to the center of your body to help with digestion. It draws that blood from your extremities. Your brain, your arms, your legs. The reduced blood supply in your brain makes it harder for you to think clearly and the reduced blood supply in your arms and legs increases your chances of getting muscle cramps. So there you are, swimming along in the ocean, not thinking clearly, and getting muscle cramps. It makes a good case for waiting about an hour between eating and swimming. That's okay with me. The idea of taking a short siesta under the palms on the beach sounds pretty good. But I'm sure that your idea of riveting and entertaining television is not watching me taking a nap. So I asked my friend Brownie Brown to take you on a tour of the island. Brownie is a very famous disc jockey in this part of the world and a reputed genius at guiding tours. So, I'll see you when you get back. BROWN: Allow me to say a most pleasant good afternoon, everyone. My name is Brownie, I am a taxi driver, I'm a disk jockey, I am a well-known person here on the island and I welcome you and thank you for coming and we're going to have ourselves a wonderful time on this little tour here in St. Thomas. Good t’ing. We're going to pass up through an area called the Back Street. These old buildings in this area here, are more than 100 years old. Remember the United States bought these islands from Denmark in 1917. Before that, we were all Danes. Now we are all American citizens. We're going to take a little ride up to the Jewish Synagogue. The Jewish Synagogue is the oldest Synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Now this Synagogue still has the sand on the floor. In a lot of words but I'm going to break it down for you, this is in memory of all the Jewish people that crossed the desert ... that took forty years to cross the desert. So the sand that is there is in memory of all these people that crossed the desert many many years ago. Good t’ing. So just a capsule explanation of the reason why the sand is on the floor. In front of us, we're going to see Fort Christian. It was first used for a Moravian priest and then it became a fort and it was a police station for many, many, many, many years and a jail. Right now it is being used as a museum. We're entering into an area that I really like. It's called French Village or French Town. A French settlement; they have a lot of restaurants in this area. We're passing one just as we go by here. The Normandie Bar. Very good and very popular. All the restaurants on the island, they have to be good because the competition is stiff. These are the homes of the French people here on the island and most of these people build their own homes. And some of the nicest people you want to meet. Okay, we're going downhill now into the Megan’s Bay area. When we get onto the beach you will see one of the most beautiful sights. Megan's Bay. Something I'm very proud of. You've got to come and spend some time here. I know what I'm telling you. And that definitely will be good t’ing. Megan's Bay Beach is shaped like a heart. That, along with sixty-eight acres of land, belongs to the people of the Virgin Islands. That's why you'll never see a hotel or anything built down there. Because we don't want ... we want it just the way it is. We are on Megan's Bay Beach. You will see most of the native people come here and practically everybody comes here on this beach. I think there's a navy ship in town, that's why you see all these guys from here. (SOUNDS OF CROWDS) BROWN: Oh, there’s my family -- hello, sweetheart. Good t’ing. Oh, my kid should be over there. Isn’t that something? My whole family's over there. Man! That's the way it is. Megan's Bay is the place. Good thing. That's the way we like to do it. Well, that is a small part of St. Thomas as you've just seen. I hope you enjoyed our little tour. I want ya'll to come to my island of St. Thomas and to the Virgin Islands. It was just a little piece that you saw. I know you're going to enjoy it when you come. So you folks, I'm going to let you off now, and please, go wake up Burt. Wake him up and tell him Brownie say, Good t’ing. MAN: Burt! Burt!! BURT WOLF: Ah, you’re back! I've been coming to the U.S. Virgin Islands for thirty years, so Brownie's taken me on that tour before. But I thought you'd enjoy it. But now, how about some water sports? Good t’ing! BURT WOLF: The European explorers of the Caribbean spent a great deal of effort describing everything that grew in the New World. But they never said anything about the coconut. It appears that the coconut came to the Americas from the South Pacific after the landing of Columbus. For one-third of the world's population, the coconut is a very important food, especially for people living in the tropics. Fabrice Dubuc is a French pastry chef who performs his art at the Grand Palazzo Hotel. His specialty is adapting classic recipes to local ingredients. These coconut drop cookies are a delicious example. Five cups of grated coconut go into a bowl, followed by five cups of sugar, six eggs, two ounces of melted butter, a little vanilla extract and a splash of rum. That's mixed together and given a one hour rest in the refrigerator. When the dough comes out, it's rolled into balls about an inch in diameter, placed on a parchment-covered baking sheet and baked in a 375 degree oven for ten minutes. Out of the oven, a light dusting of powdered sugar, and they're ready. During the last few years there's been a lot of talk about coconuts because coconuts are high in saturated fat and there appears to be a very direct relationship between a diet that is high in saturated fat and heart disease. But you've got to remember, there are no bad foods and there are no good foods. There are just inappropriate amounts. Scientists are telling us that we can take five to ten percent of our daily calories in saturated fat and still be okay. So, with these cookies and with everything else, moderation is the word. BURT WOLF: Excuse me, is this where I buy a ticket on the ferry? WOMAN: Yes it is. BURT WOLF: Great. How much is a round-trip? WOMAN: Six dollars. BURT WOLF: Six dollars. Great thing about the U.S. Virgin Islands, they use the same money as we do in the states. Here you go. WOMAN: Thank you. BURT WOLF: Wonderful. By the way, where does the ferry go? WOMAN: To St. John. BURT WOLF: Great! That's where I'm going! At the Eastern end of St. Thomas is the town of Red Hook, a major anchorage for local yachtsmen and the point of departure for the St. Thomas to St. John ferry. A twenty minute trip across Pillsbury Sound will bring you to the town of Cruz Bay, the metropolitan center of St. John... a dramatic example of what a commercial hub can be like if the primary desire of the developers is to keep the neighborhood an unspoiled paradise. This is the world headquarters for Relaxing-R-Us. Lawrence Rockefeller, who you might remember from the song “as rich as Rockefeller,” bought the island and in 1956 donated it to the U.S. government so they could turn two-thirds of it into a national park. About 3,000 people live on the edges of St. John. The central area is still wild and wonderful. Ranger Paul Thomas of the U.S. National Park Service has agreed to introduce us to the island. THOMAS: ... take a good look at what we have here on St. John. Because the first time you came in, you came by boat. Kind of missed all the action by not being on land. Okay. Now, right now we're here in Cruz Bay, the Visitors’ Center, come around the hill and then we stop at Solomon Beach. You can only get there by ... hiking or by boat. No vehicle access, so there's no carbon monoxide to mess up your day. After we come back into Cruz Bay, we're going to jump into our vehicle and we're going to head out along the North Shore Road. Fantastic scenic driving. One of the first beaches we're going to run into is Hawksnest, which is very nice for snorkeling and not too crowded. Mainly you would find just local people at Hawksnest. But it's not as beautiful as about three reefs inside the bay which are, of course, fantastic snorkeling. From Hawksnest we head out over in Trunk Bay. Now Trunk Bay is probably world-famous because of the underwater trail. And it's a series of markers that you find underneath along the reef that tells you what you're looking at. And explains it all to you. From Trunk Bay, we head over into Cinnamon Bay. That's an area that I love. There's a series of trails ... there's a little trail that winds through the ruins because Cinnamon Bay was also a site of one of the old sugar plantations. And then there's a nice trail that takes you up on to Centerline Road, crosses through the whole island from west all the way to the east. There's also a trail that's not featured on the map that takes you up to America Hill. Now there's the ruins of the Great House of the Cinnamon Bay Plantation that’s up there. Folklore has it that the house is haunted. Now you're welcome to hike up there, Burt, but I'm not coming with you. Okay? BURT WOLF: (LAUGHING) You mean to tell me that the National Park Service doesn't have a ghostbusting facility? THOMAS: No we don't. And I don't plan to start one either. BURT WOLF: That's it from the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. John. Please join us next time as we travel around the world looking for good things to eat and drink at Burt Wolf's Table. March 08, 2014 / Loraine Couturier/ Loraine Couturier Burt Wolf's Menu: Aruba - #119 February 22, 2014 / Loraine Couturier Aruba... the most southerly island in the Caribbean chain. Magnificent beaches... interesting history... wonderful culture. Good food that blends together the island's Dutch and Spanish cultures... and a population that is friendly, warm, and helpful. The best description of Aruba is its national slogan... "One Happy Island." So join me in Aruba for BURT WOLF’S MENU. The islands of the Caribbean form a chain that runs from the tip of Florida to the coast of Venezuela. The larger islands in the north, like Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico are known as the Greater Antilles. The smaller islands, stretching for over 1,000 miles from the U.S. Virgin Islands down to Aruba, are known as the Lesser Antilles. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): The idea of calling the islands “lesser” and “greater” is based purely on size. There are lots of things about the Lesser Antilles that are greater than the Greater Antilles. But size does have its impact. Starting with Columbus in 1492, the Spanish conquistadors bounced around the Caribbean yelling "finders keepers" on top of every piece of land that they could get two feet onto. And on the larger pieces of land they also got on some giant military fortresses in order to stress the "keepers" aspect of their claim. About twenty minutes after the word got back to Europe about the New World, Spain's great rivals, the English, French, Danish and Dutch attacked the Spanish claims and they concentrated most of their attacks on the smaller, less fortified islands. And they carried on this military madness for almost three hundred years. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): As a result, the Lesser Antilles saw more action than the Greater Antilles which was great for the Greater Antilles and less great for the Lesser Antilles. But while the European nations were busy raising Cain around here, they also raised sugar. Almost all of the Caribbean islands ended up with a plantation economy, raising sugar to supply Europe's enormous sweet tooth. And they supplied it at enormous profits. But there were a number of Caribbean islands that managed to escape this scenario and one of them was Aruba. Aruba is a small island just off the coast of Venezuela. The Arowaks of South America were the first people to inhabit Aruba, and they appear to have come over about 5,000 years ago. They were followed by the Spanish in 1500, and in the next century by the Dutch. Those three groups are the major ethnic influences on Aruba and they have produced a society of truly friendly and charming people. A perfect example of what I mean is a gentleman named Adri De Palm, who has been guiding friends around his island for a number of years. ADRI DePALM: This is the lighthouse of Aruba. We are now at the western point of the island. This area is also well-visited by the tourists that get to the island. Why? Because every side of this lighthouse you have a different aspect of the whole area. The first one, one side you have the cacti... the other side you have the rocks... and the other side you have dunes... and the other side it looks like a desert area. So you really, you have four aspects in one place on the island. ... Yes, Burt, as you know, we also have scuba in Aruba. As you can see right behind me here, this is Sea Scuba. These people take people out every day on scuba dives and also snorkelling trips. Besides that, we have very, very nice coral. And scuba is very, very nice in Aruba also. ... Right now we are here in Oranjestad; this is the largest city in Aruba. What it really means, “Orange Town” in Dutch. Here’s where every people come to Aruba to do their shopping and go to special restaurants, and where they also buy their very expensive goods. We have jewelry, crystals, from everything that you can imagine. You get it right here in this city. BURT WOLF: And at a good price. ADRI DePALM: And at a very, very nice price. ... Aruba is a very, very nice island for the cruise ships, for the cruise ship industry. Last year we had over two hundred ships to the island, which really brings a lot of people to us. Most of those people also come to this area, which is Oranjestad, because it’s a very, very close range, so it’s really a five-minute walking distance. So they can walk from the ship to the city, and from the city back to the boat without no problem. BURT WOLF: Great! ADRI DePALM: At night it’s also blooming here in this area. So everybody that really comes to Aruba will have a night in Oranjestad. While I was researching the history of Aruba, I stayed at a place called the Costa Linda Beach Resort. As I expected, it had a great strip of Aruban beach. And because the beaches of this island are so wide, even when every guest from the resort's 155 suites were on the beach, all at the same time, you were still literally off in your own space. I also like the fact that all of the rooms face the beach. That’s important. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): There have been times in my "life on the road" where I have stayed at places that were advertised as "beachfront facilities," and though that was true for the building, it wasn’t true for the my room. Fortunately, that can’t happen here. Every room faces the beach. And every room is actually a 2 or 3 bedroom suite with a living room and a full kitchen. I like that feature a lot. It gives me some control over my non-professional eating. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): For me to get one recipe that’s worth filming, I have to taste about 15 different dishes, which adds up to an enormous number of calories. So to have a nice little kitchen in my room where I can prepare a few “off the record” meals is really nice. It takes me twenty-three days to research, write and film a script. And if I have to work three weeks in a row without a day off, to work in a place like this makes a big difference. And it also helps when the resort has a talented executive chef like Scott Scheurman. Scott's first recipe is for a pan-fried fillet of Snapper. It's served on a bed of vegetables that combine the classic flavors of the Caribbean kitchen. Scott starts his recipe with four fillets of red snapper with the skin on one side. A little salt and pepper goes on. A little lime juice. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: O.K. we take the scales off of this, but we leave the skin on - that helps hold the fish together and it also makes for an attractive, attractive fish because it's a nice red color here. Three strips of bacon go into a sauté pan. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: The bacon will provide us with a little bit of fat for the cooking and plenty of flavor as well. Very important flavor. When most of the fat has dripped out of the bacon the bacon is moved to the side of the pan or taken out. The snapper is given a light coating of corn meal and goes into the pan to cook for three minutes. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: This is not meant so much as a breading, as just a coating to protect the fish while it cooks. Then the fish is flipped over and cooks for three minutes more. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: Now when we turn it over, when the skin hits the hot surface, the skin is gonna start to contract a little bit, so it's going to curl the fish slightly - that's normal. If the bacon starts to get too crisp on you, you just take it out of the pan right here. We'll add it back in later on. As soon as the fish is fully cooked it comes out, and in goes some chopped onion, green pepper, red pepper, scallion, and garlic. If you live in a part of the world were your market carries green tomatoes then chop one up and add it in. If you can't find green tomatoes just skip it and keep on cooking. All that simmers together for five minutes. At that point a half cup of chopped stuffed olives are added, plus some capers and some cilantro. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: Olives and capers are two very popular ingredients in Caribbean cooking probably dating back to the shipping days when -- before refrigeration. The bacon goes back in, followed by a half cup of white wine. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: The white wine will help bring all the flavors together and bring all of the flavor up from the pan. Then the fish goes back in. A top goes on and all the ingredients simmer for two minutes more. Then the sauce goes onto the serving plate, the fish on top and there's a garnish of lime and cilantro. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: Very classic creole flavors in this. Many food historians believe that it was on the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean that the word barbecue first came into use. It describes a technique of grilling foods on green sticks set over a fire in hole dug into the sand. Today it describes the style of a recipe being used by Scott to prepare a Caribbean style barbecued chicken. Scott starts by making a hot relish. A clove of minced garlic goes into a bowl, followed by a half cup of chopped scallion, and a chopped hot pepper. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: This can be any variety of hot pepper; it could be a jalapeno pepper, it could be an oriental-style or tabasco pepper. We're using the Caribbean variety here which is a kind of a cherry pepper - very hot, so be careful with it. Next in goes a quarter cup of toasted sesame seeds, and two tablespoons of sesame oil. That's blended into a paste, and stuffed between the skin and the meat of four boneless chicken breasts. A zucchini is cut into quarter-inch slices, lengthwise. The chicken is rolled up and goes on top of a slice of the zucchini. SCOTT SCHEURMAN: What the zucchini is going to do primarily is to protect the meat surface of the chicken from overcooking and drying out. The skin will protect the other side, of course. Scott slips a knife under the zucchini to make everything easier to move onto a plate. A barbecue sauce made from ketchup and dry mustard is painted on and the chicken goes into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or onto a grill until it’s fully cooked. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): Now Americans love ketchup and sometimes we get picked on for that. But a couple of weeks ago I was having lunch with the grandson of Escoffier - one of the greatest chefs who ever lived, and he told me that when Escoffier retired from the cooking at the Ritz Hotel in Paris he opened up a little company to make sauces. And one of the sauces that he made, quite successfully, was ketchup. So there. While the chicken is cooking, a papaya relish is made by mixing together some cubed papaya, minced red onion, cilantro, white vinegar and olive oil. The last element is the making of a pancake by mixing together a pancake batter with some pureed corn, and a minced red pepper. The pancake goes onto the plate, then the chicken and finally the papaya relish. If you’ve come to Aruba as a tourist to relax on the shores, sail on the sea, or dive below, the fact that it hardly ever rains in Aruba is source of great comfort and joy. On the other hand, if you are an Aruban running through hundreds of gallons of fresh water everyday, that lack of rain can be a real pain in the spigot. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): To solve the problem, Aruba constructed an amazing facility that produces water and electricity at the same time. The process starts by drawing in clear clean seawater from the surrounding ocean. That water is brought to a boil in what is basically a giant tea kettle. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): At this point the steam is floating at the top of the kettle, losing its heat and turning back to water. But it does this in stages. The purest steam turns back to the purest water at the top. The most impure steam with most of the salts turns back to impure water at the bottom. So if you build a kettle with a system for catching the pure water at the top and draining it off, you're in great shape. The process is really very simple and it’s called distillation. If you do it with water you get distilled water. If you do it with a mash of corn or barley you get whiskey. If you do it with molasses you get rum. Here in Aruba they only do it with water. But the water that comes from the plant is so pure that even though it's perfect for your car battery, it doesn’t taste the way we like our water to taste. They actually need to add back some mineral elements to give it the flavor that we associate with good water. So they let the distilled water, which is still quite hot, drip down through some local coral stones from the nearby reef. and now it’s ready for drinking. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): It’s one of the purest waters in the world and it tastes great. Because the plant is located in a part of Aruba known as Balashi, the people of Aruba refer to a glass of water as a Balashi cocktail. Cheers. The primary food gathering activity of the original Arubian natives was fishing. They also did a little farming. Corn, manoc root, potatoes and sweet potatoes were the most common field crops and their favorite seasonings were hot chilies. When the Spanish came in they brought along sheep, goats, cows and pigs. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): When the Dutch arrived in the 1600's they brought with them their beer, cheeses, east Indian spices and their general love of good eating. I think in the end the single most significant gastronomic influence that the Dutch will leave behind in Aruba is their love of quality. There are over a hundred excellent restaurants on this island, all interested in delivering good food. And because the island is small and the competition so great, they’re interested in delivering good food at good prices. Let me take you on a little tour of the places I’ve been eating in. Brisas del Mar has one of the most beautiful locations of any restaurant I've seen. It sits right out on the ocean, and they haven't bothered to put in any windows because the island's weather is so dependable. The owner, Lucia Rasmijn, tells you how to find the place. LUCIA RASMIJN: You’re passing the airport, coming straight up. You get a sign on the highway, you turn to your right, and a couple minutes you will be on Brisas side. The food is very nice. If you like fish, you can have fish Aruban style. We fry two pieces of fish, with a sauce of tomato, green pepper and onion and we boil it for a couple of minutes. Then with fried bananas... Aruban corn meal pancake --oh, that’s nice! It’s a piece of a little bit of corn meal, flour, sugar, milk and baking powder. Oh, it’s delicious. Chez Mathilde is Aruba's Paris amongst the palms... an excellent French restaurant. The indoor dining room is filled with so much light and greenery that it feels like an outdoor garden. Mi Cushina is the place for the real Aruban food. It's as authentic as the meal you would get in someone's home. Le Petit Cafe is right in downtown Oranjestad. It has a rather unusual kitchen... the only thing that's on the stove are large rocks. When they're very hot the food gets put on, and the cooking actually finishes off at your table. Could this be the real hard rock cafe? And there are spots that will feed you after the regular restaurants close. BURT WOLF: How you doin’? I’d like a satay sandwich, aaaand an orange juice. They’re kitchens, set up in trucks... with their own special menu and location. Each night as the sun goes down and the tide goes out, the vans drive around and the people start to shout... Hey Hey Uncle Buck... It's a treat to eat some meat from an all-night sandwich truck. What's going on here? ... Aruban cannoli? No... Aruban donuts? ... Aruban Bagels??? ALAN LAVINE: About four years ago we hit on the idea that maybe a bagel store would be a good idea. There are lots of tourists coming here, bagels are very healthy. It’s very different to come four thousand miles approximately from the United States and see a bagel shop that you might see on the corner of your street, you know. So they’re very happy with it and very excited, and the local people are getting more and more involved in the bagels as well. Aruba has an amazing ability to absorb food styles from all over the world. One of the earliest migrations of people to the Caribbean were folks who came here from India. Some came to work as laborers in agriculture and construction. Others came to open up their own businesses. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): All of them came along with their traditional approach to cooking, especially when it came to seasonings. Here at the Papiamento Restaurant in Aruba, Chef Edward Ellis shows that Indian influence with his recipe for Curried Shrimp. A little olive oil goes into a pan followed by a half cup each of chopped onion... red pepper... and green pepper. That cooks together for a few minutes. BURT WOLF: One of my early surprises when I was learning about food was to discover that a red pepper is just a green pepper that’s been on the vine longer. Then a little fresh ginger goes in. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): When you’re using fresh ginger, it’s important to remember to slice it or mince it, but not to grate it. If you grate it, you lose a lot of the juices, and that’s where a lot of the flavor is. It’s “de-grating” for the ginger. Then six jumbo shrimp are added. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): Edward’s using jumbo shrimp, and we figure three of them is enough for each person. As a general rule in terms of weight, four to six ounces of shrimp per person should do it. Next Edward adds some chopped celery leaves...a tablespoon of curry... salt.. fresh pepper... and a quarter cup of cream. The cream cooks down for a few minutes and the dish is ready to serve. The island of Aruba has a unique weather pattern. Being the most southerly of the islands that make up the Caribbean chain, it is well out of the way of the hurricane belt. It is consistently warm, sunny, breezy and dry. It’s perfect for strolling beaches, but bad for storing bread. The result is a nationally-beloved pudding based on stale bread and called Pan Bollo. Eduardo Ellis, the owner and executive chef of Aruba's Papiamento Restaurant, demonstrates a classic example. Stale bread is broken up into small pieces until you have about four cups’ worth. Two cups of milk are poured over the bread, and the bread is mashed into the milk and set to soak for an hour. Then in goes a half-cup of sugar, a half cup of honey, six eggs, two tablespoons of baking powder, two tablespoons of vanilla, a cup of raisins that have been soaked in water, or juice, or rum. And finally a cup of dried fruits. A loaf pan gets a light coating of oil. Then in goes the bread mixture. Bang the pan on a flat surface to get out any air bubbles and set it into a 350 degree oven for one and a half hours. When it's fully cooked, it has a rather dark brown top. The finished bread pudding is flipped over onto a serving plate and sliced. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): In 1824, a 12-year-old boy by the name of Wilhelm Rasmijn came out of his house after a heavy rainstorm and started herding his father's sheep across the north shore of Aruba. As he came up over a hill, he noticed a sparkling rock. He brought it home to his father. His father found it quite fascinating, and brought it into town to show it to a merchant. The merchant realized it was gold and bought it from the sheep-herder for $17. The merchant then resold it for seventy. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): There are some very important lessons to be learned from this story. First of all, always teach your children to bring home all the shiny rocks that they find. Second, sheep-herding does have its exciting moments. And finally, always get a second opinion on the value of anything before you sell it. This is what remains of the Bushiribana smelting works that were built by the Aruba Island Gold Mining Company during the 1870's. Since that day when the young sheepherder discovered the first nugget, over 3000 pounds of gold have been exported. And there is still gold in "them there hills". It's not easy to find, but almost every Aruban that I met during my visit had some tiny bit of gold that they found during a childhood search. Even today, you can spot the real Arubans after a rain. They are all walking along looking down at the ground. Though in all fairness, I should point out that it almost never rains in Aruba, so you'd better have an alternate source of income. The oldest building on Aruba is Fort Zoutman. It was built in 1796 to protect the new capital city of Oranjested, a name which derives from the House of Orange, which was the ruling family of Holland at the time. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): When the fort was originally built, it was actually on the edge of the water, and armed with four cannons. Shortly after it came into service a British warship named the Surprise tried to surprise the fort, but the fort surprised the Surprise by attacking it first. And the old fort is still capable of a couple of surprises. First of all, it is presently the home of the Aruba Museum which has a small but interesting collection of local artifacts, including some cooking equipment left by the native tribes. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): It’s interesting to see how much of our modern cooking equipment takes its design from ancient forms in nature. The museum has a collection of blending or whisking sticks. Obviously they’re twigs, where the intersecting branches come out at just the right angle and just the right thickness. They’re held like this and spun around, and they have an amazing effect. They’re just like a blender or a whisk. There are four different forms here, and each of them has a slightly different effect on the food. I guess the real question now is, were they offered as a set of four, and did you get a gift with purchase? This was a masher; it was used with root vegetables like the potato, which happens to be indigenous to South America, which is just fifteen miles off the coast of Aruba. They would take the potato, heat it in some way, either in water or directly in a fire until it was soft, and then mash it up. Wonder if it was dishwasher-safe. ... Obviously the top of the line in nested mixing bowls in the pre-stainless steel days. You have the large, the medium and the small. All made from natural gourd. Comes along with our Easy-Grip Spatula, and our serving spoon with its abrasive cleanser back. Pretty good. $29.95, whaddya think? Fort Zoutman is also the location of the Bonbini Festival that takes place every Tuesday evening from 6 pm to about 8:30. The walls of the fort are lined with booths that sell local foods and local crafts. The old parade ground is used to present an evening of traditional Aruban music and dance. And if you don't know the traditional Aruban dances, they'll teach them to you. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): Great weather, nice people, good food. That’s what I found touring the southern half of Aruba. Please join us next time as we travel around the world looking for good things to eat and the reasons why people eat them. I’m Burt Wolf. [end of closing credits] BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): Well, that’s all folks! February 22, 2014 / Loraine Couturier/ Eating Well: In the Caribbean - #109 February 01, 2014 / Burt Wolf BURT WOLF: The Caribbean, home to some of the best cooking in the New World. We'll cruise through the islands on the largest sailboat afloat, point out why it was food that really caused the mutiny on the Bounty... discover what you can eat to help you stay cool on hot days, and learn some of the best-tasting recipes from local Caribbean cooks. It's hot stuff. Join me. Burt Wolf, Eating Well, in the Caribbean. The islands of the Caribbean start out just below Florida and form an arc that curves east and south for some 2,600 miles until it comes to the last landfall in the chain, just off the coast of South America. There are about 7,000 islands in the group. Sometimes they're called the West Indies, because when Christopher Columbus originally discovered them, he was looking for India. And these islands are somewhat to the west of his original destination. Actually, they're about half a planet to the west of his original destination. To say that Columbus had lucked out would be one of the great under-statements of the past 500 years. They're also called the Antilles, which was a name used by 13th Century map makers, the designated group of imaginary islands that they placed in the Atlantic. But there's nothing imaginary about the beauty and charm that you find in much of the Caribbean. These islands were formed during the last Ice Age and were part of an unbroken land mass that connected Florida to Venezuela. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions changed the geology, and today, only the tops of the land ridge remain above water, forming these magnificent enclaves. For hundreds of years after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean, the area was in constant conflict. The Spanish, the French, the Dutch, the English were perpetually battling each other and the local natives. Piracy was big, rebellion, slavery. Not the ideal environment to develop a great cuisine. And yet all of the natural elements were here, just waiting for a time when the cooks were free to cook. The sea supplied an almost endless variety of fish and seafood. The area's rich tropical soil produced excellent fruits and vegetables. Many of the foods we take for granted were first brought to Europe from the Caribbean by Columbus and other early explorers: grapefruit, pineapple, hot peppers, tomatoes, all from the Caribbean. Think about that. Columbus was the first European to taste a tomato. Talk about landmarks in culinary history. Without Columbus, no tomato sauce on pizza. Just on the basis of that, he deserves to be a major hero in Italian history. Within the last hundred years, the islands have become politically and culturally independent. Colonial ideas no longer suppress local flavors and techniques, and that has led to the birth of a rich and fascinating Caribbean cuisine. Today, Caribbean cookery is hot stuff. The first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands were Arowak and Caribe Indians who arrived here from South America. Next came the European colonists, French, Spanish, English, Dutch. In the 1500s Africans arrived from the Congo and the Gold Coast. The most recent immigrants came here as workers as indentured servants from China and India. Those basic groups, South American Indians, European colonists, Africans, Indians, and Chinese, form the basic influences that create today's Caribbean kitchen. A dish that clearly shows the influence of the immigration from India is Madras rice. A little oil goes into a saute pan; some chopped onion is added, cooked and stirred for a minute, and three cups of rice are mixed in. Five cups of chicken stock, some raisins, chopped pineapple and grated coconut. Mixed, covered and cooked for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Rice is a wholesome grain that takes on the flavorings of the foods and seasonings that it's cooked with. It's very low in sodium and very low in fat, and only about 80 calories in a half cup serving. Another great-tasting, low-fat food that's common in the Caribbean is the banana. Some historians believe that the banana was the first fruit cultivated by man, though in reality it was probably cultivated by a woman, since in ancient times women did most of the farming in the family. The banana is actually a giant berry that grows on a giant herb. The banana starts out as a large purple bud. As the bud develops, it opens to reveal rows of tiny fingers. Each of these grow into a banana. The fingers are clustered together into a hand. Several hands make a bunch. One bunch grows on each plant each year. Side shoots are cultivated for next year's crop. They're called daughters and granddaughters. Bananas are one of the most nutritious foods available. They're low in fat, low in sodium, and only about a hundred calories in the average banana. What they're high in is Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6 and Vitamin C, also iron and potassium. These days, many medical authorities are recommending we increase our intake of potassium as part of an anti-high blood pressure diet, and bananas are a great way to do that. Columbus arrived in the Caribbean aboard three sailing ships. Five hundred years later, there's still no better way of exploring these islands. Today's cruise ships offer you the excitement of a floating city with the comforts of a private yacht. You'll find dining rooms with magnificent views of the sea, offering buffets at breakfast and lunch and classic, elegant dishes at dinner. If you like, you can take your meal right onto the deck. And to work off those calories, you'll often find fitness centers with floor-to-ceiling windows to keep your mind off your muscles. There are on-board swimming pools, aerobic exercise classes, and water sports programs that could entice Captain Nemo. The stern of this ship opens up and a huge door folds down to form a private marina. Then you can take your pick. ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR: Today, specially for you, water skiing, sailing, wind surfing, scuba diving, snorkling. Everything here. Thank you very much. BURT WOLF: During the days, you can stop in at local port towns for shopping and sightseeing, or take an excursion to a deserted island for a day on your own beach. This particular ship, the Club Med I, is the world's largest sailing vessel. It's also a marvel of engineering. CAPTAIN: The Engine-- The engine here does not need any engineer. All information is given on the bridge and if something happen, we call one engineer on duty and he's go down to see what has happened. Each engine is 2,500 horsepower, forward thrusters is 1,000 horsepowers; aft thrusters, 700 horsepowers. That's me. If I throw something here (BEEP), just go to the bridge, I can turn all around it from 360 degrees and stay at one meter from it. BURT: That's amazing. What does that do? CAPTAIN: That's gives me information about the sail here, the engine, the list, and this full information, what is most important information we have to look all the time. BURT: Summary of everything you need to know, right here. CAPTAIN: Yes. And then if you want to have something more or actually at about something like the sail, I ask for the information. You can ask everything like that. BURT WOLF: The captain is not only knowledgeable about his ship and the islands of the Caribbean, but also about the food that is cooked on those islands. Today he's asked the kitchen to prepare a Caribbean recipe for chicken and lemon with a slight French accent. A few tablespoons of vegetable oil go into a saute pan. A sliced onion, a little minced garlic, a chicken cut into parts that have been marinating for three hours in a mixture of lemon juice, sliced onions and parsley. You can cook the chicken with the skin on or off but take off the skin before you serve the dish. Most of the fat and cholesterol in a chicken is in the skin. A half cup of lemon juice is added and the meat of two limes. That's covered and simmered for 20 minutes. And the cover comes off and a quarter cup of cream goes in. I tested this dish with buttermilk instead of the cream and it was fine. The shift to buttermilk turned the recipe into a rich-tasting dish that is very low in fat. But if you're as in good shape as Chef Chevee, I guess you can use the cream. A quarter cup of chicken stock is added, two more minutes of cooking, and it's ready to serve. Chicken, sauce, lime as a garnish. For over 400 years, the French Navy has been sailing through the Caribbean, so the officers of Club Med I are definitely part of a long tradition. And during those centuries they've had a considerable impact on the local cooking. As a matter of fact, the word "Creole" originally referred to someone who was a direct descendent of a French or Spanish colonist to the Caribbean. So when you see a dish described as Creole, you are looking at a European influence. A good example is this recipe for Creole snapper. A little vegetable oil goes into a saute pan, some chopped onion, green pepper, scallion, lemon, tomato, garlic, and pitted black olives. That cooks together for about five minutes and then the fish filet goes on top. A little lemon juice, a little saffron, the fish is turned and cooked a few minutes more, then the fish goes onto a serving plate, the vegetables, a garnish of lemon zest shaped into a flower, and a little fresh dill. One of the most expensive foods in the world is a spice called saffron. A single pound of pure, top quality saffron sells for about $2,000.00. Saffron is hand-picked and you actually need to pick over 75,000 individual saffron flowers in order to get a single pound of the spice. You got plenty of hand labor in that little jar. Also, saffron is often grown in Middle Eastern countries. These days they are in turmoil and quite difficult to deal with. Hundreds of years ago, saffron was an important dye. It's what gave the robes of Buddhist monks their distinct color. And it does the same thing for many Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean recipes. The finest quality saffron is made up of whole strands called stigmas. Saffron should be crushed gently and allowed to sit in a little bit of hot liquid for a minute or two just before it's added to any dry ingredients like rice. If it's part of a recipe for a liquid-based dish like a soup or a stew it can go right in after it's crushed. It's one of the world's most expensive ingredients, so you want to try and get the most flavor from each pinch. Fortunately saffron goes a long way. A single pinch of top quality saffron is enough to flavor an entire quart of a soup or a stew. Life on board this ship is quite opulent. But in the old days, existence at sea was often awful. Case in point: Mutiny on the Bounty, the account of a black-hearted, evil-minded wicked sea captain who was cast off his ship by his own men. Three major motion pictures have been made about this true story; one with Clark Gable, one with Marlon Brando, and one with Mel Gibson. But none of these films have told the true and complete story of what went on. It happens to be a food story, too. During the late 1700s, the planters here in the Caribbean were looking for a food crop that wouldn't take up much land and was easy to grow. They wanted their workers working on the sugar cane and not on the food. They heard that the ideal crop existed in Tahiti called breadfruit. And they asked the King of England, King George III to send a British naval vessel to Tahiti to get them some of this breadfruit so they could plant it. The king agreed and he sent the H.M.S. Bounty under the command of Captain Bligh. On the return voyage from Tahiti to the Caribbean, Bligh began to run short of water. He decided that he would rather care for his breadfruit seedlings than his crew. Naturally enough, the crew disagreed. So they mutinied, put Bligh into a small boat, and shoved him off. A true story that changed the history of food and the life of Marlon Brando. And now we go from the Bounty's breadfruit to a bountiful fruit bread. This recipe stands out because the cake has a great flavor and texture, but it's very easy to prepare. Mix, pour, bake, eat. Hey, I can do that. Melted butter, confectioner's sugar, eggs, flour with a little baking soda, and candied fruits chopped into small pieces, plus some whole candied cherries. That's all mixed together into a batter and poured into a loaf pan. Into the oven for a short bake, and your fruit cake is ready to serve. During the 15th, 16th, and 19th Century, the British Navy pretty much ruled the seas. But the long ocean passages were kind of tough on the health of the sailors. The diet was more or less limited to something called hard tack, which was a dry biscuit and salted meat when it was available. As a result, many of the sailors came down with a disease called scurvy. Then one day a British naval doctor sailing here in the Caribbean noticed that when his men were eating limes, the symptoms of the disease disappeared. Eventually limes were put on board all British naval vessels. When sailors from other countries noticed that the British were always eating limes, they began to call them Limeys. And even today that is an epithet for an Englishman. It was actually the Vitamin C in the lime that was curing the disease. BURT WOLF: The Island of Grenada. It originally rose from the sea in a volcanic eruption. Its inner harbor is actually formed from the open mouth of that long-dormant crater. The capital city and major port is St. George, which has become famous for its picturesque beauty and it's easy to see why. The blue lagoon is surrounded by English Georgian and French Provincial homes that reflect the town's colonial past. Just behind the harbor is the town's market square, a typical open air Caribbean affair with a substantial selection of locally produced fruits, vegetables, and spices, including nutmeg which is the national spice of the island. Grenada produces over 30 per cent of the world's supply. It's actually the kernel of the fruit of the nutmeg tree, and when it's growing, there's a lattice that grows on the outside of it. When that lattice is removed, dried out and ground up, it becomes a second spice called mace, double your pleasure, double your fun, two wonderful spices all in one. But don't overuse your nutmeg, it's kind of potent and too much of it can be dangerous. Use it in terms of quantity the way you would use black pepper. To sample some of the local specialties of Grenada, just stop into the Belasha Hotel and Restaurant. The owner, Dale Friday, can take you on a gastronomic tour of the island. DALE FRIDAY: We're going to be starting with a soup, Callaloo soup. Callaloo is a vegetable grown here in Grenada. It's a green leafy vegetable, which has been compared to spinach. They make-- it's also going to have a salad, garden fresh salad. All these vegetables that you will have today are freshly grown vegetables here in Grenada. And after that, we're going to have a Creole fish. A dessert, we were going to do a fruit salad for you, or we can give you a choice. You can also have nutmeg ice cream. BURT WOLF: Oh, nutmeg ice cream. WOMAN: Again, you know, utilizing the nutmegs that are, you know, grown here. BURT WOLF: Grenada is the major spice- growing island of the Western Hemisphere. In addition to nutmeg, it produces cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and of course, mace. The streets are peppered with women who place their spices into home-made baskets and offer them for sale. And now it's time to set sail from Grenada and travel east to the Island of Barbados. The island of Barbados was discovered by Portuguese explorers in 1536 and named Los Barbarros, which means "The Bearded Ones." Hey, certainly makes me feel at home. It's a reference to the Banyan tree with its hanging roots that look a little like a beard. The real colonization of the island was undertaken by the English, and today, Barbados is a little bit of Britain in the Caribbean. Sugar cane was first planted in the Caribbean on Barbados and it was here that the great sugar fortunes were made. The landscape bears an unusual resemblance to England, and the colonists on Barbados have made a great effort to maintain an English atmosphere. The capital city of Bridgetown was founded in 1628 and has become a bustling center of activity. The Brown Sugar Restaurant is one of the sweetest spots on Barbados. Denise Shepherd showed me the classic dishes of the community. DENISE SHEPHERD: This is sorrel. It's a major drink. It's usually served at Christmas. It's quite delicious. It's non-alcoholic. This is traditional rice and peas. Sort of a staple that people have with their meals instead of, say, potatoes. Pigeon peas and rice. They give the rice its distinctive brown color. This is jug-jug. Now this is also made with pigeon peas and guinea corn, and mixed with salt beef and cooked -- pureed -- and this is what we get. This is Boljau; this is salted fish, salt fish, codfish, which is soaked to remove some of the salt, and then it's boiled, and tomatoes, cucumber and peppers are added to it. Our desserts include Bajan bread pudding. which is bread pudding, but we soak our raisins in rum, so it's sort of alcoholic dessert, very delicious. BURT WOLF: Another delicious specialty of Barbados is the flying fish. The wide fins are used to sustain the fish in a long glide after it leaps out of the water. When they leap into a frying pan, they're lightly sauteed and taste great. Bajans are also famous for their pepper pot stews. Pepper pots cook indefinitely with fresh ingredients being added every day as servings are taken out. There are actually pepper pot stews on this island that have been cooking for generations. It's really nice to know that dinner's been ready for the last 60 years. It's also nice to know what's cooking on the island of Martinique. The first European settlers on the island were Spanish, but as soon as they realized there was no gold, they moved on. An old Spanish saying: Why marry just any island when you can marry a rich one? Then came the French. They were a little more into true love. They colonized the island in 1635, planted sugar cane, and brought in Africans to work the plantations. Then the English and the French fought over the island for a couple of hundred years, until it became a department of France in the same way Hawaii is a state of the United States. The cooking of Martinique is a blend of French and African techniques carried out on the local ingredients. Traditional recipes include callaloo, a soup made from the giant leaves of the dasheen. Blaff, a fish stew that gets its name from the sound that the fish makes as it drops into the pot. There are also a series of dishes that show the influence of the Chinese who came to work the cane after the Africans were freed. Sweet and sour pork is an example. Bite size cubes of pork go into boiling water, where they cook for 20 minutes. Meanwhile a little vegetable oil goes into a hot sauce pan, chopped ginger is added, chopped onion, pineapple, carrots, green peppers, and a little white wine vinegar. All that cooks together for about five minutes. Sugar goes in, and then ketchup. Ketchup by the way is based on an ancient Chinese sauce that came to Boston on the clipper ships from the Orient. Five more minutes of cooking, the pork is strained, and goes into the sauce. Everything heats up and is served with rice. That's a really nice sauce and it's quite versatile. You can use it on pork the way we did here, or you could use it on chicken, or beef, or fish. It's pretty low in fat, too. The single most important ingredient in Caribbean cooking is the hot pepper. Local native chefs were using them when the first European explorers popped in. They were using them to make a hot sauce, the descendant of which is found on just about every Caribbean island today. The home-made version is produced by taking the peppers, putting them into a jar, covering them with vinegar, letting them steep for a day or two before use. These are the flame throwers of food, and many people are concerned that their intensity will cause stomach ulcers or eat away the lining of their stomach. But a number of recent scientific studies indicate that that's not the case. Hot peppers in a meal appear to be fine. No damage to stomach tissue. No increase in the incidence of ulcers. As a matter of fact, hot peppers appear to have some positive effects. They increase your body's production of saliva and gastric juices and that helps your digestion. They also appear to reduce blood clots. They can, however, start a fire in your mouth. But don't try to put out those flames with water. Water will only spread 'em around. Your best bet is to take a piece of bread and chew it slowly while moving it around your mouth to absorb the heat. The cruise ships that sail through the Caribbean are devoted to their food and beverage service and usually offer an afternoon tea along with home-baked pastries. Today the chef is preparing a classic recipe for meringue cookies. Here's how they're made: A half cup of egg whites go into the bowl of an electric mixer where they are beaten until they form stiff peaks. I'm always a little hesitant about recipes that call for beating ingredients because I think there's took much violence on television already. But this cookie is worth it. A half cup of sugar is mixed in, the stiff egg whites are then folded together with a half cup of ground almonds and a half cup of confectioner's sugar. That batter goes into a pastry bag and is then pressed out onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Each round is about two inches in diameter. And into a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for one hour and 45 minutes, at which point they're ready. These will keep in an air-tight container in a dry place for about two weeks, assuming you've forgotten where you put the container. You can't eat just one. Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, suggested that we eat a low fat diet during hot weather in order to stay cool. And he knew what he was talking about. BURT WOLF: The body has to work harder to digest fat. The extra work produces extra heat. In general, the lower the fat content of your diet during hot weather, the cooler you're going to be. And then there was Isadora of Seville. Now, you don't hear much about Izzy these days. But during the 6th Century, Isadora of Seville was a big deal. And he suggested that a spicy diet would keep you cooler during hot weather and he knew what he was talking about. A spicy diet will cause perspiration. The moisture on the surface of your body evaporates, and that cools you down. It's also a good idea to avoid foods that are hot in temperature or cold in temperature. Your body has to do extra work to bring the temperature of the food into line with the temperature of the body. And the extra work causes extra body heat. Finally, it's a really good idea to drink six to eight glasses of water every day during hot weather. So, what is there to comprehend from the Caribbean when it comes to food and good health? Well, first of all, rice is an ideal complex carbohydrate, low in fat, low in sodium, and only 80 calories to a half cup. Don't overdo your use of nutmeg. In large quantities it can be dangerous. Use it in the amounts that you would normally use black pepper. Hot peppers do not appear to cause any problems for stomach tissue or ulcers. They may actually help you with digestion and reduce blood clots. To deal with the fire that hot peppers can set off in your mouth, avoid water. Just dry your mouth out with bread. You can help lower your body temperature during hot weather by avoiding high-fat foods and foods that are very hot or cold in terms of temperature. Also foods containing chili peppers can bring moisture to your skin that will cool you off. And a word on sugar. Until a German scientist figured out how to make sugar from the common European sugar beet, planters here in the Caribbean amassed enormous fortunes from their sugar cane. They also planted cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, which were known as the sweetening spices. They understood that by adding a little bit of any of those spices to their sugar, their sugar turned out to be much sweeter. They saved sugar and they saved money. And you can use the same technique to save calories. That's Eating Well in the Caribbean. Please join us next time as we travel around the world, looking for something that tastes good and makes it easier to eat well. I'm Burt Wolf. February 01, 2014 / Burt Wolf/ Travels & Traditions: Cayman Islands - #909 January 09, 2014 / Burt Wolf BURT WOLF: As Christopher Columbus was sailing back to Spain at the end of his fourth and final voyage to the New World, a storm came up between Panama and Haiti and pushed him off course. It pushed him to the west, directly into the islands that are now known as Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. His ship’s log for May 10th, 1503 reports the following: “We came upon two very small islands full of tortoises, as was the sea around them -- so many tortoises that they looked like little rocks.” Columbus marked the islands on his map with the name Las Tortugas -- the turtles. Las Tortugas has become The Cayman Islands, and now there are three of them: Grand Cayman... Cayman Brac... and Little Cayman. They lie about 180 miles west of Jamaica and 480 miles south of Miami. The total population of the three islands is about 30,000 and the people come from a mixture of African and European backgrounds. The residents of the Cayman Islands have one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. The average household income is almost 70,000 U.S. dollars per year. The government is stable and the country’s banks, insurance companies and mutual fund operations have made it the fifth largest financial center in the world. The nation’s banks are significant, but the nation’s beaches are even more important. The Cayman Islands are actually the limestone tops of three mountains that come up from the bottom of the sea. The limestone is so porous that none of the islands have any rivers or streams, and therefore no runoff from the land to the sea. The absence of runoff gives the water around the Cayman Islands a clarity and visibility that is over one hundred and twenty feet. The islands are also surrounded by coral reefs that protect the shores. The areas between the reefs and the beaches are perfect for snorkeling. And just on the far side of the reefs are drop-offs that go down for thousands of feet and create ideal conditions for diving. DIVE INSTRUCTOR: First thing you want to do is make sure a mask fits to start. And the way you do that is you expose the seal... BURT WOLF: The modern snorkel is a J-shaped tube with a mouthpiece that is attached to a face mask. It was introduced in the 1930’s and it allowed swimmers to cruise the surface of the sea, face down, while they looked at what was going on below. But the idea of using some kind of breathing tube while working underwater goes back for thousands of years. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Alexander the Great had a team of underwater divers who used reeds as breathing tubes. They would swim into an area underwater and clear it of any barriers that had been put in place to damage Alexander’s incoming ships. The ancient Greeks also had a team of snorkelers that became famous for sinking an enemy fleet. One night, they swam underwater to the fleet, cut the ropes that held the ships to their anchors. The ships floated away and crashed on the nearby reefs. BURT WOLF: An ancient Roman writer described soldiers who held one end of a leather tube in their mouth while the other end floated on the surface. He compared the apparatus to an elephant lying on its back underwater with its trunk extended to the surface. Our modern word “snorkel” comes from an old German word that means “tube” or “scroll.” It’s a perfect description of the equipment being used. The 1930’s also saw the introduction of fins or flippers that increased a swimmer's speed and weight belts that allowed divers to dive deeper. But the breathing equipment really didn’t permit the divers to stay down for very long and there wasn’t any clothing that would protect them against the cold. And those two problems limited the sport. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Which brings us to the story of SCUBA, five letters that stand for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Now, most of the technical problems of staying underwater for a long time and doing some useful work down there had already been solved by 1819 when the diving suit was introduced. BURT WOLF: It consisted of the familiar round metal helmet with a glass window in the front, a metal shoulder plate and a waterproof leather jacket. A tube connected the helmet to an air pump on the surface. The pump supplied the diver with an unlimited amount of fresh air. Towards the end of the 1800s a vulcanized rubber suit lined with twill was substituted for the leather jacket. It kept the diver drier and warmer. Eventually modern conveniences like telephones and electronic air compressors made the system safer and more practical. These suits worked well for industrial divers and they set the standard for underwater-wear until the Second World War. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: The naval technology needed during the Second World War led to the development of some new underwater gear. Basically, there were two systems. One was known as a rebreather. It consisted of a cylinder of fresh air and a canister of lime. The diver would take the fresh air in from the cylinder and exhale it into the canister. The lime in the canister would remove the carbon dioxide gas from his exhaled breath and then the clean air was recirculated. The system was wonderful because it was completely self-contained; no bubbles would rise to the surface and that made it very difficult to detect a diver working underneath. The rebreather systems were issued to crews on German U-boats in case they needed to escape. There was, however, one major disadvantage. The system didn’t work very well at depths below 30 feet. So if your submarine sank in a swimming pool you were all set; otherwise you were in deep trouble. BURT WOLF: The second underwater breathing system had an open circuit that allowed the exhaled air to escape. There were tubes for inhaling and exhaling and valves that connected the tanks. This system was good down to a hundred and thirty feet and sometimes even deeper. In 1942, a young French naval commander named Jacques Cousteau took out a patent for a piece of equipment he called an Aqua Lung. It was based on the open system and featured a series of tanks that contained compressed air. They were strapped to the back of the diver. This was the first modern SCUBA setup. Soon depth gauges, underwater watches, and wet suits were added. Divers were warm, comfortable and free to move about. When the war ended, SCUBA diving became a popular sport. BOB SOTO ON CAMERA: Well, I was the first SCUBA diver on this island. I came here to start a SCUBA diving business because we had about a hundred and thirty rooms on the island and the people just laid around the beach or went fishing, and I thought this would be a wonderful pastime for them to spend the day SCUBA diving. Of course, everybody thought I was crazy and that these people was going to drown and I was going to drown myself. And I started with six tanks, it took an hour and twenty minutes to fill a tank, and I had six tanks, so I was up half the night filling tanks to go diving the next day. Once I introduced somebody to the water, it just blew their mind because it opened up a new world. You got people from all over the U.S. coming here, and they had such a great time because they had beautiful reefs, and caves, and shipwrecks, and turtles, and stingrays -- all sorts of marine life and it was very accessible from the beach because it’s only a couple hundred yards offshore and you’ve got any kind of reef and marine life you would ever dream of seeing. BURT WOLF: Water filters the color out of sunlight and by the time you get down to a depth of fifty-two feet everything is green and blue. Cousteau pioneered a system of artificial underwater lights that allowed a diver to record the extraordinary colors that are found below the sea. Underwater photography began to develop, which made the sport even more popular. And one of the most popular places in the world to practice this sport is in the waters that surround the Cayman Islands. The most recent innovation in underwater breathing equipment for the sports diver is a combination of SCUBA and snorkel -- called SNUBA. SNUBA INSTRUCTOR: Very similar to SCUBA diving, the only main difference being that we’ve put the SCUBA tank in the raft, okay? The raft follows you on the surface, floats on the surface, follows you wherever you go. You can be connected to it with twenty foot long hoses. All you’ll be wearing is your fins, mask, small weight belt, and this regulator right here. ELAINE EBANKS ON CAMERA: We make several different kinds of birdhouses... like this one is called Fences. And it’s called Fences because it has the gardens and the hand-painted fences that go all the way around. Each one is signed and dated on the bottom. BURT WOLF: Charlie Ebanks is famous for his birdhouses. He builds them and his wife Elaine explains them. ELAINE EBANKS ON CAMERA: We primarily work with the colors of the Caribbean: pink is for the conch shell, green for the sea, blue for the sky, and yellow for the sun. This is a traditional Cayman roof. You know, we have no city water at all out here; we totally rely on the rainwater for our water supply. And this roof line makes it easier for collection. Each old-time house had a little gingerbread on the roof, a palm tree, and a hammock. So this is Charlie’s version of a Cayman house. He does try to do a different one every year for the people that collect his houses from year to year. Couple years ago, he started his version of the old Rum Point Bar. We put on it everything that we felt the old bar was famous for. Charlie numbers his larger houses, everyone signs for their number, and we know where each and every house went. This year’s house is the dive shop. And we’ve made it to mount on the wall, and the owner’s name is put on top of the dive sign to personalize. Of course, that’s numbered and accounted for also. All the houses are made of wood, they’re all nailed, countersunk and filled, nothing is glued on them, they’re all painted with exterior house paint, they are weather worthy. Burt, I’d love to show you my garden. Come on through. Let me show you what grows here. This tree here is a breadfruit tree. Breadfruit is round and green; it’s very much like a potato. You can bake it, mash it, boil it -- it’s a starch. The leaves... we wait ‘til the leaves -- the brown leaves -- fall to the ground, harvest them, wash them, and brew them for a tea. Everything in nature has a reason for being. God put everything here for us; it’s up to us to find what it’s for. The breadfruit leaves, they say, are very good for high blood pressure. And this is the breadfruit tea from the breadfruit tree that we spoke about. I hope you enjoy it. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Thank you. Thank you, Charlie. CHARLIE EBANKS ON CAEMRA: Thank you. FOUNDED ON THE SEAS BURT WOLF: The motto on the national emblem of the Cayman Islands reads: He Hath Founded It Upon The Seas, which is an excellent description of the place and its history. Three islands -- Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman -- make up the country, which is a crown colony of Great Britain. No point on any of the islands is more than a few minutes’ drive from the sea. The first people to take any interest in the area were sailors who stopped in during the 1500s for fresh water and turtle meat. Fishing and shipbuilding were the main businesses for hundreds of years, as well as sending young men off to join the navy and the Merchant Marine. Then a tourist business based on people who loved water sports, particularly underwater sports. And finally, the development of an off-shore banking industry. The Cayman Islands are definitely founded on the seas. One of the leading authorities on the history of the Cayman Islands is Dr. Philip Pedley, who is the director of the Cayman Islands National Archive. DR. PHILIP PEDLEY ON CAMERA: And this is a small, charming map from a French source. And it says here: Iles de Cayman. This is what I call the first European picture or image of any of the Cayman Islands. It’s almost certainly a picture of Cayman Brac, dated 1590. And you can see the turtles that Columbus himself saw. And you can see, eating up the turtle eggs, the caymanos after which Cayman is named. He was a large crocodile that lived, as the accounts say, both in the sea and on the land. So it was aquatic and terrestrial. Now what we’ve got here is two of the images -- two of the pictures -- that go along with this picture of Cayman Brac. And Columbus, when he passed the sister islands in 1503 called this Las Tortugas, but that name gave way in the next thirty years or so to this creature. On this map you can also see, interesting enough -- and this is one of the things that confirms that it is Cayman Brac -- the bent trees... BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Oh, yes! DR. PHILIP PEDLEY ON CAMERA: ...bent over by the wind. Now, that’s sort of significant in the history of Cayman Brac because shipbuilding was a strong industry over there -- a strong tradition. And the shipbuilders would simply go up onto the bluff, which is a hundred and forty feet above -- rises to a hundred and forty feet above the sea level -- and select the exact curvature of the wood they were looking for. And here we have a very interesting little booklet, which I call the first example of tourist literature in the Cayman Islands. It’s a letter written by the commissioner, Commissioner Cardinal, to the rest of the world: Dear Sir of Madam wherever. And it’s an invitation to come and enjoy an unspoiled paradise. And it’s signed by the whole of Cayman. FIVE DISTRICTS BURT WOLF: These days, Grand Cayman is divided into five districts. George Town is the smallest. It’s also the seat of the government, the center of the nation’s banking and business interests, and the most populated. It’s on the sheltered western side of the island with the best port. The duty free shops are here, so you can do your duty and shop in an almost guilt-free environment, justifying your expenditures on the basis of how much you saved. ANITA EBANKS ON CAMERA: Well, I want to introduce you to George Town and the harbor. And at one time this was called the Hog Stys -- the whole area. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Because they kept pigs here? ANITA EBANKS ON CAMERA: Yes. And supposedly all the people on the island had them penned in in a certain area. And on a bad day if you were downwind from it...it was very smelly. So it was called the Hog Stys... And then sometime during the early 18th century, Governor Bodden decided it would be good to name it George Town in honor of George the Third. And I guess if it hadn’t been changed, we would be sending post cards and letters from Hog Stys, Grand Cayman. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Doesn’t sound like a great place to go for a vacation. George Town is a great improvement. ANITA EBANKS ON CAMERA: This is Fort George. This was the first of several batteries around the island -- the first line of defense against Spanish marauders from Cuba. You know, this was Hog Sty Bay, so they’d probably steal some of their hogs and maybe some of their turtles and poultry. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: You can actually see the outline of where the old fort was. ANITA EBANKS ON CAMERA: Yes, it was about five feet high on the sea side. The land side was only about two feet high. And the walls were about three feet thick, and they had various embarcadiers for about maybe ten cannon. Most of the cannon were about four- or six-pounders. And the two that are there now are recreated there out of cement in fact, and they are replicas of six-pounders. In the early days people would go down to the beach and go beachcombing to find whatever might be washed up so that they could use to just help with their way of life. I mean, we were very isolated, so it might be a favorite piece of wood might be washed up. And one morning back in about 1846, a Mary Webster from Frank Sound supposedly was doing some beachcombing early in the morning, and she saw this strange kernel on the beach. And she planted it and it grew into an almond tree. And supposedly that’s where all the almond trees that you find on the island today are descended from. I think they’re really lovely -- various shades of orange and red. BURT WOLF: The most unusual house in George Town was built by Carroll Henderson. In 1935, he started buying conch shells. When his collection passed the 4,000 shell point, he used them to construct his dream house -- conch shells anchored in a twelve-inch thick concrete wall. He could only set thirty shells a day, so it took over two years to build the place. But when it was finished, it was so well made that during the Second World War the U.S. Navy used the house as a bomb storage depot. Today, it is the home of Mike Henderson, who is the son of the original builder. It’s a private residence, but Mike doesn’t mind if you come by to take a look. Next to George Town is the northwest part of the island, which is known as West Bay. The old Bothwell residence is in West Bay and it stands as a typical example of traditional Cayman architecture... gingerbread trim.. and a sand garden. The central part of Grand Cayman is called Bodden Town. Bodden Town is the home of the oldest building on the island. It was built in 1780; rock walls three feet thick, nice view up top, underground dungeons below. What else could you ask for? It’s called Pedro Castle. The Cayman Island National Trust has an extensive program for preserving historical information about the islands, and making that information available to visitors. The Trust publishes a series of booklets that outline historical walking tours of both West Bay and Bodden Town. In one of those bursts of creativity that often overcome early settlers, the eastern end of Grand Cayman is known as East End. It’s one of the least populated parts of the island and still has a very rural lifestyle. Tourists drive over to the district to take a look at the blowholes. Waves dive into the underground caves. Holes in the top of the caves allow part of the wave to escape in a plume of spray. If you’re in the neighborhood on Friday, Saturday or Sunday and you’re thirsty, you can walk across the road and get some fresh coconut water. LINDO PARSONS ON CAMERA: The coconut water is what you drink direct from the coconut. The milk is gathered by gratering the coconut into small pieces. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Grating. LINDO PARSONS ON CAMERA: Or today in modernized equipment, we put the small pieces in the blender, chop it up in smaller pieces, take it and wash it in water, and strain it through a strainer. What comes out of there is the milk. What remains is what is called trash locally. That is converted into candies and coconut tarts. BURT WOLF: Just down the road from the blowholes is a stretch of beach from which you can see what’s left of a group of ten British ships that foundered on the reef in 1794. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: The event became known as the Wreck of the Ten Sails. The lead ship that was doing the navigation sent back a signal to the rest of the fleet that read: “stay clear.” The sailor who interpreted the signal read it as: “all clear.” Talk about losing something in the translation. BURT WOLF: The next district on the island is called North Side. It was the last part of Grand Cayman to be settled and it has the smallest population. North Side also has the most fertile land and the island’s best farms. For many years, the lack of roads kept it isolated from the rest of the island. These days, however, the roads have improved. And there’s a public ferry from the busiest part of the island at Seven Mile Beach to the tip of North Side. The ferry goes up and back throughout the day and will deposit you on Rum Point, which is considered by many to be the most beautiful beach on the island. BURT WOLF ON CAMERA: Rum Point appears to have gotten its name as the result of a ship that wrecked on the reefs in front of it. The ship was carrying a cargo of barrels filled with rum that floated ashore. When they were discovered by the local residents, they also got wrecked. These days there are a number of bars and restaurants on Rum Point that will help you recreate the experience. BURT WOLF: About two hundred yards to the west of Rum Point is one of the most interesting underwater attractions in the world. The area is called Stingray City, and it offers snorkelers and SCUBA divers an opportunity to hang out with a couple of hundred stingrays. I went out to the city on a sixty-five-foot catamaran named The Spirit of Paloo. DIVE INSTRUCTOR ON CAMERA: One of the nicest places for you to touch a stingray is on the underside of his wing. You could also touch him on the top, but it’s not quite so smooth, it’s a little more leathery. You do not have to worry about the tail stinging you when it’s touching you -- they physically have to do this. Okay? So you can touch the tail if you’d like. VANESSA BELLAMY: Their mouth is on the bottom, their eyes are on the top and we feed them squid, that’s how we get them up on the surface. You might have noticed as you’ve been watching me, they come close and their nose is at the front. Everybody says, “Oh, they seem to like you.” No. They swim forward, that way we can hold on to them better so everybody else can get a good look at them. The only thing that’s dangerous about a stingray is they do have a little bit of a barb on the end of their tail that they sting with. But the only way they do that is when they settle in the sand to rest and somebody comes along and steps on them. Then they come up and sting them. Here, the rays here, they’re very, very nice. BURT WOLF: Going out on the Spirit of Paloo is a very modern experience -- but if you would like to slip into a recreation of the past, you might ship out on the Jolly Roger. CREW: Okay, she was built back in 1986; it’s a replica of a seventeenth century Spanish galleon. She’s sixty-seven feet in length, she weighs sixty-two and a half tons, has fifty-seven fully working pieces of rigging, including eight sails. BURT WOLF: For Travels & Traditions, I’m Burt Wolf. January 09, 2014 / Burt Wolf/ Travels & Traditions British Isles, Caribbean Travels & Traditions: Curaçao - #202 January 02, 2014 / Dan Castillo The island of Curaçao. It was formed ninety million years ago in the Pacific Ocean near Peru, got pushed into the Caribbean Sea to a point just off the coast of Venezuela and ended up as part of the Dutch Kingdom of the Netherlands. And I thought my life was confusing. The capital city of Willemstad is like a mini-Amsterdam transported to a tropical climate. The coral reefs that surround the island have made it an important destination for divers. The beaches have made it an important destination for vacationers. Only 150,000 people live on the island, but they came here from over fifty different nations -- an extraordinary ethnic mix with everyone making a contribution to the local traditions. It’s a fascinating place. So join me, Burt Wolf, for TRAVELS & TRADITIONS in Curaçao. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): The first Europeans to set foot on Curaçao were Spanish explorers who showed up in 1499. When they realized that there was no gold on the island, they set up a few cattle farms as a future source of food, and shoved off. Then in 1634 the Dutch arrived and took control of the island. The Spanish surrendered without much resistance, but the cattle put up an extraordinary fight, though they were eventually forced to surrender. The Dutch influence is still very strong in Curaçao. Besides the political relationship between Curaçao and Holland there is an ongoing cultural relationship and a shared history of more than 350 years. The historic center of Willemstad is called Punda, which means “the point,” and its architecture is classic Dutch Colonial from the 16 and 1700s. The Dutch colonists, like colonists all around the world, tried to recreate their homeland. ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: So we’re in the middle of Otrabanda. Otrabanda was built since 1708, 18th Century... Anko Van Der Woude is one of Curaçao’s leading architects and an authority on the island’s architectural history. ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: Okay, this is the Penha Building, built in 1708, and it represents the Rococo or Renaissance, the Renaissance style. BURT WOLF: All the 1700s was that Renaissance. ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: All the 1700s, yes, yes, the whole of the 18th Century. You can tell by the curls. And if you would go to Amsterdam in the same period, you would find the same kind of architecture. The building used to stop here, and this was the addition of about two yards which was added -- BURT WOLF: Yes, you can see where it ended -- ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: Exactly -- BURT WOLF: -- and then suddenly they built it out. ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: Yes. And also, you can see the color. The first houses were made with bricks. They glued them together with mud, and the outside you had to plaster, thus making it a closed wall. If you plaster, you paint it. And they were mostly painted white. BURT WOLF: Whitewashed. ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: Whitewashed. It was the cheapest color they could get. BURT WOLF: And how did they get to be so colorful? ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: Well, there was a governor in 1816, and you can imagine most of the houses being white, when the sun reflects off the houses... he said, “Whenever I walk through town, I get a terrible headache because of the sun. I want them to be painted another color within two weeks.” And all the houses were painted other colors, except white. BURT WOLF: Did his headaches go away? ANKO VAN DER WOUDE: Uhhhh... that doesn’t say. The history doesn’t tell. BURT WOLF: Well, they certainly are beautiful. The districts of Punda and Otrobanda are connected by the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. This is quite a piece of work. The entire bridge is set on a series of floats. The Otrobanda end sits on wheels that are locked onto a circular track. The Punda end has a set of diesel engines attached to propellers. When they want to open the bridge, the engines are started and the bridge swings out from Punda allowing the harbor traffic to pass. The Jewish community in Curaçao built the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which opened for Passover services in 1732 and has been in use since then, which makes it the oldest synagogue in continuous operation in the New World. The floor of the synagogue is covered with sand as a reminder of the forty days and nights that the Jews wandered in the desert after escaping from bondage in Egypt. But the sand is also a reminder of the time of the Spanish Inquisition when Jews were forced to practice their religion in secret rooms. The sand muffled the sound of their movements and their voices. The synagogue also has a museum with objects drawn from its 350-year history. Willemstad is a “walking city”…street front shops with friendly staff, and shaded places to relax and get something to eat and drink. It’s also the only place I know of that took their ancient forts and prisons and instead of turning them into monuments turned them into restaurants. The historic area of Willemstad, the inner city and the harbor, have been placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The old buildings in Willemstad are grand structures... but like so many glorious things they contain the seeds of their own destruction. Coral and quarry stone were used for the walls and held together with a mortar that contained sand from the beaches and seawater. Eventually the salt in the coral, beach sand and seawater began leaching out and eating away at the buildings, which began to crumble. Fortunately there is an aggressive rehabilitation program, and many of the most important buildings will be saved. But sand and seawater are not always negative elements. As a matter of fact, great beaches and water sports are two of the main reasons people visit Curaçao. The island has many public and private beaches. Some have snack bars, showers, and an assortment of seaside services. Others are secluded and offer visitors a private moment away from it all. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): The constant 13-knot trade winds that powered the Spanish treasure galleons, the Dutch, French and English pirate ships during the 1500s, are still around, and available to windsurfers. The water temperature is a constant 75 to 81 degrees all year round, and there is approximately one hundred feet of visibility underneath the surface, which allowed me to see this. Curaçao has been rated as one of the best Caribbean islands for shore diving and snorkeling, with most dive sites easily accessible because the reefs are near the water’s edge. The lack of rain on Curaçao may be bad for farmers but it’s great for divers. It sets up the high salt content in the nearby waters, which is just the environment for the development of coral reefs. If you’re not quite in the Cousteau class but interested in having an animal encounter of the nautical kind, you can stop into the Curaçao Sea Aquarium. A natural tidal pool near the edge of the Seaquarium is home to hundreds of tropical fish, including a group of sharks that live behind a wire fence fitted with a Plexiglas window. Visitors can take a short diving lesson, go below and feed the sharks and the other fish through small holes in the Plexiglas. ERWIN CURIAL: We have air in the tank for one and a half hour. We’re gonna be underwater for forty minutes. Before we go in, I’m gonna have you put the equipment on, inflate it for you, what you have to do, put your mask on your face, regulator in your mouth, and you walk slowly forward down the stairs. Because your face is in the water, the added exhale comes out as bubbles. And the bubbles always go up, yeah? And they go alongside your ears. Those bubbles, they make a lot of noise. Yeah? That noise is good. That means you’re breathing. Okay? BURT WOLF: I’ll remember that. ERWIN CURIAL: Just imagine if you have your mask on like this. That looks very stupid to me. Yeah? And it’s gonna fall off. So it doesn’t work like that. Always on top of your head -- BURT WOLF: -- above the ears -- ERWIN CURIAL: -- like this, so it’s not going anywhere. Okay? BURT WOLF: Yeah. ERWIN CURIAL: Maybe looking around you see a big stingray sit on my head. That looks funny to you, and you start smiling. No problem. You’re mask’s gonna fill up with water. BURT WOLF: No smiling. ERWIN CURIAL: Yeah, you can smile. But you’re gonna have water in your mask. Okay? When the water reaches your eye level, you will stop smiling. And we got stingrays in here. Don’t you worry, the stingrays, they don’t bite, they don’t sting. But what they do -- BURT WOLF: Why do they call them “stingrays...?” ERWIN CURIAL: Because they can sting. BURT WOLF: Oh. But they know that I’m friendly. They wouldn’t sting me on television. Be the end of their career in television. They’ll never be on television again. ERWIN CURIAL: Never. Questions so far? BURT WOLF: Never Let The Regulator Out Of My Mouth. ERWIN CURIAL: No. BURT WOLF: That’s it. ERWIN CURIAL: Let’s do it? BURT WOLF: Let’s do it. I would like to point out, without animosity or envy, that my beloved producer Emily Aronson stayed dry and comfortable, observing the situation from a stationary submarine that sits next to the tidal pool. And to add insult to injury, she was eating M&Ms through the entire experience, including my portion. By the middle of the 1600s, Curaçao had become the center of the Dutch trading empire in the New World. Unfortunately a major part of that trade was conducted in slaves. The Kura Hulanda Museum in Willemstad tells the story of this appalling business, a business that went on for over four hundred years -- from 1441 to 1863. There’s a reconstruction of the hold of a slave ship…visitors can get inside and see what the space felt like. A trader’s home with furniture made by the slaves. A portrait of a Dutch trader by Frans Hals. Reproductions of slave ships. After they delivered the slaves to Curaçao they turned into pirate ships… stealing pre-Columbian gold from the Spanish who had just stolen it from the Aztecs. There’s a building filled with African art from the areas from which the slaves were taken. A collection of over two hundred historic prints and other artifacts relating to the history of slavery in the Caribbean. Africans were brought to Curaçao and then resold to plantations throughout the New World. The island became the largest transport center for slaves with over 500,000 Africans passing through the port. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): It’s hard to believe, but slavery still exists, and it exists all over the world. Sometimes the slaves are illegal aliens forced to work for the people who snuck them into the United States or Canada, or indentured workers in a clothing factory, or a child bride sold off by her family. It’s all slavery and it’s all about money. And a visit to a museum like this will quickly remind you that the fight against slavery is far from over. The entire museum was funded by Jacob Gelt Dekker, who is devoting his life and his wealth to the education of the children of this island. In addition to the material on the slave trade, Dekker has put together a collection of traditional arts and crafts in order to create a greater knowledge and pride in African ancestry. It’s a sign of Curaçao’s integrity that they present and honor this part of their past. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): Today, the descendents of the African slaves represent a majority of the population. They hold important positions in government and business, but beneath their sophisticated and modern lifestyle is a deep appreciation for the traditions that held their community together during the difficult times. One of the interesting aspects of their cultural history is in the area of healing. Now, doctors were very rarely available to African slaves. And so the responsibility for medicine fell to women who understood the healing properties of plants. They were of great importance to the community, and practiced an art that was brought from Africa and adapted to the plant life of the island. Herbal medicine is still a significant form in Curaçao, and its leading practitioner is Dinah Veeris. BURT WOLF: Researchers in the United States tell me that there are three subjects that Americans are really interested in in terms of medicine. They’re always looking for something that will help them lose weight, something that will prevent baldness, or something that will increase their sexual energies. You, um, have anything in those areas? DINAH VEERIS: Yes, we have a lot of that in Curaçao! Yes. You know, to lose weight, people use garlic. You take three pieces of this garlic and you put it in water overnight. And then you will drink it for forty days, you will drink the water, you know, every day one glass of water. It will help you reduce the weight. BURT WOLF: It’s not gonna do a lot for my sex life, but okay. DINAH VEERIS: (laughing) No, you won’t. BURT WOLF: Now we’re gonna deal with my bald spot. DINAH VEERIS: One of the best things for hair loss is the calabash. This is the calabash. You take this out, you squeeze it, and then you get a black mash. You cook it, you take off the seeds, otherwise your hair will stay with all the seeds. And then you wash the hair with it. Or you can make a shampoo out of it. BURT WOLF: Calabash shampoo. DINAH VEERIS: Yes. BURT WOLF: Is this a big enough portion for me? Will that work there? DINAH VEERIS: Yes, it’s very good! It will work very good. BURT WOLF: Okay. We’re up to sexual energy? DINAH VEERIS: Yes, we are -- with the chuchuguasa. BURT WOLF: Chuchuguasa? DINAH VEERIS: Chuchuguasa, yes. BURT WOLF: And the bark of the chuchuguasa tree, and you make tea from it. DINAH VEERIS: No, you don’t make tea. BURT WOLF: Don’t make tea. DINAH VEERIS: No, you then take the cocuy -- cucuy they take from the agave -- and then you put the chuchuguasa in it. BURT WOLF: Okay. DINAH VEERIS: And then it becomes red. So that’s what the people -- they drink it once a week, twice a week -- BURT WOLF: How much? DINAH VEERIS: Just one shot. Like this. You can use it from the calabash. BURT WOLF: Little calabash shot? Okay. “Nature’s Viagra.” BURT WOLF: This is a great day for me. I’m gonna lose weight, my bald spot’s gonna fill in, and my sex life is gonna improve. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Let’s go walk in the garden. Modern scientists are discovering the value of herbal medicine, but it’s important to remember that the operative word here is medicine. I suggest you check with your doctor before you use any herbal remedy. Almost everyone on Curaçao speaks at least four languages... standard Dutch, English, Spanish and the local language, which is Papiamentu. It’s a Creole dialect spoken at all levels of society. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): If you listen carefully it’s pretty easy to pick up some of the key phrases. Bon dia means “good day.” Bon nochi means “good night.” Danki means “thank you.” Masha danki means “thanks a lot.” And the first phrase I learned to use when I arrived on the island… Ban Kome… which means, “let’s go eat!” So what’s cooking on Curaçao? Almost everything eaten on the island has been caught in the surrounding ocean, or imported. The nearest sources are the Venezuelan farms on the coast of South America. Every morning boats from Venezuela tie up along the docks of Willemstad and offer fruit, vegetables and fish. This floating market has been a traditional shopping area for well over a hundred years. BURT WOLF (ON CAMERA): At the same time that the Dutch West Indies Company was doing business in the Caribbean, the Dutch East Indies Company was doing business in the Pacific. A major center of their activities was Indonesia, and the internal business between the West Indies Company and the East Indies Company led to a major Indonesian influence in Curaçao -- and to some great Indonesian cooking. The Rysttafel Restaurant in Willemstad takes its name from the fact that at both lunch and dinner it serves a traditional Indonesian Rijst-Tafel -- which means “rice table.” It was the phrase used by Dutch colonists to describe a meal at which a bowl of rice was surrounded by twenty or more dishes. AGNES ROEKINI: It’s grilled chicken with garlic sauce... fried coconut... BURT WOLF: ...chicken with sweet-and-sour sauce... salad with peanut sauce and a little tofu... AGNES ROEKINI: ...fried eggplant... BURT WOLF: ...pork with soy sauce... AGNES ROEKINI: ...tomato in spicy sauce... BURT WOLF: I recognize that... AGNES ROEKINI: ... beef tender with coconut... and fried bean sprouts... BURT WOLF: ...bananas with honey sauce... AGNES ROEKINI: ...and meatballs. BURT WOLF: Meatballs! All right -- I think we’re close enough to eat. During the three hundred years of contact between the Dutch and the Indonesians, the Rijst-Tafel became an extravagant institution with servants carrying in one dish after another. In essence it’s an extension of the basic Indonesian family dinner, which always consisted of rice and five or six additional dishes. When we were in the western part of the island, checking out the dive sites, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Jaanchie’s in the town of West Point. Locals love this place but it also has a big following among the tourists. Jaanchie is the third generation of his family to own the restaurant and he personally informs you of the day’s menu. JAANCHIE: Well, for today -- a nice fresh fish! And it’s the wahoo. For sure. After having this wahoo fish, after eating this wahoo fish, sir, you will say “Wa-hoooooooooo!” We had the fish but we didn’t say “Wahoooooo” because it was snapper. Tender pieces of goat in a well-seasoned stew with salad, carrots and peas. Rice and beans and lots of picka, the local onion and vinegar sauce. This is just the kind of place I love. Down-home, easy, relaxed, friendly people and good food. Curaçao also has a gastronomic form known as truk’i pan . Originally the phrase was truck di pan, which means “the truck of bread.” Eventually it shortened to truk’i pan. BURT WOLF: Well, there’s an enormous selection of really good food on Curaçao, but the one thing you are not going to find is a sushi bar, because in the local language of Papiamentu the word sushi means “garbage.” In the interest of seeing the authentic and the traditional, we stayed at the Avila Beach Hotel. The original structure dates back to 1776, when it was the residence of the colonial governor. It was also the place where the great liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar, lived during his years of exile. For a while it was a private school. Then a private hospital. And finally, it was totally renovated into a beachfront hotel with two private cove beaches. The property has a quite, elegant and unpretentious style and many of the guests are families and businessmen from Holland. There’s a pier with a restaurant and live jazz -- the Dutch have been lovers of American jazz since the Twenties. Over the years, the Avila has become a venue for local musicians, painters and sculptors for the presentation of their work. The hotel has such a respected position in the community that the government issued three Avila Beach Hotel stamps to help celebrate its 50th birthday. I asked Tone Moller, the general manager and daughter of the owner, to introduce me to some of her favorite dishes. TONE MOLLER: Keshi yená dates back to the arrival of the Dutch and the Jews in Curaçao, and it’s an Edam cheese, hollowed out, filled with a stuffing. The stuffing is made out of prunes, it’s made out of olives, it’s made out of either tuna or chicken, and capers and peppers. People love to eat lobster in Curaçao; we’ve snazzied it up, made it a little Caribbean with a coconut sauce, and it’s very flavorful. Bolo di kashu pette -- it’s a local cake, it’s made out of cashew nuts, it’s a layer cake covered with a coating of mashed cashew nuts -- and it’s calories, calories, calories. BURT WOLF: But taste, taste, taste. TONE MOLLER: It’s taste, taste, taste. Another aspect of Curaçao’s culture that has been strongly influenced by the African community is its music and dance. Curaçao’s music is a blend of European, Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. influences, but for me the most interesting part of its heritage is African… particularly in a form called tambu. It was born in the slave communities as a release from the debilitating oppression. The basic instrument is the drum known as the tambu. The other instrument is the chapi, a type of field hoe. Each is played against the other in a complicated rhythmic pattern. The singing is a series of set calls and responses. Both the music and the dance are clearly part of an ancient African tradition. The social comment inherent in the lyrics -- and the erotic tension of the dance -- were more than the government and the Catholic church could stand, and for years they mounted an aggressive campaign to surpress tambu. Even today, a government ordinance limits public tambu parties to a few weeks at the end and the beginning of each year. Which also brings us to the end of this show. I hope you have enjoyed this visit to Curaçao and I hope you will join me next time on TRAVELS & TRADITIONS. I’m Burt Wolf. January 02, 2014 / Dan Castillo/ Dan Castillo Design, design, design! Burt Wolf is an American journalist, writer, entrepreneur and TV producer. He is the host and author of nine internationally syndicated television series that deal with cultural history, travel and gastronomy, including Travels and Traditions. TASTE OF FREEDOM LOCAL FLAVORS	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1988
__label__wiki	0.679312	0.679312	Business Today Qatar You are here: Home » 2019 » Archives for May 2019 The World Divided by a Line Is a Dead Body Cut in Two Rana Javadi, Never-Ending Chaos, 2013. By Vijay Prashad May 31 2019 (IPS-Partners) (Tricontinental) – Word comes from friends in Iran of foreboding, a general sense of fear that the United States might bomb the country at any time. A friend in Tehran asks me to read Simin Behbahani’s The World is Shaped Like a Sphere, a poem for our times. Behbahani (1927-2014), a superb lyricist, wrote this poem in 1981 (translated by Farzaneh Milani and Kaveh Safa): It was our agreement to call this the East, though we could push it westwards, with ease. Don’t speak to me of the West, where the sun sets, if you always run after the sun, you will never see a sunset. on which the vulture and the hyena are feasting. Iraq – at the behest of the Arab Gulf and the United States – had attacked Iran in 1980, inaugurating a futile war that would go on till 1988. Angry that the Gulf Arabs had not properly financed the war nor honoured the sovereignty of Iraq’s oil fields, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait in August 1990. It is worth recalling that in the summer of 1990, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – set up out of anxiety for the Iranian Revolution of 1979 – hastened to normalize relations with Iran. Kuwait resumed flights to Iran and linked investment and shipping deals with Iran. The GCC, which had egged Saddam to attack Iran, now seemed to curry favour with Iran against Iraq. The blood of Iraqis and Iranians stained the long border between those two countries; the people of both countries had been treated as pliable marionettes by the Gulf Arabs and the West. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait started the Gulf War, which does not seem to have ended. Today, the Gulf War manifests itself in the fierce siege against Iran. Gohar Dashti, Today’s Life and War, 2008. Iran sits at the precipice of disaster. US President Donald Trump’s harsh sanctions and his threats of war send shockwaves through the region. Buyers of Iranian oil have decided to wait and see how the situation unfolds. The key player here is China. How China will react defines the next stage, as I write in my column. All is tense. Shahram Khosravi, an anthropologist, wrote a moving account of a conversation with his friend Hamid – a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. Our newsletter this week features Shahram’s account, a window into the life of one Iranian rattled by the sanctions and by the premonition of war. It is below: Shahram Khosravi, Hamid, 2018. In Iran, the term ‘war’ is often used in reference to the US sanctions. ‘Why don’t they [the US] leave us in peace?’, asked my friend Hamid late last year. Hamid and I were both born in 1966 in the same village along the Zagros mountains in the Bakhtiari region of southwestern Iran. At nineteen, Hamid was sent do to two years of compulsory military service. The Iran-Iraq War was in its fourth year. Hundreds of thousands of young men, many teenagers, had already been killed. After ten days of training, Hamid went – Kalashnikov in hand – to the front. On a cold February day in 1986, the gates of hell opened. Saddam Hussein’s forces unleashed mustard gas on the Iranian troops. Twenty thousand died immediately, while an additional 80,000 survivors suffered—and many continue to suffer— the impact. Hamid’s lungs were badly damaged; he cannot talk without coughing. His skin is burnt in many places. He suffers from depression. Hamid blames the US and the Iraqi government for his injuries. He is right. Recent CIA documents confirm US complicity in the use of mustard gas on young people like Hamid. Now the US sanctions have become harsher. As a temporary labourer, Hamid can barely tolerate the unbearable economic pressure of the sanctions on his weak shoulders. Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. Three months later, the first shockwave hit Iranians. Iran’s currency collapsed by 70%, causing high inflation. The cost of basic needs went up. Workers’ purchasing power dropped by 53%. A kilogramme of meat costs more than the entire day’s wage of a worker. Sanctions have shrunk the official corridors of trade, opening up space for informal trade networks and various forms of smuggling. The weak Iranian currency has meant the widening the price of goods inside and outside of Iran. Livestock is increasingly being smuggled into Iraq, which is a key factor in the rising price of meat. As sanctions increased, so did cross-border smuggling. One study suggests that this smuggling has increased by thirty-seven times its pre-sanctions frequency. Medicines are exempt from the sanctions, but they are nonetheless scarce and expensive. Companies that sell medicines to Iran shy away from the unstable economic situation and fear retribution from the United States. Sanctions target shipping and banking, making it hard to get the medicines to the country and pay for them. Insecure markets are a good business environment for speculators, who buy and hoard medicines, forcing prices upwards. Foreign investments collapsed, and capital fled the country. An official source says that since the summer of 2017, about US $20 billion has left Iran. Companies have also fled, which means that parts for machinery and cars cannot be easily sourced. Production of vehicles has fallen by 72%. Unemployment has increased. Workers are often told by their employers that they cannot get paid because ‘there is no money anywhere’. The informal sector has grown, with precarious jobs without health and unemployment insurance becoming the norm. Hamid has been in the informal sector for decades. He rarely gets paid in time. Not getting paid on time is now normal – often with six months of salary in arrears. Each week, workers somewhere in Iran go on strike to demand their salaries. Delayed salaries mean workers have to take out loans to meet their basic needs. Less fortunate people turn to usurious moneylenders (who charge interest rates at 70%). The interest eats into their unpaid salaries. The US sanctions have cut their lifeline. They are drowning. While Hamid – in a small village – struggles to survive, middle-class Iranians seek a way to flee the country. I have never seen such widespread desire to leave the country. People from the middle-class do not see any future in Iran. Lines outside European embassies are getting longer and longer, as announcements of property auctions ‘due to emigration’ are getting more common. Buyers are few. The ‘bazaar is sleeping’, people say. ‘Nothing happens now. No one sells, no one buys’. Hamid says, ‘When the dollar’s price goes up, the price of everything goes up: tomato, rice, meat, medicine– everything. They never come down, even if the dollar’s price goes down’. ‘Iranians’, it is said, ‘have become like calculators’. Life is filled with numbers. Following the exchange rate of the dollar has become an obsession. Everyone waits to find out where the Rial – Iran’s currency – will settle. The structure of social life is suspended. Hamid checks the dollar’s price each day. Far from his village, Donald Trump tweets about the war against Iran. On 19 May, Trump threatened Iranians with an ‘official end’ – a threat of extermination. When he does so, the Rial responds and Hamid sees and feels the impact. Sanctions and Trump’s threats cast a shadow of death, even as no gun has yet been fired. Premature death is so frequent that it is now seen as normal. Iran has become preoccupied with death due to the sanctions and the rhetoric of war. Shortages of medicines have already killed people. So have plane crashes. In 1995, US President Bill Clinton put sanctions against Iran’s civilian aviation industry. This prevented Iran from buying new aircraft and spare parts. Iran’s dozen airlines have the oldest fleets in the world. In February 2018, an Aseman Airlines flight with 66 on board crashed in the Zagros mountains – not far from Hamid’s village. Hamid worries for his son, Omid, now age 19. ‘If they start a new war….’, he says, and then stops, his eyes down, coughs overcoming him. He has seen how wars break bodies and souls. If the US felt no compunction in providing Iraq with chemical weapons to use against Iran in the 1980s, why would they not allow Saudi Arabia and Israel to do the same now? Our generation was gassed by the US-backed Saddam Hussein. Is it now Omid’s generation turn to break down under the harsh sanctions and the shadow of American bombers? Kiarash Eghbali, Old woman at Shariati Hospital, Tehran, 2016. A war against Iran – as Hamid says – will be catastrophic, not only for Iran but for Eurasia. It would divide the world into two, vultures and hyenas feasting on both halves. We Can’t Halt Extinctions Unless We Protect Water A fisherman of the Abume community, Lake Volta, Ghana. Credit: Nana Kofi Acquah/International Water Management Institute By Claudia Sadoff COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 31 2019 – Global biodiversity loss has reached critical levels. One million species of plants and animals are now estimated to be at risk of extinction. The window for action is closing, and the world needs to urgently take note. Countries would do well to consider this: our ability to preserve species hinges to a great extent on the actions we take to protect freshwater ecosystems. Safeguarding water for the environment is critical for biodiversity and for people. Freshwater ecosystems are major biodiversity hotspots. We derive much value from them, even though we may not realise it. Wetlands purify drinking water; fish is one of the most traded food commodities on the planet; and floodplains can provide vital buffers that lessen the impacts of flooding. The people who depend most on the services provided by aquatic ecosystems are generally the poorest and most marginalized in developing countries and consequently those hardest hit by biodiversity loss. However, all of us, both rich and poor, depend on healthy ecosystems, so degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity pose an enormous threat for everyone. About 35 per cent of the world’s biodiversity-rich wetlands, for example, have been lost or seriously degraded since 1970. The annual value of the benefits these wetlands (freshwater and coastal) provide is estimated at a staggering USD 36.2 trillion; nearly double the benefits derived from all the world’s forests. Sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems (and of water resources in general) must aim to ensure that ecosystems continue providing these services. A key approach for reversing this trend centres on ensuring that water continues to flow in a way that will sustain aquatic ecosystems, thereby supporting populations, economies, sustainable livelihoods, and well-being. Pumping water by hand in mid-Western Nepal. Credit: Satyam Joshi/USAID This means maintaining the right quality, quantity and timing of water flows – which scientists call “environmental flows”, or “E-flows” for short. Managing tradeoffs Water, through contributions to economic growth, environmental health and human well-being, plays a critical role in many of our broader sustainable development goals. It will therefore be necessary to consider some inevitable tradeoffs when planning for the sustainable management of water. Take the expansion of irrigation for more intensive crop production, for example, which is essential for ending hunger. The alternative to increasing irrigation would be massive encroachment of agriculture on forests and other fragile ecosystems, thus undermining the protection of biodiversity. At the same time, increased irrigation will, by removing water from rivers and aquifers, inevitably have some negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The challenge is to maximize synergies and minimize tradeoffs, and to do so in ways that are transparent and equitable, based on scientific evidence. Undertaking detailed assessments of E-flows helps make the tradeoffs explicit. The information derived from E-flow assessments can contribute to important discussions between different sectors and actors, helping to determine which outcomes are acceptable to society and likely to be sustainable. E-flows assessment in action For more than a decade, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has been devising and steadily improving methods for E-flow assessment. In a 2007 project, IWMI partnered with World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) to carry out the country’s first-ever holistic environmental flow assessment, focused on the iconic Ganges River. The Indian government subsequently incorporated the concept of E-flows into the aims and objectives of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority. Working with partners, IWMI researchers have now developed E-flow calculators, a family of software formaking rapid, assessments anywhere in the world from a computer. More recently, IWMI researchers have further adapted their E-flow calculator for specific river basins, such as those in western Nepal. As a result of those developments, E-flow assessment is now poised for wider application in diverse settings. In support of national efforts to better manage tradeoffs in water management, information provided by E-flow calculators can also contribute to tracking “water stress”. For instance, how much freshwater economic activities withdraw compared to the total renewable supply, and how much water should be left in rivers to maintain basic ecological functions and ecosystem services. Too much of our biodiversity depends on water for us to overlook sustainable water management as a key part of the solution to species extinction. The time has come for a more concerted effort to stem the loss of aquatic ecosystems and of the myriad species that inhabit them. Lost in Globalisation Credit: Artem Beliaikin_Unsplash By Baher Kamal MADRID, May 31 2019 – Do not panic! This is not about telling you how bank accounts and pension funds have been used to finance the production of nuclear bombs (they call it ‘investment’). Nor is it about the four dozens of major and minor wars that the so-called “traditional weapons,” which are being manufactured and exported by civilised, democratic countries, continue to systematically fuel. It is not about the irrational depletion of natural resources, the destruction of forests, the massive provision of arms to “rebel groups’ to burn entire villages, rape girls and women, and recruit child soldiers in more than one African country, for the sake of ‘cleaning’ the mines area for big multinationals to continue extracting precious minerals which serve to produce more (and more expensive) smartphones. Not even it is about how today’s youth will see more plastic than fish in all seas. More: this article will not focus on the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of so many mediocre apprentices of self-called ‘politicians’, who embrace dangerous fanaticisms while, in some ‘very democratic’ countries, calling their own selves “centre-right” (some dare saying they are simply “centre”), slipping further into ‘dictato-cracy.’ The term “globalisation” has been systematically given positive connotations, while it could be rightfully interpreted as a process of gradual “monetisation” and even “dollarisation” of livelihoods, and soon became an aggressive ‘massification’ of imported habits, blind consumption, hysterical greed, irrational imitation, the death of what used to be considered ‘truth’ (the post-truth era), the dominance of disinformation and misinformation (the ‘fake news’). Nor it is about those so many States which were once net exporters of emigrants (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc), but which now stand as die-hard enemies of immigrants… all under the pretext of the “crisis” they have created and the resulting high unemployment rates, and “national security,” post-truth arguments. Let alone big powers such as the United States, which have been entirely built up by migrants at the easy cost of exterminating the original, native populations. What to say about Canada? And Australia…? Now those migrants who are forced to flee created armed conflicts, impoverishment, climate change (which they did not contribute to generate), are easy prey to arbitrary measures – walls, fences, and shame pacts to send them to detention centres and slavery markets in countries like Libya. So, what the hell is this article all about? Well, it is about a scarce handful of examples on the biggest damages the so-called globalisation has caused to human species. Let’s begin with the term globalisation itself, a process that was somehow formalised in the beginning of the 80’s with the performance on power stage of British “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher and US actor who became President, Ronald Reagan. The Iron Lady-Premier and the Actor-President represented the visible face of the also so-called ‘neo-liberalism’, which in poor, simple words has led to the steady dismantlement of all aspects of painfully gained social welfare services – from public healthcare, to retirement pensions, through the suppression of workers rights, labour unions, public education and a very long etcetera. Instead, neo-liberalism rapidly paved the way to a wild wave of privatisation, the supremacy of the uncontrolled marked rules, record-high youth unemployment rates, abysmal inequalities… Let alone infinite greed, including the unleashing of endless wars, for the sake of keeping happy gigantic weapons industry and the business of ‘reconstruction’ of destroyed countries, all in exchange of their generous funding for electoral campaigns. This Anglo-saxon neo-liberal hegemony soon spreat through European States, which rapidly adapted their ‘values’ to those new ones coming from Washington and London. Business as usual for Europeans, some would say. Rather than providing a longish list of documented, figure-supported examples of what such process has meant at the macro and micro-economic levels, this quick, chaotic tale modestly pretends to focus on some of its biggest impacts on human beings. Human beings that are now considered as mere numbers of ‘voters’ (mind you not any more ‘electors’). Voracity One point is that the term “globalisation” has been systematically given positive connotations, while it could be rightfully interpreted as a process of gradual “monetisation” and even “dollarisation” of livelihoods, and soon became an aggressive ‘massification’ of imported habits, blind consumption, hysterical greed, irrational imitation, the death of what used to be considered ‘truth’ (the post-truth era), the dominance of disinformation and misinformation (the ‘fake news’). In the course of this process, the so-called “low classes” have been provided with easy bank credits to purchase houses, latest model of cars, travel across the world… Psychologically, this led them to believe that they had become “middle class” and later on “high middle class”, thus approaching the enviable status of “high class.” Then came the crisis. With it, the most vulnerable groups, falsely transformed in privileged groups, lost everything—the loans, the houses, the cars, travelling, etc. One of the most dramatic consequences is the loss of identity—both individual and collective identity. Simply, identity has become ‘virtual.’ Such a dangerous consequence is now being rapidly aggravated by the arrival of hi-tech products—robots replacing humans. Sorry for this quick, chaotic tale about some of the most perilous impacts of the globalisation process that, according to some interpretations, would be now dismantled. The fact is such massification appears to have no end. In exchange, the ‘voters’ hare now being told that they will receive, sooner or later, a basic income (also called unconditional basic income, citizen’s income, basic income guarantee, universal basic income or universal demo-grant), which implies that all citizens or residents of a country will regularly receive an unconditional sum of money, in addition to any income received from elsewhere. According to its defenders, this would be financed by the profits of publicly owned enterprises. A difficult exercise given that the private sector has been taking over the roles of the states, which have been gradually dismantled. This way, the citizens will be kept alive, will complain less about the evident failure of governments to create job opportunities, while doing what they are expected to do: that’s to consume all what industries produce and, by the way, continue playing their role as ‘voters’ (not electors, mind you again!). Baher Kamal is Director and Editor of Human Wrongs Watch, where this article was originally published. Pakistani and Afghan Refugees Seek Safe Haven in Sri Lanka The Amadiyya community centre in Pasyala hosts refugees and asylum seekers forced to leave their homes since the April 21 attacks in Sri Lanka. Credit: UNHCR/Caroline Gluck By Caroline Gluck NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 31 2019 – Thirteen-year-old Bariea, a Pakistani asylum seeker in Sri Lanka, is taking shelter at a mosque in the city of Negombo, where an uneasy mix of high anxiety and extreme boredom hover over the room. “We just have a few small bags, mostly clothes,” said Bariea. “We thought we would only be here for a few days. But now it’s been weeks.” “We want to leave. We don’t feel safe. Pakistan wasn’t safe either …. I know many people were killed and injured. But it was not our fault.” Around 1,000 refugees and asylum seekers like Bariea, most from Pakistan, some from Afghanistan, have sought shelter in mosques and police stations in Negombo and Pasyala, near the capital Colombo, for the past month. While many from the local community stepped in to try and help, they were driven out of their rented homes by others who accused them of being connected to bomb attacks on churches and hotels around the country on April 21 that killed 250 people and injured many more. As they shelter in the city, which was the site of one of the church attacks, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working closely with Sri Lankan authorities to find more suitable, temporary places to move the families so they can live in dignity and safety during this difficult time. But in the climate of fear following the attacks, it has not been easy. Some of the people displaced from their homes in Negombo have already moved to safer areas. More will be relocated in the coming days. Family’s like Bariea’s, who sought safety in Sri Lanka after fleeing violence, persecution, and extremism in their own countries, say they were made scapegoats. Bariea has not only had to leave her home with her family to shelter in the crowded mosque but, with her two brothers, forced to drop out of class. “I really miss school; I worry about getting behind in class. Education is my future. I don’t think I can go to school now,” she says. Afghan mother Anisa and family shelter with over 100 other refugees and asylum seekers at the police station in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Credit: UNHCR/Caroline Gluck Her mother, Sehrish, 34, has many other worries. Her children have all been sick with coughs and fevers, and she is six months’ pregnant, like several women in the mosque and she is unable to sleep properly in the confined space. She said she was grateful for the help they have received from UNHCR, its partners and local Sri Lankan groups, but also worried about what will happen next. “We are getting assistance but we cannot live here for much longer,” she says. “People have been generous. Some groups have come and provided us with food and clothes.” UNHCR’s head of office in Sri Lanka, Menique Amarasinghe, said: “Our top priority is to make sure these people are safe and well-protected, and to ensure they can access basic services. “We’ve been extremely grateful to the Sri Lankan government who have acknowledged their responsibility to care for these people and have been doing everything they can in really very difficult circumstances.” UNHCR has reinforced its staffing in Sri Lanka to respond to the emergency. It is working with the authorities and partner agencies to provide food, medicine, hygiene material, water and sanitation, and other basic support to refugees and asylum-seekers. A short drive away from the Amadiyya mosque, around 100 Pakistanis and Afghans are sheltering in the semi open-air car park at Negombo’s police station. The police have provided security and assistance, but facilities are inadequate, with just a handful of toilets shared by the police and new arrivals. It is so hot, that most people have broken out in skin rashes and their arms and legs covered in infected mosquito bites. While some in the local community reacted in anger after the attacks, other Sri Lankans have rallied round the refugees and asylum seekers who they counted as neighbours. “People have been generous. Some groups have come and provided us with food and clothes. Sri Lankan people have helped us,” said Anisa, an ethnic Hazara from Afghanistan, nursing her six month old daughter. She has lived in Sri Lanka for four years and says people were friendly – but the attacks changed everything. “The owner of our house told us we could stay, but the neighbours said no. He said he wouldn’t be able to protect us, so we came here, a safe place.” Her niece, a confident English-speaker, 12-year-old Sadaf, chimes in. “After the blast, people blamed us and hated us. It made us really upset.” Sadaf used to study at a school supported by UNHCR. But right now she cannot go back to class. “I learnt lots of things. I need school for a better future and now I can’t go … it makes me sad. I think I won’t have a good future. Children like me are worried.” OwnBackup Closes $23.25 Million Investment to Continue Global Expansion of Its Cloud-to-Cloud Backup and Recovery Platform LONDON, FORT LEE, N.J. and TEL AVIV, Israel, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OwnBackup, a leading cloud–to–cloud backup and recovery vendor, today announced the close of a $23.25 million Series C round of financing co–led by Insight Venture Partners and Vertex Ventures. Existing investors Innovation Endeavors, Oryzn Capital and Salesforce Ventures also participated in the round. The company also announced the aggressive expansion of its international leadership team and general availability of OwnBackup Archiver, which empowers businesses to efficiently meet internal and external compliance policies for SaaS data. "Thanks to the unwavering support of our committed investment partners, we will be able to continue to scale to meet escalating market demand for our solutions as companies realize the need to claim ownership of cloud data security concerns and proactively ensure their data is protected and accessible at all times," noted OwnBackup CEO Sam Gutmann. "As we set the bar for cloud data protection, our focus continues to be growing the team and leading the pack in cloud data protection innovation." Owning Cloud Backup for Cloud Data OwnBackup helps more than 1,000 businesses worldwide protect critical cloud data""securing trillions of SaaS and PaaS records to prevent data corruption/data loss, ensure business continuity, minimize operational disruptions and meet compliance mandates. Achieving 100 percent year–over–year revenue growth for its award–winning cloud data protection platform, OwnBackup will use the investment to build on its tremendous momentum in the Salesforce ecosystem. With plans to deepen its partner network and double both its engineering and European teams, OwnBackup will increase its presence around the globe and expand its product offerings to support a wide range of cloud data needs. "OwnBackup has demonstrated value for Salesforce customers and partners," noted Mike Wolff, SVP Global ISV Partners, Salesforce. "OwnBackup data protection solutions are a welcome addition to Salesforce AppExchange, and we are thrilled by the company's steadfast commitment to the Salesforce community." In addition to the funding, OwnBackup announced the general availability of OwnBackup Archiver, its highly anticipated product that addresses regulatory compliance needs while optimizing the performance of users' SaaS platforms. The robust archiving tool automatically archives data and attachments that are no longer needed in production "" while maintaining their integrity, data access and security to comply with a wide range of regulations and policies. Expert Expansion To drive growth across Europe, OwnBackup also appointed seasoned technology sales leader Gareth Morris as VP of Sales for EMEA. Bringing almost two decades of enterprise software sales and leadership to his new role, Morris will focus on expanding the company's European footprint. Based in OwnBackup's London office, he will grow and manage the EMEA sales team. Before joining OwnBackup, Morris held various roles in which he grew and led high–performance sales teams across Europe. He previously served as the VP and GM of EMEA for Model N, regional vice president for Salesforce in the UK, and technology sales manager for Oracle. He currently also serves as a Board Advisor for TheSearchBase. Deepening its expert bench, Nikitas Koutoupes of Insight Venture Partners, Harpinder Singh of Innovation Endeavors, and Bob DeSantis, president and COO of Conga, joined the OwnBackup Board to help the company navigate market opportunities. "OwnBackup's visionary leadership team and pioneering products have driven extraordinary growth over the last few years. As the call for data protection in cloud environments intensifies, OwnBackup will continue to lead the market," added Koutoupes. "With OwnBackup, organizations can confidently embrace the cloud and trust that their critical data is safe and secure. OwnBackup users rely on its products to manage the disaster recovery process and ensure they have immediate access to the comprehensive backups they need to quickly restore their data and prove compliance." For complete details on the latest OwnBackup products here or read its five–star reviews on Salesforce AppExchange. About OwnBackup OwnBackup, a leading cloud–to–cloud backup and restore vendor, provides secure, automated, daily backups of SaaS and PaaS data, as well as sophisticated data compare and restore tools for disaster recovery. OwnBackup covers data loss and corruption caused by human errors, malicious intent, integration errors and rogue applications. Built for security and privacy, OwnBackup exceeds the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements for backed–up data. Co–founded by seasoned data–recovery, data–protection and information–security experts, OwnBackup is a top–ranked backup and restore ISV on Salesforce AppExchange and was named a Gartner "Cool Vendor" in Business Continuity and IT Disaster Recovery. Headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with R&D, support and other functions in Tel Aviv and London, OwnBackup is the vendor of choice for some of the world's largest users of SaaS applications. For more information, visit http://www.ownbackup.com. Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Ventures""the company's corporate investment group""invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 300 enterprise cloud startups in 20 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures. Erica Camilo Connexa Communications for OwnBackup Erica@connexacommunications.com Water Research & Education Needs to Flow Towards Developing World By Colin Mayfield and Hamid Mehmood HAMILTON, Canada, May 30 2019 – Post-secondary education relevant to the global water crisis is concentrated in wealthy countries rather than the poorer, developing places where it is needed most. Meanwhile, water research is largely assessed by counting the number of papers published and their citation by other researchers rather than whether the work actually leads to successful, practical solutions. Twin papers from UN University’s Canadian-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health highlight and document these weaknesses in the global effort to address inadequate water supply and sanitation, problems that rank among the top-10 global risks. There’s no global source of information on water-related academic activities. To uncover trends in water-related publications, therefore, we had to devise indirect measures using several databases, including one that indexes 22,800 journals, magazines and reports from more than 5,000 publishers. Nor is there a list of water resource-related post-secondary programs. Similar detective work was required, therefore, to locate the world’s 28,000 or so universities that offer degrees in water-related programs. Our most troubling finding at the end of the day: altogether too little training and research takes place where water problems are most acute. Instead, global water research relies on Western – particularly US – scientific outputs. Globally, we found, water-related research is published in 88 countries but just two of them — the United States and China — accounted for 33% of the 1.2 million papers published between 2012 and 2017. About 70% of the academic journals that publish water research are based in just four countries — the United States, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands; 2% are in China. All 15 countries leading in publications per million population are among the world’s wealthiest, suggesting water research does not emerge as a reaction to water scarcity but, instead, to some economic value in a supply and sanitation industry expected to be worth $1 trillion (US) in 2020. The average number of citations for any given paper dropped precipitously, from 22 in 2012 to just three in 2017. This suggests, at least in part, that lower quality papers are being written to conform with government sponsored policies on publication, or reflects increasing pressure in academia to produce research — publish or perish. This pressure might be critical for researchers to survive, but it is hardly conducive from a development perspective. Meanwhile, most universities offering water-related courses are in North America, Europe and parts of Asia. In Sub-Saharan Africa, which faces severe water shortages, very few postgraduate institutions offer recognised programs on water. And many students from water-stressed countries who attend university in North America or Europe don’t return home after graduation, depriving their countries of badly needed expertise. Any incentive, process or practice that encourages the return of these highly-qualified students to jobs in the water sector could benefit the home country. Given the highly autonomous nature of universities and their faculty members, it’s unreasonable to expect widespread cooperation in curriculum design and delivery but some sharing of materials would be very beneficial. We suggest that a consortium of universities offer large-scale water studies, courses or programs using the specific expertise of their combined faculty members. Other recommendations: encourage more women to enter the water-resources field. And find better ways to convey in a practical way the research findings, learning and knowledge in research publications to actual users in need of the knowledge. Teacher and teaching ratings should likewise be based on outcomes — including assessments by previous students at different intervals since graduation about the quality, content and relevance of their programs. The bottom line: When it comes to water research, the publish or perish philosophy that drives many researchers must take second place to the goal of on-the-ground results, especially in the developing world, where there also must be a more structured focus on water education. The UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sets ambitious targets for improvement in water supply and sanitation. To achieve the water-related SDGs, however, we need to use insights into academic shortcomings to make reforms, and soon. *Their papers, “Higher Education in the Water Sector: A Global Overview” and “Bibliometrics of Water Research: A Global Snapshot,” are available at www.inweh.unu.edu. UNU-INWEH is supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and hosted by McMaster University. The New Face of Activism: Youth There are 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 to 24 and it has become more essential than ever for young people to mobilise in order to achieve the change they want and need in their communities and the world. Thousands of youth gathered in Rome on Friday, Mar. 15, to join the climate strike, a global movement that aims to make governments and institutions aware of taking serious steps to implement the Paris Agreements and save the planet. Credit: Maged Srour/IPS By Tharanga Yakupitiyage UNITED NATIONS, May 30 2019 – Rather than waiting for adults to act, more young girls and boys are standing up and speaking out on the world’s pressing issues. In recent years, the international community has seen a rise in youth engagement from education activist Malala Yousafzai to climate change warrior Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez. “More often than not, young people in our world today are a lightning rod for change. You show the courage and persistence that is often lacking among older generations,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the recent Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum. “Because it is your future, your livelihoods, your freedom, your security, your environment, you do not and you must not take no for an answer.…engaging youth globally is essential for the well-being of the entire world,” he added. According to the UN, there are 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10-24, 90 percent of whom live in developing countries. These figures are only expected to grow as closer to 2 billion young people are projected to turn 15 between 2015 and 2030. It is therefore more essential than ever for young people to mobilise in order to achieve the change they want and need in their communities and the world. Most recently, youth walked out of classrooms and onto the streets, demanding political action on climate change. On May 24, there were over 2,300 school strikes in more than 130 countries. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish student who sparked the global youth climate movement stated: “We proved that it does matter what you do and that no one is too small to make a difference.” “Your voices give me hope,” said Guterres in response to the climate strikes. In Northern Bangladesh, Kumar Bishwajit Barman has also worked to improve his community and those who live there. At just 18 years old, Barman and his friends established the Ashar Allo Pathshala school to help stop child marriage and drug abuse. According to the UN Children’s Fund, Bangladesh has the fourth-highest prevalence rate of child marriage in the world and the second-highest number of absolute child brides. Approximately 59 percent of girls in the South Asian country are married before their 18th birthday ad 22 percent are married before the age of 15. In 2010, Barman saw that an 11-year-old student was going to drop out of school to be married off and decided to act. “She is one of many such girls who are made to tie the knot before getting done with primary education…one can only imagine how ruthless I had to be at that time to stop the marriage and get her back to education,” said Bishwajit. “We went to her house and promised to bear all the expenditure required for her study. That was the beginning of our movement against child marriage,” he added. Since then, Bishwajit has helped save at least 1,000 girls from child marriage and provides free education, helping girls pursue higher education. But such feats were not easy. Barman often received threats whenever he tried to stop an early marriage and struggled financially to sustain operations. “While we had to survive on tuition jobs, we provided all financial supports for their study…now we have 1,800 volunteers in the entire district to oversee the issues of education and stopping child marriage,” he said. The Ashar Allo Pathshala school also provides education and vocational training to adults, including more than 450 women. Earlier this year, Bishwajit established a mini-garment factory for women to help create employment. In 2015, Bishwajit received the Joy Bangla Youth Award for his work in community development and was recently awarded Zonta Club’s Centennial Anniversary Award for contributions to women’s empowerment. “All my vision and efforts now center around students,” Bishwajit said, who turned down university to continue his work. Empowering Girls Through Sport Myanmar and China’s Bride Trafficking Problem These Aliens Are Here to Stay (And They Are Dangerous) Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS MADRID, May 29 2019 – No, no, no. Nothing to do with what US and Europe’s far-right fanatics now use to vociferate, saying once and again that “migrants come here to destroy our democracy, our civilisation, and our life-style”. Rather the complete opposite—this is about a major damage that precisely “our civilisation” and “our lifestyle” have been causing: invasive alien species crossing the world chiefly on board of ships, and harming human health, biodiversity and the whole ecosystem. “Invasive alien species are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health… For a species to become invasive, it must successfully out-compete native organisms for food and habitat, spread through its new environment, increase its population and harm ecosystems in its introduced range. “In particular, they impact adversely upon biodiversity, including decline or elimination of native species -through competition, predation, or transmission of pathogens- and the disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions… “Invasive alien species, introduced and/or spread outside their natural habitats, have affected native biodiversity in almost every ecosystem type on earth and are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Since the 17th century, invasive alien species have contributed to nearly 40 percent of all animal extinctions for which the cause is known.” [2006 data] This is how the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines the alien invasive species. It warns that this problem continues to grow “at great socio-economic, health and ecological cost” around the world. “Invasive alien species exacerbate poverty and threaten development through their impact on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and natural systems, which are an important basis of peoples’ livelihoods in developing countries. This damage is aggravated by climate change, pollution, habitat loss and human-induced disturbance.” A ship crosses the Paraná River on its way to the port of Rosario, Argentina. Credit: Marcela Valente/IPS Where do they come from? Globalisation has resulted in greater trade, transport, travel and tourism, all of which can facilitate the introduction and spread of species that are not native to an area, CBD experts the Convention on Biological Diversity explain. Most countries are grappling with complex and costly invasive species problems. For example, the annual environmental losses caused by introduced pests in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India and Brazil have been calculated at over 100 billion dollars (CBD, 2006). The Convention also warns that addressing the problem of invasive alien species is “urgent” because “the threat is growing daily, and the economic and environmental impacts are severe.” Cargo ship de-ballasting \| CSIRO \| Permission \| Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. In poor words, ships transporting merchandise from one extreme of the world to another, once they discharged their cargo, they once upon a time used to load heavy stones and rocks to ensure more stability to the vessels in their new maritime crossing. Later on, they started to load sea water instead of stones. This is the ballast water. Then, upon their arrival to a new port, and before loading another cargo, they would discharge the water (ballast water) they loaded in another sea. The point is that the water taken from one sea is full of living species and organisms which are natives of that specific ecosystem. The discharge of this ballast water obviously implies discharging those species and organisms to a different marine ecosystem. Some of them would simply perish, but many more would survive at the cost of species and organisms, natives of the new habitat. A major threat “Ballast water is essential for the safe operation of ships. It provides stability and manoeuvrability during a voyage and during loading and unloading operations,” explains the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Management of ballast water also reduces the hull stress caused by adverse sea conditions or by changes in cargo weight as well as fuel and water. However, EMSA also explains that the process of loading and unloading untreated ballast water poses a major threat to the environment, public health and the economy as ships become a vector for the transfer of organisms between ecosystems, from one part of the world to another. “When ballast water is taken up in port, many microscopic organisms and sediments are introduced into the ships ballast tanks. Many of these organisms are able to survive in these tanks, and, when ballast water is discharged, they are released into new environments.” If suitable conditions exist in this release environment, these species will survive and reproduce and become invasive species. “In some cases, there is a high probability that the organism will become a dominant species, potentially resulting in: the extinction of native species, effects on local/regional biodiversity, effects on coastal industries that use water extraction, effects on public health and impacts on local economies based on fisheries.” The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. This male specimen was found ashore in 150 metres distance to the banks of the Elbe river in the German federal state of Brandenburg \| Christian Fischer \| Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Extensive damage The European Maritime Safety Agency further warns that “ballast water discharge typically contains a variety of biological materials, including plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria. These materials often include non-native, nuisance, exotic species that can cause extensive ecological and economic damage to aquatic ecosystems, along with serious human health issues including death.” For its part, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) explains that ballast water is routinely taken on by ships for stability and structural integrity. It can contain thousands of aquatic microbes, algae and animals, which are then carried across the world’s oceans and released into ecosystems where they are not native. “Untreated ballast water released at a ship’s destination could potentially introduce new invasive aquatic species. Expanded ship trade and traffic volume over the last few decades have increased the likelihood of invasive species being released. Hundreds of invasions have already taken place, sometimes “with devastating consequences for the local ecosystem, economy and infrastructure.” “Take-Make-Dispose” The dominating ‘life-style’, generated by the “Take-Make-Dispose” economic model, which is based on over-production/over-consumption/over-commercial benefits, has massively increased international transporting systems. From big trucks using fossil fuel, to giant cargo ships over-loaded with enormous containers –let alone huge oil tankers, the fact now is that around 80 percent of global trade by volume and over 70 per cent of global trade by value are carried by sea and are handled by ports worldwide. Updated estimates situate these figures in 90 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2016 estimated that there are more than 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo. The world fleet is registered in over 150 nations and manned by more than a million seafarers of virtually every nationality. For its part, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) also in 2016 estimated that some 1.1 trillion dollars-worth of agricultural products are traded internationally each year. This “Take-Make-Dispose” economic model has proved to be one of the world’s main killers due to the huge pollution it causes for air, land and soil, marine and freshwater. Moreover, this prevailing economic model implies that over one third of food is lost and/or wasted, enough to feed all hungry people. Invasive alien species arrive in new habitats through various channels, being shipping the main one. Though important, they are not the sole problem the voracious production-consumption model brings. For instance: containers. According to the Floating Threat report, “shipping today means sea containers: Globally, around 527 million sea container trips are made each year – China alone deals with over 133 million sea containers annually.” “It is not only their cargo, but the steel contraptions themselves, that can serve as vectors for the spread of exotic species capable of wreaking ecological and agricultural havoc.” Credit: Bigstock More floating threats In addition to the invasive alien species, the fact that over 80 per cent of global trade is carried by sea also implies other invisible treats –while ships bring coffee, snacks and TV sets, they also carry pests and diseases. In its ‘A Floating Threat: Sea Containers Spread Pests and Diseases’, FAO highlights that while oil spills garner much public attention and anguish, the so-called “biological spills” represent a greater long-term threat and do not have the same high public profile. “It was an exotic fungus that wiped out billions of American chestnut trees in the early 20th century, dramatically altering the landscape and ecosystem, while today the emerald ash borer – another pest that hitch-hiked along global trade routes to new habitats – threatens to do the same with a valuable tree long used by humans to make tool handles, guitars and office furniture.” The specialised world body also reminds that perhaps the biggest “biological spill” of all was when a fungus-like eukaryotic microorganism called Phytophthora infestans – the name of the genus comes from Greek for “plant destroyer” – sailed from the Americas to Belgium. Within months it arrived in Ireland, triggering a potato blight that led to famine, death and mass migration. “The list goes on and on. A relative of the toxic cane toad that has run rampant in Australia recently disembarked from a container carrying freight to Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot, and the ability of females to lay up to 40,000 eggs a year make it a catastrophic threat for local lemurs and birds, while also threatening the habitat of a host of animals and plants.” The report A Floating Threat: Sea Containers Spread Pests and Diseases’ estimates that up to 90 percent of world trade is carried by sea today, with vast panoply of differing logistics, making agreement on an inspection method elusive. “Moreover, many cargoes quickly move inland to enter just-in-time supply chains. That’s how the dreaded brown marmorated stink bug – which chews quickly through high-value fruit and crops – began its European tour a few years ago in Zurich.” This animal actively prefers steel nooks and crannies for long-distance travel, and once established likes to set up winter hibernation niches inside people’s houses. The list of dangers the current economic model –and “our civilisation” and “our life-style” pose day after day is too long to be summarised in just one report. The uncontrolled threats of the invasive alien species are just an example. Any hope that humans wake up… perhaps by attentively listening to Greta Thunberg –and with her the already mobilised world’s youth: “You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes… We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis…if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then… we should change the system itself.” US “Emergency” Arms Sales to Mideast Nations Under Fire Children walk through a damaged part of downtown Craiter in Aden, Yemen. The area was badly damaged by airstrikes in 2015 as the Houthi’s were driven out of the city by coalition forces. Credit: UN OCHA/Giles Clarke By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, May 29 2019 – When the UN Security Council met last week to discuss the deaths and devastation caused to civilians in ongoing military conflicts and civil wars, the killings in Yemen and the air attacks on hospitals, schools, mosques, and market places—whether deliberate or otherwise– were singled out as the worst ever. But the destruction and irreparable damage to civilian infrastructure and human lives were caused by weapons provided by some of the permanent members of the Security Council, including the US, France and UK. And last week, in defiance of US Congressional opposition to arms sales to some of the warring Middle Eastern nations, the Trump administration went one better: it justified the proposed sale of a hefty $8.1 billion dollars in American arms to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia under a so-called “emergency notification”. All three countries are part of a Saudi-led coalition unleashing attacks on Yemen battling Houthi insurgents backed by Iran– and the new weapons systems are expected to add more fire power to the coalition. The “emergency notification” for arms sales was not only an act of defiance against the US Congress but also an attempt to placate American allies in the Middle East and, more importantly, the powerful arms lobby in the United States. One of arguments adduced by the Trump administration is that increasing arms sales to Middle Eastern allies are meant to counter an “anticipated Iranian aggression”. Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco and coordinator of the program in Middle Eastern Studies, told IPS this is not about deterring Iranian aggression and it is certainly not an “emergency.” “It’s about the profits of American arms manufacturers at the expense of countless Yemeni lives.” “This is but the most extreme manifestation, however, of a longstanding bipartisan policy of transferring deadly and sophisticated armaments to the family dictatorships in the Middle East”, said Zunes, who also serves as a senior policy analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus project of the Institute for Policy Studies. He pointed out that It is ironic that a nation which emerged in revolution against monarchy, would be the world’s number one arms supplier of absolute monarchies today. According to a story in the Wall Street Journal May 25, the Houthis are less ideologically aligned with Tehran, and Iran denies arming the group. But US officials disagree, saying Iran has trained them and provided them with weapons. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council May 23 that civilians continue to make up the vast majority of casualties in conflict, with more than 22,800 civilians dying or being injured in 2018 in just six countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. He stressed the need for the Security Council to do more to enhance compliance with the laws of war. http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/05/un-failed-civilians/ In a statement released last week, the London-based Amnesty International was dead on target when it ridiculed the US argument that some of the weapons supplied to the Saudi-led coalition were “precision-guided” to avoid civilian casualties. “The great military powers cynically boast about ‘precision’ warfare and ‘surgical’ strikes that distinguish between fighters and civilians. But the reality on the ground is that civilians are routinely targeted where they live, work, study, worship and seek medical care.”, the statement added. AI said parties to armed conflict unlawfully kill, maim and forcibly displace millions of civilians while world leaders shirk their responsibility and turn their backs on war crimes and immense suffering. Asked for his comments, Philippe Nassif, Advocacy Director – Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, told IPS decision made by President Trump to circumvent Congress and authorize billions of dollars’ worth of arms sales to serial human rights abusers Saudi Arabia and the UAE is extremely unfortunate and reckless. “Both these countries have used US made weapons to commit war crimes in Yemen, a country mired in conflict that has been made worse by the conduct of the UAE and Saudi led coalition,” he added. The Trump administration has had a blank check policy when it comes to arming its Middle Eastern allies, from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. Nassif pointed out that the atrocious human rights records of these governments, where executions, extrajudicial killings, mass incarceration, torture, and indefinite detentions are part of daily life for their citizens, is made worse by the US continuing to arm these governments. “Now that the UAE and Saudi Arabia will receive new American weapons, we can expect a continuation of the hell that has been brought upon Yemen, where 11 million people are suffering from famine, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and thousands killed,” he noted. “We can also expect weapons to fall into the wrong hands, such as Al Qaeda, or be sent to other conflict zones where the Saudi’s and UAE are backing ascending autocrats, such as Haftar in Libya,” Nassif declared. In a statement released May 24, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “I made a determination pursuant to section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act and directed the Department to complete immediately the formal notification of 22 pending arms transfers to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia totaling approximately $8.1 billion to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defense capacity”. “These sales will support our allies, enhance Middle East stability, and help these nations to deter and defend themselves from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said. Delaying this shipment, Pompeo argued, could cause degraded systems and a lack of necessary parts and maintenance that could create severe airworthiness and interoperability concerns for key partners, during a time of increasing regional volatility. He argued that national security concerns have been exacerbated by many months of Congressional delay in addressing these critical requirements, “and have called into doubt our reliability as a provider of defense capabilities, opening opportunities for U.S. adversaries to exploit.” The equipment to the three countries includes aircraft support maintenance; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); munitions; and other supplies. “Today’s action will quickly augment our partners’ capacity to provide for their own self-defense and reinforce recent changes to U.S. posture in the region to deter Iran. I intend for this determination to be a one-time event,” Pompeo added. He pointed out that Section 36 is a long-recognized authority and has been utilized by at least four previous administrations since 1979, including Presidents Reagan and Carter. “This specific measure does not alter our long-standing arms transfer review process with Congress. I look forward to continuing to work with Congress to develop prudent measures to advance and protect U.S. national security interests in the region,” he declared. The United States is, and must remain, a reliable security partner to our allies and partners around the world. These partnerships are a cornerstone of our National Security Strategy, which this decision reaffirms, Pompeo said. The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@ips.org A Call for Concrete Changes to Achieve a More Gender Equal World By Princess Sarah Zeid AMMAN, May 29 2019 – On the eve of the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver June 3-6, Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan interviewed Dr. Olfat Mahmoud, a Palestinian refugee and women’s rights advocate. Princess Sarah spoke with Dr. Olfat about what the humanitarian system would look like if organizations like hers could help shape it, and the messages she hopes to bring to Women Deliver. Excerpts from the interview: Princess Sarah: Tell me a little about yourself. What drew you to your work and why does it matter? Dr. Olfat: I was born a Palestinian refugee, so witnessed injustice all my life. Yet what defines me is not that I grew up in a refugee camp in Lebanon, or that I spent most of my life in a war zone, but that I am a nurse and advocate in my community. Even amid crisis, my parents were open-minded and encouraged me to be independent, so that is exactly what I set out to do. I studied and practiced nursing during the Lebanese civil war, and through that work witnessed the overlooked hardships faced by refugee women and children. As a medical practitioner, I saw how essential services for girls and women of all ages – such as psychosocial support and sexual and reproductive health care– were chronically overlooked. And as an advocate in my community, I found that supporting women empowered me as well. I established the Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization (PWHO) to fill these gaps and fulfill the needs of refugee girls and women so they can lead better futures. Not a single international organization stepped up to do this important work – so I knew that change had to come from those of us within the community. Princess Sarah: What are the main challenges girls and women face in your community? What makes women-focused civil society organizations (CSOs) like yours most well-equipped to respond to these challenges? Dr. Olfat: For girls and women, life in refugee settings require superhuman strength. We are particularly vulnerable when it comes to access to essential health services, information, and education, and disproportionately suffer from gender-based violence. Women-focused civil society organizations are most well-equipped to respond to these challenges because women are the best experts on our lives. Our lived experiences make us better advocates for ourselves and for others in similar situations. For example, the PWHO women’s centers – staffed by refugee women themselves– have gained unparalleled trust from the community, and become a second home for many. With that trust, we can more easily identify what women want and need – like access to non-discriminatory health services, psychosocial support, rights-based education, and leadership skills – and design programs that are tailored for them. We can also negotiate with local leaders to push for a more supportive environment for women’s rights – a key ingredient to driving lasting change in conservative contexts. UNHCR Patron, HRH Sarah Zeid of Jordan, meets with a women’s group at Doro refugee camp in South Sudan. Credit: UNHCR/Jan Møller Hansen Princess Sarah: What could the international community – including donors, decision-makers, and practitioners – do more or less of to maximize sustainable positive impact for the populations you serve? Dr. Olfat: The international community wields a lot of power – especially the power of money and the power of influence. To drive real change in my community, international actors must use those powers more efficiently. First, there is a critical need to fill funding gaps for programs that are specifically designed for refugee girls and women. With more girls and women displaced today than ever before in global history, their needs are rising – yet funding for them is decreasing. We need smarter investments in programs that enable refugee girls and women to lead better futures, including through education and quality vocational and life skills training, as well as access to sexual and reproductive health care. Yet money alone is not enough. The international community must also use their influence to challenge national and regional political barriers that hold us back. This includes respecting and upholding international agreements, including UN resolutions, which support and protect refugees. It also means addressing legal restrictions that keep refugee women from working, obtaining formal education, and exercising other basic human rights in their host countries. Princess Sarah: Currently only 3% of humanitarian aid goes to local and national organizations – and even less to those focused on girls and women. What types of concrete investments does your organization need to extend your impact and plan for the future? Dr. Olfat: Right now, the needs we see are greater than the resources we have. To meet those needs, we don’t just need more funding – but more of the right kinds of funding. Too often, grants and funding opportunities for women-focused CSOs are designed without consulting us on the types of investments we know girls and women in our communities need the most. Other times, we aren’t able to access grants because of unrealistic reporting requirements that are either unsuitable or unmanageable for a small grassroots organization like ours. For example, many grants for vocational programs in Lebanon require organizations to report success by the number of jobs their beneficiaries gain as a result – which isn’t possible in a context where refugees aren’t legally allowed to work. To support women-focused CSOs and the communities they serve, we must be more meaningfully engaged in setting investment agendas at the start. We also need access to more flexible and sustainable funding opportunities, including core funding. It’s impossible to plan for the future when we rely on six- to twelve- month grants. We’re committed to supporting refugee girls and women in our community for as long as we’re needed – but require the right resources to fulfill that goal. Princess Sarah: You have also been advocating for the international community to more meaningfully engage women-focused CSOs in humanitarian decision-making. In your view, what concrete steps can the international community take to put more power and influence in the hands of women-focused CSOs like yours, and why should this be an urgent priority? Dr. Olfat: Women-focused CSOs must be heard in humanitarian policy meetings to ensure decisions reflect realities on the ground. This requires inviting us to important discussions held in New York and Geneva, but it also means making sure we can get there through travel and logistics support. And when we are there, it means carving out spaces for us to safely and honestly share the solutions we need with the assurance that we will be heard. The alternative – excluding refugee women from decisions that affect their work and lives – isn’t acceptable and isn’t working. When we are engaged, we make humanitarian policy and practice stronger and more effective. Princess Sarah: What do you hope to achieve at the Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver, Canada? What advocacy asks do you hope to bring forward at this meeting? I hope to raise awareness to the needs of Palestinian refugee girls and women in Lebanon, to ensure that they are not forgotten. And I want to highlight solutions women-focused CSOs like PWHO need – money, influence, and power – to push for the change I’ve wanted to see all my life. At the same time, I hope to learn from other advocates around the world, and build networks so we can collectively push for a humanitarian system that puts girls and women at the center. Solidarity is our strength and our power – and we need to be stronger together to achieve a better world for all of us. POL: All Chinese ports (ShenZhen/ShangHai...) Acapture شركة أرو إليكترونكس تعتزم تقديم أدوات نت سكاوت المتنقلة للتحليل وتشخيص الأعطال وإصلاحها للمساعدة في تحقيق أقصى حد لأداء شبكة الواي فاي (WiFi) في الشرق الأوسط << المزيد Qatari Rial Exchange Rate Copyright © 2019 Business Today Qatar	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1989
__label__cc	0.65729	0.34271	We Have Ways of Making You Walk Recently, we have discussed how Green is the colour of reinventing yourself, to make your washed out perspective seem fresh and relevant to today’s world. Gay rights activist and Green Party Parliamentary Candidate, Peter Tatchell, clothes himself in alarmist pseudo-science. Jean-Fancois Mouhot reinvents history itself by rewriting slavery in order to be able to make a moral equivalence of contemporary lifestyles and slave-owning. Arthur Scargill emerges from his tomb to make clean coal the answer to our climate problems. Oh, and Al Gore, who uses anxieties about global warming to make Kennedy-esque speeches. Enter the psychologists. (Again). “We know how to change behavior and attitudes. That is what we do. We know what messages will work and what will not.” So says Yale University psychologist Alan Kazdin, president of the American Psychological Association to USA Today. The group are convening for their annual convention, and are set to discuss a number of topics relating to the environment. The article continues, to discuss a presentation of some research at the meeing: News stories that provided a balanced view of climate change reduced people’s beliefs that humans are at fault and also reduced the number of people who thought climate change would be bad, according to research by Stanford social psychologist Jon Krosnick. His presentation will detail a decade of American attitudes about climate change. His new experiment, conducted in May, illustrates what he says is a publicmisperception about global warming. He says there is scientific consensus among experts that climate change is occurring, but the nationwide online poll of 2,600 adults asked whether they believe scientists agree or disagree about it. Interesting, isn’t it, that Krosnick has conducted a poll amongst the public, to see if their beliefs match those of the scientists, but neglected to poll scientists to establish their views. He takes for granted the magnitude of the consensus, and fails to actually define it. What is the point of agreement, against which he wishes to measure the public’s error? For a professor at an Ivy-League university, specialising in survey methodology, this ommission is stark, and very unscientific. What is more, it exhibits some considerable arrogance and contempt for the public. He assumes to know the truth, and beleives that the difference between his view and the public’s can be explained by some kind of psychological mechanism. They are so stupid and irrational that being exposed to balanced media risks people thinking the wrong things. Call the psycho-cops, democracy is on the loose. Liberals and Democrats who attach themselves to the global warming issue (as Krosnick says they do more than their conservative counterparts), take note: this is neither liberal, nor democratic. Krosnick invents a consensus position: climate change is occurring. But this is a meaningless assertion, devoid of any scientific value. Climate changes. Nobody disputes that. The question is about whether human influence (which again, nobody doubts) on the climate is significant enough to legitimise the politics in response to fears about it.Krosnick, who is, after all, an academic with expertise in political science really ought to know this. The thing which is routinely mistaken as evidence of a scientific consensus – the IPCC reports – is not a product of a consensus. It is the product of 3 working groups, split into dozens of chapters, each of, at most, dozens of scientists, in a confused and non transparent process. There is no poll taken to see how many scientists agree with any particular point. There are few opportunities for scientists to challenge the interpretation of the report. And the IPCC is not made up of just climate scientists, but also social scientists and economists. Again, we see the IPCC used by others to mean and to say whatever it is they feel like saying, with no regard for what it actually says, nor the process through which it was achieved. But who cares about facts? By editing CNN and PBS news stories so that some saw a skeptic included in the report, others saw a story in which the skeptic was edited out and another group saw no video, Krosnick found that adding 45 seconds of a skeptic to one news story caused 11% of Americans to shift their opinions about the scientific consensus. Rather than 58% believing a perceived scientific agreement, inclusion of the skeptic caused the perceived amount of agreement to drop to 47%. There doesn’t appear to be any mention of what the sceptic actually said, by which we ought to be able to establish whether or not the viewers were foolish to believe what they were seeing. The implication is that the sceptic must have been wrong, and the counterpart argument right. In other words, by closing down debate, you can influence public opinion. You don’t need to be Goebbels to understand that. If there is any psychology to study here, it is not the public’s. It is the twisted psychology of the psychologists who think this kind of exercise is legitimate that needs scrutiny. American Psychological Association leaders say they want to launch a national initiative specifically targeting behavior changes, including developing media messages that will help people reduce their carbon footprint and pay more attention to ways they can conserve. In other words, the public can expect psychologists to be engaged in brainwashing them into accepting political propaganda. The APA are not the first to propose this. Last year, we reported on this video. [youtube VcWn3b3h3sQ&hl] Back to the USA Today article. It explains what the APA hope to achieve. They want to work with other organizations and enlist congressional support to help fund the effort. Academics wrap themselves in environmentalism in order to reinvent themselves and demonstrate the relevance of their research to public policy. What is at issue is not an interest in the public’s understanding of the science, but their attachment to sides in the political ‘debate’. Social scientists and humanities academics who promise to influence public opinion in this way create their own legitimacy. The scope of disciplines is broadened by tenuous logic such as Moffic’s, who, on the basis that global warming is a ‘public health issue’, crowbars a way to the table for psychiatrists. All disciplines begin to converge on global warming in this way, and reorganise themselves around environmentalism’s tenets. It has been said before that ‘global warming is the defining issue of our time’. Indeed it is. But climate change is less about society’s vulnerability to the climate, and much much more about various parts of the establishment’s struggle to define themselves. Cynics argue that environmentalism serves to help academics secure research grants. The truth is far darker. Academics are using the climate issue to provide them with direction, not merely cash. The direction is now less towards understanding things such as the mind, and more towards controlling it. On no more than the basis that ‘climate change is occurring’, moral philosophers tell us what is right, social historians invent lessons from history to make climate criminals in the present, science historians invent conspiracy theorists, and psychologists tell us how to apply distress to change public opinion, and why debate is just too risky to trust to the public. Only experts can save the world. Alan Kazdin claims that he understands people sufficiently to “change behavior and attitudes” and that he knows “what messages will work and what will not.” The truth is that he and his colleagues only believe that they understand people, because they hold such a very low opinion of them. It is this low opinion which has been used in the past to influence the public, not through sophisticated reasoning, but by reducing members of society to creatures not deserving of democratic expression. Once you have convinced yourself of your rightness, and have diminished your view of the public to unthinking masses, things like democracy, debate, and genuine legitimacy cease to matter. You are no longer concerned with winning the debate, but controlling it for the higher purpose you believe you are engaged in. Author EditorsPosted on August 14, 2008 Categories BlogTags Alan Kazdin, Jon Krosnick, psychology 15 thoughts on “We Have Ways of Making You Walk” Robert Wood says: Translation: “Psychologists want a piece of Al Gore’s $300 million”. Timo van Druten says: The videolink is not working anymore. Please feel free to delete this comment. jnicklin says: Only “Right Thinking” people should be allowed to be free in society. Those who do not conform need to be re-educated. Why don’t these psychologists get back to helping people with real problems. Oh wait, its their job to create new problems to treat. All we can hope for is that temperatures continue to fall and CO2 continues to rise so that we can finally put global warming in its grave. Then maybe we can have those trials that Hansen wanted, except he and Gore will be defendants instead of judge and jury. And after AGW is put out of our misery, we can re-educate the psychologists, so they can be productive members of society. — RANT ENDS — Pingback: Alex Jones’ Prison Planet.com We Have Ways of Making You Walk Alex Cull says: Psychiatry as a political tool… Hmm, where have I heard of this before? Ah yes, a common practice in the late Soviet Union. Perhaps the Moscow Serbsky Institute could assist the APA to prove that global warming denial is a form of “politically defined madness” or “sluggishly progressing schizophrenia”. All crimes begin with a thought. So, if you control thought, you can control crime. Global warming denial is a thoughtcrime. Editors says: Timo. The link should be working now. Thanks for letting us know about the problem. Kaboom says: But what about our children?? How can you sleep at night, knowing that what you are propagating is the biggest lie ever against humanity? Professor Hansen was correct – we need to have trials and convictions of denialist criminals!!!1!! Jon has written in to point out that Stanford is not an Ivy-League University, as we beleived it to be at the time of writing. Our defence is a late night post at the end of a long, boring day. Psychologists have been working with marketing and advertising for years. Thsi is not news but I think that this really is a cash grab on this basis, plus are they seriously contemplating editing News by the Government(Ministry of Information) to convey the proper message? Next did you notice they had to ADD a dissenting viewpoint to the test media? This would contridict the entire basis for the need of their intervention. I will keep on eye on this but it seems that we have a case of a left-over sect of Eugenecists roaming around our mental health care profession. wrash001 says: Their was a book written in the 60s about Psychologist and Lawyers running the country. I believe a lady named Caldwell wrote it. So I see that they proclame global change is mentally unhealthy and we are all required to go through brain washing to correct our views. The lawyers will create the laws. We will all be working for the State and will walk to work. Our income will be taxed to maintain all the beautiful parks in the world, which only our saviours the elite liberals, Psycologists,and Lawyers may enjoy. Sounds like Communism to me. All based on a computer model and very little science. The Bible says beware of science so called. A keen undergraduate says: You guys are wrong. Climate change is real. You will have to eat your words one day. This is the first and last time I will post here, because I have no wish to become a troll. Here’s an article for your enjoyment: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/coming-down-to-earth-20080815-3wdz.html Keen Undergaduate, Yes, climate change is real, it changes all the time, always has, always will. Its been changing for some 4.5 billion years. If you had been alive at the end of the last ice age, would you try to stop that? And, yes, our activities do have some effect, a very small effect, probably insignificant. The belief that we control or drive the climate is just plain human arrogance. Look around, make observations, real world observations, not computer model outputs. Read the literature on both sides of the arguement. If you want to believe that humans control the climate and that we are getting to a tipping point, please feel free to do so. James Hansen laid out three scenarios in the 1980’s. The most realistic one, the one that matches what we are actually seeing is the one scenario that required massive cutbacks in emmissions. Gore claimed that several island nations are being flooded by rising seas, its not happening, unless you call 3 or 4 milliletres as drastic rise. The average global temperature has risen about 0.7 + or – 0.2 degrees C in the last hundred years, after we came out of a mini ice age. You can’t even detect that amount of delta when it happens immediately. But, like I said, its up to you to decide what you believe. Its all opinion anyway. It’s very interesting to see how far the global-warming-will-destroy-us idea has permeated society. There seems to be an almost total disconnect from history. Yesterday I was in a bookshop and glanced at a book called Going Green, in which the author stated: “Modern civilisations have built their lives around a more or less predictable climate over the past centuries.” Reading up on the history of the Little Ice Age, the exact opposite becomes clear. From roughly the mid-19th century onwards (in the northern hemisphere at least) climatic conditions became generally milder, with fewer harsh winters. Before that, there were centuries with many extreme climatic events – freezing winters, scorching summers, monstrous storms. The last few decades have generally seemed pleasant, stable and mild by comparison. I’m wondering how many more years of non-catastrophe we need to go through before the message starts to sink in. It is interesting to read comments such as those of Keen Undergraduate. Regardless of whether or not he or she is right, the triumphalism is premature; global warming has not yet bought about the doomsday. It almost seems as though, were it not to happen, KU would be disappointed. KU should stick around, and is welcome to post comments. We started the blog in order to provide debate in an area we felt was lacking. There are other blogs where the pure science is debated, and others have their own perspective on the politics of climate change. We don’t want people to come here just to agree. KU’s comments relate to a post which was not about whether or not claims about the future of the climate had any foundation. Instead, it was about whether or not it was legitimate for psychologists to engage with the agenda in the way that they have; by theorising about people who fail to observe the diktats of the environmental movement. As we say often, it is perfectly possible to believe that humans have influenced the climate, and that this influence will cause problems, while remaining sceptical of the political actions to try and stop it. Expressions such as ‘climate change is real’, as others here have pointed out, means absolutely nothing, yet from it are supposed to flow moral imperatives. Some of these are relatively harmless, we should ‘recycle’, we ought to think about how often we use our cars, &c &c. But what these psychologists seem to be saying is that because ‘climate change is real’, they have a responsibility to begin to dehumanise dissent, and to pathologise it, and to make it an illness that needs to be treated. Disagreement with ‘the consensus’ is not explained as the expression of a rational engagement with the issues, but in mechanistic terms. Even if ‘climate change is real’, it does not follow from it that it is right to treat people in this way. Increasingly, the environmental movement makes moral, political and economic claims which seem less about ‘saving the planet’, and much more to do with exerting control over society for the sake of it. The reasons for that desire, we would argue, are not in the atmosphere. KU should take more care to understand what the arguments being made actually are. Like many of his comrades, he misses the point. This epitomises the environmental movement, which is high in moral tone, but lacks intellectual power. “We know how to change behavior and attitudes. That is what we do.” It’s interesting to look at Alan Kazdin’s background. According to the APA’s Monitor on Psychology web page, his “research focuses on the development, treatment and clinical course of aggressive and antisocial child behavior”, and he has specialised in treating “at-risk behavior”, such as teenage delinquency. In his book Evidence-Based Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents (co-edited with John R Weisz) there is a distinction between therapy in an adult context and in a child/adolescent context. “In the context of adult therapy, psychotherapy is defined as a special interaction between two (or more) individuals in which one person (the patient or client) has sought help for a particular problem and in which another person (the therapist) provides conditions to alleviate that person’s distress and to improve functioning in everyday life (Garfield, 1980; Walrond-Skinner, 1986). A more recent definition in the context of evaluating child and adolescent treatment defines therapy as any intervention that is designed to alleviate distress, reduce maladaptive behavior, or enhance adaptive functioning and that uses means that include counseling and structured or planned interventions (Weisz, Weiss, Han, Granger, & Morton, 1995).” And in the next paragraph, after describing adult therapy, which involves the therapist giving support, encouragement, etc., directly to the adult client: “The definition is modified slightly in relation to children and adolescents. For example, children usually do not seek help but someone responsible for them seeks treatment and in some cases the therapist may work more directly with responsible others (i.e., parents) than with the child.” Do you see where I’m going with this? In my opinion, Dr Kazdin’s “We know how to change behavior” statement seems to flow directly from his work with delinquent children. In his view, it seems that we are not responsible adults, capable of evaluating evidence and making up our own minds. We are children, whose delinquent and antisocial behaviour needs to be curbed and modified by wise, authoritative parent figures. It is as if “children [sceptical members of the public] usually do not seek help but someone responsible for them seeks treatment and in some cases the therapist may work more directly with responsible others (i.e., parents [governments and the media]) than with the child [sceptic].” Some interesting reading can also be found here: http://www.alankazdin.com/index.htm Previous Previous post: Green Party Candidate Outed Next Next post: Backwards to the Future	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1992
__label__cc	0.543045	0.456955	Jaleo Coming To Disney Springs In Walt Disney World Resort January 11, 2019 Amy Crooks 0 Comments disney springs, walt disney world, walt disney world resort There are so many wonderful selections of restaurants to choose from at Disney Springs inside Walt Disney World Resort! And now, a new restaurant was announced called Jaleo. It is scheduled to open winter 2019! Read this press release from Disney for more information: Today, José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, in collaboration with renowned Spanish design firm Capella Garcia Arquitectura, revealed details of the striking design of the beloved Jaleo brand’s newest location at Disney Springs. Opening this winter, the 22 thousand square foot restaurant will be Andrés’ largest to date and will bring the spirit and flavors of Spain to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Based on the colorful iconography of Spain, the architectural form of the building is inspired by an artichoke, a vegetable native to José’s homeland. The artichoke structure opens up, inviting guests to enter and experience the very best of Spanish cuisine. The petals themselves form pergolas, which extend toward the outdoors. The freestanding, two-story building lacks solid walls and is completely open to the outside, with large windows offering views of the lake while protecting diners from the sun. “There are no cubic forms, no opaque walls, no straight lines: here reigns a plant-like organic structure with its dynamic forms. An avant-garde, expressionist and welcoming architecture,” remarks Juli Capella, principal at Capella Garcia Arquitectura, on Jaleo’s design. The interior features a double height central courtyard that visually connects the restaurant’s two floors. The idea of Jaleo, the Spanish word for “revelry,” inspires the large, family-style gathering space, inviting guests to share tapas and sangria, gather with family at the foosball tables, or enjoy the more elegant central seating for paellas and grilled meats, anchored by the restaurant’s open kitchen and wood fire grill. Private dining options include two terraces, one overlooking the Disney Springs promenade and another overlooking the lake. Typical Spanish colors of citrus, namely orange and lemon, offer a welcoming ambience alongside predominant touches of wood and ceramic materials. Stunning artwork includes the “Suit of Lights,” an iconic photo of a bullfighter’s suit from Spanish photographer Rafael Vargas, as well a collage of San Sebastian’s popular Concha beach by photographer Ciuco Gutiérrez, bringing the Spanish landscape closer to Walt Disney World Resort. Occupying the front-corner of Jaleo and overlooking the main promenade of Disney Springs will be a quick-service concept serving Spanish street-food-inspired sandwiches and salads. The design of the casual restaurant features natural materials and a luminous, open feel, inviting visitors into the friendly space, which is centered around a large mural from Marc Jesús, a famous painter from Menorca. With dynamic visual elements drawn from the culinary delights and landscapes of Spain, Andrés and Capella aim to surround visitors in the culture of their native country and all its creativity. About Chef José Andrés (www.thinkfoodgroup.com) Named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation, José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality, humanitarian and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. A pioneer of Spanish tapas in the United States, he is known for his avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning group of 27 restaurants throughout the country and beyond. His innovative minibar by José Andrés earned two Michelin stars in 2016 and with that, José is the only chef globally that has both a 2-star Michelin restaurant and 4 Bib Gourmands. Andrés’ work has earned numerous awards including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of 12 distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. ← More Details On The NBA Experience Coming To Walt Disney World Resort 2019 Details On The 2019 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party At Walt Disney World Resort → Amy Crooks Hi!! I'm Amy, and I am the owner and writer of this site. I'm a stay-at-home mom that enjoys cooking, crafting and cheering on my favorite hockey, football, baseball and basketball teams! I have an amazing husband and son (Clayton III does a little writing for the site too)!! :) Details On The 2016 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party At Walt Disney World Resort April 16, 2016 Amy Crooks 0 Going To Be An Incredible Summer 2018 At Walt Disney World Resort February 3, 2018 Amy Crooks 0 Changes Coming October 2014 to Disney Gift Cards September 13, 2014 Bryan Moore 0	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1996
__label__wiki	0.966403	0.966403	By Cycling News March 25, 2009 12:00am Updated: April 22, 2009 5:13pm Sutherland aims for Redlands victory By Kirsten Robbins in Redlands, California Rory Sutherland placed fourth in the Redlands Bicycle... Rory Sutherland (Ouch p/b Maxxis) wants to win Redlands (Mark Johnson) By Kirsten Robbins in Redlands, California Rory Sutherland placed fourth in the Redlands Bicycle Classic last year and has his sights set on a victory this time around. Sutherland and his teammate Floyd Landis will lead the OUCH p/b Maxxis team in the four-day stage race set to kick off on Thursday, March 26, with the Sun Prologue. "I had a great day at the prologue last year and I'll have to do the same this year," said Sutherland, who won the opening event but lost the yellow leader's jersey to Santiago Botero, former Rock Racing all-rounder, during the stage two circuit race held in Beaumont. "The problem with winning last year is that this year expectations are higher. Placing second, third or fourth is never going to be good enough. I have aspiration here and I'd love to add my name to the list of overall winners." If there is one rider who Sutherland will need to worry about its his own teammate Floyd Landis, the event's marquee rider. The Redlands Bicycle Classic marks Landis's first North American Race Calendar (NRC) event since his series victory in 2006 while racing with Phonak. He won both the Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia that year. Landis joined OUCH p/b Maxxis at the Tour of California marking his first race back after completing a two-year suspension in January. "Having someone like Floyd on the team and at the races brings a lot more media attention which is fantastic," Sutherland said. "People will come up and see him race on a local scene. I think we will see a lot of people out here watching and that can only be good for the sport and the team. Him and I racing together and racing at the same level... I think it's going to be a lot of fun." According to Sutherland, despite the lull in the racing calendar between the Tour of California and the Redlands Bicycle Classic, his squad's ambitions include that of the overall victory, sprints and stage wins. "Redlands is a very important race for the team and for me," he continued. "We have a lot of fire power and more of a complete team this year. What we are trying to do is get everyone on the same page but it doesn't just click directly, it takes time to make that happen." The race roster includes Sutherland and Landis along with Cameron Evans, Pat McCarty, Tim Johnson, Andrew Pinfold, Bradley White and Roman Kilun. "We rounded out the squad and we have a new entity with OUCH," Sutherland said. "We are stronger in a few different avenues this year." Roman Kilun Kirsten Robbins	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line1998
__label__wiki	0.545137	0.545137	World Cup 2018 Preview - Group A - World Cup 2018 Preview – Group A “Uruguay’s Luis Suarez during the 2014 World Cup against England” (CC by 4.0) by Jimmy Baikovicius Over the coming two weeks, we’ll be publishing a series of World Cup previews with a special focus on each team’s best players and any details that might be of interest to FPL managers as well as those playing TFF World Cup 2018 or Dream Team World Cup 2018. We’re starting with group A with Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. As the tradition goes, the World Cup is kicked off by the tournament’s host. On June 14th, Russia will be opening the ball with a match against Saudi Arabia, followed by Egypt against Uruguay the day after. If you are planning on having a bet as well then look around for good odds on the World Cup in Russia. Banking the best odds on the bet you want means you get a better return if your football bet is a winner. At the time of writing, Egypt coach Héctor Cúper is still working with a preliminary squad of 29 players, but the core of the team that’s going to Russia isn’t too hard to guess. Obviously, all Egyptian eyes will be on star man Mo Salah, after his impressive first season at Champions League finalists Liverpool. The Premier League’s Player of the Season had to leave the final against Real Madrid after half an hour due to injury, but he’s reported to be back well in time for the start of the World Cup. If his form continues into the summer, we might be talking about one of the tournament’s superstars here. Two of Egypt’s other most experienced players also earn their wages in the Premier League. At West Brom, there is defensive strongman Ahmed Hegazi, who, despite the Potter’s relegation, can look back at a decent season. He’ll be leading the Egyptian defense for which Aston Villa’s El Mohamady usually starts as well. The other one to watch is Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny, who doesn’t always start for the Gunners, but whose a mainstay on the Egyptian midfield. He’s crucial for the team’s balance, as well as in connecting the sturdy Egypt defense with Salah and co in attack. In a group with Saudi Arabia and Russia, Egypt might just turn out to be one of the World Cup’s surprise packages this summer. At the time of writing, Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov is still working with a preliminary squad of 29 players, but like Egypt, some players are already certain of a spot among the final 23. The Russian national team hasn’t been performing great over the past few years, something that is in part due to very few Russian players being active in Europe’s top leagues at the moment. CSKA Moscow legend Igor Akinfeev is definitely one of Russia’s best players, and probably the most important one as well. He’s been providing reliable hands in goal for more than 10 years already, and at still only 32 years old, he’ll probably do so again this summer. He’s also one of the few players with previous World Cup experience (2014) in this Russian squad. Ex-Real Madrid talent Denis Cheryshev is one of the few players in the Russian national team who play for a team in the European top leagues, in this case Spanish side Villareal. The creative midfielder has had some injury issues over the past years, but when fit he’s one of Russia’s most decisive assets. The team’s performance will depend for a large part on his creativity. Ex-Feyenoord recruit Fyodor Smolov (currently Krasnodar) is the one who’ll have to be putting the balls in the back of the net for the Russians. The tall striker came in second in the Russian Premier League’s top scorer ranking last season, with 14 goals in 22 games. If Russia wants to advance through the group stage for the first time, then they’ll have to make sure to take points against Egypt and especially Saudi Arabia, as Uruguay will probably be a bridge too far. Group A’s weakest team, on paper at least, is Juan Antonio Pizzi’s Saudi Arabia. The entire squad plays in the national competition, even though, through a collaboration with Spain’s LaLiga, a group of players was loaned to a few Primera División teams to prepare for the World Cup. Considering their general lack of playing minutes though, this arrangement is unlikely to have a real effect on the team. The 31-year old striker Mohammad El-Sahlawi, who plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is one of the better-known players in the national team. He scored 10 goals in 19 games for his club last season and he’ll be training with Manchester United in the weeks working up to the World Cup, so it might be interesting to keep an eye out for him. Salem El-Dawsari is one of the players who were loaned to LaLiga last season. In the case of El-Dawsari, this club was Villareal, Spain’s current number 5. Despite limited playing minutes, the midfielder did spend a considerable amount of time in the ranks of one of Spain’s best clubs, so the Saudis will be hoping he’ll make a difference in Russia. Another young player who spent last season in Spain, at Levante, is winger Fahad Al-Muwallad. Short and quick, he’ll be looking to provide the Saudis with some much-needed speed and creativity in the front. Any attacking Saudi danger will probably involve Al-Muwallad. The chances of success in Russia this summer are slim for Saudi Arabia. Group A is definitely not The World Cup’s strongest group, but we still rate the other teams considerably higher than the Saudis. If football was played on paper, Uruguay would be qualifying for the knock-out phase without a problem. Of the four teams in Group A, La Celeste have the bigger names and the more experienced players by quite a long shot. In attack, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani team up to provide the goals. Though both strikers have well passed the age of 30 by now, they’re still lethal at the highest level, which is underlined by their performances for respectively Barcelona (25 goals in 33 LaLiga games) and PSG (28 goals in 32 Lige 1 games). They’ve been forming one of the most feared attacking partnerships in international football for years, so they know each others’ style inside and out. Uruguay’s performance will largely depend on the form and accuracy of these two. Though the Uruguay squad boasts plenty of other quality players, like Inter Milan’s Matías Vecino and ex-Boro man Gastón Ramírez, we find another world class duo at the back. Diego Godín and José María Giménez form the central block at Simeone’s Atletico de Madrid as well, which is a blessing for the national team. With 9 years of age between them (32 for Godín and 23 for Giménez), they represent the past, present, and future foundation of the team, and they’ll be forming one of the most unrelenting defensive duos of the World Cup this summer. You should never underestimate the Uruguayans. They combine world class players with a win-or-die mentality, so don’t be surprised if they reach the higher end of the knock-out stage. Previous PostFantasy sports and traditional betting – a common groundNext PostWorld Cup 2018 Preview – Group B FanTeam – FPL with 250,000 euros of prizes FPL Forum TFF Forum FPL Rises/Fallers EPL Injury Table Follow @FantasySportsUK	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line2000
__label__wiki	0.851263	0.851263	Community facilities \| July 31, 2018 The Nationals kickstart bold vision to activate the Wimmera River The Nationals in government will work with the Horsham community to develop a plan to activate Horsham’s Wimmera River Precinct, boosting tourism and supporting local jobs. Member for Lowan Emma Kealy was joined by Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria and Decentralisation Peter Walsh in Horsham today to announce $150,000 will be provided for project planning by a Liberal Nationals Government. Ms Kealy said The Nationals were proud to kickstart the local community’s bold vision to develop the river precinct to its full potential. “The Nationals have listened to the local community’s calls for a plan to better utilise and appreciate the Wimmera River to boost tourism, jobs and our region’s local economy,” Ms Kealy said. “We’re making a commitment to get this project off the ground, working with the community and Horsham Rural City Council to create a plan to maximise the potential of the Wimmera River and in turn deliver benefits for the wider region. “By activating the Wimmera River Precinct, locals and tourists alike will be able to enjoy a coffee or a bite to eat with a fantastic view of one of our greatest natural assets,” she said. The Activation Plan will focus on the Wimmera River in the area adjacent to the Horsham Greyhound Racing Track, Horsham Showgrounds and the Western Highway. Mr Walsh said The Nationals were pleased to help the community’s vision become a reality. “While city-centric Labor has abandoned Regional Victoria, an elected Liberal Nationals Government will back regional jobs and grow our local economies by investing in community-driven projects like the Wimmera River Activation Plan,” Mr Walsh said. “This commitment is just one way The Nationals in government will deliver a better deal for tourism and jobs in the Horsham community,” he said. Ms Kealy said she was looking forward to hearing more from the community and seeing the project progress. “There’s already some bold ideas coming from the community,” Ms Kealy said. “I am proud to be part of a Nationals team that is determined to deliver a better deal for Horsham by developing one of our town’s great assets – the Wimmera River,” she said.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0012.json.gz/line2002

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